In the end, they stayed at Twin Cape for about a week.
It was a rather long visit for a crew that claimed to be short on supplies, but their food shortage had been projected for a long-term escape. A stay of a few days to a week was no problem at all.
Whether it was due to Crocus's skill as a doctor or Kanata's own powerful life force, her injuries had completely healed during their stay. Finally free of her bandages, a refreshed-looking Kanata was sparring lightly with Junci to get a feel for her body's condition.
A series of sharp, clanging sounds echoed around them—noises that could hardly have come from two human bodies colliding as they warmed up.
"Hmm, you seem to be fine," Junci observed.
"Yeah. It's not like my skills would dull in just a week."
It felt far too soon for broken bones to mend, but Crocus knew that there were more than a few people on this sea with this kind of incredible recovery rate. He'd even met some who boasted they could heal any fracture just by drinking milk.
"However, milady… has your Haki grown stronger again?"
"A gift from my battle with Sengoku," Kanata replied. "Fighting a powerful opponent is the fastest way to make one's Haki grow."
Haki was a power that blossomed in extreme conditions. There was no training superior to actual combat. In that sense, her fight against Sengoku, a superior Haki user, had been beneficial for her. But the harsh reality of this sea was that she couldn't afford to be satisfied with her current level.
"We've rested. My wounds are healed. There's no reason to stay any longer."
"Time to set sail, then. Laboon will be lonely."
Crocus said this while glancing over at Feiyun, who was playing with the giant whale, shouting, "Grrr, I'm gonna eat you!"
They were fugitives, after all. Staying in one place for long was not an option. Things might be different if they were a force so powerful that the World Government and the Navy couldn't easily interfere, but across this vast ocean, you could count such powers on one hand.
"We'll be back after we circle the world," Kanata said. "It's a life on the run. I'm sure we'll meet again."
"I hope so. You say it so casually, but this sea isn't so easy to traverse."
"I'm prepared for that."
No pirate had ever been able to return to Twin Cape. That was precisely why this unconquered sea was called the "Grand Line."
"We set sail at noon. Get everything ready."
"Ready? All we have to do is pack up the gear we unloaded. It won't take long."
The only other thing was the food they'd give to Crocus. They hadn't planned on a long stay, so that was about it. Feiyun was saying a reluctant goodbye to Laboon; it was clear they had become good friends.
There was nothing else to do, but one matter remained undecided.
"I have a Devil Fruit on hand. Does anyone want to eat it?"
It was the power that belonged to the jaguar-man they fought in Troia—the one Kanata had defeated in an instant. On their first night at Twin Cape, he had tried to sneak in and assassinate her after the feast while everyone was asleep, so she had disposed of him quickly. She had kept him alive on the condition that he join her crew, since they were short-handed, but he had rebelled, saying his pride wouldn't allow him to serve under a woman.
"That's a pretty rare thing to have," Georges remarked.
"Well, I seem to have a knack for it. I come across Devil Fruits quite often."
It wasn't a lie. It was simply a matter of killing a user and taking their fruit. She was happy to acquire any useful ability. Zoan-types enhanced physical abilities and granted the user the traits of an animal, so she wanted to give it to someone who specialized in close-quarters combat.
With that in mind, two candidates came to the forefront.
"Junci, Zen. Do either of you want it?"
"Unnecessary. I wish to grow stronger without relying on such powers," Junci stated.
"I don't feel a particular need for it either. The inability to swim is also a bit of a concern…" Zen added politely.
"I see. Anyone else want it, then?"
Junci refused in his pursuit of pure strength, while Zen disliked the idea of becoming unable to swim. Eating it would be a shortcut to power, but it seemed neither of them felt they needed it right now.
However, seeing the two of them refuse, several others raised their hands, thinking their chance had come.
"Kanata, can I make a suggestion?"
"What is it?"
Georges had raised his hand, and she thought he wanted the fruit, but that wasn't the case. "We should make this an official rule for the ship," he said.
