Notes: Hello! Remember that this is not my native language.


Peace, order and development. The ninja world had reached a time of tranquility after so many wars until the end. Only one person somehow managed to survive that extinction.

'How can I live with them dead?' Sakura thought in the middle of a crisis.

Her mind was disconnected from her body until for fate's sake, Sakura came across the whitebeard pirates and her life took a 180° turn and entered a new chapter in her life. The last ninja has entered the great pirate age!


The alley, even in broad daylight, exuded an overwhelming darkness. It was filled with garbage, soot, and debris left behind by people. Clearly, it was a place meant only for those with dubious intentions, given its decadent appearance; a perfect spot for carrying out shady deals and dark conspiracies.

In this secluded corner were three individuals, their faces covered by cloaks that concealed their identities. From their voices, it could be perceived that they were men whispering to each other.

"This is the money we collected last night" one of them murmured as he handed over a bag.

"Perfect, for now, we should keep a low profile" commented the one who received the bag, hiding it beneath his clothes. It contained more money than the sisters had stolen.

"I can't believe we're robbing a Yonko right under their noses. This money is so tempting" added the third.

"Shh! Even if they were naive enough to fall under the charm of some girls, we don't know if they could be lurking around here."

Suddenly, a drunken man, slumped in a corner, began snoring loudly. One of the men drew his sword and plunged it into the man's chest, who, in his intoxicated state, only emitted a couple of groans before choking on his own vomit mixed with blood. A pool of blood began to spread on the ground beneath his body.

"We'd better get out of here."

"We'll head back to the hideout. The boss is waiting."

The man who had stabbed the drunkard left with the one who had collected the money, while the third man took the drunkard and moved away in the opposite direction from where his two companions had gone.

When the corridor fell silent once more, the wall against which the unfortunate drunkard had leaned began to move as if it were a piece of paper. A pair of hands appeared, and a pink-haired head peered out. Making sure the place was secure, she fully unfurled the paper that disguised the wall.

Alone in that sordid and dark corner, Sakura observed the pool of fresh blood and the trail left by the bandit as he took away the life of a person who would never return home, whose loved ones would remain unaware of what had happened to him. If they had moved the sword carelessly, they could have injured both.

"Whatever tangle those girls have gotten themselves into, these people are dangerous" Sakura thought, thinking of the two girls and the baby.

On the second day of her stay, it was Ellie's turn to search Sakura's belongings. Just like the day before, Sakura simply watched. The previous night, suspecting that it would be Ellie's turn to go out with the money, she had distributed glasses of milk to everyone, arguing that it was beneficial for their growth. Without anyone noticing, she had added a mild sedative to Ace, Elliot, and Ellie's drinks to ensure they slept soundly and didn't wake up in the middle of the night wondering where they were. It was a safety measure.

When she left the room, she waited long enough to maintain a safe distance and avoid being discovered. Then, she followed Ellie from the rooftops of the houses. She trailed her until they reached this area, even though in the dark, there had been only two: Ellie and the individual who collected the money. They exchanged a few words that didn't seem relevant and then went their separate ways.

Aware of the potential danger lurking in that area, Sakura decided to move away until one of the alleys led her to the marketplace.

"Miss, are you okay?" someone kindly asked.

A couple of elderly folks, whose modest food stall was the only one that had witnessed Sakura emerging from that gloomy corner.

"I'm new to this place," Sakura confessed with a touch of shyness. "I thought it would be a shortcut to get to the market."

Fortunately for her, the elderly couple didn't seem to mistrust her presence, largely because her face wasn't familiar in the village.

"You should be careful, those alleys are not very safe" the old woman cautioned.

Sakura approached the stall where they were selling grilled octopus skewers with chili sauce, which immediately made her think of a certain freckled pirate with black hair.

"Give me ten skewers, please" Sakura requested.

The old man placed the skewers on the grill while his wife handled the money.

"So, are those alleys dangerous?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Miss, it's not that the island itself is dangerous, but it's better to avoid lonely and dark places. You never know when people with bad intentions might show up and cause trouble," the old man replied.

"A beautiful girl like you stands out on an island like this."

"Oh, please, I'd like to look like you at your age" Sakura replied, blushing, which made the lady laugh. "A lot of coal is produced and exported here."

If it weren't for Sakura's keen perception, she might have missed the subtle dilation of both elderly folks' pupils before they continued speaking as if nothing had happened.

