New World, Pirate Island, Hachinosu.
The executives who had returned from Paradise were currently gathered in Kanata's office for their reports.
Junshi, Lycoris, Gem, and Miss Goldenweek, the forces dispatched to Alabasta. Teach and his companions, who had hitched a ride from Midgard. And Douglas Bullet, the "Demon Heir." Plus Feiyun, who had returned from the recent raid on Punk Hazard, bringing Caesar Clown in tow.
There was much to report. Kanata briefly considered who to hear from first, her gaze settling on Bullet, who stood with his arms crossed, looking disgruntled.
"Bullet. Is your objective still to fight me?"
"Yeah. That's why I came all the way here. Get ready already."
"I don't mind that itself, but we need to prepare a location. I'll need a few days, alright?"
"…Fine. Call me when you're ready. I'll kill time somewhere."
"Rain should be at the training grounds. It's a good opportunity, go rough him up."
"You trying to order me around?"
"I got my hands on some good North Blue sake. A drink tastes better after moving your body a bit, wouldn't you say?"
"…Tch."
Bullet clicked his tongue once and exited the office. Kanata shrugged lightly as Teach threw back his head and laughed.
"Zehahahaha!! He's mellowed out quite a bit, hasn't he!"
"It's surprising he was calmer than expected. Did he manage to blow off steam on the way, or did he actually enjoy the battle in Alabasta, I wonder?" Lycoris mused.
"Heard Kaie-anego had a go with him in Midgard! Probably let him blow off some steam there!" Teach explained.
"I see."
Next, Kanata turned her gaze to Teach, then to the four nervous-looking individuals behind him. They were unfamiliar faces. Since Teach had brought them, she assumed there was some significance and prompted him for his report. Teach brought the four standing behind him forward, introducing them to Kanata one by one.
"From the back, Augur, Burgess, Doc Q, and Laffitte! My new crewmates I gathered during my vacation! Also, this is a souvenir."
Teach placed a treasure chest he had been carrying under his arm onto the desk. Kanata opened it without any particular caution. Inside lay a single Devil Fruit. They had become rarer recently, but thinking he must have found it somewhere, she closed the chest.
"Good to hear you enjoyed your vacation. Are they to be considered your direct subordinates?"
"Yep! Let's call 'em the Blackbeard Division, how about that!"
"Call them whatever you like… but make sure they understand the rules here thoroughly."
"Got it! Also… I wanna feed these guys Devil Fruits. Let me check the treasury later."
"Hmm… Are they useful?"
Kanata crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing slightly as she scrutinized Augur and the others. They weren't weak, but… by Kanata's standards, whether they were truly useful was highly questionable. Well, if they were Teach's direct subordinates, their individual weakness wasn't necessarily a problem. Teach grinned at Kanata's words.
"Yeah. These guys will definitely get strong."
"…If you say so, let's go check later. I need to take your souvenir there anyway."
"Alright, thanks!"
"Wait in another room. I'll head over after receiving the remaining reports."
Teach nodded at Kanata's words and led Augur and the others out of the room. Feiyun stared intently at their retreating backs, then turned her gaze back to Kanata once they were out of sight.
"…Are you sure about this?"
"It should be fine. He seems to be scheming various things, but it doesn't look like he'll cause harm."
"…If you say so."
Feiyun collected herself and glanced at Gem and Miss Goldenweek. She was worried if it was alright to report in front of these two. Kanata understood and told her, "A simple report will suffice." It would be more efficient to hear the details from the source later, and she judged that a preliminary report was sufficient for now.
"'He' has been captured. He's currently in solitary confinement with several guards watching him. He's also wearing Seastone cuffs, so I doubt he can escape."
"No change from the report received en route, then. What about the documents?"
"I collected what I could find, but due to time constraints, I can't be sure if I got everything."
"That should be enough. Any missing information should be inside his head."
If he claimed to be a genius, he'd better have that much memorized, Kanata muttered. And there was one more problem.
