One Piece: It's always been you

Chapter 67 The Conspiracy Hidden in the Shadows (4)

On the edge of Wheat Island, vines have sprung up from the once flat ground. Among the vines are chess pieces, invading pirates, broken clods of earth, and shapeless pillars of earth.

These pirates weren't particularly strong, but Yu and his group were outnumbered. With the help of the vines, they gained the upper hand in the battle.

At the forefront of the battlefield, large beads of sweat covered Yu's forehead. The pirate before him was formidable, clearly the leader of these pirates. "I heard that Katakuri, the second son of Whole Cake Island, cares about you. I wonder if he will be angry if I kill you."

The person Yu is fighting can attract minerals; simply put, he can control the earth element. Against him, Yu has a significant advantage in controlling trees.

If it were a one-on-one battle, Yu wouldn't be struggling so much. But she had to divert some of her attention to control the vines to help the chess pieces on the other side. The dual strain on her physical and mental strength left her overwhelmed.

Fortunately, Katakuri supervised his training, which is why he has managed to hold on until now.

But for some reason, the longer she fought this person, the more powerless she felt. Her thoughts and body gradually became separated, and her actions couldn't keep up with her thoughts.

"You can't kill me."

"Hahaha, what a boastful tone." But he knew Yu was just bluffing. "You should have noticed that your actions have become sluggish."

Although Yu sensed the changes in her body and tried to hide them, she was still discovered.

"I've been without an opponent for too long, so I'm a bit tired. But you, you haven't shown any sign of backing down after all this time. Are you waiting for reinforcements from the Kingdom of Ten Thousand to come and bring you before Big Mom?"

"I just want to see how you die."

As he spoke, earthen pillars rose up from the ground again, flying towards You from all directions.

Yu used her swift movement to dodge, using the incoming earth pillars to try and get closer to the person. The discomfort in her body grew increasingly pronounced; Yu felt her heart pounding violently. The discomfort caused her to lose control in mid-air and fall heavily to the ground.

The earth pillars didn't stop attacking Yu because of her appearance; one after another, they slammed into her body. Before the earth pillars completely blocked Yu's vision, all she saw was Samojiu's departing figure and his opening and closing mouth.

...Shamojiu... is his name.

Samoji ran away, and he did not attack Komugi Island again, thus he managed to protect her and Katakuri's home.

Kaka, I held on.

"Yu!"

An urgent call came from behind her. Yu's last vestiges of consciousness told her that the voice belonged to Katakuri. He had come.

But he could no longer see him; Yu was engulfed. A pillar of earth slammed into him, the pain in his internal organs suffocating him. In the very end, not being able to see or hear seemed like a good thing.

Samuki hasn't gone far; if we chase after him now, we can catch him. However, Katakuri won't allow himself to go after him; Yu needs him more.

Without the slightest hesitation, Katakuri used the power of the Mochi Mochi Fruit to create multiple hands, searching for Yu's figure in the broken soil.

The soldiers on Katakuri's warship joined the battle. With their leader gone, the remaining pirates lost their center and were depleted of resources, while Perospero arrived with his men.

The battle situation stabilized.

The damage to Komugi Island was minimal, but for a moment, everyone was lost in thought as they watched Katakuri rummaging through the dirt. Even the perfect Katakuri had someone who would pull him down to earth.

"Sister Yu! Sister Yu is buried! Waaaaah!" Pudding couldn't hold back her tears and ran to the pile of rubble, using her two small, tender hands to move the clods of earth.

Clean hands were quickly stained with the color of soil, tears blurred vision, and when I wiped them away, my cheeks lost their pristine condition.

Brulee didn't just stand by and watch; she helped with the search.

"I... I was perfectly fine when I left, how could this happen?" Flampe said with remorse. "I'm sorry, Katakuri-nii, I... I didn't know this would happen."

"Sister Mingyou asked you..."

Bry covered Bryn's mouth to stop her from speaking.

At this point, nothing we say matters; finding Yu is the most important thing. No matter how outrageous or contrary to the truth Franpe's words may be, she is a member of the Kingdom of Treasures, and we cannot do anything to her.

Perospero, observing their reactions, seemed to have some ideas. It appeared that Flampe was the reason why Katakuri's Den Den Mushi couldn't be connected.

While everyone else was lost in their own thoughts, only Katakuri didn't stop searching for Yu. Turning over a clod of earth, he found a five- or six-year-old girl barely alive; sand covered part of her body, and her hair had lost its original color.

But Katakuri knew this was his Yu. He was certain that although her appearance had changed, he wouldn't mistake her. The shimmering light of the necklace beneath her scarf also gave Katakuri his resolve.

He gently picked up Yu, and Katakuri noticed that his hands were trembling. He tried to calm himself down, telling himself that Yu was alright, and as long as they found her, there was still hope.

Right now, Yu is so small, like a crystal on the verge of breaking; the slightest carelessness and she will shatter into pieces.

"This is... Yu-neechan?" Pudding looked at the girl in Katakuri's arms, somewhat incredulous.

It was Brulee who reacted first, "I'll go and bring the doctor over."

Katakuri carried Yu through the crowd and quickly took her away for treatment.

Flampe knew that Katakuri's brother must have understood, but she didn't show much panic. At least their plan had succeeded, and judging from her brother's expression, he wouldn't do anything to her, nor could he.

Even if someone asked, she had already thought of how to explain herself. It was obvious to everyone that she disliked You, so what could they say about her throwing a childish tantrum? After all, she was only four years old. But how could a child possibly understand that it would lead to such a result?

Celluloid was best left to fend for herself. However, if she wanted to drag him into it, then it could only be said that Celluloid was obeying his orders. It was just a prank, and besides, the entire kingdom hadn't suffered any major damage as a result.

Her mother dotes on her and certainly won't hold it against her. That way, her brother won't be able to say anything.

After everyone left, Cellulose stayed by Flampe's side, both lost in thought. Flampe spoke first, "Why did she shrink?"

"I don't know."

This was also what puzzled Cellulose. The adults told her that Quinn of the Beasts Pirates had developed a medicine, and asked her to buy it and use someone else to end Yu's life here. But unexpectedly, she didn't die; instead, she shrank.

"Heh heh heh, I really don't know what you know?" Franpe looked at Celluloid with great displeasure. She couldn't kill Yu last time, and she couldn't this time either. Useless thing.

Celluloid simply smiled at Flampe's sarcasm. Ultimately, they were just using each other; there was no real affection between them. However, she didn't know how to explain this to the adults.

"Taking You away can't be rushed. Just take it one step at a time."

In the dark space, Cellulu bowed her head reverently before the man's phantom, awaiting punishment. However, this time, the adult did not reprimand her severely.

"Yes, my lord!"

"That girl's name is Franpe, right?" the man asked in a deep voice, his personality so unusual for her age. "You must remember, she is just an insignificant character in the book. In your eyes, she is nothing. Stand tall; she is merely a pawn."

Celluloid felt a surge of emotion upon hearing the man's protectiveness towards her. The adult was as gentle as ever, and he would defend her. "I understand."

At the end of his words, the phantom disappeared.

"Yu, it's been a long time. How are you?"