Chapter 50

Once upon a time, there existed a powerful clan. This clan was so powerful that everyone would bow their heads in their awe.

The strength of the clan stemmed from its clan head, Youchiha Gorosuke. A man of pride and charisma. He never feared anything, and defeated whatever came in his way. His stare alone could send the weak-willed beings into unconsciousness!

One day, a child was born into the family of Youchiha. It was a girl whose face glowed in beauty right from her birth. Gorosuke affectionately held his daughter and said, "From now on, your name shall be Youchiha Medusa."

As Medusa grew over time, her beauty became even more apparent. Her sole existence seemed to be holy; men and women alike couldn't help but simply be engrossed by her appearance. When she walked gracefully, her shining black-hair fluttered with a pleasant fragrance. When she smiled, the twinkles in her eyes seemed to be like the stars up in the sky. When she felt sad, the whole world seemed to be downhearted.

As she grew up doted by her parents and spoiled by other people, Medusa became haughty and complacent. She believed that there exists no one who is more beautiful than her. However, such belief shattered when she turned seven. A black-haired boy around his age. His appearance was completely opposite of hers: bumpy nose, small eyes, crooked teeth. Medusa has never met someone uglier than before.

In spite of that, there existed something strange about that boy. Unlike other people, he didn't seem to worship her existence. He simply stared at her before turning around, uninterested.

"Where do you think you are going?" Offended by the boy's apathy, Medusa grabbed the boy's hand and halted him. "The the most beautiful being of the world stands right in front of you, and this is how you behave?!"

"You may be pretty, but I don't see anything beautiful about you." The boy dully replied. Unaffected by Medusa holding his hand, the boy shook off her hand and walked away.

Medusa was shocked. She, the one praised as the most beautiful being, is not beautiful at all? She could not accept the boy's answer. Even after coming back to her home, the boy's words were all she could think of.

Starting from the day after, Medusa visited the boy over and over again. She wore the beautiful dress made by a skillful tailor. She put on the make ups done by a skillful cosmetologist. All that she tried for nine years, didn't seem to affect the boy, who refused to admit that Medusa is 'beautiful.'

Now at the age of sixteen, Medusa faced her father, Gorosuke.

"Oh my beautiful Medusa, please, what can I do for you?" Gorosuke smiled affectionately. For the past nine years, he has done everything he could do to grant all the wishes of Medusa. The clan was no longer as prosperous as it used to be. The glorious mansion that boomed with the people was now hollow. And yet, his eyes fluttered with a joy.

The clan was no longer feared as it used to in the past. Instead, the people now ridiculed the clan and the clan head for his foolishness.

Medusa stood in front of her father with a haughty demeanour. "Father, I have heard of the mysterious fruit that grants a beauty. I want that!"

Gorosuke accepted her wish without a second thought. He hired many adventurers and treasure hunters for the mystical fruit. Eventually, at the cost of all of the clan's remaining wealth, one man returned with a strange-looking fruit after one year.

Now holding the fruit she has desired, Medusa took a bite without any hesitation. "With this fruit, there is no way that the boy will deny my beauty!"

Taking a small bite, Medusa consumed the fruit with a smile.

"I have done it! Father, do I look more beautiful now? Father?" Medusa called for Gorosuke, but he did not answer. Turning around, Medusa was met with Gorosuke who turned into a stone figure.

"Hm? Whatever, I will hear the answer from the boy himself!" Ignoring her father, Medusa stepped outside.

Creaking open the door, she was met with people who were awed by her beauty as always. However, something seemed wrong this time, as they all became petrified into stones.

This strange phenomenon continued as Medusa walked. The more she walked, the quieter the village became. Eventually, nothing but silence ensued.

Medusa still didn't mind, as she reached the boy's house. The boy was hammering a wooden boat as Medusa arrived.

Smiling brightly, Medusa said with a confidence, "This time, even you will not be able to reject my beauty!"

Indeed, she has become even more beautiful. One second of looking at her could kill a person out of heart attack. However, that was not the case of the boy, who simply blinked at her before turning back to the nail he was hammering to the boat.

"I do not see anything different from you." The boy simply stated. Medusa clenched her hands in anger, but could do nothing but renew her resolve to make the boy yield at her beauty.

Now walking back to her family's house, Medusa felt that something was off.

"Hey, where is everyone? Why is it so quiet?" Medusa looked around, but saw nothing but the stone figures of people.

