Day three of our stay. The day we'd been waiting for had finally arrived.
The Marine patrol was over. We could set sail without trouble.
We'd had our share of good moments in this town, all things considered… but the truth was, there were still too many things here I didn't want to look at, much less stay near.
So extending our stay was never an option. The moment preparations were done, we were leaving.
By morning, the Marine ships were gone. They'd apparently pulled out at dawn. Once we confirmed it, we moved to withdraw exactly as planned.
We were just about ready to go when someone suggested we at least say goodbye to Alice.
I owed her a lot from our time here. And yesterday—turning that ridiculous fishing haul into an impromptu soup kitchen—had honestly felt incredible. Feeding dozens of starving kids until their faces finally relaxed… it had hit something deep.
So I figured I'd swing by Alice's place—she'd told us where she lived the day before—say a quick thank-you, then go.
Instead, I found her collapsed on the floor, blood running from her head.
And standing over her were a handful of rough-looking men—shabby clothes, ugly grins, the kind of "bad news" you can smell before you see. They were smirking and laughing.
The sight froze us.
They hadn't noticed us yet. They kept laughing, carrying on in loud, vulgar voices, talking like nothing in the world mattered except their own filth. Just listening made my skin crawl.
"Huh?! This kid's a girl?! I heard some kinky noble madam in the Noble Quarter bought her for a night, so I figured she was just some scrawny brat who looks like a girl."
"Yeah, same. She hangs around women so much, I thought she was selling herself over on that side of town."
"Gya ha ha ha! That madam must've been one hell of a freak!"
"Nah, she's definitely a girl. Sure, her face is kinda boyish, but the fit was good enough."
"Oi, oi. Don't tell me you actually did her."
"Heh heh heh… take a look for yourself."
As they spoke, one of them grabbed Alice's limp body and yanked at her clothes, tearing them away without care.
The skin exposed beneath was unmistakably a girl's. Slender, but with soft curves where they belonged—and, most importantly, lacking what a boy should have.
The men roared with laughter again, and a few let their expressions slip into something hungry.
That was it.
Something in me cracked.
Maybe a little of my killing intent leaked out.
"Heh, but now that it's come to this, killing her outright would be a waste…"
"Yeah. If we're gonna kill her anyway, might as well have a little—huh?"
One of them finally noticed me.
Then, one by one, they realized the three of us were standing in the doorway.
"What're you staring at? This ain't a circus. Get lost!"
"Or d'you wanna join in?" Another one grinned, shameless. "Heh, that's fine by me. With this many of us… maybe this brat alone wouldn't be enough after all."
"Yeah, you're right. Hey, missies—wanna play a little?"
"Hey, wait!" one of their companions blurted, suddenly pale. "This is bad—they're dangerous!"
The others turned on him with irritated looks, but he barreled on anyway, sweating hard.
"These guys… they're the foreign travelers we heard about! The ones who slaughtered everybody who tried to ambush them!"
"Wait, seriously?" someone muttered. "Yeah… come to think of it, I heard guys from another crew talking about that yesterday…"
"S-so these are the ones?!"
"And that big woman?" another hissed, eyes flicking to Leona. "She's a bounty target… a pirate with a seventy-six million bounty!"
"Seventy million?!" A shocked laugh. "What kind of bounty is that? I've never even seen one that high!"
Their gazes shifted—from crude curiosity to real wariness. Fear.
So word had spread about that "punk-squashing competition" on our first day here—when we put down over fifty idiots who thought they could jump us.
Looks like they'd realized we weren't easy prey. Pathetic, but convenient. Saves me the trouble.
…Though, just to be clear, I didn't kill anyone. At worst, I left them half-dead.
Am I really that intimidating? Is it my height? Or something else?
I mean, I'm around 190 centimeters, which is tall for a woman, sure. But there are women around my height—like Hancock.
And plenty who casually surpass it. Marie and Sonia, for starters.
And beyond height… this world is full of women who fit every other "type" you could imagine.
Lately I've noticed almost every woman in the One Piece world has that exaggerated hourglass build—bom-kyu-bom.
Even with their swagger collapsing, the thugs tried to keep a shred of bravado as they spoke.
"What's your business, missies? I already told you, we're not a show. If you've got no reason to be here, scram."
"Well, it's not that we don't have a reason," I said, nodding toward the girl on the floor. "It's about her."
The man visibly flinched when I pointed at Alice.
