"Yohohohaha~!"
With a radiant smile, Yamato leaped onto the shore with a powerful stomp on the ice, followed closely by Moses.
Their feet finally touched solid ground.
After days adrift at sea with no worries about food or drink, the sensation of firm land beneath them was comforting. Though they hadn't gone hungry, sleeping had been uneasy, and their backsides had grown cold from the ocean chill. The shore was far more comfortable.
Moses plopped down onto the warm sand.
Within seconds, the heat from the grains seeped into his body, warming him pleasantly.
Noticing this, Yamato, who had been frolicking nearby, cheerfully skipped over and sat behind Moses, pressing her back firmly against his.
"The open sea is so much fun! I really do love the ocean," Yamato said with a bright laugh, tilting her head to rest on Moses' right shoulder as she squinted at the sun in the sky.
Moses chuckled.
"This is just the beginning. We've got a long journey ahead of us."
At his words, Yamato's heart suddenly raced, her cheeks flushing slightly as she murmured with a soft laugh,
"Yeah... I'm looking forward to it."
Just then, Ulti walked over and sat beside Moses, clutching a handful of sand in her right hand. Her arm transformed, taking on the appearance of a limb molded from sand—strangely refined.
She raised it to Moses' eye level and asked curiously,
"Moses, look! A sand arm. It really can't turn into an element. Feels kinda useless, doesn't it?"
Moses pinched and rubbed it. No grains fell off, but there was a tight, grainy texture to it.
"Maybe it could be used for grip? But Devil Fruits can be developed. Why not try compressing it? You might achieve steel-like hardness."
Ulti pouted.
"Lame. Wouldn't it be easier if I just turned into steel directly?"
"Fair point. Just carry some suitable materials with you for quick use."
"Actually, I've been thinking these past couple days—I could pierce my ears and wear diamond or steel studs. That'd boost my defense big time. What do you think, Moses?"
"Not a bad idea. Do you like using weapons? If so, once I get back home, I'll forge you a Great Grade Blade. That way, you'd have defense on par with one."
"Weapons? Hmm... If I had to pick, I'd want something really brutal."
"Weapons are tools of violence by nature. There's no such thing as 'brutal'—that's just semantics."
Page One, sitting beside Ulti, chimed in,
"Hey, bro, what kind of weapon do you think I should use?"
Moses shrugged.
"Depends on you. Use whatever you like—weapons or fists. As long as it kills the enemy, it works. Try different things, see what feels right. If nothing clicks, fighting bare-handed isn't bad either. A well-trained fist is plenty strong."
Page One nodded.
"Got it. I'll train hard."
The four of them lounged on the beach, basking in the sun as they chatted.
Meanwhile, near the edge of the forest, Bear Cub, Ushiwakamaru, and Onimaru stood gazing up at the cluster of green coconuts hanging from a palm tree over twenty meters tall.
Without hesitation, Bear Cub transformed into a white-headed eagle and soared upward, his talons turning into blades as he struck with unerring precision.
Coconuts the size of human heads kept falling from the trees.
Below, Ushiwakamaru deftly caught them one after another with both hands, while Onimaru cheered with excited growls.
Before long, Bear Cub and the others returned with an armful of coconuts.
"Moses, come have some coconuts!"
Moses took one, drew Cold Dew, and with a single slash, cleaved open the top of the coconut, revealing the fragrant juice inside.
Noticing Yamato staring eagerly, Moses chuckled and handed it to her.
Then he spotted several more pairs of longing eyes.
Moses turned into a fruit ninja, swiftly slicing open coconuts one after another. Soon, everyone was sitting in a row, cradling their coconuts and sipping the juice.
"Huh? Lord Moses, why does my coconut have these white lumpy things inside? Is it spoiled?"
Kozuki Hiyori looked up at Moses curiously.
Moses smiled. "Seems you're lucky. That's coconut meat—a kind of edible pulp inside the fruit.
By the way, just call me by my name from now on. I'm not used to being called 'Lord.'"
"...Mm. Hiyori understands. Moses, then you can just call me Hiyori too."
"Sure, no problem."
Kawamatsu had been stealing glances at Moses out of the corner of his eye. Hearing Moses' words, the corners of his lips curled slightly. Though he and Hiyori would eventually part ways with Moses and the others, it was still better to maintain good relations during their time together.
With that, he finally relaxed a little.
Once they had rested enough, Moses stood up, looked around at them, and said with a smile,
"Let's go explore the island. I sensed quite a few human presences here earlier."
