A few days had passed since the total destruction of the World Pirates.
Kanata's fleet had made a temporary stop at Fullalead to distribute their spoils. While there, Kanata took the opportunity to move the Road Poneglyph into the hidden basement she had discovered earlier. The stone was massive and cumbersome; keeping it on the ship was a logistical nightmare and a security risk. If the Sombrero were ever to sink, the key to the Last Island would be lost to the depths forever.
"Now then," Kanata said, her voice echoing in the frost-covered cabin. "Let's decide the fate of these."
Two Devil Fruits sat on a table made of reinforced ice.
The More-More Fruit: Formerly held by Byrnndi World, allowing the user to amplify the speed and size of anything they touch.
The Cube-Cube Fruit: Formerly held by the shipwright Gairam, allowing the user to compress people or objects into cubes.
"The More-More Fruit is exceptionally powerful," Kanata noted. "It offers a massive boost to speed and kinetic force. As for the other... it seems to be a versatile utility power, though the previous owner was too weak to show its true potential."
She looked at Junxi and Zen. Both men remained silent, crossing their arms and shaking their heads. Neither had any interest in losing their ability to swim, regardless of the power offered. Kanata didn't push; they were already monsters in their own right.
"In that case, Scotch, the More-More Fruit is yours."
"Me?" Scotch blinked, adjusting his sunglasses. "Wouldn't George be a better fit?"
"I have a different fruit in mind for George, should we find it. This power suits your needs better."
Scotch was a core member of her inner circle. As the organization grew, she needed her veteran officers to be strong enough to command respect through raw power. Scotch took the fruit, stared at its swirling patterns for a moment, and took a large bite.
His face contorted in immediate, violent disgust. "This tastes like absolute garbage!!"
"Tell me about it," Samuel laughed. "I still have nightmares about the taste."
"It's a rite of passage," Kuro added with a grin.
Scotch gagged but managed to swallow. He looked at the remaining half of the fruit. "Do I have to eat the whole thing?"
"Don't lie to him, Kuro," Kanata cut in before the helmsman could tease him. "One bite is all it takes. Throw the rest away—but clean up after yourself."
With a new ability user in the ranks, Kanata planned to spend the next few days overseeing Scotch's training. As for the Cube-Cube Fruit, she decided to hold a tournament among the recruits and veterans to decide who earned the right to its power.
***
"We need to discuss our next move," Kanata said, leaning back. "Our alliance with the World Pirates fell through. We don't have the numbers to face the Golden Lion's armada head-on."
"We're essentially playing a game of cat and mouse," George noted. "If we stay in one place too long, Shiki's fleet will surround us."
It was a frustrating reality. No matter how many times Kanata traded blows with Shiki, the sheer scale of his Grand Fleet could overwhelm her crew through attrition.
"Can we bait the Navy again?" someone asked.
"Unlikely," Kanata replied. "After the stunt we pulled at Water Seven and the murder of those Celestial Dragons, the Navy is just as likely to shoot us as they are Shiki. We're on our own."
The sponsorship Shiki provided to the World Government through his "Human Shops" meant the Government was likely hesitant to move against him fully. In fact, they probably viewed Kanata as the bigger threat.
"Fine," Kanata sighed. "Our priority is reaching Lodestar Island. We hit Shiki's territories when we can, but we don't let him pin us down. We thin his ranks from the shadows until the playing field is level."
"Sounds like a plan," George said. "Even if it is a bit of a grind."
***
Elsewhere in the New World, on an island flying the Golden Lion's flag, a massacre was ending.
A group of pirates who had tried to flee Shiki's territory found themselves pinned to their own deck by massive, gleaming chains. A youth with long, vibrant green hair stood on the shore, the chains emerging from the sleeves of his white robes.
Beside him stood a nightmare: a five-meter-tall creature with massive horns. Its fur and skin were bone-white, and lightning crackled across its muscular frame.
The youth gestured, and the monster gripped the chains, pulling with such force that the fleeing ship was dragged backward and slammed into the beach, capsizing it.
"Execution time," the youth said coldly. "Leave no one alive."
The monster let out a guttural roar, drawing a pair of massive halberds and charging into the wreckage. It was a slaughter. Even for New World pirates, the monster's power was overwhelming. When the last scream faded, the beast stood amidst the carnage, drenched in blood.
The green-haired youth walked over, unbothered. "Good work, Sulong. Let's eat."
The white monster's form shifted, shrinking into a large, dark-haired man with horns. He followed the youth into a massive stone building at the center of a forest clearing. Inside, they met a third man—a muscular, boisterous commander who was currently buried under a mountain of paperwork.
"Finally back?" the commander asked, checking his pocket watch. "I'm about to die of boredom and bureaucracy. Give me some good news."
"The traitors are dead," the youth replied, grabbing a burger from the table. "You can send a cleanup crew now."
These three were some of Shiki's top enforcers, stationed on this island to guard the border of his territory.
"The Great Admiral is a free spirit, but I wish he'd give us something more interesting to do than hunt rats," the commander sighed.
Suddenly, a Transponder Snail on the desk began to ring. It was Shiki.
"JIHAHAHA! Are you brats staying sharp?"
"I'm drowning in paperwork, Admiral," the commander complained. "Send me some clerks."
"I'll send you whatever you want. But first, I have a mission."
The three men straightened up. Even the youth stopped eating.
"I want you to hunt down the 'Witch's Crew.' Find Kanata and erase her from this sea."
"The Witch, huh?" the commander mused. "How many are we talking about?"
"Three ships. Less than a thousand men."
"That's it?" the youth asked. "Is she an elite like Roger?"
"Not quite, but she's dangerous enough to have given me a scar. Don't underestimate her, or you'll end up at the bottom of the ocean."
Shiki's voice was uncharacteristically serious. He ordered his fleet to mobilize, intending to use his massive search network to trap Kanata.
"Understood," the commander said, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "We'll coordinate with the other fleets. If she's as flashy as the papers say, she won't be hard to find."
"Good. I'm moving my main fleet as well. This time, there will be no escape. Kill them all."
The Golden Lion's armada was finally on the move, and this time, they weren't just defending. They were hunting.
***
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