"What about the children we protected and the people used as test subjects?"
"Test subjects I understand, but… children?"
"Yes. It seems they were brought from somewhere…"
Feiyun hesitantly added, "According to him, they seem to be test subjects for a gigantification drug." Kanata frowned, voicing her doubt almost involuntarily.
"…Is that curable?"
"I couldn't say."
"I see… Throw them all in with Sukura. If he can't handle it, nothing can be done."
Apparently, they had been fed drug-laced candies, and some had experienced violent withdrawal symptoms during transport. Subduing them was easy, but dealing with children was difficult, especially since they didn't hesitate to harm themselves. Supplies like sedatives had apparently run low. Kanata's assessment of Caesar dropped another notch.
"I'll get the detailed report on that from Sukura. As for him… well, that can wait. Talking with Vegapunk won't happen immediately anyway."
"Understood."
Nodding at Kanata's words, Feiyun opened a door within the office and departed. Only Junshi, Lycoris, Gem, and Miss Goldenweek remained. Since the Alabasta matter wasn't something for others to hear, the others had been dismissed earlier.
"Infiltration of Baroque Works and the defense of Alabasta. Well done, everyone."
"Haha, it was thanks to Robin and Gem's information."
"Crocodile is an intelligent man. I doubt we obtained all his information, but if we had dealt with him without a plan, it wouldn't have gone so smoothly," Junshi commented.
Midgard had Kaie and the giant soldiers. In the worst case, mobilizing them could have resolved the situation, but moving the entire fighting force of a crucial trade hub was difficult. Enemies eager to hinder Twilight were numerous. It was best to minimize opportunities showing weakness. The only miscalculation had been the Four Emperors Alliance making a move.
"Gem, you also performed admirably. Spy missions are difficult, but since your identity wasn't compromised, you were convenient. I had concerns, but I'm glad you returned safely."
"No, I'm just glad I could meet Kanata-san's expectations!"
"Though I didn't expect you to return with a woman," Kanata teased.
"Please don't tease me about that, Teach-san already made fun of me the whole way…"
Gem slumped his shoulders dejectedly while Kanata and Junshi chuckled dryly. Miss Goldenweek blushed slightly but didn't seem entirely displeased. Kanata then turned her gaze to Lycoris, who had looked sullen since entering the room. She wore a penguin-themed hoodie, revealing very little skin, but the equipment attached to her legs remained.
"Lycoris, how was Crocodile?"
"…He wasn't much. A weakling who can't even use Haki is no match for me."
"I see. But it seems there was an opponent you couldn't defeat."
Kanata smiled faintly, as if seeing right through her, and looked at Lycoris. Although Bullet ultimately defeated him, Cracker was one of the Big Mom Pirates' proud Sweet Commanders; not an opponent to fall easily.
Lycoris was still young and inexperienced. Her strength had developed through internal conflict, but her mental fortitude was still lacking. If she learned from this encounter that there were still stronger enemies out there and could continue forward without breaking, then this dispatch could be considered a success.
"Keep training, Lycoris. You can still become stronger."
"Hmph! Don't need you to tell me!"
Perhaps annoyed at being seen through, Lycoris turned away abruptly and crossed her arms. Gem offered a gentle rebuke for her attitude, but Lycoris paid him no mind.
"What about Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek… Galdino and Marianne, whom you captured?" Kanata asked Junshi.
"Those two are mine. They're artists, they can make things I want," Lycoris interjected.
"I see. If you'll look after them, fine. Do as you please."
"Like pets…" Gem muttered, looking exasperated.
Kanata, despite her long life, had little interest in art. She liked music but wasn't deeply devoted, and while her aesthetic sense was refined, her interest in fine art itself was extremely thin. However, she understood that some people were passionate about such things. If it motivated them, her stance was to let them do as they pleased. This time, Kanata addressed Miss Goldenweek.
"Are you alright with working for us?"
"Y-Yes! The deal was you'd help me find work in exchange for assisting with the spy activities!"
