"...So, he was a Devil Fruit user."
"Yes. He's currently restrained with Seastone, but... as soon as he regains consciousness, I intend to interrogate him and try to get some information out of him."
"Do what you can."
The speakers were Komurasaki and Kanata.
Of the five Martins that Luffy and the others had defeated, four had already sunk into the sea of clouds. It would be impossible to retrieve them from the visually obscured sea of clouds.
The remaining one was being held by Komurasaki, under strict surveillance and bound with Seastone shackles, but he had yet to regain consciousness.
His appearance had changed from that of dark skin, black wings, and white hair to that of an ordinary human, and along with that, his physique had shrunk to that of a normal human.
If one was like that, the others probably were too, but in principle, the same ability user cannot be born.
There was some kind of trick.
"It seems that the fruit made by Caesar called 'SMILE'... artificially created Devil Fruit users, there are several people with the same ability. It's probably something like that. Although, it's unclear where they got the bloodline factor of the Lunarian race."
"Bloodline factor... Maraptonoka, who I fought, said something similar."
"Maraptonoka, huh. I don't know much about her either... but at least, as far as I hear from you, she's a hard-to-say existence."
"She used abilities that reproduced several Devil Fruits. Is such a thing possible?"
"If you actually saw it, then it's probably not impossible. Whether she was born special, or whether she was artificially altered later... I have an idea of the scientists who might be involved. I'll squeeze them later and make them talk."
Kanata spoke with an air of someone about to sigh.
She probably... no, almost certainly had business with the scientist who was involved, Vegapunk, so it was just on the way.
The rest of the "MADS" members could also be contacted to some extent. If they were also involved, she intended to make them talk.
"But, a Devil Fruit of the Lunarian race, huh? If there's a Lunarian bloodline factor, it would have been cheaper to make a clone, so why would they do something so roundabout... To reuse a clone made for another purpose?"
"...I don't really understand that kind of talk..."
"I guess so. I'll gather the scientists later and have them investigate. If we have a biological sample, things will be quick."
Having a specimen and not having one made a big difference. It would be reasonable to expect to obtain information.
"Where are you now, Kanata-san?"
"'Dressrosa'. It seems there's a factory that grows 'SMILEs'. I'll go see it on my way back."
It was good that the Navy had seized it, but the factory was made of Seastone, so they were in trouble. The people who seemed likely to be able to break it would probably destroy everything inside, and Seastone was as hard as a diamond, so it wasn't easy to destroy. In addition, since Devil Fruit abilities didn't work, it was extremely difficult to destroy it physically.
Since there were things like chemicals and fruits inside that they wanted to recover with as little damage as possible, the means they could take were limited.
Galardino, who Lycoris had brought back, was also an ability user who could open this, but Kanata said she would break it on her way back from Mariejois.
"The Navy can't keep it stationed forever, either. I'll make it a loan to Sengoku."
"Because the sea is unstable due to Crocodile's matter... But, even though it's called the Seven Warlords of the Sea, there were only six of them, and even if one more is gone, will it change that much?"
"...There were only six of them, huh."
"? What's wrong?"
"No... It's nothing."
She felt something, a tremendous sense of wrongness.
Kanata felt an indescribable discomfort, but she couldn't put it into words.
As she remained silent with a vague feeling, Komurasaki, in a slightly tense tone, thought she had said something wrong.
"Um, did I say something strange?"
"...No, don't worry about it. It's my problem. I'll ask about the Maraptonoka matter later. You can have Gan Fall take care of the Upper Yard matter. Is there anything else to ask?"
"Y-Yes!"
Skypiea was "Twilight" territory and was used as a sanatorium, so it was also a place under Kanata's direct control. Gan Fall, as the viceroy, had governed it without any problems, and he would do so this time as well. He also had the flexibility to consult and ask for help if necessary.
Komurasaki talked for a few more words and then cut off the call with Kanata.
This was enough for a preliminary report. It was necessary to submit a detailed report later, but there was a grace period of a few days.
