Chapter 270: A Day Trip to Zou
On the edge of the forest on Zou's back, Louis, under the watchful eyes of Pedro and another Dog Mink, lifted Serena up and gave her a little shake.
Dangling in mid-air, Serena struggled to turn her head, saying with a look of perfect justification, "Lord Louis is my savior!"
"Besides, Lord Louis is a boy, so it's not right for us to exchange clothes. That means I can only get close and nuzzle him!"
Louis sighed at this and casually placed the two Minks on the ground.
He knew, of course, that this was the Mink Tribe's special way of treating friends, but that didn't mean Louis could easily accept it.
Facing Louis's exasperated expression, Serena once again extended her hands, her eyes curving into crescents. "Lord Louis, nuzzle!"
"No nuzzling, thank you." Louis raised a hand and placed it precisely on Serena's head, stopping her from getting any closer.
Nearby, the Dog Mink Wanda saw this and, recalling what Serena had told her, understood the identity of the person before them.
Beside her, Pedro watched the "interaction" between Serena and Louis, his eyes wide and cold sweat beading on his forehead. He was completely stressed out.
The small Rabbit Mink girl, Carrot, tilted her head, watching Serena and Louis, and belatedly removed her furry gloves.
Faced with Louis's undisguised resistance, Serena finally gave up on trying to nuzzle him.
She quieted down, a smile on her face, her eyes slightly narrowed. "Lord Louis, you're as serious as ever! Sometimes you don't seem like a pirate at all!"
As one of the few people who had lived in Louis's territory, Serena naturally knew what kind of person he was. He didn't laugh like a creep, nor was he stone-faced like an assassin. He would smile occasionally, but most of the time, he looked very serious. To most people, he was quite boring.
Of course, in the face of Lord Louis's strength and good looks, everyone subconsciously overlooked this flaw.
"A pirate?!"
Nearby, Carrot's rabbit ears, sticking out from her yellow hair, instantly shot up as if she'd heard a keyword. Her eyes lit up with interest.
Louis pretended not to hear Serena and gave her a casual glance. "Look at you. You're almost Pedro's age, but you're still so hyper."
"Hee hee~"
Louis felt that same exasperation again and, for a moment, didn't want to deal with Serena.
"So, this is the country of you Minks, Zou?" Louis looked around, asking a question he already knew the answer to.
"That's right." Serena finally realized something was odd. "Lord Louis, how did you find this place? Did you rescue another Mink and get a Vivre Card from them?"
As she spoke, Serena stepped to the side and peered behind Louis. When she saw nothing there, her confusion deepened.
"I ran into Zou by chance, so I came to take a look." Louis didn't explain further, turning his gaze to Pedro. "Pedro, it's been a while."
Louis noted the cold sweat and grim expression on Pedro's face and raised an eyebrow. "Pedro seems troubled by my arrival..."
Louis felt a flicker of confusion. He couldn't understand why Pedro, whom he had met before, would react this way. Did the World Government spread more rumors about me?
Louis's words made Pedro jolt, and he quickly forced himself to regain his usual composure. "It has been a long time, Lord Louis."
"Wanda, this is Lord Louis! He's the one who saved me from the slavers!" Serena stepped forward to explain to the other Dog Mink.
"Thank you for saving Serena, Mr. Louis," the Dog Mink named Wanda said with a slight bow.
"That was years ago." Louis didn't seem to care much about it.
"Since you're here, Lord Louis, please come to our town to rest," Pedro said, taking a deep breath. He turned and started walking into the forest.
At this point, there's no use dwelling on whether Louis came by accident or was looking for the Minks. He hasn't shown any hostility, so we must treat him as an honored guest. Given his relationship with Serena, it's highly unlikely he means any harm.
But what makes this difficult, Pedro thought, is how the two rulers will react to Louis's arrival. They might have... strong opinions.
After all, both rulers have deep ties to the Whitebeard Pirates, who were nearly annihilated by Louis. They will definitely hold a grudge against him.
I can only take this one step at a time, Pedro felt a wave of helplessness and sighed internally.
"Then I'll be in your care." Louis didn't refuse. He was quite interested in Zou and the Mink Tribe.
And so, the group walked along the forest path toward the town. Along the way, Pedro used a Den Den Mushi to inform the other patrol units.
On the way, the Mink girl named Carrot followed behind, her eyes shining as she looked at the snow-white wings on Louis's back. "So those wings aren't decorations, they're real?"
