Twin Cape.
The very entrance to the Grand Line. A lighthouse stood there, built to help sailors choose one of the seven initial routes that led to the first islands.
"So this is it… the Grand Line…" someone whispered, their voice filled with awe.
After ascending the canal and crossing Reverse Mountain, they had arrived in a vast, new ocean. Everyone stared out at the grandest sea in the world, their hearts swelling with emotion.
But they couldn't afford to stand around forever.
Assuming a lighthouse keeper had to be present, they decided to dock at the Twin Cape mooring.
"Hard to believe people live in a place like this," someone commented.
"Yeah. It seems pretty inconvenient… but I hear the climate is completely different."
According to what they'd heard, there was even a clinic here, though it was hard to imagine many people coming all this way for treatment. The weather seemed stable; the biting cold they had endured felt like a distant memory, replaced by a comfortable, sunny warmth.
Figuring it would be strange for the entire crew to go at once, Kanata, Georges, and Kuro decided to visit the clinic together.
After a few knocks, the door was opened by a man with a towel tied around his head and hair that fanned out like flower petals.
"What is it? Are you patients?"
"No, my treatment for this is already finished," Kanata said, gesturing to herself. "We're about to enter the Grand Line and were hoping to ask you a few questions."
"Very well. But you'll share some of your food in exchange."
"Food, huh? We don't exactly have a surplus…"
Kanata glanced at Georges. He had a better grasp of their supply situation than she did, but he gave a slight nod, indicating that sparing enough for one person wouldn't be a problem. They had hunted a sea beast before arriving, so their stores had been replenished.
"That's fine. If that's all you need."
"We have a deal."
They shook hands, and the man led them to a table outside the clinic to talk, as the inside was apparently too cramped.
"First, what do you want to know?" the man asked.
"Let's start with your name," Georges replied.
"If you're going to ask for a name, isn't it proper to give your own first?"
"You've got a point. I'm—"
"My name is Crocus. I'm the lighthouse keeper at Twin Cape. I'm thirty-nine."
"Didn't you just tell me to introduce myself first?!"
Kuro laughingly calmed Georges down. Ignoring them, Kanata got straight to the point.
"We're looking for a ship's doctor. We're on the run, but do you know anyone who might be willing to join our crew anyway?"
"What? You were planning to cross this sea without a doctor?"
"Yes, well, we ended up being pursued rather suddenly. They say life is a series of inadequate preparations, but this time, I'm truly feeling the pressure."
"Hmm… Are you pirates?"
"I don't recall ever voluntarily calling myself a pirate."
She didn't even know if they were recognized as such. By a broad definition, they might be, but the Navy's judgment could be arbitrary. As far as Kanata was concerned, it didn't matter either way.
Crocus folded his arms and sank into thought. Kanata and the others waited for him to speak.
After a few minutes, he finally opened his mouth.
"One of the islands you can reach from here is a town called Whiskey Peak. The son of an acquaintance of mine works as a doctor there, but he's a rather eccentric fellow."
"And you think he'd be willing to come with us?"
"I'm only saying it's a possibility. I can't make any promises."
"Of course. But just getting this information is a great help."
"I can vouch for his skill, at least. As for anything more, you'll have to go and see for yourselves."
"Then it's settled," Kanata said. "That decides our route, as well."
Their destination was Whiskey Peak. There, they would try to recruit a potential ship's doctor.
On this sea—where the seasons, weather, currents, and winds were all in a constant state of chaos—even contact between islands was sparse. Some islands existed with cultures frozen in time. For instance, there were islands where primeval environments were perfectly preserved, and others that had undergone their own unique evolutions.
If they were to visit such places, the risk of contracting endemic diseases or infections was very real. Securing a doctor was an urgent priority.
"Is there anything else I should know?"
"Hmm… How about you tell us a bit about Whiskey Peak?"
"It's a city of scoundrels, a gathering place for bounty hunters. If you have a price on your head, you'd best be careful."
"A bounty, you say…"
"If there's anyone there with enough guts to face you after hearing your bounty, I'd be tempted to recruit them myself," Kuro mused.
