The Butterfly Effect

14.- Feeling of guilt

Warning this chapter contain sensitive topics.

Days had passed since the crew left the new island, now owned by Whitebeard. During this time, Sakura honed her reading and writing skills with Marco's help, proving why they called her a "bookworm." With Thatch, she learned new recipes and culinary techniques, preparing herself for when she would eventually leave the ship. She also enjoyed the desserts he offered her whenever she visited the kitchen. As a token of appreciation for his generosity, Sakura showed Thatch her soldier pills, hoping to improve his well-being. However, after trying them, Thatch exclaimed his intention to enhance the taste of those "mud balls" as he called them.

With each passing day, it became more evident that Sakura's time aboard was drawing to a close. She had regained her ideal figure, her skin radiated a healthy glow, and the wounds on her back had turned into mere scars. The idea that she would eventually leave the ship left a bitter taste in everyone's hearts; it was a difficult concept to accept.

Every day was as good as the last, and Sakura always remembered how grateful she was to be around these kinds of people.

On a quiet afternoon, Sakura was in the kitchen, chatting animatedly with Thatch, who was finally instructing her in the art of making flan. Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside. Without hesitation, Thatch, Sakura, and a few others rushed to open the door to investigate the cause of such commotion.

Pirates were running to the deck. But instead of the usual tension of a crisis, an air of excitement gripped everyone.

"Hurry up! You won't want to miss this! They've located those pirates!" someone announced, infusing the atmosphere with a mix of anticipation and excitement.

Unlike Sakura, who was unaware of the identity of these pirates, the cooks seemed filled with anticipation. Before Sakura could inquire about who these individuals were, Thatch handed his ladle to one of the cooks with a determined gesture.

"Aren't you coming? It's going to be fun," Thatch commented, his eyes gleaming with the same enthusiasm as the rest of the crew.

Without wasting time, several cooks left the kitchen, heading to the ship's deck.

Since the storm incident when some pirates decided to attack the ship and almost captured her ninja band if not for Ace's intervention, she had decided not to get involved with other pirates outside of Whitebeard's crew. Except for the casino event and the mountain bandits, each time they landed on an island, Sakura took precautions to cast a genjutsu to remain unnoticed. She didn't want to be associated as a Whitebeard pirate. As she walked the streets, she caused astonishment among some of the pirates accompanying her, who were puzzled to see that they weren't recognized, even when passing near some marine officers.

All for Sakura's peaceful future.

"Go ahead. I'll catch up soon," Sakura said.

Thatch rushed off with some of his cooks, ready for action. Meanwhile, Sakura retreated to the kitchen. Knowing the crew's strength, she hoped the confrontation wouldn't last long. Seizing the opportunity, she decided to prepare a snack for Whitebeard, aiming for the perfect complement to his beer while ensuring it was nutritious.

As she looked for items to place on the tray she had found, Sakura thought it was a pity that Thatch hid his pills because one would have been perfect to give to Whitebeard now.

The remaining cooks began to hurry, anticipating the feast they believed would follow the fight's conclusion.

"It's a good thing we ran into them" commented one of the pirates.