Chương 49: Water 7
---
A scream echoed through Kuja City.
"What happened?" Marigold, Hancock's sister, rushed into the palace with several guards.
One of the attendants, panicked and breathless, stumbled in. "Lady Hancock… she—she's missing!"
"Missing?!" Marigold gasped. "What do you mean? She was resting earlier!"
The attendant stammered, "She… she ran away, my lady!—The Empress has run away!"
"What?!!!"
The palace was in a state of chaos. The news that Hancock, their beloved Snake Princess, had disappeared hit everyone like a storm.
"Where did Lady Hancock go?" one of the attendants asked in a panic.
Marigold, Hancock's sister, held up a small slip of paper she had found left behind. The note read: "I'm going to find Akira. Don't come after me. If you do, you'll regret it."
"Eh----?!!" Marigold's eyes widened in confusion. "Why would my sister go looking for Vice-captain Akira? Is there something urgent?"
"No! We must find her at once!" Sandersonia shouted, her face filled with worry. "sister Hancock was still unwell! She can't just run off in that condition!"
An elderly voice chimed in, bringing an eerie calm to the tension. "I had a feeling this might happen," murmured Elder Nyon, glancing knowingly around the room.
"What's going on, Elder? Why would Lady Hancock act like this?"
Elder Nyon's face turned grave as she explained, "It's what we call… love sickness. It's rare, but the Empresses of Amazon Lily have a history of succumbing to it—a 'curse of love,' you might say. The late emperors suffered from it too, all from 'falling in love and being unable to move on!'"
"Love sickness?" someone whispered in shock.
"Yes, it seems she's been struck by the one thing powerful enough to melt her icy heart." Elder Nyon sighed, her gaze distant. "The signs were there from the first time she looked at Uchiha Akira. This man is not ordinary; his aura speaks of great destiny."
The palace fell silent, each person contemplating what this meant for the Empress and Amazon Lily.
On a small boat departing from Amazon Lily, Shisui sighed, shaking his head as he glanced at Hancock, who was seated nearby, looking serene and determined.
"Lady Hancock, wasn't this a bit hasty?" Shisui asked, still bewildered by her sudden appearance. He and Itachi had set out for the Capital of Water, Water 7 on Akira's orders, only to find Hancock insisting on joining them at the last minute. There had been no way to refuse.
Hancock, draped in a cloak, looked unbothered as she lowered her hood, revealing her radiant face. "This is my decision, Shisui. I left a message—they'll understand. And whatever I do, I'll be forgiven! Because... I am so beautiful!"
"..."
Shisui and Itachi exchanged glances, both resigned and slightly amused. They knew there was no stopping her once she had made up her mind. "Well, let's hope Akira knows how to handle this," Shisui muttered to Itachi, who nodded with a faint smile.
---
Meanwhile, aboard a speeding sea train bound for the Water 7 City, Akira sat back, enjoying the sight of the vast ocean stretching out before him. On the table in front of him lay a small pack, within it the famed Logia Devil Fruit—Thunder Fruit.
Since acquiring it, he had debated numerous times whether to consume it himself. The raw, electrifying power of the fruit was tempting. If he could harness it, Susanoo's power would evolve into an even more formidable force of lightning. The possibilities were endless. Yet, something held him back. He wasn't certain if binding himself to this element was the best choice for his style.
Oda initially designed Logia Devil Fruits to be the strongest type, especially those with elemental abilities. However, he later felt that Logia powers were too invincible, so he introduced Armament Haki, allowing characters to hit even intangible elements.
Zoan and Paramecia types also received unique settings, leading fans to debate which type truly held the greatest strength. Some considered Zoan the most powerful due to its raw physical enhancements, while others argued that Paramecia, with its varied abilities, had the edge.
Ultimately, Logia users remain exceptionally formidable, with all three former Marine Admirals maintaining top-tier strength.
Several times, Akira lifted the fruit to his mouth, only to set it down, still torn.
[Beep! Dear travelers! We are approaching the city of Water seven! Please prepare to disembark and take your belongings!]
Hearing the announcement, Akira leaned out the window to catch a glimpse of the city. The Water 7 was even more spectacular than he had imagined, with cascading fountains and sparkling waters that glistened under the sun. A giant rainbow arched over the island, giving it an ethereal beauty.
