Chapter 20

The chaos of Grove 12 had subsided. The Admirals were gone, the Straw Hats were scattered to the winds, and the sun was beginning to set, casting long, golden shadows across the mangrove roots of Sabaody.

Kurumi stood near a bubbling fountain in Grove 35—the Tourist District. She looked at Perona, who was hovering nervously, clutching her Kumacy doll.

"A… a date?" Perona stammered, her face flushing a deep crimson that matched her lipstick. "We’re in the middle of a crisis! The Straw Hats just vanished! An Admiral was just here! And you want to go on a date?!"

Kurumi smiled, adjusting her Marine cap so it sat at a jaunty angle. She reached out and tucked a stray lock of pink hair behind Perona’s ear.

"The war is coming, Perona," Kurumi said softly. "Once we leave this island, there will be no more shopping. No more sweets. Only blood and steel. My spirit… Zafkiel… demands energy. And my soul demands a memory of peace before I step into hell."

She held out her gloved hand, palm up.

"Besides," Kurumi’s eyes glinted mischievously. "You said I needed to take responsibility, didn't you? Consider this the first installment."

Perona stared at the hand. She looked at Kurumi’s confident, terrifyingly beautiful face. She huffed, floating down to the ground and aggressively grabbing Kurumi’s hand.

"F-Fine!" Perona pouted, looking away. "But don't think this makes you special! I just… I really want a crepe! And a new dress! And if you're paying, I guess I can tolerate you!"

"I expected nothing less," Kurumi chuckled, interlacing their fingers. "Lead the way, Princess."

The Boutique

The first stop was a high-end fashion boutique in Grove 30.

"Too plain! Too blue! Too… Marine!" Perona threw clothes out of the dressing room like a hurricane.

Kurumi sat on a velvet ottoman, watching the fashion show with amusement. "You are joining the Navy, Perona. You can't wear gothic lolita all the time."

"I am the Ghost Princess! I have standards!" Perona yelled from behind the curtain.

She stepped out. She was wearing a white dress that mimicked a Marine officer’s coat but was cut short, with frills, a red sash, and a mini-top hat with the Marine seagull emblem. It was militaristic but undeniably cute.

"Hmph," Perona spun around, the skirt flaring. "How does it look? Be honest, or I'll hollow you!"

Kurumi stood up. She walked over to Perona, circling her slowly.

"Dangerous," Kurumi whispered near her neck. "You look like you could break hearts and ranks simultaneously."

Perona turned bright red. "S-Shut up! Just buy it!"

The Sweet Tooth

Next was the food.

They walked along the boardwalk, sharing a massive, towering parfait loaded with strawberries, chocolate, and caramel.

"Ah," Kurumi opened her mouth.

Perona blinked, holding the spoon. "What?"

"Feed me," Kurumi said shamelessly. "My hands are full carrying your shopping bags."

"You have super strength! You defeated a giant!" Perona argued, but her hand was already moving. Shaking slightly, she lifted a spoonful of ice cream to Kurumi’s lips.

Kurumi took the bite, her tongue deliberately brushing the spoon.

"Delicious," Kurumi hummed, her eyes locking onto Perona’s. "The sugar rush is exactly what I needed. My time is accelerating."

Perona pulled the spoon back, clutching it to her chest. "Y-You do that on purpose! You're trying to make my heart race so I pass out!"

"Is it working?"

"Yes! I mean, NO!" Perona floated up into the air to escape the teasing. "I'm going to eat the rest myself!"

The Ferris Wheel

As the twilight turned to night, the lights of the Sabaody Park illuminated the bubbles floating into the sky.

They sat in a private gondola on the Ferris Wheel. The world below was a tapestry of lights and shadows.

Kurumi leaned against the glass, looking out at the dark ocean. The playfulness faded from her face, replaced by a melancholic seriousness.

"Perona," she said quietly.

"What now?" Perona asked, munching on the last of a churro. "If you try to steal my food again, I'll bite you."

"When we get to Marineford," Kurumi didn't turn around. "Do not leave my side. The war… it will be unlike anything you saw on Thriller Bark. Whitebeard is coming. The world will crack."

Perona stopped chewing. She looked at Kurumi’s back. For the first time, she saw the weight the girl was carrying. The girl who knew too much.

"Why are you doing this?" Perona asked softly. "You're strong. You could just be a pirate. Or hide. Why fight in a war that isn't yours?"

Kurumi turned. Her left eye—the golden clock—ticked silently in the dim light.

"Because I want a future," Kurumi said. "And to get that, I have to ensure the past happens correctly. I have to make sure Luffy survives. I have to make sure the era changes."

She reached out, taking Perona’s hand again. Her grip was tight, almost desperate.

"And… I don't want to be alone when the sky falls."

Perona looked at their joined hands. She squeezed back.

"You're an idiot," Perona muttered, leaning her head onto Kurumi’s shoulder. "But… I guess ghosts are used to hanging around gloomy places. I'll haunt anyone who tries to hurt you."

Kurumi rested her head on top of Perona’s crown. "Thank you."

For a moment, as the wheel reached the top, the war didn't exist. The Marines didn't exist. It was just two girls, displaced by fate, finding an anchor in each other.

The Reality Check

The gondola reached the bottom. The date was over.

As they stepped out, a News Coo gull dropped a newspaper onto the boardwalk.

Kurumi picked it up. Her expression hardened instantly. The warmth of the date evaporated like mist.

HEADLINE: PORTGAS D. ACE TO BE EXECUTED! DATE SET: 3 PM TOMORROW AT MARINEFORD!

"It's time," Kurumi crumpled the paper, her voice turning to ice.

"Kurumi?" Perona asked, sensing the shift.

"The date is over, Ensign Perona," Kurumi said, turning her back on the amusement park. "Return to the ship. Prep the engines. We have a front-row seat to the end of an era."

Perona nodded, clutching her new dress. "Aye, aye… Commander."

Kurumi walked into the darkness, the golden clock in her eye ticking faster.

Tick. Tock.

The War of the Best has begun.