[One Piece] Inferior Star

Fino is a young man in a black coat.He's about the same height as Ace, but not as strong.The black clothes wrapped his somewhat thin body.His short black hair is curly and his bangs are long and sometimes cover his red eyes.

Although it represents the existence of 'death', if you look at him like this, he is just a slightly demure young man, and if you look at him, you will get a gentle smile.However, when the black mist surrounds his body, you will realize from the bottom of your heart that he is not a simple existence like an 'ordinary literary handsome guy'.

As long as it is alive, it will fear him.The 'eternity' that no one can escape, the 'end' that no one can escape.

He is the Grim Reaper, a collection of various concepts representing 'death' that appear in all legends and beliefs, and is also the most feared object of human beings since existence.

——That's what I said, but looking at him now, no one would think that way.

Youxiang looked at Fino standing in the white snow, the scenery in front of her was like a masterpiece of an impressionist master.At this time, snowflakes fell slowly from the sky, and Fino stretched out his hand to catch a snowflake. It was so fragile that even if it touched the devil's cold skin, it would quickly turn into a puddle of water.It is so beautiful, who carved out each piece of tiny crystals that are different but equally exquisite?

The real snow turns out to be so cold, so lonely, that even the self without body temperature can't accept it, and even the self who is so pure that only 'death' remains can't get close.It is pure and flawless, and does not tolerate any existence that is different from itself.Each piece of snow is different, piled up to cover the dirty world.Are you trying to cover up something with your own purity?Are you trying to satirize something with this innocence?

I see.I hear your voice...

Fino put his hands on his chest, he heard a strange voice, he said softly: "Thank you." Then he turned and looked at Youxiang: "Master, can you come here for a while?"

"Huh?" Youxiang walked to Fino's side, the snow here was quite thick, and the boots went in above her ankles.These are the kind of single boots you wear in summer, so it's a bit cold... When Youxiang walked up to Fino, he stretched out his hand to support him: "I want to tell you something. It should be said that I want Confess something to you."

"frank……?"

"Yileng is also a place of ice and snow. It is covered with ice and snow, I have known this for a long time." Fino took Youxiang's hands and put them in his palms, as if he wanted to warm the warmth of those small hands. Keeping it the same, he said, "So when Pride was called, I was nearby. I wanted to see the snow in Yilen, that's why I was there...I agreed to that contract because I wanted Look at the snow."

"........."

"However, this wish did not come true. The power of arrogance at that time was too weak, and he couldn't even show it. The same is true for you. You were too young at that time, and you didn't have enough power to let us appear by your side." Fino said truthfully "I didn't get to see Yi Leng...but I saw you. And your mother."

"Mom?" Youxiang suddenly remembered the vision she saw in Penderga. At that time, her mother was killed... Could it be that Fino was beside her at that time...?

"When she faced death, I was there. I 'led the way' for her." Fino lowered his eyes, he said, "She is a firm and strong person, but she also has human fragility. She said that if To use a metaphor, every child is a snowflake, each of them is different, each is pure and flawless, and every qualified adult has the responsibility to let those snowflakes fall safely in the snow."

"Because they are pure and flawless, they are fragile, so once they are polluted or blocked by something in the process of falling, they will melt. Their home should be the pure white earth, covering the world with their own purity dirty."

As he spoke, Fino raised his hand, and gently rubbed Youxiang's flushed cheeks with the back of his hand. He smiled: "I like this metaphor very much. I changed my mind at that time. I started To be by your side to 'guard a snowflake'. But...but I didn't expect that in the end, your mother was wrong. About you, she was wrong."

"You inherited everything from her. Human beings are really incredible creatures. You were so young at that time, it was impossible to remember anything... But the bond of blood has brought everything about her to you. Her steadfastness, Her bravery, her belief, and... her love. You are no longer that little snowflake, you are fragrant."

"You became the flame. To melt this beautiful, white—mask of falsehood."

Ahh...it's not the snow that I like.It is the illusory dream of human beings.Only at this moment did he truly understand this point, Fino approached Youxiang's face, and said, "Keep burning, my master. Expose this dream, because..."

that's.

This is the 'right way'.

"Because this is the right way."

You shouldn't be following in your mother's footsteps.Your mother was devoured, she failed.You have inherited her brightest side, and have you also inherited her darkest side?I have no idea.But every snowflake is different, and maybe you are too.Don't be swallowed, don't be changed, don't be extinguished...

Keep burning.

"I don't understand..." What are you talking about, Fino... Do you mean that Mom made a mistake?Youxiang looked at Fino, and she said, "Is there anything else about Mom... that I don't know, Fino?"

"..." When she fell into darkness, there were too many things that were too cruel for you to know.Although the last time you saw her, she was slightly relieved from that darkness, but there was nothing she could do back then.Betrayal cannot be erased, nor can the dead be brought back to life.Some mistakes are irreparable.Therefore, she was so desperate.

She is desperately protecting you, the last 'snowflake', and she is desperately trying to make you 'white and flawless'.Maybe this is the last redemption for her.

however……

"She loves you," Fino replied, "but she doesn't know you."

She doesn't understand that not every snowflake wants to be 'the purity that covers the earth', not every snowflake wants to be a 'snowflake'.Maybe they don't want to fall, maybe they don't want to be a tool to cover up the 'filth'.Maybe--

They can't be props for someone to atone for their sins.

