章節 31: Chapter – 31 Belo Betty, right?

The woman, her expression filled with confusion, muttered, "Where am I?" As she regained consciousness, she found herself facing two children. One was a young boy with what appeared to be 'Oni-horns,' and the other was a younger human girl. She didn't recognize either of them, prompting her question.

Ryuma, locking eyes with the woman, inquired, "Are your memories in order?" He asked this to ensure that she hadn't lost her memories, as such situations often involve memory loss. Drawing from the experience of Sabo, who went through a similar ordeal, Ryuma wanted to confirm whether the woman remembered her identity.

The woman nodded, saying, "I guess?" She felt a bit perplexed about why the boy with horns had asked such a question, but she didn't pay much attention to it. After all, the one questioning her was just a young boy. Children at this age often had incomprehensible thinking and wild imaginations, so she assumed this strange question was probably a result of what they call the 'Chūnibyō stage' or Eighth Grade Syndrome.

Not dwelling on his previous question, the woman began, "Anyway... boy..."

Ryuma interrupted her, providing his name, "I am Ryuma... and she's Kuina."

The woman paused, saying, "Ryuma and Kuina, understand..." She then asked, "Can either of you please tell me where am I? I mean the name of this island." Despite the potential frustration of the situation, she carefully chose her words, avoiding any foul language, considering the two were children, and she didn't want to upset them.

Ryuma didn't respond immediately, deep in thought. Seeing his silence, Kuina was about to speak, "It's the Fro–"

However, Ryuma interrupted Kuina, "Wait, Kuina." He unsheathed his sword, pointing the sharp end of his Odachi at the woman's throat. With a serious tone, he stated, "Before you get any information from us, I would like to confirm a few things."

The woman and Kuina both looked at Ryuma with a frown of surprise. The direct action of Ryuma pointing a blade at the woman they had just met caught them off guard, especially Kuina. After all, Ryuma had just rescued the woman from a precarious state. Unlike Kuina's expression of surprise, the woman seemed more impressed by his actions. In the absence of anyone else around them, it was evident that she had been rescued by them from whatever situation she was in before regaining consciousness.

Taking note of the wet hair and soaked trousers of the boy, there was no doubt that he was Ryuma. Despite having saved her, an 'unknown' person, he didn't let his guard down. This cautiousness on Ryuma's part left an impression on her, appreciating the fact that even after the rescue, he remained vigilant.

But then again, it's not such a surprising thing, considering this world is filled with people who can just mess up your life without even blinking, so you have to be extremely careful. Regardless, she was impressed. Having a blade pointed at her throat, even by a child, didn't evoke fear in her. If that were the case, she wouldn't have become the Commander of the East Army after the incident with her predecessor.

The woman blinked her eyes and questioned, "Is this how the people of this island treat non-natives?"

Ryuma shrugged, saying, "It depends..."

"Depends?" The woman looked confused.

Ryuma responded, "Indeed... The kind of treatment you will receive will depend on your identity and your background. Now tell me, who are you? Did you come here to create trouble in the village, or are you just an unfortunate soul who was unlucky enough to encounter an accident on the seas?"

The woman smiled helplessly, saying, "How do I even prove such a thing? Would my answer be enough to convince you? I really don't have anything else at the moment to prove my words."

Ryuma proposed, "How about you start with your name?" Then he pointed at the sinking raft in the distance, questioning, "And how in the world did you end up unconscious and defenseless on that?"

The woman muttered helplessly, "My name, and what happened to me, huh?" She then nodded and continued, "Very well... my name... it's Katy. I am a merchant and the Captain of my ship. As for how I ended up on that raft... Last night, I and my men were returning to our firm with some goods that we acquired. On our way, someone attacked us. We couldn't see the attacker; they were quite far. However, my ship was destroyed, and we had to abandon it. We tried to escape using some boats, but we were unlucky and encountered terrible water currents as well as a storm that sent us in different directions."

Ryuma looked skeptically at the woman, expressing doubt. "A merchant?" His skepticism stemmed from the fact that her aura and Haki seemed too powerful to align with the image of a mere merchant.

Moreover, her name and background, as soon as she spoke to them, triggered a subtle change in her heartbeat rate. It happened briefly, but Ryuma, with heightened senses, noticed it. When a person speaks a lie, their heart rate increases because of the release of the stress hormone Adrenaline, and this leads Ryuma to strongly suspect that she was being dishonest about these two aspects. Adding to his suspicion was the observation that she remained surprisingly calm despite her precarious situation.

If 'Katy' were an ordinary woman or a merchant, as she claimed to be, one would expect her to panic the moment a sword was pointed at her throat, if not when she woke up on an unknown island and found herself at the mercy of unknown people. However, she didn't. Not only did she not get scared, but she didn't even flinch, which struck Ryuma as strange.

And finally, the last point is the feeling Ryuma has been getting since he rescued her. It's as if he knows who the woman is. Despite being certain that he has never met 'Katy' before, Ryuma feels a sense of familiarity. He contemplates, 'Since I haven't met her personally, I must have either seen her in a newspaper report, or she must have made an appearance in the Anime.

