Chapter 47

Lying down with his hands supporting the back of his head, Rowan had his eyes closed. Enjoying the light breeze and the warm sunlight, Rowan was currently enjoying a nap after a long sail.

The waves crashed softly, in a rhythmic manner. Seagulls busily walked around the beach, minding their own businesses.

Onsen island truly was a peaceful one. There were no threats and no environmental hazards. There was a volcano that seemed to have stopped its activity at the other end of the island, but Rowan didn't mind; he simply wondered what kind of experiences he'd get to enjoy here.

'Apple island, G-11, and now, here.'

The more he traveled, the more he came to learn—of how fresh it feels to be free.

'...I wonder if those folks in Cocoyasi's doing fine—

...?'

Sensing presence, Rowan opened his eyes and sharply gazed at the distant forest. Without changing his posture, he spoke casually,

"Who are you?"

From the bushes, a blue-haired teenage girl and a blonde-haired man revealed themselves, exhibiting a clear nervousness.

"State your business."

They looked at each other nervously, before the girl gulped and spoke up,

"W-We... we are here to relay the message of Ms.Tuesday."

'Ms.Tuesday? ...Baroque Works?'

Wondering what that had to do with him, Rowan raised an eyebrow.

"Who?"

This time around, the blonde man spoke,

"She said that you're her friend. And right now... she needs your help.'"

Rowan paused for a moment, as the memory from 6 months ago replayed in his head.

<If you encounter trouble, come find us. As long as it isn't too troublesome, we'll help out. After all, we're friends, aren't we?>

'...Carina?'

Growing an interest upon hearing the blonde man, Rowan lifted his body into a sitting position and asked with a slight frown,

"Tell me more about it."

__________

"Finally, a map! I can't believe this!"

Looking at the map of fine quality in her hands, Nami remarked in delight.

"For how long have we sailed without knowing anything? Now, we won't have to worry as much anymore...!"

It was a map that listed numerous islands that centered off of Onsen island here. Nami found herself in relief, happy to learn that they would get to sail more efficiently hereon.

"Ugh..."

On the other hand, Deuce, standing behind Nami, was found to be holding numerous bags with two arms. He, looking bored and tired, sighed,

"Half of these are filled with clothes! Why are you buying so much even, Nami?!"

"Most of them are for you guys to wear! Seriously, I cannot stand you wearing those smelly things for days without care!"

Deuce, squinting his eyes in confusion, scratched the back of his head before proceeding to smell the hand.

"I don't smell that much, do I?"

"..."

Nami simply deadpanned, and Deuce pretended as if he didn't see her.

Eventually, the purchases were complete. With Deuce struggling to lift tens of huge bags around his arms, they were walking back to Shooting Star to get the load off of them.

However, they then found a bullet striking the ground right in front of Deuce's feet.

Nami and Deuce immediately raised their caution. Upon directing their sight to where the bullet came flying, they saw a man with a long sniper rifle pointed at them.

Nami, having gotten familiar with this kind of situation over the years, clicked her tongue.

"...Bounty hunters. Of course they'll come after us."

"Bounty hunters?"

Deuce tilted his head,

"But isn't captain the only one with bounty within our crew—right."

Deuce became stern as he placed the bags down and drew a pistol from his holster.

"It would be strange if we don't get one for ourselves after what we've gone through in G-11."

Just when Deuce said so, the News Coos flew atop the town. Flying from one street to another, they released the new and updated bounties, which fell from the sky onto people's hands.

One bounty poster flew to the bounty hunter with the sniper rifle. He grinned as he peeked on it, and it was written,

*'Weather Witch' Nami. 36 Million Beli. Wanted Dead or Alive.*

A bullet was about to be shot right at Nami's forehead, before she suddenly morphed into a ball of fire that shot right at the bounty hunter.

The bounty hunter's eyes widened, but before he could react, he was set aflame, and Nami was standing behind him with her own bounty poster in her hands.

"36 million...?"

And said bounty hunter had his entire body set aflame. Dismissing the bounty poster, Nami gazed at the bounty hunter who was now dying to death.

"...Eh?"

Then, the burning corpse suddenly evaporated and disappeared from Nami's view, putting her on an alert.

SWOOSH!

A bullet went through her chest. Instead of blood, a wisp of fire gushed out which quickly reformed her body without any sign of damage. Nami turned around and found that the exact-looking bounty hunter, holding onto the same type of sniper rifle, was pointing the weapon at her from a far distance.

"...Twins? No, that's not right. If they're twins, then the one whom I burned just now shouldn't have disappeared like that."