"There's nothing interesting in that, it's better to be here where the breeze caresses your face, and you can enjoy the sea," the old lady commented. Her husband had finished preparing the skewers and put them in a bag, which he handed to Sakura. "You should visit the village; the coal mine is just a dark rock that dirties everything, nothing exciting."

Of course, Sakura understood that she had touched a sensitive topic. Over the past few days, she had explored the marketplace for information about the island, and what she had discovered suggested that the coal mine was crucial not only to the island's economy but also to criminal activities.

"I understand, I—"

"I added a couple of extra skewers to the bag," the lady interrupted. "We really appreciate what you did for Ellie and Elliot a few days ago."

This revelation surprised Sakura.

"Their parents passed away a year ago, and their aunt took care of the three children," the old lady's eyes filled with tears as she thought of those little ones, and her husband hugged her. "Being a single mother with three young children is not easy, but she did the best she could. Still, they're going through tough times. The two sisters are very brave to try to support the family."

"What about the aunt? Does she work in the mine? Maybe I can talk to her when her shift ends" if the aunt was involved with the girls, Sakura wanted to understand their relationship with the men she had seen earlier. Furthermore, she considered it an opportunity to teach her about the importance of properly raising her nieces, given how dangerous it was for girls their age to be associated with individuals like those unless the aunt herself was part of that group.

Sakura realized her assumption was wrong when she noticed that neither of them tried to conceal their unease. Instead, they responded that they were unaware of the aunt's work schedule.

Sakura realized her last assumption was wrong when she noticed that neither of them tried to conceal their unease. Instead, they responded that they were unaware of the aunt's work schedule.

Although Sakura could have pointed out the contradiction and asked how it was possible that they didn't know about the schedule of someone so close, especially in a relatively small village, since they were grateful that she had taken care of the girls. She decided not to delve further into the matter.

"It's a shame, I have to go. Thanks for the skewers" Sakura said with an innocent smile.

'In the end, it all revolves around that mine' Sakura concluded to herself as she walked away.

On the beach of the mining island, lay the ship of one of the most formidable pirate crews. At that moment, the sounds of laughter and commotion filled the deck, thanks to a couple of girls who were running happily among the pirates. Initially, Ellie used to refer to the pirates as "ruffians and stinkers," a term Sakura corrected firmly, causing Ellie to apologize for her words.

Alongside the girls, several pirates joined in the fun, including Ace, commander of the second division. Nearby, the legendary Captain Whitebeard watched the game while enjoying a beer, ignoring the nurses' warnings. Some of his sons sat beside him, sharing drinks and conversation with the nurses. Tato held Elliot, who was entertained by drooling on a rattle they had bought him the day before.

The two girls who were running in circles, trying to escape from Ace, abruptly stopped when they spotted Sakura climbing the stairs to join the pirate ship.

"Sakura!" Ellie shouted, running towards her with her sister close behind. "Why did you take so long?"

To justify her delay and her departure to spy on the people Elliet had encountered, Sakura had visited the square after buying the skewers at the elderly couple's stand. There, she wandered through the market she already knew by heart, bought a can of formula for Elliot, and briefly stopped at the jewelry section without paying much attention. Finally, she made a stop at a clothing store where she immediately knew what to buy.

"I went to the square to buy these," Sakura said as she handed a bag to each of the girls.

The two little ones opened the bags, their eyes lighting up like stars as they discovered a dress for each of them. They expressed their joy by hugging Sakura and then ran excitedly to the lunoichi's room to change and debut their new outfits, encouraged by her.

"You and the nurses really spoil those three a lot," Ace commented with a smile as he stood beside the kunoichi.

Despite his words, Ace was the one who played the most with the girls on the entire ship, and the girls seemed to be more attached to him. After Ace, it was Sakura, followed by Whitebeard himself, whom they affectionately called "Grandpa." Then came the nurses, Marco (because he provided them with medicines to keep them healthy), Thatch (for offering them delicious meals), and finally, the rest of the crew.

"What can I say, I have a soft spot for kids," Sakura said, then offered Ace the bag of octopus skewers.

Ace, who had started salivating, grabbed a skewer and savored it, enjoying the spicy taste of the sauce until he realized something.

"Hey! I'm not a kid."

Sakura, already turning away, chuckled softly and headed towards the captain and the others, while Ace grumbled beside her. However, he didn't stop eating the delicious skewers that Sakura had brought him.

"I hope the girls didn't cause too much trouble," Sakura said.

The day before, while Sakura had gone to bathe, the girls, encouraged by Ace, had decided to have fun by styling everyone in the crew's hair, except for Whitebeard, whom they respected, using the excuse that grandpas are grandpas.

