"...So, that's all Kanata had to say?" Sengoku inquired.
"That's everything she said. My impression is that she wasn't enthusiastic about ruling 'Dressrosa'," Tokikake reported.
"Hmm..."
Sengoku narrowed his eyes, stroking his chin as he listened to Tokikake's precise recounting of Kanata's words. Though a seemingly carefree man, easily underestimated, Tokikake's accurate reporting earned him a nod of acknowledgement.
Sengoku then informed him that he would be entrusted with transporting the chemicals and equipment from "Dressrosa" to "Egghead" before ending the call. He settled back in his chair and addressed the man sitting on the sofa opposite him.
"What do you think, Akainu?"
"It appears to be a case of the Donquixote Family running amok," Akainu replied, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on Sengoku.
He placed a confidential document on the desk.
"According to this document, the 'Donquixote Family,' which ruled 'Dressrosa,' was a pirate crew led by a man who was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Considering that people turned into toys by the Hobby-Hobby Fruit disappear from the memories of everyone in the world, it's reasonable to assume that Donquixote Doflamingo deceived the world by turning himself into a toy."
"I agree. Even if they disappear from memory, they don't disappear from records. Even we are like that, so it's safe to assume that the Donquixote Family, who possesses the ability user, has taken countermeasures... The problem is—"
Sengoku tapped the documents in front of him. They contained information on two matters: the attack on "Punk Hazard" and the distribution of "SMILE."
"Where Kanata's aim lies."
Sengoku was almost certain that Feiyun had attacked "Punk Hazard." The traces of the attack and the thoroughly collected documents… If the attackers had been the "Beasts Pirates" or the "Big Mom Pirates," it wouldn't have been like this. The scene was too clean.
They must have anticipated the arrival of the Marines, so perhaps they didn't have time to erase the traces after collecting the materials. Or perhaps, they intended for the Marines to find it.
Caesar Clown was a scientist formerly affiliated with "MADS," a man who had once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Vegapunk. What did she intend to do with this man in her grasp, along with all the materials on the weapons and chemicals he had created? It was a matter he couldn't overlook.
On the other hand, she seemed less interested in "SMILE."
She had visited "Dressrosa" and opened the factory door but hadn't attempted to obtain the equipment or chemicals inside. After hearing Tokikake's story, she had reluctantly decided to place "Dressrosa" under her rule, but she hadn't shown any interest in "SMILE," likely because she had Caesar in her grasp.
"I thought she was planning to produce 'SMILE' herself and further increase her forces, but it seems Kanata wasn't thinking that far ahead."
"She thinks regular Devil Fruits are enough...and that it would be easy to create production facilities if she had Caesar?"
"It's true that she doesn't like indiscriminate augmentation. It's more of a habit than a preference… The number of Devil Fruits 'Twilight' possesses should be far greater than we imagine, but the number of ability users is relatively small."
Perhaps she was selecting the abilities to be granted or intended to have them develop their basic strength before allowing them to consume the fruits. In any case, "SMILE," which was created under the concept of creating a powerful army by simply granting abilities, certainly wouldn't suit Kanata's tastes. Their training and accumulation of know-how were uniform, allowing for the reproduction of fighting strength. It was something an army, rather than pirates, would do.
"She won't mishandle 'Dressrosa.' She has more than enough money."
"Sengoku-san, you were planning to push 'Dressrosa' onto the 'Witch' anyway, weren't you?" Akainu stated.
"...Well, yes."
At the very least, he had thought it would be temporarily excluded from the World Government member nations. The fate of non-member nations was grim. Dressrosa was a powerful country, having participated in the Reverie, and its population was relatively large. Since it was no longer a member nation, the Marines couldn't interfere, and all Sengoku could do was have Kanata protect it.
He also thought that if she spent money on national administration, it would deplete "Twilight's" funds to some extent. His decision was based on her past achievements and the belief that she wouldn't mishandle it.
"I'm not thrilled about leaving a country to pirates, but... In the case of the 'Witch', it might actually be beneficial, so I won't object."
Considering the circumstances surrounding her becoming a bounty hunter, Kanata's strong attachment to her family was predictable. Rather than leaving her in a precarious position, guiding her to fully embrace their protection would ensure she spared no expense or manpower to defend them.