Then, she stood on her tiptoes and curiously touched one of Louis's feathers.
"..."
Louis turned his head and glanced at Carrot, who was now stroking his wing.
This complete lack of personal space... it's just like Serena when I rescued her. No, wait, Serena was bolder. She dared to poke me in the ribs.
Pedro, walking ahead, had a bad feeling and slowly turned his head. When he saw Carrot's bold action, he looked so scared his fur nearly stood on end. He wished he could dash back at the speed of light and pull her away.
Carrot noticed Louis's gaze and awkwardly pulled her hand back, blinking. "Lord Louis, you have wings. Does that mean you're from a Feather Tribe?"
"..."
Louis had lived for 19 years and had never heard of a "Feather Tribe."
Just as Louis was about to deny it, Serena leaned in with a grin. "There's no Feather Tribe, silly! But Lord Louis is a member of a very rare race."
Carrot tilted her head, blinking. "A very rare race?"
"Lord Louis is one of the Four Emperors. His race is called the Lunarian Race, and they are known as the strongest race in the world." Pedro walked over and picked Carrot up, preventing her from touching Louis again.
While explaining, he was also stressing Louis's status as an Emperor, warning Carrot to be careful and not go too far.
"The Lunarian Race..." Carrot repeated thoughtfully, now dangling in Pedro's grip.
As the group walked, the forest ahead finally seemed to end. Lights flickered in the distance.
When Louis set foot in the town, he was greeted by the sight of unique, distinct architecture. Countless Minks were calling out wares and walking in the streets, much like a human town.
At the far end of his vision, beyond the town, a giant tree shaped like a whale stood tall, creating a very special landmark.
Louis's arrival also attracted the attention of the Minks in the streets, who all turned to look.
"Why does that person have wings?"
"Pedro brought him personally. He must be an important guest, right?"
Soon, someone recognized his face and features and cried out in shock. "He looks like one of the Four Emperors—the Archangel!!"
"An Emperor?!"
"One of the world's top pirates is here on Zou?"
"But if Pedro brought him, it must be fine."
Louis raised an eyebrow, hearing the crowd's chatter. He hadn't expected Zou to be so informed about the outside world.
He glanced at Pedro, walking slightly ahead, and said thoughtfully, "Pedro, you seem to be very trusted and popular with your people."
"I wouldn't say popular," Pedro said vaguely. "Maybe it's just because I often help everyone out."
"Pedro is just being modest!" Carrot, Wanda, and the others clearly disagreed. "You're held in very high regard by everyone on Zou!"
Serena waved her hand, saying something that made Pedro break out in a cold sweat. "If nothing unexpected happens, the next ruler of the Mokomo Dukedom will definitely be Pedro!"
Serena's words made Pedro's fur stand on end again. "Hey, hey! Who said that? You can't take that seriously!"
"What's the big deal? Even Master Inuarashi and Master Nekomamushi think so!" Serena said, putting her hands on her hips, completely justified.
The Minks in the street who heard her all nodded in agreement. "That's right, that's right!"
Pedro: "..."
Louis, who had witnessed the entire exchange, wasn't surprised. In the original future, Inuarashi and Nekomamushi chose to stay in Wano Country to protect Momonosuke, passing the crown to Carrot, who inherited Pedro's will.
This showed that, in their eyes, Pedro was the most suitable successor. And in this timeline, Pedro hadn't lost his eye, nor had his lifespan been stolen by Big Mom. His becoming the king of the Minks was basically a certainty.
Soon, a squad of fully armed Mink warriors walked up, including the polar bear Mink Zepo, whom Louis had also met once.
The leader was a tall Dog Mink with canine features, dressed in ducal attire with a wine-red cape. "I am one of the rulers of this country, Inuarashi."
The Dog Mink named Inuarashi looked past Pedro and the others, his gaze landing on Louis. "For... special reasons, I was unable to greet one of the Four Emperors personally. My apologies."
"Please, follow me, Lord Louis."
"The Mink Tribe warmly welcomes any friend who has helped us."
At dusk, in the town square, the Minks lit a bonfire. Plates of food and fruit were laid out for a banquet.
The Mink children enthusiastically surrounded Louis, the man who had helped their people. Pedro stood to the side, sweating nervously, trying to stop the children, but failed.