"This island wasn't small when we first saw it. There should be a port city or something similar. Let's head there—I also need to buy a few things."
"Shopping?" Yamato grinned excitedly. "Great! Let's go shopping then!"
"Oh, Moses, do you have any money on you?
Gold? Or silver?
Or maybe platinum?"
"I don't have any of Wano's currency. Besides, out on the open seas, Belly is the standard. And I've got plenty of that."
With that, he beckoned to Bear Cub, who pulled a briefcase from his mouth and handed it over. Moses opened it to reveal stacks of Belly—both paper bills and coins—along with a few small gold bars.
He took out some Belly and handed each of them around 200,000.
"Take this for now. If you run out, just come back to me for more."
Then, the group followed the island's coastline, and half an hour later, a bustling port came into view.
They entered the port, immediately merging into the lively crowd.
Moses first took them to a tailor's shop to buy suitable outfits, then to specialty stores for other necessities. Once everything was settled, he led them to a high-end hotel in the city.
After booking a luxurious eight-person suite, they headed to the fifth floor, stepping onto the red carpet as a waiter guided them to their door.
Room 502
Taking the key, Moses opened the door, and they all stepped inside.
The interior was exquisitely designed, with plush carpets covering the floor and a spacious living area. Each bedroom even had its own private bathroom.
"Everyone go take a bath and change clothes. We'll go out to play later."
"Alright, then hurry up."
Yamato urged quietly with a whisper.
Moses smiled.
He placed the purchased items on the living room table, chose a bedroom to enter, took a comfortable shower, and changed into a white shirt, black trousers, and black ankle boots.
The shirt sleeves were rolled up to his forearms.
He came to the living room and sat on the sofa.
Moses pondered the information he had gathered while shopping earlier.
The island he was currently on was called Fiss Island.
It belonged to a World Government-affiliated kingdom called the Fisk Kingdom.
The port city they were in now was also the location of the kingdom's capital.
Called Fist.
This place was situated in the North Blue.
Yes, after emerging from the Calm Belt in the New World, Moses and his group had arrived in the North Blue.
Due to its proximity to Reverse Mountain, the people of this country had a fierce temperament and an unusual admiration for combat.
Every year, the country would hold combat tournaments at irregular intervals, and every five years, it would host a world-class combat tournament.
Thus, it also had the reputation of being the Combat Kingdom.
It was quite famous worldwide.
These past few days happened to be the registration period for the latest world-class combat tournament.
Many combat enthusiasts had traveled from all directions to participate.
It was said that some formidable figures from the Grand Line had also arrived.
Moses picked up a Den Den Mushi placed on the table—this was what he had bought earlier at a specialty store outside.
He lifted the receiver and dialed a number from memory.
The Den Den Mushi immediately began to ring boisterously.
"Brrr brrr brrr..."
After waiting for a while, the call connected. The other side was very noisy, with distant rumbling sounds audible.
"Who is this? This is a Marine warship. What do you want?"
"Uncle, don't you recognize my face?"
"..."
Silence on the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
Five seconds later, Moses heard an inhale and quickly moved the receiver away from his ear. Immediately after, Bogart's roar erupted:
"Moses, you bastard! Where the hell are you now?"
Moses winced as he watched the Den Den Mushi spewing saliva. After a full ten seconds, the other side finally stopped.
Helplessly, he said:
"It sounds like you're in the middle of a battle over there. Don't tell me you guys went after Kaido?"
"What do you think?" Bogart's voice rose sharply, his expression pained. "You're something else, huh? Just going out for fun and you get taken by Kaido. Your grandfather nearly lost his mind—he grabbed Kuzan and charged straight into the New World. They've been fighting Kaido for two days and nights now."
"Where are you? From what Kaido said, you ran away? And kidnapped his precious daughter?"
"Bullshit! You're the one kidnapping people! It was mutual—she wanted to run away from home, so I just... brought her along."
On the Marine warship, in Garp's room, Bogart clutched the Den Den Mushi with a stomachache-inducing expression. What kind of bullshit was this "bringing her along"?!
"And Kaido also said you stole three of his Devil Fruits?"
"That's a lie! One was given to me willingly. The other two were taken by a pair of siblings—I just happened to bring them along with the fruits."
"Also, I forged a full five Great Grade Blades for him and left other valuable things as payment. I don't owe him anything."
"And that spiked club of Great Grade Blade quality made for Kaido himself? That thing alone is worth at least five blades."
