Yamato arched her back, and let out a loud yawn.
It had been a good night; and before that, a good day. She looked over at the other two beds. Izuku was still asleep; his face peaceful. Sora was gone. Yamato quickly sniffed the air, and guessed in an instant where she had gone.
Leaving Izuku to sleep some more, she got dressed and hurried out into the town square. Sure enough, Mess Nest's doors were open; and that delicious scent from before was wafting through. The townsfolk going about their business, hanging their laundry, tending to their gardens. All peaceful and quaint.
Grinning, Yamato trotted through the door and joined the line. There was Sora, face masked, helping the cooking crew to prepare and serve breakfast. Yamato's mouth watered as she saw what awaited. Bacon and eggs, with a choice of pancakes or waffles.
Waffles. She had never had waffles before. They looked to be some kind of cake, but with a peculiar grid pattern on top. She wondered briefly how they were made; then hunger got the better of her. She piled a clutch of them onto her plate, then drizzled some syrup on them; following up with a generous helping of bacon and eggs. Satisfied, she headed for an empty table, and started on her breakfast.
Then she paused. Some were looking her way; staring straight at her. They didn't seem hostile; if anything, they seemed to be admiring her. But it made her just a little nervous all the same.
Why were they suddenly so interested in her? They'd been completely normal yesterday, what changed?
Thankfully, the feeling of nervousness dissipated when she caught sight of someone approaching.
"Oh, morning En!" she called out, as her friend suddenly appeared, plate in hand, hood and mask on. He sat down without a word, and then Yamato saw the look in his eyes. It was a strange mix of nervous, annoyed, and disgruntled; and it made her even more nervous.
"Izuku, are you okay?" she whispered. Izuku slowly raised his head to look at her, his eyes narrowed and brought up his right hand, holding her Hannya mask.
For the briefest moment Yamato swore she'd heard a rather loud and annoyed voice somewhere as it finally clicked.
"Ack!" Yamato gasped. She had completely forgotten her mask! No wonder Izuku was out of sorts! "Oh, sorry, I…"
"Yamato…" He sighed, and Yamato felt her insides clench at his clear disappointment. True she'd messed up, but it was an honest mistake. She was just so happy and this place was so peaceful!
"S-Sorry!" She took the mask and-
"Gooooooooood morning!"
Before she could say more, Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi came wandering by. They seemed to be in a friendly mood; just like everyone else.
"Oh um, good morning!" she greeted them, smiling awkwardly as Izuku looked up at the ceiling. She could hear him sighing through his nose.
Oh, he was peeved.
"Oh! Not wearing the mask today eh?" Shachi mused.
"Not sure why you would, you look gorgeous!" Penguin exclaimed.
"Oh, well, uh…" Yamato laughed nervously, flapping her hand. "Well, you see, we were all kinda supposed to keep them on, but everything's so peaceful and easy here I…well…I kinda forgot." She chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Izuku's face plant on the table, only making her wince further.
"Yeah, there's no need to worry," replied Shachi casually. "Folks here are totally cool. No one's gonna mind you guys, masks or no."
"Especially not with a pretty face like yours," Penguin added, with what he probably thought was a seductive grin.
"So, uh, what're you guys planning on doing today?" Shachi cut in.
"W-Well," mused Yamato, putting a finger to her lips. "I sorta wanted to explore the island. And then check out Law's Warrior of the Sea comics!" Izuku perked up at the mention.
"Oh, a tour of the island?" Penguin's grin widened. "It would be my honor to serve as your escort, my lady."
Then he hesitated, as he saw the look Izuku was giving him. It was not a friendly look.
"Uh, no," interjected Shachi. "Today is not a day for you to go womanizing."
"But…"
"Today is a day for me to get food," added Bepo, pushing Penguin towards the hatch. Shachi tipped his cap to the pair, then followed his friends.
"There, you see?" Yamato said to Izuku. "Nothing to worry about."
"Yeah, okay." Izuku still did not look happy. "But don't forget why we're here. You've gotta be more careful."
Yamato's heart sank as she remembered. And even though she couldn't see them, she could feel the similar looks of disappointment from some of the Vestiges.
"Yeah, but, these people are good. We can trust them." She said with a smile. "I know we can."
"You're not the one with your face on a poster," Izuku muttered back. Yamato winced. She had completely forgotten about that as she looked away.