Let's see, her hair color... There were a few women with purple hair color who made an appearance in the Anime. The first was Carina from the East Blue, and the second was... Wait a minute, her clothes... unbuttoned 'red' cropped jacket that barely covers her breasts, and a 'red' tie, along with the rest of her 'red' clothes at the bottom, and these purple hair... Although her hairstyle and length are different at this point, and she is missing her red top hat along with the red flag of the Revolutionary Organization that she always carries, nonetheless... yeah, she has got to be her, there is no doubt about it.'

"You are lying about your name & background, aren't you?" asked Ryuma, pointing out, "If I am not incorrect, you are Belo Betty of the Revolutionary Army, right?"

"Huh?" The woman was surprised and asked in reflex, "You recognize me?"

"It was just a guess, and now you have confirmed my guess..." said Ryuma as he withdrew his sword.

With the blade removed, Betty couldn't help but ask, "How did you guess my identity?"

"I tend to follow the news about the major players, and I have read that the Revolutionary Army has been making big movements all across the globe in the past few years. While you may not be as famous as the top commanders, I did read a thing or two about you as well as the bounty on your head. They call you the Flag Bearer or something, right?" answered Ryuma. Honestly, he was feeling a bit awkward because he wasn't certain if he should have pointed out that he had recognized her. He did so out of reflex, but now that he did, he didn't care too much about it.

"For a brat, you sure are surprising," muttered Betty as she looked at Ryuma. She was genuinely shocked by how calm he remained despite being a child. How old is he? Twelve? Thirteen? Children typically aren't so composed in such situations. What's even more surprising is that after pointing out her identity, Ryuma withdrew his sword.

Being the newly appointed Commander of the East Army in the Revolutionary Army, Betty knew that all its members were wanted criminals, herself included. With a massive bounty on her head, such an action—the withdrawal of a sword—was not what she would expect from a civilian when facing a wanted criminal.

Betty could only attribute his strange actions to the thought that her background as a member of the Revolutionary Army not only did not bother him but also assured him that she was not a threat, allowing him to relax his guard in her presence. This implied that he had a positive image of the Revolutionary Army, despite the negative portrayal by the World Government for their actions of starting a revolution and opposing their rule in various kingdoms. This realization certainly made her happy.

Ryuma said with a smile, "I have heard many amazing people say the same about me." Then he folded his arms over his chest and questioned doubtfully, "But what is the newly appointed Commander of the East Army doing here? What did you encounter out here in the East Blue for your current miserable condition?" Ryuma wasn't certain whether Belo Betty would answer his question, given that the Revolutionary Army operates in secret.

To his surprise, Betty didn't mind and said with a sigh, "While I lied about my name and background, I did not lie about what happened to me. Last night, we were indeed attacked and had to abandon our ship, which probably sunk to the ocean floor."

Kuina asked curiously, "Betty-san, the people that attacked you... were they Marines? Or were they Pirates?" She didn't have much understanding of the CP Agents or other military departments of the World Government; hence she did not mention them. Of course, she didn't care whether Betty was a wanted criminal or not. Her grandfather was a wanted criminal too, as was the case for many people living in the Shimotsuki Village. Ryuma and she were going to become pirates as well, so they too would become wanted criminals. Therefore, she didn't care. What she was more interested in was the identity of the person who attacked them.

Betty shook her head, saying, "As I mentioned earlier, we couldn't see the people who attacked us... it was all too sudden. One moment we were sailing peacefully, and the next moment, we saw an attack coming toward us. It was an extremely massive Flying Sword Slash, and it cleaved my ship in half as it went further." Her face burned in fury as she added, "If I meet the person who did that, I will certainly make them pay. Our entire cargo was sunk, and the status of my men is also unknown. I don't know where they are and how many of them survived that thing."

"An extremely massive Flying Sword Slash...? Hey, Aniki, isn't that?" Kuina panicked. She had a feeling that this was deeply connected to the two of them and the Flying Sword Slash Ryuma used last night to showcase his full strength.

Betty noticed Kuina's panicked expression and questioned with a frown, "What happened?" She pressed further, "Do you happen to know anything about that Flying Sword Slash?"

Kuina hesitated, saying, "Ano... that..." Her forehead was covered in sweat, and she did not know how to answer.

Belo Betty became suspicious and questioned Ryuma, "Do you happen to know something about the person who attacked us?"

Ryuma's face scrunched up. From Betty's description of the Flying Sword Slash, it was obvious that he was the person who attacked them. It wasn't his intention, but... how to explain such a thing to her without offending her?

Moreover, if it turns out that someone on her ship has died because of the sword slash, then that might become a major problem.

With this in mind, Ryuma decided to change the topic. "Well... rather than worrying about who was responsible for that attack, isn't it more important to report to your higher-ups about your status and well-being? They must be worried, right? Also, you need to confirm whether all your people are alive."

Ryuma's words further made Betty suspicious. Obviously, he was trying to divert her focus. 'These two children, they definitely know something about the attack last night, and they are trying to hide it. The person who attacked our ship... is it someone from this island? If that's the case, I need to be very careful and also investigate this matter.'