"No, with Ace by their side, they're little angels" Tato teased.

It wasn't long before Ellie and Elliet appeared in their new dresses, parading in front of the pirates, especially in front of their "grandpa."

Sakura was almost certain that not only had the girls grown fond of Whitebeard, but the captain had also grown fond of them, as the nickname "Grandpa" seemed to have been well received. She swore that the night before, as she put the children to bed, she had heard him murmur with joy, "Grandpa."

Sakura took Elliot in her arms and played with him for a while. Every time she held him, everyone agreed that Sakura seemed to radiate an aura of love around her.

At that moment, Thatch appeared with a bottle full of milk for Elliot and handed it to Sakura.

"You're very maternal, Sakura," Tato said. "I can easily imagine you with kids."

It wasn't the first time she had been told that, and every time it was mentioned, Sakura blushed a bit and started to stammer.

"I used to be the director of a children's clinic" Sakura clarified.

"Ah, you're a doctor," Marco said, intrigued. He didn't know Sakura had medical knowledge. Now it made sense why she had been a bit neglectful of her injuries compared to the others.

"Yes, I'm a medical ninja" Sakura added, technically not lying.

"How about joining my division? You could work as a doctor again" Marco suggested.

As tempting as the offer to work as a doctor sounded, Sakura had to decline. Her medical training did use traditional medicine, but she wouldn't feel complete if she couldn't use her medical jutsus and chakra.

"Don't pressure her," a nurse intervened. "I'm sure Sakura plans to start a family in the future."

The nurse received an elbow nudge from one of her colleagues, reminding her that Sakura had been married and that married couples typically talked about having children or not. The nurse covered her mouth in the realization of her mistake.

Sakura's face darkened as she heard the nurse's words, feeling a slight pang in her chest as she remembered Sasuke and the whole situation they had gone through before their divorce. However, she quickly regained her composure and smiled as if nothing had happened.

"For now, I don't plan on starting a family. After all, I'm divorced, and I don't see myself falling in love anytime soon" Sakura said.

Whitebeard laughed before bringing his beer to his lips.

"Pinky, you have your whole life ahead of you. You never know when love will come knocking. It might even be closer than you think" Whitebeard said, sharing advice based on his long experience. Sometimes, the unexpected turns out to be a hidden treasure.

Sakura made a wry face, not entirely convinced, but out of respect for her elders (except perhaps the times when Jiraiya behaved like a pervert), she decided not to say anything.

She nearly lost her balance when Ace, who was playing with the girls, collided with her. Before Sakura could fall, Ace moved swiftly and held her by the shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were so close."

"It's okay, everyone was having so much fun. I didn't realize you were here either," Sakura replied.

Ellie and Elliet, true to their childish nature, didn't want to dwell on apologies from the two.

"Sakura, can you tell us a story?" Elliet asked.

"Yes! Your stories are fun."

From the second day on the ship, Sakura told them a story before bedtime.

Sakura looked at the sky. The sun was still shining high, so she thought a little nap would be fine for the girls.

"Alright, just one."

Tato took Elliot from Sakura's arms and used the opportunity to pat his back to burp him. The two girls sat on Sakura's lap and settled in.

The entire pirate ship fell silent. It seemed as if a spell had enveloped them, and each and every one of them stopped what they were doing to listen to Sakura's captivating and intriguing story. The spell broke when she finished telling how the goddess Kaguya was sealed by her two sons.

Sakura recounted the tale of a goddess who fell from the sky a thousand years ago into a land that held a tree called the Chakra Tree. She narrated how this woman named Kaguya fell in love with the emperor of that country and how human greed led the neighboring country to declare war, resulting in Kaguya consuming the Chakra Fruit.

When she finished, the enchantment that had wrapped around the ship was broken, and most of them resumed their activities. Ellie and Elliet had fallen asleep halfway through the story.

"I've never heard a story like that," Vista commented.

"Yes, the story about the origin of Devil Fruits is interesting," Thatch added, "although, like all stories, it seems to have changed over time, and they ended up calling it the Chakra Tree."

Sakura, trying to maintain her composure with the two girls in her lap, brought the beer jar to her lips to hide her smile.

'If the Chakra Fruit is anything like Devil Fruits, they might be able to walk on water.'

"It's just a story from my island. I never thought it could be related to Devil Fruits" Sakura said. Then she set the jar on the table and settled the girls in her arms. "I'll take the girls to sleep in my room."