"I see. Then take this letter of introduction and find a bald, large man named Scotch at the port."
Kanata wrote "Introduction from Gem" on a memo pad, added her signature, folded it, and handed it to Miss Goldenweek. Kanata handled bringing in work and assigning tasks, but rarely interfered with detailed personnel allocation. She judged that Scotch, being well-connected and experienced, would handle the assignment properly. Miss Goldenweek accepted the letter with trembling hands and tucked it carefully into her chest.
The report was concluded. Lycoris quickly turned and headed for the door, while Gem hastily bowed to Kanata and followed her. Miss Goldenweek, unfamiliar with the island, followed Gem to get directions. Seeing them off, only Junshi and Kanata remained in the room.
"…Well, how did it go?" Kanata asked.
"Mr. 4 pair, both killed. Devil Fruit not recovered. Mr. 3 pair are under Lycoris's protection. Mr. 1 pair and Crocodile were taken by the Navy first and sent to Impel Down. And as for the crucial Mr. 2, killed, and Devil Fruit recovered."
Junshi took a box from a large bag, opened the lid, and revealed the Devil Fruit inside—the Mane Mane no Mi. Kanata nodded in confirmation, and Junshi closed the lid, placing the box on the edge of the desk. Lastly, he took out a large folded piece of paper, which, when unfolded, was larger than Kanata's desk. It was a rubbing of the Poneglyph found in the royal tomb of Alabasta. Spreading the paper, too large for the desk, onto the floor, Kanata rested her chin on her hand and studied it intently.
"This is the only stone confirmed on that island, at least. There are ruins there too, perhaps more could be found with searching…"
"No, unnecessary. Searching openly will attract the Government's attention."
After staring intently for a short while, Kanata eventually sat back in her chair as if bored. Until Junshi folded the paper again and placed it on the desk, she looked down at the desk with a serious expression, hand to her chin, deep in thought.
"Did you figure something out?" Junshi asked.
"…No."
"I see. I'll be on this island for a while. You don't have another job lined up right now, do you?"
"That's right. Rest well."
"I think I will. Long journeys are tough on old bones."
Junshi chuckled softly and left. Kanata began thinking again. A question escaped her lips, unintended.
"Pluton is in Wano, Poseidon is on Fish-Man Island… There should be three Ancient Weapons. Where is the last one…?"
"There are various weapons placed around the outer part of this island, but is such extensive preparation necessary, Captain?"
"I wasn't really involved in that part. Sis must have thought it necessary, so she prepared them."
Augur, being a sniper, had good eyesight. He asked Teach about something that had caught his eye on the way here from the ship. It had a smaller caliber than a cannon, yet its body was too large to be called a gun. It resembled a mortar but seemed fixed in place, not portable. Teach called them "anti-aircraft guns."
"…Anti-aircraft guns? Prepared for ability users who can fly?"
"Who knows. Might be preparation against guys like Kaido, but cannons won't work on him anyway. They must be expecting a different kind of opponent."
That said, most means of air travel involved ability users. They might be effective against Rokushiki users who could run through the sky, but hitting a Rokushiki user moving three-dimensionally at high speed with bullets wasn't easy. …Of course, if the one operating the anti-aircraft gun was a Haki user, hitting and being effective was entirely possible. They likely had various other weapons hidden deeper within the island; these weren't the sole means of defense. As Augur watched with interest, Laffitte, who had been sipping tea, spoke up.
"Hohoho, you're observing quite intently. Did it pique your interest that much?"
"Yes. A sniper's skill is directly linked to the precision of their gun. I like this rifle, but if there's a better weapon, I wouldn't mind switching."
"I see… You're quite serious. I, for one, still haven't shaken off my nervousness towards the Witch."
"Weehahaha! What's wrong Laffitte, scared!?" Burgess guffawed.
"Such presence from that small body. As expected, the strongest of the Seven Warlords isn't just for show."
