The Agreement  

"This is a grave matter."

"To allow contact between 'Golden Lion' and 'Whitebeard'... it's unlikely those two would join forces, but even the possibility is troublesome."

"It's unsettling how the remnants of the Rocks Pirates, like 'Big Mom,' are making moves..."

"The cause is likely the 'Witch.'"

"They started acting after her wanted poster was updated. There must be some reason why they deem her worthy of their attention."

Holy Land Mary Geoise, Pangea Castle.

In this land inhabited by Celestial Dragons, there were those who held the highest positions among them, essentially the supreme authority of the World Government.

These individuals, commonly known as the "Five Elders," were currently troubled by those who were causing a stir on the seas.

One of the Five Elders held a wanted poster with a picture of a young girl.

"Kanata, huh. A girl with no trace to be found anywhere in the West Blue. Could this be a false name?"

"There are countless children without registered residences. We can't suspect everyone."

"It was five years ago that Garp defeated the Rocks Pirates. She started her activities six years ago... can we call this a coincidence?"

"The possibility that she has some connection to the former Rocks crew members who have started making moves cannot be ruled out."

"It's as if one of the Rocks crew members helped her escape to the West Blue..."

Considering her age at the time, it was unlikely that Kanata herself was on Rocks' ship. It was more reasonable to assume that a relative or someone close to her was.

And if that were the case, there was a possibility that she was related to the big names currently making waves on the seas.

"We need to mobilize Cipher Pol."

"But she's quite powerful. Even a year ago, she had the strength to easily handle CP-0. Now even Zephyr is having trouble with her. It would be difficult for intelligence agents to assassinate her."

"In that case, making it 'Only Alive' was a mistake... We need to defeat her as soon as possible."

"We should also inform Saint Homing..."

"I wondered what he was thinking when he said he wanted to 'talk' through CP-0... But no, should we actually try talking to her and see if we can get any information?"

Apart from killing a Celestial Dragon, she hadn't taken any particularly notable actions. The World Government couldn't decide how to deal with her since they didn't know her motives.

They decided that if they could at least understand her goals, they might as well adopt Saint Homing's suggestion.

Perhaps due to Zephyr letting Kanata escape, pirate attacks had increased in just a few days. If her objective wasn't anything major, they believed they should focus on using the Marines to suppress the numerous pirates for now.

"In any case, with the big names in the New World making moves, we don't have the luxury of freely mobilizing Marine Admirals. We need to tell Kong to withdraw them after the next opportunity if it doesn't work out."

"We must be wary of the possibility of her becoming a figurehead for those who hold grudges against the Celestial Dragons."

"Is there any way we can infiltrate Cipher Pol... should we try?"

"Don't do something as reckless as provoking a tiger. Based on their actions in Alabasta, they're still rational. There's no need to unnecessarily incite their hostility towards the government."

At least for now, they added.

Since killing the Celestial Dragon, they hadn't committed any particularly notable crimes. The possibility of them plundering on the seas wasn't zero, but they hadn't received any such information so far.

In any case, they lacked information. If even a Marine Admiral couldn't capture her, they had no choice but to wait and see for now.

But they would need to keep an eye on her.

"──That concludes today's agenda."

For the sake of a better world, the five men stood up straight.

***

Meanwhile, Kanata and her crew returned to Drum as planned.

They anchored at the same secluded spot as before, and this time, Kanata, with her hood pulled low, also disembarked.

"I'll be back after talking to Dr. Kureha for a bit. We'll be staying here today."

"Can I go to town then?" Kuro asked.

"Tie this guy to the ship."

Ignoring Kuro, who was complaining, Kanata headed towards the nearby town, Gastown, with George and Samuel.

The snow was still piled high, burying their feet, but Kanata walked without difficulty, using her ability to freeze the surface of the snow and create a path.

George and Samuel, thinking "What a convenient ability," enjoyed the benefits.

