The morning sun over the Grand Line was almost too bright, reflecting off the calm blue water as if the nightmare of the metallic island had never happened. On the deck of the Going Merry, the only signs of the battle were a few scorched planks and the faint smell of ozone lingering in the sails. Amia sat on the center deck, her back against the mast. She was staring at her hands, still surprised they weren't shaking anymore. Sanji stepped out of the galley, balancing a tray of steaming mugs. "Victory cocoa for the brave Albatross-swan!" he sang, sliding a cup onto the crate next to her. "And for the rest of you hungry brutes, breakfast is in ten minutes!" "Food! Finally!" Luffy cheered, dropping down from his favorite seat on the figurehead. He looked at Amia and grinned. "You look way better today. Not like a ghost anymore." Amia took a sip of the cocoa; it was rich and sweet, nothing like the lab. "I feel... different. Like I’m not just running from something. I’m actually going somewhere." The peaceful moment was shattered by a sharp squawk. A News Coo spiraled down, landing on the railing and tapping its beak impatiently on its coin pouch. Nami tossed a few Berries into the bag and unfurled the morning paper. Her humming stopped instantly. "Guys... look at this." She laid the paper flat on the deck. There, on the front page, was a blurry photo of the Going Merry escaping the explosion at Iron-Spine Reef. But tucked inside was a fresh, crisp Bounty Poster. It featured a charcoal sketch of a girl with bright green eyes and a determined scowl. WANTED: ALIVE ONLY. 'THE PHANTOM SPECIMEN' AMIA. 50,000,000 BERRIES. "FIFTY MILLION?!" Usopp shrieked, his nose quivering. "That’s a death sentence! We’re doomed! The Marines are going to send Admirals! They're going to send everyone!" Amia stared at the paper. The name "Subject 2,468" wasn't there, but "Specimen" was. Her heart hammered against her ribs. "They’re never going to stop, are they?" Luffy walked over, plucked the poster from the deck, and looked at it for a long second. Then, he let out a loud, infectious laugh. "Shishishi! Look at that, Amia! You’ve got a bounty! That means the sea knows you’re a real pirate now!" He slapped her on the back, nearly knocking her over. "Don't look so scared. If they want to come get you, they have to go through me first." Zoro, who had been napping nearby, cracked one eye open and rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Fifty million is a decent start. Better than the long-nose, anyway." "HEY!" Usopp yelled. Amia looked at her new family—the navigator who was already planning a route to keep them safe, the cook who was protecting her with a hot meal, and the captain who saw a bounty as a badge of honor. For the first time, the "Specimen" label didn't feel like a cage. It felt like a challenge. But as the crew headed into the galley for breakfast, Robin stayed by the railing, her eyes fixed on a thin trail of black smoke on the horizon. It wasn't a Marine ship. It was a sleek, flagless vessel—the kind used by World Government Assassins
To be continue
