Chapter 123: Who Are You, and Who Are You Forgiving?

"Well..."

The encounter—or perhaps the reunion—between Qiubai and Monet felt enigmatic, almost like one of those "boy meets girl" tropes that signal the brewing of a beautiful relationship, yet it was ultimately nothing of the sort.

If I had taken off my glasses earlier, wouldn't I have recognized her sooner?

For some reason, Qiubai felt a twinge of regret. Now, he had finally connected the dots between the two.

"Monet." She offered a faint smile, simply introducing herself.

Qiubai nodded, and the two passed each other in the ship's corridor. Her attitude was neither warm nor cold; it was entirely nonchalant.

However, from the look in her eyes, Qiubai seemed to read something, leading to his first impression: this person was intelligent.

In reality, the individual who saved Monet was Qiubai, but the group that rescued her was the Donquixote Family. If one did not want to alienate the two, one had to highlight a priority, and that priority could only be the latter.

The boss of this pirate crew was Doflamingo. There was no reason for Monet and Qiubai to have excessive contact; if that were to happen, it might well lead to one of them being disposed of under mysterious circumstances.

Therefore, such an approach was naturally unadvisable. Unnecessary contact was to be avoided, but...

"Is it still worth a try?"

Would Monet be an unexpected boon? Qiubai did not know, but it was worth attempting, even if the process required the utmost caution.

In February 1509, the Donquixote Family returned to their base.

During this time, the most significant event was that Qiubai fulfilled his promise to Law. After Ain persisted until a predetermined point, her ability wore off.

Meanwhile, after joining the family, Monet displayed impressive capabilities, which quickly earned her a different kind of appreciation from Doflamingo.

She was the type of officer the family had lacked—a secretarial talent among a group of muscle-heads. The effect she brought was immediate.

The Donquixote Family seemed reborn, and Monet quickly became a rather special officer: her position was that of Doflamingo's secretary.

Upon returning to the base, the family began doing exactly what Trebol had previously told Qiubai: they began moving.

From intelligence to weaponry, everything was packed onto the ships according to its importance. The Donquixote Family was finally entering the Grand Line. Looking at it now, the Ope Ope no Mi incident had been a complete waste of time. After reflecting on his failures, Doflamingo finally understood the meaning of prioritizing business. Changing plans constantly yielded nothing; focusing energy on strategic goals was paramount.

However, at this stage, some in the family were busy as dogs, while others had nothing to do—Qiubai included.

There were many things he could not be involved in, so most of the time he was left idle.

...

That day, at Senor Pink's request, Ain went out. He was preparing to make a final attempt... although it was uncertain whether Ain's ability had any effect on healing mental trauma, cerebral hemorrhages, or vegetative states, the attempt had to be made.

Without Qiubai’s knowledge, his "jinx" struck again. He had previously said that pirates were unlikely to be favored by the word "happiness," and sure enough, upon returning from his mission, Senor Pink found that his son had died and his wife had become catatonic.

Of course, this time it really, truly could not be blamed on Qiubai. He was a hundred percent an outsider to this.

At that moment, he was wandering through a heap of junk. If you were to ask for his specific location?

Deep in the mountains, where the clouds hide the path.

Do not misunderstand; he had no habit of scavenging. He was simply looking for a place where absolutely no one was around to contact someone he shouldn't.

"It's me, Qiubai. How is Rosinante?"

"He's fine now."

The person on the other end was, naturally, Law.

"Where are you now?" Qiubai asked.

"I’m not entirely sure, but we’ve entered the Grand Line," Law replied. Although Rosinante had previously expressed a desire for them to live in seclusion, he realized that when it came down to it, the world was vast, yet there was no place for them to hide. It was a simple problem: the only force capable of protecting them from the Donquixote Family was the Marines.

So, as soon as he regained his mobility, Rosinante began moving despite his injuries. He was currently on his way to Marineford, the Marine headquarters, where his direct superior, Admiral Sengoku, was stationed.

Law, of course, followed him.

"What should I do next?" Qiubai had completed his part of the bargain, so the rest was up to Law—promises are promises; sometimes they are meant to be broken, but in the vast majority of cases, they are meant to be kept and guarded.

"Next? Let me think... There is a country in the New World called Dressrosa. You need to go there and wait," Qiubai said.

Holding the power of the Ope Ope no Mi while desiring a peaceful life was, fundamentally, an unattainable luxury.

"When?" Law asked. Even though he had never heard of such a place, he intended to follow Qiubai’s instructions.

"No need to rush. A year or a year and a half is fine. The New World is a dangerous sea; take the safest route possible." Qiubai did not want to hear news of an Ope Ope no Mi user drowning.

"By the way, your Lead Poisoning..."

"It’s starting to recover." The fact that Law could converse so normally was proof enough; otherwise, he would have already succumbed to his terminal illness.

"That's good. Contact me again once you reach Dressrosa."

"..."

After Qiubai ended the call and tucked away the Den Den Mushi, he emerged from the mysterious mountain of trash only to catch a glimpse of someone standing there.

As if waiting specifically for him.

Qiubai quickly scanned his surroundings. Finding only this one person, he let out a slight sigh of relief.

"Lord Qiubai seems quite vigilant. What are you doing?" Monet asked with a smile.

"If I said I was picking mushrooms... would you believe me? Just call me Qiubai." Qiubai walked past Monet as if nothing were wrong, and after he moved ahead, she followed behind him.

After a period of silence, Qiubai suddenly spoke again, his words abrupt:

"Monet... calling you that is fine, right?"

"Of course."

Monet was older than Qiubai; calling her by her first name was somewhat improper, but she seemed to have no objections.

"OK, Monet. Do you know what has the highest probability of bringing 'death' throughout history?"

"What is it?" A hint of curiosity touched Monet's voice.

"Explosives? Poison? Money?" Qiubai immediately dismissed his own list. "None of those."

"The answer is... information."

Qiubai stopped abruptly and turned around, causing Monet to nearly bump into him.

"To know is to die—that isn't just a figure of speech."

Monet was stunned for a moment before the realization hit her... so that was how it was. She understood Qiubai a little better now.

"So, is there anything I can do for you?"

"For me?"

Now it was Qiubai’s turn to feel a bit uneasy. He had originally intended only to curb the girl's unwarranted curiosity, but things were becoming interesting.

"Are you interested in logic?"

In Qiubai's "candid" smile, there was absolutely no hint of a conspiracy.