As the train pulled into the station, Akira stepped out with the crowd, taking in the city's unique blend of old-world architecture and modern innovation. Water ran throughout the city like veins, and all transportation seemed to be by boat, giving it a striking resemblance to Venice from his previous life but on an even grander scale.
"Let's see what treasures the Capital of Water has to offer," Akira murmured to himself, smiling as he walked toward the city center.
Just then, a loud shout echoed through the bustling street.
"Hey! Pirates are causing trouble over at Dock 1!"
"Really?! We need to get over there, fast!"
Akira's curiosity piqued as he overheard talk of trouble brewing at Dock 1. "the best dock of the Galley-La Company?" he murmured with a smile. "Might as well check it out."
---
Galley-La Headquarters
Dock 1
Inside Dock 1, a confrontation was heating up. The infamous Mikazuki, captain of the Big Helmet Pirates, stood with his rowdy crew, laughing mockingly at the shipyard workers.
"I've thought it over. The ship's fixed, yeah, but the price? Way too high!" he sneered, drawing his long blade. "So, I've decided not to pay a single Berry! Hahaha!"
His crew laughed uproariously, smugly expecting the shipwrights to back down. But then, an annoyed worker hurled a piece of timber that smacked the pirate captain on the back of the head.
"Old… boss!" a nearby pirate gasped.
"Argh! Where are your eyes?" Mikazuki snarled, drawing his sword in rage—only to be immediately struck by a worker wielding a massive saw, drawing blood.
"Oops! My hand slipped," the worker said with a sly grin.
A full brawl erupted in an instant. Galley-La workers sprang into action, wielding everything from hammers to wrenches, clobbering the pirates without mercy. The pirates, realizing they had bitten off more than they could chew, quickly fell, collapsing under the relentless blows.
The workers, unfazed by the scuffle, carried on calmly, gathering valuables from the pirates' ship as collateral. The Water seven's shipwrights had no patience for freeloaders, and they certainly weren't shy about teaching troublemakers a lesson.
Akira arrived just in time to see the end of the chaos. As he stepped into the Dock 1 a familiar voice rang out, "It's you! The gold thief!"
Turning, Akira saw Luffy, Nami, and Usopp staring at him, expressions mixed with excitement and frustration.
"Oh, it's you," Akira greeted casually.
"What do you mean 'it's you'?" Nami snapped, pointing accusingly. "You stole all the gold from Sky Island! Give it back!"
Nami shouted angrily at Akira. She, Luffy, and the others had barely escaped with their lives, riding the dangerous Knock-Up Stream to reach Sky Island.
Once they arrived, however, Nami's excitement over Sky Island's legendary gold quickly soured when she learned that a man named Uchiha Akira had already taken it all. Uchiha Akira—the same boy they'd run into on Jaya Island below.
After risking her life to get there only to find nothing left, Nami was fuming. Thankfully, she managed to gather some gold scraps and a few Sky Island souvenirs, or else the whole journey would have been a total waste.
Seeing Akira again only stoked her anger. Not only had he taken the treasure first, but back in the tavern, where she'd been asking about Sky Island and getting mocked, he'd stayed silent and hadn't offered a single hint. It was infuriating.
Akira chuckled lightly. "Gold? That was my reward for liberating the place. Isn't it normal to claim a bit of treasure?"
"But…" Nami fumed. "If you had gotten there a little later, we might have had it! And then you didn't even bother to tell anyone in the tavern that Sky Island was real. You let them laugh at us!"
Akira shrugged nonchalantly. "But I said to you it exists in the end, consider it payment for the free entertainment."
As Nami glared, Luffy, always straightforward, stepped forward, looking at Akira with curiosity and a grin. "Thanks for telling us about Sky Island last time. My name's Monkey D. Luffy! Wanna join my pirate crew?"
"Eh?!" Nami and Usopp exclaimed, taken aback by Luffy's sudden invitation.
Akira shook his head with a faint smile. "Thanks, but I'm not interested in being a pirate. And as for fighting, I'd rather avoid it. My real wish is for world peace."
Nami stared, stunned by his refusal, while Luffy scratched his head in thought, processing the words.
"Well, that's fair. But…" Luffy started, then trailed off with a shrug. "Guess that's okay too. But you'd have made a great crewmate!"
Akira's gaze softened briefly. There was a time he would have leaped at the chance, dreaming of joining Luffy's adventures. But those were childish fantasies, memories of a boy who had long since grown up.
"Some things," he thought, watching Luffy and his friends "are better left in the past."
...
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