Everything on Zou is still continuing, and Perona, who came to Zou with her adoptive parents, really likes the living environment of the Fur Race. The fluffy Fur Race suits her cute points, especially those bear Fur Races, though the downside is that they all can speak.
She still prefers fluffy creatures that can't speak, like her own bear outfit back home, but this time the bear outfit didn't come to Zou with her.
Everything on Zou continues as usual. During the time Setsuna has not yet left Zou, Hichugiskhan, on the pretext that she has to learn how to manage Zou, has Setsuna and Zeraora always by her side, a slight response to Setsuna's nesting dolls.
Before long, Setsuna also found the returning Pedro and Jebo and others.
"Pekoms is fine, by a stroke of luck, he joined someone else's pirate crew. I've been asked to tell you not to worry."
She had previously informed Pekoms' parents, and they had nothing to say about their son's choice to venture out but did ask a bit about the others' situation.
And since Pekoms went out with Pedro and the others, he naturally had to be informed, but there's good news and also bad news, the latter being conveyed by Hichugiskhan.
"Jebo, your brother Bepo he..."
"Bepo? What happened to Bepo?"
A slightly tall white bear Fur Race with a tuft of black hair on his head asked anxiously.
"Earlier, some of the Firearms Team left Zou to observe the situation of the Sea. Bepo secretly hid in a basket, and they didn't notice him, so he accidentally drifted away..."
The Fur Race left Zou mostly due to the influence of others. Two years after Inuarashi and Nekomamushi left Zou, Setsuna also secretly left because of dissatisfaction.
When Pedro decided to go out to sea, Pekoms chose to follow, but Bepo was really too young then, so Jebo didn't take him, and as he followed his brother's footsteps, he accidentally got lost.
"Did he take a Life Card?"
"We're not sure about that..."
Fur Race members who leave Zou need a Life Card to find their way back. Setsuna once couldn't find her way home because she didn't have a Life Card, let alone Bepo now.
Finally, the Nokes Expedition Team had a new goal, continuing their previous goals while also planning to find Bepo. Whether they can find him is left to chance.
However, due to previous incidents, Pedro left behind all members who couldn't control the Moon Lion, having underestimated the dangers outside before.
"Pedro, I suggest... your expedition team should change its name."
"Huh? Why?"
"The pronunciation is a bit like Rocks. I suspect your high bounty is associated with the World Government."
A bounty of 382 million Belly isn't weak in the New World. This bounty is even higher than Setsuna's, though her bounty can't increase because Zeraora takes most of the blame.
Although Lucario's close combat is strong, most of the time others can't approach Setsuna. She only needs to provide long-range fire support, but if someone does get close, they'll find their judgment was wrong.
She is an archer, and there's a big difference between archers and firearms soldiers. A gun only needs minimal training for even the old, weak, women, and children to fire those old flintlock guns.
Shooting range is an advantage of guns, and when facing opponents who advance close, firearms soldiers are very troubled, but it's different for archers. Don't think that archers are weak in melee because they're ranged fighters.
Since ancient times, archers have been the elite of the troops. Drawing a strong bow is much more tiring than wielding a blade. Archers picking up melee weapons can be even stronger than infantry.
It's just that infantry can be formed quickly, while a Divine Archer takes time to train, and no one wants to risk these elites in melee combat.
The bow and arrow are Setsuna's strengths, but melee combat isn't her weakness. Just that with Zeraora's speed, enemies rarely get the chance to engage her in close combat.
Hence the Navy's intelligence lists her merely as a mascot, with a bounty quite ordinary, on par with Pierman, a Mandfeish deputy.
Even Shaina's deputy Emmalyn has a higher bounty than hers.
But Pedro had a significant bounty due to the Moon Lion's enhancements. They can't set the bounty by normal standards; it must be according to the enemy's strongest form.
Of course, Setsuna suspects Pedro's high bounty is probably due to someone's hard of hearing.
The spelling of Rocks and Nox is somewhat similar, and although the government tries hard to conceal the existence of Rocks, even new-generation Navy Vice Admirals don't know the name, but Kaidou, being a remnant of Rocks, naturally tells his people about past events.
"I quite like this name..."
"It's just a personal suggestion. If you don't change it, it's no big deal, since you've already been marked anyway."
Then she began advising Pedro on what to watch out for overseas. She's spent much more time mixed overseas than Pedro, who's been out less than a year.
She knows much better than Pedro what places to be cautious of and which people to avoid.
After that, Setsuna and Zeraora spent some time with Yamato and them on Zou, then left under Hichugiskhan's slightly wistful gaze. In all likelihood, they'll return every few months, or she might return when the Elephant Lord reaches near Wano Kuni for rest.
It was something she communicated to the Elephant Lord before leaving. As a monster that has lived for thousands of years, the Elephant Lord doesn't get lost in ocean currents like ships; it has a unique ability to discern direction.
Pedro also set out to sea again after resting, along with Jebo. He had no issue with Setsuna becoming the new Duke, and in fact, he originally planned to stay on Zou for a bit longer.
But he noticed Hichugiskhan seemed to have intentions of dragging him into the management, so he resolutely chose to continue his sea adventure.
...
Taking advantage of Zeraora and Setsuna's wedding, the Beasts Pirates secured many new businesses, with some happy and others not so much. Those who successfully closed deals were naturally delighted, but some weren't as pleased.
For example, Umit, known as the "Deep Sea Current," due to his control over special shipping routes, had almost monopolized the New World's underworld shipping lanes. Others had shipping routes, but they couldn't compete in speed and safety.
He earned quite a lot when the Beasts transported things, but recently things have changed. Over the years, the Belly has been steadily devaluing, and as the currency devalues, the price of many things has risen.
This is especially true in the Underworld, where prices outside might only increase by a few thousand Bellys, but here they directly multiplied several times.
Most people had no way to counter such monopolistic methods, but the Beasts were different. They could transport most things themselves. Originally using Umit for the transport of only some secretive small items.
Since he raised prices, the Beasts chose to go it alone...