I tried to smile. It probably didn't help. My mood was foul, and I wasn't hiding it well.
Suzu and Leona didn't even bother pretending. They'd gone past irritation straight into anger.
In fact, I could hear a low, animal growl from Leona's throat. Was she halfway transforming?
Whether they understood how close we were to Alice or not, they clearly understood one thing: what they'd done to her had just put a target on their backs.
Still, they had their own reasons for being here—aside from whatever they were about to do "since we're here anyway."
"That's a problem," the thug said, forcing a stiff tone. "We're here on business too. Our Boss ordered us to kill this kid. I didn't know she was your friend, and… I feel bad about it, but business is business. So—how about you pretend you didn't see anything and leave?"
"That's a lot to ask." I kept my voice even. "We have urgent business with that kid today, too. So what now?"
They glared like they meant it, but the fear underneath was obvious. The intimidation was all performance.
And power-wise, Suzu or Leona alone could handle the lot of them without breaking a sweat. If this turned into a fight, it wouldn't even be work.
But I didn't want a commotion. Not if I could avoid it. Dragging out a negotiation would be annoying, and more importantly, I wanted Alice treated as soon as possible.
So…
"Well," I said lightly, "I'm sure you boys have your own troubles. How about this?"
They jolted when I reached into my pocket. For a split second, they probably thought I was drawing a weapon.
Instead, I pulled out a thick wad of cash.
Five million Berry.
Even for someone used to money, it was the kind of sum that felt heavy in the hand—thick enough to be obscene. The men stared, stunned.
In a Non-Affiliated Nation like this, five million was beyond fortune. It was something you didn't get by working. You got it by stealing kingdoms.
"Would you sell me the girl for this?"
"O-oh…? Th-this much…? But—wait…"
"One more thing." I kept my smile. "We're leaving this island soon. Probably around noon, once preparations are done. And we won't be coming back. The girl we take with us will be gone from this country forever. If she disappears for good, that's as good as killing her, right?"
"Th-that's…"
"…Yeah," someone murmured. "I guess that's true."
"And if you hand half of this to your 'Boss,' he'll forgive you." I tilted the cash slightly. "A worthless orphan who wouldn't have fetched a single Berry alive has turned into this much money. The rest is your bonus. What do you say?"
It was almost funny how quickly greed drowned fear.
The man's mouth was already splitting into a grin halfway through my explanation. Most of the others looked the same.
Not long after, they handed Alice over with a stiff warning—"Get off this island. Fast."—and we left, exactly as promised.
---
About fifteen minutes later—
"Wait. So you were awake the whole time?"
"Yeah," Alice admitted casually. "They knocked me out for a little while when they hit me, but I came around pretty fast. I was waiting for an opening to slip away… but I never expected Big Sister to buy me. That was the real shock."
True to our promise, we intended to take her out of the country.
But when I pulled her close, I realized how filthy she was—no surprise, considering where she lived, where a proper bath was probably a luxury.
We also needed to wash the blood from her head wound and treat it properly. So we headed to the riverbank—the same place we'd fished and cooked yesterday—to clean her up.
I thought she was unconscious. I stripped off her clothes and waded into the river with her. Since I was getting wet anyway, I stripped down completely too.
If I were only cleaning one part, that'd be different. But for a full wash, you need water—lots of it. Doing it in the river is quicker.
Suzu and Leona didn't need to get naked. They just rolled up sleeves and pant legs and helped from the side.
But just as I was about to start washing her, I felt it.
A presence. A gaze.
I flicked out my Observation Haki, and—
Wait.
She's awake.
Honestly, it was impressive. How did I miss that? Carelessness, I guess.
But since I was already naked, I just decided to wash her anyway.
…Though, seriously, something is wrong with my head.
I could slip, fall, and drown. Bathing alone is dangerous.
As an Ability User, even shallow water is still a risk. You can drown in absurdly little water if you panic or get stuck. I remember learning once that adults can drown in as little as thirty centimeters.
Roadside ditches kill people for a reason.
So I let her wash what she could reach, and I helped with her back and the places she'd miss—like assisting someone bathing, or like a mother teaching a child how to scrub properly.
Alice, meanwhile, was completely unfazed. If anything, she looked amused.
Strange girl. I still couldn't quite grasp her sense of propriety—or her values.
And then I realized why.
That gaze.
It was Alice. She was staring straight at my body.
