Chapter 346: Penacony Arc 『 Part Forty-one』, The Eternal Limbo of the Penacony
〜Bleach World〜
"He was towering, using thermal energy to incinerate his opponents… A killing method like that points to either Duke Inferno or Sam."
"Sam?"
According to Welt, Sam—one of the Stellaron Hunters—was an apex combatant. Shunsui Kyoraku wasn't at all surprised that such a man would dare to trespass into the Primordial Dreamscape.
What truly piqued his curiosity, however, was why Sam would take an interest in Hotaru.
"Byakuya, are you sure about this? The Stellaron Hunters are after the Watchmaker's legacy, but Hotaru was just a young girl who met an untimely end. Why would he be interested in her?"
Shunsui gave his sake flask a light shake, his voice carrying a hint of a languid smile.
"There is one possibility."
Byakuya set his teacup gently upon the low table.
"Hotaru may have uncovered the truth regarding the Watchmaker's legacy within the Primordial Dreamscape. Sam pursued her to extract those leads… but everything transpired too quickly. He may remain unaware that she has already perished at the hands of the Meme."
"So you're saying the poor girl was being hunted by both the Meme and Sam simultaneously? What a tragic little thing…"
Shunsui sighed softly, his usual flippancy fading into a rare moment of melancholy.
Byakuya lowered his gaze, his fingertip tracing the rim of his cup, sending faint ripples across the surface of the tea.
"Life and death are governed by fate. Should she ever wake again, I hope she abandons her obsession with the Dreamscape."
"You certainly have a detached perspective on her plight."
Shunsui tilted his head, a glint of amusement in his eyes beneath the shadow of his straw hat.
"So, what do you reckon are the odds that Duke Inferno was the perpetrator?"
"Thirty percent."
Byakuya knit his brows.
"Duke Inferno is far too patient. I cannot discern what kind of opportunity he is waiting for. While the other factions have already shown their hands, clues regarding him remain scarce… I cannot rule out the possibility that he is playing a much larger game behind the scenes. If that is the case, then sowing absolute chaos in Penacony at this juncture would be a calculated move in service of the 『 Destruction 』 he so craves."
—
「 Black Swan led the group into a room filled with television sets.
"Come—allow me to perform a little trick for you. Prepare yourselves, and do try to contain your surprise."
With a graceful flick of her fingers, four or five translucent figures appeared within the room—each one an exact likeness of Hotaru.
"Is this… Hotaru?" Acheron's brow furrowed.
"Indeed. These are the memories of her left behind in this room. The faint tremors of the floor, the reflections flickering across the screens, the flow of the Memoria… I have gathered them and reconstructed them as fragments."
One of the Hotaru projections spoke: "That thing we encountered with Trailblazer… if I'm not mistaken… it must be related to the Watchmaker."
Acheron looked toward Trailblazer. "She mentioned your name."
"Calling you that even behind your back? It seems your bond was quite genuine," Black Swan remarked with a soft smile. "She appeared to be sharing her discovery with someone… something regarding the Watchmaker."
Acheron lowered her eyes. "She had no idea she was about to become a victim…"
The group continued to examine the other spectral images of Hotaru. One projection stared intently at the screens, murmuring: "If… if I could just do it over…"
"She's staring at the screens as if they were a mirror… what does she mean by 'do it over'?"
Another projection, heading toward the corridor, said: "Let's go…"
"'Let's'? Was there someone else with her?" This detail captured Black Swan's interest. She pointed toward the exit on the other side of the room, theorizing: "Based on this, Hotaru entered this long corridor with a companion—likely only one." 」
「 ..... 」
〜One Piece World, Future Timeline〜
"Hmph."
Crocodile exhaled a plume of cigar smoke.
"The brat was still cooperating with someone right before she kicked the bucket in the dream. Ten to one, it was someone from the IPC. Only the Company would bother working with a terminally ill woman who has zero combat potential… all for the sake of the Watchmaker's legacy. Heh, Aventurine certainly knows how to play his cards. Hawk Eyes, who do you think she was working with?"
Mihawk sat in the cabin, enjoying a piece of grilled meat. He raised his wine glass and took a small sip, a flash of displeasure crossing his golden hawk-like eyes.
"I have no interest in idle guesswork."
"Heh, looks like I touched a nerve,"
Crocodile sneered, a sinister smirk playing on his scarred face.
"Is it because Acheron still refused to draw her blade, even in such an extreme situation?"
Mihawk didn't answer. It wasn't anger he felt, but disappointment. Even now, Acheron refused to truly draw her sword, refused to strike, even when faced with such a beast…
What was she hesitating over?
Was she truly that indecisive?
If it had been Jingliu, she wouldn't have hesitated for a second to draw her steel…
The thought left Mihawk feeling uncharacteristically restless.
Sensing Mihawk's foul mood, Crocodile stopped pestering him and instead cast a sidelong glance at Buggy.
"Hey, Clown. What's your take?"
Buggy jumped, the skewer in his hand clattering to the floor. He swallowed hard and gave a forced laugh.
"Ahahaha… maybe, maybe she was working with that Sam guy?"
"Sam? Why the hell would that woman work with Sam? He was clearly hunting her down. Boring…"
Crocodile huffed, his golden hook glinting in the sunlight.
"Only an idiot like you would come up with an answer like that."
—
「 The trio pressed forward. At a bend in the corridor, they found a projection of Hotaru looking panicked: "How could you…?! This isn't what we agreed on…"
"The situation began to shift. It seems her companion… deviated from the original plan," Acheron observed.
Black Swan nodded. "Or perhaps, looking at the outcome… this was that person's true 'plan' all along."
Following the corridor further, they saw Hotaru's phantom running toward the door at the bottom of the stairs: "A mecha…?! Why…"
Acheron leaned in slightly, studying the terrified expression on the projection's face. "She was being forced this way by someone, and…"
Black Swan looked thoughtful. "'Mecha'… a most intriguing choice of words. I recall the Bloodhound Family is hunting such a criminal—'a tall male in silver armor'."
As the phantom of Hotaru reached the lowest room, her voice turned desperate: "The door… it won't open… it's a dead end…"
Acheron analyzed the scene. "From these fragments, it seems Hotaru's companion betrayed her halfway through, locking her in this room alone before vanishing… Why?"
"She said this deal involved the 'Watchmaker'—and anything involving the Watchmaker tends to cross a great many lines." 」
「 ..... 」
(Translator-kun: Next Chapter will be the Famous Scene!
"A Galaxy Ranger... And... a Memokeeper. Leave now, and nobody gets hurt. Or else... All of you will die here. The detective game is over. You shouldn't be here."
"I will... set the seas ablaze!"
"Once you're back in the real world, remember to tell everyone about the Stellaron Hunter who was behind your ultimate departure." )