At the port of Thriller Bark in the Sea of Devils.
"Hurry up, hurry up!" Perona was directing a group of zombies to move treasures. Glittering gold coins and gem-studded jewelry were continuously hauled out from the ship's hold, piling up on the deck of the Thousand Sunny like a small mountain.
With the island in chaos, it was the perfect opportunity for her to abscond with the loot. Using the Straw Hat Kid's ship to escape this dangerous place was her plan.
Just then, a low, rumbling hum echoed through the thick fog, like the sound of a propeller spinning.
"What's that noise?" Perona stopped her scolding and curiously turned toward the source of the sound. A deep blue ship broke through the mist, slowly sailing into the port. Its hull gleamed like porcelain, and the dragon-head figurehead at the bow still exuded an intimidating aura despite the dim light. It was Ryan's "Wave Rider."
The zombies on the deck froze in place, their decayed heads stiffly turning toward the unfamiliar ship. Even the gold coins they had been holding fell to the ground unnoticed as they stared dumbfounded at the striking blue vessel.
"What kind of ship is that?" Perona frowned, an inexplicable sense of unease rising in her heart.
As the "Wave Rider" drew closer, the sound of its hull cutting through the water drowned out the wind in the fog.
With the distance closing, the figures on the deck of the "Wave Rider" gradually became clearer. Perona narrowed her eyes, focusing on the dragon-head figurehead, where a lone figure stood. Clad in black shorts that accentuated his tall, lean frame, he rested a hand on the hilt of his sword, a casual smirk playing on his lips—as if he weren't intruding on someone else's territory but merely taking a stroll in his own backyard.
"One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—the Wanderer, Ryan?!" The moment she recognized his face, Perona's body stiffened, her pupils dilating in shock. Her voice trembled with disbelief.
This man was one of the most talked-about figures on the seas lately, the new Warlord who had replaced Crocodile.
Ryan leaped down from the dragon-head of the "Wave Rider," landing on the shore as he sized up Perona.
Pink and purple twin tails, a cute little crown on her head, a white fur-trimmed top with red edges, a short red skirt adorned with heart patterns, a heart-shaped belt, and red-and-white cuffs on her wrists—her slender figure and overall sweet yet fantastical style made her unmistakable.
This was the gothic lolita "Ghost Princess" Perona.
"Moria's subordinate. Take me to Moria," Ryan commanded without hesitation.
Perona staggered back in fear, losing her balance and collapsing onto the ground. She looked up at Ryan, her eyes filled with terror, yet she forced herself to sound defiant. "I—I'm not his subordinate! I have nothing to do with Moria anymore! I was just about to escape this island!"
Hearing this, Ryan raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised—though it made sense.
In her early days, Perona had been a self-centered, willful antagonist, and her relationship with Moria was more like that of a subordinate and superior—a mutual arrangement. Moria needed her ghost abilities, and she needed his protection. Once that balance was disrupted, Perona wouldn't hesitate to leave.
It was only later, when her character was fleshed out and given a "father-daughter" dynamic, that she would go to Hachinosu to rescue Moria.
"I—I'm not scared of you! I was just startled by your reputation!" Perona snapped back to her senses, jumping to her feet and placing her hands on her hips. Transparent white ghosts swirled around her as she tried to sound tough. "Aside from that pessimistic long-nosed guy, no one in this world can resist my ghost abilities without falling to their knees!"
Long-nosed guy?!
Ryan immediately knew who she was talking about—Usopp. That guy was a nightmare for lolis, a true loli slayer.
Watching Perona's battle stance, Ryan's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Are you sure you want to fight me?"
"Special Grade Ghost!" Perona's expression stiffened before she waved her hand. The ghosts around her suddenly expanded, and three half-human-sized Special Grade Ghosts materialized out of thin air, cackling with eerie laughter as they lunged at Ryan.
These ghosts could pass through any physical object, and anyone they touched would instantly be overwhelmed with extreme negativity, reducing even the strongest men to helpless wrecks.
Ryan took a light step, his figure blurring into an afterimage as he dodged the ghosts. In the blink of an eye, he was standing right in front of Perona.
Perona's vision blurred—the man who had been meters away was suddenly right in front of her. His imposing presence loomed over her, freezing her in place. All traces of arrogance vanished from her face, replaced by sheer terror. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. She could only stare up at Ryan in stunned silence, the ghosts around her wilting as if drained of their earlier bravado.
"Lady Perona!" The zombies on the deck roared, charging toward Ryan.
"Annoying." Daz Bonez was the first to react, his figure flickering as he landed in front of the zombie horde. His arms transformed into blades, slicing through the decayed limbs of the front-row zombies in a flash of cold steel. Rob Lucci moved with the afterimages of "Soru," his invisible "Finger Gun" strikes freezing zombies in place. Kaku and Jabura followed suit—one flicking zombies away with his long sword, the other tearing through their bodies with razor-sharp claws. Their movements were swift and precise, leaving no chance for the zombies to get close to Ryan.
Ignoring the chaos behind him, Ryan looked down at Perona, his gaze sweeping from her crooked little crown to her slender frame. A smirk tugged at his lips. "You said you wanted to escape earlier. I'll give you a chance. My ship needs a maid to handle trivial tasks. Serve me, and I'll spare your life."
A gothic lolita like her could be quite entertaining!
"A maid?!" Perona snapped back to reality, her eyes burning with indignation. She bit her lip and clenched her fists.
How could the "Ghost Princess" become someone else's maid?!
But then she remembered Ryan's speed—how her ghosts hadn't even grazed his clothes—and the way her invincible zombies were being torn apart by his crew. Fear instantly drowned her defiance. Meeting Ryan's cold gaze, she knew that if she refused, she wouldn't even make it out of the Sea of Devils alive.
"I—I understand." Perona's shoulders slumped, her pink twin tails drooping over her chest. She added in a small voice, "But I'll only be a maid! Nothing else! And you can't order me around however you want!"
Even in surrender, she couldn't completely let go of her pride, still trying to cling to the last shred of dignity.
"Can't order you around?" Ryan suddenly leaned in. Before Perona could react, his fingers gripped her chin, tilting her face up to meet his eyes. His tone was unyielding. "You don't seem to understand the situation. This isn't the time for you to negotiate—I'm giving you a chance to live."
Ryan's gaze turned icy, all traces of amusement gone, replaced by the authority of a true powerhouse. "Be a maid, obey me, or become another corpse floating in the Sea of Devils right now. Which will it be?"
If Perona hadn't been somewhat useful, she would already be dead for daring to attack him.
"I—I'll obey! I'll be a maid! Order me however you want!" Perona's chin trembled in his grip, her vision filled with Ryan's merciless eyes. Her heart pounded wildly, all traces of her earlier arrogance vanishing. She nodded frantically, her voice choked with tears that welled up but refused to fall.
"You should've said that from the start." Ryan released her, his smirk returning.
Freed from the suffocating pressure of death, Perona's nerves finally relaxed, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Just moments ago, she had thought being a maid was the ultimate humiliation—but compared to becoming a floating corpse, it suddenly didn't seem so bad.
At least she'd be alive. That was better than being tossed into the sea as fish food by someone who could crush her like an insect.
Just as Perona was sighing in relief, rapid footsteps echoed from the top of the wall. Nami vaulted over the edge, her white wedding dress smudged with dirt—clearly having escaped from somewhere.
"Hey hey hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Seeing the mountain of treasure on the deck and Perona being restrained by two unfamiliar men, Nami's temper flared. She pointed at the treasure and shouted, "Where are you taking my treasure?!"