They chatted about Kureha and what kind of person she was as they walked towards the large tree on the outskirts of town.

"... We need to come up with some compromise. It would be too much trouble to hand over all the cargo at once."

"Is it okay to give her the money?"

"We can always earn more money. We want to avoid plundering as much as possible, but if necessary, we'll have to come up with something."

They had killed a Celestial Dragon, but they hadn't declared themselves pirates. However, Kanata had no intention of being naive with the lives of her crew members in her hands. If necessary, she would even plunder merchant ships.

That being said, perhaps because the sea made up most of the world, there were plenty of pirates, so attacking them usually yielded enough food. Plundering merchant ships was truly a last resort. They could also hunt sea beasts and Sea Kings for food if needed.

"Is it a good thing or a bad thing that there are so many pirates..."

"It's a bad thing for ordinary citizens. If they have bounties, we'd like to claim them, but..."

"It wouldn't work if you went... Only you and Feiyun have your faces exposed. Can't I go with Junshi and collect them?"

"My name and face were known during my time as a merchant. It's unlikely the Marines haven't investigated us, but do you still want to go?"

"... I'll pass."

Marx Island may have been reduced to ashes, but the George Family's faces were known on the other islands along their regular trade routes.

Especially Scotch, the navigator, often represented the family and appeared in public. And sailing without a navigator was suicide.

They didn't know how cautious the Marines were, but it wasn't worth risking capture for bounties.

"... Hm? Isn't that..." Kanata turned her gaze towards someone who caught her eye.

A Fishman walking through the town with a troubled expression. It was Tiger. He looked at Kanata and her companions with wide eyes when she called out to him.

"Tiger! Did you fix the rudder?"

"... Hm? Oh, Kana--"

"Please avoid calling me by name as much as possible. I'm a wanted criminal, after all."

"Ah, right... It's good to see you again."

They lowered their voices and decided to walk together towards Kureha's house since standing around and talking wasn't a good idea. While their group had increased by one, Kanata was trying to avoid being seen in town as much as possible, so it couldn't be helped.

It didn't take long to reach the large tree on the outskirts of town, but they understood why Tiger had a troubled expression even before they arrived.

"You can't fix the rudder?"

"Yeah. I'm an adventurer, so I can fix minor damage myself, but this time the broken part was in a bad spot."

Apparently, the base of the rudder was damaged, causing cracks in the keel, and if he left it as it was, the ship would eventually sink. The storm had also torn the sails.

He had considered getting a new ship on this island, but he didn't have enough money.

"I see, so that's why you were troubled."

"I'm a Fishman. In the worst-case scenario, I could carry my luggage and swim... but it's not realistic to swim continuously without rest."

"Didn't you think about earning money in this town?"

"There aren't many jobs available for outsiders, especially Fishmen. I was wondering what to do when I couldn't even move, and then I ran into you guys."

He needed a ship to move to another island, money to get a ship, and a job to get money. But as a Fishman, he couldn't get a job.

Discrimination ran deep.

Until nearly two hundred years ago, Merfolk and Fishmen were classified as "fish." Even now, there were still regions where discrimination persisted.

The fact that their appearance was so different from humans was likely a factor in the discrimination. Giants, for example, were large, but they looked like ordinary humans.

"So, I have a favor to ask..."

"Feel free to join us on the ship if you want. We're being pursued, but if you're okay with that..."

"... Is that alright?"

George shrugged, and Samuel had a blank expression on his face.

It seemed they had no objections to Kanata's decision. It was one thing if it was an important matter that could affect their future, but it was just one more crew member on a ship with plenty of spare cabins.

With a giant and several ability users on board, adding a Fishman hardly made a difference.

Tiger seemed to be thinking that he would be fine as long as they could take him to Fishman Island, and he offered to do chores or whatever else was needed until then.

Kanata thought for a moment and asked Tiger, "Do you have any specialties?"