"Devil Fruits are valuable. Since no two of the same power exist at the same time, the abilities you can get are limited. If we don't decide on a rule for who gets to eat them when we find more, it's going to cause bad blood."
"...You have a point. But what should the rule be?"
A first-come, first-served rule where the finder gets to eat it. A rule where Kanata, as captain, decides who is worthy. Or perhaps a "might makes right" rule, where they hold a battle royale for every fruit they find.
No matter what they chose, someone would likely disagree, but Kanata decided to implement a combination of the second and third options.
"If we find a fruit that is known to be extremely rare or powerful, I will decide who gets it. For all others, you will fight amongst yourselves for the right to eat it."
If she was going to bestow great power, Kanata wanted to be the one to judge the worthiness of the user. Betrayal was a common theme among pirates, but she would not allow it. Conversely, if an ability didn't interest her, she would announce it to the crew and let those who wanted it fight and take it.
It seemed a bit tyrannical, but she had to establish a code where her authority as captain was absolute. Discipline was a crucial element for maintaining control in any organization.
"While we're at it, let's clarify all the ship's rules while you all are fighting for the fruit."
"That's a great idea. Everything needs rules, even if it sounds weird coming from a bunch of outlaws like us."
"Even outlaws need discipline. Anyone who breaks the rules will be killed by me. Be prepared for that."
Though she wasn't using Haki, her red eyes glared at them, and the piercing killing intent silenced the entire crew. Taking their silence as understanding, Kanata entrusted the Devil Fruit to Zen and headed back to the ship's cabin with Georges and Junci. Leaving instructions to give the fruit to the winner of a bare-knuckle battle royale, the three of them went to formalize the ship's code.
"My, my, she is a fearsome one… Although, it's probably for the best to be that strict," Zen commented.
"Yeah, I think so too," Feiyun agreed. "But I'm kind of curious what would happen if you, a horse, became more like a tiger, Zen."
"I am absolutely not eating it, you know?"
The result would surely be one of the strangest creatures in the world. Feiyun's brow drooped in disappointment while Zen looked away and started the battle royale.
☆
An hour later, right around noon, a burly, muscular man—Samuel—let out a roar of victory. His face was a swollen, bruised mess, but he paid it no mind as he took the Devil Fruit from Zen and took a huge bite.
"Bwahahahaha!! —Ugh."
"What's wrong?"
"So… disgusting…"
His face turned shades of blue and red as he forced it down, then collapsed onto his back in a mixture of exhaustion and triumph. It would be a while before his body started to change. For now, the four men who lay beaten and bruised had to be treated. When they asked Crocus, he laughed and said, "You lot are a noisy bunch to the very end," and agreed to treat them.
"Is it over?"
By the time Kanata and the others came out of the ship, the treatment was mostly finished, and Samuel was already practicing his new ability, transforming into a jaguar and back again repeatedly.
"Oh, so Samuel won."
"We'll have to train him so he can master it," Junci noted.
"That comes later. First, I'm announcing the new rules."
Drinking while at sea would be done in shifts, with set times for small groups. Gambling amongst the crew and theft or embezzlement of money and goods were forbidden. Maintenance of guns and swords was to be thorough. Bringing women or children onto the ship for the purpose of assault was forbidden.
And so on. A few of the men grimaced at the new code. The restrictions on drinking and gambling were particularly hard to swallow, as they were cherished habits. But it was unacceptable for the entire crew to be drunk at the same time on a voyage where their lives were on the line, and gambling bred ill will, even among comrades. They were necessary rules.
"Anyone who breaks them will be executed by me. To be specific—"
"Hm?"
Giving Junci a meaningful look, Kanata swung a leg hardened black with Armament Haki. Junci simultaneously hardened his arm with Armament Haki to block the kick, and the impact resounded like an explosion of air. Even holding back, both of them had calm expressions. If she had kicked anyone other than Junci or Zen, that single blow would have blown their body to pieces.