Ace offered to help her.

The other commanders and crew members stayed with their captain, while some commented on the story.

"The most interesting part was the red moon," Teach said. "A few years ago, I remember the moon turned as red as blood."

It was an event none could forget. They were sailing on the sea, and on that very night, they had organized a party under the moonlight when it turned that crimson hue. No one mentioned it, but everyone remembered the astonishing dreams they had that night.

"Stories are just that" one of the crew members commented, downplaying the significance of the tale.

Thus, Sakura's storytelling was set aside, and they began talking about the old times.

When night fell and everyone was immersed in slumber, faint murmurs could be heard in Sakura's room, so faint that they could be mistaken for the sound of a mouse. In reality, it was Ellie and Elliet, who stood in front of Sakura's drawers.

Tonight was Ellie's turn to get money, but not finding it in the usual place, she began searching unsuccessfully. Finally, she had no choice but to ask for her sister's help, and now both were rummaging through every corner of each drawer.

"The bottom right drawer" an unexpected voice whispered from behind them.

The two girls jumped when they heard the unexpected voice. Turning around, they saw Sakura sitting on the bed, watching them with her piercing green eyes.

Sakura had purposely changed the location where she kept her money that afternoon when she had put the girls to bed.

"No, we were just..."

"Looking for a change of clothes, I couldn't hold it and peed a little" Ellie interrupted, trying to justify the situation.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. Ellie's pajamas were white and looked perfectly dry.

"I know you've been taking money since the night you arrived" Sakura said.

The two girls genuinely felt remorseful now that they had been discovered. They thought this would be the end for them, that Sakura, who had helped them so much, fed them, defended them when Whitebeard had questioned their care, taken care of Elliot when he was sick, and provided them with new clean clothes, would look at them with disgust and order them to leave the ship immediately.

As they saw Sakura getting out of bed, both lowered their gaze and closed their eyes tightly, hoping at least that the punishment wouldn't be as painful as the disappointment they would see reflected in the pink-haired woman's face. But instead of a blow or a hair pull, they felt Sakura gently stroking their hair. They were truly confused.

As if she had read their thoughts, Sakura said, "If you needed money, you just had to ask," Sakura said, with a soft and soothing tone. "If someone is forcing you to steal, you need to tell me."

Tears welled up in both girls' eyes. In all the times they had committed the same act, the people who had extended a hand to them had ended up beating them and looking at them with hatred. Yet here, Sakura continued to be so kind to the two of them.

"No... No one forced us... Our aunt works in the mine, but she got sick, and we..." The older sister felt the need to speak, as her younger sister was about to burst into tears, but her voice broke until she couldn't continue speaking.

The two sisters stood there trembling, tears welling up in the corners of their eyes, and they bit their lips to prevent sobs from escaping their throats.

"If you need money to help your aunt, I will go with you."

Both looked at their deeply sleeping brother in the bed. Although they had grown fond of Whitebeard's crew, they had never left their brother alone, even before they met Sakura. Sakura followed their gaze.

"Even if Ace stays?"

"Ace is cool, but..." Ellie said, conflicted. Part of her trusted him, but the other didn't want to leave her brother alone.

"Alright, I'll carry him," Sakura said.

She wasn't willing to let the three of them go to meet a potentially dangerous group of people in their pajamas. She had the two girls wait while they changed into regular clothes. Sakura was the first to take off her shirt and tossed it backward, landing it right on Ace's face. The two girls got scared, thinking he would wake up, but then sighed in relief when nothing happened.

"It's just so they see he's asleep," Sakura said casually.

The girls and Sakura changed clothes and were about to leave, but Sakura told them they had to say goodbye to Ace first. They removed the shirt from his face and, one by one, gave him a kiss on the cheek and whispered a thank you.

They were ready to leave when, to both their surprise, Sakura also approached Ace, lay down on the bed, and leaned her face towards his. The two girls blushed when they saw Sakura's lips dangerously close to Ace's and turned their backs to avoid witnessing the embarrassing scene.

However, as they turned to avoid the romantic scene between the two, they missed the fact that at the last second, just before their lips met, Sakura diverted her lips to Ace's ear.

"I'm going out with the girls. Pretending to be asleep doesn't work with me," Sakura whispered so softly that only Ace could hear her.

Ever since she had sat down to confront the girls, she knew Ace was awake. That's why when she changed clothes, she threw the shirt at his face.

Caught in his lie, Ace opened one of his eyes and gave her a half-smile.