"…I thought I recognized that girl's face… Could you be…"
It seemed Crocus knew who Kanata was. The news of the recent world-shaking incident had been broadcast constantly, so he must have realized that the girl before him was that wanted person.
The person in question, wrapped from head to toe in bandages, wore an expression of utter exhaustion.
"The 'Dragon-Slaying Witch'… So you're the worst criminal in the West Blue."
"Do me a favor and don't go reporting us to the Navy," Georges warned.
"All sorts of pirates pass through Twin Cape. Do you think I report every single one?"
It wasn't just pirates; since ancient times, there had been an endless stream of people who arrived here seeking to conquer the Grand Line. Reporting every last one of them would be an impossible task. The fact that no one had yet succeeded spoke volumes about the harshness of this sea.
That aside, however, something else had caught Crocus's attention.
"Those wounds of yours… you must have gotten them fighting the Navy. If you don't have a doctor, who treated you?"
"I was on the verge of death when I was picked up by a certain pirate crew."
"Let me see. I'm a doctor, too. I'll give you proper treatment."
Kanata was half-dragged into the clinic. As they watched her go, Georges and Kuro decided to return to the ship and prepare a meal. They also had to set aside a portion for Crocus.
The ship was far too large for their current crew size, which meant they could carry more than enough supplies, but their failure to restock in Troia was a painful mistake. Even with the meat from the sea beast they had hunted, their stores wouldn't last long, especially with a giant like Feiyun on board.
"We gotta restock somewhere…"
"Think we can do it at that Whiskey Peak place?"
"We can only hope. But he said it's a den of bounty hunters."
If the town's economy was based on preying on pirates who had just entered the Grand Line with high spirits, it was very likely that agriculture and fishing were not well-developed. If their lifestyle involved earning money to buy goods from other towns, it was best not to get their hopes up.
"Meat is one thing, but vegetables are another… Huh?"
"What is it?"
"Hey… look over there."
Where Georges was pointing, a young Island Whale was swimming peacefully near Twin Cape. Even as a child, it was still an Island Whale. Its size was immense, easily enough to provide their ship with months of food. They had no idea why an Island Whale, which was supposed to live only in the West Blue, was here, but it was a perfect opportunity to replenish their larder.
The two decided they would have Kanata take care of it when she got back, and they returned to the ship.
☆
"Absolutely not."
When Georges went to the clinic to announce that dinner was ready and mentioned the Island Whale he had seen, Crocus spoke up before Kanata could.
"That whale was entrusted to me by a certain pirate crew. I'll have to ask you not to hunt it."
Kanata, who had received treatment and was now lying on a bed with fresh bandages, asked, "Why are you so attached to it?"
An Island Whale was a rather unusual creature to keep as a pet. Not unheard of, but Kanata, at least, had never seen it before.
"It's an old story," Crocus began.
A cheerful crew of pirates had entered the Grand Line. The young whale that followed them here was the same one they could see in the distance—Laboon. He had been their companion as they traveled through the West Blue, a comrade they had tried to leave behind because the journey ahead was too dangerous. Island Whales normally travel in pods. For Laboon, those pirates had been his pod.
Their ship broke down, forcing them to stay for several months for repairs. During that time, Crocus befriended them, and the pirates entrusted Laboon to his care.
"'Look after him for two or three years,' they said. 'We swear we'll circle the globe and come back for him.'"
"I see… So he's a precious friend," Georges said softly.
"That's right… although that was about sixteen years ago."
"Sixteen years?! That's…"
"It's not unheard of. The big names on this sea—Whitebeard, Big Mom, Golden Lion—they've all been fighting for supremacy for a very long time."
Still, for great pirates of that caliber, you would expect some rumors to reach the world. The fact that Laboon's pirate friends had stopped appearing in the papers could only mean one thing.
But despite it all, Crocus and Laboon were still waiting, still believing.
"What was the name of that pirate crew?"
"The Rumbar Pirates. They were from the West Blue. A man named Calico Yorki was their captain."
