It was the sound of Barn's Explosive Flame Wave Sword still burning the Snake God's corpse.
By now, the Snake God had been reduced to black debris scattered across the ground. Apart from a curved, charred black mark that proved it had once been a snake, nothing remained.
"Chirp, chirp!"
Seeing that his master had won, Fitz immediately swooped down from high above, landed on Barn's head, and bent down to peck his forehead gently.
"Chirp, chirp."
"Yeah, we won!"
Barn couldn't help smiling at Fitz's concern, but the exhaustion from fighting and using his Devil Fruit power washed over him. Overwhelmed by drowsiness, he collapsed to the ground and fell asleep...
"Chirp, chirp! (Honestly!)"
Barn fluttered his wings and landed on Barn's chest, looking at his fallen master and chirping in complaint.
"Wow! Did that creature called a man do all this? He's the one who killed the Snake God?"
Aishi had returned with Empress Gloriosa. What greeted them was the Martial Arts Arena, with two enormous gaps blasted into it, and a huge, coiled black mark within its grounds.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Aishi answered the empress as calmly as ever, but her gaze never left that enormous black mark. Her normally bright, alert eyes held a trace of blankness...
"Oh! There he is!"
Gloriosa spotted Barn lying amid the ruins of the Martial Arts Arena. She pulled free of Aishi's arm and ran toward him.
"Y-Your Majesty!"
Feeling Gloriosa pull away, Aishi immediately came to her senses. When she saw the empress running toward Barn, she followed.
Meanwhile, Fitz was guarding Barn, who lay as still as a corpse. Seeing the two women who had "bullied" him running over, he immediately chirped a warning.
"Chirp, chirp, chirp! (Stay back!)"
Gloriosa simply crouched beside the motionless Barn, stroked Fitz's head, and said,
"Don't be afraid, little one. We mean no harm. We just want to see what sort of person has 'saved' our country."
Whether Fitz actually understood Gloriosa's words or was drawn in by her beauty, he really did hop off Barn's body and fly onto her shoulder, rubbing his head against her cheek.
(Hey, hey, hey! Is it really okay to sell out your master just like that?)
"Hahaha, stop that! It tickles!"
Gloriosa stroked Fitz's feathers and laughingly stopped his affectionate nuzzling, then turned to Barn, who lay asleep on the ground.
Aishi caught up just then, a complicated emotion flashing through her eyes as she looked at Barn.
"So, Aishi, what's the name of this creature called a man?"
"According to him, his name is Barn Bashut. He's a pirate."
Gloriosa lightly tapped her lips with a jade-like finger, looking thoughtful as she spoke.
"Oh? Are there really pirates with a sense of justice in this world?"
"I... do not know."
Aishi found that question rather difficult to answer.
"Say, Aishi, don't you think this man is quite handsome?"
Gloriosa turned back to Aishi and asked with a cheerful smile.
"Huh?"
"Mm... where am I?"
Barn had lost count of how many times he'd said those words. Wherever he was, all he saw when he opened his eyes was darkness. Only the feel of his surroundings changed.
"You're awake?"
It wasn't Aishi's icy voice, but a sweet one, much like Seria's.
"Ah, where am I?"
"Chirp, chirp!"
"Hm? Fitz? You're here too!"
Fitz flew onto Barn's head and bent down to peck his forehead gently in reply.
"These are my chambers."
That sweet voice spoke again. Its owner was Gloriosa, the empress of Amazon Lily.
Gloriosa turned to look at Barn, but instead of eyes meeting hers, she saw a pair of milky-white eyes facing elsewhere.
"You! Your eyes?"
Gloriosa was startled. She hadn't noticed Barn's eyes when she'd seen him earlier.
"Oh, these? I've been blind for a long time."
Barn was already used to people treating him differently. He seemed quite at ease with it now.
"You killed the Snake God in this condition?"
Gloriosa clearly found it hard-or perhaps impossible-to believe that a blind man could kill the Snake God, which her entire country had been helpless against.
"Yeah, because I have Fitz!"
Barn gave her a slight smile as he answered.
Gloriosa was stunned. She hadn't expected Barn to be so optimistic. Perhaps that was precisely what made him strong.
So that's why he asked for his bird back before his duel with Aishi?
That was what Gloriosa thought.
With that realization, Gloriosa abandoned her earlier lofty demeanor. She rose, walked over to Barn, and gracefully bowed before him.
