There, in the deepest reaches of the Sea Forest, it stood.
A stone monument inscribed with ancient characters—a language so forgotten that few in the modern era could read it, and one the World Government had strictly forbidden even the attempt to decipher.
To those in the know, these monoliths were called Poneglyphs.
"So, they really were here," Kanata murmured. "But this..."
She had known that a Poneglyph was hidden here based on the hazy fragments of her past knowledge. However, finding two was unexpected.
One was a standard Poneglyph. The other, however, was a deep, blood-red—a Road Poneglyph. It was one of the four stones that pointed the way to the Last Island. This was likely the final stone whose location had remained a mystery to the world. Even Kanata couldn't hide her surprise at finding it in a place like this.
"I suppose these will be necessary eventually, if one intends to reach the end of the Grand Line."
She would need to take rubbings of the text to be read later. To her knowledge, the archeologists of Oharawere the only ones capable of deciphering the ancient script. She wasn't entirely sure how Roger and his crew intended to translate them, but she felt a debt of gratitude to the man for saving her life. She was more than willing to cooperate.
Furthermore, it was better if these stones didn't remain here. Removing them would effectively eliminate the chance of anyone other than Roger reaching the Last Island.
"I should collect them."
Kanata summoned Feiyun to the clearing. The Poneglyphs were far too massive for any normal person to move, but she tasked Feiyun with transporting them back to the ship.
"Just tuck them away in the back of the treasure vault," she instructed.
Most of the crew was still out enjoying the town; only a few remained on guard duty. They watched the heavy objects being hauled aboard, but assuming it was just more supplies or cargo, they didn't pay it much mind.
"What are we using these for, Captain?" one asked.
"Who knows? But they'll be necessary one day."
"If you say so."
Even if Kanata didn't need them herself, possessing them allowed her to keep others in check. Once she reached the New World, she was bound to cross paths with Roger again. She could give him the rubbings then.
No one else had a use for these stones. As far as she was concerned, Roger was the only one who deserved to be the Pirate King. At least for now.
She draped the monoliths in heavy cloth and encased them in a layer of Haki-infused ice to hide them from prying eyes. It would hold for a while, though she realized she should probably brief George and Dragon on the situation.
As for the second Poneglyph, she took a rubbing but recalled it wasn't particularly vital. Still, it was a significant historical record, and she intended to preserve it properly.
"And what are you busy with now?"
Kanata looked up from the rubbings she was examining in the galley. Gloriosa and Kaye had returned from the city ahead of the others. She showed them the papers, but the two simply stared at the indecipherable script with puzzled expressions.
"What is this?"
"They're called ancient characters," Kanata explained. "The text found on the Poneglyphs."
Gloriosa's eyes widened. "I see... The World Government has banned the study of these, haven't they? This is the first time I've seen the actual script."
"It's illegal just to read them?" Kaye asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"It is," Gloriosa replied. "Deciphering these characters makes you a target of the World Government. They claim that uncovering the history written here could lead to the resurrection of the Ancient Weapons."
"Ancient Weapons?"
"Indeed. Tools of destruction created on some distant island in the ancient past. I don't know the details of what they actually are, but..."
"I don't know much either," Kanata added. "Only that they are dangerous."
It seemed Octavia had possessed some information regarding the weapons as well. That implied someone in the Rocks Pirates had been able to read the script. Given that Shiki and Big Mom hadn't laid hands on an Ancient Weapon yet, whoever could read it was likely dead. Unless, of course, Octavia herself had known the language.
"Are you going to look for them, Captain?" Kaye asked.
"If they become a threat later on, it might be best to find and destroy them first. But the act of searching for them is a massive risk in itself."
The World Government would be relentless. Moreover, if Shiki or Big Mom caught wind of it, they would be watching closely. In that sense, it was safer to let the weapons sleep. The mere attempt to unearth them invited disaster. If she turned the world into her enemy just to destroy a weapon, people would simply assume she was hiding it for herself, and that would lead to total war.
"We'll leave them be for now. No one is going to find them anyway."