…Come to think of it, the "job" she'd hinted at the other day—and the rumors those thugs were spouting—both suggested she might be involved in… those kinds of activities. With female clients, too.
Could she actually be into that?
"Well, Big Sister," she said, grin curling at the corners of her mouth, "you've done me a huge favor again. How should I repay you? Like I said before—become your servant? Or…" Her tone turned deliberately suggestive. "Go with the classic 'repay you with my body'?"
It wasn't like those thugs earlier. There was no vulgar hunger behind it.
It was… more like a dirty joke taken one step too far.
Still.
That didn't mean there was nothing behind it at all.
"Didn't I tell you the day before yesterday?" I said flatly. "I'm not interested in that. So no."
"Hm. So a girl's body just isn't your thing, huh?" Alice tilted her head. "Do you usually prefer guys, Big Sister?"
"Well… probably."
"But it doesn't really seem like you're into liking people like that," Alice went on, eyes sharp. "There's never been any hint of a man around Mama. Even when you talk about the past, you never mention stuff like that. Are you just not interested?"
"Leona, don't say things like that!" Suzu snapped. "Mother just hasn't shown her true colors yet. Even in her thirties, she's still gorgeous—so it's perfectly normal. Don't you dare think she's some late bloomer. Not even in your head!"
Hey. You two.
I heard that rude comment loud and clear.
And Suzu—so you were thinking that?
Well, excuse me for being a late bloomer! It's not like I've had chances to meet anyone! And it's not like I even want a relationship right now!
I'd rather kick all those marriage proposals Papa keeps tossing at me straight off a cliff. My personal life still comes first!
So yes—this whole "thirtysomething, single, workaholic" situation, with my age matching my boyfriend-less streak, is entirely my own fault!
…Saying it out loud makes me sad.
Seriously, can I even get married? I've kept this pristine body all these years…
Anyway.
Like I said: I'm not interested right now. I don't feel like it.
While I was spiraling into that stupid internal rant, Alice hummed thoughtfully.
"Hm… well, aside from the whole 'Big Sister missing her prime' thing…"
I never said that!
"…at least it's because I'm a girl, not a guy, right?" Her gaze stayed locked on me. "So… if I were a guy, would you be interested in me then?"
"Huh?"
What is this kid talking about?
At that exact moment, Alice snapped her fingers.
Click.
The next instant—
Alice's body became male.
"E-eh?!"
The three of us just stared.
Alice grinned, smug as ever.
A split second ago, the Alice in front of me had been unmistakably female—slender, with soft curves, with a bone structure that read "girl" even if you didn't notice right away. And most importantly, she'd had none of what a boy would have.
Now—
Her build was still slim, but undeniably masculine, with faint definition in muscle instead of softness. The lines of her body had changed. Her throat bore a clear Adam's apple. Even her voice sounded lower.
And the most shocking part—
It was there.
I'm not saying what. But it was definitely something that hadn't existed a moment ago.
Eh? Eh?!
What—what is going on?!
"Do you think I can be your 'partner' now?" Alice asked lightly, like she'd just pulled a coin from behind my ear.
"E-e-e-eh?! Alice, you… you were a man all along?!"
"N-n-n-n-n—o-o-oh my… that's…" Suzu squeaked, face blazing as she covered her eyes—then immediately peeked through her fingers. "Hyaaaaaaah?!"
Leona, meanwhile, looked stunned but otherwise strangely normal.
Is Suzu the type who can't handle seeing things like this head-on? But she's also… clearly curious.
No. More importantly—
Alice, why are you suddenly a boy?!
"Heh heh heh. Surprised?"
"Obviously!" I snapped. "Wait—were you a boy all along? But this whole time I thought—"
"M-Mother, step back!" Suzu lunged in front of me, protective. "Cover yourself! Ugh, you absolute fool! Why would you suddenly show us something like that?! Or… have you been lying to us this whole time—pretending to be a girl?!"
A man had appeared where Alice had been, and Suzu's instincts kicked in before mine did. She planted herself between me and Alice while I stood there naked and exposed, and her hand flew to the two swords at her hip.
Calm down. I'll be fine.
"This isn't just a disguise," Suzu said, eyes sharp. "It's hard to tell without getting closer, but even the bone structure, the body shape… and the voice changed too."
"And the scent," Leona added quietly, sniffing the air like a true beast. "It was a woman's scent a moment ago. Now it's a man's."
Even the scent?
