It had been several weeks since my village was destroyed and I was rescued by the Kuja Pirates.
Today, I was cheerfully back at work as a general helper.
I had braced myself for harsh labor on a pirate ship, but it wasn't too bad. They only assigned tasks I could easily handle.
Mostly, it was just washing dishes and cleaning—basic housework, really.
Apparently, they didn't want overdoing it and ssing things up, which would be more trouble for them.
Instead, they were impressed by how hard a five-year-old could work.
I was strong and well-built, which seed to pleasantly surprise them.
The newcors especially appreciated . The chores I was doing used to be their responsibility... honestly, I think they found them tedious.
By taking on so of those tasks—not all of them, of course—I made their lives a little easier.
Amidst the daily chores, there were two things I was truly grateful for.
First, I had the chance to read all sorts of books.
One of my tasks was organizing the warehouse, which was filled with books and newspapers. So were stolen loot, but others had been purchased legitimately.
Amazon Lily, their island stronghold, was located deep within the Calm Belt, almost completely cut off from the outside world. There were very few ways to get information from beyond.
The News Coo delivered newspapers, but books could only be acquired during voyages—either bought or plundered.
The Kuja Pirates regularly attacked rchant ships, seizing books as part of their loot.
I was allowed to read any of the books while organizing them. As a book lover, this was an absolute treasure.
Of course, only after I'd finished my work for the day.
The other thing I was grateful for was my daily training routine.
After work, I'd practice in my room—a repurposed storage space where I lived and slept—doing strength training and sword drills. One day, so sailors happened to see and offered to oversee my training.
Their reasons were sothing like, "For self-taught stuff, you're not bad," and "You seem motivated," and "It'll help pass the ti." But for , it was incredibly helpful.
After all, the Kuja Pirates were a warrior nation where even their lowest-ranking combatants could use Haki. Every citizen dread of becoming a top-tier warrior, training relentlessly from childhood. Their combat prowess was so formidable that many pirates on the Grand Line feared them.
I figured that if people like that could watch train, I might actually get stronger. I'd always known my self-taught thods had their limits, so this worked out perfectly.
After that, whenever I had free ti, I'd ask anyone who seed available to watch train. To be honest, soone was always looking bored, so it ended up being a daily thing, almost like a rotating schedule.
I learned efficient training techniques, how to handle weapons better, and even got them to spar with for fun.
They said I had a natural aptitude for it, which made so happy that I overdid it and woke up the next day with sore muscles, making chores tough.
Still, I couldn't skip work, so I pushed through.
In the end, I think it was great training for building my stamina and recovery. Alright!
___
As usual, Sue diligently tackled her chores, her small fra working tirelessly.
From the upper deck, Shakuyaku and the others watched Sue ticulously mop the deck, carefully scrubbing away every speck of dirt.
"That new recruit works harder than I expected, Captain," one of them remarked.
"Hey, she's not a recruit," the Captain corrected. "We didn't officially induct her into the crew."
"Oh, right."
"Still, she's a diligent worker. She notices every little detail and cleans thoroughly."
The Kuja Pirates had picked up Sue a few days earlier when they stopped at an island. They knew the island wasn't particularly prosperous and figured there wouldn't be much point in raiding it, so they'd planned to simply resupply and leave. But when they arrived, they found the island already ravaged and destroyed by another pirate crew.
They weren't fond of scavenging like vultures or looting graves, so they wanted to set sail imdiately. However, it was already late, so they anchored there for the night.
Just then, the reconnaissance unit I'd sent out to scout the area stumbled upon the girl. Her clothes were scorched in places, and she was barefoot. The ship's doctor examined her and confird she was suffering from extre exhaustion and mild malnutrition.
It was clear she'd fled alone from the destroyed village. Many of us marveled at how a child could walk barefoot across such a long distance, a journey that would have been too much for most children.
Helping her in exchange for her belongings, as I'd told her, was purely on a whim. I hadn't expected much when I assigned her chores, but she pleasantly surprised . Sue was remarkably earnest and hardworking.
Her stamina was astonishing for a five-year-old. She also had a sharp mory, learning quickly and becoming more efficient with each passing day. Everyone welcod her presence, as long as she continued to make things easier for us all.
Furthermore, many of the Kuja either liked children or were indifferent to them.
Amazon Lily was an all-female island. Occasionally, won who ventured into the outside world would return pregnant, and the islanders would collectively raise the children born from these unions. As a result, most islanders experienced child-rearing in so way, even if they weren't biological mothers.
While the Kuja might despise crude, vulgar n, they felt no ill will toward children—especially girls who were pure, earnest, and helpful.
Ultimately, her value lay solely in her capabilities.
Her studious nature earned her further praise.
Living on an isolated island, the Kuja often grew indifferent to news from the outside world. It wasn't uncommon to find islanders who simply lacked interest in global affairs.
Furthermore, common knowledge in the outside world was often completely unknown within Kuja.
However, so mbers, led by Shakuyaku, understood that knowledge and information could be powerful weapons. They held Sue in high regard for her diligence in thoroughly reading and absorbing newspapers and books.
(Honestly, she's so mature for a five-year-old... I wish our younger mbers were half as diligent. Her parents must have done a fantastic job raising her.)
"Captain, why don't we formally recruit Sue into Kuja? She's quick to learn and could beco a formidable warrior with proper training."
"Oh, I second that! Having her as a crewmate would make things so much easier!"
"Hey, rookies! Don't tell you just want to get out of doing chores."
"Well, I guess you could say that... but you have to admit, she's got real potential, right?"
"Hmm..."
Shakuyaku stubbed out her finished cigarette in the ashtray, imdiately lighting another.
Below them, Sue, who had just finished mopping the deck from end to end, paused for a mont... only to grab a rag and start wiping down surfaces.
