Cover Story: "Momonosuke's Side Story – Part 1: 'Something About This Smell Feels Off…'"
No one knows how much time passed before Momonosuke slowly woke up. His surroundings were dim and murky—he was lying in the middle of a swamp. Thankfully, he hadn't sunk. Just as he was feeling relieved, a pungent, nose-wrinkling stench hit him like a punch to the face. He instinctively clutched his nose.
"Wait… do swamps usually smell this bad?"
As he puzzled over it, two pale white full moons suddenly appeared above him. Momonosuke blinked, dazed. Before he could fully react, something slipped out from between the two "moons" and fell with a wet splat...
...
Outside the Temporary Palace in the Coastal City, Kingdom of Paja
A young, blond-haired man, wearing a crown and a lavish red robe, was sulking, squatting on a stone in front of the gate. Behind him stood a large group of armored guards.
Before him stood a woman in her forties, clearly the palace's head housekeeper. She looked helplessly at this moody young king from a neighboring kingdom.
"Your Majesty Gallio," she said gently, "please return for now. Our Princess has made it very clear—she won't step foot outside until the Marine warship arrives. She certainly won't come out just to see you."
"Cheh! Don't be so absolute about it!" the blond young man grumbled, still crouched, drawing circles on the ground like a kid throwing a tantrum. "I've made up my mind. Starting today, I'll stay here at the gate. Whether it rains, shines, or storms, day or night, I won't budge an inch!"
"When the sun's too hot, or I faint from heatstroke, Shia will feel sorry for me. She'll be so moved that she'll come out and personally invite me in..."
Keep dreaming.
The housekeeper was left speechless. Seeing the noonday sun blazing overhead, she simply waved her hand for the maids to bring out a parasol and a lounge chair.
But as soon as they laid them out, the golden-haired young king leapt up like a startled rabbit and jumped to a different rock—one with no shade.
"Aha! Caught you red-handed, madam housekeeper!" he crowed triumphantly. "You wanted me to lie there under the parasol, sipping iced soda on a chaise lounge, didn't you? Hmph! If I do that, it'll look like I'm on vacation at the palace gates. How would that ever move Shiia's heart?!"
Fine then, suit yourself.
What an idiot.
Rolling her eyes, the housekeeper told the maids to put everything away and stopped trying to argue. She turned and went back inside to supervise lunch preparations.
Princess Shia had clearly been eating poorly these days, likely due to lovesickness. She was noticeably thinner, and it worried the housekeeper deeply. Every meal, she made sure to personally oversee its preparation and then deliver it to Shia herself, gently coaxing her to eat.
As for the foolish king from the neighboring kingdom?
The housekeeper sighed. In truth, she couldn't bring herself to fully ignore him. She would still send him a portion of lunch.
After all, he had followed Princess Shia around since childhood. Aside from being a hopeless chatterbox, he was genuinely kind and innocent—perhaps even sweet.
...
Time passed.
Soon it was high noon, the sun blazing fiercely overhead.
Yet King Gallio of the Lotte Kingdom remained crouched on that same rock at the palace gate, drenched in sweat, panting like a dehydrated pug.
His guards tried to shade him, but he refused, constantly scooting away, letting his red royal robe soak in sweat.
"Just a little more heat… If it gets any hotter, I might finally faint from sunstroke…"
He was muttering deliriously now, clearly not in his right mind.
Faint footsteps approached from behind, accompanied by muffled snickers and whispering.
"Hey, Angie, look over there—what a weirdo. Doesn't he know this is a summer island? Who wears a thick robe in this kind of weather?"
"Shh! Quiet down! He's got guards. And that crown—he's probably someone important."
"Wait, isn't the king of Paja an old man bedridden in the capital? This guy looks way too young."
"Huh, good point. Maybe he's an actor from a theater troupe? I think there's a theater near the south end of this district…"
What the hell—calling me a clown?!
Gallio twisted around in fury, ready to give these ignorant outsiders a piece of his royal mind.
Then he froze.
The group approaching were all in white Marine uniforms. And at the lead stood a tall figure wearing a white hood—and a Justice cape billowing in the wind.
Marines?!
They're finally here to escort us to Mary Geoise!
Gallio leapt to his feet in joy, but the sun had done its damage. His legs buckled from numbness, and he toppled forward with a pitiful yelp.
Inside the palace, watching from a window, the housekeeper shook her head. Turning to the elegant blue-haired young lady behind her, she bowed slightly.
"Princess, the Marines have arrived at the palace gates. Your luggage has been fully prepared. If you're ready, we can depart immediately."
No response.
The housekeeper frowned, craning her neck for a peek—only to see Princess Shia staring blankly at a small stack of photographs, clearly lost in thought.
Still thinking about Rear Admiral Nao…
The housekeeper sighed softly. This wasn't the first time.
Ever since those photos from his commissioning ceremony had arrived, the princess often sat like this—gazing at them, sometimes even giggling to herself.
A far cry from the cold, aloof image she portrayed in public.
It was happening again now. The housekeeper knew better than to interrupt. She waited patiently before gently reminding her again:
"Princess, we should get going."
"…?"
The blue-haired girl turned her head slowly, revealing a delicate, porcelain-like face. Only when she spotted the white uniforms outside did she snap back to reality.
"So… the Marines are here," she murmured. "It's time to head for Mary Geoise…"
Mary Geoise, the Holy Land atop the Red Line. If she remembered right, heading southwest from there would take one into the West Blue, wouldn't it?