How could she have been so… dumb..
"Yes, I wonder whose fault that is?" whispered a voice in the back of her mind. And her horns began to itch…
"Good morning Captain!"
Yamato looked up. There was Law, stalking in through the doorway, his sword over his shoulder. People called out to him but he made no reply, merely nodding casually as he got his food.
"Good morning!" she greeted Law, as he came and sat down at their table. His plate had grilled fish, and fried eggs on a bed of fried rice.
"You're not having the waffles?" Yamato asked, pointing at the sole remaining waffle on her plate.
"I hate bread," Law muttered, without looking up. Yamato blinked, taken aback.
"But…these waffles are delicious!" she pleaded, holding the pastry up in Law's face. "And they're so soft and fluffy.".
"I…do…not…like…bread," replied Law, a vein twitching on his temple.
"Law's never been a fan," Mayor Ash cut in as he strolled up to their table. "Though for the life of us we've never found out why exactly."
"He doesn't know what he's missing," Penguin added, as he passed. "Pancakes are the true wonder of breakfast."
"Pancakes schmancakes!" interjected Shachi. "Waffles are breakfast's true glory! Especially with some good syrup and whipped cream."
"No, it's pancakes!"
"Pancakes are too sweet! Waffles go with anything!"
"Nuh uh! Waffles are too savory!"
"Hey, En!" Penguin and Shachi rounded on Izuku, flinching at suddenly being called out. "Which do you think is best!? Pancakes or waffles!?"
"Best?" Izuku blushed, and fidgeted. "Well…I'm fine with either. It just depends on the toppings."
Penguin and Shachi stared at Izuku, then glowered and turned on Bepo.
"Hey Bepo!" Shachi called out. "Pancakes or waffles!?"
"This again?" The polar-bear-mink sighed. "Look, I don't care. Both taste fine."
"Anna!" The pair rounded on her. "Pancakes or waffles!?"
"Well…I…uh…" Yamato babbled, caught off-guard. "To be honest…I can't decide between them."
"She blatantly likes waffles best!" Shachi pointed down at her plate. "Look, she's been eating them!"
"That doesn't mean anything! She might have waffles one day and pancakes the next!"
"Waffles!"
"Pancakes!"
"Waffles!"
"Pancakes!"
Yamato looked towards Law, wondering if he might resolve the argument. The captain just sat there, eating his breakfast, smiling a gentle smile; as if their argument was just background noise.
"Hey, Law," she said, deciding to change the subject anyway. "Later, can we check out your comics?"
"Hmm-hmm," agreed Law, without looking up.
"Great!" Yamato beamed, and she saw Izuku perk up again. "Before that, we'd like to explore the island too. Will you be our guide?"
"Sure." Law shrugged, and kept on eating.
The two adventurers hesitated, a little put-out by his bluntness. But they clearly weren't getting anything else.
"Hey, Sora!" Yamato turned to the hatch. "Law's taking us on a tour of the island! Wanna come!?"
"Sorry, I already promised to help clean up here!" Sora called back from the kitchen. "You guys go have fun!"
Yamato's shoulders slumped for a moment before she perked up again.
Today is going to be a good day.
(X)
Once they had finished eating, Law led En and Anna on a brief tour of the island; with Bepo tagging along.
Brief being the operative term, as there wasn't much to see. Really it was just a small town with basic houses, a shop or two and not much else.
After showing them the town, and the handful of outlying farms around the mountain, Law led the way up the mountainside through the forest; towards the one part he thought might be of interest.
"So, you were raised here?" asked En, out of the blue. Law hesitated. Where did he get off asking questions like that?
"Why do you wanna know?"
"Well, Mayor Ash said that you were," En went on. "He said you and your crew have been friends since you were little. You must know the town quite well."
Law's brow furrowed. It was technically true, and he had never asked Ash to keep quiet. But he didn't like when people started prying into his past.
Especially this guy.
Despite his heroic actions and lack of devious intent, something about En rubbed Law the wrong way. And it wasn't just the obvious fact he refused to show his face to anyone, though that certainly didn't help.
No, what was more concerning was how he carried himself. He had been quiet so far, cautious, always looking around with those shrewd eyes.
In a way, it was like looking into a mirror.
Not at all like his friend. Anna was strolling along beside him, beaming like a child as she took everything in. True she was just as observant as En was, but there was something honest, even innocent about her. She was a bright-eyed child in a grown woman's body.