Sakura needed no more than that to distance herself from him and go with the girls.

The night in the village on the island was very different from what it was during the day. The streets were shrouded in darkness, and only a few houses displayed dim lights in their windows, indicating that some people were still awake. It almost seemed like a deserted town. Nevertheless, a group consisting of an adult woman, two girls, and a baby walked along the deserted streets.

When they reached the fountain in the center of the square, right where Ellie, Elliot, and Sakura had first met, the pink-haired woman stopped.

"All right, it's time to tell the truth" Sakura said.

"What? We haven't lied; our aunt is sick" Ellie responded, somewhat offended by the fact that they hadn't been believed.

"I didn't explain myself well; I want to hear the rest of the story," Sakura said firmly. She believed in the girls, but based on her investigation and what she had observed, she knew they had deliberately omitted some important details.

Neither of the two sisters dared to speak; they simply looked at each other with fear. Sakura, holding Elliot more firmly, crouched down to their eye level.

"I need to know who I'm going to face so I can be prepared and help you" she said softly, hoping that they would finally open up and provide the missing pieces of the puzzle that had been forming in her mind for a few days.

Elliet, seeing the distress in her sister and her brother in Sakura's arms, made the decision that she had to do what was best for her family, even if it meant facing her fear.

"The island depends on the coal they sell to foreigners. We have the protection of the World Government because the tribute we pay to the Celestial Dragons is in coal. The problem is that the mountain bandits have monopolized trade on the island, making it almost impossible to buy food, and they force you to take out loans," Elliet explained with frustration. "The World Government doesn't care who's in power as long as they're not pirates, and that allows the bandits to do whatever they want. You get into debt, and when you can't pay, they force you to work in the mine for them. Everyone knows that what they pay there is very little and just forces them to borrow more money to keep eating. Those who go into the mine never come out."

She took a breath before continuing to speak.

"Our parents died, and our aunt started working in the mine. It's not uncommon for people who work there to get sick, and we recently found out that our aunt is ill. We made a deal with the bandits to pay off her debt and allow her to leave."

That's how they ended up robbing people who arrived in the village. Now Sakura understood the girls' wariness of strangers and their desire to avoid getting involved with anyone who might be connected to the bandits.

Sakura patted both of them on the head.

"You've been very brave," Sakura whispered affectionately. She smiled when she saw tears welling up in the girls' eyes. "I will pay off your aunt's debt."

The two sisters thanked her again and again, unable to believe their luck in meeting someone like Sakura. Finally, they would be able to see their aunt and reunite with what was left of their small family.

After drying their tears, they continued on their way to the agreed-upon location with the man who would collect the money. At first, he seemed annoyed by Sakura and the girls' presence, until Sakura explained that she was there to pay off the debt. Although he still seemed skeptical, Sakura insisted, and eventually, the four of them were led into the mine.

Once inside, Sakura immediately noticed why people got sick. As they advanced, she saw workers carrying baskets full of coal. They looked visibly abused, with a haggard appearance and poor nutrition. Moreover, the place was filled with fine coal dust.

If people in the village occasionally coughed because of the coal, she wasn't surprised that those in the mine had even worse lung conditions.

Both the bandits and the workers stopped when they saw them passing. They continued walking through the tunnel until they reached a cleaner corridor with less stale air. Finally, they arrived in a spacious room filled with people. In the back, seated in a large chair, was their leader.

The laughter died down as the small group entered. The man who had guided them approached the leader and whispered a few words in his ear. At that moment, the leader smiled and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

"Well, well, I didn't know there were still such naive people in the world" the leader said mockingly.

His companions laughed, but Sakura, who had dealt with worse people in the past, maintained her composure. She straightened her shoulders and tossed a bag full of gold coins onto the table.

"This should be enough to pay off these girls' aunt's debt."

Upon opening the bag, the leader's eyes gleamed as he saw the substantial amount of gold coins. He played with some of them while considering his options.

"No, there's something called interest. Besides, we lend money so they can buy food" the leader said cynically, looking at the thin children around him as if it were a joke that they needed money to eat.

Sakura, already expecting this kind of response from such despicable people, approached the table and dropped another bag full of gold coins onto it.

"If you need more, I can fetch it" she responded emotionlessly.

The leader chuckled softly as he collected the second bag.

"No, no deal," he said, laughing softly. "Here in the mine, once you enter, you never come out."

Ellie and Elliet gasped in astonishment. The man had never intended to release their aunt; he had simply played with them to steal money from them.

