Banaro Island  

Kanata pondered Dragon's words for a moment.

"...Were you a spy for the Marines this whole time?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

"No, I just occasionally talk to Garp. We are father and son, after all," Dragon replied calmly.

Kanata's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Dragon. If he was truly the son of Garp, the legendary Marine hero, it would explain why he hadn't received a bounty. Garp himself probably wouldn't care, but those around him, who knew of their connection, wouldn't allow it.

"So, what business does Garp and a Celestial Dragon have with me?" Kanata asked.

"I haven't been told the details. It seems the Celestial Dragon wants to speak with you," Dragon explained.

As far as Kanata was concerned, the Celestial Dragons were the root of her current predicament. What could they possibly want to discuss now? She doubted it was a simple apology, even with Garp as an escort.

"I can't decipher their intentions," she admitted.

"What do you want to do? If you agree to meet, I'll let them know our next destination," Dragon offered.

"Meeting on Banaro Island, huh? Hmm..." Kanata pondered the situation.

The 'Golden Lion' was already a looming threat. She didn't want to add any more trouble to their already precarious situation. But there was also Dragon to consider. He had fought against the Marines despite his father being Garp. This ruled out the possibility of him being a spy. With that in mind, Kanata decided she could trust him.

"...Alright, I'll meet with the Celestial Dragon on Banaro Island. I hope I don't have to fight Garp though," Kanata said with a sigh.

"I can't predict that. If it comes to that, I'll be your rearguard," Dragon assured her.

He knew firsthand how unpredictable his father could be. Depending on the content of the discussion with the Celestial Dragon, there was a chance they might have to fight Garp. However, Dragon believed that Kanata and her crew were strong enough to repel him. The real concern was that even against a single opponent like Garp, they might end up in an all-out battle.

"When do we set sail?" Dragon asked, shifting the topic.

"Tomorrow. There's no reason to linger on this island now that we have an Eternal Pose," Kanata replied.

They had plenty of supplies from the pirate ship, and none of their crew members were seriously injured. The residents of the island, who were the real victims, deserved their sympathy, but the most they could do was provide some supplies. They would have to ask Dragon to use his connection with Garp to get the Marines involved. In their eyes, Kanata, a high-bounty criminal, was just another source of terror.

"If you need to contact Garp, do it here. We have a Den Den Mushi," Kanata offered.

"Sure, but is there anything you want to ask him?" Dragon asked curiously.

"There is something."

Apparently, there was no specific time for the meeting, so Dragon picked up the Den Den Mushi and dialed Garp's number. Soon, they heard a booming voice on the other end, "Yo, it's me!"

"It's me," Dragon responded simply.

"Dragon? Did you tell her about the Celestial Dragon?" Garp asked.

"Yes, she's agreed to talk," Dragon confirmed.

"Really? I thought she would refuse. This is a surprise," Garp chuckled.

"She might have refused, but she's willing to talk as long as you don't cause any trouble," Dragon said with a slight smile.

"Huh? Is the 'Witch' there with you?" Garp didn't seem bothered by Kanata's presence. He probably didn't see it as a problem.

"You're a wanted criminal, but you don't call yourself a pirate, and you haven't caused any major incidents either. There's no reason for us to fight, so rest assured," Garp said confidently.

"That's reassuring," Kanata replied dryly, slightly exasperated by Garp's nonchalance.

"The Celestial Dragon who wants to meet you is Saint Donquixote Homing. He's the younger brother of Saint Donquixote Chrysaor, whom you killed," Garp explained.

"...This is becoming more confusing. Does he want to complain directly to me about his brother's death?" Kanata asked, raising an eyebrow.

If that was the case, he was a surprisingly bold Celestial Dragon. It was unheard of for them, who were used to getting their way with power and arrogance, to bother with personal grievances.

"How should I know? Talk to him yourself," Garp said dismissively.

Despite being part of the World Government, Garp didn't seem to have any particular fondness for the Celestial Dragons. It was evident in his tone.

Kanata sighed, accepting that she wouldn't get any more information from Garp, and decided to ask him the question that had been on her mind.

"I wanted to ask you something else. Have you heard the name 'Octavia'?"

"Well...isn't that your mother? You should know more about her than me, right?" Garp replied with a shrug, the sound of him munching on rice crackers echoing through the Den Den Mushi.

"Everyone keeps saying that, but I'm an orphan. I've never seen my mother or father," Kanata stated calmly.

"I see," Garp said, taking a sip of tea. After a moment of silence, he continued, "I don't really want to talk about this, but..."

"The Golden Lion also mentioned my mother. He said he was targeting me because I'm her daughter. Was she that strong?" Kanata pressed, seeking answers.

"Well, she had a 3.5 billion Berry bounty. She was part of the same pirate crew as the Golden Lion and Big Mom in the past," Garp confirmed.

"I see... so she wasn't just an acquaintance, she was a crewmate."

Garp said he didn't know who her father was. Kanata had a few suspicions, but she decided not to ask about it.

"She was presumed dead a few years ago, but there was an incident recently that seemed to be her doing. An island in the West Blue, where a large orphanage was located, was reduced to ashes," Garp explained.

Kanata remained silent.

"You said you were an orphan, right? There's a chance she went to that island looking for information about you. Be careful," Garp warned.

"That's surprisingly kind of you," Kanata replied.

"I'm worried about my son's ship too. Besides, that woman was notorious for causing trouble wherever she went," Garp said with a sigh, as if recalling unpleasant memories.

