One Piece: Starting as a Celestial Dragon, Building a Kingdom of Women, Chapter 44

The currency of Wano Country, including gold coins, silver plates, and copper cash, was neatly stacked inside wooden chests.

Stussy did not greedily take too much; she only took enough to last their group for a period of time, wrapped it in cloth, then grabbed the bundle in her claws, vibrated her wings, and flew silently out of the Daimyo's Residence along the route she had come.

As an intelligence operative originating from Cipher Pol Aigis Zero, the act of theft carried no psychological burden for her at all.

Could the affairs of Cipher Pol Aigis Zero be called stealing?

Anyway, the dirty deeds committed by the World Government's intelligence agencies were numerous; this tiny matter could not even be considered a drop in the bucket.

Carrying the cloth bag filled with coins, Stussy returned silently to the rendezvous point she had agreed upon with Mumei.

That was an abandoned small temple located at the edge of the town, overgrown with weeds, clearly unattended for a very long time.

Mumei was sitting on an upturned wooden chest, her two legs dangling in midair and swaying gently, humming an unfamiliar little tune to herself.

Seeing Stussy return, she immediately jumped down from the wooden chest and trotted forward to greet her.

"Got it." Stussy patted the cloth bag in her hand, producing a dull metallic clinking sound.

She separated a small handful of copper cash and a few silver plates from the cloth bag and stuffed them into Mumei's hands. "Here, take this to buy yourself something nice to eat, and don't walk too far. I'm going to a kimono shop to order a few well-fitting sets of clothes."

Mumei received the coins, nodded happily, and scurried off into the street like a wisp of smoke.

Stussy then turned and walked toward the kimono shop in town, using the coins "borrowed" from the Daimyo's Residence to custom-order several sets of simple, unassuming kimonos in sizes for Saint Dio, the three Sandersonia sisters, and herself.

She specifically instructed the shopkeeper that the styles did not need to be flashy, with the colors mainly being dark blue, ink green, and grey-brown to facilitate movement.

Meanwhile, Mumei was leisurely strolling through the streets of the town.

She had bought a bright red candied apple, held it in her hand, and extended her small tongue to lick it bite by bite, the sweet syrup melting on the tip of her tongue and making her narrow her eyes in satisfaction.

As she walked, she observed her surroundings seemingly without a care in the world.

Although she had not undergone professional intelligence training, having stayed by Stussy's side for a long time and through subtle influence, she had also learned some basic observation skills.

Right at that moment, a commotion suddenly erupted ahead on the street.

A group of burly, fierce-looking men strode over aggressively, every one of them with weapons strapped to their waists, their clothing and appearance utterly out of place with the local people of Wano Country, and their attitude arrogant and domineering.

They blocked the pedestrians on the road and barked roughly, "Hey! Have you seen any suspicious outsiders? Speak!"

Frightened, the pedestrians lowered their heads and stepped aside, shaking their heads repeatedly.

Mumei stood by the roadside, licking her candied apple and watching the scene like an ordinary, curious child, maintaining her composure.

Just then, a squad of samurai dressed in neat kimonos and with katana sabers at their waists hurried over from the other end of the street, blocking the path of the boorish men.

The lead samurai wore a grim expression, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, and spoke in an unkind tone, "Members of the Beasts Pirates, you have come to the territory of our Shimotsuki Family. I wonder what business brings you here?"

The two sides confronted each other in the center of the street, the atmosphere instantly growing tense.

The burly leader of the Beasts Pirates grinned, seemingly unwilling to make things overly tense at this time and place, so he waved his hand and said dismissively, "Nothing much. We're just following Lord King's orders to search and see if any suspicious outsiders have sneaked in."

"There is no one here you are looking for," the samurai of the Shimotsuki Family replied coldly. "Please turn back."

The men of the Beasts Pirates exchanged glances, ultimately choosing not to start a fight here. They snorted coldly and turned to leave.

Mumei finished licking the last bite of her candied apple, casually tossed the bamboo skewer into a roadside trash can, clapped her hands, and continued strolling as if nothing had happened.