"The Marines outside—they'll be escorting us the whole way, right?"
She suddenly turned to the housekeeper, her voice laced with hope. "Once the meeting is over, could I ask them to take me to the West Blue's First Branch? Just for a short visit?"
"Princess…"
The housekeeper hesitated, then sighed and shook her head.
"There won't be time. A trip to the First Branch and back would take at least a month. His Majesty's condition has worsened… If the summit ends and you aren't home immediately—and heaven forbid something happens—your absence would plunge the country into chaos."
Chaos…
You mean her useless brothers would jump at the chance to seize the throne?
Shia's gaze dimmed. She stepped toward the window, her mood souring.
If not for Nao's advice during that transponder call, she might've already let the country fall into turmoil and just handed the throne over to her scoundrel siblings.
She didn't care for power. She had no interest in ruling over a million citizens.
If she could be by Nao's side, she'd be happy with even the humblest position—as a secretary, an aide… anything.
Hm?
Just then, she spotted something.
The Marines at the gate—leading them stood a tall figure. Hooded. Broad-shouldered. Familiar.
Her entire body tensed. Her eyes widened slowly.
No way… it's him!
Even from this distance, even with the harsh sunlight and that white hood obscuring his face—there was no mistaking his presence.
Nao…
Is he here… for me?
BOOM!
A surge of overwhelming joy exploded in her chest, leaving her dizzy.
She drew a deep breath, unable to contain the flood of emotions any longer.
Spinning on her heel, she lifted the hem of her flowing gown and bolted for the palace doors.
Faster. Faster!
A radiant smile bloomed on her face as she ran, eyes locked on that tall silhouette. She didn't even hear the startled cries of the housekeeper behind her…
Outside the Palace
"Ow, ow, ow…"
His Majesty Gallio grimaced as he clutched his back. With Nao's help, he finally managed to stand.
"Thank you, kind sir!" he said gratefully. "Unlike my useless guards—no awareness at all! None of them came to help me. Hmph! I'm docking their pay for this!"
The guards glanced at each other awkwardly, all thinking the same thing:
Come on, Your Majesty… You wanted to collapse to get sympathy. We were just playing along…
"No need to thank me," Nao replied with a chuckle. "Just lending a hand."
Looking at this strange entourage, he couldn't help but find it amusing.
He knew the royal family of Paja fairly well. Not only was the old king bedridden, but all of Shia's brothers had blue hair. None looked anything like this guy.
So just like his subordinates, he figured this was some theater troupe in costume, already getting into character early… Wait—
The palace doors opened.
A familiar figure dashed out—a lithe silhouette in a flowing dress, waving joyfully as she ran toward him.
Even with the hood on, she still recognized me?
Nao sighed with a wry smile. He had planned to surprise her aboard the warship.
But apparently, even the hooded disguise from "Altair's Hoodie Robe" was no match for someone who knew him this well.
Meanwhile—
Gallio, still rubbing his hip, spotted the blue-haired girl sprinting toward them. His heart swelled with joy.
I knew it! It worked! She still cares about me! The moment she saw I collapsed, she came rushing out—
She was getting closer.
Gallio opened his arms, ready for a warm embrace.
But in the next instant—she passed right by him.
"Eh?!"
He turned around just in time to see the elegant blue-haired girl leap into the arms of the Marine who had helped him up.
She pounded his chest playfully, laughing and crying at the same time, eyes brimming with tears.
Gallio was stunned.
What the hell is going on?!
"There, there… don't cry now…"
Nao gently wiped away the tears streaking down Shia's cheeks, his voice soft with affection.
"I came all this way to surprise you, but instead of smiling, you're bawling like a kitten."
"Well, it's your fault!"
Sniffling, she rubbed her eyes and huffed through her nose.
"Who wants this kind of surprise anyway? It's been half a year! Do you know how much I missed you? You couldn't even give me a heads-up that you were coming to pick me up…"
"Okay, okay, my bad."
That familiar light scent drifted into his nose—like a quiet forest lake at dawn. Stroking her silky hair, Nao whispered, "Has it really been six months already…"
"Exactly—six whole months…"
She looked up at him, her eyes shining. "You've changed so much. You're taller… and even more handsome."
"How could there be so many changes? It's just 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'." Nao mumbled.
No, Shia wouldn't understand that. I should use a more localized saying, hmm… 'Luffy in Shanks' eyes?'
"Actually, you're the one who's changed more."
He looked up and down at Shia's lavish court dress and the silver crown on her head, struck by her beauty. He sighed with a smile:
"A class gap, huh? I never saw you dress like this before. After half a year apart, I realized there's already a sad, thick barrier between us…"
Shia didn't quite follow the phrasing, but she didn't mind.
All she heard was praise.
She hugged him tighter and smiled sweetly against his chest.
SNAP!
A sudden camera click broke the moment.
Nao blinked. Both he and Shia turned to the side, confused.
There stood the blond man in the red robe, carefully pulling a photo from the mouth of a Den Den Mushi.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
Shia's expression darkened. Her voice dripped with anger.
"Eh? Was I discovered?"
Gallio flinched, nearly dropping the Den Den Mushi. Under Shia's glare, he stammered:
"I-It's nothing! I just thought… the scene was so touching… I was moved to tears. I thought it'd be a shame not to capture it with a photo…"