And she still had her mask off. A funny thing, considering that both her companions had been wearing theirs all day. Was that what they had been whispering about earlier?
"And here we are, at Birdback Peak!" Bepo declared, with a dramatic sweep of his arm. Anna gasped in childlike delight as she took in the view. En did likewise, staring down at the island spread out below them, and the gleaming sea beyond.
"You can see for miles from here huh?" Anna asked aloud, practically standing on the edge.
"It makes for a good look out." Law replied as he strolled around.
They were clearly impressed, and he didn't blame them. There weren't many sights that could move him, or just make him feel at peace; but this was one of them. It was a good spot to get some peace and quiet, minus the cold due to the elevation.
"Oh yeah," Bepo cut in. "We'd better check on the supply stash while we're here if we need to restock." Law cringed.
"BEPO!"
"Ah, oops." The polar bear-mink blushed, and rubbed the back of his neck. "My bad."
Law grumbled. Of all the things to come out and say! He turned, and saw En and Anna looking a bit sheepish. He glowered at them.
"We won't say a thing." En raised his hands. Anna nodded in tandem, hard.
"Okay, if you promise." Bepo said plainly. Law rolled his eyes. Had he not noticed how bad Anna was at keeping secrets?
"We promise!" Anna chirped.
"Great!" Bepo gave a thumbs up. And Law groaned.
"You better…" he muttered. This whole situation was starting to get on his nerves.
"Why would we though?" insisted Anna. "We would never betray you. You're a good person."
Law stared at her, too stunned to retort. To think that someone, anyone, would come out with something as asinine as that?
And yet, in spite of everything, he believed it. There was no treachery in her; at least none that he could see.
"So what do you want to do, Law?" En asked. "I mean, you have a clinic where you help people, like a doctor. Did you ever consider becoming one?" En inquired.
Law sighed and looked away. Of all the things to ask him. Of all the bad memories to bring up.
"I did, once," he admitted, as he tried very hard not to think about his old home, his parents, his sister.
"What happened?" Anna asked.
Everything.
"Life got in the way."
Anna opened her mouth to ask again, then saw En shaking his head, and promptly closed it.
"Sorry," En said. "You don't have to say anything."
Something in En's tone told Law that he understood. It should have been comforting, but Law didn't like it. He didn't like that someone could read him that easily. No one had been able to do that since…
"Corazon."
Law quickly shook his mind clear, driving away the memories. He still had a dream; that much he could tell them about. His dream was to know who, and what, he really was. Who were his parents really? Why was his middle name D?
But in the meantime…
"I may be a doctor, but… there is someone that I need to find." En perked up.
"Why?" Law glared out to sea, gripping his Nodachi.
"Because he took someone precious from me."
The wind blew in from the sea, chilling him to the bone. He remembered the cold of Minion Island; and in his mind's eye, he could see Corazon's painted face wearing that stupid goofy smile, before the darkness fell.
And only sounds told him of Corazon's fate; and of who was responsible.
What he would give to see that smile again. What he would give to hear that voice again.
"And then what?"
Law blinked. He spun round, glaring down at En. But the masked youth stared back up at him, his eyes questioning; but strangely soft.
"So you get your revenge on this person," En went on. "Then what?"
Then what? This kid had the nerve to ask him that? Like he was so wise and so smart that he somehow knew what was best for everyone.
Those damn eyes…
"Look, I'm grateful for you helping me yesterday," he growled. "But that's personal."
He turned away; his answer was final. A little way away, Anna was staring down at the town and the bay; her face still bright with innocent joy as she pointed out the farms and little inlets they had traveled by on their hike around the island.
In spite of everything, Law was glad of it. She had a life to live, a world to see, and friends to make. And she had a heart that wanted to help and protect others. She found joy and didn't know of the ills of the world.
Not like him.
(X)
"And this, last but never least, is the clinic."
Izuku followed Law into the small doctor's surgery, just off the town square. It looked like any other small clinic he'd ever seen; with a waiting room, and a treatment room with cabinets and a bed. It put him in mind of Trish's surgery back on Sphinx Island.
There were even pictures on the waiting room walls; children's drawings of smiling children and a dour-looking Law dealing with highly exaggerated and amusing medical conditions.