"Hmm…"
Kanata glanced at Georges, asking if he recognized the name. He just shrugged and shook his head. Kanata had never heard of them either. If they were active sixteen years ago, their wanted posters might still be found somewhere… but to have gone this long without making a name for themselves, their survival seemed hopeless.
However, if their wanted posters remained, it meant they hadn't been captured or executed by the Navy. It was possible they were hiding out somewhere.
"Crocus, you've helped me out. I'll gather information about them during our voyage."
"I'd appreciate that. They say no news is good news, but when it's been this long, you start to worry."
Above all, he felt sorry for Laboon.
Looking at Laboon, who had swum closer to the cape, Kanata got up and went outside. Standing before the whale, many times her own size, she reached out and stroked its massive head as it approached.
"You've been waiting all this time… You must be so lonely," she murmured.
The anxiety of being abandoned by your friends. The fear that your long wait might be meaningless. Kanata found herself empathizing with the whale's plight.
As Georges and the others came out to join her, she turned to them, her hand still on Laboon, and announced her decision.
"We'll stay here for a few days."
"Are you sure? We're in a hurry, and we don't know when our pursuers might show up."
"It doesn't matter. The Navy should still think we're in the West Blue."
Since their journey was one of constant flight, they didn't know when they would next have a chance to relax. The truth was, she wanted to rest while she could. With her injuries, Kanata couldn't fight properly anyway, so it wasn't a bad move.
"Let's just spend a few days playing with the whale and healing up. Is that all right with you, Crocus?"
"…Yes. He just swims around here all day, anyway."
"Then it's decided. Tonight, we'll have a feast. A toast to our journey ahead, and to the safety of the Rumbar Pirates."
☆
A boisterous night began.
They built a bonfire under the starlight, eating, drinking, and making merry together. It was the best medicine for raising their spirits.
"Well, this is a surprise. I never expected to see a giant on a ship coming from one of the Blues," Crocus remarked.
"I was originally from a village in Elbaf, but… things happened," Feiyun explained.
"I see, from Elbaf… Still, you can't quite compare to Laboon, can you?"
When Laboon first arrived, he was small enough for a few people to ride on his back. Now, he was over a hundred meters long. In terms of height, he wasn't so different from Feiyun, but his length was in another league entirely.
"Feiyun is a Devil Fruit user," Kanata explained. "She can become as big as Laboon."
"What? Is that so?"
"Yes! I won't lose to a whale!" Feiyun declared.
Growing rapidly on the cape, she expanded until she was about the same length as Laboon. This seemed to surprise the giant whale, who let out a loud "BUOOOOOH!" and splashed Feiyun with water.
"Wha—! You're on! Take this!"
She scooped up seawater with her hands and splashed him back, enjoying the water fight. The scale of it all was so immense that Crocus could only stare with wide eyes, but seeing how much fun Laboon was having, his expression softened into a smile.
As for Kanata, she skillfully ate her meal despite having only one usable hand.
"She's still a child by giant standards. I want her to have a chance to play once in a while."
"…Laboon looks happy, too. A child's smile is a wonderful thing."
"Yes, it's full of life."
Although Kanata herself was still young enough to be called a girl, her life had made her cynical. It was probably impossible for her to be carefree and innocent now.
"How long does it take for a Log Pose to set here?" she asked.
"It doesn't take long for any of the routes. For Whiskey Peak, it should be set in half a day."
In that case, they could afford to relax a little and still escape any pursuers from Navy Headquarters.
As she calmly considered this, sipping juice instead of alcohol, Crocus spoke to her.
"Is your only goal to keep running from Navy HQ?"
"Essentially, yes. But that alone wouldn't be much fun. I thought we might as well circle the globe while we're at it."
"That is a difficult path."
"I don't mind. A life of constant challenge is far more interesting than a life of constant escape."
"…You're right. It's better to look ahead."
To achieve what everyone aimed for but no one could accomplish. And, on top of that, to escape from the Navy's top admirals.
Everything is a challenge, Kanata said with a smile.
The night deepened, but the party was just getting started, and Georges and the others celebrated loudly.
***
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