That Time Had Come

Shirakawa, Shanks, and Buggy were all wanted by this country now. After all, they had killed one of its generals, making them enemies of the state.

Shirakawa hadn't expected his first Wanted Poster to come from somewhere other than the Navy. Instead, it had been issued by a country on a small island. As someone who'd crossed over from another world, he felt it was a bit of a blow to his pride.

Still, the bounty wasn't small: a full fifty million Berries. It seemed this country really did have plenty of money.

Ten days had passed since they killed Akda. It would take at least another half month to cross the country's border. Since they were wanted, they didn't dare travel between cities anymore, for fear of causing a commotion. They had no choice but to take the long way around.

But taking the long way not only wasted time; it could also be very dangerous. While passing through a forest, the four of them encountered a five-meter-tall black bear. Calling it a monster wouldn't have been an exaggeration.

Buggy and Kaiser Lynn were the only ones who panicked. Shirakawa and Shanks didn't even change their expressions; they simply let Shanks use the bear for practice. The fight dragged on for a while, but the outcome was good enough: he won without a scratch.

So they had black bear meat for dinner that night. It just didn't taste very good.

Honestly, Shirakawa could never quite figure Buggy out. He'd sailed with Roger for so long and been through all kinds of hardships, big and small. Yet even a little trouble could still send him into a panic.

They'd run into Sea Kings several times, but every time they encountered one again, Buggy still seemed terrified.

"Buggy, look at you. You're both apprentices, so why are you and Shanks so different?"

They'd finished eating the black bear meat by dusk. The four of them decided to rest where they were, lying around the campfire. Shirakawa thought he ought to have a heart-to-heart with Buggy and give him a little encouragement.

"Hmph. Maybe I was never cut out to get stronger."

At Shirakawa's words, Buggy turned his back. Before long, his muffled voice drifted over.

"Why bring up my sore spot?" Buggy was upset himself. When Shirakawa had first joined the ship, he'd been evenly matched with Shanks. How had the gap between them grown so wide in just a few months? And of all the things Shirakawa could bring up, why did he have to mention strength?

"Buggy, you can't keep going like this. What'll you do if you leave the ship someday? Without some strength, you won't be able to protect yourself." Shirakawa spoke to Buggy earnestly.

As a member of the Roger Pirates, Shirakawa felt he had to think about his crewmates' futures. Buggy was probably the most pathetic fighter in the Roger Pirates. He only dared to hole up in the East Blue looking for treasure. If he hadn't met Luffy, maybe he'd never have returned to the Grand Line in his whole life.

Later, he'd become one of the Shichibukai through sheer luck, but that would only treat the symptoms, not the cause. If the Shichibukai were ever abolished, Buggy would be in serious danger.

"Don't worry. I'll never leave Captain."

At that, Shirakawa sighed. Whether you leave or not isn't up to you.

Shirakawa was about to say something else when he suddenly heard Buggy snoring. He felt Buggy was doing it on purpose. How could anyone fall asleep so quickly? It wasn't as if he were Garp, Luffy, or Ace.

"Some people really are hopeless." Shirakawa kicked Buggy hard.

"What a waste of my concern. Forget it. I'm going to sleep." Shirakawa turned over too, ready to go to sleep.

What Shirakawa didn't know was that when he said he was going to sleep, Buggy suddenly opened his eyes. His gaze was full of determination, but it lasted only a moment before fading. Maybe some people really were hopeless after all.

Still, Shirakawa's words had planted a seed in Buggy's heart. At the right moment, it might sprout—or it might wither away inside him forever.

While Shirakawa and Buggy had been talking, Shanks had been lying nearby, still awake. He'd heard every word of their conversation.

His gaze had grown somewhat distant. No one knew what he was thinking. Maybe he was wondering how he'd train Buggy from then on.

As for Kaiser Lynn, who wasn't part of their crew, she was sleeping soundly without a care in the world.

Who knew what made her feel safe out in the wilderness? Either way, she wore a smile and looked like she was sleeping quite soundly.

Early the next morning, Shirakawa woke up well before the others. The other three were still sleeping peacefully. Luckily, there was no one around. Otherwise, it would've been all too easy for someone to take advantage of them.

"Hey, hey, wake up! Time to get moving." For some reason, whenever Shirakawa said this, he felt like he was sending prisoners to the execution ground. Still, he seemed to have gotten used to it.

Waking them up every day had become routine. Shirakawa had practically turned into their nanny. He didn't just have to get them up; he also had to make breakfast.

Fortunately, Shirakawa was a good-natured transmigrator. If it had been someone else, who knew how things might have turned out?

"Mm, what time is it?"

As expected, Kaiser Lynn was the first to wake up. Her first words were exactly the same as the ones she'd said the previous morning.

"It's morning already." Morning just meant sometime in the morning. Shirakawa had no idea what time it was exactly. He didn't know how to tell the time by looking at the sun.

Buggy and Shanks woke up one after the other.

"Why does it always feel like I barely close my eyes before it's time to wake up?" Buggy complained, rubbing his eyes.

"If you were dead, you'd keep your eyes closed for a lot longer. How about giving it a try?"

"No." At that, Buggy immediately shook his head and perked up.

He was a little confused. Why was Shirakawa so hostile first thing in the morning? He hadn't done anything to provoke him lately.

Although Buggy had no idea what he'd done wrong, he decided to be careful for his own safety.

"What are we having for breakfast?"

"Nothing but yesterday's leftover meat."

"Ugh? We're eating that stuff again? It tasted awful."

"Then you can just put up with it." Shirakawa had directed that remark at Shanks.

At that, Shanks quieted down too. Who cared if it tasted bad? As long as it was edible, that was enough.

"Hey, what's up with Shirakawa? Is he on a rampage or something? Why's he snapping at everyone?" Shanks pulled Buggy aside and whispered to him.

"I don't know. Maybe that time of the month."

"What time?" Shanks asked, looking confused.

"You know. That time."

"What time is that?"

"That time is that time."

"Oh, so even men get that time?" Shanks said, suddenly enlightened, as if he'd figured it out.

"I guess so. Otherwise, why would Shirakawa be acting like that?"

"Oh, so that's what it is."