The sun was warm and gentle over the Black Whale. Chrollo's expression, however, was a sharp contrast to the weather. The veins on his forehead were throbbing; he was reaching his breaking point.
"Wait... you're telling me you went out to be a pirate, brought along a dozen fishermen, and not one of them knows how to read a Log Pose?"
Chrollo felt a wave of defeat. He had miscalculated. Bonney lay sprawled across the table, looking completely unbothered.
"Please. Like you said, they're fishermen, not navigators. Why would they know how to use one of those? Besides, finding your way on the ocean is a navigator's job, obviously." At this, Bonney looked a bit sheepish. "The thing is... I haven't actually recruited a navigator yet. I figured I'd just hitch a ride with yours~"
The two stared at each other in silence.
"You don't have one either?" Bonney asked, her voice full of disbelief.
Chrollo gave a stony, silent nod.
"If—and I'm just saying if—you hadn't run into me, how exactly were you planning to get to the Grand Line?"
Bonney shrugged as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I'd just wing it~ Head toward wherever the other pirates are. You'll get there eventually."
What a flawless theory. Truly airtight, Chrollo thought, mentally giving her a thumbs-up. That reckless personality... yup, she's definitely eight years old.
Seeing Chrollo's dejected expression, Bonney asked curiously, "Usually, pirates set out to reach the Grand Line. Why are you heading for the East Blue—the 'Weakest Sea'? Are you going home or something?"
...I'm going insane.
"We're going to find a navigator and a historian for this ship," Chrollo replied flatly.
"Then why the East Blue and not here in the South Blue?"
"A fortune teller told me to."
"Are you that superstitious?"
The veins on Chrollo's forehead were multiplying. He was on the edge of an explosion. "You ask too many questions..."
"Alright, alright~" Bonney leaned back in her chair, showcasing her tall, developed figure, but then she suddenly clutched her stomach. "I'm hungry. When's dinner?"
Chrollo turned and walked away, his face like thunder. "Now. We're eating now. Pakunoda, go prepare a meal for her."
Dammit, I messed up...
He had brought Bonney on board thinking she could serve as a temporary navigator to guide them. He hadn't expected her to be a total amateur. Never trust the IQ of an eight-year-old, Chrollo summarized his lesson.
As Chrollo turned his back, he didn't see the flash of cunning that crossed Bonney's eyes.
---
With no way to navigate precisely, Chrollo could only keep the Black Whale heading due East. At least with the Log Pose, they wouldn't lose track of the cardinal directions. Once Bonney was fed and happy, Chrollo planned to find a way to record her ability into [Bandit's Secret]. It would net him attribute points and prestige, and serve as a "gentle reminder" to her of who was in charge. A win-win.
"Boss..." Shalnark walked into the bridge.
Chrollo noticed his hesitant expression. "What is it?"
"Bonney is... eating a bit too much," Shalnark said, rubbing his temples.
"She's a kid. How much can she eat?" Chrollo asked dismissively.
"It's not a matter of 'can' she eat, it's that she's... special."
"Special how?"
"Special-ly hungry... She just ate through almost a week's worth of our food reserves. By herself."
Shalnark gave a bitter laugh.
"What?! Lead the way!"
---
Chrollo stared at the floor littered with empty plates and at Bonney, who was sitting there shamelessly gorging herself. His face was as dark as a soot-stained pot.
He finally understood why she had agreed to join the Phantom Troupe so quickly. She wasn't joining a crew; she was scouting for a sugar daddy to bankroll her buffet!
"Are you a black hole?! How are you eating this much!!"
Whoosh—
Chrollo summoned the "Great Fun Fun Cloth" and, with a sweep of his hand, sucked the remaining food into the [Fun Fun Cloth]'s pocket dimension.
"Food! My food!"
Tears immediately began streaming down Bonney's face—and her mouth. She wailed and lunged for Chrollo's leg, hugging it tight. "One bite! Just one bite! Give me one more bite!"
"How much have you already had? You think I'm a charity?" Chrollo snapped. "Do you have any idea how short we are on supplies? At the rate you're eating, we'll all be starving in days! And we don't have a navigator, so we don't even know where the nearest island is for supplies! What use are you?!"
"I can't help it! I haven't had a full meal since I set sail! Just one bite—if you give me one more bite, I'll do whatever you want!"
Bonney had lost all reason to her appetite. If Chrollo asked her to call him "Daddy" right now, she probably would. The food on this ship was just too good! There were so many dishes she'd never even seen before. Braised Pork, Steamed Pork with Rice Flour, Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs, Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish... it was heaven!
Chrollo's face remained expressionless. "Information for food."
"If you provide me with valuable intel, I'll provide you with this much food for every meal."
Since he had Kortopi on board to duplicate things, he could have as much of this food as he wanted. Besides, he didn't believe for a second that Kuma's ward, the daughter of a Celestial Dragon, and the granddaughter of the Sorbet Queen Dowager was just a freeloader who knew nothing.
"Really? If I give you good info, you'll feed me?" Bonney's eyes were frighteningly bright.
Chrollo nodded. "Of course. You're one of us now, aren't you? As long as you show your worth, you'll eat like this every day. After all... food is meant to be shared with companions, isn't it?"
Bonney hesitated, but her stomach made the final decision. The thought of Braised Pork overrode her logic. She gritted her teeth.
"Your direction is wrong. To get from the South Blue to the East Blue, besides crossing part of the Grand Line, you have to pass through... the Calm Belt."
"It's crawling with Sea Kings. Your ship is massive, and it might scare off the smaller ones, but you're missing the most important thing."
Chrollo's eyes sharpened. "What are we missing?"
"Sea Prism Stone. You need enough Sea Prism Stone mounted to the hull to mask the ship's presence from the Sea Kings. That's the only way to get through the Calm Belt safely and find the people you're looking for."
Chrollo realized she was right. He knew about this technology; the Marines used it on their warships to cross the Calm Belt.
"And where are we supposed to find that much Sea Prism Stone?"
The only major source of Sea Prism Stone Chrollo knew was Wano Country. He couldn't exactly head to the New World just to come back to the East Blue.
Bonney looked conflicted, but the hunger won out again. "I know where there's a huge stash right now."
"Doesn't it strike you as odd? Why 'White Hunter' Smoker, 'Black Cage' Hina, and even Cipher Pol are all gathered here? It wasn't just for us."
"You mean..."
Bonney looked at Chrollo and said, word for word: "Have you ever heard of the Heavenly Tribute?"
Chrollo narrowed his eyes. "The tribute the World Government nations must pay to the Celestial Dragons every year. It's a massive treasure, usually escorted by Marine elites and Cipher Pol agents to Mary Geoise."
"You really do know everything!" Bonney looked impressed.
"So that's it..." Chrollo thought. No wonder the South Blue was crawling with HQ-tier fighters.
Bonney continued, "Since King Bulldog took over the Sorbet Kingdom and restored the North Shore's status, they have to pay the tribute again. Part of that tribute includes the kingdom's entire national reserve of Sea Prism Stone."
"And the collection date... is tomorrow."
---