It was understandable that he would be cautious, considering she was a member of a notoriously destructive pirate crew.

"Anyway, I have to go. There's someone here who gets annoyed if I stay on the phone too long. We'll meet on Banaro Island in a week, right?" Garp said, changing the subject.

"Yes, we're heading there now. How long will it take you to arrive?" Kanata asked.

"Banaro Island, huh? It's not that far... but with a Celestial Dragon in tow, it'll probably take about a week," Garp estimated.

Traveling with a Celestial Dragon had its complications, so the delay was understandable.

"By the way," Kanata added, "The Golden Lion's subordinate pirates are using Banaro Island as a base. We'll take care of them, but will you take them into custody?"

"I'll take them if they're tied up," Garp replied without hesitation.

It might be inconvenient to transport pirates while escorting a Celestial Dragon, but Garp wouldn't back down from such a minor issue. The Marines couldn't ignore them either.

Kanata simply replied, "I see," and handed the Den Den Mushi back to Dragon. The discussion was over. She left the rest to him.

"Anything else?" Garp asked.

"Nothing from our side," Dragon confirmed.

"Alright, see you on Banaro Island in a week then," Garp said, concluding the call.

The situation was delicate. While they needed to be cautious of Garp, they also had to consider the peculiar Celestial Dragon who wanted to meet with Kanata, the woman who killed his brother. It was a troublesome situation, but... depending on how things played out, it could be beneficial. It was a gamble worth taking.

***

The next day, they packed the supplies they had plundered from the pirate ship and distributed some of them to the islanders. While they felt no particular obligation towards them, being attacked by pirates under the Golden Lion's command was a misfortune akin to a natural disaster. They deserved some sympathy.

They had taken quite a lot of supplies, given their small crew size, so they had plenty to spare. Sharing some wouldn't hurt.

"It'll take a few days to reach Banaro Island. Are we setting sail now?" Scotch asked, studying the nautical chart.

"There's no reason to stay here any longer," Kanata replied, her gaze fixed on the islanders watching them from afar.

In their eyes, both the pirates and those who defeated them were the same. News about Kanata, the high-bounty criminal, had spread like wildfire, painting her in a negative light.

That was the way of the world. There was no point in dwelling on it.

"We'll likely have to deal with more of the Golden Lion's pirates on the next island. After that, Garp will arrive as planned," Kanata explained.

"Yeah... wha-!? Wait, why is Garp coming!?" Scotch exclaimed, startled.

Kanata calmly answered, "It seems a Celestial Dragon wants to see me. Garp will be escorting him."

"Why would a Celestial Dragon want to see you...? Is he going to order a Buster Call right in front of us?" Scotch asked incredulously.

"I doubt he would go that far... I hope."

It was possible that the Celestial Dragons were unaware of the outcome of their battle near Drum Island, where they had assembled a force comparable to a Buster Call. But even if they knew, the Marines would likely intervene. Perhaps, in the eyes of the Celestial Dragons, the 'Witch' who dared to oppose them was a greater threat than the 'Golden Lion' and 'Big Mom' who were wreaking havoc on civilians.

"I don't think it will come to a fight, but... we can't be sure. Be prepared for battle," Kanata instructed.

"We can't afford to relax against Garp... Damn, I thought we wouldn't have to deal with the Marines for a while," Scotch grumbled.

"There's a chance things might take a turn for the better. It's a slim chance, but this Celestial Dragon is peculiar enough to come all this way just to see me. We have to meet him and find out his intentions," Kanata said with a faint smile.

"Fine... I'll let the others know," Scotch conceded.

"Good. We'll set sail soon. Make sure you haven't forgotten anything," Kanata reminded him.

***

A week later, Kanata and her crew arrived at Banaro Island. They had already subdued the Golden Lion's pirates who were using the island as a base and were anxiously watching a Marine warship approach.

The warship docked at the port, and Garp, Berg, and several other Marines disembarked, accompanied by a group of CP-0 agents. Among them was a man dressed in extravagant attire, clearly the Celestial Dragon.

"Yo, nice to meet you, 'Witch'," Garp greeted Kanata casually.

"...We've met before, a long time ago," Kanata replied, tilting her head slightly.

"Really? Now that you mention it, I think I remember. But don't worry about the details," Garp said with a chuckle, brushing it off.

There was no tension in the air, no immediate threat of conflict. Everyone, relieved that a clash had been avoided, breathed a sigh of relief. Garp then gestured towards the Celestial Dragon he had escorted.

"This is Saint Donquixote Homing," he introduced.

"Greetings. I am Donquixote Homing. You must be Kanata, am I correct?" the Celestial Dragon said politely, bowing his head slightly.

"Yes. You can call me whatever you like," Kanata replied nonchalantly.

He was surprisingly courteous for a Celestial Dragon. As a CP-0 agent stepped forward to reprimand Kanata for her casual response, she glared at him, stopping him in his tracks. Homing then waved his hand dismissively, saying, "It's alright."

"I requested this meeting with the Five Elders. I have no intention of criticizing your words," Homing stated calmly.

"...So, what business do you have with me?" Kanata asked, cutting to the chase.

Celestial Dragons were untouchable. No one dared to defy them, not even the kings of powerful nations.

Yet...

"First, let's change the venue. We need a place where we can talk calmly, perhaps at a table," Homing suggested with a cheerful smile.