The rest was the matter of Luffy and the others.
Komurasaki was about to leave her room and head to Upper Yard again when she was called out on the way.
"Ah, there you are! Komurasaki-chan!"
"Oh, what is it?"
She was a guest staying at the guesthouse.
It seemed that she was looking for Komurasaki, and behind her was Enel, who must have been running around with her.
"The straw hat kids were fighting on the other island, weren't they? Were they safe?"
"Yes, they were safe, but... Why do you ask?"
"I was watching the video Den Den Mushi that was monitoring. And I was a little worried... If possible, I'd like you to take me to them, is that okay?"
"Don't look at me. I was the one who stopped her."
When she glanced at Enel, such an excuse-like word came back.
As a bodyguard, Komurasaki thought that she could grant her request to some extent.
"...Very well. However, please follow my instructions, okay?"
"! Thank you!"
The guest thanked Komurasaki by hugging her, and said that she had some preparations and returned to her room.
Her storm-like behavior made her blink, and Enel, who had seen it, sighed tiredly.
He seemed to be planning to follow her anyway, and there was no sign of him leaving Komurasaki's side.
As the three of them were preparing a ship, Gan Fall appeared, having heard about it from somewhere, and they ended up taking him with them.
***
"It's a feast~~~!!!"
By the time Komurasaki and the others reached Luffy and the others' location, the sun had already set, and they, who she thought would be quiet, were having a feast around a campfire.
She was impressed that they could make so much noise in someone else's land.
"Well, well. They seem to be energetic young people."
"It's not something to laugh about, Gan Fall. But for some reason, the Shandians are also here."
"Why is this happening...?"
Gan Fall laughed, Enel twisted his head. And Komurasaki was bewildered.
As for the remaining one—the guest—she looked around as if looking for someone, and when she found the person she was looking for, she ran straight towards them.
"I found you!! Sanji!!!"
"Hmm? Uoh!?"
She jumped at him while he was pouring a pot full of stew into a bowl, so Sanji, while panicking, held the woman while spinning to protect the bowl and stew.
He knew from the feel that he had been hugged by a woman, so his face was a little loose, but the moment he saw her face, he dropped the cigarette he was holding and widened his eyes.
It was a face he remembered.
He knew her, but she should have been dead.
"It's been a while, Sanji!! I'm glad you're doing well!!"
"What, Sanji, did you have an acquaintance?"
"Who's that?"
While Usopp and Luffy were making noise and eating with skill, they noticed Sanji's state.
Noticing this, the Straw Hat crew members all turned their gazes, and Sanji, not noticing it, spoke to the other person.
"M-Mother...?"
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
"Mother? You mean, Sanji's mother!?"
"Eeeehhhh!!?"
—Vinsmoke Sora.
She was Sanji's mother, and the woman who had once taken a deadly poison and become unable to even walk, had appeared in a state of being more energetic than ever.
There was nothing else for Sanji to do but be confused.
Sora, noticing the surprised Luffy and the others, left Sanji and approached them.
"You're Sanji's friends? Sanji is in your care!"
"Oh, this is polite."
"Sanji always makes delicious meals for us."
Luffy and Usopp bowed their heads, following Sora's lead. Nami seemed to still be surprised, but Zoro seemed to be relatively indifferent, and Chopper was still eating even though he was surprised.
Robin noticed Komurasaki and the others coming from behind Sora and asked, "Did you bring her?"
"Yes. At her request... She was also the person I told you about the other day who I wanted Robin-san to meet."
"Me? Why?"
"She said she was Olvia-san's mom friend and wanted to meet you once."
Robin couldn't help but smile wryly at the unexpectedly simple connection.
It was as if she was saying that it was only natural to want to meet a friend's daughter.
On the other hand, Enel, who was more concerned about that, asked with his hand on his chin.
"Why are the Shandians here?"
"Their village was burned down by Maraptonoka, and they have nowhere to return. They met up with the warriors while wandering aimlessly, and somehow made it here."