The Seven Warlords were powerful pirates gathered by the government, but Kanata and Mihawk were a cut above the rest. The others were strong enough to hold their own against Emperor commanders, but these two could clash head-on with the Emperors themselves, potentially even defeat them. They weren't opponents to be underestimated based on appearance.
"Zehahahaha! That's Sis when she's calm! When she's rampaging, she's even scarier!!" Teach roared.
"Hohoho, how frightening!" Laffitte chuckled nervously.
As they laughed, Kanata emerged from the office and entered the room where Teach and his crew were waiting. She held two boxes and announced they were heading to the treasury now.
"Alright, let's go!" Teach declared.
Teach and his crew followed Kanata, moving through the inside of the Skull Rock at the center of Hachinosu. The treasury was located underground for security and disaster preparedness, with multiple guards constantly stationed at the entrance. Following Kanata's lead down into the basement, they walked towards the innermost of several doors. Unlike the others, only Kanata possessed the key to this door, and its outer walls were covered in Seastone, making intrusion extremely difficult. Curious about the other doors, Burgess posed a question to Kanata.
"Is there gold and silver treasure in this treasury?"
"There are things like that, but that's not our purpose today. While items of historical or monetary value are certainly present, those things can be replaced."
In contrast, the contents behind this door could not. Kanata opened the thick Seastone door and switched on the light. —Inside were shelves lined up densely, and stacked neatly upon them were mountains of Devil Fruits.
"This is…!?" Burgess gasped.
"Hohoho… This is tremendous…!" Laffitte breathed.
"Whoa… This is amazing… cough" Doc Q wheezed.
"Hey hey, are you serious!? All these Devil Fruits!?" Augur exclaimed.
"Zehahahaha!! Surprised!? Well, yeah, you'd be surprised!! Everything lined up on these shelves here are Devil Fruits!" Teach confirmed.
In front of each Devil Fruit on the shelves was a label indicating its name. Most were Paramecia and Zoan types, ranked according to usefulness and rarity. The Bane Bane no Mi Teach brought was placed on the lowest rank shelf. The Mane Mane no Mi Junshi brought was sorted onto the highest rank shelf, each placed in its designated spot.
These Devil Fruits were each worth over 100 million Berries at minimum. Selling just one of the fruits crowded onto these shelves could potentially provide enough money to live comfortably for a lifetime. They were arguably more tangibly valuable than gold or silver treasure.
"How many Devil Fruits do you need?" Kanata asked Teach.
"Ones that are easy to use would be good. Laffitte's already an ability user, so three."
"Three, then. Any preferences for the type of ability?"
"I want somethin' that makes me stronger!" Burgess declared.
"As a sniper, something that makes it easier to maintain distance would be helpful," Augur added.
"Cough… As for me… well… I'm a doctor, so I can't fight directly. An ability that could compensate for that would be good," Doc Q requested.
Hearing the requests from Burgess, Augur, and Doc Q, Kanata flipped through a catalog. These three, despite Teach's recommendation, were not yet on par with the Einherjar or Valkyrie. Thinking she should assign them appropriate ranks, Teach, who had been peering over her shoulder, spoke up.
"Sis, give these guys good Devil Fruits."
"…You're playing favorites."
"Yeah. And in return, I'll work for it."
Kanata stopped flipping through the catalog and looked at Teach. Teach wore his usual grin, but this time, she felt the need to discern his true intentions. Thus, Kanata looked straight at Teach, her gaze piercing.
"Are you that invested in them?"
"They're the crew I gathered. They'll definitely get stronger. I won't let you down, Sis!"
He had not a shred of doubt in his own strength or the strength of the comrades he had gathered. Kanata narrowed her eyes, thought for a few seconds… then handed the catalog she held to Teach and walked towards the back of the room. Returning shortly after, Kanata held three Devil Fruits and tossed one to each of the three who had requested them.
"The Riki Riki no Mi, the Wapu Wapu no Mi, and the Shiku Shiku no Mi. Devil Fruits that align with your requests."
