Kuro leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head, eyes shut in silence.
"Why don't you run?"
It was Cass who finally broke the quiet.
"We tried," Mendel said, gripping his hair with trembling fingers. "Every time we get close to the shore, Florida appears. She drags everyone back. No matter what we do… we can't escape."
They were trapped. As for food, they relied on passing merchant ships—forced to buy at steep prices, only to wait, powerless, for the demon's return every two weeks.
"Chief, you're good people. We won't tell anyone about you. Just go—leave quickly. Florida… she's a demon. She'll sense you're here before long."
Kuro opened his eyes. "Cass, gather the troops. Prepare for battle."
"Yes, sir!" Cass answered without hesitation, dashing out to assemble the navy.
"You…" Mendel's voice trembled as tears welled in his eyes. "You should really run. You're no match for that monster."
Kuro scratched his head with a sigh. "No time. We have to move."
His Observation Haki had picked up something. Someone was rapidly approaching.
He had developed Haki after years of quiet training. Though it was rooted in brute effort, he had refined it with care—always with safety in mind, always with the goal of staying under the radar. That diligence had borne fruit.
Now, his Observation Haki blanketed the entire island.
"If Mendel's telling the truth, then she likely has Observation Haki as well," Kuro thought. "Judging by the distance she closed... her Haki isn't any weaker than mine."
This was the East Blue, a place where Haki was rare to begin with. For someone this powerful to be here—it was unprecedented. Unnatural.
She wasn't famous. Her motives were unknown. But one thing was clear: she didn't belong in the East Blue. A person like that would only bring chaos.
Better to deal with her now, while she remained unknown.
"I want the East Blue to stay peaceful. If you're strong, then go to the Grand Line. Chase your dreams there. What are you doing in a place like this?"
Outside, the town's navy lined up, weapons ready, eyes sharp. Cass stood at the front, barking orders.
Dense jungle surrounded the settlement. Even during the day, the deeper areas remained cloaked in darkness—as if waiting to swallow anyone who dared enter.
Rustle.
The jungle stirred.
Cass narrowed his eyes toward a rooftop.
There, illuminated by sunlight, stood a figure cloaked in white.
It had the build of a werewolf, covered in soft white fur, slender and upright, gazing down upon them.
"It's Florida!!" the townspeople screamed in horror.
"Open fire!" Cass shouted, raising his hand.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire echoed. But in the blink of an eye, the white-furred creature vanished—reappearing directly in front of the navy.
Boom!
With a casual swing of its arm, it struck a sailor. The man flew through the air and crashed to the ground, his body limp—completely drained of energy.
"You…" the creature growled in a deep voice. "You dared call the navy? Unforgivable. You shall face punishment."
With terrifying speed, it moved through the ranks, brushing against each soldier as it passed.
One after another, they fell, lifeless, as if their very vitality had been stolen.
Dozens of sailors were incapacitated within moments.
Cass's hands trembled around his gun. The creature was too strong—so powerful he couldn't even will himself to fire again.
Just then, the door to Mendel's house creaked open.
Kuro stepped out, saber in hand.
"Chief is here!!" one of the navy shouted.
"The Chief's here—we're saved!!"
Hope reignited in their eyes. With newfound resolve, the navy charged.
"A mere branch chief from the East Blue… What can you do?"
The creature disappeared once more, reappearing behind them.
Ssshhh—
Not even a sound as the navy collapsed, one after another.
Kuro watched, eyes narrowed.
"You monster!" Cass cried, raising his weapon and firing.
Bang!
The bullet didn't even graze the creature. In an instant, it was in front of him, striking him square in the abdomen. Cass collapsed.
"The navy... it's finished," Mendel whispered bitterly. Grabbing a pair of scissors from his home, he ran forward, his hands shaking. "You monster! You want us dead, don't you?! Well, even if we die, we'll never submit!"
Moved by Mendel's bravery, the townspeople rallied around him, their eyes filled with resolve.
Even if it meant death—they would resist.
The white-furred creature froze, just for a moment. Then its voice turned low and cruel.
"....Then I'll grant your wish."
Whoosh!
The villagers had no chance.
The creature moved like lightning, tearing through the crowd. Moments later, all lay unconscious.
Now, only two remained standing—Kuro and the white-furred being.