Carrot, nibbling on a carrot, joined the pile. Serena and Wanda stood to the side, covering their mouths and snickering.
Nearby, Inuarashi's gaze fell on Louis. Behind his blue-lensed glasses, his eyes flashed with complex emotions.
On one hand, Louis was a benefactor who had helped his fellow Minks.
On the other, Louis was the man responsible for the deaths of many of his friends from the Whitebeard Pirates.
These two conflicting facts, centered on one person, made Inuarashi feel extremely conflicted.
But after weighing the pros and cons, Inuarashi decided to treat Louis as an ordinary guest.
After all, the only ones with deep ties to the Whitebeard Pirates were himself and that "stupid cat." To 99% of the Minks, Louis was just a powerful guest who had been friendly and helpful to their people.
Therefore, treating him as a guest was undoubtedly the best choice.
Just then, a tall, round figure emerged from the forest, leading a group of Minks in cowboy hats. They walked straight toward the sound and entered the square.
The tall Cat Mink, a toothpick in his mouth, sat down not far from Inuarashi. He, too, looked at Louis, who was surrounded by children, an unreadable expression in his eyes.
Inuarashi narrowed his eyes. "I'm surprised to see you at this hour, Nekomamushi."
The Mink named Nekomamushi pointed a finger at the darkening sky and sneered. "Have you looked at the time, nya? You're the one who shouldn't be here, Inuarashi!"
"Besides," Nekomamushi paused, his expression turning serious as he looked ahead, "in this situation, how could I possibly stay away and not worry?"
"He's not like our other guests. He's one of the Four Emperors, just like Kaido—maybe even stronger!"
"That's why I didn't hand the country over to you, even though it's dark," Inuarashi said calmly. "Because I was worried you would screw things up."
"Hmph," Nekomamushi sneered. "You're the one who'd screw it up!"
Nekomamushi took a pipe from his waist, lit it, and took a long drag. "But... you handled this pretty well. If only you'd been this sensible a dozen years ago!"
Inuarashi's brow furrowed in displeasure. "I'm warning you, you stupid cat! Don't bring the Whitebeard Pirates into this. In the eyes of our people, he is just a guest who helped us."
"We're the ones with ties to Whitebeard, not the people!"
Nekomamushi exhaled a cloud of smoke, and for once, didn't argue back. "Of course I know that. I'm not stupid like you, nya!"
Then, he looked at Louis's wings, his eyes filled with memory. His expression grew even more complex. "This whole thing is more complicated than you think, nya!"
As Inuarashi watched in confusion, Nekomamushi slowly exhaled. "Do you remember... almost twenty years ago, when we were with Captain Roger and Lord Oden... that moving sky island we found after leaving Skypiea?"
"The Lunarian Race... the moving sky island—"
Inuarashi froze, then his eyes widened, his voice trembling. "Are you saying... Louis is one of the children of our friends from Baal?"
"Who else could he be, nya?" Nekomamushi said, puffing irritably on his pipe. "Besides Baal, where else in the world could a Lunarian still exist?"
"..."
"I see..." Inuarashi's expression became just as complex as Nekomamushi's. "When I read about him in the papers... I should have realized it sooner—"
Nekomamushi didn't reply, but he thought to himself, Did you really not think of it? Or... was it because you saw he almost destroyed the Whitebeard Pirates, and you subconsciously didn't want to believe it?
Nekomamushi had no way of knowing. He just sat quietly, watching the scene and smoking his pipe.
So, Inuarashi and Nekomamushi are close with Whitebeard. Is that why Pedro was sweating so much when he saw me? Louis mused to himself at the edge of the bonfire.
Louis's hearing wasn't at the level of his Observation Haki, which could intercept Den Den Mushi calls, but it was still superhuman. The quiet conversation between Inuarashi and Nekomamushi, dozens of meters away, was as clear to him as if they were right in front of him.
Louis caught every word of their talk, finally understanding the source of Pedro's strange behavior and the reason for the complex looks Inuarashi had been giving him.
As he smiled and stroked the head of a Mink cub, Louis thought, If that's the case, there's no need to engage with them.
Louis had originally planned to use this chance encounter with Zou to try and invite the Minks to join him.
But now, he felt there was no point.
At least, while Inuarashi and Nekomamushi were still the rulers, an invitation would be meaningless.
Besides, since they held a grudge against him for destroying Whitebeard, Louis lost all interest in talking to them.