By dusk, Stussy had retrieved the custom-made sets of kimonos from the kimono shop and rented a small inn in a relatively quiet district of the town to serve as a temporary foothold.

Once everything was properly arranged, she prepared to return to the mountain forest to pick up Saint Dio and his party and bring them into the city.

Before setting off, Mumei told Stussy what she had seen and heard on the street during the day.

"The Beasts Pirates' men are searching the town for outsiders," Mumei said, sitting on the threshold and resting her chin in her hands. "They even mentioned someone called 'Lord King'."

Hearing this, Stussy furrowed her brows slightly, then relaxed them again.

It seemed their movements had been exposed; most likely, that pirate ship and those few pirates had been discovered by the men of the Beasts Pirates.

However, the opposing party probably did not know their specific identities and purposes yet, and were merely casting a wide net to screen for them.

"Got it," Stussy nodded. "Let's move quickly and settle the master in before they expand their search radius."

As night deepened, Stussy transformed into a bat, silently sweeping out of the town and flying toward the direction of the mountain forest.

Moonlight spilled across the mountain forest, gilding the rolling tree canopies with a layer of silvery-white halo. The night breeze brushed past, causing the branches and leaves to rustle, while distant, unfamiliar cries of birds and beasts occasionally echoed through the empty valley.

Shyarly cowered beside Saint Dio, her large eyes scanning the surrounding darkness vigilantly.

Whenever an unfamiliar beast cry sounded in the distance, her small body would tremble slightly, unconsciously pressing closer to Saint Dio.

Saint Dio glanced down at her, reached out, gently pressed down on her small head, and ruffled her soft, purplish-blue short hair. The strands were fine and smooth, possessing a wonderful texture akin to the finest satin.

Shyarly seemed to draw a sense of safety from the warmth of that hand, her tense body relaxing slightly as her fish tail, covered in light-blue scales, unconsciously swayed gently, its caudal fin casting a soft luster under the moonlight.

Saint Dio's gaze landed on her fish tail, and he reached out to stroke it. The texture was cool and smooth, the scales closely arrayed together like carefully polished jade, and fine textures could be felt as his fingertips slid across them.

He suddenly recalled a matter: female mermaids could transform their fish tails into human legs after reaching the age of thirty.

In other words, if he wanted to taste a mermaid, he would have to wait at least another twenty years.

He glanced at the little mermaid beside him who had not yet reached his chest height, and silently put that thought away for the time being.

At that moment, a slight tremor suddenly traveled through the ground.

Sandersonia and Marigold sprang up from the ground almost simultaneously, their naginata already grasped in their hands, their four eyes staring fixedly into the depths of the darkness.

Hancock also stood up, shielding Shyarly behind her.

Within the darkness, two clusters of eerie green light lit up-they were the eyes of a beast.

As heavy footsteps drew closer, that creature finally walked out from the shadows.

The moonlight illuminated its silhouette, revealing a giant bear standing fully three meters tall, its entire body covered in thick, brownish-black fur, its shoulder blades bulging high, and every step it planted on the ground causing the earth to tremble slightly.

It evidently regarded this group of uninvited guests as intruders into its territory, opening its bloody maw to emit a deafening roar, and then kicking off with its hind legs to lunge fiercely at Sandersonia, who was closest to it.

Sandersonia advanced instead of retreating, taking a step forward while leveling the naginata in her hands horizontally.

With a dull, resounding clang, the giant bear's paw, imbued with immense force, slammed against the shaft of the naginata, vibrating the weapon until it hummed.

Sandersonia's feet plowed two deep trenches into the ground, yet she stably received the strike.

Immediately following this, she twisted her wrist, sliding the naginata along the bear's paw as the blade traced a fierce arc through the air, sweeping upward from below.

"Splrit!"

The sharp blade cut into the giant bear's soft abdomen, slicing all the way upward to its chest.

Scalding blood and viscera gushed out in a torrent, spilling all over the ground.

