New World, Pirate Island Hachinosu.
In a conference room within the fortress carved from Skull Rock, Kanata had summoned her executives to explain their upcoming movements.
Junshi, Feiyun, Scotch, George.
Over thirty years had passed since she began her journey, and among them, these four were the ones Kanata trusted most.
...There was originally one more, but due to his advanced age, he had long since retired from the front lines and was now living in his hometown.
Regardless, the four who had gathered looked at Kanata with serious expressions, while Kanata, the one being watched, was the only one with a relaxed smile.
"Don't be so tense. I just wanted to tell you about our upcoming movements beforehand."
"...Well, that's fine, but it's not often you call just us, so it's hard not to be," Scotch grumbled.
"But why now? Are you planning something big?" George inquired.
"Well, it's true that I'm planning something... but there will likely be more situations where I can't act. I figured if I shared the ultimate goal and the bottom line, you all could make judgments on your own."
"Can't act?" Scotch's brow furrowed in suspicion.
There had been several instances before where she couldn't issue orders. Major incidents requiring Kanata's instructions had been rare recently... the most recent being the Wang Zhi raid a few years ago.
Shipping no longer required Kanata's detailed instructions; it was merely a matter of final reports being submitted.
"First, we're going to war with the Whitebeard Pirates, led by Newgate."
"Hah!?"
"As a preliminary step, we'll crush Bullet and force him into Twilight, even if we have to drag him."
"Huh!?"
"I plan to do this on a grand scale, but I intend to settle things with Newgate in a one-on-one duel. I've already sent Teach as an envoy. We just need to be wary of interference from the Navy, Kaido, and Linlin."
"Haaaaaaah!!??"
Scotch and George reacted in unison to Kanata's words.
This was a major event, a truly massive incident. Their confusion was understandable.
"There's a lot I want to say, but! Did you decide all this without consulting us!?" George exclaimed.
"That's right."
George's shoulders slumped as Kanata nodded. Scotch patted George's shoulder, consoling him with, "She's always like this."
Once the exaggerated reactions subsided, Feiyun asked her question.
"When you say you can't act, Kanata-san, does that mean you'll be too preoccupied with that to give detailed instructions?"
"Yes. I'll be leaving by ship now for the battle with Bullet... It will probably start tomorrow. If anything happens then, I won't be able to respond."
"I see..."
So, if some incident occurred, Kanata wouldn't be there and couldn't respond. The four of them here would have to manage and deal with it.
George, sinking deep into his chair, let out a puff of cigarette smoke and pondered.
A battle between Emperor-class individuals was a calamity, a disaster akin to a natural cataclysm. Even if they used a nearby uninhabited island, once the two started fighting, it would likely be difficult to even approach until it was over.
How much could be tolerated depended on Kanata's judgment, but if she conveyed that beforehand, George and the others could make decisions.
"Basically, I don't think the situation will change drastically in a day or two..."
The scale of Twilight was enormous. Whether a hostile pirate alliance attacked or the government made a move, there would always be some precursor.
She didn't think they would be caught off guard, but preconceived notions could sometimes slow down initial reactions. It was always better to be cautious.
Regarding the duel with Newgate, she would also make sure the "winner takes all" point was known. If this wasn't communicated beforehand, chaos could erupt if, by some chance, Kanata was defeated.
Even if Kanata herself believed she wouldn't lose, that was no reason not to make it known.
"The Government and the Navy will likely dislike us absorbing the Whitebeard Pirates and becoming the dominant force. Assume we'll have to relinquish our Warlord title."
"Well, that's to be expected..." Scotch conceded.
The Four Emperors, the Seven Warlords, and the Navy were called the Three Great Powers of the world, but in reality, the Navy and the Seven Warlords were aligned against one of the Four Emperors. If the Twilight Pirates broke that balance by absorbing the Whitebeard Pirates, they would arguably become the largest single organization in the world.
The government would certainly dislike that.
Originally, Kanata hadn't intended to hold onto the Warlord title for so long. As a merchant, unilaterally breaking contracts would tarnish Twilight's image, so she had been waiting for an opportunity.
"If I hadn't gotten greedy when the Five Elders made their offer, I wouldn't have become a Warlord in the first place..."
"Permission to pass through Mariejois isn't something you get easily, after all," George remarked.
The permission, lost due to suspicion related to Tiger's case, had been quite useful at the time. Now, with the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi's ability, it wasn't as critical.
In any case, relinquishing the Warlord title now wouldn't cause much trouble.
It was impossible to eliminate Twilight, which was deeply entrenched in the world economy, at this point, and if the government tried to eliminate them at the cost of self-destruction, Kanata was prepared to crush the entire government in response.
Then, she suddenly remembered the Revolutionary Army.
"Speaking of which... about the Revolutionary Army."
"The Revolutionary Army? We just continue our cooperative relationship as before, right?" Scotch asked.
They had been discreetly funneling supplies to them for some time. Providing overt assistance was problematic for various reasons, so it was done covertly, but thanks to that, they had succeeded in revolutions in many kingdoms.
However, the result of these revolutions wasn't necessarily democracy; rather, different kings took power and governed.
The situation was mostly the same as in Sorbet Kingdom, where Bartholomew Kuma became king as a result of a rebellion.
