The day after the decisive battle with Shiki.
Kanata sat on the medical bay bed in her underwear while Scura changed her bandages.
"The recovery is going well. Your healing rate is as superhuman as ever."
"It's been especially fast lately. It wasn't this extreme before."
It seemed her recovery rate was increasing in proportion to her strengthening body. She'd never heard of training making someone heal faster, though.
Scura found it fascinating enough to want to research.
"But these are serious wounds. Stay in bed for three more days."
"A little exercise should be fine—"
"Stay in bed."
"Fine. Fine, just put down that scalpel."
Kanata had been confined to bed since last night and was getting bored—she wanted to move around a bit. But Scura's expression turned demonic as she shut down that idea.
Seeing Kanata's agreement, she lowered the scalpel and dropped into a chair to fill out the medical chart.
"Of course you will, you foolish patient. When I say stay in bed, you stay in bed. Normally I'd have you strapped down for two weeks with injuries this severe."
If Kanata—far more durable than the other crew members—was hurt this badly, it showed just how abnormally strong the Golden Lion was.
The scars probably wouldn't remain, but when Scura had checked while changing the bandages, they still hadn't fully healed. Moving carelessly would only delay recovery.
"Either way, we can't move the ship."
The waters around Water Seven were almost entirely covered in ice. Without an icebreaker, no ship could sail.
But this time there was another problem.
"...Feiyun seemed pretty down."
During the battle, Feiyun had accidentally slipped and snapped the mainmast. Of course she was depressed.
The footing had been terrible, what with fighting in a storm and all.
Then again, if the mainmast could snap just from someone falling against it, it would have broken sooner or later anyway. The ship itself was used and outdated.
"We need to decide whether to repair the ship or get a new one."
"Wouldn't it be fine to get a new one at this point? This ship is pretty old, isn't it?"
They'd bought it back when Kanata was running a merchant business in the West Blue. Back then, with limited capital, they'd gone for the cheapest option—an outdated model.
The ship the crew who left after they killed the Celestial Dragon had taken was somewhat newer, but there was no point dwelling on that now.
Whether it was good or bad luck, Water Seven was an island that thrived on shipbuilding. With enough money, they could commission a good ship.
They could look for a shipwright while they were at it.
"We have plenty of funds. A reasonably sturdy ship would be best, but... I'll need to discuss this with Jorge."
"As long as they build me a proper medical bay, I don't care about the rest."
"I won't skimp on what's necessary."
Though they'd need a few days to gather information and supplies.
While Kanata dressed, Scura packed up her equipment and left with the chart in hand, saying, "That's it for today's examination."
Just as she left, Dragon appeared to take her place.
"Mm, finished?"
"Yes, just now. Do you need something?"
"Garp is here. He's waiting in front of the ship. What do you want to do?"
"She told me to stay in bed, but... I don't need to lie down the whole time. Make him wait a bit. I'll be right there."
He probably wasn't here to fight. Using Observation Haki to sense him, she detected no fighting intent.
Kanata quickly threw on her coat over her clothes and disembarked.
Looking up at the sky, it was clear—the calm after the storm. The air was a bit chilly, but that couldn't be helped.
Near the ship stood Garp and Belk, apparently talking with Dragon.
Garp noticed Kanata first and raised a hand in greeting.
"Oh, there you are. I didn't think you'd actually drive off the Golden Lion."
"You didn't believe me? Though I'll admit it was close."
If lightning hadn't struck by chance, she wouldn't have been able to seriously wound Shiki. It galled Kanata to have been saved by luck, but there was nothing to be done about it.
Meanwhile, Garp made a sour face and muttered, "Lightning, huh..."
"Something on your mind?"
"Yeah... Octavia is a lightning ability user. I don't know her range, but there've been times when Navy warships were sunk before they could even spot her ship. There's a non-zero chance it was her doing."
With Octavia's survival confirmed, that was Garp's concern.