Except for Roger, she added silently. Once he finds a way to read these.
***
That evening, as the crew prepared a barbecue in a corner of the Sea Forest, Fisher Tiger returned. He carried a massive barrel of ale on his back, setting it down with practiced care.
A younger fish-man followed closely behind him.
"Sorry I'm late," Tiger called out.
"Don't worry about it. You've been away from home for a long time; I'm sure you had a lot to catch up on. Who's your friend?"
"This is my little brother, Jinbe. When he heard I was heading to a banquet, he insisted on tagging along."
Jinbe looked a few years younger than Kanata. Surrounded by humans, he was visibly on edge, his eyes sharp and wary.
"He seems a bit suspicious of us," Kanata noted.
"I told him this was the crew that looked after me, but... sorry about that," Tiger apologized.
"I don't mind," Kanata laughed softly. "Prejudice between our races doesn't vanish overnight. I'm sure the people of the sea have their grievances with humanity. If anything, Tiger, you're the odd one out for being so friendly."
Despite his wariness, Jinbe remained respectful because of Tiger's endorsement. He seemed to be there simply to observe the humans his brother spoke so highly of.
"Well, don't just stand there. Have a seat. What can I get you to drink?"
"I brought my own!" Tiger boasted. "Nothing beats the brew from home! You have to try some!"
"You sound confident. I'll take you up on that."
Kanata had three cups brought over. Though the official toast hadn't happened yet, the crew was already starting to drink. The food was still being prepped, but with plenty of appetizers around, she saw no reason not to start early. The only ones missing were the men who had headed for the Mermaid Cafe; they were clearly enjoying themselves far too much to leave.
Kanata took a sip of Tiger's ale. "This is excellent," she admitted.
"Right? It's my favorite. Every time I come home, I drink my fill of the stuff."
"You drink too much, big brother," Jinbe chimed in. "You usually pass out the very day you get back."
"Hey! Don't start, Jinbe! I'm celebrating a safe return!"
"You eat sweets and drink until you're a blubbering mess."
"Jinbe!!"
Kanata laughed. "It's good to see you two get along so well."
While Tiger buried his face in his hands at the exposure, Kanata reached for some carpaccio. Unlike merfolk, fish-men ate both fish and meat. Living in a deep-sea kingdom didn't mean they lacked for resources. The quality of the food depended entirely on the chef, and this was delicious enough to satisfy even her high standards.
"So, how does it feel to be back?"
"Good," Tiger sighed. "It's been a long time. It finally feels like I'm home. You know, the Fish-Man Districtwhere we grew up... it was originally a place for people who had nowhere else to go."
It had started as a welfare facility and orphanage, but over time it had fallen into ruin, becoming a haven for gangs and pirates. Tiger had used his strength to keep them in line, but since he'd become an adventurer, he hadn't been around much.
"Jinbe was the second strongest after me," Tiger said, patting the younger man's head. "He kept the peace while I was gone."
"Only because you paved the way," Jinbe muttered, looking a bit embarrassed but not pulling away. "I couldn't have done it alone."
"The Fish-Man District... so it's something of a slum?" Kanata asked.
"To put it bluntly, yes. This trip was so long I was worried about the place, but it seems my fears were misplaced."
"I was worried too," Jinbe said. "So was Arlong. You were gone a lot longer than usual this time."
"Sorry. A lot happened."
Tiger shared stories of his travels with Jinbe—how his ship had broken down, how he'd joined Kanata's crew, and how they'd narrowly avoided becoming wanted criminals before making it to Fish-Man Island. By the time the stories were finished, the sun had long since set.
The group from the Mermaid Cafe finally staggered back, and the forest grew lively as everyone settled in with food and drink. George started cracks jokes, while Gloriosa and Kaye listened intently to the travel stories. Eventually, however, little Kaye began to nod off, rubbing her eyes.
"If you're tired, go to sleep. I'll hold you," Kanata said, pulling the girl into her arms.
Kaye tried to stay awake, but with the gentle swaying of Kanata's embrace, she quickly drifted off.
