Ever since Leno and Nami had set out to sea, the house had grown much quieter. The seaside training grounds, once lively with shouts and clashing blades, now stood almost empty.
Early in the morning, after tidying up the house where Leno and the others once lived, Aileen wiped the fine sweat from her face, picked up the longsword beside her, and stepped outside.
From the day she'd waved goodbye to Leno and the others, little Aileen had made it her routine to clean their room every day, eagerly waiting for the moment they returned so they could praise her efforts.
When she reached the training grounds by the shore, traces of her brother and sisters' sparring still marked the ground.
Recalling the times her brother used to hold her in his arms while watching the others train, Aileen set her heart on growing stronger too.
Taking a deep breath, she began her daily sword practice—the routine carefully written down by her brother himself. She had to take it seriously.
Horizontal slashes, vertical cuts, turning strikes—she moved with surprising focus for someone her age, her small face filled with determination.
The salty morning breeze brushed her cheeks, teasing her bangs, while her skirt fluttered softly to the sound of a humming blade—witness to her persistence.
As the sun rose, the once-quiet village came alive.
Soon, Dom and a few of her little friends—Caitou and the others—arrived at the beach with iron swords in hand.
Seeing Aileen already training, they greeted her cheerfully.
"Boss, you're here so early~"
"Yeah! We came right after breakfast, didn't expect you to beat us here!"
"Huff…" Letting out a small breath, Aileen stopped her swings and turned to face them, her face solemn.
"Enough chit-chat. Let's start. After we finish swinging our swords, we still have to run around the seashore."
"Yes, Boss~"
Ever since she'd beaten up the rowdy kids in the village once, the nickname "Boss" had naturally stuck.
Seeing that her brother and sisters had their own companions when they went to sea, Aileen had spent an entire night thinking about it before deciding—she'd have her own crew too.
And so, under her lead, their daily training began.
By noon, Aileen dragged her tired body back home, only to hear her parents talking inside.
Belle-Mère said, "This is the Devil Fruit Leno left for Aileen. I'm worried she'll mess around with it, so I plan to wait a while before letting her eat it."
Genzo replied, "Good idea. Let her enjoy being a kid for a bit longer. Once she eats it, she'll turn into a 'landlubber'—no more swimming. That'd take away a lot of fun for a child."
Belle-Mère nodded. "Alright, I'll keep it for now. I'm going to make lunch—she'll be home any minute."
Listening from the doorway, Aileen's eyes darted mischievously. Quietly, she tiptoed away.
A few minutes later, her cheerful voice rang from outside. "Mom! I'm hungry!"
"Mom, what's for lunch? I'm starving~"
Seeing her daughter rush in so energetically, Genzo's heart melted instantly. He scooped her up with a smile.
"Aileen-chan, my lovely girl! Lunch is almost ready—lots of your favorite big juicy meat today!"
Soon after, Belle-Mère brought out a tray of steaming dishes, and the ever-helpful Aileen rushed to assist.
The family enjoyed a warm, joyful lunch together.
Afterward, Belle-Mère headed to the orange grove while Genzo left for the village guard post. They reminded Aileen to behave before leaving the house.
Peeking from behind the door, Aileen made sure both her parents were gone before darting back inside.
She rummaged around until she found a small wooden chest hidden where her mother kept money. Inside lay a bright orange-red fruit covered in colorful swirling patterns.
"This must be the Devil Fruit my brother left for me…" she whispered, her eyes sparkling.
Since her brother left it for her, it had to be fine. Thinking so, she took a bite.
"Ughhh! What is this taste!? So gross!"
Holding back her nausea, Aileen forced herself to eat the whole thing. Looking down at her arms, she muttered, "Huh? Nothing happened?"
But before she could complain further, multicolored flames burst from her body. Terrified, she screamed and ran out of the house in a panic.
Soon she realized the flames had no heat—they didn't burn her at all. Feeling reassured, Aileen began to sense the strange power flowing inside her.
A piercing cry suddenly split the peaceful afternoon.
Villagers froze, startled by the shrill, resonant sound that seemed to shake the sky. They looked up—then gasped in awe.
A magnificent divine bird, cloaked in shimmering multicolored fire, soared into the heavens from their village.
A crown of rainbow flame rested on its head, its eyes glimmering like stars, its feathers radiating color. As its wings beat, a long rainbow trailed behind it.
Around its single leg swirled prismatic clouds, rising in radiant mist—making it seem almost beyond this world.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Then the uproar began.
"What—what is that? It's beautiful!"
"A divine bird! That's a divine bird!"
"Unbelievable! I've never seen such a creature—it's incredible!"
The bird, perhaps tired or unsteady with its newfound power, circled a few times before descending toward the orange grove.
"Wait… that direction…"
"Genzo, the bird's heading for your family's orchard!"
"Come on! Let's go see what's going on!"
Genzo, bewildered, was swept along by the excited crowd toward his own orchard.
When they arrived, they saw Belle-Mère gripping Aileen by the ear, scolding furiously.
"You little brat! You've got some nerve, sneaking around and stealing! Well? Still dare to do it again!?"
"I didn't steal anything! That Devil Fruit was from my brother!"
Even with her ear twisted, Aileen puffed out her cheeks defiantly.
"Oh, you still dare to talk back?!"
Belle-Mère was fuming. That divine bird earlier had scared her half to death—only to find out it was her own daughter!
The huge commotion, all because Aileen had secretly eaten the Devil Fruit. Belle-Mère hadn't planned to withhold it forever—she just wanted her to be older before eating it safely.
How Aileen even found out about it, she had no idea. But the girl's audacity was terrifying.
If she didn't teach her a lesson now, who knew what kind of trouble she'd cause later.
Grabbing the unrepentant Aileen, Belle-Mère pulled her over her knee and gave her a firm spanking.
"Ow! It hurts! Dad, help me! Mom's trying to kill me!"
"Aaah! Help!"
Aileen's wails echoed across the orchard, prompting the bewildered villagers to rush in and plead for leniency.
Genzo hurried forward, scooping Aileen into his arms and trying to soothe her.
After some questioning, they learned the truth—the divine bird had been none other than Aileen herself, transformed after eating the Devil Fruit.
The crowd stared, speechless. The terrifying 'divine bird' that had shaken the whole village was just this little girl.
Realizing this, the villagers began scolding Belle-Mère instead—saying she shouldn't have hit the child. After all, the fruit was Leno's gift for her.
Genzo's heart ached terribly, watching his daughter cry. Once the crowd dispersed, he tried to speak up for Aileen.
"Hmph! Fine, spoil her all you want! I'm done!" Belle-Mère snapped, turning away in a huff.
Seeing his wife truly angry, Genzo nudged Aileen, signaling her to apologize.
Aileen pouted but slowly walked forward, tugging at her mother's hand with watery eyes.
"Mom, I'm sorry. I'll be good from now on. Please don't be mad, okay?"
"Oh yeah? Then tell me what you did wrong."
Belle-Mère's tone softened a little. She wasn't truly angry—Aileen was still just a child, unaware of how dangerous such things could be. But a lesson had to be learned.
"...I-I shouldn't have eaten the Devil Fruit without permission…"
"And?"
"I shouldn't have talked back to Mom…"
"And?"
"…Daddy~ Mom's a big meanie!"
Crying again, Aileen threw herself into Genzo's arms, refusing to come out.
...