Hearing Moses' words, Bogart's stomach ached even more. What was he hearing? Great Grade Blades? Five of them? And a spiked club with Great Grade Blade quality? That massive club that made Kuzan spit blood just a day ago?
Taking a deep breath, Bogart asked with clear disbelief in his eyes:
"You can forge Great Grade Blades now?"
As expected of a swordsman, his question cut straight to the point.
"Yep!" Moses answered with a nasal tone, then countered, "Got a problem with that?"
"Why did you forge so many for him?"
"Otherwise, would he have given me the Devil Fruit?"
Bogart: "...Alright, you win this round."
"Moses, where are you now?"
"North Blue, the Kingdom of Fisk."
"The Kingdom of Combat? What are you doing there?"
"Can't I just cross the Calm Belt and head straight to North Blue?"
Choking back his complaints, Bogart sighed helplessly:
"...You're something else. I give up."
"Alright, enough talk. I'm going to find your grandfather. You stay put and wait for us. We'll come get you in a few days. No more running around, got it?"
"Fine. I'll wait for you then."
"Oh, and tell my grandpa to be careful. Kaido's really strong."
"Hmph, at least you've got some sense. But your grandfather's even stronger now. Alright, that's it."
Click!
The Den Den Mushi disconnected. Moses sighed, "At least I could let him know I'm safe and ease his worries."
At that moment, several pairs of eyes turned to him, filled with confusion. Yamato was the first to speak:
"Moses, from what I heard on the Den Den Mushi, does that mean my bastard father is fighting your grandfather right now? And your grandfather's beating him up?"
Moses nodded, "That's about right."
Hiyori then asked hopefully:
"Moses, could you ask your grandfather to help drive Kaido away?"
"Can't be done. My grandpa can't stay in Wano permanently, and Kaido isn't someone to be trifled with. The Marines don't have much presence in the New World—it's pirate territory. It's impossible. Better to rely on ourselves than beg others."
"Hiyori, shut up. Moses is right. We should depend on ourselves. Kaido will be defeated by my future self."
Ushiwakamaru declared firmly, locking eyes with Hiyori. Moses gave him an approving glance.
Meanwhile, Ulti, sitting beside Moses on the sofa, asked curiously:
"Moses, so you weren't actually exiled to Steel Island? You're actually a Marine?"
"Hold on. I just have a Marine grandfather. I'm not a Marine. Sorry for not telling the truth earlier. Hope you can forgive me."
Ulti shook her head with a smile, "Doesn't matter. Whether you're a Marine or not, we're still crewmates."
"Right. That's the spirit. We're crewmates."
Yamato walked over and asked curiously, "So Moses, who is your grandfather? If he can fight my bastard father, he must be pretty famous too, right?"
"Yeah, he's quite well-known. People call him 'Hero Garp.' Though he prefers the title 'Fist of Iron.'"
Yamato: "..."
Yamato's face went blank for a moment before she widened her eyes at Moses.
"That legendary hero Garp who chased Roger all over the seas? He's your grandfather?"
Moses nodded calmly.
To him, it was just an eccentric old man—nothing special, though it did feel somewhat peculiar.
The one who chased Roger across the seas was his grandfather.
And Roger...
Which also meant Garp had spent years chasing his own son across the ocean.
The family hierarchy was downright messy.
Moses patted his cheeks and spoke up:
"Since we're already out, let's go have some fun. It's almost noon anyway, so we might as well grab lunch while we're at it."
"Sounds good! Let's hurry then. Now that you mention lunch, I'm getting hungry too."
Yamato, standing before him, was tall yet youthful-faced, dressed in the same outfit as him—a white women's shirt, black pants, and low-heeled sandals, her long hair tied into a ponytail that gave her a strikingly heroic look.
Ulti and Hiyori, on the other hand, wore dresses—Ulti in a white-to-blue gradient and Hiyori in light blue, both also in sandals.
Ushiwakamaru, Page One, and Kawamatsu wore light gray patterned shirts, though the rest of their outfits matched.
As for Bear Cub and Onimaru, they simply threw on some large shorts to solve their clothing situation.
At the moment, everyone except Ulti and her brother seemed a bit uncomfortable in these unfamiliar styles. Moses chuckled:
"Clothes from your homeland aren't common out here on the open seas, so you'll have to adapt to local customs.
You might feel awkward at first, but you'll get used to it in time.
Alright, let's go eat."
Moses locked the door, and the group cheerfully left the hotel.
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