The giant bear let out a short, pathetic howl, its massive body wavering before crashing heavily to the ground; after twitching a few times, it stopped moving entirely.

Sandersonia shook the bloodstains off the naginata and expressionlessly retracted the weapon to her side. Ordinary beasts like this could no longer pose any threat to them at all.

Chapter 70: Desiring to Taste the Sensation of Hancock in a Kimono

Stussy descended from the sky, her bat form recondensing into a human shape just before landing, settling steadily in front of Saint Dio.

She glanced at the corpse of the giant bear still bleeding on the ground, bowed slightly, and said, "Master, I am late."

"Not late, right on time." Saint Dio stood up, patting the grass clippings and mud clinging to his hem.

Stussy handed the bag of kimonos in her hand to Hancock nearby, signaling her to help distribute them, and then walked over to Saint Dio, reaching out to untie the white outer robe he had worn for several days.

With practiced movements, she first unfastened the ties of his outer robe, stripped off the outer garment, and then removed the inner undergarment, taking them off piece by piece, folding them, and placing them to the side.

The moonlight spilled unhindered over Saint Dio, outlining a perfectly proportioned physique.

Long-term combat and training had endowed his body with a balance of strength and aesthetics, possessing both explosive power and unyielding elegance.

Meanwhile, the massive organ between his legs, which remained quite impressive even in a state of relaxation, cast a long shadow under the illumination of the moonlight, demonstrating the male aura of its master.

Stussy's gaze lingered on that massive organ for a fleeting second, but she quickly looked away.

She picked up the folded kimono, first unfurling the inner white juban, helping Saint Dio slip it on, fastening the loops, and adjusting the position of the collar; then she draped the dark grey outer haori, aligned the lapels, wrapped the obi belt around his waist, tightened it, tied a knot, and adjusted the folds; finally, she crossed and tightened a dark-brown thin cord outside the obi belt to secure the overall silhouette.

Once dressed, Saint Dio lowered his head to inspect himself.

The dark-grey outer haori was tailored to fit, featuring wide cuffs and a hem that reached right to his calves, with a dark-brown obi belt tied around his waist.

"Not bad." Saint Dio lowered his head to inspect this attire of his, nodding in satisfaction.

Hancock took the kimono handed over by Stussy and prepared to change as well.

She stripped off her own midriff-baring top and long skirt, which possessed a distinct Kuja style, revealing a curvaceous body. Her snow-white skin emitted an ivory-like luster under the moonlight, her slender waist was within the grasp of a single hand, and her full breasts were outlined into alluring curves by the moonlight.

However, when she picked up that kimono, she fell into a predicament.

Mimicking Stussy's actions from just moments before, she attempted to slip on the juban, yet could not distinguish the direction of the front and back lapels; she picked up the obi belt and measured it for a long time, having no idea where to start tying it either.

After struggling for quite a while, she could only barely drape the haori over herself, the lapels hanging open loosely and the obi belt haphazardly slung around her waist, revealing one rounded, fragrant shoulder and half of a fair, slender calf.

The kimono fabric clung to her skin in a semi-concealing manner, fluttering gently with the night breeze, adding a hazy aesthetic of "haltingly hiding behind a pipa" that exceeded complete nudity, carrying a temptation that seemed to leave words unspoken.

Saint Dio's gaze lingered on Hancock for a moment, and the massive organ between his thighs twitched slightly of its own accord.

He secretly resolved in his heart that once they settled down later, he must definitely experience what Hancock felt like while wearing a kimono.

Seeing this, Stussy let out a helpless sigh, stepped forward, and helped Hancock rearrange her clothing.

After changing, Hancock's entire aura underwent a subtle transformation.

The pale-green kimono set off her skin as white as snow, the deep-purple obi belt accentuated her slender waist, and the wide cuffs swayed gently with her movements, exuding a gentle and dignified charm.

Her long, jet-black hair fell loosely across her shoulders, paired with her breathtaking facial features, making her the living image of a Yamato Nadeshiko stepped right out of a scroll.

Only the sharp glint occasionally flashing through her black eyes reminded those around her that this beauty was certainly not a character to be trifled with.