"And in the back here is the den." Law led them through to the rear of the clinic, to what looked like Law's living quarters. The main room was a combined lounge and library; with chairs in the middle and the walls lined with bookcases. Izuku scanned his eyes over the books. There were lots of medical manuals and treatises, plus some books on navigation, and a couple of sailor's cookbooks.
And taking up one whole wall was volume after volume of Sora, Warrior of the Sea.
"This is my precious collection," declared Law. "And these are the bookmarks, which you will use without fail."
He handed Izuku a sheaf of bookmarks.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some stuff to deal with in the clinic. Enjoy."
He strolled back into the clinic, leaving them alone with the comics. Izuku stared up at shelf after shelf of volumes; trying not to drool, or faint, or have a heart attack. It had been a long time since he had seen a collection like this.
"Izuku…" Yamato nudged his shoulder. "Izuku, are you okay?"
Izuku rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm…okay…thank you…" Izuku managed to say. "And…it's En…remember?" he whispered as Yamato winced, looking back to the shelves.
They set to work on the comics, each taking a volume and sitting in the suitably large and comfortable chairs. For Izuku, the world around him seemed to fall away; replaced by the world of Sora. There was his childhood, and his meeting with Gull, and the scientist who built Daikairobo for him. Then adventure after adventure against the evil Germa Empire; each more fascinating than the last.
'Anyone else getting serious propaganda vibes here?' asked Daigoro.
'Marines actually saving countries?' sneered Hikage. 'Don't anybody mention Elegia. Or Brew Island.'
'I don't know,' thought Izuku. 'Doll's a good Marine.'
'The exception doesn't prove the rule,' whispered En.
Izuku read on, tuning out the Vestiges as they argued inside his head. The volume in front of him related the tale of Black Beast Parl; a monster shrouded in black flames created from Emperor Germa's experiments, and set loose to destroy the world. Sora had tried to reach out the creature, and had even nursed it back to health. Now Germa was attacking Sora with full force, and Sora, Gull, and Daikairobo were down for the count.
He was touched, though not surprised, as Parl emerged again, and attacked Emperor Germa at his moment of triumph. He read on, half-knowing, half-dreading, as the battle raged on, and finally Germa and his commanders withdrew, leaving Parl bleeding to death in Sora's arms. From pane to pane, Parl's black miasma faded, the ragged shape shrinking into a human form. A woman.
"Sora…thank you…"
"Classic," mused Izuku. "Yamato, what's happening in yours?"
"Sora's gotten cyborg body attachments!" squealed Yamato, bouncing in her chair. "And Germa's talking the Abyssals into joining him!"
"Abyssals?"
"Oh, they're kinda like Fishmen, but really nasty-looking." She turned her volume around, revealing a two-page shot of Emperor Germa standing on a rocky shore, while Abyssals emerged from roiling, storm-lashed waters to stand in front of him.
'If I were a Deep One…' sang Daigoro, grinning.
'Yeah, the artist was channeling Lovecraft that time,' agreed Hikage.
Izuku sighed, as he looked back down at his volume. Treating it as a comic book on its own merits, he would give it a high mark. The art was good and the story simple; though with some unique twists and turns.
But it didn't change facts. The hero was a Marine, he regularly worked with Marines, and while not all the Marine characters were perfect, there were no outright villains among them. Only in the Germa Empire and the few pirates running around.
Propaganda; designed, no doubt, to inspire kids to join the Marines and be just like Sora.
'Yet another similarity between our world and theirs,' commented the Second User.
"Were Hero comics from your world like this?" asked Yamato, carefully putting down her finished volume.
"Not exactly," Izuku replied, choosing his words. "There were loads of different comic franchises, all owned and run by different companies. And the franchises themselves had all kinds of different continuities and storylines. And I don't think Heroes ever got used as propaganda like this."
'Not in your lifetime, maybe,' added Kudou. 'Not this blatantly, anyway.'
Izuku felt a little better about that.
'It's a funny thing though,' En mused. 'Our Sora's called Sora, but she's got a similar power as Poison Pink.'
"Huh…" Izuku rubbed his chin.
Now that he mentioned it, that was sort-of true. All of Emperor Germa's commanders had their own powers; Sparking Red had fire, Winch Green had earth manipulation, Electric Blue had electricity, Stealth Black could turn invisible, and Poison Pink had poison. Yes, Poison Pink mostly just used poisoned weapons; but she did a lot of other stuff with poisons too, and it stood to reason that she'd be immune to them too.
