Not Answering for Mothers

"Unborn is not my name."

Little Patch lifted the Red Knot from Luffy's wrist, the end of the thread pointing towards the name box on the screen.

"That's what she used to call me too."

Luffy out and blocked the Red Knot.

"Then let her wipe it off."

"It can't be erased; she thinks I'm the one who wasn't born."

You have been born.

"My body was pieced together from a cup."

Chopper dragged the first-aid kit to Luffy's feet.

"Having a body, breathing, and being able to argue with others—that's what being born means."

I didn't argue with anyone.

"You've been objecting the whole time."

Opposition doesn't count as arguing.

Zoro leaned against the mast and added a comment.

"If you've spoken more than ten sentences to Luffy without actually fighting, then you definitely don't count."

Nami points to the sea chart.

"Let's not discuss that yet, the name boxes are still being added."

Rows of empty frames floated up around the Moving Island, each connected to a Black Cup.

The women repeatedly asked the child's name, their voices spreading from the Calm Belt to the old waterways.

The Sengoku opened up the list of the South Blue.

"It wants to use questions to re-verify the birth records from that year."

Lin Qi stared at the constantly fluctuating number of Echo in the lower right corner of his computer screen.

Someone has already answered.

"Who?"

"One hundred and thirty-two Echo have completed the name entry."

Vegapunk immediately retrieved the records.

"The respondent isn't necessarily a child; they could also be a local institution that still retains the old records."

Robin said, "Once the name is entered, the Experimental Mother will be retrieved according to the kinship record."

Can you delete it?

"You can't delete it directly; it might contain real names."

Nami pressed down on the edge of the sea chart.

"Neither keep nor delete?"

"The usage can be frozen, so that the name is only used to identify the person and is not involved in the Experimental Mother search."

Lin Qi opened the question page.

A new notification popped up on the screen first.

Should a mother answer when her child asks for their name?

[A: All children must answer]

[B: Answered using local birth records]

[C: Matched automatically by the Experimental Mother]

There is no D.

Buggy's Den Den Mushi immediately shrank back.

"Here we go again. I knew it wouldn't leave the normal options."

Akainu stared at the three options.

"None of them can be selected."

The voice of the Throne came from the depths of the Sky Screen.

"Refusing to answer will be considered an obstruction to the identification of missing relatives."

Dragon access line.

"First, prove that they have the full intention to find a partner."

"Mothers searching for their children do not need proof."

Makino picked up the Villager Seat's stamp.

"Does the child want to be found?"

"Family ties outweigh the offspring's wishes."

Luffy shouted into the Den Den Mushi, "Why?"

Nami covered his mouth.

"Don't send a response to the system yet."

It says children can't choose.

That's why you shouldn't answer along with it.

The Little Patch emerged from Luffy's wrist.

"I can answer that I have no name."

Lin Qi looked at him.

"After you answer, Unborn will be written into your body."

"Then let it write."

You don't like this name.

"Once she gets me, she won't go after anyone else."

Luffy pressed the Red Knot back into his palm.

"Another one wants to stay."

"I was built by her."

That's yours to keep.

"Her heart is inside her body."

Chopper asked, "How do you know that's hers?"

"She said it."

Has it been checked?

"No."

"It can't be counted if it hasn't been checked."

"But I can hear her in pain."

Hearing it doesn't mean it belongs to her.

Little Patch didn't say anything more.

On the computer screen, the body sewn onto the island was embraced by the Experimental Mother's arms, with the words "Unborn" appearing on its chest.

The Red Knot tightened along Luffy's palm lines.

"She's calling me again."

"Say what?"

"Return."

How did you answer?

"I won't reply."

Luffy grinned.

"That works."

"She'll be in pain."

Even if it hurts, I won't grab you.

"Then who will help her?"

"Us."

You can't even get onto the island.

Boa Hancock's voice came through the Amazon Lily line.

"The Kuja's ship can enter."

Sengoku then spoke.

"The navy has Seastone warships, which can provide access to the outer shipping lanes."

Whitebeard raised his naginata.

"My ship doesn't go into the Calm Belt, but it can get Ace to the entrance."

Ace walked up to the Den Den Mushi.

"I will not respond to the Experimental Mother, nor will I leave the ship alone."

Marco glanced at him.

Say the second half of the sentence again.

"I will not leave the ship alone."

"Pops, I've got it."

Buggy slammed his fist on the table.

"If you can all go, what responsibility do I have?"

Nami said, "You can be responsible for not causing trouble."

"Without me in the Civilian Witness Seat, do you think all the votes from before would have passed?"

"Then continue voting."

"Votes should also consider contributions made during the voyage."

Lumi interrupted their argument.

The children are still being asked questions.

Lin Qi looked at the interface, which only had three options.

"Add D."

The system is not responding.

He retyped it.