He wasn't happy about her growing power, and he wanted to weaken her as much as possible, but he also wanted her to remain strong enough to handle the aspects the Marines, bound by the World Government, couldn't. Their only shared goal was to avoid making her an enemy.
"I think she'll be fine, but Caesar is the only thing I'm worried about. That man turned 'Punk Hazard' into a death trap using weapons, even ignoring Vegapunk's warnings."
"I know about the 'Ability User Hunt'. He wasn't aiming for the Gas-Gas Fruit, but to have him make weapons?"
"As I said before, Kanata collects Devil Fruits, but she seems to prefer strength that doesn't rely on abilities... If the weapons Caesar creates suit her ideology, she'll prioritize utilizing his intellect over taking his ability."
"Twilight" absolutely refused to deal in slaves, weapons, or armaments. However, that didn't mean they didn't produce them.
"The technical team 'Twilight' has... especially Caterina, is renowned in various fields. Not just architecture and construction, but also weapons and armaments. They likely have ten or twenty hidden trump cards that they don't even show us. If Caesar joins them, he might create even more troublesome weapons. He's a person of interest."
"Even so, there's little we can do right now."
"It's a headache, but… I'm truly grateful she's a Warlord."
At least the Marines, with "Twilight's" assistance, were well-equipped, and pirate attacks had decreased. That was an undeniable fact. He wanted her to remain an ally, but Sengoku couldn't bring himself to fully trust Kanata. The fact that she was Octavia's daughter was a factor.
He also considered the possibility that she was, tentatively, Rocks's daughter. Considering that she had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Dragon and Tiger… it was difficult not to suspect.
"...Her actions are orderly, yet when you look at each one individually, why..."
It gave him a headache. Kanata's strength could be estimated to some extent from the fact that she had fought Kaido and emerged unscathed just recently. He didn't want to make her an enemy, but if there was a trigger, Kanata would easily turn against them. The Marines needed to consider expanding their forces to counter "Twilight."
***
Midgard, in the Grand Line. A relay point where goods from all over the world gathered and were shipped out. People gathered here for various reasons, from purchasing Eternal Poses for their next destination to replenishing supplies. Among them, a particularly conspicuous man raised his hand and shouted.
"Sis, long time no see!!"
"Oh, Teach. It has been a while," Kaie replied.
"...Why are you so battered?" Teach asked, noticing her state.
The two, both over three meters tall, stood out even in a crowd, but Kaie, covered in blood and with torn clothes, was especially conspicuous. She was a veteran of "Twilight." Her strength was considerable, and if pirates were causing trouble in "Midgard," not only she but many other soldiers should have been dispatched... Teach's puzzled expression prompted Kaie to shrug.
"Douglas Bullet is here. It would have been fine if he had stayed put, but he said he would get rusty if he didn't move..."
"Ah... so you were dragged along. You have it rough, sis. Zehahahaha!" Teach roared with laughter.
"It's not a laughing matter. If I wasn't a Zoan, I would have been out of commission for a while."
Bullet's strength was among the top in the world. Even if he wasn't serious, his attacks could be fatal. The fact that Kaie was still able to walk after fighting him, even battered, was a testament to her toughness. Teach merely laughed, seemingly unconcerned.
"So, what brings you here today? You wouldn't come here for no reason."
"Hey, hey, what do you take me for, sis? I do come to see you sometimes, you know?"
"You've never done that before, and you have the nerve to say that..."
"Zehahahaha! Don't say that, sis!! I was just wondering if George was here because it's a pain to cross the 'Red Line'."
"He's here. His stay has been extended because the cargo delivery is delayed."
"Oh, that's lucky!! Take us and our ship with you!!"
"...Us?"
As if noticing them for the first time, Kaie turned her gaze to the four men standing a little away from Teach. All of them were as large as Teach. Their strength wasn't particularly noteworthy, but Kaie assumed they were likely recruits Teach had picked up during his vacation. She didn't inquire further. Honestly, she was tired and wanted to rest.
Kaie wrote down the inn where George was staying and handed the note to Teach.
"This is the inn where George is currently staying. Ask him directly if you want a ride," she said.
