Two weeks later.
After bringing back Gloriosa and Kaie, completing various tasks like supply preparation and coating work, everything was finished.
Nearly three years of travel in the first half—finally departing from Paradise toward the New World.
"Nothing forgotten?"
"Supplies, coating, Log Pose—all set."
Regarding the Log Pose, they'd already purchased one for the New World in the West Blue.
Including spares, preparations were thorough.
"How long to Fish-Man Island?"
"For us, less than an hour... but by ship, four or five hours. Faster if we catch the current well."
Asking Tiger, he said if they caught the necessary currents for diving into the deep sea, it wouldn't take hours.
Fishmen and merfolk could swim straight there, but ships couldn't.
Tiger would guide them, and they judged leaving steering to him would be fine. Dangers existed en route, but that had been true of all voyages so far. Nothing new to fuss about now.
"I'll fill air from the airbags. Wait a bit."
Tiger jumped from the ship, manipulating the airbag valves prepared at each of the three ships' bottoms, inflating the coated bubbles.
The ships being huge, bubble sizes proportionally increased—this much coating cost considerable money. She hoped it wouldn't fail—thinking that, she spotted a familiar figure on the nearby shore.
Shakuyaku.
While puzzled at her beckoning, Kanata disembarked once.
"What's wrong, Shakky? Come to say goodbye?"
"That too, but I thought I'd tell you one thing."
What Shakuyaku handed over was a sea chart.
The island name at its center: Hachinosu.
"This is?"
"A sea chart of pirate island Hachinosu. A certain surveyor who was once in the Rocks Pirates made it, but apparently when Gloriosa quit piracy, she stole this from Hachinosu."
Shakuyaku laughed, saying how tough she was.
A quite accurate chart. It even depicted maps inside the island.
Normally, sea charts were important military information. Should be strictly stored to prevent theft... but Gloriosa left the Rocks Pirates after Rocks died—a period lacking pirate crew control. Though not easy, stealing was probably possible.
"Apparently there was an excellent surveyor. Captain Rocks naturally, plus that surveyor and Octavia probably had everything memorized... but others might not have known."
"...Possibility something's hidden?"
"Yes. Maybe Rocks's hoarded treasure exists."
"Not very interested..."
"Really? You can never have too much money, and searching wouldn't hurt."
Whether treasure existed or not, searching itself had romance.
Somewhat incomprehensible to Kanata, who was touring the world for leisure, but she understood the sentiment.
If time allowed, she'd search—accepting the chart.
"But why give this to me? If you wanted treasure, you could get it yourself."
"I've washed my hands of piracy, and that chart was just dead storage meaningless to us—but it's a meaningful chart to you."
—After all, it's the island where the Rocks Pirates were founded.
Shakuyaku smoked while laughing, speaking nostalgically.
"Long ago, Rocks advertised 'profitable business' and gathered many pirates to this island, launching the Rocks Pirates. Ultimately he intended to literally obtain the 'world' and distribute it to subordinates."
"Obtain the world... I see why the World Government obsessively erases information."
"Having touched many taboos, it's somewhat unavoidable..."
Still abnormal obsession. Was there something they absolutely didn't want noticed, which got noticed?
A force trying to directly overthrow the World Government, plus Octavia apparently knew about Ancient Weapons created long ago. Being such, she understood well why the World Government considered them dangerous.
Anyway.
"...A meaningful chart to me."
"Yes. Just intuition... but you should visit once."
"Right. Whether coincidence or inevitability, I have an Eternal Pose to Hachinosu."
"That's quite—what a coincidence. Or is it inevitability?"
Three Eternal Poses obtained on the island just before entering the Grand Line. One was to Hachinosu.
Thinking now, why was that island's Eternal Pose being sold—but no point pondering that.
"What Octavia and Rocks were thinking trying to obtain the world... you might understand."
"...Right. Searching as a pastime might be interesting."
"Gloriosa, who actually belonged, probably knows more details. Ask her when you have time."
"I will."
For Shakuyaku, she couldn't think Rocks and Octavia were trying to obtain the world for status, honor, or money.
Must consider they had other purposes. What those were, unknowable now.
Though Octavia was alive, so she could ask directly, but location unknown and contact impossible.