The Riki Riki no Mi's simple enhancement of strength added to baseline power, but its application didn't significantly differ from what they could already do, hence its low rank. The other two were Devil Fruits with extremely significant tactical implications. Normally, they would be reserved for top-tier Einherjar or Valkyrie deemed utterly loyal, but the effectiveness of tricky abilities depended on the user. A sniper and a doctor should be able to utilize these abilities fully.
"Hoh… I figured you'd have them, but these abilities fit them better than expected," Teach remarked.
"You'll work to earn them," Kanata stated.
"Fine by me! But what's the plan? Are we moving soon?"
"…Originally, the plan was to move simultaneously once Dragon and the others were ready…"
Twilight's forces were reaching maturity. A period when veteran soldiers were nearing retirement, just as new recruits became usable. Missing this window meant new recruits would increase, but veterans would decrease. In other words, skilled individuals like Junshi would step down from the front lines. Besides, the seas had been rough lately. The epicenter was Robin—and the Straw Hat crew traveling with her.
It was likely a major incident would occur soon. If Robin got involved, Kanata would be forced to act, likely resulting in the revocation of her Warlord title. If they were to make moves behind the scenes, now was the only time.
"…Dealing with Kaido and Linlin without the Navy's help is slightly disadvantageous. The Revolutionary Army probably doesn't have the leeway to assist us either."
Depending on when relations with the government broke down, relying on the Navy currently carried high risks. Therefore, they would have to face the Beasts-Big Mom pirate alliance alone, which presented some challenges. The Navy would likely try to capitalize on the situation. While a secret alliance existed with Shanks's Red Hair Pirates, Kanata considered relying too heavily on that man dangerous as well.
"First, fully integrate Bullet. That man alone can rewrite the power balance."
Though it was somewhat similar now, officially bringing him in versus keeping him as an outsider changed internal treatment. Next was dealing with the Seven Warlords. The two vacant seats could be ignored until filled, but among the current members, Mihawk and Moria were most likely to become adversaries. The former might obey government orders, while the latter's allegiance was purely based on coinciding interests. Hostility was likely inevitable. As for the remaining Kuma and Jinbe, one a Revolutionary Army spy and the other a Fish-Man essentially under Twilight's umbrella, she judged they wouldn't side with the government.
"Eliminating Mihawk is difficult. We need to ensure he doesn't make a move. Moria… keeping him alive offers no benefit. He can be eliminated appropriately."
Dispatching Iris with a few others should ensure success. The most pressing issue, the pirate alliance and the Navy, could only be countered by increasing Twilight's own strength. Therefore, Kanata decided.
"Kill Newgate and absorb the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Absorb!? Hey hey Sis, even if you kill the captain, they ain't gonna be spineless enough to just follow quietly, right!?"
"Normally, yes."
The possibility wasn't zero. Preparations were still needed. Details had to be meticulously planned. However, the chances of success were likely slim. Overly high expectations were unwise; always assume the worst. If that was the case, Teach grinned.
"If you're gonna kill Whitebeard, you'll take his ability too, right? Then—give that Devil Fruit to me."
"…Ability users die if they eat two fruits. Are you saying this knowing that?"
"Of course! There's a chance of failure, but if it succeeds, we'll be the strongest!! Ruling this sea won't be far off!!"
Teach stared at Kanata, his eyes blazing with ambition. Failure meant Kanata would lose a significant asset. Was the gamble worth it? Her red eyes pierced Teach, assessing him, understanding his seriousness.
"You're serious about this."
"Dead serious. Me and you, Sis, together we'll have no enemies in this sea!! Right!?"
Risk was inherent in everything. Whether one could take risks without fear at crucial moments arguably decided a pirate's fate. Weighing the potential return against the risk of loss, conventional wisdom and research dictated impossibility. Yet Teach showed no sign of backing down.
"…In that case, first you need to demonstrate proof that you won't die even after eating two fruits."
There was no further business in this room. To decide future actions, she needed to return to her office. —Thus quietly, yet surely, the world began to move significantly.