Chapter 1235: Let Me Play With You Too
Chapter 1235: Let Me Play With You Too
"Who are you?"
Lida asked curiously.
This woman seemed important, yet she didn’t attack. Her motives were unclear.
"Me?" The winged woman gave a light smile. "I’m called Hong, just a woman who wants everyone to find happiness. Why must people fight and kill? Wouldn’t it be better if we all lived together peacefully?"
Her voice was soft, almost soothing, as if it could calm turbulent hearts and ease tension.
Lida lowered her fists and asked, "You came here to cause trouble, yet you talk about avoiding violence?"
Hong smiled gently. "Because Wano Country is too perfect. It’s in an ideal location, rarely accessible to outsiders. It’s a place where my dream of bringing happiness could truly take root. Before, with Kaido here, we couldn’t enter. But now that Kaido is gone, we wanted to try."
"Huh?" Lida blinked, confused. "Wait—you feared Kaido? What about my Kuro? Aren’t you afraid of him?"
"The Navy has its own ways. This place isn’t as critical to them as it was to Kaido. Besides, the Beasts Pirates are also potential allies we’re trying to win over."
"???!"
Lida tilted her head, question marks practically floating above her.
Every word Hong spoke was clear, but together, they made no sense.
Seeing Lida’s confusion, Hong smiled again. "How about I sing you a song? I’m a Songstress by nature. Words aren’t my strength—I prefer expressing feelings through music."
Without waiting for Lida’s reply, the three hundred people scattered, placing speakers throughout the area.
Lida watched them set up the equipment. She should’ve stopped them, but a strange calmness held her back. Still, something felt off. She reached out. "Hey, wait—"
"Please listen to one song."
Hong smiled, and Lida’s heart stilled, her urge to resist fading.
So… she’d listen.
Hametsusae, itowanide…
Hong spread her arms, closed her eyes, and sang through the headset, her voice amplified by the speakers.
Soft, serene, tinged with sorrow.
Lida stood frozen, her eyes glazing over.
Through the melody, fragments of understanding stirred in her mind.
A vision flashed—
A woman escaping a hellish place, drifting through the Grand Line, surviving on scraps. Lida knew this hunger all too well.
Then, she drifted to an island. A town welcomed her, offering shelter. Peace. Stability. Happiness.
But peace didn’t last.
Pirates arrived. The terrified townsfolk were plundered, their spirits broken. The woman could only try to comfort them.
What could she do?
She could sing.
So she sang, and saw their hearts calm, their hidden happiness resurface.
She discovered her ability—she could make people feel happiness.
What if the world could feel this? If everyone found happiness, wouldn’t the world stabilize?
Lida lifted her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
That… sounds nice.
Doesn’t it?
Then the vision shifted.
Kuro proposed. She married him joyfully, traveling the land, feasting, and bearing a healthy son. A life of happiness.
Boom!
The dream shattered like ripples in water.
"Who did that?!"
Lida snarled, snapping out of her trance.
Who dared ruin such a beautiful vision?
She sniffed the air and looked up. A figure in a navy hooded cloak and golden dress uniform hovered above, sheathing a black blade.
The speakers around them lay sliced in half.
"Kuro!" Lida beamed.
"Kuro…" Constance stared upward, sweat trickling down his temple. The man’s aura was terrifying.
He’d faced many strong men—Four Emperors like Kaido. This man’s presence matched theirs.
Constance had intel on Wano Country. He knew its secrets. Though he’d once dismissed Golden Lion as an Admiral, now he realized—this man was terrifyingly strong, with or without opportunity.
Kuro floated in the sky, biting his cigar, smoke curling upward. He gazed down at the crowd. "You’ve got real guts. I haven’t come for you, yet you seek me out. So bold?"
His eyes fixed on the winged woman.
Her skin, her wings, the strange ornaments from her wings to her hairline…
Definitely Moon Tribe.
"Golden Lion Admiral." Constance bowed to the sky. "It’s clear you value Wano Country. We’ll withdraw, leaving it alone."
"Who the hell are you?" Kuro snapped, turning. "An old man? Impressive you made it here. Reaching this place means evading Kuzan and Kas. No matter how you did it, decent. But you don’t get it—"
He landed beside Lida, studying her before facing Constance. "This place isn’t a game you win by passing checkpoints. You dare use your abilities here? Think I’m just here to watch?"
He drew Autumn Water again. "You played with Lida earlier. Now it’s my turn. Let me play with you too."
(End of Chapter)
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