It hovered for a moment, as if exhausted. Then it fell, landing on the cave floor with a faint click.
The tiny crystal lay there, catching the dim light. Then it began to melt, shrinking until it was just a damp spot that sank into the ground.
Rhett: Pfft
She looked up at him.
The whole thing was brief and quiet. Rhett, well, it was fine. Keep going.
She stared at the spot where the crystal had been, then at her empty palm, as if she didn't understand what had happened.
Rhett didn't say anything. He just reached out and rubbed her hair.
Days passed. The tribe built the ship. From the chief's stories, Rhett learned that nearby islands sometimes used a special white shell for trade. It seemed like a currency.
"Like the early berries," Rhett said, interested. "I should collect some ancient berries." He was broke.
He held out his hand.
A cool hand slipped into his.
He took it and led her toward the edge of the village.
She looked up. "Where?"
Rhett grinned. "To steal."
He picked her up, blood mist swirling. They shot toward the sea, leaving a red trail.
Whoosh!! Splash!!
They arrived at a "peaceful" island. A quarry. The sound of picks on stone. The crack of whips. Rhett looked down at the "hardworking" slaves and the "kind" slave owners.
On the stone paths, Rhett's first thought was: these are Celestial Dragons. The leaf crowns on their heads were like the bubble helmets of the future.
But something was wrong. Even the weakest Celestial Dragons had robust bodies. These people looked weak and sickly.
Someone might ask, "Rhett, how can you be so sure?"
Rhett: It's not about breeding over a hundred years. It's in their blood. One Piece is about bloodlines. Even the dumbest Celestial Dragons have tough bodies. Remember that one Luffy punched? He was just bruised.
Power levels in One Piece are extreme. Even between Emperors there are gaps. Look at Kid. He could fight Big Mom, but Shanks one-shot him.
So Rhett was certain. These weren't the kings. They were poor copies. Perhaps chosen from among the masses.
Joy Boy's chosen. Joysen. That sounded better than Emperor-chosen. It would keep Imu up at night.
Joy Boy appearing behind Imu: "Imu! Do you know what happiness is?"
Imu: "Stay away from me!"
The girl looked down at the quarry from Rhett's arms. She saw the workers struggling under the whip, the rough stone houses, the muddy roads. She was confused.
This was nothing like Piruka's clean, advanced world. The tools and way of life were alien to her.
Rhett saw her curiosity and laughed. "Wow! Never seen this before? What a country bumpkin!"
She looked at him, confused.
He explained, with a teasing tone, "'Bumpkin' means someone who hasn't seen much of the world." He pointed at the suffering below.
"But it's not your fault."
"The world you knew was Piruka. Clean, advanced, but cold. A prison. And stupid. They used people like you as fuel."
"But look down there." His gaze swept over the scene. "This is the real world for most people. Backward, cruel, dog-eat-dog. It's never been peaceful."
"Piruka?" He laughed. "It's no paradise. It's a beautiful monster built on stealing and blood. It doesn't represent the world. It's just a predator."
"And what we see here..." He finished, "is the reality most people on these seas face."
She listened, looking down at the dusty, painful world. She was beginning to understand that her "normal" might be the real abnormality.
After a moment, she looked up at him. Her eyes were clear and seemed to see through him.
Rhett: "..."