"...I see. That's why there are not only warriors but also women, children, and old people."
"Ah, earlobe old man! You came here too!"
"Who are you calling earlobe old man? Call me Dr. Enel with respect."
"That's right, old man! You're an expert on ships, right? The Merry has been burned a little... Can't you repair it?"
"I am a ship expert, but what I do is develop the theory. It's not my job to actually build or repair ships."
"I see... Even the old man can't do it, huh?"
"There are several shipwrights on that island to put the theory into practice. They'll probably take on first aid. You should ask them."
"Really!? Thanks, earlobe old man!!"
"If I were to give my personal opinion, I think you should abandon that outdated pleasure boat and get a sturdier ship. The voyage from here on will be tough."
"What did you say!? The Merry is an important companion!! I won't abandon her!!"
"...Well, if you're fine with it, I won't say anything."
The Shandian chief also noticed the noise and approached with a warrior.
The warrior—Kamakiri and Wiper were also covered in wounds, and although their gazes were strong enough to kill a person, they didn't have weapons.
"Gan Fall. You were safe."
"Yes. I retired from being a warrior a long time ago, but I have reliable warriors."
"I'm envious... Our warriors are reckless."
"Chief! We shouldn't have anything to talk about with Gan Fall!! We should drive them away immediately!!"
"Calm down, Wiper. Don't think about fighting with those wounds. You were on the verge of death earlier."
His abdomen had been shot by Maraptonoka, and he had been wandering between life and death. He had managed to survive thanks to Chopper's treatment, but he was not in a condition to be walking around.
Still, the reason he stood and glared at Gan Fall was probably because he considered this place an important sacred place that his ancestors had protected for generations.
Anyway, as it was not good to stand and talk, they all sat around the campfire.
Sanji, who had been confused, finally seemed to have recovered, and he prepared meals for everyone and stepped back.
Gan Fall, ignoring Sora, who was happily enjoying Sanji's cooking, turned his gaze to the chief.
"The damage this time must be great. I heard that the village was burned down. The warriors also seem to be covered in wounds."
"Yeah... All our stores were burned. Honestly, we're at a loss."
The houses in the village, household goods, crop stores, mementos... everything had turned to ashes. There was nothing left.
It was a relief that there were no deaths, but without food, they would soon starve to death. There was plenty of bounty in the forest, but the forest itself had been largely burned by the fire.
It was only natural to feel gloomy when thinking about the future.
Gan Fall listened to the chief's story and looked at the bowl of stew in his hand.
From now on, the Shandians would have difficulty even eating a bowl of stew like this. There were young children and old people who couldn't work. Even if everyone searched for food, it was not certain that there would be enough.
"...Chief. This is a suggestion."
"We won't accept any charity from you! There's no need to listen!"
"Wiper!"
"If we compromise on one thing, they'll take advantage of it and demand everything!! In the past, our ancestors were driven from their land by these guys... There's no way we can trust them now!!"
Wiper stood up and cursed Gan Fall in anger.
Considering the treatment the Shandians had received in the past, Wiper's words could not be easily denied.
However, even so, Gan Fall could not back down.
More than anything, it was for the sake of the Shandian people.
"Then what do you intend to do? There are no houses, no fields, and the blessings of the forest have diminished. Do you intend to just sit and watch your tribe slowly perish?"
"We'll take care of our own affairs. We won't accept your help!"
"Look at reality, Wiper!! What you're saying is idealism!! You may be fine, but the first to die from it will be the old people and children!!!"
The old people, who were old and useless, would be the first to be abandoned.
Mothers would give food to their children and die.
Even so, children who couldn't endure hunger would die.
In the end, only the warriors who could hunt their own prey and earn their own food would remain.
"It's not that I'm trying to enslave you. Calm down, Wiper. It's not too late to think about it after hearing the story."
"......!"
Gan Fall stared and Wiper glared.