"Basically, yes. Dragon will probably handle things well, but... when an organization grows large, a portion of it inevitably starts to move in extreme ways. I've heard that recently, some people have started to misunderstand, blaming all poverty on the king and thinking that defeating the king will make them prosperous. Be careful."
Education rarely reached the peasants who performed labor, and it was even less likely for slum dwellers.
Those without political knowledge sometimes blamed everything on the king and advocated for the overthrow of the monarchy. Dragon would likely investigate thoroughly before making a judgment, but if the organization became too bloated and Dragon's oversight waned, the Revolutionary Army could become a terrorist group without a just cause.
It was fine for now, but there were things visible from the outside. It would be better to keep an eye on things, Kanata said.
"I'd rather not pick chestnuts out of the fire," Junshi commented.
"Haha, that man is quite capable. He won't let go of the reins so easily," Feiyun chuckled.
"I hope not. These kinds of things usually happen where those in charge can't see them. External monitoring will be necessary," Kanata mused.
She was willing to help to the extent of overthrowing a king who governed badly in order to correct disparities. That would ultimately help the economy.
If this went too far and they started talking about distributing wealth for the sake of all people, Kanata would probably kill Dragon. That ideology was utterly unacceptable to her.
Kanata had three things she hated. She didn't want Dragon to become one of them, she sighed softly.
…
The same day, on Banaro Island.
The day after fighting Yuisheeze, everyone had already woken up and was currently bustling with preparations to move to Water 7.
They had moved the ship from the port to near the station to load it onto the Sea Train and were waiting for the train's arrival.
"I'm so excited for the Sea Train!" Luffy exclaimed.
"It's gonna be a fun trip! The thrill of racing across the sea at a speed far beyond a ship! You don't get to experience that very often!!" Franky boomed.
"Also, the station bento are delicious, so I recommend buying some," Mozu chimed in.
"Our recommendation is the Mizu Mizu Meat Karaage Bento!" Kiwi added.
"Sounds yummy!!"
Luffy, drooling, dashed towards the bento corner, followed by Usopp and Chopper, who were also going to check out the bento. On the day they lost, Usopp and Chopper had looked pale, but now they were completely fine.
Perhaps it was largely because the losers themselves weren't bothered by it.
"Lady, bento! Give me all you have!" Luffy called out.
"Wait a minute, Luffy! Are you planning to eat all of them!?" Usopp yelped.
"We have money, so it's fine, right?"
"It hasn't been distributed yet!"
Since they didn't know how much the Merry's repairs would cost, their allowances, excluding miscellaneous expenses, hadn't been distributed yet. If Luffy carelessly spent a large sum, Nami would bring down her fist of fury, so Usopp was desperately trying to stop him.
At least limit it to one or two, he pleaded.
While Luffy and the others were agonizing over bento, Nami was talking to Franky about their next steps.
"After we move to Water 7, we'll go around the island to my workshop to transport it. Is that fine for now?" Franky asked.
"Yes. The problem is how much the ship repairs will cost. I'd appreciate it if you could make it as cheap as possible," Nami replied.
"Unfortunately, it's already cost a considerable amount up to this point. If you didn't have money, I would have given up on you long ago."
"I know..."
It would be troublesome if they skimped on ship repairs. For a sailor, a ship was literally their lifeline. It wasn't worth losing their lives by cutting corners.
Even though they had a lot of money, seeing it go out was mentally taxing.
There was no guarantee they would obtain a large sum like this again in the future, which probably made her feel even more reluctant. Still, she didn't want to die, so she intended to pay properly and get it repaired.
As they were talking, "Choo-choo!" the sound of a steam whistle echoed, and the Sea Train arrived at the station.
The paddles, cutting through the waves, made a high-pitched sound as they braked, and the train slowly came to a stop.
"Alright, then move the ship to the very back, right beside it."
As they moved according to Franky's instructions, several men who appeared to be staff members spoke with Franky, and in no time, they used heavy machinery to load the ship onto a flatcar.
After confirming it was securely fastened with ropes and such to prevent it from falling, Franky guided Luffy and the others into the car in front.
"Sit wherever you like. Just relax and look out the window, and we'll be in Water 7 by noon."
The current time was early morning. It wouldn't take that long to reach Water 7, so they would arrive in the early afternoon, Franky said.
Luffy, who had piled up several bento boxes, was about to start eating before the train even moved, saying, "Then let's eat," only to be met with Sanji's exasperated, "You ate breakfast and you're still planning to eat?"
Although it took a little time to depart because they were loading the ship, the Sea Train started moving.
Spewing black smoke, it turned its paddles, cutting through the waves and crossing the ocean.
Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper, experiencing a sensation different from crossing the sea by ship, pressed their faces against the windowpane, repeatedly exclaiming, "Amazing!"
"...By the way, Franky. About the Merry, how much will the repairs actually cost? You said you'd inspect the ship after we made the reservation the day before yesterday and then give us an estimate, and I've been waiting ever since..." Nami began.
"...About that," Franky said.
Franky, still wearing his sunglasses, looked at Nami with a serious expression.
Without any lies or deception, as a craftsman──he told the client the unadorned truth.
"──That ship is done for. It can't be fixed. Even if we forced repairs, the probability of it lasting until the next island is... zero."