"Oh, thanks!"
"I'm going back to rest. It's been a while since I used my beast form for anything other than training..."
After seeing Kaie off, Teach checked the note again. "Midgard" was divided into several districts, and George was staying in the area that mainly dealt with food products. The cargo they were transporting this time was probably mostly food. There was no time to waste.
Teach led Burgess and the others to the district and asked for the inn where George was staying. They found George leisurely drinking sake in the middle of the afternoon.
He was simply killing time since he had nothing else to do. His graying hair was disheveled, but he didn't appear particularly drunk.
"Oh? Oh, it's Teach. I heard you were on vacation. Is it over?"
"Yeah, I achieved my objective. I want to go to 'Hachinosu' too, but can you take me along?"
"Sure. But the delivery seems to be taking a while..."
"Did something happen?"
"We took a few people to the recent battle with the Four Emperors Alliance, so we're a bit short-handed here. I plan to go back and forth to bring people over, but until then, it'll be a bit inconvenient."
"Zehaha! We'll help with the luggage if you give us a ride. My crew, that is."
"Us!?"
Doc Q, who was sickly, aside, the other three seemed strong enough to carry luggage. However, that was assuming it was luggage that could be carried by ordinary people. The ships George transported were not just one or two, but a fleet of more than ten container ships with wide decks. The amount of containers loaded onto a single ship was enormous, and each one was difficult to move without the help of giants or a crane. A few extra hands wouldn't be much help.
"Well, I appreciate the sentiment, but can you operate a crane?"
"No."
"Then it's no good. Even if you could lift a container with your bare hands, it wouldn't do. The contents would break."
Most of the cargo this time was food and clothing, so there were few fragile items, but even so, they couldn't be handled carelessly. If George helped, it would be over quickly, as he could freely float inanimate objects he touched… however, as an executive of "Twilight," he couldn't be everywhere.
He could cross the "Red Line" that ordinary people couldn't, but if he transported ordinary cargo, the crew would have nothing to do. Kanata had told him that delegating was also part of being a leader, so George tried to avoid doing everything himself. Kanata herself was incredibly busy, with mountains of documents to review.
"Just wait patiently. We should be able to depart tomorrow. You're in luck."
"What, it was that close? This is thanks to my good deeds!"
Teach laughed heartily and gulped down his sake. He apparently intended to stay at the same inn, paying the owner for a room and sake.
"By the way, I heard Bullet's here too?"
"Yeah. Kanata called him over, thinking Kaido might go to 'Alabasta'."
It was a wasted trip, George chuckled. As a result, Bullet, frustrated, had apparently come to this island, sinking several pirate ships along the way, or so he had claimed. He had also been fighting Kaie on this island for several days and had finally calmed down, George grumbled.
George's ability was strong, but he wasn't particularly powerful himself. He was among the weaker executives, so he was no match for Bullet. Kaie, despite having her own work, had been forced to deal with him.
"That guy gives me so much trouble… I'm worried he'll never settle down…" George sighed.
"Zehahahaha!! You've become quite the father figure, George!! You should focus on settling down yourself!!" Teach retorted.
"I'm fine. As long as I have money, I don't have trouble finding someone to play with."
"Sis is doing as she pleases. The fact that she doesn't have any romantic interests might be because she's being considerate of her sister."
"Kanata too... Things were going well with Dragon..."
"Ah, the guy who left before I joined."
This was before they had started calling themselves the "Twilight Pirates." Dragon, who had once stood alongside Kanata, had left the ship after a feast on "Lodestar Island." Teach, who had joined after that, had never met him personally, but he knew that Dragon was the Supreme Commander of the Revolutionary Army. He hadn't known they were that close.
"Are you still in contact?" Teach asked.
"I don't know. Kanata never mentions him."
It was only natural that she wouldn't mention it, as it would be a huge scandal if it came out that the Supreme Commander of the Revolutionary Army and a Warlord were connected. However, he couldn't help but wonder why she was keeping it a secret even from them, her family from the very beginning.
"That's because you have a loose tongue."
George was a Float-Float Fruit user, able to levitate inanimate objects he touched. It wasn't necessarily because of his ability, but George was rather talkative.