'It's probably just a Devil Fruit power,' Bruce cut in. 'A weird coincidence, that's all.'
He was right. Sora was nothing like Poison Pink; besides poison-related powers, anyway. It had to be just a coincidence. Sora was a common name in Japan too after all.
Still, they will need to address her.
"I just thought of something," Izuku said aloud as he looked to Yamato. "We're gonna have to drop off Sora somewhere soon. It's not gonna be all that long before we face Germa. The real Germa."
"But we don't know where they are," replied Yamato, her brow furrowing. "They could be anywhere in this whole ocean. It would be a lot easier if we could just ask someone, like we did back in Doyle. Plus Sora knows the North Blue like the back of her hand! We would be lost without her."
Izuku frowned at the realization. She was right and he knew it. It was something neither of them had paid much thought to at the time. They'd been so angry, so full of grim resolve, that they hadn't seriously thought about how to track Germa down.
Maybe it was time to start.
"I know. But Sora has no reason to be involved in this. She saved us by chance." Izuku rubbed his forehead as he stowed the comic and grabbed another volume. "She doesn't deserve to be dragged into our battle."
"I know…" Yamato sighed. "I like exploring with you, and with her," she said with a smile. "It's been really fun having another person with us."
"But we're not here to have fun," Izuku murmured back. Yamato sighed and looked down at her volume.
(X)
"Hey Sora? How come you've still got that mask on?"
Reiju looked up from wiping down a countertop. Out on the floor, some locals were sitting around having drinks. They were looking her way, and they seemed friendly.
"I'm just…a little shy is all," she replied, with a diffident giggle. "I've got these awful moles in just the wrong places. They make me look just terrible."
The people at the table seemed to accept the excuse while she got on with the cleaning, ignoring their catcalls.
She liked working in the Mess Nest, helping the chefs with their cooking; cutting vegetables, skinning fish, kneading dough, boiling rice. It was all so new to her, so fascinating. The cookbooks didn't do the art and act of cooking justice. Only now did she fully understand why Sanji loved cooking so much; what it had meant to him when he made food for the mice, and for Mother. And she had enjoyed exploring with Izuku and Yamato; seeing the world, and all it had to offer.
But to do that, she would have to keep on avoiding her family. They were hunting for her now, and they would tear the world apart to get to her.
No, not the whole world. There was the New World, where the Four Emperors ruled. Her father had never dared challenge them. Perhaps that was where she should go.
But how could she get there? Join the Marines and bail when assigned to a New World post? No, they were under the World Government's banner. If they figured out who she was, they would turn her over to her father, or keep her and hand her over to the World Nobles to be their plaything.
Stowaway then? Hide in a cargo hold? She could go without eating for weeks, and without water for up to a week. But that meant finding a ship going to the New World; and there was still a risk of being caught.
Join a pirate crew? The Heart Pirates were an option… but that would mean going right through John Giant's flotilla near Reverse Mountain, and then adventure through the Grand Line. That said, Law's bounty was only seven million Berries; despite his unique and powerful Devil Fruit. Nobody was going to make much effort for a bounty that low.
Except her father, who wasn't in it for the money.
And then there were Izuku and Yamato. Could she really just walk out on them like that?
She glanced out of the kitchen window. Her two companions hadn't left Law's clinic yet.
"What could they be talking about?" she mused aloud. "Maybe they're getting a check up…?"
The cleaning was almost done. As she finished up on the serving hatch, she saw young Ray and River out on the floor; sweeping around the tables and embroiled in conversation. They had their action figures tucked in their belts; Sora and Poison Pink respectively.
"But Sora's the best!" insisted Ray. "He's brave and strong and so cool!"
"Yeah, but Poison Pink is beautiful and strong!" insisted River. "She's so smart, and daring! Since when do you see girl Marines like that?"
Ray paused, quirking his eyebrow. "So, you wanna be some evil commander?"
"Nuh uh! I just wanna be strong and beautiful like her! Only not evil, or poisoning people, or being crazy."
Reiju couldn't help but smile. They were children; honest-to-goodness normal natural children. No harsh training, no being sent out to fight. Just playing, as free as birds. It was a life she had never known.
