Even after White Flame left, Rebecca was still crying.
Her sobs echoed through the hollow, abandoned factory,
each wail bouncing off the rusted walls like a lonely ghost.
"Hey! Would you cut it out already?"
A sharp, impatient voice rang out.
Rebecca froze mid-sob and turned toward the sound.
A tall woman in a maid outfit, long legs gleaming under the sunlight,
was standing by the doorway—hands on hips, expression full of disdain.
It was Baby 5.
"I know who you are," Baby 5 said coolly.
"Rebecca, right? You're my husband's disciple."
Rebecca blinked.
"H-Husband?!"
"You mean… Master White Flame is your husband?!"
"That's impossible! He's not married!" she protested, eyes flaring.
"You're lying!"
The words came out sharper than she intended,
but the thought of someone else claiming him made her blood boil.
Baby 5 crossed her arms and smirked.
"Hmph, I knew it. You've got a crush on my husband."
"But we can talk about that later. Right now, I need your help."
Before Rebecca could react, Baby 5 grabbed her hand and pulled her into a corner.
"What… what kind of help?"
Rebecca eyed her warily, still fuming at the word husband.
"You know White Flame's leaving Dressrosa, right?"
Rebecca's shoulders slumped.
"Yes… he told me himself."
By now, everyone close to White Flame knew his name—
the secret had spread ever since Da Niu's arrival.
Baby 5 and Rebecca, both bound to him in their own way,
couldn't ignore it.
"I found out where his ship's docked," Baby 5 whispered conspiratorially.
"But he told the shipwrights not to let me anywhere near it."
Her lips curved into a sly grin.
"That's where you come in. You're King Riku's granddaughter and his pupil.
He'd never suspect you."
She leaned close, whispering her plan into Rebecca's ear.
Rebecca's eyes widened, lighting up with excitement.
"So if we do that…!"
"Exactly." Baby 5 smirked. "So, are you in?"
Rebecca hesitated for a moment.
"I… I don't know…"
Baby 5 crossed her arms and snorted.
"Suit yourself. I'll go alone then.
I've already decided—I'm his woman, and I won't give up on him. Ever."
Rebecca bit her lip.
"Wait! I'll do it!"
"Heh… that's what I thought." Baby 5's grin turned mischievous.
The Next Morning — Dressrosa Harbor
White Flame stood before the ship he had commissioned a month and a half ago—
a sleek, dark-hulled vessel built for the dangers of the New World.
He boarded silently, inspecting every inch of the deck and rigging,
then nodded in satisfaction.
"Good work."
He tossed a small pouch toward the shipwrights.
When they opened it, the golden glint of coins nearly blinded them.
"Payment—and a little bonus," he said simply.
The men fell to their knees, thanking him over and over.
White Flame turned his gaze to the open sea.
"No laws. No masters. No one to obey."
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"If that's what they call a pirate… then I suppose I'm one now."
He exhaled a thin stream of smoke.
"A pirate needs a flag… and a name."
"Let's call it—the Nine Dragons."
The name stirred an old memory,
a remnant from another world—his first life on Earth.
It was the handle he'd always used,
whether gaming, posting, or signing his name in the void of the internet.
Now it would sail these seas as his legacy.
Soon after, he commissioned a flag:
a black banner adorned with nine golden, five-clawed dragons,
their bodies coiling around a skull wrapped in bandages,
crossed by two bones.
Thus, the Nine Dragons Pirates were born—
a crew of one man and six monsters.
"Time to set sail."
With a quiet command, his six IBM sprang to life.
They hauled ropes, raised sails, and lifted the anchor in perfect unison.
The Nine Dragons slipped from the harbor unnoticed,
just another ship vanishing into the vast blue horizon.
White Flame hadn't told anyone he was leaving.
Not Kyros, not Rebecca, not even Da Niu.
He didn't need farewells.
Goodbyes were for mortals—
for people who measured life in years instead of eternity.
For him, every bond was fleeting,
every face just a momentary shadow passing through an endless life.
Thunk… thunk…
A faint noise came from one of the supply barrels on deck.
Almost imperceptible—but not to someone with Observation Haki as sharp as his.
White Flame's eyes narrowed.
"Whoever's hiding in there… you've already chosen to die."
"Come out."
His voice was ice.
With a loud crack, the barrel burst open—
and two feminine silhouettes stumbled out, looking guilty as children caught stealing sweets.
"You two…"
White Flame froze, the killing intent fading instantly as his temple twitched in pain.
Of course.
Who else could it be?
Baby 5 and Rebecca.
"Master!" Rebecca cried, waving cheerfully as if she hadn't just stowed away.
Baby 5, on the other hand, flushed bright red, fidgeting with her skirt.
"H-Hi… White Flame."
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You two women…"
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then sighed.
"I swear, I can face Admirals without blinking,
but dealing with you two gives me a headache."
Baby 5 lifted her chin proudly.
"I told you—I'll follow you anywhere, even if it costs me my life!"
"And me too!" Rebecca chimed in quickly.
"I can cook, clean, wash clothes, scrub the deck—anything!
I promise I won't cause trouble!"
White Flame stared at them both, expression unreadable.
Then he chuckled—a dry, helpless sound.
"Seems like even with an immortal life…" he murmured, shaking his head,
"I'm destined never to travel alone."
The Nine Dragons ship sailed onward,
carrying one man and two very determined women—
and for the first time in a long while,
White Flame almost felt… alive.
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