[D: No one may confirm a child's kinship, and the mother's right to search for her child must not override the child's right to refuse. All names are for personal protection only and are not intended as a means of retrieval.]

The Throne prompts you to immediately override the option.

[This option will cause the Experimental Mother search to stop.]

"Stop if you want."

Lin Qi sent D back to the page.

This option will prevent 1,967 mothers from finding their children.

Makino looked at the Black Cup in the Seastone net.

"She already said she doesn't need to look for Rouge."

The woman in the cup heard it.

"Right."

Her voice traveled through the Kuja Line to the Sky Screen.

"The child is grown up; let him choose for himself."

The first Black Cup was transferred away from the Experimental Mother.

The name "Ace" that I just wrote in the name box has been removed from the Protection List.

Another woman's voice came from the second cup.

I want to see my child.

The dragon asked, "What if he doesn't want to see me?"

"I'll wait."

"What if he already has his own life?"

I'll leave once I see he's alive.

"What if this wish was also bestowed upon you by the Throne?"

There was a moment of silence inside the glass.

"Then take out what's already stuffed in."

The third cup was turned around as well.

With more and more Cup Voice being called, the question is no longer just about what the child should say.

Is he still alive?

Does she hate me?

I don't want to lose him.

Don't use my voice to grab people.

One thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven voices crowded into the Sky Screen, and the originally orderly search commands could no longer be maintained.

The three options for the Throne began to fall apart.

Akainu confirmed the Navy Seat.

[Navy Seat: D]

The dragon followed closely behind.

[Revolutionary Army Seat: D]

Makino handed over the Civilian Witness Seat to the woman with the Black Cup in the Seastone net.

"Are you willing to cast your vote?"

"I have no hands."

"Just tell me whether you're willing or not."

"Willing."

Makino stamped her seal.

[Civilian Witness Seats: D]

Lumi confirmed the fourth vote.

Holding his seal, Buggy first wrote a line on the paper that the expenses would be shared by the five seats, and then pressed it down.

[Pirate and Neutral Seats: D]

Five seats passed.

All writing in the name boxes on the Calm Belt has stopped.

The 132 names that have already been entered have been removed from the route and redirected to a separate Protection Page.

The Experimental Mother's raised arm remained above the sea surface.

She didn't catch a single name.

The words "Unborn" on the island were also peeled off from the Little Patch, and fell into the column of evidence.

Little Patch looked at her own body.

"She's not calling me anymore."

Luffy asked, "Isn't it good?"

"She never stopped."

"So what do you want to hear now?"

Red Knot turns to Moving Island.

I want to hear what she has to say.

The sound of friction came from the sutures on the Experimental Mother's abdomen, and the woman's voice spoke through 1,967 Black Cups.

The child didn't answer.

Lin Qi stared at the Protection Page.

"Right."

Can I still look for it?

"Find yourself first."

"Who I am?"

That's your answer.

The Experimental Mother did not reach out again.

Vegapunk's instrument displayed the results.

[Motherhood search frozen for twelve hours]

[1,967 independent convictions received temporary protection]

[The forced route for the receiver, Little Patch, and the Straw Hat is paused]

Nami immediately circled three locations on the sea chart.

"Twelve hours is only enough for us to rendezvous. The Kuja ships will handle the inner circle, while the Marine warships will provide support on the outer circle. Whitebeard's side will take Ace to the east of Amazon Lily, but he must not enter the Experimental Mother's detection range."

Boa Hancock asked, "What about the Straw Hat?"

"Luffy stays on the perimeter."

"I want to go too."

"You'll bring Little Patch's Echo into the area, and it will reconnect the route."

What about the Little Patch?

"Move to a stationary support first."

Lin Qi picked up the old ledger from the Tavern.

Is this place okay?

Mo'er opened his eyes and glanced at it.

"No, the Total Echo of the Throne are already on the ledger. If we add another one, the Throne will accuse us of setting up a private population warehouse."

"Then what should we use?"

A Hui pulled the blood-soaked Paper Thread from Mo'er's waist.

"This."

Mo'er turned his head.

When did you take it?

"When the doctor changed the bandage."

"Those are my memories of sailing."

"Haven't you always wanted to quit your job?"

"Even if you resign, you can't use your memories as a house."

Little Patch close to the Paper Thread.

"I've been to the Calm Belt."

"I've been there."

"They also took me away from here."

Mo'er looked at the Paper Thread and did not object further.

Just as Lin Qi was about to establish a temporary support, the frozen Experimental Mother opened up again.

This time, the Black Cup was not passed.

The voice came directly from the Den Den Mushi in front of Ace.

"Ace."

Whitebeard's naginata blocked the microphone.

The Experimental Mother did not ask if he was her child.

Using that memory that belonged only to Rouge, she asked another question.

Would you like me to remember you?