New Shining Star |『 Male Reader 』• One Piece

Cover Story 1: Tales of the Red Cinders - Part 3

The jungle clearing was silent, save for the rustling of leaves and the faint hum of the island's strange energy. Homura knelt beside the unconscious woman, her fingers checking for signs of life. Her expression softened as she assessed the situation.

"She's fine," Homura said, glancing up at the rest of the crew. "A little dehydrated, maybe, but overall...she's perfectly healthy," the doctor explained as Yakeru lowered their grenade launcher, eyes narrowed in confusion.

"So, what do we do with her? We can't just leave her here like this," Yakeru said, shifting their gaze to Hinote, as did the rest of the crew. Everyone awaited their captain's decision.

Hinote hummed thoughtfully, his hand rubbing his chin. "We wait," he finally said, nodding toward the unconscious woman. "She will wake up sooner or later," he said before shrugging. "Plus, maybe she knows what's going on with this island," he added, making his crew exchange glances but nod in agreement.

*Rustle*

*Rustle*

Just as they were making themselves comfortable, a sudden, loud rustling erupted from the thick jungle foliage. Before they could react, a massive beast, its fur bristling and eyes glowing an unnatural shade of red, burst through the trees, charging straight at them with a furious roar.

Rekka moved first, her hands glowing with a fiery red light. "About time something interesting happened!" she shouted, leaping into action. She released a powerful explosion from her hands, the impact shaking the ground and throwing the beast back slightly.

Yakeru followed suit, raising their grenades before launching two quick salvos toward the beast. The explosions echoed through the clearing, sending debris flying in every direction.

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

The beast barely had a chance to retaliate. The combined force of Rekka's fiery blast and Yakeru's grenades left it no room to fight back. With a final, defeated groan, the creature collapsed to the ground, its massive form still.

Rekka and Yakeru stood. "And that's how it's done!" Rekka boasted before high-fiving one of Yakeru's launchers. "Told you we would handle it!" she added before the two turned to the rest of the crew, expecting praise. Instead, they were met with deadpan stares from Hinote, Naoki, and Homura.

Rekka blinked in confusion. "What? We took it down!" she exclaimed while Yakeru scratched their head before adjusting their mask. "We even held back a little," they added, genuinely puzzled by the crew's lack of excitement.

Hinote chuckled softly, shaking his head. "At least we've got food now," he said, motioning to the giant beast lying before them. Naoki laughed, clapping Rekka on the back. "Kikiki! Well, I guess you did us a favour. Let's get cooking then," he said, rolling up his sleeves as he prepared to cook the meat from the defeated animal.

Soon, a fire crackled warmly in the center of the clearing as the crew sat around, the smell of roasting meat filling the air. Naoki expertly cooked the beast over the flames, turning it carefully on a spit. The crew watched the meal intently, their hunger growing with each moment.

Then, as they ate, the woman suddenly stirred, her nose twitching as the smell of the food reached her. Her eyes fluttered open, and she immediately sat up, drooling as she eyed the food in front of them.

Hinote noticed her wide eyes and smirked. "You can stop drooling and join us if you're hungry," he teased. The woman didn't need to be told twice. She scrambled over to the food, grabbing a large piece and eating like she hadn't had a meal in days.

The crew watched, amused, as she devoured the meat with surprising ferocity, occasionally thumping her chest to ensure it all went down. After a few minutes of frenzied eating, she finally slowed down and sighed, satisfied.

"That...was amazing," she said, her voice full of gratitude. "Whoever cooked this deserves a medal," added the woman. Naoki, who had been quietly eating, raised an eyebrow. "Kikiki! It's nothing crazy. I just know the basics," he said modestly.

"It's the best thing I've eaten in days," the woman mumbled between bites. "Though that might just be because I've barely eaten at all..." she said. Homura, sitting across from her, decided to cut to the chase. "Who are you?" she asked the question that had been on everyone's mind.

The woman paused mid-bite, swallowing hard before looking around the crew. "Eleonor," she said with a grin. "My name's Eleonor. Thanks for the food, by the way. I will forever be in your debt," said the now-named Eleonor with a slight bow.

Yakeru leaned forward, their curiosity piqued. "And what were you doing on this island?" they asked, raising an eyebrow. Eleonor hesitated, her expression darkening as memories resurfaced. "I have been on the run for...I don't know how long," she admitted, her fingers tapping nervously on the ground.

"There's this group...they've been hunting me. Chasing me from island to island," added Eleonor. At this revelation, the crew's interest deepened. "Chased by who? Pirates? Bounty hunters?" Rekka asked, her voice hardening as she imagined them.

But Eleonor shook her head quickly, her face scrunched up in concentration. "No...not pirates. They wear white...and masks," she said, tapping her temple to remember more details. "What were they called...?" she closed her eyes, frustration evident on her face.

The Red Cinders exchanged looks before Hinote's eyes narrowed. "All white...and masks?" he asked before Rekka tilted her head. "Isn't that what those guys were? Cypher something something?" she asked, making Naoki chuckle.

"It was Cypher Pol," he told her, making Rekka nod. "Yeah, I knew that," she said, making Naoki laugh. "No, no, it wasn't that..." mumbled Eleonor before her eyes snapped open. "Ah! The Astro Hunters! Or something like that," said Elenor, still unsure.

"Astro Hunters?" wondered Yakeru as the crew exchanged confused looks. The unfamiliar name hung in the air like a dark cloud, fully drawing the crew's attention.

To be continued