Of course, Louis wasn't about to annihilate them just because of their connection to Whitebeard.
Louis twitched his slightly itchy wings, causing a chorus of cute gasps from the children behind him.
As Louis was thinking, a cup of juice and a fresh, crisp carrot were held out in front of him. "Lord Louis, would you like one?"
Louis raised an eyebrow and looked up from the furry little hand holding the carrot. It was Carrot, the Rabbit Mink girl who had attacked him earlier. She was standing in front of him, tilting her head cutely.
"..."
Louis accepted the juice but gently pushed the carrot back. "Thank you, but I'll pass on the carrot."
Carrot wasn't upset. She just popped the carrot into her own mouth and began to crunch on it happily.
Then, ignoring Pedro's stressed-out look, she plopped down right next to Louis and stared up at his profile.
"Lord Louis, can you tell me stories about your adventures on the sea?" Carrot's mouth was full of carrot, but her eyes were shining with longing.
"Adventure stories?" Louis took a sip of grape juice. After a moment, memories from the past few years flashed in his mind. "Ever since I entered the Grand Line, I've basically either been at war or preparing for war. There hasn't been much time for adventure."
"But, I have had some pretty amazing experiences."
The moment he said that, Carrot's eyes lit up. "Experiences that even one of the Four Emperors finds amazing?"
It wasn't just Carrot. The Mink cubs who had been carefully stroking his wings also stopped. Even the adult Mink warriors, who had been grilling meat and drinking, subconsciously quieted down, straining their ears to listen.
Under the expectant gazes of Carrot and the cubs, Louis fell into recollection.
From floating islands 10,000 meters in the sky, to aerial ruins littered with warship wreckage and prototypes.
A boundless snow country, filled with all kinds of strange species. A vast kingdom in the West Blue.
A sea with no wind, and giant Sea Kings thousands of meters long.
A blood-stained giant serpent that divides the world, and the giants who once ruled the New World, now blocked by it.
A colossal tree with a trunk thicker than a mountain and a height that touched the sky, with villages and giant-sized castles built upon it.
People with wings, Mermaids, Giants, and other rare races like the Little People.
Louis shared some of his experiences with Carrot, the cubs, and the many Mink warriors who had never left Zou, allowing them to paint vivid pictures in their minds.
As he spoke, Louis himself paused. He hadn't realized that, aside from fighting wars and cutting people down, he'd actually had so many incredible experiences.
Seeing Carrot and the others trying so hard to imagine it all, Louis suddenly thought that if he had brought Uta, he could have let them experience those scenes for themselves.
But it was already late. Louis figured Uta was probably asleep, so he abandoned the idea.
Still, it was nice to leave them with this anticipation, to let them explore such experiences for themselves one day.
Carrot was the first to snap out of the daydream, asking with her signature lack of boundaries, "Lord Louis, the villages and castles in the tree... are you talking about the Treasure Tree Adam that's always in the papers?"
"That's right." Louis nodded. "There are only a few Adam trees left in the world. Two of them are in the New World. One is on Elbaf, the home of the giants. The other is on Terra, my territory. A giant tree that I planted—"
Hearing this, Carrot and all the Mink cubs' eyes shone with hope.
"..."
The next morning, Serena, Wanda, Pedro, and a crowd of Mink cubs waved goodbye to Louis's departing figure.
Carrot watched Louis walk away, a determined look in her eyes. "Lord Louis, take me with you to sea!"
"I refuse." Louis didn't even have to think about it. "You can't protect yourself."
Carrot's entire body drooped in disappointment, her rabbit ears falling. "Why? I'm a member of the Musketeers! I can fight!"
Louis turned, showing Carrot his profile. "Adventure can make a life more exciting, but rushing out to sea blindly will only get you killed."
"Carrot, it's not your time to go on an adventure yet—"
"Not my time to go on an adventure yet..." Carrot stood frozen, repeating his words unconsciously.
Behind her, Pedro watched this familiar scene and froze.
In his eyes, Louis's back transformed into that of a middle-aged man in a captain's hat and a red cape. And Carrot's figure was replaced by his own younger self.
On the sea breeze, that unforgettable voice echoed once more.
"Everyone has their time to shine. It's just not your time yet, Pedro—"
Pedro snapped back to reality. He looked at Carrot's back and smiled.
A sudden gust of wind swept past. When they looked up again, the tall, winged figure had already vanished from sight.
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