One Piece: Dream of Immortality

Chapter 482: A New Face



Cherry arrived at Kin'emon and the minks' war camp well after sundown.

"You're back?" Kin'emon asked.

"Yeah, you're still awake? You ought to get some shut eye," Cherry said.

"I couldn't sleep if I wanted to. Better to let myself tire myself out, then pass out when I can't go any further so I'm well rested when the final battle approaches," Kin'emon claimed.

"That sounds like a load of horse shit, but okay," Cherry wasn't going to tell a grown ass man that it was his bedtime.

Cherry reached into her pocket and pulled Cobra out in a single smooth motion, like she was simply pulling out her wallet. She set him down softly on a cot and went to work fixing the things that were broken, some of which she was undoubtedly responsible for causing with her less than gentle handling of him.

"Er... Who is that?" Kin'emon was naturally curious.

"This is King Nefertari Cobra of Alabasta. The World Government tried to assassinate him at their big get together for some reason. He's a friend," Cherry explained.

Although Cherry told him that as if it wasn't a big deal, it was incredibly shocking from his point of view. Hearing that the World Government had tried to murder one of their own leaders made him realize that his understanding of the world outside Wano was superficial indeed.

"Tsk, I suspected he was being poisoned, but this is even worse. What kind of disease is this even?" Cherry muttered to herself. Kin'emon chose that moment to take his leave, not wanting to get sick himself.

The disease that Cherry found in Cobra's body was insidious. If she hadn't been constantly scanning him as she treated his wounds, she most likely would have missed it altogether.

Once she found it, though, she was able to pick it apart and figure out what it was doing to him. The outlook wasn't good. Left alone, Cobra probably would have died in a matter of weeks, or even less.

The way it was killing him was too targeted for any natural disease, too. She was vaguely familiar with the concept of using disease as a weapon. Such people existed in the Myriad Realms, but it was generally only useful against those in the lower cultivation realms.

Mortals using weaponized diseases was pure insanity! What would they do if it got out of hand and started killing off the whole world?!

She didn't have any proof that it was the Celestial Dragons that made him sick, but she didn't know about anyone else both powerful enough to develop such a weapon and dumb enough to actually use it. It was frankly a matter of sheer luck that it hadn't mutated and started a plague.

"Is that why they tried to kill you? Did you confront them?" Cherry could see Cobra doing that; using the little time he had left in the world to call out their bullshit to their faces. "You shouldn't have brought your daughter in that case, though, you big idiot..."

Cherry left Cobra sleeping in the cot with a note explaining where he was and how he got there in case he woke up before she got back. She needed to make sure Vivi was safe, after all.

...

It didn't take long for Cherry to get done with that. She was mildly surprised to have found Vivi stowing away on Morgans' airship of all things.

With no sign of any pursuers, she determined it was safer to leave her be for now. There was a slim chance of getting spotted if she boarded the airship and she wasn't taking that chance, at least right now. Vivi was a smart kid; she'd be fine on her own.

"Cherry!" the familiar winged figure of Cabernet slammed into Cherry, bowling her over. Cherry had known it was coming, of course, but that was no reason to dodge like she was a stranger.

Surprising her, though, was how Cabernet's eyes were tearing up.

Cherry sighed, smiled, and returned the embrace. "I missed you too, Cabernet."

After a few minutes of clingy reunion, Cabernet gathered herself up. "Oh yeah! Meet my new friend, Cherry!"

Off to the side watching the whole affair was Yamato, trying his damndest not to cry at such a touching scene. He was caught off guard when all the attention was shifted to himself, looking left and right before pointing a finger at his own face.

"Yes, you!" Cabernet giggled, motioning for Yamato to come closer. "Yamato has explosive manacles on his hands! I just blew mine up, but he's worried about losing his arms!"

"Of course I'm worried about losing my arms! I'm not crazy, or made of steel like you!" Yamato defended himself.

"I'm made of wood, though?" Cabernet tilted her head.

Cherry sat in quiet contemplation for a moment, and not just because Kin'emon was glaring at Yamato from a distance. She'd have to ask him about that later. Her eyes drifted until theyn/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

landed on Yamato's chest.

"Nice pecs," Cherry said.

"Thank you!" Yamato accepted the compliment. "I wish they were easier to see under these useless breasts, but I worked hard on 'em!"

Cherry snorted. "You've got good taste in friends, Cabernet."

"I do, don't I?" Cabernet smiled.

"The manacles, then?" Cherry stood and sauntered over since Yamato hadn't moved yet.

"Uh, yeah..." Yamato looked far less comfortable now, pulling his hands a bit closer to his body.

"Relax, I just want to have a look at them. I won't do anything without your permission," Cherry promised him.

Yamato watched her skeptically. Despite all of Cabernet's many, many assurances that Cherry could easily and safely get the chains off of him, he was still understandably worried.

"...Alright..."

Cherry held her hands out and Yamato placed the manacles in them.

*snick*

Cherry popped them right off without an ounce of warning or hesitation.

"Ah-?!" Yamato jerked backward in shock.

"BOOM!"

-Cherry shouted, followed by a laugh as nothing actually happened. Cabernet was right

behind her, doubled over in cackles of her own.

"That wasn't funny!" Yamato pouted, but the pout wavered until he laughed as well.

"Dahahaha!"

"I'll just get rid of these, then," Cherry said once she calmed down.

"Wait!" Kin'emon scrambled over. "Those are made of 'sea stone', are they not?"

"An alloy of sea stone, yes. Just enough to keep someone weak, but not incapable of moving,"

Cherry explained.

"We could use them, then!" Kin'emon decided.

"Well, if you want them then you can have them. Just be careful, they're explosive," Cherry

said, handing them over.

Kin'emon received them, then almost dropped them. "Ah! That was close... You were holding them just fine, but just touching them makes me feel so weak..."

"I'm just built different," Cherry said. "By the way..."

Cherry wrapped an arm around his shoulder and led him away. In a hushed tone, she asked, "What's your problem with Yamato? Cabernet seems to like him..."

"Hm, well, that's complicated. That person is the spawn of Kaido! He was present when Oden-sama was murdered..." Kin'emon clearly had mixed feelings.

"He must have been much younger back then," Cherry said and Kin'emon nodded. "He was only a child then, but he is still Kaido's child. I only allowed him into the camp because Cabernet vouched for him."

"I see. I can have a chat with him, try to feel him out. I'll take responsibility for him if I think

he's trustworthy," Cherry said.

"I... would appreciate that, thank you," Kin'emon sighed. "We can't afford any wild cards, not with the fate of our people and homeland on the line."

Cherry patted his shoulder and let him go his own way. "I'm so busy these days..."