"What I want to confess to you is that, Youxiang, I don't like snow..." Fino looked up at the sky, and he said, "I hate it. If I hate it, I'm willing to scramble to fall, to cover up the snow that should be covered by others. A sin to remember. It is man's most illusory dream, the most ludicrous lie. Don't look at it, don't be it, promise me... don't be snowflakes, be fire. Be a flame no one can deny, no one can violate... ..."

"Tear off this hypocritical mask."

——He just had some...

Ace stopped suddenly, and he covered his heart. Just now he felt a little... a little uncomfortable.Is it sad?Is it pain?he does not know.But it must have something to do with Youxiang.What happened to her...wasn't with Matthew?Could it be that he encountered some danger?

He and Sabo have been walking for a long time without seeing any moving creatures. Seeing that a pale piece can be seen in the distance, the side of the ice is almost there.Is there anyone else on this island...youxiang...

"Ace?" What's wrong?Sabo noticed that he stopped suddenly, so he also stopped and looked back at him, "Are you tired?"

"It's not..." Ace sighed, and he started to walk again, "I think we did something too much, Sabo."

"...What do you mean?" Sabo paused, and he said, "What did you do?"

"I meant 'us'!" Ace emphasized again, "Youxiang, she wouldn't... still be chasing us like before?"

"..." Suddenly, Sabo realized something, he glanced back, of course there was nothing but a sea of ​​fire, and he quickly looked at Ace again, "No way, Ace! We all grew up It's so big..."

"How would I know! Speaking of which, we are the ones who will be self-willed this time!" Ace was introspecting, he was really introspecting, and now he quickened his pace, "We have to find her quickly! I have a kind of hunch..."

"Premonition?! Don't scare me, Ace! What premonition?!"

"Anyway, let's go quickly! It's probably a premonition that Matthew will ridicule him! Let him grab the handle again!"

"Even if we don't do anything, we will still be ridiculed by him!!"

"It's not that problem! This time... Anyway, I... I can feel it, Sabo. Ever since I got Youxiang's heart..." Ace lowered his eyes, and he said, "Since then, every time she I can feel it when I feel sad or when I want to cry. That’s how it feels now. Matthew keeps saying hold me accountable...I didn’t understand what he meant before.”

"But now I understand. I'm a pirate, and I'm really... so free. I thought I loved her, but the freedom is actually hurting her. What kind of love is that, I don't have it at all Qualifications. I don’t even have the qualifications to say ‘I’m paying her back’. Now that I’ve left her where she is, what the hell am I doing, Sabo…”

"Ace..." I too... I am also responsible.We were 'wrong'.He kept talking about something... guarding the treasure, but it turned out to be too 'free'.Since you want to be free, don't say that you love someone deeply, don't say that you want to give her happiness and so on.If you can't give up, then you have to sacrifice something——

After all, she had already sacrificed a lot.

If you can't "sacrifice" even this little thing, what kind of love is this?Don't impress yourself.

"I see." Sabo said, "Let's go find her quickly."

"Ah..." You just need to understand.Ace was a little absent-minded, and he said, "Whether she is with Matthew or not, she should already be heading to the laboratory, as long as we go there, we can find it."

"Well." Sabo nodded, and he said, "Ace...it's okay. Now that we realize it, we won't do it again. Let's apologize together."

"I know. I just...maybe just need to be scolded by Matthew again."

"Hey~~ Forget it. He really... Sometimes cursing is too painful."

"Be brave and be scolded by him together! Sabo!!"

"I don't want it!!"

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The author has something to say:

"What she hates is not the ugliness of this world, but the beautiful masks it wears."

Fino believes that part of Youxiang's mother's final awakening was due to her love for her child, and part of it was to "make up for the mistakes".Youxiang's mother actually fell into the dark side, after all, she chose to sacrifice Youxiang to Xiaoxi.Therefore, Fino believes that Youxiang's mother saved her with the mentality of 'If I save this child, then I can pay for some sins'.What Fino recognized was her mother's bravery and determination in the final battle, not her mentality.He even more recognized the mercenary who finally protected Youxiang, because the mercenary didn't use anything to whitewash his behavior, not love, not responsibility, not fate, just because "this is the right way".What he admires is the "good" nature of human beings, not the more complicated feelings such as repayment and compensation.

Therefore, Fino hopes that Youxiang will not be the snowflakes that her mother wants her to be and eventually fall on the earth to become part of the world's 'mask of hypocrisy', but to be the thing that tears down the mask, to be the fire that melts those snowflakes, and restores The true face of this earth that is concealed.That is to return to nature.

(It is worth mentioning that Kagawa also pursues this idea even more. Instead of helping whitewash the mask, covering up the dirty past and maintaining the superficial beauty, it is better to uncover the mask and let everyone face the truth and cruelty. The truth. They think that living in this way is valuable. But everyone thinks differently, and Frey is different from theirs hahaha... Frey is relatively more sympathetic to this kind of depravity and guilt as a human being Powerless You Xiang's mother, so in his description, You Xiang's mother is always an ordinary person, not a powerful warrior.)

Here I want to combine the 100-year history that disappeared in the original Pirates. That history must be full of cruel reality, and those who want to uncover this history, such as Robin, are those who hope to tear off the whitewashed mask.Maybe Roger, who learned everything and finally chose to surrender, also hopes that one day, people will be able to see through this mask and face the final truth.Of course, this is all for later~~