If one wished to approach her, they had to consider whether they possessed the capability to do so.

At that moment, Shyarly floated over to Stussy, tugged at the corner of her clothing with her small hand, looked up with eager eyes, and asked in a low voice, "Sister Stussy... where is mine?"

Stussy looked down at her, squatted down, and explained in a gentle tone, "Shyarly, you are too conspicuous. The people of Wano Country do not yet know of the existence of mermaids. If you appear in town, it will cause a huge commotion. Bear with it for a little while first, and once we are settled, I will find a way to arrange something for you."

Although somewhat disappointed, Shyarly nodded sensibly.

Stussy stood up, walked over to Saint Dio, and reported the situation she had observed in town during the day: "Master, the men of the Beasts Pirates have already started searching in town. They mentioned someone named 'King', who should be one of the All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates. They probably do not know our specific identities and locations yet, and are merely casting a wide net for screening."

Having heard this, Saint Dio nodded with a calm expression, showing not a trace of surprise.

He had long since anticipated this result.

From the moment he chose not to eradicate those pirates root and branch, he had already prepared himself to shoulder the corresponding risks.

And the reason he chose to spare the lives of those pirates was, on one hand, to take the opportunity to test the actual effect of the Caged Bird Seal, and on the other hand, to observe the reaction speed and operational style of the Beasts Pirates.

Judging from the current situation, the Beasts Pirates only knew that someone had sneaked into Wano Country, but did not know specifically who it was, how many people there were, or what they looked like, forcing them to resort to the most primitive needle-in-a-haystack screening method.

This demonstrated that the effect of the Caged Bird Seal was exceptionally flawless; even under severe torture, those pirates had not leaked a single fraction of information regarding him.

However, this did not mean they could rest easy just yet.

Saint Dio raised a hand to stroke his white hair, which looked exceptionally eye-catching under the moonlight, and then glanced at Stussy's equally conspicuous golden hair, pondering inwardly: among their group, both his and Stussy's hair colors were far too unusual.

If he had not placed the Caged Bird Seal upon those pirates, they certainly would have been pursued using their hair colors as clues.

"Alright, prepare to enter the city." Saint Dio patted his hem and strode out of the forest.

No sooner had the group passed through the brush in the forest and reached the main road than they spotted a quite sturdy carriage parked by the roadside.

The carriage body was a dark-brown wooden structure with a dark canvas draped over the roof, and two tall horses were tethered to the front, impatiently pawing the ground with their hooves.

Seeing this carriage, Stussy could not help but be momentarily stunned. Mumei was sitting at the driver's seat, clutching the reins of the two horses in her hands, as Stussy asked curiously, "Where did this carriage come from?"

Mumei scratched her head, let out a chuckle, and explained with a hint of complacency, "After you left, I was waiting at that ruined temple when a band of bandits showed up and wanted to start a fight just because they saw me alone. I casually dealt with all of them and then looted this carriage from them."

Hearing this, Stussy could not help but smile warmly. "Well, that saves us the trouble of walking."

She reached out to lift the canvas curtain of the carriage and peered inside. The space was quite spacious, more than enough to accommodate three or four people.

Thus, Saint Dio boarded first, followed by her helping Shyarly into the carriage, and finally climbing in herself.

Hancock followed closely behind and also sat inside the carriage.

Sandersonia and Marigold stood outside the carriage, looking at the narrow carriage door and then at their own physiques, which were vastly wider than those of ordinary people, and silently abandoned the thought of squeezing inside.

The two of them walked to the front of the carriage, one on each side, grasped the reins, and jerked them upward with force.

"Giddyup!"

The two horses exerted force simultaneously, their muscles tightening and their hooves stepping heavily onto the ground. The wheels rolled forward abruptly, only to be yanked back by that heavy load, swaying back and forth in place before refusing to budge any further.

The two horses breathed heavily with flared nostrils, evidently having mustered every ounce of their strength, yet still unable to pull this carriage bearing such a heavy burden.