Wiper turned his gaze to Laki, Aisa, Genbou, and Braham—the compatriots of the tribe he should protect.
There was no way they could trust those who had exploited them so much. But if they didn't, they couldn't protect the tribe.
Wiper glared at Gan Fall, sat down, and shut his mouth.
His gaze was as if to say that he would kill him if he said anything unnecessary, but it seemed that he was willing to listen to the story for now.
***
"That side seems to be having a hard time."
"Well, it must be hard. The conflict between the Shandians and the sky people has lasted for 400 years. It's not something that can be resolved overnight."
"400 years!? That's..."
"Isn't earlobe old man going to join that conversation?"
"I've decided not to get involved in politics. I'm not interested either."
A little away from Gan Fall and the chief's discussion, Enel and Sora were eating with Luffy and the others.
Komurasaki remained as Gan Fall's bodyguard, so even if Wiper did something rash, she could deal with it.
The two who had no interest in politics quickly left.
Enel was still wearing a lab coat over his bare upper body, and he was eating stew.
Next to him, Usopp looked at Sora.
"I'm surprised to meet Sanji's mother here."
"I'm surprised too. I never thought I'd be able to meet you here!"
"You're too close!"
Before he knew it, Sora was sitting right next to Sanji.
Usopp pointed this out, but Sanji, the person in question, was just poking at the stew with a spoon and not eating. His gaze, which had been downcast, turned to Sora, wondering if he was concerned.
"...Hey, Mother, why are you alive?"
"That's a strange question, isn't it? Did your mother almost die?"
"...When I escaped from there, you were so weak that you couldn't even get out of bed. The best doctors in the world should have given up on you. It's been over 10 years since then. If you think about it calmly, you shouldn't be alive."
The last time he saw her was 11 years ago... Sora was in a state where she couldn't even get out of bed, but she still thought of Sanji and asked Reiju to help him escape from Germa.
While wishing that Sanji's dream of becoming a cook would come true.
He had certainly received that feeling. That's why, no matter how difficult it was, he never gave up on his dream, and even now, he was traveling with Luffy, aiming for "All Blue."
That's why he had questions for the mother in front of him.
Since she was in front of him, she must have recovered. But the mother who smiled faintly on that bed and the mother who smiled cheerfully in front of him didn't match.
"Well, you know, medical science has advanced and I was cured."
"It's not that simple, is it?"
"Hmm... It's a long and complicated story to explain in detail..."
"I'm curious! What kind of illness was it, and how did you cure it?"
"Oh, how cute! Are you the doctor of Sanji's ship?"
"Yeah!"
Even though he was told that he was curious, Sora was quite reluctant to talk about the details.
Sanji and the others couldn't understand why she was so reluctant to talk, but only Sanji could imagine that it wasn't a proper method. After all, he knew Judge.
"That's right! If you're really curious, why don't you join my crew? I have an island I want you to take me to!"
"Huh!? Okay."
"Is that okay!?"
"It's decided! If you really want to know, I'll tell you there!"
Before they knew it, it was decided that Sora would join the Merry, and Enel, who was listening next to them, was dumbfounded by the speed of the decision.
Sora's research was fortunately finished.
The research results were just waiting to see the light of day, but Sora prioritized Sanji over that.
"Ah, but we won't be leaving the ship right away, okay?"
"Oh, why?"
"We're looking for gold. I heard there's a golden city here, and I want to show it to the diamond-shaped old man and the monkeys."
"Gold? Certainly, this island is mostly unexplored, but I wonder if there's something like that..."
At least there was nothing in a place that could be seen from the outside. If there was such a place, it would have been discovered and collected in the past.
But none of the Shandians knew about the gold.
It was either hidden somewhere... or it didn't exist anywhere.
"Oh, in that case, I have a pretty good idea where it is, you know?"
As Luffy and the others were talking, Robin, with a matter-of-fact look on her face, had pinpointed the location of the golden city.
Luffy and the others were so surprised that their eyes almost popped out.