"Okay… we're going to stay close," Nami said softly as they stepped forward. She glanced back over her shoulder. "Cry, stay near me. There might be people here who will do something… not good."
Cry heard her name. She also caught the words not good — a phrase she had begun to associate with bad. After a brief pause, she nodded slowly.
The contrast between them was striking.
Nami stood at around 5.7 feet, placing herself instinctively in front, her posture protective. Behind her loomed Cry, standing at least 6.5 feet tall. From a distance, it almost looked backward — like a smaller sister trying to shield a beautiful giant from the world.
Even Luffy and Zoro, both around the same height as Nami, seemed diminished with Cry walking behind them.
She was impossible to ignore.
The moment they stepped fully into the village, the change was immediate.
Voices faded. Conversations broke off mid-sentence. Footsteps slowed, then stopped altogether.
Every single person turned to look.
Their eyes were drawn past the strange pirates… past the unfamiliar clothes… and fixed on the tall woman walking behind them.
She looked unreal.
Like a goddess who had wandered into the human world without understanding the weight of her presence. Like a princess taking a casual stroll through a town that did not belong to her. Even dressed simply, there was something overwhelming about her — an unspoken majesty that pressed down on the air itself.
No one dared meet her gaze for long.
They didn't know who she was, but they felt it — the difference between themselves and the woman walking quietly among them. The gap was instinctive. Absolute.
"Why is everyone so quiet?" Luffy asked, rubbing the back of his head.
Zoro glanced around once, then looked away. Nami didn't answer at all. They both understood.
Anyone would react this way.
They continued forward through the unnaturally silent streets until a small store-like building came into view.
"Oh! A store!" Luffy said, his face lighting up. "Finally, real food!"
He took a step forward—
—and stopped.
A man was just exiting the shop.
"A sheep?" Luffy said, blinking.
"A man who's a sheep," Zoro added flatly.
The man flinched, clearly startled, but he quickly forced a smile. "Ah—y-you must be new here. Welcome. I am Merry, and you ar—"
His words died in his throat.
The groceries in his arms slipped free and hit the ground.
His eyes had locked onto Cry.
"Oh my…" he breathed.
Without another word, Merry bowed deeply, almost folding in half. "P-please forgive me! I failed to notice a person of such status and did not properly receive you! I am terribly sorry!"
Luffy and Zoro froze.
Status?
Person of such status?
Before either of them could react, Nami was already moving.
"Oh, it's quite alright, Mister Merry," she said smoothly, her voice calm and composed. "You see, our lady wished to take a stroll outside her domain. She was curious about the world beyond it, so we accompanied her."
Merry looked as though he had been struck by lightning.
"I-it is only natural that the village fell silent," Nami continued gently. "But please, don't be frightened. We're simply here to walk around… and perhaps find a place to dine."
Merry's face flushed. "O-of course! Forgive us—it's just… commoners like us rarely have the honor of standing before royalty," he said, panic clear in his voice.
"There's no need to be scared," Nami replied. "We don't intend to trouble anyone."
"Oh! Then please—please allow me to assist you!" Merry said quickly. "It would be my honor to escort you to the villa. We can accommodate you properly there."
"That would be wonderful," Nami said with a polite smile. "Thank you very much, Mister Merry."
Zoro watched the exchange silently, his brow twitching.
This woman could talk her way into ruling a country, he thought.
"Please, follow me," Merry said.
Nami nodded.
Then she turned back.
Her eyes met Cry's.
For a brief moment, something stirred behind Cry's ocean-deep gaze. A faint understanding — not of words, but of intention. Slowly, she nodded as well and turned her attention toward Merry.
That single motion made Merry's breath catch.
Just a glance. Just a quiet nod.
It was enough to leave him utterly mesmerized.
There was no doubt left in his mind.
This woman possessed a presence far beyond anything he could name.
And anyone who failed to see it… was simply blind.
(🫣🤫)
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Syrup Village did not erupt into panic.
It didn't scream.
It didn't run.
Instead, it stilled.
Shop doors that were half-open stopped moving. A broom paused mid-sweep. A child tugging at their mother's sleeve froze, sensing something wrong without understanding why.
Eyes followed the group as they passed—but they did not linger on the pirates.
They lingered on her.
Cry walked quietly behind Nami, her steps unhurried, her posture relaxed, unaware of the weight she carried simply by existing. Sunlight slid through the gaps between buildings and caught in her sea-colored hair, turning it into something unreal—like liquid glass drifting behind her.
Whispers began, soft and fractured.
"Who… is that?"
"She doesn't look like a noble…"
"No—she feels higher than that."
"Don't stare. Don't stare."
People lowered their gazes instinctively, as if meeting her eyes would be a violation. Some pressed themselves closer to walls. Others clasped their hands together, unsure whether they were witnessing a blessing or a warning.
Even the air felt different.
The usual warmth of the village—laughter, chatter, footsteps—was replaced by a hush so complete it felt ceremonial. As if Syrup Village itself had recognized something ancient walking across its soil and chose silence out of respect.
Cry noticed none of this.
She tilted her head slightly, watching a cat retreat beneath a cart. Her eyes followed a fluttering curtain in the wind. Everything was new. Everything was interesting.
Nami noticed everything.
She felt the stares on her back, felt the shift in the crowd, felt how close danger and desire could sit beside each other in human eyes. Her grip tightened slightly at her side—not touching Cry, but ready.
Zoro's hand rested near his swords, not out of aggression, but instinct.
Luffy scratched his cheek. "This place feels weird."
No one answered him.
At an upper window, an elderly woman slowly closed her shutters—not in fear, but as if protecting something fragile from a storm she didn't yet understand.
A merchant swallowed hard and stepped aside, bowing without knowing why.
A group of villagers standing near the square parted unconsciously, creating a clear path as the group passed through—as if an invisible current flowed outward from Cry, pushing the world gently away.
And somewhere above it all—
Behind glass.
Behind a long, narrow lens—
A single eye narrowed.
A telescope tracked their movement with unsettling patience, its focus tightening not on the pirates… but on the tall woman walking among them, humming softly to herself.
Whoever watched from there did not feel awe.
They felt interest and curiosity
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To be continued