"Specialties, huh... I've been traveling alone, so I can do most things."

"I see. Then we can decide on that later."

"By the way, where are we headed now?"

"Our doctor is training... here?"

They arrived at Kureha's house, and George knocked and called out to see if anyone was home.

The door opened almost immediately, and Kureha appeared.

"Heeheeheehee. It's you guys, did you bring the captain?"

"Yeah, this guy here is the captain." George gestured beside him.

"You? You're quite big, and a Fishman too."

"It's not me."

Kureha turned her gaze towards Kanata.

It would be better to avoid exposing her face as much as possible, but she decided it wouldn't be right to hide it from Sukura's teacher, so she revealed herself despite their objections.

The moment Kureha saw Kanata's face, she made a puzzled expression and stared intently.

"... How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Sixteen, huh... Then you're someone else. For a moment, I thought that woman was alive."

"That woman? Was there someone who looked like Kanata?"

"It's not just a resemblance. She's the spitting image. The only difference is the color of her eyes."

If they looked that similar, it was highly likely they were sisters or mother and daughter. George seemed somewhat interested, but Kanata herself showed no interest whatsoever.

She had cut ties with both the orphanage and her parents. She had no interest in dwelling on things she had already abandoned.

"I don't want to talk about it either. Nothing good ever came from being involved with that woman."

"I have no interest in parents I've never met. I came here for something else."

"Heeheehee. You mean that boy, right? He has potential. He'll be able to do something in half a year."

Sukura had been a doctor to begin with, so she wouldn't be teaching him everything from scratch.

If she intended to teach him absolutely everything, it would take several years. But that would be too much time for both Sukura and Kanata.

"Whether it takes longer or shorter than half a year depends on his efforts. Now, onto the next topic."

Kureha stepped inside and sat down on a chair, feeling it was inappropriate to keep talking at the entrance.

Kanata and the others also made themselves comfortable inside the house, and George started making tea as if he were familiar with the place.

Ignoring Tiger, who seemed to be having trouble fitting in, Kanata took a bundle of bills from her pocket and placed it on the table.

"Here's an advance payment, the amount we've pooled for Sukura's share. I heard you requested all our money. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that's right. If you give me all your money and cargo, I'll teach that boy everything I know."

"I don't mind that, but the amount of cargo is a bit too much to fit in this house. We plan to stop by Drum periodically, so how about we hand over the cargo each time?"

"You're surprisingly agreeable. Most pirates would complain, 'Dragon-Slaying Witch.'"

"I don't recall ever calling myself a pirate. I killed a Celestial Dragon because they tried to enslave my dear crew member. I would do the same again if it happened."

"Heeheehee, you're a scary woman." Kureha laughed cheerfully. She took the bundle of bills on the table and counted them as she asked about their next plans.

"The cargo is fine. I didn't expect to receive the entire cargo of a large ship with giants on board."

"I see. Then we'll ask you what you need each time and bring the corresponding amount of cargo."

"Yes. I'll teach that boy medicine. You'll bring me money and the necessary cargo. That's the deal."

They didn't have a written contract, but they had confirmed the amount. Kureha was surprised by the amount, which exceeded 10 million Berries, but on the other hand, it meant that the amount they owed her wouldn't increase any further.

They didn't want to imagine a debt that kept growing indefinitely. They were former merchants, so they were sensitive to such matters.

"You've accumulated quite a bit, haven't you?"

"Food expenses are also significant. And we need to prepare a sufficient amount of medicines."

"Well, that's none of my business. Just make sure you pay it all within half a year."

"We will."

Kanata had wanted to see Sukura before leaving, but apparently, he was busy preparing medicine. She didn't want to interrupt him. She asked George to tell him she said hello and decided to return to the ship with Tiger.

They still had plenty of alcohol and food. Kanata smiled, thinking that even though it was temporary, they had a new crew member.

"Let's have a feast today." She laughed.