Chapter 173: Illusion
Peaceful times always pass particularly quickly. In the blink of an eye, the remaining months of Marineford Era 1491 had passed uneventfully, and time arrived at Marineford Era 1492.
During this period, no major events occurred again.
The rice planted by Sister La ripened once, was husked and stored away, seemingly intended for use during the New Year.
Burufaruto returned to Fish-Man Island to find his old acquaintance, but the other party apparently hadn’t come back yet.
Aoxi learned Armament Haki, and Kaido now drags her every day to some desert island for sparring practice.
Obei recently created a cyberpunk-style prosthetic limb and personally delivered it to Zannick on Sky Island.
It’s said she’s also planning to set up a prosthetic limb production line when she has time, opening a new business line for Beasts Heavy Industry.
Naturally, those special employees in the factories responded with 120% enthusiasm.
Wright and his older brother diligently managed internal organization affairs. They jointly established an internal affairs team in the original small warehouse room and summoned back all the previous people.
Wright also asked Skipgate to hand over his bargain disciple Dante to serve as his own assistant.
This made Skipgate involuntarily scratch his explosive hair. Why doesn’t Wright show any intention of returning, and now he’s even poaching people from him?
The firearms from the Beasts Weapon Factory were hugely popular on the market, in short supply almost every day.
The engineers and experts from South Blue had upgraded the production lines several times, and only then could output barely keep up with the growing orders.
Finally, in the last few days of December, everyone put down their work, those who were out all returned to the island, and everyone silently awaited the arrival of that day.
And the New Year arrived as expected, like the morning sun.
……
For pirates who hold banquets whenever there’s an opportunity and create one if there isn’t, such a great chance to ring in the New Year is of course absolutely not to be missed.
Even Kaido boldly went to Sister La and asked for a special fund to hold a grand New Year’s Eve festival.
“Time really flies, huh~”
“I didn’t expect we’d already spent a year in this world~”
“From that unnamed desert island, to the old stronghold before, to Fenrir Island now… and then Sky Island after…”
“We’ve really been through so much this year~”
“Not a year, to be precise, only ten months and twenty-two days.”
“Tch~ Do you have to be so unromantic?”
“I’m just stating the facts.”
“Sister La, look at her~”
The two little ones were sitting on the roof of their own house, hands propping up their heads, watching the brightly lit scenes in the distant town and at the Beasts garrison.
The banquet hadn’t actually ended yet. Kaido, his older brother, and Burufaruto were still feasting and drinking in the banquet hall, and the noise could be heard even from this far away.
The island garrison executives had also been summoned back, participating in this New Year’s Eve festival while handing over their duties.
They would hold a ranking match for re-ranking on the second day after the banquet, then reassign islands based on the rankings.
Of course, even knowing they’d fight to the death tomorrow, they were still arm-in-arm now, competing to see who could drink the other under the table first.
And as usual, Sister La took Aoxi and Obei away from the banquet early and returned home.
But this time, she didn’t demand they go to sleep immediately, instead planning to stay up with them until the next day.
“It’s about time to come down from the roof. I’ve prepared glutinous rice balls for you; come try them.”
“Oh~”
“Got it~”
The two little ones obediently landed on the ground, opened the door, and walked into the living room, sitting down at the dining table.
“Glutinous rice balls… Sister La, what filling is this?”
Aoxi poked the smooth, round ball in her bowl with a soup spoon, very afraid that Sister La had put something outrageous inside.
“What filling… Aren’t glutinous rice balls just sesame filling?”
“If you want other fillings, I’ll prepare them next time.”
“No no no! Sesame filling is the best!”
Upon hearing it wasn’t carrot filling or bitter melon filling, Aoxi decisively scooped one up and put it in her mouth.
“Mmm~ So chewy—”
Clang!
The ceramic soup spoon dropped back into the bowl. After tasting it, Aoxi froze in place.
“Aoxi, what’s wrong?”
Obei, who had also scooped one up to try, saw her like this and asked curiously.
“Dad, Mom…”
“Huh? What are you saying? What Dad and Mom?”
“Come on~ Obei, eat one quick. Dad, Mom, big brother, and second brother are waiting for you~”
Aoxi hurriedly urged, unclear whether she was now in a fantasy or still clear-headed.
Obei was utterly confused by her, but still obediently ate one.
After all, it was made by Sister La herself; how could it be poisoned?
Clang~
“Dad, Mom?”
After biting into the first glutinous rice ball, Obei also fell into the illusion created by the cooking, just like Aoxi.
There, Obei saw her long-separated parents and two older brothers. The family was gathered around a round table having hot pot… this was the scene from their family’s New Year’s Eve dinners in previous years.
Aoxi was now fighting over a piece of beef roll with big brother’s son, her own nephew.
“This is…?”
“This is a shared illusion I created with my cooking.”
Sister La had now entered this scene too. With her cooking skills further evolved, she could now pull those who ate her food into an illusion she wove.
“So… they’re fake?”
Obei murmured.
“Fake, but also real.”
“They’re pulled from my own memories, the them from back then.”
Sister La looked at those familiar faces and replied.
“But…”
Just as Obei wanted to say more, the woman sitting in the main seat spoke up.
“Sister La, Obei, what are you standing there for?”
“Hurry over! Or Aoxi will snag all the meat.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Sister La responded, then took Obei’s hand and sat down next to Aoxi.
“Does this have any meaning?”
Looking at the illusion indistinguishable from the real scene, Obei asked softly in confusion.
“Meaning? Spending New Year with family, does that count?”
Sister La picked up chopsticks and placed a skewer of mushrooms into Obei’s bowl.
“You always think too much, Obei.”
“Sometimes, meaning itself is the least meaningful thing.”
“Just have a proper New Year’s Eve dinner with the family.”
“……”
“……”
“Mm.”
Obei finally nodded, then quickly finished the mushrooms in her bowl with chopsticks in a few bites and joined Aoxi’s food-snatching battle.
“Hey! You two elders, stop always fighting over with the kids?”
“Hmph~ Mom, just spoil your big grandson!”
Aoxi stood right up, using chopsticks to pull beef rolls into her own bowl.
“I’m a kid now too; why can’t I fight over? Watch me eat all the beef rolls!”
“Nom~”
“Haha! My daughter’s right! Aoxi, Obei, eat as much as you want, don’t mind your mom—there’s plenty more beef anyway~”
“Heehee~ Thanks, Dad!”
……
