Encounter Reward: Miss Goldenweek

Speaking of Miss Goldenweek, one had to mention an important figure from the original story.

Crocodile, the Sand Crocodile and one of the Shichibukai, had founded the criminal organization Baroque Works—a group that ostensibly sought to build an ideal kingdom but actually coveted Pluton, the ancient weapon sleeping beneath Alabasta.

Everyone in Baroque Works went by codenames and operated in male-female pairs, such as Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger.

Miss Goldenweek was Mr. 3's partner. Mr. 3 was a candle man with the Wax-Wax Fruit, while Miss Goldenweek excelled at painting with pigments, making them a fairly compatible pair.

But Miss Goldenweek's ability did not come from a Devil Fruit.

Aeneas had specifically looked into it in his previous life. Miss Goldenweek's power came from potent psychological suggestion.

What kind of people didn't exist in the pirate world?

Like the Voice of All Things, this psychological suggestion was a special talent.

"But why is she here?" Aeneas was utterly confused. "Still, there are twelve years left before the story begins. Miss Goldenweek is only her later codename."

"Marianne?" Aeneas looked at the expressionless little girl and thought, So this must be before she joined Baroque Works.

Although Miss Goldenweek had not received much attention in the original story, the system still gave Aeneas a chance at an Encounter Reward.

"Congratulations, Host. You have encountered a renowned character from the original story. 'Miss Goldenweek' possesses a maximum Reputation Value of 583, reaching the rank of 'Emerging.' The Host has received one Silver Reward draw!"

"Just as I expected!" Aeneas was unsurprised. "Miss Goldenweek could be considered an assassin. She wouldn't do anything flashy, and as Mr. 3's partner, she'd be even less known."

"One Silver Reward draw. Good enough!"

Aeneas's odds of drawing a Silver Reward were very low now. He only got four chances a year.

"Draw it directly!" Aeneas immediately had the system begin the draw. A giant roulette wheel appeared in his mind, its needle spinning rapidly before finally stopping in the item category.

"Congratulations, Host. You have drawn the Silver Reward, the item 'Ma Liang's Magic Brush'!"

"Hm?" Aeneas was stunned. "Ma Liang's Magic Brush? Does that mean the magic brush that can turn anything into reality?"

The story of Ma Liang's Magic Brush was a fairy tale Aeneas had heard as a child in his previous life. A man named Ma Liang had been bestowed a "magic brush" by a celestial immortal, and whatever Ma Liang drew with it would become a real object.

"Now that I think about it, someone with a similar ability exists in the pirate world too." Aeneas recalled a plotline he had watched shortly before transmigrating. "A samurai named Kanjuro in Wano Country uses a huge brush to turn whatever he draws into reality."

"But that should be a Devil Fruit ability." Aeneas looked at the unclaimed Ma Liang's Magic Brush in his mind. "This Ma Liang's Magic Brush, however, can be used by anyone. Anyone can make what they draw become real."

"What would happen if I drew a Devil Fruit with Ma Liang's Magic Brush?" Aeneas suddenly had a wild idea.

"Everything drawn by Ma Liang's Magic Brush exists only temporarily. It has volume but no mass; it does not truly turn falsehood into reality!" The system reminded Aeneas, preventing his imagination from running wild.

"Then it's basically the same as Kanjuro's ability!" Aeneas curled his lip. "I thought it was some ridiculously overpowered treasure, but it's only this much!"

On second thought, that made sense. Ma Liang's Magic Brush had been rated as a Silver Reward.

So it definitely could not be something unreasonably powerful. There had to be limitations.

"Is this going to gather dust again?" Aeneas lost interest. His consciousness returned to reality, where he saw Marianne staring at him with a blank, adorable expression.

"Huh?" Aeneas had an idea. "I may not need it, but I can give it to Miss Goldenweek."

Of course, Aeneas was not doing this because Marianne was cute. It was because her psychological suggestion was an incredibly terrifying ability.

The black paint at the doorway just now had been Betrayal Black. It could make someone develop feelings of "betrayal"—causing them to instinctively resist and rebel against what they were supposed to do. In the original story, it made Luffy feel unwilling to save his companions trapped in wax.

When the bearded man heard his companion's question just now, he developed those "betrayal" feelings, immediately cursed aloud, slammed the door, and left.

That had indirectly allowed Aeneas to escape disaster.

The green paint Aeneas had stepped on earlier was Leisure Green. It made him want to calm down and do nothing. In the original story, Luffy and the others had wanted to sit down and drink tea.

For some reason, Aeneas had not felt the urge to drink tea—perhaps that had something to do with Marianne's current preferences.

"Thank you for saving me," Aeneas said gratefully, though he felt it was strange to speak so seriously to such a little girl.

"No need to thank me. I didn't do anything." Marianne shook her head, picked up her paintbrush, then retrieved her palette from the floor. It was unclear what color she was mixing.

As for what Aeneas should do next, Marianne did not concern herself with it.

"Uh..." Aeneas felt somewhat at a loss when he saw Marianne's indifferent demeanor.

"Where is this? Are you here alone?" Aeneas asked cautiously.

Marianne glanced at Aeneas and replied flatly.

"This is my home. My home is an art studio, and I'm the only one here." Marianne dipped her brush into the paint by her left foot, then into the paint on her right, before smearing it across the palette.

"So cold..." Aeneas did not see any shyness in Marianne. Had she been living alone at such a young age?

"Then where are your father and mother?" Aeneas asked.

"They're dead."

"..."

Aeneas stared at Marianne's profile for a long time, yet he could not see the slightest hint of sadness or unease on her face.

"Dead?" Aeneas's mouth twitched violently as he howled inwardly, They're dead, so why are you so calm?

"They should be far away by now. You can leave. Don't provoke those people from the Underground Syndicate. None of them are good people." Marianne blinked her large eyes, signaling that Aeneas could go.

"Oh, right. Thank you." Aeneas remembered that he still had things to do. Before leaving, he asked Marianne, "Do you really like painting?"

Marianne tilted her head, then straightened it and nodded.

"Here, this is for you. Consider it my thanks for saving me." Aeneas casually claimed Ma Liang's Magic Brush and handed it to Marianne. "It's called Ma Liang's Magic Brush. It can produce any color you want without mixing paints, and it can even temporarily turn your drawings into reality!"

Marianne's eyes widened, and her usually indifferent little face finally showed surprise.

"Can it mix any color?"

Marianne took a long while before asking, but when she looked up, Aeneas had already gone out and left.

Marianne looked at Ma Liang's Magic Brush in her hand. With a thought, Betrayal Black, Laughter Yellow, Leisure Green, Fighting Bull Red, and every other color flowed from its tip.

Marianne swiftly waved the magic brush. A small bird quickly took shape, and with the final stroke to give it life, the bird flapped its wings and flew out of the painting, circling around the room.

Gradually tightening her grip on Ma Liang's Magic Brush, Marianne rarely stepped outside to look into the distance, but Aeneas's figure had already vanished.

"Thank you..."