With the cleaning done, she gathered up the trashbags and left the kitchen via the side door. She dropped the bags into the nearby dumpster, wrinkling her nose at the smell, then headed down the alley and out onto the town square. With her chores done, she might as well check on…
Then she paused, as something in the corner of her eye drew her attention down to the docks. She moved around the square to get a better view, looking straight down the street.
Her blood ran cold, for her eyes had not deceived her. There was indeed a ship approaching the harbor, about several kilometers away.
It was flying a Marine flag.
(X)
"Ratitititititi!"
Lieutenant Ratel chuckled his signature chuckle, as the Nelson-class cruiser Seahorse made its way towards Swallow Island's tiny harbor.
"So this is it!" he sneered, as he took in the sight. "This is Trafalgar Law's bolthole! No accounting for some people's tastes!"
There wasn't much to see. It was a little village, with just enough of a harbor to manage a few fishing boats. Ratiti had seen thousands of such places all across the North Blue, and had found them all alike. They were all small, poor, and dull; even pirates rarely bothered with them.
And yet Trafalgar Law, who had stolen enough treasure to buy himself at least a nice house on one of the nicer islands, was living in a place like this.
He had to be. There was nowhere else he could be hiding. Ever since the report had come in of a pirate crew operating off of the northern Expanse's coast, the Seahorse had been on the hunt. After capturing and interrogating the Slinger Pirates - who were currently rotting in the brig - they had narrowed it down to the three northernmost islands; Rubeck, Minion, and Swallow. Rubeck and Minion had come up empty, so that only left Swallow.
"Ah, oh captain my captain!" proclaimed Ratel, turning to his commander. "It'll be good to finally catch that damned thief, and pack him and his minions off to Impel Down in chains! And better still to finally get our bonuses and hazard pay, without the damn Germa ruining all our hunting! Isn't that right, Captain Tosa!?"
Tosa stood in the middle of the quarterdeck, legs astride; his coat billowing gently in the breeze. He was a big man, with a thick black beard; his narrow eyes fixed on the village before them. He donned a cap with the words MARINES upon his brow, his crossed arms thick with muscle and scars as he stood. He had not moved, or spoken, since Swallow Island came into view.
"Lieutenant Ratel," he growled, without moving his eyes.
"Yessir, oh captain?"
"Shut up."
"Err- yes sir." Ratel deflated, and could almost hear the junior officers sniggering. Unlike some captains, Tosa did not appreciate flattery.
"This Trafalgar Law is a tricky one," Tosa went on. "So we'll take no chances, given what we learned from Weysel down below about this masked monster he has under his command. We have the element of surprise now. Men! Clear for action!"
"Clear for action!" shouted one of the ensigns; and the crew snapped to their work, readying the Seahorse for battle.
"Lieutenant Ratel." Tosa turned to glare down at him. "You will take a landing party and search the village for those pirates and their monster. Accept no excuses, suffer no obstruction, tolerate no resistance. For those who defy our Absolute Justice, there can be only one punishment."
"Yessir. Right away sir." Ratel strode off to oversee the preparations, a smirk splitting his face as he stroked his whisker-like peach fuzz. Violence was all well and good; a fine stress relief when not indulging in Blackgate's brothels. But it could not compare to treasure or money; and Trafalgar Law, judging by all the ships he had raided, would have no shortage of either.
There would be hazard pay and bonuses all round. And with Germa on a warpath, those are starting to get thin these days.
Ratel smirked. Somewhere on that island was dozens if not hundreds of million of berries.
And if a little more were to go missing, then who was to know?
Big thanks to Juubi-K for writing this up, and WildJoker000 and IKnowNothing for their help in polish and edits as always.
So yeah, another light easy day at Swallow Island. Which is about to be disrupted by the Marines coming to town. Our duo(trio if you include Reiju) just has a knack of making waves huh? Following the good ole Matt Stone and Trey Parker story line of "this happens, therefore x, because Y, and due to that Z happens". Eat garbage JJ and Rian and your "and then and then and then" shtick.
But yeah, that's the same Ratel that tried to rob Sphinx and get decked by Weevil, and the same Tosa who tried to murder a CHILD because he's that into the Absolute Justice kool-aid.
But yeah, hope you all enjoy this one. I gotta handle my taxes now before I can start on 62. So expect some action in the next chapter. And I'll see you all in the next one too. Now to head back to Star Rail and simpin' over the mommies there and splitting time with that and spreading Democracy in Helldivers.