"Hello, father?" Upon reaching her home, Medusa cried out. She heard no response.

She passed one day in solitude, wondering where the villagers and her father have gone to.

Another day has passed.

A month has passed.

A year has passed.

Medusa did not know how to cook. She could not clean. She was incapable of taking care of herself.

Now lying down on the wall, Medusa looked miserable. Her hair was dry and dishevelled. Her eyes lost the gleam they used to have. She no longer looked healthy, but skinny to the bone. She could do nothing but speak out with a coarse voice.

"What have I done? Beauty? The boy was right... I am not beautiful. I was simply a foolish girl." Now in realization, Medusa cried helplessly.

Now, with her sight becoming hazy, Medusa thought, 'Is this my time to die? I am sorry father. I am sorry everyone, for what I have done to you all.'

For the first time in her life, Medusa learnt guilt. However, there was nothing she could do, but black out.

When she woke up, she noticed that she was on a boat. Looking up, she saw the boy whom she did not visit since a year ago.

"Why have you saved me?" Medusa spoke with a coarse voice. Noticing that she is awake, the boy quickly brought water to Medusa. The boy did not speak, but helped Medusa to recover.

Facing the boy once again, Medusa laughed hollowly. "I am no longer the most beautiful person I used to be. You, who has never accepted my beauty, will attain nothing but a disappointment. You should have let me die."

Then the boy spoke. "You surely are not as pretty as you used to be. However, I see something beautiful from you: a compassion."

The boat that carried Medusa and the boy continued to sail into the vast ocean, away from the village where Medusa was renowned as the most beautiful being of the world.

"A new opportunity. A life not as a doll, but as a human being. That's what it means to be beautiful."

_____________

"The end." Rowan said as he closed the picture book, looking puzzled. "Just like that? What about all the people who turned into the stones? They are dead?"

Carmen weakly praised, "Oh... how magnificent. A girl who learnt what lies beyond a simple appearance."

Carina snatched the book from Rowan's hand. "Wow, the story was actually quite enjoyable. Youchiha Medusa... so while sailing, she somehow ended up in the East Blue? Did she go through the Calm Belt?"

Dan shrugged, "As far as we know, all we could get out of this book is a fact that there existed a mighty clan led by Youchiha family, but utterly ruined due to this woman."

"And the fact that she ate the strange fruit," Rowan continued, "most probably means a devil fruit. But apart from that, I don't know. And besides her, her father is weird. He was strong and mighty, but he suddenly turns into a fool that blindly grants all wishes of his daughter?"

The sun began to set as Prominence continued to sail by. Setting the book aside, Rowan and his crew decided to focus on their next course of action.

Carina was seen to be watching the needle of her newly acquired Log Pose. Pulling out a map from her pocket, she pointed at the island they are heading to, "Look. This is the map I found in the map room of the marine base G-11. It lays out the islands nearby to the Mundi island, and I deduced that based on the information provided here, our next destination must be the Honey Dew Valley."

Rowan stretched his sore limbs as he stared at the island that Carina pointed at. "Marine base G-11 was a close call. If not for Carmen, we would have been done for. We have to be more cautious before acting, especially when more guys like Baten will pop up as we continue to sail through the Grand Line."

Staring at the dumbbells that laid organized at the corner, Dan sighed dejectedly. With his exhausted arms dangling, Dan grumbled, "And I need to find a way to improve my combat prowess. Captain has bounce, Carmen has fire, and Carina has an amazing control over daggers."

"And I need to up my level as well," Rowan said grimly, "I couldn't even leave a scratch on Baten. He used many techniques I've never seen before... incomparable to the marines I saw in the East Blue."

Using the ruler, map, Log Pose, and other tools, Carina was jotting down the mathematical calculations on the spare paper. Eventually, her writing stopped. "According to the calculation, around two weeks would take for us to reach the Honey Dew Valley. Quite a long sail, but we can definitely use this to our advantage."

Carmen weakly spoke up from her seat, "We have enough supplies of food for more than a month. After all, the ship is large and there are only four members."

Dan nodded, "No one that requires a medical attention as of current moment. Captain and Carmen will fully recover in less than three days."

"Then it's set." Rowan slowly stood up from his spot, although he looked quiet funny due to his mummy-like appearance. "For the next two weeks, let's train and hone our abilities. With the huge surge of our bounties, it is bound that we will be facing many troubles from now on, and we must be prepared."