"I don't want nor care for your money. But there's one woman on this island who's been a thorn in my side for years – a witch. Bring me her head, and I'll allow one of the Ishi-20 to go and treat the Princess."

::

Brynlee hadn't expected for things to take such a turn. She now realized that she needed to be much more careful when using this particular ability, because wording was everything – and though she could "persuade" anyone of anything, it wasn't outright mental manipulation. They could still think outside of what she instructed, which could affect how they interpreted her words.

I'll need to be more careful in the future… and practice more, too.

"Bryn… Why did you suck up to this guy?" then asked Luffy, a bit quieter than she was used to. "He's an asshole. I should have just punched him!"

"Because not all battles can be won with your fists, Caps," she replied evenly.

"But I could have just kicked his ass then taken one of his doctors!" he insisted. "Why did you force me to bow like that!? A Captain doesn't bow his head to anyone!"

Brynlee stopped, looking him in the eyes. "A Captain will do what's best for their crew, even if it means bowing their head, from time to time."

"That's…"

"If you'd actually attacked Wapol, we would have had the entire guard to fight off, too. It would have taken time, time Vivi doesn't have. Plus, the doctor we would have kidnapped might have been unwilling to help and could have hurt her in one last attempt to stand with their king," she explained.

"But now we're wasting time going after a random old woman!"

"Correction: we just got the location of a random old woman who just so happens to be one of the two last free doctors on this entire island, under the guise of capturing her," she corrected, smirking a bit.

"She's a doctor?" blinked Luffy.

"She is, yes. And I'm pretty sure she'll be much more willing to help Vivi, too."

"Then… you didn't actually make a deal with Wapol?"

"Exactly."

Luffy let out a loud whine, shaking his head. "Bryyyyyn! You could have just told me that!"

She offered an apologetic smile, a bit embarrassed. "Sorry. I was hoping he'd be willing to help us from the get-go, to be honest, but this is a pretty good turnout."

"You're too smart," he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Sorry?"

"I don't want you to apologize! I just want you to talk to us!" He didn't sound angry anymore, just a bit exasperated. "You're too much like Sabo! You keep on making plans but you don't trust us to see them through. I get that you're smarter, but I can still help!"

And here I'd resolved myself to being more honest with them, too…

"I get it. I'll do my best to be more open with you guys," she promised. "And… I'm sorry. For forcing you to bow. You're still my Captain, and I shouldn't have been so disrespectful, even more so in front of outsiders. I completely disregarded your authority, and I shouldn't have done that."

He paused, surprised, then grinned. "It's okay! It's not like those guys really matter, anyway. They're not pirates or anything. But I'll definitely kick his ass next time!"

"Sur thing, Caps."

Back in the Before, Luffy had learned from Vivi what it meant to act responsibly when it came to the fate of his crew. After all, had he attacked the villagers then, Nami wouldn't have gotten the help she needed, and Vivi had showed him that sometimes, choosing your battles mattered. He'd really grown a lot from this single lesson and, thankfully, it would seem Brynlee has still managed to impart it, though she hoped the impact hadn't been lessened.

"Now come on," she urged, gesturing to the forest ahead of them. "Dalton told us she lived on this side of the mountain. The quicker we find her, the quicker Vivi gets help."

"Right! Let's go!"

Hey everyone! I've decided that I'll try posting twice a week instead of only Saturdays, so keep an eye out for a new chapter sometime in the middle of the week! As always, your support always makes me very happy!