"Though you cannot see me, please allow me, Gloriosa, the reigning empress of Amazon Lily, to offer you the respect due to the strong. Thank you for slaying the Snake God for us. Please allow me to bestow upon you the title of 'hero'!"
"Um... Your Majesty, you don't have to do this! I didn't do much. There's no need!"
The sincerity in Gloriosa's voice left Barn feeling awkward, and he hurriedly waved his hands as he spoke.
"Please allow me to bestow upon you the title of 'hero'!"
Her voice was still sweet, but now it carried a sovereign's authority that brooked no refusal!
"Th-this feeling..."
Startled by the aura Gloriosa exuded, Barn had a bold thought.
Could it be... Conqueror's Haki?
"Please allow me to bestow upon you the title of 'hero'!"
Her voice rang in Barn's ears once more, but this time he didn't refuse.
"All right..."
He agreed, and Gloriosa straightened up again.
"That's more like it."
Her voice regained the sweetness of an innocent young girl. Barn could hardly believe she had been the one speaking with such overwhelming authority a moment ago.
"Chirp, chirp!"
Fitz didn't understand what had happened. He merely thought it might be something good, so he chirped happily.
"Now then, Sir Barn, our 'hero,' get ready. I shall hold a banquet for you, to thank you for saving our country!"
At the banquet, Barn sat with Empress Gloriosa, Aishi, the captain of the Kuja Warriors, and the other ministers of Amazon Lily.
Just as Barn had expected, everyone attending was a woman.
There were also many women gathered around Barn, trying to observe him without making a sound. He could sense them, though; he was merely pretending to remain composed.
Fitz, on the other hand, stood atop Barn's head with his head held high and his chest puffed out, surveying the surrounding women like a superior inspecting his subordinates.
During the banquet, Empress Gloriosa rose and cleared her throat.
"Ahem! Silence!"
Everyone stopped their whispered conversations. The women surrounding Barn returned to their seats as well, quietly waiting for Gloriosa to speak.
"People of Amazon Lily! Today marks Sir Barn's first visit to our island. The Snake God Festival is three days away, yet today, that so-called Snake God wreaked havoc on Amazon Lily, leaving many dead and wounded. Sir Barn single-handedly put an end to this disaster! From this day forward, Amazon Lily will retain the date of the Snake God Festival, but abolish its cruel tradition of sacrifice. Henceforth, the Snake God Festival shall be a day of celebration for the entire nation!"
"Wonderful! Hahaha!"
Everyone present cheered in agreement.
"Ahem, silence!"
The guests fell quiet once again.
"I have decided to bestow upon Sir Barn the title of 'Hero of Amazon Lily'! He shall forever have the respect of our people!"
"Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!" (That's the sound of applause... don't get the wrong idea!)
"Sir Barn, please come forward."
Gloriosa extended the invitation with a smile, and a maid led Barn over to stand before her.
"This necklace was made from the venomous fangs of the Snake God you slew. As a token, it shall earn you the respect of everyone on Amazon Lily!"
"Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap! (That's still the sound of applause...)"
Barn accepted Gloriosa's award, put on the Snake God's Fang, and returned to his seat. The banquet continued merrily, happy smiles lighting everyone's faces. Everyone's except Aishi's...
In the banquet hall's garden, Barn and Aishi walked side by side. Fitz, who had curiously taken a sip of wine and gotten dead drunk, was now sprawled on Barn's head, dozing.
The two of them simply walked...
After a long silence, Aishi spoke first.
"My older sister was last year's sacrifice at the Snake God Festival..."
Barn froze and stopped in his tracks. Aishi took another step before turning back, her face covered in tears.
Losing control of her emotions, she actually slapped Barn...
He heard her cry out,
"Why! Why didn't you come sooner! Then my sister wouldn't have been chosen as the sacrifice! Why!"
Barn fell silent... He caught Aishi's hand as it was about to fall and said, "I'm sorry."
Aishi couldn't hold it in any longer. She sank to her knees, wrapped her arms around Barn's legs, and sobbed.
Barn felt miserable, an indescribable ache weighing on him. He understood how Aishi felt. It was like how he'd felt when he parted with Brook and the others.
He rested a hand on Aishi's head and spoke softly.
"Aishi, teach me how to use Haki. That way, I'll be able to protect more people."
Still sobbing, Aishi lifted her head, looked at Barn, and nodded.
"Yes!"