"You're a liar! We had a deal!" Ellie shouted, furious and beginning to cry.

The man laughed loudly, but his laughter abruptly stopped when Sakura's fist struck his face. The bandits who had been laughing stood in shock, and at that moment, Sakura grabbed Ellie and Elliet with her free arm and ran out.

The leader, who had seated himself as best he could, holding his bleeding nose, yelled, "Don't just stand there, idiots! Go after them!"

The group of bandits began to chase them. Sakura dodged both workers and bandits in her path, but carrying three children, including a baby who was crying uncontrollably due to the abrupt movement, and two older girls who weren't so small, proved challenging. The girls slipped from her arms due to the strain, as she wasn't holding them firmly enough.

If she were only carrying two or could use her chakra to attach one of them to her body while carrying the other two, it would be easier to reach the ship. However, she couldn't use her superhuman strength due to the risk of causing a cave-in in the mine.

At this rate, they wouldn't be able to escape. She decided to make a drastic decision. She stopped running, lowered the two girls to the ground, and with a quick motion, pressed her index and middle fingers against Elliot's forehead, casting a light genjutsu that would make him sleep deeply for a long time.

"Elliet, Ellie, don't stop running," she placed Elliot in Elliet's arms. "No matter what happens, run to the ship."

"No, we can stay together!" Ellie shouted.

The bandits were about to catch up with them.

"Go now!" Sakura exclaimed, pushing the girls to make them run.

Sakura turned back into the tunnel, raising her fists almost to her face level, and wore a determined smile.

"I won't let you pass this point."

The two girls ran as fast as their legs would allow. The path from the mine to the port was extremely long, covering more than half the distance of the island. As they moved forward, Ellie cried out of fear and anger. They couldn't stop thinking about Sakura. They had brought Sakura to ruin by trusting the leader of the bandits' words. If they didn't make it to the ship on time and Sakura was caught because of them, it would be the end.

"Wait," Elliet said.

Ellie stopped and turned to her sister, who unexpectedly handed Elliot to her.

"What? What are you planning to do?" Ellie asked.

"I'm going to find Sakura. I'll try to talk to that man and ask him to release Sakura."

"No! How do you think he's going to release her if he lied to us?" Ellie responded.

"I'm sorry, Ellie. Because of us, Sakura is in trouble. I at least want to try to save her. You follow Sakura's orders, inform Grandpa, Ace, and everyone about what has happened if I can't save Sakura. They will look for us."

"Elliet, I should go instead. You're the smarter one; I'm impulsive and tend to mess things up."

"No, you're my sister. As the older sister, I want to protect you. Besides, you're faster even while carrying Elliot. Please."

Ellie, still crying, wanted to ignore her sister, but she thought of Sakura and everything she had done for them. She looked at her sleeping brother and made the decision to leave, for Sakura and her brother.

Sakura was engaged in a fight against the bandits. She had taken a few hits, but they paled in comparison to the damage she had inflicted on the opposing side. Several bodies lay scattered on the ground, some unconscious, and others lifeless. The bandits had attempted to harm her with firearms and sharp weapons, but they all ended up on the ground. Even though for every three that fell, five more arrived to take their place, none had managed to advance through the tunnel.

Sakura's mind was focused on preventing the bandits from leaving the tunnel and ensuring the girls reached the ship safely. Or so she hoped until she heard a voice.

"Sakura!" Elliet shouted. "Please, stop. They want us. I will talk to them."

In a brief moment of distraction upon seeing Elliet return, one of the bandits took advantage and shot her, hitting her side. Sakura fell to the ground, feeling a sharp pain like she had never experienced before. In her homeland, firearms were not common, and she was unprepared for the piercing pain caused by the bullet.

"Elliet!" Sakura cried out.

In the next instant, after falling to the ground due to the pain, Sakura tried to defend herself against the bandits, but they were already upon her. All she could do was jump over Elliet to protect her from any harm.

Interesting fact:

Oda provided information on how often members of the Straw Hat Pirates bathe. As some may know, Luffy bathes the least per week. Truthfully, I don't know how often Ace bathes, and I hope it's not as infrequent as Luffy's. However, here, Sakura set a condition for Ace to sleep in her bed: he had to take a bath every day, or else he would have to sleep on the floor.

When Elliet decided to go back for Sakura, in my mind, I thought, "silly girl," but I also understood that she was just a frightened child who Sakura had extended a helping hand to, even when they deceived her. As the older sister, she felt the need to protect her siblings, and that's why she thought it was best to go back and "protect Sakura."