"You're the last one," it said, pointing at him with a crooked smile. "I've seen your type before—people who act tough but fall easily. You're the same. Look at this town. This is all because of you."
It charged, fist flying.
"Why are you doing this? You haven't killed anyone yet… have you?" Kuro asked calmly.
Slap.
He caught the punch with ease.
"What...?" The creature stiffened, jerking its arm back. But Kuro twisted it, tugging at the fur.
Underneath the fluffy white coat—was a girl. A beautiful girl with waist-length white hair.
"Haki?!" she gasped, staring wide-eyed at the black gleam on Kuro's hand. "You have Haki?!"
He released her arm. "You drained their energy. That's your ability. You're a Devil Fruit user."
"Damn it!" she hissed, crouching low. Armament Haki surged across her elbows, her bright eyes glowing faintly red.
"Energy—Maximum Cycle!!"
BOOM!
The ground cracked and split under the pressure of her launch. She slammed her palms together and bolted forward.
But Kuro had already moved.
He sidestepped the blow with ease.
CRASH!!!
She tore through a building, demolishing it. The force of her charge carved a deep trench through the jungle behind.
"You've got to be kidding me…" she muttered, stepping out of the rubble, glaring at Kuro.
Her Observation Haki spanned the entire island. She had never missed an attack before. Yet Kuro had dodged it effortlessly.
His Observation Haki... was stronger than hers.
And he had Armament Haki too—enough to negate her abilities.
Kuro frowned at the destruction.
This level of power, this kind of Haki, and a Devil Fruit on top of it?
Why was someone like this in the East Blue?
"What are you really doing here?"
They both spoke at once.
Kuro slowly gripped the hilt of his saber and drew it with deliberate calm.
"…Forget it. No need to drag this out. Someone like you is bound to be a threat sooner or later."
His tone was casual, but his intent was anything but.
"Better to deal with you now, while you're still under the radar."
The blade in his hand was nothing special—just standard Navy-issue. Yet, as Kuro wiped it clean with two fingers, a chill ran down the girl's spine.
The blade began to glow softly.
That faint luminescence shouldn't have been threatening… but it was. Her instincts screamed danger.
This wasn't the East Blue she'd know to. This wasn't some rookie pirate or green marine. The girl had spent time on the Grand Line—she knew the real thing when she saw it.
She tried to move, to flee, but her limbs wouldn't obey. It was as if the light itself held her in place, like a predator's gaze pinning down its prey.
She was going to die.
That killing intent—it was real. This guy seriously wants to kill me!
"Mumyo Jinpuu Ryuu Sa—!"
"I surrender!!"
"…Huh?"
Kuro blinked, mid-swing. The girl before him shimmered—and suddenly shrank. Her body compressed down into that of a pale, white-haired child—no older than seven or eight.
"I surrender," she repeated, collapsing to the ground. "Do whatever you want. I'm done."
She patted her stomach and muttered, "Ugh… I overdid it earlier. Now I'm starving…"
"You're surrendering just like that?" Kuro asked, puzzled.
He studied her for a moment, then slowly lowered his blade. Killing an enemy that had already surrendered didn't sit right with him—he wasn't that kind of person.
"…Alright. Then tell me—who are you, and what are you doing in East Blue?"
The little girl sat up and scowled at him. "Florida Lida. From the Grand Line."
She pointed an accusatory finger at him. "But what about you? With your strength, why the hell are you in East Blue? Has the Navy gone blind? How can they not notice a monster like you!?"
Their eyes locked.
Silence.
Then, in perfect unison, they shouted:
"For safety!!"
"…Huh?"
Kuro stared.
The girl stared back.
Was that… excitement in her eyes?
Kuro sheathed his sword and sat cross-legged across from her. Again, they spoke in unison:
"You first."
"I ran from the Grand Line," Lida said without hesitation. "Too many monsters. I'm weak, okay? I just wanna live somewhere quiet."
"…"
"!!!"
You get it!
Kuro's eyes sparkled. A kindred spirit!
"I don't want to go there either!" he said passionately. "It's crawling with Yonko, Super Rookies, Warlords—you run into one wrong person, and boom, you're dead! I just want to live safely, dammit!"
