radicalducati 29: Echoes of Redossa
29: Echoes of Redossa
On the boundless blue sea, the Golden Dawn cut through the white waves and sailed steadily toward Beehive Island.
On the deck, Lingling shouted and brandished her axe, performing her daily morning practice without fail.
Oro sat leaning against the base of the Tarol statue at the bow, a huge nautical chart spread out before him, marked with complex routes and ocean current information in special ink.
On one side of the deck, a large golden swimming pool, meticulously crafted by Oro using his abilities, stands out prominently.
The pool walls were smooth and warm, and the seawater that was drawn in rippled in the sunlight.
The six mermaids were comfortably soaking in the water, their previously pale cheeks regaining their rosy hue.
They spoke in hushed tones, their eyes occasionally glancing with gratitude and curiosity at the three extraordinary saviors on the ship.
The cabin door was pushed open, and Gails came out carrying a huge wooden tray.
Her light golden braids hung neatly down her shoulders, and she wore that familiar light brown apron, with a gentle smile on her face.
"Aurogo, Lingling, take a break and try my new 'Seaweed Shortbread Cookies'."
She called out, her voice ringing out as she placed on a tray of exquisitely shaped cookies that exuded a subtle aroma of milk and seaweed.
"Miss Taylor, and everyone else, I've also prepared some fruit jellies to suit your tastes."
Lingling's nose twitched twice, and the swing of the giant axe stopped instantly.
Like a little bear drawn to honey, she trotted over to Gails, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the tray.
"Wow! Gals, you're the best!"
Oro put away his nautical chart and compass, smiled, and walked over, casually picking up a shortbread cookie and putting it in his mouth.
The crispy texture and just the right amount of sweetness made him nod in approval.
"It tastes great, Gals. The addition of seaweed balances the richness of the cream perfectly."
Just then, the sound of flapping wings came from the sky.
A newspaper-delivering seagull skillfully swooped over the Golden Dawn and dropped a roll of newspaper.
Oro tossed a 100-beli coin with pinpoint accuracy. The coin arced through the air and was nimbly caught by a seagull.
He reached out and took the newspaper, habitually preparing to browse world events to assess potential troubles along the route.
The front-page headline, printed in bold black font, immediately catches the eye—
The "Golden Pirates" wreak havoc in Dressrosa! The ringleader sets fires everywhere! The auction is a bloodbath!
Oro frowned and quickly read the article.
This report is extremely distorted, portraying him as a greedy, ruthless Devil Fruit user who would stop at nothing for gold and even set fires all over Dressrosa.
Lingling is portrayed as a violent madwoman who relies on superhuman strength and is obsessed with destruction. As for Gails, it is maliciously mentioned that she used "unknown poison gas" that caused a large number of people to fall into a coma.
The report highlighted the "enormous property damage" they caused to Count Jupiter, a "friendly partner of the world government".
They vaguely claimed that they had stolen "classified documents involving national security."
"Nonsense!"
Lingling came closer, and after reading the contents, she angrily shouted, "We only burned down the auction house!"
"And they started it! Besides, I'm not just someone who destroys things!"
Gails frowned deeply, looking at Oro with concern: "Oro, this report..."
Just then, three brand-new sheets of paper slipped out from between the newspapers and floated onto the deck.
That was the arrest warrant that was sent along with the newspaper.
Oro bent down to pick them up, his gaze sweeping over the three wanted posters.
The first image shows a silhouette sketch of him, with his features blurred. Only the description of him as a "tall, blond young man" is somewhat accurate.
The words "Golden Robber" are written at the top, and the bounty below is 1 million Berries.
The second picture is a scene of Lingling winning the championship at the Corida Roman bullring, grinning from ear to ear while carrying a giant axe.
The text above says that "BigGirl" has a bounty of 9 million Berries.
The third one is much blurrier.
The image above only shows a very rough outline of a woman, with no details and a brief description of "Breaking Bad," with a bounty of 1 million Berries.
After a brief silence, Lingling's first reaction was not anger, but... curiosity.
"Wow! Look! It's me!"
She pointed to her own arrest warrant, especially the clear photo, her tone even tinged with excitement.
"The photo is actually quite clear! Hehe."
Gails took her wanted poster, looked at the blurry portrait and the ridiculous title on it, and shook her head helplessly:
"Breaking Bad... I just threw in some hypnotic pastries with added ingredients, how is that 'deadly'..."
She sighed softly, but then felt a sense of relief. Her gaze returned to the deliberately emphasized title on the front page of the newspaper, and she keenly sensed something was amiss:
"Orogo, this 'Golden Pirates' nickname..."
"Yes, I noticed."
Oro sneered and placed the three wanted posters side by side on the railing of the ship, the sea breeze making the papers rustle.
"'Golden Robbers,' 'Golden Pirates'... This is not just simple stigmatization, it's a calculated scheme."
He pointed to his own arrest warrant and title.
"The world government has chosen the most direct and insidious method—to turn us into a coveted mobile gold mine."
"They're using 'gold' as bait, an irresistible temptation for pirates and outlaws, to incite hyenas and bounty hunters across the ocean to attack us."
In the pool, the mermaids also sensed the sudden tension.
Fisher Taylor propped himself up, his face filled with guilt: "Lord Oro, it was because you saved us that you..."
Oro waved his hand, interrupting her, his tone still calm: "It's none of your business, Taylor."
"They just see that we don't have any background, so they put all the blame on us to give the member states an explanation."
"That count was killed by the CP."
"Tsk, this auction is either a test by the king of loan sharks to probe the world government, or a fishing scheme by the world government."
Lingling belatedly realized what was happening, and she waved her fist, angrily saying:
"Those bastards! They're too scared to come themselves, so they want others to come and cause us trouble? Humph! I'll take on as many as they come!"
Gails leaned down and whispered, "Aurogo, what's next...?"
Last time they went to Beehive Island, before they even had the title of "Golden Pirates" or a bounty, a bunch of idiots rushed at them. This time...
"The plan remains unchanged; Hive Island is no longer capable of keeping us here."
Oro picked up the newspaper filled with lies again, rubbed it lightly between his fingertips, and manipulated the thin layer of gold covering his fingers to generate heat through high-speed friction.
Flames suddenly erupted from the edge of the newspaper, quickly engulfing it and turning it into tiny ashes that drifted into the sea with the wind.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
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