"Anna, go deliver some wine to the Whitebeard Pirates. They're at the port. You don't need to carry the barrels yourself — just go along and help collect the payment."
"Okay, Mom!" Anna waved cheerfully and followed a group of men rolling large wine barrels toward the port.
Ever since I ate the Dream Dream Fruit, life has been getting more and more exciting. I've even started to love sleeping — because every time I dream, I get to watch the lives of others… sometimes, it even feels like I'm sailing right beside them. For a One Piece fan like me, this is literally the best reward I could imagine.
"Anna, Anna!"
The burly man beside her kept calling her name.
"Huh? Oh! Uncle Qi, what is it? Sorry, I zoned out for a second." Anna quickly blinked and moved closer to him.
Uncle Qi chuckled. "How much do you think the Whitebeard Pirates will pay for all this wine?"
Anna counted the barrels from front to back and said seriously, "We've got thirty barrels in total. Normally, each sells for about three thousand Berries. But since the Whitebeard Pirates protect our island, we only charge them fifteen hundred per barrel. That means we'll just about break even — but safety is worth more than profit. After all, it's thanks to the Whitebeard Pirates that no other crews come here demanding protection money."
The man scratched his head, grinning. "Yeah, yeah, you're right, Anna. You're really smart — none of us can count as fast as you. Come on, boys! Don't make the Whitebeard Pirates wait!"
"Oh!" a dozen strong men roared together, hoisting the barrels and striding toward the port.
"Put those over there! Come on, next load!"
"Where's the wine? Hurry up — the wine's the most important part!"
"Coming! Coming!" Anna called, rushing forward.
"Oh? Little Anna! Long time no see!"
The man who greeted her ruffled her hair with a big, friendly hand.
"Brother Thatch! You're here buying supplies again?"
"Who else would it be?" Thatch said with a teasing grin. "Or were you hoping someone else would show up?"
"Brother Thatch, what are you talking about?" Anna pouted, her eyes curving into crescents. "Honestly, who on your ship would I even care about like that?"
Thatch smirked. "Oh? You sure about that? Every time Marco turns into a phoenix and flies overhead, you look like your eyes are about to fall out."
Anna flushed instantly. "Birds are birds, people are people — how can they be the same thing?"
Thatch burst out laughing. "How's that different? Marco's both a person and a phoenix."
"It's different because I said it's different!" Anna huffed, crossing her arms.
"Haha, fine, fine. I'll stop teasing." He flipped open his small notebook. "Now, let's settle up. How many barrels this time?"
As Anna began counting again, her thoughts drifted.
Will Marco's dream ever come true…? she wondered. Maybe not. Still, when I first met the Whitebeard Pirates, it felt unreal — like I'd stepped straight into one of my dreams.
When Anna first arrived in this world, her knack for math had quickly stood out. Of course, it wasn't real talent — just the basic arithmetic any student learns in nine years of school. But here, even simple addition and subtraction made her a prodigy.
Because of that, she often went along on deliveries, helping with payments and bookkeeping. Over time, she got to know the Whitebeard Pirates fairly well.
One day, the main ship of the Whitebeard Pirates docked at their little island — a place famous for its fine wine. Naturally, a grand banquet followed.
Anna knew by now that anywhere the Whitebeard Pirates landed, there'd be a feast. And with their island's endless variety of liquor, it was paradise for these pirates. Without Whitebeard's crew watching over them, the place would've been taken over by far worse.
While Anna was still busy tallying numbers, Thatch suddenly grabbed her by the hand and dragged her straight into the center of the banquet.
"Hey, everyone! This is the little girl I told you about — she's amazing with numbers and helps us balance accounts. Marco, what do you think? Why not take her as your apprentice? That way you wouldn't have to do all the work yourself!"
"Oi!" Marco kicked Thatch lightly aside. "You can't just kidnap someone's daughter without permission. Did her parents even agree? Did she agree? Don't be scared, little one. He means well."
"Thank you. I believe you — you all seem like good people," Anna said honestly.
The pirates around her erupted in laughter.
"Hahahaha! Did you hear that? She called us good people!"
"Marco, you hear that? You're officially a 'good man' now!"
Marco sighed. "Anyone who keeps talking can forget about next month's allowance."
The laughter died instantly, and the men went back to eating and chatting as if nothing happened.
"Don't worry," Marco said gently. "They're harmless."
"I know. I trust you — you're protecting our island, after all." Anna smiled up at him.
Marco chuckled. "Still, don't go thinking all pirates are like us. Be careful when you travel, got it?"
"Yes, I understand," she nodded quickly.
"Marco, you sure you don't want to take her as an apprentice? She's really good at handling money!" Thatch called again from across the table.
"Thatch," Marco said flatly, "you just lost next month's allowance. And little girl, since this is your hometown bar, how about joining the party? This guy—" he pointed at Thatch "—makes a ton of delicious food. Don't let his face fool you; his cooking's incredible."
"Thank you, Marco!" Anna said brightly.
"Hey! I'm the one who cooked! Why are you thanking him?" Thatch protested with mock outrage.
"Oh, right! Thank you, Brother Thatch!" Anna said, grinning. Then she darted toward the buffet table, eyes sparkling. "Delicious food, here I come!"
Thatch sighed, watching her with a smile. "You really sure you don't want to take her under your wing?"
Marco shook his head. "Don't talk nonsense. She's living happily here. Why disrupt that?"
Thatch nudged him with his elbow. "You've got to admit, she's adorable though."
Marco glanced toward Anna — the little girl laughing as she ate, crumbs on her lips, surrounded by grinning pirates.
"She is," Marco said softly. "But that's exactly why we should leave her happiness alone."
Then, with a sudden kick, he sent Thatch tumbling into a dirt pit nearby and took off, transforming into a magnificent blue phoenix that soared toward Whitebeard's ship.
"Wow…" Anna gasped, eyes wide. "Marco's transformation is so beautiful. I really want to ride that bird just once…"
She clutched a giant meat skewer in one hand, gaze fixed skyward in awe.
"What's stopping you?" Vista teased from the side. "If you want to talk to Marco, just go up and ask."