Lida nodded like a bobblehead. "Exactly! Back in the Grand Line, I was constantly on edge! Couldn't even eat properly! That's why I came here. East Blue's great—everyone's weak and easy to fool. I love it here!"
Kuro tilted his head. "…Wait. You said you're hungry all the time?"
She sighed, her expression pitiful. "It's my Devil Fruit."
"I ate the Eneru Eneru no Mi—the Energy Fruit. I can absorb energy through touch, but the downside is… I'm never full. Since I ate it at eight, I've never felt full. Ever."
She pouted. "And I can't make a scene or the big guys'll notice me. That's why I came to East Blue."
Florida Lida. Age: 18. Origin: Grand Line. Devil Fruit: Eneru Eneru no Mi—Energy Human.
A girl who could drain others' energy to replenish her own. Incredibly powerful… but always hungry.
She never wanted to be a pirate. That would only draw attention. So instead, she crafted a clever rumor—"Florida's Treasure"—to lure greedy fools to a trap where she'd drain their energy and take their loot to trade for food.
"You went too far," Kuro muttered, glancing at the unconscious townspeople strewn across the ground. "These people are weak and starving now."
Lida flinched, looking even more pitiful.
"I told them they could keep some of their food! But they were too scared to leave anything behind! I didn't have time to explain everything!"
Her voice trembled with frustration.
"I have to use Haki every day just to survive! That drains a lot! Why can't people just… understand?!"
To conserve energy, she usually remained in her child form, only using her original age when she needed to fight. Even her daily use of Observation Haki was draining.
She hadn't meant to kill anyone—just feed herself. Those who collapsed would wake up fine after a few days of rest.
She was planning to leave the island soon anyway. She'd already drained it dry. But when she sensed someone approaching… she thought she'd do one last job.
She never expected to run into him.
"I've already surrendered!" she said, throwing up her hands. "If you're gonna kill me, at least let me eat a full meal first!"
"…Kill you?" Kuro frowned. "Why would I do that?"
He suddenly grinned. "You want food? Easy. Join the Navy! Government has tons of money—you can eat all you want!"
"HELL NO! I don't want anything to do with pirates or marines! I just want to eat, not fight!"
Kuro pointed at himself. "Then come with me!"
"Don't you think we're perfect for each other? You want to eat safely, I want to live safely. We stay in East Blue, lay low, and live a quiet life. Simple!"
He hadn't planned to recruit her… but this was fate. A strong fighter who deliberately flew under the radar—just like him. Her survival instincts were top-tier.
He needed someone like her.
And judging by the way she was drooling just thinking about food… she needed him too.
Kuro leaned in with a wicked grin. "But if you say no… I'll expose you as a Devil Fruit user. Send you straight to Impel Down. You know that place? They feed you barely enough to not die."
"STOP! I'll go! I'll go!" she cried. "But you have to promise I'll be at least 80% full—no, 60%! Deal?!"
"Done!" Kuro promised instantly.
And then instantly regretted it.
.
..
...
Getting Lida settled wasn't hard.
When the townsfolk awoke, Kuro fed them a simple story: the monster had been struck by lightning, and the ruined battlefield proved it. Since Lida wasn't infamous, no one investigated further.
As far as the Navy was concerned, Florida had been defeated, and her hostage—a poor little girl—was rescued by the heroic Kuro.
He left half the food and some treasure behind to help the townsfolk recover, then continued on his journey with his new… companion.
With half a month's worth of rations left, and only a few days until their next supply point, Kuro thought they'd be fine.
After all, how much could one girl possibly eat?
…Right?
(***)
"LIDA!! That was two weeks' worth of food! GONE! In one meal?!"
Kuro's voice echoed through the office, nearly shaking the ship.
Lida sat nearby, calmly nibbling on a carrot. "I was hungry," she mumbled. "Do you know how long I've been starving? I haven't been full in years! Besides, we're almost at your base. I saved a little."
"A little?! What if we hit a storm?! What if a Sea King attacks?! What if a bored Warlord wanders through East Blue?!"
Kuro flailed in sheer panic. "We'll be stranded at sea! No food! One big wave and I'll die a tragic death before even achieving my dream!"
Lida blinked at him, then slowly tilted her head.
"…So this is why you're still a Chief Petty Officer."
(*****)
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