Uchiha Puppet Master, Starting from One Piece.

"In mysterious legends, demons are beings that can destroy a city with a wave of their hand."

Rangiku made a "boom" gesture with her hand.

"But you look like the kind of older sister next door, and you can cook delicious food too."

Mirajane smiled.

Her voice was calm, as calm as the sea at that moment.

"The demons and such are things from a long time ago."

Robin held his glass but didn't drink; he just looked at Mirajane.

"Is it because you lost something important that you no longer want to use that power? Or is it because that power once hurt someone important to you?"

Mirajane looked at her and remained silent for a few seconds.

"Robin, you are very perceptive."

Robin put down his glass.

"Archaeologists are always used to piecing together the truth from fragments."

She picked up her glass, took a sip, and then stared at the remaining wine at the bottom of the glass, as if she were looking into a very, very far place.

"I have indeed hurt many people who shouldn't have been hurt because of my demon transformation."

"enemy?"

Eight thousand streams of questions.

"Most of them are."

Mirajane nodded.

"But some are not."

The deck fell silent.

Artoria walked back from beside the tuna, sat down at the table, and listened quietly without saying a word.

"When I was a child, my magical abilities awakened very late."

Mirajane began to speak, her voice soft and gentle, as if she were telling someone else's story.

"Before that, I was just an ordinary girl who liked to cook, take care of my younger siblings, and dreamed of one day opening my own restaurant."

"and after?"

Eight thousand streams of questions.

"Later, a lot of things happened."

Mirajane didn't elaborate, only vaguely mentioning that gap in the story.

"One day, in order to protect my family, I awakened to receive magic. The feeling was very strange, as if something inside my body had been unsealed, and a huge power surged out from every cell, so powerful that it frightened me."

"And then you started fighting?"

Ranju asked.

"Correct."

Mirajane nodded.

"But there's a big problem with receiving magic and becoming a demon: it affects your mental state. The stronger the demon's power, the weaker your sanity becomes, and you'll have to constantly fight against it."

She looked down at her hands.

Those long, slender, fair hands looked very gentle, like hands that only knead dough and cut vegetables.

But Bai Yu knew that these hands could unleash a power powerful enough to destroy a warship in an instant.

“Once, I almost hurt my younger brother.”

Mirajane's voice softened.

"Because I couldn't control myself for a moment, I almost..."

She stopped.

Robin poured a glass of wine and gently pushed it towards her.

Mirajane took it and drank a big gulp.

"Later I learned to control it, to use that power while remaining rational."

Artoria said, "This is the effort you put in to protect the people who are important to you; not a single bit of it has been in vain."

Mirajane glanced at her and smiled.

"Artoria, you always speak so seriously."

"I'm just stating the facts."

Artoria picked up her glass and, unusually, took a sip.

“I’ve also fought to protect something, so I understand that feeling. Power is never free; every time you use it, you’re burning yourself out. But you still chose to use it, and that says a lot.”

Mirajane lowered her head, and the smile on her lips softened.

"Thank you."

The air fell silent for a moment.

Rangiku stood up and picked up the sake bottle.

"Alright, alright, let bygones be bygones! Mirajane is here perfectly fine now, isn't she? She can cook and fish!"

Bai Yu didn't speak, but just looked at Mirajane's profile.

The moonlight fell on her face, softly outlining her features.

That gentleness contrasted sharply with the brutal power she described.

Bai Yu thought, "This is Mirajane Strauss."

A person who once possessed the power to destroy everything, yet chose to use that power to protect and create.

The bottles of wine on the ship were emptied one after another.

Rangiku was the one who drank the most, and now she had gone from being slightly tipsy to completely drunk. She was slumped on the table, muttering something like, "Tuna...my tuna...don't take it..."

Mirajane had also drunk quite a bit. Now, he was resting his chin on his hand, leaning back in his chair, his eyes somewhat unfocused, but a smile still lingered on his lips.

Robin's alcohol tolerance is surprisingly good; he's only slightly flushed after drinking so much.

Yachiru drank in moderation and remained sober throughout, but the blush on the tips of her ears betrayed her.

Artoria ate a whole swordfish sashimi and drank two bottles of wine. Now she sat upright with a serious expression, but her eyes were somewhat fixed on something.

Bai Yu looked at the group of women, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He didn't know what kind of fate had brought this group of people from different worlds and with different backgrounds together on the same boat.

But at this moment, in this quiet of the night, far from all the noise, they were just girls who were drunk, laughing and joking, talking nonsense.

"Bai Yu——"

Rangiku suddenly raised her head, her hazy eyes locking onto him.

Why aren't you drinking?

"I drank it."

Bai Yu swirled the wine glass in his hand; he had indeed drunk quite a bit.

"You haven't drunk enough!"

Rangiku said, shaking her head.

"Look how drunk we are, and you're still so sober, that's not fair!"

"What's unfair about this?"

"It's just not fair!"

Rangiku stood up, propped herself up on the table, and swayed as she walked to Shiraha, bending down to get close to his face.

The strong aroma of alcohol wafted over, mixed with her unique fragrance; the two distinct scents intertwined, creating a somewhat surreal experience.

"Bai Yu, I want you to drink with me."

Rangiku brought her face very close, her golden hair hanging down and swaying in front of Shiroha's eyes.

"I can drink with you, but please sit down first."

Bai Yu reached out and held her shoulder, trying to push her back into her seat.

But Rangiku doesn't dry up.

She leaned forward and lay on top of Bai Yu, resting her head on his shoulder.

"No way! It's no fun sitting back down!"

Her voice carried a languid and coquettish quality, with the last syllable rising in pitch, like a whiny cat.

Bai Yu froze.

It wasn't because of Rangiku lying on top of him, but because Rangiku wasn't the only one lying on top of him.

"I also want."

Yachiru had somehow moved to his other side, leaned lightly against him, and rested her head on his other shoulder, her smile as gentle as a spring breeze in March.

There is a head on each of Bai Yu's left and right shoulders.

"you……"

"It's warmer when there are many people around."

When Yachiru said this, her eyes curved into crescent moons.

"Is that so?"

Bai Yu's voice sounded somewhat unnatural.

Robin walked over with a wine glass in his hand, looking down at the situation with a meaningful smile on his lips.