บท 382: Visiting Grandma
"The Big Mom pirates were here because holding hostages is apparently how she ensures that her invitations to her tea parties are answered. Not that those weaklings could have hurt you, but they might have hurt someone else in the process of trying." Cherry told Grandma Agnela after Commander Frowe had left.
"So that's what they were doing here. I thought that they might be here for something else, what with those Cipher Pol agents poking around the island as well." Grandma Angela spoke calmly, sipping her tea.
"Cipher Pol? Do you know which one they're with?" Cherry was vaguely familiar with each of the agencies and what they typically worked around, except in unique cases like with Robin's kidnapping to Enies Lobby where they just needed a bunch of agents. The perks of hanging around the Revolutionary Army for a while.
Grandma Angela shrugged. "It's not like they've announced themselves. Their disguises are well done and, as far as I'm aware, Commander Frowe doesn't know they're here."
"Hmmm, CP2 maybe? Information gathering?" Cherry rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
That would explain why she didn't pick up on them. CP2 were non-combatants who specialized in espionage, so they would be indistinguishable from ordinary civilians via Life Sense. Of course, all Cipher Pol agents were trained in information gathering, but nobody could beat CP2 at flying under the radar. That's why they were the only agency not required to train in Rokushiki; in fact they were specifically banned from doing so as having an overly trained body could be the difference between getting caught or not.
"How did you recognize them if they were disguised?" Cherry asked her.
"I can tell when people are watching me, Cherry. It's a very useful application of observation haki, to tell the difference between friendly eyes and the opposite. It's very rare to have someone paying close attention to you whilst also being wary of you." Grandma Angela explained. "Having more than one doing it within the span of a few days pretty much guarantees that it's not a coincidence."
"How could you be sure they were world government agents, then?" Cherry was curious about that point.
"They aren't as good at catching others watching them as they are at watching others." Grandma Angela smiled.
Cherry had never known her grandmother to be particularly sneaky, but she supposed that the woman had lived an entire life before she found herself in this world.
"Is that all you came here for, then?" Grandma Angela asked.
"I was just in the area, mostly. Traveling by snail is surprisingly quick, you know?" Cherry said.
Naturally Grandma Angela hadn't a clue what Cherry could mean by that. It would take more than a few leaps of logic to even begin to see the truth of the matter.
"Well, I hope that means you can visit often," Grandma Angela took it in stride, and naturally insisted on being able to see her granddaughter more often as a result.
"Of course," Cherry was glad to agree. "Oh, I came into some money. You should take some to improve some things around here, better equipment and the like."
Grandma Angela was about to refuse, partly out of stubborn pride and partly because what made for a fair amount of money for an individual wouldn't amount to much for the entire dojo.
The sound of gold spilling into a pile on the floor gave her pause, however. Her time with the Kuja pirates allowed her to gauge the rough value of the pile to treasure to be somewhere in the range of two or three hundred million Beri. The perfect example of a small fortune.
Various expenses flashed through her mind in addition to the need for a new barracks to house the increase of the more serious disciples who were in it for the long haul. Between a number of Cherry's fans from Pebbleton wanting to learn where she had and prospective marines determined to fight against the renewed vigor of the pirate era, there was quite an increase in the number of students in the dojo.
"I suppose I can humble myself just this once and call it a repayment on the resources used to raise you… with interest," Grandma Angela spoke.
"Don't be that way. There are no debts amongst family," Cherry waved her words away. "The time I spent with you is worth more than money could ever repay, so please don't ask me to cough it up."
"I will take it without hesitation then," Grandma Angela chuckled. "Any more where that came from?"
"Shall I fill the entire house with gold?" Cherry raised an eyebrow in question.
Grandma Angela laughed. "A bit of an exaggeration, isn't that?"
Cherry smiled widely, and Grandma Angela realized that she had pulled the pile of gold on her floor out from seemingly nowhere. She had been so surprised by the gold itself that she hadn't questioned where it had come from.
"Just how much gold do you have?" Grandma Angela asked tentatively.
"Do you know the Gran Tesoro?" Cherry answered the question with another.
"Yes?" Grandma Angela had of course heard of it. It was quite famous among all the seas.
"I have most of what was in Gran Tesoro's vault on me right now. Although I suppose it doesn't all belong to me, but rather I'm keeping it safe from thieves and the like." Cherry spoke casually.
Grandma Angela couldn't even fathom the amount of wealth the world's largest and most famous casino had contained. The Gran Tesoro was widely regarded as an unofficial country in its own right, and just how much wealth did the average kingdom have?
Less than the Gran Tesoro, that much was certain.
"I'm sorry that I have to cut this visit short, but I have a wedding to attend tomorrow and it isn't going to wreck itself. I already blew half the daylight at old man Martin's place. I promise I'll come visit soon." Cherry stood up and gave her Grandmother a big hug. "Oh, yes, do keep this den den mushi here somewhere. It'll be easier to find my way with a familiar way point. Just don't answer any calls."
When Cherry set the den den mushi down on the table, Grandma Angela understood this probably had something to do with what she said about 'traveling by snail', but she couldn't imagine how.
Luckily, she didn't have to imagine it, as in the next moment Cherry turned to ghostly flames and disappeared into the den den mushi without a trace.
"Huh." was all Grandma Angela could muster to say about it.
"Master Angela," Slenk called from outside the front door.
Grandma Angela went to answer it and saw both Commander Frowe's and Cherry's shoes still in the entryway. Sighing softly, she slid open the door.
"Can Cherry spare some time for the children? They keep asking me to do that trick with the flying slash and I don't have the guts to tell them I can't." Slenk spoke honestly.
"She already left, I'm afraid. If it's just a flying slash, I suppose I could show them a few…" Grandma Angela felt generous in her good mood.
"Oh no, she made one of the children make one. No offense, but… Master Angela can't do that can she?" Slenk asked, trying and somewhat failing to say so diplomatically.
"Really?" Grandma Angela was genuinely surprised by that. She wondered at what level of swordsmanship that Cherry has reached, and if she might have the chance to observe a fight of hers someday. "Maybe she's given up on that 'Cheapshot' nonsense and is properly focusing on the sword now?"
Slenk didn't look confident in that conclusion.
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