During the voyage, a red dot suddenly appeared on the Argo's life radar, gradually approaching the ship.
Nami, who was on watch, stood ready upon seeing the red dot. Realizing they were now close to Kaido's territory, she called out to Hera.
Hera had already woken up the moment Nami called her name. Pushing Kuina off her, she swept her Observation Haki across the sky but found no trace of Kaido.
She let out a yawn as she walked out of the Captain's quarters and asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"
Nami pointed at the red dot on the Argo's radar and said with a serious expression, "There's a red dot here. I don't know if someone is coming to attack."
Ulti, who was tied up on the deck, said excitedly, "Hurry up and release me! Once Lord Kaido arrives, none of you will escape!"
Hera's Observation Haki swept toward the direction indicated by the radar. Seeing a wooden barrel drifting over, she laughed. "I didn't expect that besides Luffy, someone else would actually go out to sea hiding in a barrel."
Shadows extended from behind Hera, fishing a wooden barrel out of the sea.
After opening the lid, a sleeping figure was revealed inside. To be precise, it was a fluffy rabbit.
With the lid open, two rabbit ears stood atop golden hair; the white fluff on the ears looked very soft to the touch.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Nami reached out and touched the ears of the person inside.
The sleeping figure in the barrel was startled awake by Nami's touch. She jumped straight out of the barrel, landed on all fours on the deck, and let out a series of threatening growls at Hera and Nami.
Electricity flickered across her body, making her look like a beast charging up for an attack.
Hera recognized the person in front of her and couldn't help but complain, "What a coincidence. Carrot, why are you here? Shouldn't you be on that giant elephant?"
Carrot responded subconsciously, "I left there on my own for an adventure. Who are you? How do you know my name?"
"We saved you, you know. On this sea, how could you possibly survive relying only on this barrel?"
A trace of electricity also flickered in Nami's hand. She was starting to feel like teaching this little bunny, who was hissing at her, a lesson.
Hera stayed Nami's hand and said to Carrot, "Since you're out for an adventure, where is your ship? How is it that only this much is left?"
Only then did Carrot realize that her original raft had somehow been reduced to just a single barrel.
Realizing her little boat had vanished into thin air, her eyes instantly glowed red. She suddenly sat on the deck and began to cry.
"My boat... my Carrots... I brought so many Carrots, and now they're all gone!"
Looking at the grieving Carrot, Hera took a stack of Carrots out of her City of Devouring Time. Like an uncle tempting a little girl, she said to Carrot:
"I have some here. How about it? As long as you become my partner, all these Carrots will be yours."
As she spoke, she waved a Carrot in front of Carrot's eyes, watching her gaze follow her hand from left to right, then right to left.
Carrot swallowed hard, her eyes fixed on Hera's hand, but she still shook her head with difficulty.
"No, when I left, the Elder warned me. People who lure others like you do are definitely bad people. I can't go with a bad person."
"And you hairless monkeys aren't trustworthy at all, though you do look quite nice."
Hearing Carrot call them hairless monkeys, Nami's fist tightened again. "What hairless monkeys? We're humans! Humans, do you understand?"
Hera continued, "What bad person? I am the Marine's Nightmare Admiral. There is no better person on these seas than me. How about it? Become my companion!"
After seeing Chopper of the Straw Hat Pirates and Bepo of the Heart Pirates, Hera also wanted to invite a member of the Mink Tribe to join her Pirate Crew.
Now, looking at Carrot who had stumbled onto her ship by mistake, Hera became even more determined to keep her.
After all, who wouldn't like a rabbit-eared girl who usually looks cute and airheaded but can transform into a mature woman under the Moonlight?
Carrot dazed for a moment, then rushed in front of Hera in shock. She cupped Hera's face with both hands to examine it closely, then said excitedly:
"It's actually a living Nightmare Admiral! Nightmare Admiral, I'm your fan! I didn't expect to meet you here!"
Although Hera's fame was gradually spreading across the sea and her deeds were known to the people of this ocean, even in the secluded Zou, her prestige was whispered about.
This was even more true for Carrot, who longed for adventure. She had already memorized Hera's adventures. Running away from Zou this time was actually because she admired Hera.
She nodded, but then suddenly, as if thinking of certain legends about Hera, she pulled her hands back to protect her chest, her face turning red.
"But, even if you're my idol, we can't progress this fast!"
Hera complained, "I wouldn't! Just what kind of image do I have in your eyes?"
At this moment, Hera didn't want to directly cosplay Tang San; she just felt that having a rabbit girl from the Mink Tribe on the ship was like having a mascot.
"Oh, I see."
Carrot suddenly looked disappointed, her ears drooping down.
Unable to keep up with the thoughts in Carrot's head for a moment, Hera complained.
"Just what is supposed to be the right way?"
Theseus looked at the rabbit-eared girl and said, "I know, I know! The Animal Kingdom show said that rabbits are the most likely to..."
"Mmph, mmph, mmph!"
Before Theseus could finish the second half of his sentence, Reiju, who was quick of hand, covered his mouth.
Reiju said, "Alright, alright. Since you've come to this ship, it's fate. Why not follow us on an adventure for a while before making a decision?"
Carrot nodded, agreeing to Reiju's suggestion. She pounced onto a pile of Carrots and rolled around happily.
The awakened Kuina was a bit worried and asked Hera, "We're going to Onigashima; that's not a good place. Is this girl going to be okay?"
Hera nodded and looked at the Moonlight. "Don't worry. If it weren't for us, she would be the next king of the Mokomo Dukedom."
"But now, her future will be a bit broader."
Kuina looked at the somewhat narcissistic Hera, then looked incredulously at the cute creature rolling on the Carrots. "You're saying the king is her? Then isn't the Mokomo Dukedom doomed?"
Hera didn't explain further. "Alright, go back to sleep. When it's a night with a full moon, you'll know her strength."
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