That meant the change ran deep—internal organs, too. This wasn't makeup and a trick of posture.
That narrowed it down fast.
If it wasn't some racial trait, then that left the usual suspect—
"A Devil Fruit… ability?"
"Ding ding ding!" Alice sang. "Bullseye!"
Snap.
With another snap of her fingers, she returned to her original girl form.
"I'm a Reversal Human," she said, rubbing the back of her head like it was no big deal. "I ate the Reva-Reva Fruit. It lets me reverse the properties of all sorts of things. What you saw just now was me switching my gender from female to male."
Another Devil Fruit I've never heard of…
Reversal, huh.
"I can use it in other ways too," Alice continued, eyes gleaming. "Like this."
She picked up a hefty stone from the riverbed and tossed it straight up.
Naturally, it fell—downward, right toward her head.
Instead of dodging, she let it hit her forehead.
Or rather—it looked like she did.
"Reflection!"
The instant the stone made contact, it sprang upward as if it had struck a hard surface and been repelled.
It bounced back with the same force—
So she reversed the direction of its motion and impact?
"You can even reverse movement," I murmured.
"Spot on, Missy♪" Alice winked.
If she could do that freely, this would be a terrifyingly useful combat ability.
But she shrugged, expression turning a shade more honest.
"The catch is, it doesn't activate automatically. If I'm caught off guard, it's useless." She glanced away. "That's what happened this morning. I got jumped while I was distracted."
Ah. So it isn't passive.
That made sense. Not omnipotent, not invincible—an ability that lives and dies by awareness. Focus. Vigilance.
"Oh, and just so you know," Alice added quickly, "I'm actually a girl. Don't worry. I can switch to being a guy whenever I need to—like for work. I alternate." She scratched her cheek. "That's why rumors get weird. Like those idiots earlier."
I'm not asking what kind of work.
So that's where the misconceptions come from.
"I've been switching back and forth since I was little," Alice went on, grin returning. "Honestly, even I've kind of lost track. And as for preferences…" Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "I've basically reached the point where either works. So Big Sister, feel free to hit me up anytime!"
"Niihihihi," she giggled, like some gremlin who'd found a secret button.
What the heck…?
Borderless values. That sounded… kind of cool, I guess? But what a bizarre side effect.
…Or maybe this kid was just built different from the start.
Given the atmosphere, that honestly seemed more likely.
In a way, this is practically a 'newcomer'… Ugh, my head…!
"Seriously, Big Sister," Alice said, the playfulness fading. "You saved me. Putting the sexy stuff aside, I owe you for real. Name your price—anything."
"Sure, sure," I said, trying to keep it light. "I'll think about it."
But her voice turned quieter, heavier.
"No, I mean it. I thought I was done for." She looked straight at me. "You're a genuine lifesaver, so don't hesitate. Ask for anything—anything at all."
When she said it like that, a chill pricked at the back of my neck.
"…How much killing intent did you feel from them?"
"Alice," Leona asked, eyes narrowing, "you didn't do something to make them hate you, did you? They said they were ordered to kill you."
"And they called it 'business,'" Suzu added. "You didn't take a gang job and mess it up, did you?"
Alice tilted her head, thinking. Then she smiled.
"Well… you're not exactly wrong," she said. "But it's not because I failed."
Her eyes sharpened, and for the first time, something dangerous flickered in them.
"It's because I succeeded."
"Huh?"
"I succeeded spectacularly."
---
Meanwhile, inside a certain building in the slum—
BANG!
"W-why… B-Boss…?!"
A gang member collapsed, dead on the floor.
He'd been shot clean through the heart by the Boss himself—the very man he'd served, the man they called the head of their group.
"The hell is this?!" the Boss roared, face twisted with fury. "You screwed up, didn't you?! I told you to kill her! Instead you sold her off on your own authority—and then you had the nerve to say, 'Deporting her is as good as killing her'?! Don't rewrite my orders and convince yourself you're right, you worthless piece of trash!"
He snapped at his men to dispose of the body.
Then, tongue clicking, he barked his next command.
"Get a hit squad—no, assassins—right now. That brat might've spilled something she shouldn't have."
His eyes narrowed, turning cold.
"If that happens, the Royal Government will be on my ass… Dammit. We finally crushed our rivals, and this lands on us?" He slammed a fist down. "Listen up. No one leaves this country alive."
His voice dropped, venomous.
"Not even the woman they bought."
To be continued...