"If we're going to do this, then we're doing it properly… all the way!!"
"…Mother? What was that outburst just now?"
"Oh, nothing. Sorry. I just felt like saying it."
Ahem. At the moment, we were paying a visit to the mansion belonging to the gang that had tried to kill Alice—and then, even after settling things with money, had sent assassins after us. We'd just finished wiping them out, and now we were on our way back.
When it comes to this sort of thing, you have to eliminate the source completely. Otherwise, it comes back to bite you later. That's something I've learned the hard way.
Some people won't give up even after you leave the island. They'll chase you across the sea and send assassins after you.
If it were just me, I might let it slide. But once children's safety is involved… that's a line I refuse to tolerate.
So I crushed them. Thoroughly. Nothing left behind.
Only Suzu and I came along for this job.
Between our physical invulnerability and our ability to turn into paper or mud—perfect for infiltration and swift extermination—we make a frighteningly efficient pair.
…Though, to be honest, once we were inside, I did most of the rampaging.
Suzu sealed every entrance and exit with mud, trapping them inside, while I went through and erased every last one of them. Simple enough.
"Still… it's rare for Mother to go this far," Suzu said quietly. "Usually you'd just knock them around and tell them to scram. But this time… you wiped them out completely."
"There are times when sparing people causes no problems—and times when it absolutely does," I replied. "…Did I disappoint you? Were you scared?"
"It's far too late for that," she said calmly. "We all understand you made this decision after thinking about what was best for us—me, Leona, and Alice. Why would we resent you for it? …Besides, the world is full of people far more cruel than Mother."
These kids really are like this, Suzu thought.
Good. That's a relief.
I did what I believed had to be done—ruthlessly, decisively. I don't regret it. Still, I'd worried that Suzu or the others might feel frightened, repulsed, or start putting distance between us.
Now that concern was gone.
"Alright, Suzu. Do a quick sweep and grab all the cash and valuables you can find. Hand everything to me—I'll stash it."
"And Mother?"
"She's checking their important documents. Member lists, evidence of crimes, anything that would be devastating if it leaked… then she's going to leave them somewhere obvious."
"…So you're letting whoever comes next find them on purpose?"
"Exactly. I had Alice spread rumors among the rival gangs that this place was wiped out. When they come to confirm it, they'll find a destroyed mansion—and documents that any gang would kill to get, just lying around."
They'll assume the gang was crushed in a turf war. Using those documents, they'll mop up the remnants, hunt down survivors, and erase the organization for us.
Even if they suspect someone orchestrated this…
"Make sure there's nothing that links back to us," I added.
"I'm done already. There was cash, and—just like you said—two safes in the next room. One was obvious, the other hidden. Neither had combinations."
"I read the combinations out of that guy's head earlier. Let's open them. The hidden one should have the real good stuff."
We cracked both safes, took the money and documents we needed, and left before anyone else arrived.
That should be the end of the gang. As planned, the others would finish the cleanup and hunt down any stragglers.
They'd been connected to figures in the island's governing structure, and even to the World Government's underbelly and parts of the Marines. Those people might be annoyed that their black-market routes and meeting places were disrupted—but it wouldn't last.
Another gang would quickly move in, using the documents I left behind to take over.
For their clients, the deal itself matters more than who they're dealing with.
Especially in an underworld where morals don't exist.
The country would be in chaos for a while—but we were already leaving. It wouldn't affect us.
And so, we made our quick getaway. Bye-bye.
---
It's already been half a month since we left the island. Time really does fly.
On my ship now are three daughters—Leona, Suzu, and Alice. The journey has become far livelier, far noisier, than before.
At first, Alice—the girl we took with us, or rather bought—seemed to think she'd be serving aboard as some kind of attendant. She was prepared for it.
We never intended that.
Honestly, I didn't think much at the time. A friend was about to be killed, so I moved to save her.
I didn't see her as a guest—but I never planned to treat her like a servant either.
If anything, having someone on board you have to be formal with feels more restrictive than helpful. All three of us felt that way.
Leona, friendly by nature, and Suzu, who's more sociable than she looks, immediately drew Alice in. Before long, they were chatting like old friends.
I didn't treat Alice with any forced politeness either.
In fact, when it comes to audacity and shrewdness, she might even surpass the other two. She's the type you can deal with casually without worry. So I treated her exactly the same.
…Honestly, adjusting my behavior just for her would've been a pain. It was easier to lump them all together.
At first, Alice looked confused by it. But her talent for socializing is remarkable—arguably better than even Leona's or Suzu's.
A relationship without pretense, where being guarded was pointless, suited her perfectly. Within a few days, she was already…
"Ugh, that's why it's Red Line, Leona! 'Restaurant' has five letters—it doesn't fit!"
"You just filled it in because you were hungry, didn't you? Look—none of the other words match either! You didn't read the clues at all!"
"You two are so annoying! I'm concentrating here! If I solve this crossword, I get an A-rank beef set!"
"At this rate you won't even get the participation prize. Here, let me help."
"No! I'm doing it myself!"
Leona was glaring at the crossword puzzle from the magazine they'd bought on the last island. Alice hovered nearby, unable to watch in silence. Suzu observed the chaos with half-amused exasperation.
"Anyway, since we're always at sea, we can't actually enter magazine contests, can we? We're pirates."
"…Oh. Right."
"Besides," Alice added casually, "Mom would probably just buy us beef if we asked. What do you think?"
Somewhere along the way, she'd started calling me "Mom."
Just like Suzu, she'd picked it up naturally. At first it felt awkward—but as she grew closer to the others, she stopped resisting the idea of me as her mother.
Now she spoke to me as casually as they did. Like family.
Even I'd started to relax around her.
"I'm not spoiling you rotten," I said. "But… hearing you talk has made me want beef. Shall we get some on the next island?"
"Yes! Grilled meat! Barbecue! Beef stew!"
"From despair to joy in seconds. What a creature."
"As long as there's beef, who cares? So, did you finish the crossword?"
"N-no! I'm still working on it!"
And that's how my three daughters are now.
Who could've predicted this? From single, with no romantic experience to speak of, to suddenly becoming the mother of three.
Even with the eyes of Sue the Pirate Literary Master, I never saw this coming.
Truth really is stranger than fiction.
Still… I don't dislike this noise. Not at all.
And hearing them call me Mama, Mother, and Mom—it feels surprisingly good.
Maybe it's because I skipped all the hardest parts of parenting. No pregnancy. No childbirth. No sleepless nights. Instead, three well-behaved, understanding children simply fell into my life.
Still, the affection itself is real. At least, that's how it feels to me.
…Though they probably aren't thinking this deeply about it.
'It all started when I took Leona—back when she had amnesia—out for a change of pace…'
Before I knew it, we'd slipped into an unofficial parent-child relationship. Then Suzu, then Alice joined.
We arrived here without resistance, without doubt.
But…
"…Is it really okay to just keep drifting like this?"
"…Mother? Did you say something?"
"No. It's nothing."
Suzu must have caught my murmur.
I brushed it aside and returned my attention to the sea chart. Right—where to next?
I felt Alice watching me with curiosity, but I pretended not to notice.
To be continued...