You don't look like a princess at all

At first, I thought it was because my body wasn't in good condition, so I didn't really care about the sensation of being tossed around. Although I was lying on the bed, I had the sensation that I was aboard a ship buffeted by strong waves.

Until finally...

"Who are you?... where am I now?... you are not deer-san..."

 "You will recover before we get there," This woman did not answer my question but instead made a remark that left me even more perplexed. As I drifted off again into dreamland, my eyes finally gave out as well.

Every time I wake up, I find a different woman whom I have never met taking care of me. This is a recurring nightmare for me. This issue was brought to light after my condition significantly improved and I could remain awake for longer periods.

"So I'm on a marine ship? and you're taking me back to Arabasta?" I asked about it with Makino. I could recall her name because she was the one I often saw when I woke up, and her friendly demeanor put me at ease.

"Yup, that's why all you need to do is forget about your worries and concentrate on getting better."

"What about Mr. 9?" My hands were desperately trying to stop her from leaving, but she managed to pack the empty plates and glasses onto the tray before she exited the room.

'What does her smile mean?' Makino has just smiled at me in a puzzling way, which has piqued my curiosity. However, if they were genuine marines, they wouldn't mistreat Mr. 9, would they?

"Being in a closed room these few days has made me bored, I'll try to get some fresh air," After giving my cheek a few pats, I slowly got out of bed.

Surprisingly, even though the pain in my head is still present, I can stand up straight and walk without the risk of falling. My immediate priority is to leave this room, and it's a good thing they didn't lock the door behind me.

*Click!

When the darkness hiding at the end of the corridor stared at me with malevolent intentions, I felt uneasy despite the quiet atmosphere in front of me attempting to calm me down.

"These hallucinations are extremely annoying," I am sure that it is my fever that is causing me to think of these odd things, and I also suspect that it is also the cause of the excessive anxiety that I am experiencing at the moment.

But despite that...

I know that marines are more disciplined than pirates, but isn't it still too early for them to sleep? Why is this marine ship so quiet? I haven't even passed anyone since earlier.

Even after I had made it to the ship's deck, I could not find anyone there. However, when I looked up towards the mast, I saw white sails emblazoned with recognizable symbols flapping in the night breeze.

*sigh

"That woman wasn't lying. I really was on a marine ship," After I had calmed down and noticed that my breathing was gradually becoming more regular, I also tried to prevent my thoughts from returning to their previous place of hopelessness.

'No... I don't believe that they are pirates disguised as marines,' but when I was considering the possibility, all of a sudden, I heard someone chuckle, and I felt a chill run through my body.

My eyes shot in every direction at once, but due to the dim lighting on this ship, I couldn't find the source of the sound. The moment I remembered about the ghost ship, my heart sank, and I felt a crushing despair wash over me.

"You don't look like a princess at all."

When I turned around, I could make out the identity of the person whose voice I had heard earlier. The clouds in the sky were momentarily dispersed by the wind, allowing the brilliant moonlight to illuminate the water in conjunction with the continuation of the long night.

"Who are you? You don't look like a marine yourself," it turned out that there was a girl sitting on the edge of the deck railing observing me. She wore clothes that were so outlandish and trendy that it made me question whether or not she was real and not just a part of my delusion.

"It doesn't matter if you don't think of me as a marine. instead, what are you doing out here at night?"

When I heard her voice for the first time, it sounded so real that the tension building up inside me began to gradually ease. However, at that moment, I recalled what she had said earlier.

"How do you know I'm a princess? Who are you really? What do you want from me?" My head started to hurt once more because of the sudden high pressure that was being placed on my mind, which forced me to hold it tightly.

"I don't know yet. That's why I asked if you were really a princess," seeing she was smiling gave me the feeling that she was up to no good, but based on her young appearance, it seemed as though she was almost the same age as me, so I tried to respond with a cool head.

"No, I'm just a bounty hunter working for Baroque Works."

*Laugh

"pfft... hahahaha... I've heard about that organization. Do you really work under the person who makes your kingdom miserable? How ironic..."

The longer I was near this girl, the more I felt something strange. My intuition told me to get away from her... no, from this ship, and I knew it wasn't because of my fever but rather from instincts that repeatedly rang of danger.

In the end, I was at a loss for words. My legs took a few steps backward before my body turned around and forced me to run as fast as I could. The sound of her laughter reverberating behind me added to the feeling of dread I had.

The image of her figure flashed through my mind. The way her red and white hair fluttered in the wind and her beautiful face, which somehow showed elegance, did not lead me to believe that she was some kind of reincarnation of a goddess. Rather, I thought of her as a devil who was ready to play with the hearts of whoever she wanted.

Because this ship is not that big, I can remember the way back to my room. I intend to stay there where I feel safest. But as I passed in front of a door, I heard a sound that caused me to halt my step.

"Please!... not again!... argkkk!... I will kill... ghkkk... Baroque Works will kill you all!..."

Even though it was faint, I was sure the voice belonged to Mr. 9. The longer I heard his screams of pain, the more my heart shook with fear, especially when I couldn't see what was happening. My hand went to reach for the doorknob, but all of a sudden, it felt as though the darkness was surrounding me from all sides before slowly creeping into my vision and causing me to lose consciousness.