The person that monster Rocks had trusted to watch his back was still lurking somewhere. He thought they might even need to put aside Roger to track Octavia's movements.
She was that dangerous.
"It's possible she sniped from long range to help her daughter."
"...Even though he was focused on fighting me, she could slip past Shiki's Observation Haki?"
"That woman is stronger than Shiki. With Rocks gone, she might be the strongest person on these seas."
Garp crossed his arms and declared it like spitting out something foul.
Of course, neither Garp nor Roger would go down easily in a fight. Whitebeard wouldn't lose either.
But—the memory of that monster Rocks was seared into Garp's mind. There was no reason not to be wary of the woman who had stood beside that monster.
"Don't you want to meet her? She's your real mother."
"I'm not interested. We'd have nothing to talk about."
Kanata cut that off bluntly, making Garp burst out laughing.
The fact that the girl before him was Octavia's daughter was shocking enough for Garp, but having her on the same ship as his own son was equally strange.
If Dragon weren't aboard, they probably wouldn't be having this conversation at all. Fate was an incomprehensible thing.
"How long are you planning to stay?"
"I'd like to say we'll leave as soon as the Log Pose is set—but the ship is in this state."
Kanata gestured toward where the snapped mainmast lay beside the ship.
They couldn't sail until that was dealt with. She shrugged helplessly.
"That's not our concern. But I see... we were planning to set sail after you left."
"Something going on?"
"Ah, well..."
He glanced at Belk, who shook his head, so Garp stopped. Apparently it was classified.
The Navy wanted to drive them out—after all, replacing the Golden Lion with the Witch wasn't much of an improvement—but without a ship, there was nothing to be done.
They had someone they needed to fight more urgently than Kanata's crew and couldn't stay long.
"Must be tough," Kanata said, sounding unconcerned.
"Half of it's your fault... Anyway, that's all. We'll let you go this time."
With a sigh, Garp turned on his heel and headed back to town.
He probably could have defeated Kanata and taken her in right then, but it would cause extraordinary damage everywhere and interfere with other operations.
As decided beforehand, they would leave Kanata's crew alone.
"...That man seems pretty busy too."
"He is. Getting dragged into trouble—that's the same for me and him."
"You can hardly complain when you say it yourself."
Dragon and Kanata shrugged and returned to the ship.
If anything, Garp and Dragon seemed to create trouble for themselves, but to those who got caught up in it, the distinction didn't matter.
***
"So it's decided—we're building a new ship."
That evening, after everyone relaxed on deck and discussed it, that was the conclusion. Even in the chilly night air, their enthusiasm wasn't dampened.
Whistles and applause created a commotion, but Kanata gestured for quiet and continued.
"The ship will be large enough to accommodate giants. It'll require substantial funds, so don't touch the assets on board."
"How much are you estimating?"
"For a new build, even with options, we'll need 700 million. The construction period will be correspondingly long."
Population-wise, they were already understaffed for the current ship's size, but factoring in giants meant a large ship was the only option.
Feiyun shrank back again, but those accustomed to large ships nodded, saying, "Yeah, that sounds about right."
The funding would come from the treasure held by Shiki's subordinate pirates. True to their philosophy of "domination," they'd hoarded quite a bit, leaving Kanata's crew quite flush with cash.
They could afford to splurge a little.
"Scotch's belly has gotten bigger again. I was thinking we'd need a bigger ship soon or he won't fit through the doors."
"What was that, you bastard?! I'm an agile fat guy, so it's fine!"
"You're not denying the fat part..."
While Scotch and the other crew argued drunkenly, Tiger and Kuro ate and drank nearby.
"I'll only be with you until Fish-Man Island, but a new ship is still exciting."
"Hehehe, I've never been on any ship but this one. Can't wait to see what the new one's like."
Though not as large as a giant, Tiger's massive frame would also benefit from a bigger ship.
The Log Pose pointed from Water Seven to Fish-Man Island. Though their journey together would end there, after traveling together this long, parting felt bittersweet.