Kanata would probably meet her again eventually. Comparing answers could wait till then.
"Then we head to Fish-Man Island. I'll try heading to Hachinosu sometime."
"Yes, take care. Give my regards to Gloriosa and Kaie."
"Yeah."
Returning to the ship now needing only floats removed, Kanata folded the chart she held.
"Sorry for taking time."
"No problem. So, ready now?"
"Yes. She said give regards to Gloriosa and Kaie."
"Indeed. We were in Shakky's care too."
Kaie, held by Gloriosa, waved toward Shakuyaku, and Gloriosa went to the rail waving similarly.
Tiger removed all three ships' floats, and the ships gradually sank into the sea.
From here, unlike voyages so far, unknown territory.
"—Then let's go. Set sail!"
"""UOOOOOOH!!!"""
—Raising fighting spirits, unfurling sails, they began advancing toward Fish-Man Island located 10,000 meters in the deep sea.
***
Exhaling cigarette smoke, watching Kanata's slowly sinking ship. Since Gloriosa and Kaie waved, she waved back.
Kanata had features closely resembling her mother, but a personality completely different. If not knowing the face, one wouldn't realize they were parent and child.
Whether the Navy noticed was uncertain, but they couldn't defeat them with one Buster Call. Though consuming in battle, unlike other great pirates, judging danger level not particularly high, they probably weren't directing forces.
Which was truly more dangerous?
Shakuyaku imagined the New World that would become rough from now, lowering her hand when the figures disappeared.
"Perhaps there's no such thing as 'coincidence' in fate..."
Gloriosa having the sea chart around Hachinosu.
Kanata obtaining Hachinosu's Eternal Pose in the West Blue.
—As if fate was guiding her.
"Six years since Rocks fell—the era's beginning to surge again."
***
The ocean's interior was a mystical place rarely seen.
Looking up from inside the bubble-covered ship, one couldn't help being entranced by the sea surface rippling in sunlight and the giant Yarukiman Mangrove.
"Magnificent..."
"Amazing, right? Humans can't usually see this. Enjoy it fully."
Tiger laughed while holding the wheel, confirming the two ships behind followed properly.
He'd conveyed precautions to those navigators and told them to follow properly. Should be fine, but—
Different dangers from the surface existed in the sea. Couldn't let guard down.
"If there were sea beasts, we could have them pull the ship, but docile ones rarely exist."
"Pull ships like carriages? That sounds interesting."
Normally underwater, they moved receiving currents in the sails. With sea beasts, no need to manipulate sails—stable progress would be easier, but sea beasts large enough to pull galleons were all ferocious species that wouldn't obey.
"Hmm... that size should suffice?"
Where Kanata pointed, an especially large lion-like species swam among sea beasts.
Slightly too large for pulling galleons, but others were size-wise inferior. Judging slightly larger would have more horsepower—
"That's enough, but... how do you make them obey?"
"Wild ones are best subdued by force."
Intimidating with Conqueror's Haki, she wrapped sturdy rope around the docile sea beast's legs.
She prepared similarly smaller sea beasts for the two ships behind.
Tiger widened his eyes at Kanata's method but admired it as "Brute force but convenient."
Anyway, they'd reach Fish-Man Island earlier than scheduled.
En route dangers weren't significant, and occasional sea beast attacks were repelled by Gloriosa's arrows.
"Just arrows, yet quite powerful."
"I coat arrows with Haki. Even in high-pressure deep sea, coating with Haki means arrows pierce enemies without breaking."
"A Haki user! We're training too but can't quite use it... yours isn't very reference material. Teach us sometime."
"I don't mind. I'm in this ship's care, so this much is easy work."
The deep sea was cold with rapidly dropping water temperature. Plus pitch black without sunlight reaching.
Even so, Gloriosa continued repelling attacking giant sea beasts and Sea Kings. Her Observation Haki must be above-average proficiency.
Worthy of having served as Kuja Pirates captain.
"Hey, doesn't that fish look edible?"
Where Samuel pointed, a quite colorfully-hued fish swam gracefully. A quite flashy fish, visible even in deep sea.
The longarm man serving as cook declared one word.
"That's poisonous, can't eat it."
"What?! Then how about that fish?!"
"That one's got tough flesh, can't eat it."
