"Wait, please give me another chance—"

"Dream-Weaving Banana Teacher raised his head and looked down at her: "Student, there aren't that many opportunities in this world."

"Please, it's my dream to star in Rook's movie, please don't say that in front of him..." the girl pleaded in a low voice.

"I believe that Gigaku Ninja Apprentice's acting is not flawed; it is you who are too picky."

"You think so?" Dream-Weaving Banana Teacher shifted his gaze to Rappa, snorting disdainfully, "Are you the Banana Teacher who grades her? Or the director who provides her with work? The only one who can determine a student's worth in class is naturally I, Banana Teacher."

"Rook, stop filming. We need to change actors."

Rook smiled meaningfully: "Stop filming? No, no, no, this play isn't over yet—"

Suddenly, the feeling from the dream surged back, countless Slumbernana Monkeys leaped before her, the scent of bananas spread at the tip of her nose, and a strong, drowsy sensation enveloped Xing.

Dan Heng noticed Xing's odd behavior and quickly asked with concern: "Xing? Are you alright, banana... banana?"

Harmonious Banana-Master looked at the scene before him, overjoyed: "Banana? Banananana... It seems Banana Studies is starting to take effect. Congratulations, students, you'll soon become qualified actors. Thank the Slumbernana Monkey—"

—

One Piece.

"Even... that Dragon Lord of the Luofu has fallen victim?"

On the Blackbeard Pirates' flagship, the atmosphere was somewhat eerie. Blackbeard kept touching his throat, cold sweat trickling down his forehead.

Just a moment ago, ever since he started unconsciously adding the word "banana" to his speech, a strong sense of unease had enveloped him. A power different from an Path, one he couldn't understand, couldn't defend against, and couldn't even perceive, was silently eroding him and the other captains.

And in Celestial Screen, when Dan Heng also involuntarily uttered the word "banana," this unease was invisibly magnified... If even the Dragon Lord couldn't escape, then the scope of this "banana curse" was far wider than he had imagined.

"I can't figure it out..." Blackbeard's gloomy gaze fixed on the pink-haired girl in Celestial Screen, "Why is that little girl fine? Is her strength even above Dan Heng's? That shouldn't be, right? Has she not used her full power until now?"

"No."

Kuzan, who had been leaning against the ship's rail, exuding a cold aura, slowly spoke, denying it: "I'm afraid it has no direct relation to strength. This curse should be effective on everyone. All of us have met a certain 'condition' and have been brought within the curse's effective range."

"Condition? What condition? Does that little girl not meet the curse's condition?!" Blackbeard couldn't help but continue to ask.

"I'm afraid so." Kuzan exhaled a long breath of cold air, "You can try to compare what differences there are between us and that Rappa."

"Differences? What differences could there be? That strange way of speaking—"

Mid-sentence, Blackbeard's voice instantly stopped.

He instinctively wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

If there was a difference between Rappa and the others, it was her peculiar speaking habits and verbal tic. Could this also be related to monkeys?

No, no... That's impossible, right?

—

"As expected, this is also a trap of the Evil Ninja, huh." Rappa remarked calmly.

Harmonious Banana-Master immediately turned his head and looked at Rappa strangely: "Hmm? Why are you still so clear-headed? What an un-banana-fied bad student."

"Dragon · Evil Spirit Highness, compared to my Lyōran Ninja Arts, this kind of sorcery is merely a trivial trick—let me awaken everyone! Lyōran · Karate · Righteousness Severing Confusion Hand Blade · Consecutive Strikes!"

—After a series of thunderous claps, Rappa, with immense force, "gently" struck the sleeping minds of the crowd with his hand blade; even a passing Slumbernana Monkey had to take a hit.

Dan Heng clutched his head, sucking in a cold breath: "Hiss..."

"The galaxy ninja scroll says: a ninja's heart should be like bedrock, unyielding under oppression, and unmarred by the winds of advice." Rappa kindly reminded, "Gigaku Ninja Apprentice, you must hold firm to yourself."

The girl looked up blankly: "Is, is this another scene? Is it a ninja movie?"

Rook trembled with excitement: "No, this is the most exciting part! It's just that there's been a slight change in actors—Harmonious Banana-Master, you're playing the villain now."

"What's going on! I said cut, cut!"

"CUT—Where I am on set, I am the director! Come on, actors, save this terrible movie with a climactic fight scene!"

—

Fate/Emiya Household.

"The galaxy ninja scroll... Caster, when you go home later, why don't you ask Assassin if there's anything similar in their era?"

At Emiya Household's dining table, Rin took a bite of her bacon sandwich and asked curiously.

"Ah, alright."

Caster, who was visiting with Kuzuki, nodded, though she was also a bit curious: "Rin is interested in ninja arts?"

"Hmm... I suppose so. I saw that Miss Rappa seems to know a lot about the ninja handbook, and I've never encountered it before, so I wanted to learn about it. Who knows, it might contain some strange power."

"Rin, you think that Rappa is unaffected by that curse because of The galaxy ninja scroll, right?" Archer raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of scrutiny, "If you're thinking that, I don't think it's very likely."

"Huh? Archer, are you questioning my judgment?" Rin glared fiercely at Archer, displeased, "My intuition in this area is always very accurate! Rappa wasn't affected by the Slumbernana Monkey because she studied The galaxy ninja scroll; it must contain methods and training ways to combat this curse."

Archer spoke unhurriedly: "But in my judgment... the training in the Land of Ninjas is somewhat strange. The profound principles of their ninja arts all reveal a sense of 'casualness,' and are not rigorous. Rappa's ninja arts haven't been displayed so far; she mostly wins by strength and speed."

"...The so-called ninja handbook, it's a bit like a psychological counseling book."

—

Although the Banana Teacher called in several helpers, its fate was the same as its colleagues; all of them fizzled out.

"The evil spirit with malicious words has been defeated, the cruel and unrighteous scheme has been destroyed. The hero has eliminated the calamity of the academy, and the banquet regains its former splendor—" Rappa looked at the still-shaken girl beside him and encouraged: "Gigaku Ninja Apprentice, speak the final line."

The girl suppressed her surging emotions and took a deep breath: "Banana... No! Vile fiend, your malicious words did not defeat Gigaku Ninja Apprentice! Ninja victory!"

Dan Heng carefully examined the Banana Teacher on the ground, "This guy has also stopped working, it really looks like someone is manipulating it from behind."

Rappa looked up, his gaze fixed on Rook, who stood before them. From beginning to end, this guy remained calm and composed, as if, apart from the film in his hand, he was completely unconcerned with everything happening around him.

"So, Toad · Ninja, can you now explain everything?"