Of course, she did not consider the possibility that the person in question is Ryuma. It made no sense. Certainly, there are people who become monstrously strong at a very young age, but they are a rare few, and not everyone can be as strong as them. As such, Betty didn't think that it was Ryuma but believed that someone on this island might have been the person responsible.

At the same time, Betty also acknowledged Ryuma's words. It was important for her to inform others about her status, and everyone must be worried.

But the problem is... how would she inform the others about her status? Betty is quite certain that she doesn't have her transponder snail with her. 'Okay, so the things I need to do are... acquire a communication transponder snail. Also, I need to identify the person who attacked our ship, as well as secure some food.' The last task is not as important as the first two. Betty does know that she needs her nutrition in order to stay alive.

So, after making up her mind, she asked, "Ryuma... Kuina... can you two please lead me to an adult in your village?"

Kuina looked at Ryuma for his opinion. It was up to him to decide. Certainly, they should help her, especially since they are the ones responsible for her troubles and misfortune, but the decision was Ryuma's to make.

Ryuma nodded, saying, "Sure... We will lead you to the Dōjō..."

…

As Ryuma, Kuina, and Belo Betty arrived at the entrance of the Isshin Dōjō, the purple head noticed the crest marked at the entrance and questioned Kuina, "Is this Isshin Dōjō... the one whose master is Shimotsuki Koushirou-sama?"

As Betty mentioned the name of the master of the Isshin Dōjō, Kuina couldn't help but blink in surprise but nodded, saying, "Yes, this is indeed the same Dōjō, but..." She continued after a pause, "Does Betty-san know Otou-sama?"

"Yes... wait... Otou-sama?" muttered Betty in surprise and asked suddenly, "That means... you are his daughter?"

Kuina nodded, saying, "Yes, my complete name is Shimotsuki Kuina," and asked, "Betty-san, how do you know Otou-sama?"

Ryuma also looked at Betty with a scrutinizing gaze. He was curious to know how the East Army Commander of the Revolutionary Army knew about the Isshin Dōjō and Kuina's father, and what sort of connection the Revolutionary Army had with the Isshin Dōjō.

In the canon, there were several subtle clues that hinted at the possibility of the Shimotsuki Family having some form of connection with the Revolutionary Army, but it was never confirmed, at least up to the point where Ryuma read the Manga before his death. Henceforth, Ryuma is curious whether that is really the case or not.

Now that the newly assigned East Commander has directly mentioned the name of the Master of the Dōjō, it means she knows him. This further solidifies Ryuma's belief that the Shimotsuki Family has a connection with the Revolutionary Army!

Betty giggled lightly and, while sounding mysterious, asked, "Curious, huh?" She said with a light wink, "I might tell you if you were to join my team..."

Since Betty learned the name of the Dōjō, she realized that she is at the Shimotsuki Village on the Frost Moon Islands Archipelago, and with that, her vigilance has dropped. Of course, Betty is still on guard and set to find out who was the person responsible for that attack, but she is more confident that she is in a safe place.

Ryuma immediately interrupted her and said with a dissatisfied tone of voice, "Hey... don't go trying to poach my minion... Kuina-chan is going to join my crew!"

Betty blinked in surprise, "Your crew?" and asked, "You mean a Pirate Crew? Boy, you want to become a pirate?"

Ryuma nodded, saying, "Yes... I am going to become a pirate, and Kuina-chan is going to join my crew, right?"

Kuina nodded with a determined expression, saying, "Indeed, in order to fulfill my dream, I will set out to sea with Aniki."

"Is that so?" muttered Betty and asked, "And what is your dream?"

"It's to become the World's Greatest Swordsman!" answered Kuina with a calm voice.

"I see," muttered Betty. She did not make any comment about Kuina's dream. Certainly, Kuina's dream is extremely difficult to achieve, but Betty understood that it wasn't her place to discourage her or tell her whether she could become the World's Greatest Swordsman or not. It's up to Kuina to decide whether she can achieve her dream or not, and it would also contradict her powers. As the Pump-Pump Human, she has the power to encourage others and motivate them to awaken their latent potential to achieve the impossible, so there is no way she would discourage Kuina.

Moreover, telling her whether she can do it or not would be against the goal of the Revolutionary Army and what they are fighting for. After all, the objective of the Revolutionary Army is to create a world where children can pursue their dreams without anyone restricting them.

After a pause, Betty looked at Ryuma and asked, "And what about you, Ryuma? What kind of Pirate are you going to become?"

Ryuma grinned, saying, "The kind that will turn the world upside down and live his life without any regrets!"

"Which means you aim for the top, huh?" asked Betty.

Ryuma nodded, saying, "Of course, nothing less than the top of the world!"

Betty nodded lightly and said, "Just don't become the kind that would create trouble for innocent people..."

Ryuma agreed, saying, "I know!"

While having such a conversation, the trio arrived at the Dōjō. As they were entering inside, they encountered the Dōjō Master, who, upon noticing the three people together, couldn't help but say, "Well, this is intriguing..."