He wouldn't mind continuing their voyage together, but as an adventurer, he also genuinely wanted to visit various places.
Taking a break wouldn't be bad, Tiger thought.
Looking over, he saw them drinking and heatedly debating the ship, though they hadn't even decided who to commission yet.
"Get us the latest refrigerator! A big one!"
"Idiot, we should make that a dedicated room. Have Kanata make an ice room. That'll save money."
"Scotch, where's the ice cream I asked for?"
"Nobody's selling ice cream in this freezing weather! I got you the local water candy, so deal with it!"
"Lately, Kanata has been doing all the fighting, which is envi—no, burdensome. We should fight more... er, share the burden better by taking point."
"Your real feelings are showing... I want to get better at using my ability too."
Everyone's requests—this and that—gradually turned from ship talk into a full-blown party.
The drinking continued late into the night. Eventually finding it too cold, they moved inside and kept drinking until everyone passed out.
***
The next morning.
Despite the late-night revelry, Kanata showed no signs of fatigue as she stepped onto deck.
A News Coo had arrived.
She took a paper, paid, and escaped the cold morning air back inside to read.
In the lounge, everyone lay passed out drunk. The worst was Scotch—shirtless with elaborate drawings all over his belly. He kept sneezing, looking like he'd catch cold, so she tossed a nearby jacket over him.
She carefully covered the curled-up Feiyun with a thick blanket, then carelessly tossed blankets over the other men just to keep them from getting sick.
Their snoring was too loud to read here, so after finishing with the blankets, she left.
She settled in her room and opened the newspaper.
She'd expected it to appear around today—and her prediction was correct.
Golden Lion Shiki Clashes with Dragon-Slayer Witch Kanata!
The recent battle was prominently featured.
It was written as if Kanata had driven the retreating Shiki away to weaken his New World forces. This would make people underestimate Shiki.
Naturally, Kanata's bounty had changed too.
Dragon-Slayer Witch Kanata - 1.5 Billion Berries
Though not as large an increase as last time, it was still more than enough.
Bounties represented the Government's assessment of danger, but this time it purely reflected Kanata's strength.
Even fighting in favorable conditions, she'd clashed head-on with a great pirate who dominated the New World and driven him off. The Government had no choice but to raise her threat level.
Not that Kanata cared much.
By the time she finished the paper, the crew was gradually waking up. Some looked ill from hangovers, others sneezed, thinking they'd caught cold.
She'd like some peaceful time for a while, but Garp's mention of urgent business nagged at her.
These bad feelings usually came true.
***
Several days later:
Against the Big Mom Pirates who'd established a base in Sabaody Archipelago, the Navy deployed massive forces including Admiral Zephyr. They successfully drove them out, leaving the Big Mom Pirates to wander Paradise.
Zephyr's recommendation to pursue the wounded Big Mom was rejected. The Government judged simply driving them from Sabaody as "mission accomplished."
They feared a counterattack if they pursued too aggressively.
And so.
Leaving Sabaody, Big Mom headed for the island where her original target was located—Water Seven.
"Mamahahaha...! Wait for me, Witch... I'm coming to kill you myself...!"
***
The day news broke of Big Mom being driven from Sabaody.
In a corner of Drum Island, Katerina sat formally while Kureha interrogated her.
"...So where did that idiot go?"
"Well... she said 'I'm going to see my daughter and an old acquaintance'... She did say she'd be back in a few days."
"An old acquaintance, huh... Any acquaintance of hers is bound to be trouble..."
Her injured left arm still hadn't fully healed.
It had only recently started moving again, and she still needed rehabilitation. Kureha sighed. "What a hopeless woman."
Next to the bed where Octavia had been lying just hours ago sat a newspaper.
Looking outside, snow was blowing in a fierce blizzard.
"...A storm is coming."
If Octavia was on the move, nothing good would come of it. Kureha closed the window that had been left open with a resigned air.
***
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