Standing on the deck of the ship was a tall woman with long, silky black hair, elegant willow brows, a rosy complexion, and fair skin. Her eyes were misty and crystal clear, as if veiled in a soft fog, almost ready to overflow with tears. Her figure was tall and curvaceous, exuding the allure of a mature woman.
Gion—Vice Admiral "Momousagi" (Gion).
Kaguya blinked in surprise. Why was she here? If she was right, this area should be quite far from Marine Headquarters, and it was in the relatively weaker first half of the Grand Line. With Gion's strength, there should be no reason for her to be here.
The Marine warships cut through the waves swiftly, not paying attention to the nearby situation. They looked like they were in a hurry. Something must have changed.
If Kaguya's guess was correct, while only a short time had passed for her inside the Rainbow Mist, many years might have passed in the outside world—just as Robin had hinted earlier.
She needed to understand the current situation as soon as possible.
The sky was a clear blue, cloudless, with the blazing sun hanging high overhead. Its scorching rays beat down on the land, and even the gentle breeze carried the heat of summer. The oppressive heat made it clear that it was now midsummer.
The streets of the small town were deserted. Shops were empty of customers. In such sweltering noon temperatures, no one wanted to suffer outside. The only people around were a few elderly folks resting in the shade. Even the trees seemed weary, their leaves drooping languidly.
"The weather's really something," Kaguya muttered, frowning. Thankfully, she was wearing a short black dress, though the color was definitely absorbing more heat. Her outfit was already starting to feel uncomfortably hot. Luckily, she had the Wind King's Barrier to keep her cool.
Using a combat skill for air conditioning... she wondered what Saber would think if she found out.
"Looks like time really has changed," Robin observed as she looked around. "When I entered the mist, it was still winter."
Just then, amidst chirping bird cries, a few News Coo birds flew overhead. Snowflake-like sheets of paper scattered from the sky—they looked like flyers.
Robin reached out curiously and caught one. After a glance, her pupils shrank.
"This is..."
Seeing Robin's expression change, Kaguya was puzzled. With a wave of her hand, a whirlwind swept a flyer into her grasp. When she looked at the contents, she was stunned.
"The traitor of the World Government, heinous criminal, and vicious felon Kaguya has been captured during a battle with Marine Headquarters and will be publicly executed one month from now at Marineford."
What was this?
Leaving aside the fact that she herself was standing right here, just the list of outrageous titles was already baffling.
Were these people insane?
But reading further, things became clearer.
"Following detailed investigation and evidence collection, it has been confirmed that former Marine Admiral Kaguya had close ties with pirates and was engaged in secret, illicit dealings to provide benefits to notorious criminals."
"She is also the main perpetrator behind multiple disasters and massacres. In just a few years, she was responsible for the deaths of countless innocent civilians, including those in Dressrosa. Her sins are unforgivable."
Honestly, it sounded quite convincing. To someone uninformed, she'd definitely come across as an irredeemable villain.
Though to be fair, the report was only half false. Much of it was actually true. She wasn't exactly wrongly accused. But then again, many top Marines had blood of innocents on their hands too.
They had merely chosen to conveniently ignore the truth.
It seemed that after being absent for so long, these people had forgotten how terrifying she truly was.
Still, Kaguya could understand the World Government's strategy. She had been missing for years, and despite extensive searching, there had been no trace of her. They probably assumed she was dead. Rather than letting her disappear quietly, it made more sense to publicly announce her "capture." This allowed the World Government and Marines to showcase their strength, while also luring in any pirates who might come to her rescue—all the better to trap them in one fell swoop.
But seriously—are they really that stupid? With her strength, who could possibly kill her? They knew exactly how powerful she was, so how did they come to this conclusion?
What surprised Kaguya more was that quite a few pirates were apparently planning to rescue her. That was puzzling—was her reputation really that good?
But... maybe they were just coming to enjoy the spectacle of her execution?
Yeah, that sounded more likely.
After all, Kaguya had made plenty of enemies. Some of them were probably rubbing their hands in glee, eager to see her head roll.
As Kaguya read through the flyer with amusement, Robin beside her looked far less composed. Her hands clenched tightly, crumpling the paper.
"Hey, how can you still smile right now?" Robin asked, her expression stormy.
"Hm?" Kaguya turned to her, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"Didn't you say she was your good friend?" Robin snapped. "How can you laugh when your friend is about to be executed?"
"It's not you getting executed. Why are you so upset?" Kaguya said, confused.
"I can't believe you're that kind of person," Robin said bitterly. "Looks like I was wrong about you. We're not suited to travel together. It's better if we part ways."
Watching Robin storm off, Kaguya actually found it amusing. In her memory, it was rare to see Robin this angry. Yet even after all these years, Robin still remembered her.
"Hey, where are you going?" Kaguya caught up with her.
"None of your business," Robin snapped, frowning in annoyance. "You say she's your friend, but you couldn't care less about her fate."
"Relax. That woman won't die so easily," Kaguya said, shrugging.
"You're still saying that kind of nonsense?" Robin replied angrily.
"What about you?" Kaguya said teasingly. "Don't tell me you're planning to rescue her."
"That's my business. Stay out of it." Robin pushed Kaguya's hand aside and walked away.
"Girls these days really have fiery tempers," Kaguya muttered as she casually followed.
By evening, Robin had left without saying another word. It seemed she truly was upset.
As for Kaguya, she still had plenty to take care of. After all, since others were using her for propaganda, it was only fair that she collect a little royalty fee in return.
Mary Geoise.
