The first rays of dawn crept through the small window of Kikidori and Ere'ana's room. Kikidori stirred, stretching lazily as the sunlight warmed his face. But something felt... off. His body felt different, lighter. He groggily sat up and looked down at himself.
"No… No way," Kikidori muttered, staring at his now very feminine frame. "You've got to be kidding me."
His voice was softer—higher-pitched, even. Kikidori groaned, slapping a hand over his face. "Not again. What is going on?"
Quietly, so as not to wake Ere'ana or Luffy Jr., Kikidori slipped out of the room. Her bare feet made almost no sound as he climbed the stairs to the deck. The cool morning breeze brushed against his—now her—skin, sending a shiver up her spine.
The rest of the crew was already up and about, their usual morning routines underway. Luffy was perched on the figurehead, munching on an apple. Zoro was in the corner doing his usual weight training, while Nami and Robin chatted at the table with steaming cups of tea. Sanji, of course, was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast.
Kikidori hesitated, biting her lip. "Alright," she muttered to herself. "Just tell them. It's not like they haven't seen me like this before."
She stepped onto the main deck, her presence instantly drawing attention.
"Kikidori?" Luffy called out, tilting his head.
The entire crew froze.
"What the—" Zoro's weights clattered to the deck as his grip faltered.
"Kikidori, you're a girl again?" Nami asked, her eyes wide. But her surprise quickly turned to something else as she scanned Kikidori from head to toe. "You're, uh… you're even prettier than last time."
"Prettier?" Kikidori blinked, confused.
Robin set her cup down, staring openly. A faint blush dusted her cheeks. "She's not wrong. You… look stunning."
Even Usopp, who had sworn to stay loyal to Kaya, couldn't help but stare, his face turning beet red. "Uh, Kikidori… wow."
Luffy dropped his apple. "You're, like… Boa Hancock-level pretty!"
Sanji emerged from the kitchen just in time to see the commotion. His jaw dropped, and he immediately started twirling in place, hearts in his eyes. "KIKIDORI-CHAAAAAN! YOU'VE BLESSED US WITH YOUR BEAUTY ONCE AGAIN!"
Kikidori's eye twitched as she glared at him. "Sanji, stop it. This isn't exactly a blessing."
"Are you sure?" Sanji asked dreamily. "Because I feel blessed."
Zoro, who had been silent up until now, rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. He was staring too, but unlike the others, he quickly averted his gaze when Kikidori caught him.
"Oi, stop gawking at me!" Kikidori snapped, her cheeks flushing with frustration.
"Sorry, it's just… you're glowing," Usopp said sheepishly.
"I'M NOT GLOWING!" Kikidori shouted.
And then, just as suddenly as it had happened before, Kikidori felt a familiar shift in his body. He looked down at himself and realized he was back to normal—back to being a boy.
"Wait, what?" Kikidori looked at his hands, his chest, everything. He let out an exasperated groan. "I'm so confused! What is happening to me?"
"You changed back?" Nami asked, blinking.
"Looks like it," Robin said, her calm demeanor returning. "Fascinating. Perhaps it's tied to your emotions or some aspect of your Devil Fruit power."
"Great," Kikidori muttered, running a hand through his hair. "So I'm just gonna randomly switch between being a boy and a girl now?"
Luffy, still perched on the figurehead, tilted his head thoughtfully. "That sounds like an adventure!"
"This is not an adventure, Luffy!" Kikidori shouted. "This is a nightmare!"
Sanji, ever the optimist, gave a thumbs-up. "Well, if you ever want to stay as a girl, Kikidori-chan, I'm here for you!"
Kikidori glared daggers at him. "Yeah, not happening, perv."
Zoro crossed his arms, smirking slightly. "You're taking this pretty well, considering."
Kikidori sighed, slumping against the railing. "What choice do I have? It's not like I can control it. I just hope it doesn't happen at a bad time."
Robin placed a reassuring hand on Kikidori's shoulder. "We'll figure it out. In the meantime, try to stay calm. Stress might be a trigger."
"Calm," Kikidori repeated, chuckling bitterly. "Right. Easy for you to say."
As the crew began to disperse, returning to their morning routines, Kikidori couldn't shake the feeling that this was far from over. Whatever was happening to him, it was going to make life on the Sunny a lot more… complicated.
End of Chapter 80