"Captain, we seem to be entering a place called the florian triangle, meow."
Not long after leaving Water 7, Huamei Meow came over with a pile of newspapers — some new, some old.
"Starting more than ten years ago, over a hundred ships have vanished in that sea area every year, meow.
In recent years, there've even been rumors about ghost ships appearing there, meow… Look, even the most recent newspapers are reporting missing vessels, meow."
"Ghost ships!"
(=ω=)
The little plush Felyne eyes lit up at once. "Are there really ghosts, meow? Sherwin, can you help Klee Meow catch a couple of ghosts to keep as pets? That sounds like so much fun, meow!"
"I want some too! I want some too!" Shermie Meow also ran over to join in. "Sherwin~ I want to raise some ghosts too, meow~"
"You two childish furballs. How could there be ghosts in this world, meow?" Haibara Meow said disdainfully, pouring cold water on their excitement.
"I remember that before the Research Commission confirmed the existence of the Xeno'jiiva, they also thought they'd seen ghosts, meow.
Same thing happened with the Vaal Hazak, Fatalis, and others. I bet this is just the power of some Devil Fruit again, meow."
"Aww… Big Sister Ai, you're such a buzzkill, meow!"
(=`н=)
"Little Sister Ai, you really are a Felyne without dreams~"
(ω)
The two drenched-in-cold-water Felynes immediately protested unhappily.
But Haibara Meow was not one to easily back down. If it had just been Klee Meow, her close little sister, she might have laughed it off without a care.
But since Shermie Meow — a newcomer she wasn't that close to — was joining in the teasing, Haibara Meow certainly wasn't about to let it slide…
Not to mention, that new Felyne was always clinging to that idiot Sherwin and acting all cute — she was definitely another idiot too!
And she definitely wasn't jealous! Hmph!
So, the little kitten raised her head proudly, glancing at Shermie Meow from the corner of her eye as she countered,
"You're just an old lady who likes to act cute — and you're talking to me about dreams, meow?"
"Ol–old lady… who likes to act cute?!"
Shermie Meow almost choked on air when she heard that from Haibara Meow.
Being called an "aunt" or "old lady" normally wouldn't have much impact on Shermie Meow.
After all, she was still a young Felyne and didn't have any real age-related hang-ups. But that "acting cute" part really struck deep…
Of course Shermie Meow knew she could be a little spoiled and childish — but calling it "acting cute" was just too much, wasn't it?!
And the worst part was… considering Haibara Meow actual age, Shermie Meow didn't really have a strong comeback.
Flustered and losing her cool, the little forest Felyne blurted out without thinking, dragging someone else into it—
"If I'm an old lady, then what about Sister Huamei, who even older than me, meow?!"
"???"
"!!!"
"..."
∑(=⊙△⊙=)
The entire Dodo Advance suddenly fell silent. Even Seijuro Meow, who had been practicing sword swings, froze mid-motion.
Klee Meow instantly zipped into Sherwin arms, hugging her little head tight as she tried to make herself invisible.
When Shermie Meow came to her senses, all the fur on her body stood on end, and she instinctively wanted to turn into lightning and escape.
Then—
A wave of pressure, even more terrifying than the Zinogre thunderous aura, suddenly crashed down upon her, freezing her completely in place.
Haibara Meow, the "instigator" of all this, was also paralyzed where she stood.
Both Shermie Meow and Haibara Meow could only stare desperately at Sherwin, silently pleading for help.
"Ahem…"
Sherwin, after all, couldn't bear to see his little Felynes suffer. He gently lifted Klee Meow—who had buried her head like an ostrich in his chest—and set her aside,
then braced himself and stepped forward to pick up the fur-bristling Huamei Meow.
"Alright, alright, they didn't mean it. It normal to say something a bit harsh during an argument.
Shermie just got flustered and accidentally hurt your feelings. I'm sure neither she nor Haibara Meow meant it that way, right?"
While speaking, Sherwin stroked Huamei Meow fur, giving frantic winks toward Shermie Meow and Haibara Meow.
Both troublemaking Felynes nodded furiously.
Just like with Shermie Meow, being called "auntie" didn't really bother Huamei Meow much.
What truly made her angry was… she always had to manage this group of mischievous kittens, and now, without even doing anything, she'd somehow been dragged into the crossfire.
For a moment, that stung more than she wanted to admit.
So, under Sherwin comforting touch, the tabby temper soon subsided.
Of course, that didn't mean Haibara Meow and Shermie Meow were getting away without punishment.
The lab-loving Haibara Meow not only got a pile of extra training tasks but was also forbidden from entering the lab for three days.
As for Shermie, whose personality was quite similar to Klee Meow, her punishment was even simpler—she was thrown straight into the confinement room and stripped of her "petting privileges" for three days... yes, even Robin cat-petting service was off-limits.
Neither of the two Felynes dared to resist Lord Shouhiko authority. They could only droop their heads and ears, looking miserable as they obediently accepted their punishment.
"Ahem…" Seeing the awkward atmosphere on the ship, Sherwin cleared his throat and brought the topic back to the "Ghost Ship."
"Well, actually, Ai earlier analysis wasn't wrong. The florian triangle and the Ghost Ship were both caused by the power of a Devil Fruit—though the two aren't exactly the same thing."
"Sherwin-nii, don't keep us in suspense! Tell Klee already, meow!"
The little doll, eager to help lighten the mood, urged him on enthusiastically.
"You guys still remember Laboon from Twin Cape, right?"
"Oh—Klee knows, meow! He the only member of that what-meow… the Rumbar Pirates, right? Sherwin-nii said before that now he just a skeleton left, meow!"
The other Felynes all showed expressions of sudden realization.
As for Robin, Purah Meow, and Shermie, who had only joined the Investigation Corps after entering the Grand Line, they were completely confused.
Robin had indeed seen Laboon before, but at that time she had to keep her whereabouts as hidden as possible, so she hadn't interacted much with Crocus and didn't know the story of that giant whale.
So Sherwin briefly explained to them the story between Laboon and the Rumbar Pirates, as well as Brook current situation.
"The Yomi Yomi no Mi! There actually such a miraculous ability among Devil Fruits, meow?! I really want to study him! Check-it!"
(ゝω)~☆
After hearing about Brook condition, Purah Meow curiosity for research skyrocketed.
She was already impatient to meet that skeleton and take him straight into the lab for thorough research.
"Yeah, so it not impossible that ghosts really exist in this world. After all, besides the Yomi Yomi no Mi,
one of the Four Emperors, Big Mom, also possesses the Soul-Soul Fruit, which proves that souls in this world can indeed exist independently in some form.
As for the details, we'll have to wait until we find Brook to ask him ourselves."
At that, even Haibara Meow perked up—her once-drooping ears now stood upright again.
"Then what the deal with the florian triangle? The newspapers said it a sea region filled with thick fog and complete darkness.
Could it be a Devil Fruit that controls weather or creates mist, meow?"
Huamei Meow wasn't particularly interested in ghosts her focus was still on navigation matters.
"I'm not too sure how the thick fog is formed, but the one responsible for making those ships disappear is actually one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—his name is Gecko Moria…"