Charlos' sister Shalria was in an exceptionally good mood, strutting around with an air of superiority as if she were the true mistress of the house.
Ever since Kaguya mysteriously disappeared, she had reverted to her old behavior, barking orders and throwing her weight around like a proper Celestial Dragon princess. This, she thought, was the life she deserved.
Yet inside the room, the girls—Shirley included—seemed completely unaffected by Kaguya's absence. Not a single one of them gave Shalria so much as a glance, which left her fuming with frustration. Finally, she couldn't help but blurt out, "Hmph! That so-called mistress of yours is going to be executed in a month! I suggest you start behaving yourselves. Once I reclaim my Celestial Dragon status, I'll have you all sold off!"
The atmosphere instantly froze. Shirley, who was knitting a scarf, paused with some concern, but Monet, Sugar, and Baby 5 acted like they hadn't even heard her. Not one of them acknowledged her.
Seeing everyone ignore her, Shalria grew even angrier. "Are you still holding onto hope for that hateful woman? Give it up! She's not coming back. In a month, she'll be executed! Why don't you understand that?"
At that moment, Monet looked up and smiled faintly. "You've been with the mistress longer than any of us. Don't you know what she's like by now?"
"What do you mean?" Shalria frowned.
"Since the day you met her, have you ever seen her fail at anything?" Monet asked with amusement. "Tell me, have you ever seen her lose even once?"
"So what if I haven't?" Shalria huffed. "That doesn't mean she can't get captured. She's up against Marine Headquarters. There are plenty of powerful people there. No matter how strong she is, she can't fight them all."
"But as far as I know, not a single person in the world has ever managed to injure our mistress. Not even once, right?" Monet said with a smile. "And wasn't it Marine Headquarters that got thoroughly beaten by her the last time they clashed?"
Shalria's expression faltered. "Well... she's captured now, so none of that matters!"
"And you're badmouthing her behind her back like this," Monet said playfully, resting her cheek on her hand. "Aren't you worried she'll spank you when she gets back?"
Shalria raised her chin and said, "What's there to be afraid of?"
But her face looked uneasy, and her eyes darted around nervously.
"Is that so?" a melodious voice suddenly rang out. "Sounds like your little butt is itchy again. Want me to scratch it for you?"
The person who entered the room was none other than Kaguya, missing for so long.
Hearing that familiar voice, Shalria's face turned pale. Her head turned slowly, like it was rusted, and she swallowed hard before forcing a smile uglier than crying. "M-Mistress, let me explain. This is all a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?" Kaguya echoed, amusement in her tone.
"Yes!" Shalria nodded rapidly, her forced smile frozen on her face. "You might not believe it, but I wasn't the one who said it. It was from outside—I was just repeating what they said."
"Is that so?" Kaguya said, twirling a strand of hair as she sat on the sofa.
"Of course," Shalria said, gradually regaining her confidence as Kaguya didn't react. "Ever since you left, Mistress, I've been worried sick. I couldn't sleep or eat, always anxious about your safety. Just look at me—I've lost so much weight."
Indeed, Shalria had slimmed down a bit. She used to have a bit of baby fat, but now she looked even more beautiful and radiant.
Of course, that was nonsense. After Kaguya's disappearance, Shalria had been living quite indulgently. She'd actually gained some weight, though not much. Her figure had simply become a bit fuller. But being unable to tolerate that, she finally decided to slim down, and ended up in even better shape than before. A blessing in disguise, really.
Naturally, she wouldn't admit any of that.
"Funny. I seem to recall someone wishing I'd be executed," Kaguya said with a teasing smile.
Shalria cursed inwardly. So she had heard that. She began inching backward, still forcing a grin. "W-why would I ever say something like that? Mistress, you must be thirsty after coming back. I-I'll go get you a drink right away."
She spun around and tried to flee. But before she could make it to the door, a pitch-black vortex suddenly appeared behind her. A hand reached out, grabbed her collar, and with a scream, she was dragged inside. The black hole closed immediately.
"Mistress..."
A gentle voice called from behind. Kaguya turned and saw Shirley looking at her with tearful eyes. Monet also walked over, her clear gaze shining with warmth. Sugar immediately leapt into Kaguya's arms.
Kaguya smiled gently. "Everyone, I'm back." As for the disobedient Shalria, well—she'd be spending some time in the "time-out room."
In Kaguya's room—
"That's everything that's happened over the past few years," Monet said as she recounted all that had occurred since Kaguya disappeared.
"They've got guts, I'll give them that," Kaguya said with a cold smile.
"Do you want me to teach them a lesson now?" Monet asked.
"No need," Kaguya replied with a small smile. "The main character always shows up last, don't they?"
"Yes, Mistress," Monet said respectfully.
Kaguya stepped closer and gently stroked Monet's cheek. "You must have had a hard time while I was gone."
Though Shirley was loyal and excellent at managing the household, she lacked strategic sense. Baby 5 had low emotional intelligence. And Shalria—completely unreliable. If Kaguya had to name her true confidant, it would be Monet.
Monet was brilliant, capable of handling logistics and making sharp decisions. More importantly, her loyalty to Kaguya was unwavering, bordering on blind devotion. She truly believed Kaguya would one day rule the world and was willing to give her life for her without hesitation.
"This is what I should be doing," Monet murmured, gently pressing Kaguya's hand against her cheek. Her eyes grew hazy. "But shouldn't loyal subordinates receive some sort of reward?"
Kaguya's hand slid down from her cheek, slipped beneath her collar, and cupped her chest. Her lips curled into a sly smile as she whispered in Monet's ear, "Of course."
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