"...If that's what she really wants, maybe it wouldn't be so bad."
Though I doubt she'd want to beco the sa kind of 'Pirate' who destroyed her ho.
Shakuyaku swallowed the rest of her thought.
Instead, she exhaled a plu of cigarette smoke, gathered the still-chatting sailors, and retreated into the ship, their cheerful voices echoing behind her.
***
For so ti after that, I found myself aboard the Kuja's ship.
It's been a while now, longer than I expected. It's almost been six months since they picked up.
Apparently, this voyage was originally planned to be quite long. And since this is a pirate crew, most of our destinations are just targets for plunder.
The targets vary: coastal towns and villages, unfortunate rchant ships we happen upon, or even other pirate ships.
But while the targets change, peaceful towns where I could disembark are extrely rare.
It's not just about finding a "peaceful" town, though. It's about finding a place where I could actually live—a town willing to accept a child from a pirate ship, with no known identity.
Plus, in this era, xenophobia is pretty common. Many places have deeply rooted prejudices against outsiders.
So, for all these reasons, we just haven't arrived at a town where I could leave the ship.
Also, I don't know if this is related, but compared to when I first ca aboard, I've really settled into life on the ship. If I'm not just imagining it, they've started treating like one of the crew.
It doesn't feel like I'm just "so kid on the sa ship" anymore. Lately, they've been giving more responsibilities.
Besides helping with chores and organizing supplies, I now run errands, gather information at ports (using my age to lower people's guard while asking around), and all sorts of other things.
But my personal favorite has been helping with the Sue-chan Newspaper.
It started when I overheard a sailor grumbling, "Newspapers are too long and hard to understand. I can't be bothered to read them, even though the Captain always says we need to stay inford."
First, I read the newspaper myself.
It's just part of my routine now, so I don't think of it as work or anything like that. It's no trouble at all.
Next, I summarize the news from the newspaper, boiling it down to the main points in plain language. I try to keep it short, easy to read quickly, and simple enough for a child to understand.
Then, the crew mbers who can't be bothered to read the newspaper themselves read my summaries.
This Sue-chan Newspaper—I don't even know who started calling it that, but the na stuck—turned out to be pretty popular. By early afternoon, people would eagerly await its completion and pass it around to read.
Ms. Shakuyaku even praised it, saying it was a fun and useful initiative that helped keep everyone on the ship inford.
...Though she was also rather exasperated by the newcors, who were essentially having a five-year-old explain the news to them.
Honestly, I'm really enjoying this. It's all good.
I've always loved working with words, both reading and writing. Figuring out how to explain things clearly, how to keep readers engaged, that's the fun part.
And alongside my work, I'm still keeping up with my training.
Compared to before I boarded the ship, I've beco even stronger and faster. People have even complinted , saying my weapon handling is starting to look polished.
Of course, there's always that unspoken "for a kid" qualifier tacked on.
And actually, I've even experienced real combat once.
During a battle with another pirate crew's ship, the Kuja Pirates were completely dominating. But so enemies, desperate for a chance, took a gamble and tried to sneak onto our ship under cover of darkness.
While I was gazing out the window, I happened to spot them and imdiately alerted the crew.
The intruders were quickly dealt with, but one managed to slip through and tried to force his way inside. The mont he opened the door, I burst out, crouched low, and swung my wooden practice sword—the one I always used for training—slamming it into his jaw.
Whether it was luck or skill, the blow seed to rattle his brain just right, sending him sprawling flat on his back.
He wasn't knocked unconscious, but before he could recover, another crew mber finished him off.
Everyone was a little exasperated by my recklessness, but they praised the strike, saying my training had really paid off.
I was happy to feel even closer to everyone after that... even if we were pirates.
One night, after life had settled into a routine, Ms. Shakuyaku summoned to the Captain's Quarters. In that room, with just the two of us present, she said,
"... join this pirate crew?"
"That's right. If you'd like, why not stay with us and beco a pirate?"
It was an invitation to join the Kuja Pirates.
Well, not exactly. It ca up during a conversation about my future plans.
"We'll be wrapping up our expedition soon and heading back to Amazon Lily," she explained. "But our island has a strict law against outsiders. n are completely out of the question, of course, but even won who aren't Kuja warriors can't be casually allowed on the island."
Hmm, I see.
So, "outsider" ans .
"So, as things stand, you can't enter Amazon Lily. But if you officially join our crew—beco a mber of the Kuja Pirates—you'd be welco there. Of course, you're also welco to stay on this ship, as a full-fledged mber of the Kuja."
"...What if I refuse?" I asked hesitantly.
Ms. Shakuyaku didn't seem offended at all. She smiled and replied, "In that case, you'll have to disembark at the next island, as originally planned. It's practically Kuja territory, so you won't get strange looks for being on a pirate ship there. In fact, you might find it quite comfortable."
I see. I'd be dropped off there and have to fend for myself...
Beco a pirate? Or return to civilian life?
Freedom, but with danger and the path to becoming a criminal... or a moderately restrictive life with moderate risks?
This is a huge decision for a five-year-old to make...
"Don't worry, whatever you choose, I won't bla you," Ms. Shakuyaku said reassuringly. "Of course, we'd be thrilled if you joined our crew, but forcing yourself to fit in would only cause trouble. Be true to yourself and choose the life you truly want to live."
"..."
"You don't have to answer right away. Let's say... by tomorrow morning?"
That was the end of it for the night.
I returned to my room and lay down on the familiar, rock-hard bed.
I'd grown completely accustod to its hardness over the past six months. Usually, I'd drift right off to sleep, but tonight... sleep wouldn't co easily.
And before I knew it, the deadline arrived—that very morning.
My answer was...
To be continued...
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