Uchiha Puppet Master, Starting from One Piece.

Bai Yu sat down between Violet and Artoria and picked up his bowl of soup.

Seven people sat on the edge of the courtyard, drinking miso soup and looking at the scenery.

Silence is not awkward; it can also be a gentle, comfortable silence, like being covered by the same blanket.

Seven people sat under the same roof, drinking from the same pot of soup, gazing at the same scenery, and breathing in the same fragrance of flowers carried by the same breeze.

No language is required.

Because language can only express so much.

Bai Yu put the bowl down.

"Today's soup..."

Rangiku suddenly looked up, a grain of rice stuck to the corner of her mouth: "Is it a little sweet?"

“I added sugar,” Bai Yu said.

Rangiku blinked.

Sugar in miso soup?

“To neutralize the saltiness,” Artoria answered for Shiraha, her voice carrying a subtle, almost boastful tone.

Rangiku glanced at Artoria, then at Shiraha, and then gave a meaningful smile.

"Oh--"

She dragged out the last syllable.

"You two were sneaking around in the kitchen..."

"I didn't do it secretly."

Artoria interrupted her, but her voice lacked confidence.

"It's just cooking soup normally in the kitchen."

Bai Yu added.

"Making soup normally?"

Rangiku repeated, her smile deepening, "Then why are your ears red, Artoria?"

Artoria raised her hand and touched her ear.

Then she realized she had been tricked.

"Rangiku!"

Her voice rose half a tone, and the blush on her face spread visibly.

Rangiku burst into laughter, her laughter as clear and crisp as a wind chime swaying in the wind.

Robin turned a page—finally holding the book upright.

Three days later, the Dawn departed from the Golden Emperor's ship.

Gilder Tezzolo stood on the deck of his gilded behemoth, wearing an extravagant pink suit with a bright red rose tucked into his breast pocket.

His hands were in his pockets, and a standard, well-trained smile, typical of an entertainment industry emperor, played on his lips.

"You are welcome to come back anytime."

Bai Yu stood at the stern of the Dawn and waved to him.

"Next time I'll win even more money from you."

Tezzolo burst into laughter, the sound bouncing three times off the golden gunwale before being carried away by the sea breeze.

"I look forward to it!"

The Dawn set sail, its bow cleaving through the azure sea, creating two white sprays.

The trail of the stern drew a long, gradually spreading white line on the sea, like a stretched ribbon.

The white line grew longer and thinner until it finally broke at the edge of sight and disappeared into the arc where the sky meets the water.

The sea breeze blew in from the southeast, carrying the smell of salt and fish, along with a faint fragrance of flowers from a distant land. It was a flower that Bai Yu didn't recognize; perhaps some kind of wild jasmine, or maybe a pittosporum, its fragrance very faint, almost imperceptible.

Bai Yu sat on a bench at the stern of the ship, leaning against the railing, holding a glass of Sanji's special iced tea in his hand. The tea contained mint, lemon, and a touch of honey, with ice cubes clinking crisply in the glass.

Violet and Robin sat beside him, each occupying one side of him, but maintaining a just-right distance—not estrangement, but a tacit understanding that didn't require them to be constantly together.

Violet is looking at the sea.

Her long purple hair fluttered in the sea breeze, a few strands falling onto Bai Yu's shoulders, carrying a faint fragrance, like that of violets.

Her gaze was fixed on the distant horizon, her pupils reflecting the blue sky and white clouds. Occasionally, a seabird would fly by, leaving a small, fleeting shadow in her pupils.

"What are you thinking about?" Bai Yu asked.

"Thinking..."

Violet paused for a moment, then said, "Wano Country."

"That country that closed itself off from the world?"

Robin closed the book in her hands. This time she was really reading. It was an ancient book about the history of Wano Country, which she had borrowed from Tesoro's library.

"There is very little information about that country, and even world governments have difficulty infiltrating it."

"That's why Kaido, one of the Three Emperors, was able to establish himself there."

Bai Yu said.

Robin nodded.

"The Beasts Pirates have been operating there for many years. The samurai of Wano Country are strong, but Kaido is even stronger; he practically treats the entire country as his private domain."

The samurai of Wano Country are strong, but Kaido is even stronger; he practically treats the entire country as his private domain.

Violet's brow furrowed slightly.

"We're going there...it'll be very dangerous."

Bai Yu took a sip of iced tea.

When are we not in danger?

Violet glanced at him and then smiled.

"Too."

Robin turned a page of the book.

"According to the information I found, Wano Country has seven regions, each with a daimyo. But since Kaido arrived, most of the daimyo have been replaced by his people, with only a few regions still resisting, such as Udon in the north and Hakumai..."

Her voice was interrupted by a sudden shout coming from the mast lookout tower.

"There's a ship ahead!"

"Let me see!"

Violet activated her power.

“A skull, with two swords crossed behind it—a Western sword and a Japanese sword—and…and three red scratches above the left eye…”

There was a moment of silence on the deck.

"The Red-Haired Pirates".

"There was another boat, smaller and more elegant in design, with a black hull and smooth, sharp lines, like a knife laid horizontally on the sea. There were no markings on the sails, but the canvas was of extremely high quality, and the stern resembled a cross."

"That is……"

Bai Yu squinted.

"Hawkeye's ship."

Chapter 192 Acquaintances

When the names Red-Haired Pirates and Hawkeye Mihawk appear together on the Grand Line, most people's reaction is not fear, but confusion: How come these two are together again? Are they going to have another battle?

Bai Yu stood up and handed the iced tea in her hand to Violet beside her.

"They're all old friends, I'll go take a look."

After Bai Yu finished speaking, he walked to the bow of the ship, put his hands in his pockets, and squinted at the distant sea.

The sunlight spread a layer of shimmering gold across the sea, dazzling the eyes, but he still managed to make out the two blurry outlines.

A large ship and a small ship.

The famous skull and crossbones symbol was painted on the sails of the large ship.

There are three red scratches, as if it had been ripped apart by something.

Behind the skull are two swords crossed, one a Western sword and the other a Japanese sword, symbolizing the style of the Red-Haired Pirates.

The boats have a completely different design.

It is entirely black, with sharp and smooth lines, resembling a coffin.

There were no markings on the sails, but the texture of the canvas shimmered with a unique luster in the sunlight. The stern was a huge cross shape that extended from the hull to both sides, giving a solemn and dignified visual impact, almost like a religious ceremony.

That's Hawkeye's ship.

That man, the man known as the world's greatest swordsman, although Hawkeye himself did not agree with this title, because he had lost to a woman in a certain battle.

Hawkeye, the man who could cleave a massive mountain in two with a single black sword called Night, sat alone on the deck of that small boat, like a black sculpture, facing the vast sea.

Bai Yu's lips slowly curled up.

He remembered their last meeting.

That was in the West Blue. At that time, he was with Matsumoto Rangiku and Nico Robin. The three of them stayed on that island, where the Red-Haired Pirates were also there for supplies and rest.

They met, and then spent the whole night drinking and talking on the boat.

That was the first time Bai Yu had seen Shanks.

The man was much more casual than he had imagined, so casual that he didn't seem like a strong person.

It was a pleasant encounter.