Chapter 329: Penacony Arc 『 Part Twenty-four 』, The Undying Cycle of the Penacony
〜One Piece World〜
"Oh? Is that woman finally going to draw her blade in front of others?"
The sea breeze, thick with the scent of salt and moisture, swept across the deck. Inside the dim cabin, the cherry-red ember of Crocodile's cigar flared and faded rhythmically. Upon the Sky Screen, Acheron was surrounded by several hulking men, yet her long blade remained sheathed.
—And yet, there were those waiting for it to be drawn.
Mihawk stood with arms crossed, his hawk-like eyes narrowing slightly as his posture straightened instinctively. He remained focused, scrutinizing Acheron's every movement with meticulous intensity.
However, even as Stelle and Hotaru arrived to intervene, Acheron showed no intention of drawing her sword.
Crocodile couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle.
"It seems she's going to disappoint you again, hm?"
"It doesn't matter; sooner or later, she'll draw it."
Mihawk replied calmly, shaking his head. Though he constantly craved a demonstration of the swordsmanship he so highly anticipated and revered, waiting with a composed heart was, in itself, a form of a swordsman's discipline.
He did not know what kind of burden Acheron carried, or for what purpose she sought strength. But there was no doubt: to reach her current heights, she must have stepped over the remains of countless souls.
"Hey, Hawkeye,"
Crocodile said, exhaling a plume of smoke.
"How does this woman's sword compare to that one called Jingliu? Is she truly worth this much of your attention?"
To him, Acheron always seemed somewhat dazed, as if she hadn't quite woken up. To be honest… if Hawkeye hadn't mentioned that she had once struck Stelle in a dream and possessed formidable power, he would have found it difficult to equate this forgetful, directionally challenged lady with the title of a "peerless powerhouse."
"I know the mission Jingliu carries and the purpose behind her strength. I can see what resides within her blade… killing intent, hatred, the thirst for vengeance… far too much of it…"
Mihawk sighed softly, resting his hand upon the hilt of Yoru.
"But I have yet to see this Miss Acheron draw her sword… By the time I realized what had happened, Stelle had already been cut down by her in a dream. It was too fast—so fast that I didn't have time to clearly see her… 'answer'."
—
「 "Wait, why are they all familiar faces?!"
Hotaru looked at Stelle with confusion. "Huh? What do you mean by 'all'…?"
"Oh, look, look! I wasn't lying! Misha is in trouble!" Clockie's bell rang out in a frantic alarm. "Tick-tock! Please, gray friend! Help Misha!"
Stelle nodded. "There's no time to pull out my bat!"
"But the bat is too inefficient… No! I mean, we shouldn't solve problems in such a violent manner…" Hotaru immediately realized her slip of the tongue and corrected herself.
Clockie explained that they could use a technique called 'Clockwork' to restore positive emotions to people's hearts. That way, everyone could make up and be friends again! However, since others couldn't see him, he was helpless to intervene on his own.
"Alright, gray friend! I have a feeling you can learn Clockwork—after all, you're special enough to see me! So please, close your eyes—"
Stelle suddenly felt a tingling sensation throughout their body, like a faint electric current. According to Clockie, they were now 'filling a person's body with positive emotions.' All they needed to do was find the angry gang leader and pour positive emotions into him to finish the job. 」
「 .....」
〜Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid World〜
In Kobayashi's living room, the three of them were curled up on the sofa. Kanna's small feet swung gently in the air, her blue eyes reflecting the image of the bouncing Clockie on the screen.
"Changing and adjusting emotions at will? You mean someone could be furious one second and then happy or sad the next? That's impossible…"
Tohru shook her head, finding the concept bizarre upon further reflection.
"…Even mental-type magic can't achieve that level of precision, can it?"
Kobayashi pushed up her glasses.
"Being able to see a cartoon character that others can't see in a dream… I think that's already ridiculous enough. Everyone enters Penacony through the Dreampool; if you can change someone's emotions at will, wouldn't you basically have free rein over the whole place?"
Whenever one encountered a difficult opponent, they could simply modify the other's emotions, turning hatred into joy and resolving conflicts on the spot. This ability was likely even more potent than Robin's tunning.
As the three discussed this, Stelle on the screen had already approached the leader of the men in black.
She reached out her hand, making a slight twisting motion in mid-air as if winding a clock. The leader, who had been shouting profanities just a moment ago, suddenly fell silent.
"T-this… no way? It's that simple?"
Tohru's dragon eyes widened.
"She doesn't need to chant like Miss Robin? Or recite some kind of prayer?"
The reality was far less complicated.
An incredible sight unfolded before them—the leader's distorted, menacing expression was gradually smoothed away as if by an eraser, eventually settling into a dazed smile. This smile spread across his face until it erupted into a volcanic, hearty burst of laughter.
—
「 "…Hahahaha!" The gang leader laughed so hard he doubled over, tears nearly pricking his eyes. This sudden transformation gave his subordinates quite a fright.
Clockie was both excited and bewildered. "You did it! But why did he turn out like this?"
Stelle scratched their head. "I don't know… was that me?"
"I think… so? Otherwise, why would he suddenly start laughing? It's just… oh, he looks quite scary—just like the real, moody Boss Stone."
The gang leader laughed for a full thirty seconds before he managed to stop. He greeted Acheron warmly. "Oh, hi! Everyone! Please forgive my rudeness, and welcome to the Land of Dreams, Penacony!" Turning to the subordinates behind him, he said sternly, "Boys! Fall in line! Give our honored guests a proper welcome!"
"Huh? Y-yes, sir…!" Though the lackeys were utterly baffled, if the boss said so, there must be some profound meaning behind it.
"Ready—and!"
At the leader's command, the previously thuggish underlings bowed in unison toward Acheron and Stelle. "Welcome to the Land of Dreams, Penacony!"
"You may rise."
Stelle waved a hand dismissively and, after a few casual pleasantries, sent the group on their way. 」
「 .....」
〜Demon Slayer World〜
In the courtyard of the Butterfly Mansion, Zenitsu, Tanjiro, and Inosuke were helping Aoi and the others hang laundry.
When they saw the miraculous effects of Clockwork displayed on the celestial screen, Zenitsu's pained wail suddenly echoed through the entire mansion.
"Aaaah! Why wasn't I born in Penacony?! I can see Clockie too!"
Zenitsu clutched his head and howled.
"Stelle isn't using this ability for the right reasons at all!"
—