Reiju at first wasn't too keen on taking her younger brothers aboard this pirate ship.
But once she heard they were headed for Alabasta, her thoughts immediately began to shift.
Michael spent most of his time in Alabasta.
Now that they were going there, even if they didn't happen to meet Michael himself, they could at least head to the branch in Alabasta and see his subordinates.
And while they were at it, they could also ask for help in finding out where their mother had disappeared to.
So…
"Ahahaha, so you're actually royalty of the Germa Kingdom! But to think that as royalty, you didn't even know your kingdom had already prepared for migration a few days ago. By now, they've probably already entered the Grand Line!"
The red-haired man with a straw hat laughed so hard he slapped his thigh when he heard Sanji and the others explain.
His crew burst into laughter as well.
Reiju felt a little embarrassed. Although they were mocking them, these pirates didn't seem to harbor any malice…
They were just terribly rude!
Of course, even if they did harbor malice, Reiju wouldn't be worried.
They were nothing more than pirates wandering the seas. To children like them—genetically modified and unnaturally mature—they posed no threat at all.
Even the ordinary officers under Grandpa Sengoku were no match for them anymore.
And even if these pirates did have some real strength, it didn't matter…
Their mother had already entrusted her battle suit to her.
After all, she was the eldest sister. It was time she began protecting her younger brothers…
Only right now, her four idiot brothers seemed to be getting along far too well with these pirates.
"To be honest, this is my first time being so close to pirates," Ichiji frowned as he voiced his doubt.
"Don't tell me all pirates are like you people?"
"Ahahaha! Kid, don't go thinking like that." The red-haired young man laughed heartily. "Out on the seas, pirates are cruel and vicious… and that includes us! Not a single good man among us!"
"Really?" Niji crossed his arms, leaning close to the redhead. "Just looking at your hair, same as my brother's, I'd say you're just trying to scare us."
"Honestly, in this day and age, you tell the truth and kids still don't believe you." The red-haired man shrugged and turned to his crew. "Laugh laugh laugh! That's all you lot know how to do! Don't go corrupting the children, you bastards!"
"You're the one corrupting kids the most, Shanks! What kind of proper pirate acts this chummy with children anyway?"
As the pirates bickered, the cabin door slowly creaked open.
A little girl with hair split into two colors—red and white—walked out.
"Dad, what are you all laughing about…"
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, the girl glanced out onto the deck…
And the next instant, her eyes snapped wide open.
She immediately rushed forward in a huff, planting herself firmly in front of Shanks.
"Where did you kids come from!"
"Don't you dare steal my dad away from me!"
Seeing Uta's actions, the red-haired man felt proud, but before he could say anything, the five siblings opposite her all waved their hands dismissively, wearing the same look of disgust and moving in perfect unison.
"Uh, no thanks, we'll pass on this whole 'father' thing."
Vinsmoke Judge had left them nothing but harshness and suffering.
Even Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji—who had regained their emotions—shared the same scars.
That was why they hadn't hesitated to abandon the surname "Vinsmoke" and instead taken on their mother's.
Maria D. Reiju waved her hand, then turned to the little girl with an uneasy expression.
"We're not going to steal your dad, you can rest easy on that…" She finished, then gave Shanks a contemptuous glare. "So young, and already a daughter? Knocking someone up before you're even grown yourself… what a wicked pirate you are."
"Wait—that's the part you think is the most evil!?" Shanks twitched at the corner of his mouth, instinctively retorting, before patting the little girl's head. "Uta, if you've misunderstood someone, you need to apologize properly, okay?"
"They… they're not my comrades!"
"If you can all sit here calmly chatting on the same deck, that's already proof of a bond that could make you comrades."
Uta hesitated.
After all, she was just three years old—easy to sway.
So after giving a shaky apology to Reiju and the others, she quieted down.
Shanks sighed softly, then continued.
"As you can see, she's my daughter… but not by blood."
Since the topic was open, Shanks went on to explain Uta's background to the five children.
"So what you're saying is… you're planning to abandon her?"
"…Young lady, are you always this harsh with your words?" The redhead gave a wry smile. "At first, I only took her in out of pity. But now, I truly see her as my daughter… And precisely because of that, I can't let her grow up on a pirate ship at such a young age."
He pointed at Uta.
"This really isn't the right environment for a little girl to grow up in."
Reiju nodded, then suddenly shifted the subject…
"So, what's the real reason you're telling a kid like me all this?" Reiju pursed her lips. "Ever since you learned who we are, every word out of your mouth has been loaded with purpose."
As the eldest sibling, and the one who loved to think the most, Michael had once tested her. In terms of raw intellect, Reiju was in no way inferior to little Robin.
Her words left the redhead momentarily stunned.
He awkwardly scratched his cheek with a finger, forcing a smile.
"Uh… was my acting really that bad?"
"Hahaha, Captain, I think you're the only one who thought you were acting well just now." Yasopp slapped the mast, laughing out loud. "The whole time you were talking, this girl here was rolling her eyes nonstop!"
That one line set off another round of laughter that echoed across the entire pirate ship.
Amidst the cheerful atmosphere, the Red Force quickly reached Reverse Mountain, riding the upward currents safely into the first half of the Grand Line—the so-called "Paradise."
Reiju, her brothers, and Uta all let out a collective "Ooooh—"
It wasn't surprising. Anyone seeing Reverse Mountain for the first time would cry out like that.
"Honestly, until now we've only traveled through the Calm Belt, going between the North Blue and Marineford…"
"This place called Reverse Mountain is really amazing."
Hearing Reiju's words, Shanks suddenly spun around.
"Wait, what? You've been traveling where?"
"Between the North Blue and Marineford."
"Hah? Since when was the Germa Kingdom tied up with the Marines?"
"Because of my uncle—Michael from Marine Headquarters."
Shanks's expression changed instantly.
That name…
He'd heard it from Rayleigh's own mouth!
"Shanks, I'm no longer a pirate now, but I'll give you one piece of advice."
"If you ever meet someone on the seas named Michael, then…"
"Run."
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