"...How about that?"
"That's poisonous too."
"Why are they all poisonous?!"
"Why are you pinpointing only inedible fish..."
Even Kanata was exasperated at this sense. This man probably couldn't survive even doing survival. Despite being a Jaguar ability user, apparently his nose didn't work for that.
Either way, they'd loaded considerable extra food, so no need to load more. Bad for Samuel, but should just appreciate viewing.
—Except Samuel sulking, no problems, reaching Fish-Man Island earlier than scheduled.
***
"This is... Fish-Man Island..."
"Amazing... this is deep sea, right? Why's it bright?"
"There's a giant tree called the Sunlight Tree Eve. See it deep in Fish-Man Island? Thanks to that, even at Fish-Man Island, you receive the sun's blessing."
Sunlight reached, so plants could photosynthesize. Not just fishmen and merfolk who could live underwater, but humans could live thanks to this Sunlight Tree Eve.
Releasing the sea beasts, the group headed toward Fish-Man Island's entrance.
Apparently there was simple immigration inspection, but Tiger said that part should be fine.
Fish-Man Island had double-layer bubble structure—passing the first layer stripped the ship's coating, and passing the second—that was Fish-Man Island.
"...My nostalgic homeland."
How many years had it been? Considerable time since last departing, but this time too, he'd returned safely.
After immigration inspection finished, formal entry, but... Kanata's group's names had resounded even to Fish-Man Island. Would take a bit.
The national forces were apparently heading here, so they were asked to wait.
"Well, can't be helped. Even Prince Neptune would struggle with a 1.5 billion bounty head."
"A prince? Is he strong?"
"Yeah, strong. Called the Great Knight of the Sea."
Coelacanth merman and royal firstborn son.
Merman Combat master and valiant knight.
From his over-ten-meter giant frame, one could feel majesty.
Hearing "strong," Junshi's blood seemed to boil slightly, but Kanata struck him from behind. Better to avoid unnecessary problems.
Before long the national forces appeared, and they underwent slightly stricter immigration inspection.
"I'm Neptune! You're the Witch crew?!"
"Nice to meet you, Prince Neptune. We have no intention of attacking Fish-Man Island. Grant us stay permission."
"Hmm... if Tiger's here, probably fine..."
"Yeah, if worried, we'll place ships away from Fish-Man Island. We'll stay somewhat, but genuinely want friendly relations."
"...Very well. I permit your stay."
Risky, but incidents Kanata's group caused were just Celestial Dragon killing. Many fishmen and merfolk didn't think well of Celestial Dragons, and they had Fisher Tiger, a fishman comrade.
Judging no need to consider too seriously, he issued stay permission.
"With ships this big, finding places is troublesome. Southeast of Fish-Man Island, there's a place called Sea Forest. You can place ships there."
"Sea Forest? Understood, we'll place them there."
Where sunken ships arrived due to tide flow, but space was correspondingly wide.
Also a bubble-covered plaza—a just-right place for placing ships.
En route to Sea Forest under Tiger's steering, Tiger called to Kanata.
"Kanata, I'm going to meet my sworn brothers after this... what about you?"
"Right... nothing particular to do. Could visit the Mermaid Cafe, but the men seem eager to go."
Glancing back, many crew members were enthusiastic about visiting the Mermaid Cafe with many beauties.
Making it turn-based since this many people descending at once would be annoying, but at this rate, Kanata didn't even know if she could go.
So she was thinking of exploring Sea Forest.
"Could stroll Fish-Man Island, but first I'll walk around here looking at various things."
Might be something, might be nothing.
Just a stroll, so either was fine.
"I see..."
"We part ways here. I'll miss you."
"...Right. I'm also reluctant."
But from the start, Kanata and Tiger's journey was only till here. He'd guide to the New World surface, but wouldn't travel on the same ship.
Now they parted here.
Someday again, if Tiger felt like it, they might board the same ship.
"Let's have a feast. We part here once—but if you wish, we'll accept you anytime."
"Hahaha, how bold. Appreciated."
Fishmen and merfolk were taught humans were frightening while growing up.
He'd once gone near Sabaody Park, longing for it.
But... humans weren't just that. At least for Tiger, comrades were made.
This was surely—an encounter that changed fate.