"Like that," she finished.
"She'll kill us!!" someone yelped.
"It's an execution. Of course I will."
If Junci or Zen were to break the rules, it would be a bit more trouble, but not impossible to kill them. She made sure to impress upon everyone that they should do their best not to make her do it. They all nodded furiously, their heads bobbing so fast it looked like they might fly off.
At any rate, matters concerning the ship were now settled. Any future problems would be dealt with as they arose.
"Well then, we're indebted to you, Crocus."
"Indeed. It was not a boring week."
They shook hands and said their goodbyes before everyone boarded the ship. Laboon cried out as if to see them off, and Feiyun stood on the deck, waving until the great whale's form disappeared from view.
☆
Leaving the foot of Reverse Mountain and Twin Cape behind them, they set a course for Whiskey Peak.
Current climate: winter—with occasional spring.
Just moments ago, they had been in a winter sea with heavy snowfall, but now a pleasant first wind of spring was blowing. This, Kanata thought idly, must be what they meant by the chaotic weather of the Grand Line.
"You've been staring at that Log Pose for a while now."
"If I look away, the needle will go off course in an instant. It's more accurate to say I can't look away."
It was common to glance away for a moment only to find the ship heading in the opposite direction. The weather, the waves, the wind—everything was erratic, and common sense didn't apply. She was being reminded once again of just what kind of sea this was. Just a short while ago, they had been in an uproar over fog, gusts of wind, a rainbow, and an iceberg. Well, the only one excited about the rainbow was that fool, Samuel.
"We grazed an iceberg earlier. Was the ship okay?"
"No leaks. We'll inspect it once we reach the island," Georges said, sipping his coffee.
They would probably need a shipwright to handle emergencies. They had a few men who had dabbled in carpentry, but they were scoundrels who had never been able to hold down a proper job. There was no way they could count on their skills.
"We need a shipwright, too…"
"Yeah… I can handle patching a small leak, but anything more requires expert knowledge."
"What other roles do we need?"
"A doctor, who we're about to negotiate with. A shipwright… is that about it?"
They had a cook, though his skill was nothing to brag about. They had two navigators, Scotch and Kanata. Those were the essential roles. Georges acted as the treasurer, and everyone else was a combatant. A helmsman might be nice, but there weren't many people who knew this sea well enough for the job.
"There's no need to rush. If we need to, we can just buy a new ship."
"Worst case, we can just steal one from somewhere. As long as we don't sink at sea."
"Even if we get taken out at sea, as long as I survive, I can just walk to the next island. No problem."
The thought of walking a distance that would take a ship several days was exhausting just to consider. But in a worst-case scenario, that's what it would come to. It was good to have a backup plan.
"A shipwright is a high priority, though… We'll have to find one somewhere."
Kanata figured there must be an island famous for shipbuilding. She vaguely remembered that a shipwright had joined a certain crew at Water 7. If they looked around there, they were bound to find one or two available craftsmen. They just had to hope the ship didn't sink before then.
"...The climate is stabilizing. We should be seeing the island soon."
"That was surprisingly fast."
"The first islands aren't that far apart. That's why the sea is so rough at the start."
That's what Crocus had told them. The magnetic fields of the seven islands interfered with each other, making the sea turbulent. The very first leg of the journey was the most difficult part. While there were certainly other challenging stretches later on, it was a nasty trick that the first voyage was the hardest for those unaccustomed to this sea.
"I see it! It's the island!" a lookout shouted.
"So we've arrived. It would be great if we can get a doctor to join us."
"He said the guy's an eccentric. I wonder what he's like… Hope he doesn't have another troublesome personality," Georges said wearily.
Kanata left him to his thoughts and went out onto the deck. The island's silhouette was gradually coming into focus, revealing distinctive cactus-like mountains. A large river flowed into the sea, but she gave orders to dock the ship at the port on the coast.
And so, their first voyage on the Grand Line came to an end.
***
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