Nami frowned in confusion, and the bounty hunter too frowned upon sighting that Nami wasn't hurt.

Peeking at Deuce, Nami saw that he was combating a woman—seemingly another bounty hunter who worked with the sniper—who held onto a gigantic hammer that was as big as her.

On the other hand, the sniper, realizing that his bullets were insufficient to hurt Nami, directed it at Deuce, to which Nami's eyes narrowed.

'Let's say I block that man. But what if the same thing happens and that man pops out from another place? If that were to happen, Deuce would be shot before I get to prevent it!'

Clicking her tongue, Nami quickly morphed her body into fire and flew at where Deuce and the woman fought.

BOOM!

Said woman's hammer crashed into the ground as Deuce managed to backstep just in time. Using the brief pause from the woman following the hammer crash, Deuce seized the opportunity to fire the pistol in his right hand. The woman, frowning, raised her armoured right arm. With clanging noises, the bullets were deflected. However, based on the grunting noises from the woman, Deuce deduced that she did receive the blunt damage from them.

"Deuce, back off!"

Then, just when Nami said so, Deuce threw his body to the back. Simultaneously, a bullet struck right on the ground where Deuce was standing just a split second ago. The woman used this time to lift her hammer back up, however, Nami was now standing with a ball of fire atop her right palm.

"Fireflies!"

Then, said ball of fire split into multiple small balls of shiny light that flew at the woman. The woman immediately swung her hammer horizontally to prevent them from reaching her, but those balls of shiny light then exploded, which generated a recoil that caused the woman to let go of her hammer.

Using this as a chance, Deuce attempted to fire his pistol at the woman. However, he was forced to roll to the side instead as the sniper's bullet came flying straight at his head.

Their purchases were now scattered and in disarray, much to Nami and Deuce's annoyance. The civilians screamed and shouted in panic as they hurriedly escaped from the scene. The cracks and burns could be found around them.

Sniper was no longer shooting, to which Deuce deduced that he ran out of ammo and was reloading. Deuce then stared at his pistol, which also ran out of ammo, before placing it back in his holster.

"You better compensate for this!"

Looking at her scattered purchases, Nami growled at the silent woman. At the same time, Deuce was found to be taking a keen look at where the sniper was hiding. He asked Nami,

"Didn't you get rid of him? How come he's still alive?"

"I don't know! He disappeared when I set him aflame, before suddenly appearing over there!"

Sighing, Nami replied as she looked at the woman who was facing them in caution. Her hammer lied right in the middle of the battlefield, and the woman knew that moving thoughtlessly may cost her life.

Deuce placed his hand below his chin in thought.

"...Teleport? No, that doesn't explain how that guy managed to get the fire out. It must be a devil fruit, but..."

Deuce's eyes flashed in realization, and he muttered,

"Clone. Must be something like Clone Clone fruit."

Upon hearing Deuce, the woman's frown deepened, which Deuce caught onto. He continued to think,

"The original must be hiding somewhere, safe from risks. Judging by how there's only one sniper, that man can probably control one at a time... which may be because he must impart his consciousness into the clone for said clone to function."

"Then where can the original be at?"

Nami asked sternly, as her eyes were locked onto the woman. Deuce hummed,

"You said that one disappeared before another appeared. Maybe he can make multiple clones and shift his consciousness in and out from one to another. Or, he can only make one at a time and immediately after you burned down the first one, he created a second one. If this were to be the case, the original must've been near that place where the current sniper sits currently."

The woman, having come to realize that she mustn't give Deuce more time to think, began to charge at them while shielding her body with her armour. While on her way, she took hold of the hammer that was lying on the ground.

"You know what?"

Nami then spoke,

"I think you should handle that sniper. I'm immune to bullets and blunt attacks, so fighting in the open should be left to me!"

Deuce nodded,

"I was thinking exactly the same."

No more words needed to be spoken. Deuce proceeded to run out of the scene, and Nami let the woman's hammer crash into her.

BOOM!

Nami's body turned into a cluster of blazing fire that quickly spread around the woman. Nami's body then reformed right above the woman's hammer, and her palm was straight in front of the woman's face.

Then, the fire was blasted right at the woman's face before she could react. The woman, completely shocked, quickly let go of the hammer and backed off.

"AHHHHHHHH!!!"

Her head was set on fire, and she was screaming in pain as she ran toward the nearby well. The sniper at distance shouted in alert,

"Ms.Thursday!!!"

"...Miss?"

Nami, having caught onto that, revealed her anger,

"That code name... Baroque Works?!"