Kanata began to hum a soft lullaby. Slowly, the rowdy crew grew quiet. Her voice, though soft, carried clearly through the silent forest.
"What's wrong?" Kanata asked, noticing the sudden silence. "You were all so noisy a second ago."
"It's just... it's rare to hear you sing a lullaby," George said slowly. "Also... I think you should probably never do it again."
"Excuse me?!"
"I mean... right?" George looked toward Scotch for backup.
Scotch took a long pull from his drink and nodded. "When you sing nursery rhymes or lullabies, Captain... they sound like a literal death curse."
"I don't mean for them to!"
"It doesn't matter what you mean! Listen to yourself! It's the middle of the night in a dark forest! If we listen to much more of that, we'll be too scared to go to the bathroom alone!"
Kanata pouted, puffing out her cheeks in annoyance. Scotch laughed, declaring that he needed more booze to wash the "curse" away, and shouted for the musicians to play Binks' Sake.
As the party ramped back up, Kanata decided to take the sleeping Kaye back to the ship so the noise wouldn't wake her. She handed the girl over to Gloriosa to be tucked into bed and returned to the fire to drink with Tiger.
"So..." Jinbe spoke up, looking at her curiously. "You're the Captain of this ship? Is it always like this?"
"Hm? Pretty much."
"Don't you care about maintaining your authority? Your dignity as a leader?"
"It's not that big a deal. Besides, if you're always wound tight, you'll just burn out."
A crew that couldn't respect their captain in a crisis would fall apart, but her crew knew when to tighten up. As long as they understood the time and place for work, she didn't care to be overly strict. Her rules were firm when it came to basic morals, but she didn't lead through fear. Not that many people had the guts to actually look down on her anyway.
"Tiger is reliable when it counts, but look at him now that he's had a few drinks," Kanata pointed out.
"I suppose so..." Jinbe admitted.
Tiger was currently swaying on his feet, arm-in-arm with Scotch, belting out the lyrics to Binks' Sake. Jinbe, who hadn't drunk much, only had a slight flush to his face. His initial wariness had vanished; he actually seemed to be enjoying himself. Seeing Kanata and Tiger talk so easily had clearly softened his heart.
"We were always taught that humans were terrifying," Jinbe said quietly. "That because of their discrimination, we were forced to live at the bottom of the sea."
"Human or fish-man... it's a small distinction," Kanata replied. "Discriminating based on skin color or stature is meaningless."
Regardless of race or gender, some people were just unpleasant, while others were worth befriending. When you start grouping people into broad categories like "Human" or "Fish-man," you lose sight of the truth.
"I wish everyone felt that way, but they don't," Jinbe sighed. "Not all humans are bad, but they certainly aren't all good, either."
"Then you have to make sure you're strong enough to protect yourself," Kanata said firmly. "In this world, if you are weak, you lose everything."
Life was a struggle for survival. Power, influence, strength—these things took precedence. To protect what matters, you have to fight. Kanata knew that better than anyone; she had spent her life fighting to avoid losing what she held dear.
"Do you think... I could ever become strong enough for Tiger to rely on me?"
"I think he already relies on you," Kanata said. "But if you want to get stronger, come back tomorrow. I'll give you some training."
"Wait... really? You'd do that?"
"You're Tiger's brother. I won't say no."
Most of Kanata's style was self-taught. For specialized techniques like Fish-Man Karate or Fish-Man Combat, he would be better off with a master of his own kind. What she could teach him was the foundation: Haki.
He could build his own fighting style as he gained experience, but she would forge the base for him. She also planned to train the new recruits they'd picked up at Water Seven. The New World was not a sea for the half-hearted.
"Then... I humbly accept," Jinbe said, bowing deeply with his hands to the ground.
Kanata nodded and took another drink. How strong he became would depend entirely on his own resolve. After all, Haki was quite literally the "strength of one's will."
They would need to recoat the ship before heading to the New World. It wouldn't be long, but she intended to make every day of that training count.
***
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