After dividing the food and water between Zen and Feiyun, they set off for the island, pulling the boat behind them, and contacted Chinjao.
They hadn't expected the other side to receive information about the giant so soon after signing the agreement—they seemed quite flustered.
Kanata also contacted Georges using the Den Den Mushi, but he was sighing deeply as well. In his case, it was a sigh of resignation.
"...Are we really taking them all the way to the island?"
"Yes. If we have the cause of the incident in our hands, we can predict most of what will happen next."
What Chinjao had requested was merely "information about the giant," not "capturing the giant." What they do with the girls is up to Kanata and the others.
However, there was a possibility that the organization planning to use Feiyun and the others would turn against Kanata's group.
In that case, they would have no choice but to fight.
Kanata's group had sunk numerous pirate ships during their time as merchants. They wouldn't go down without a fight.
"My blood is boiling..."
"...You've always been so bloodthirsty, haven't you?"
"In a world where you have to fight to survive, we need the spirit to enjoy it."
If you have money, you will inevitably be targeted. Even though the age of great pirates hasn't begun yet, this is the reality, so Kanata has no choice but to accept it.
You have to embrace the thrill of battle to survive.
In fact, over the past five years, Kanata has learned Junshi's fighting techniques, spearmanship, and how to use Haki, and his skills are now more than adequate. No matter how old you are, there's nothing wrong with wanting to become stronger.
Besides, he doesn't want to hear it from Junshi.
"You're plenty hot-blooded yourself. You went out to sea simply to seek strength."
"...That's true. But I'm just smoldering here. My skills aren't sharp enough."
Simple techniques and strength can be acquired through training alone.
But Haki is different.
It grows when you face stronger enemies in real combat. Just learning how to use it isn't enough to reach greater heights.
"Why don't you try fighting Chinjao?"
"That's not a bad idea."
But that wouldn't just hurt Junshi's position. He's suppressing that thought with reason.
That's why—
"If you became a pirate, that would be different."
"You've finally gotten things on track. Are you willing to let all that effort go to waste?"
"No way. I won't become a pirate unless something major happens."
Though he said that, Kanata himself probably thought, "Something willhappen."
He was well aware of his own bad luck. He knew that life wouldn't always go smoothly.
He was training himself to be prepared for anything.
"Zen—he's from the Mink Tribe, right? A horse type? From what I can see with Observation Haki, he's quite strong. I'd like to fight him someday."
"I agree. I've always wanted to cross blades with that man."
The two muttered to themselves as they watched Zen, the centaur-like Mink, from a distance.
Feiyun, who was standing nearby, was combing her long lavender hair and looking at Kanata, so he waved at her, but she just stared back without moving.
He felt torn between wanting to ease her guard and the practical consideration that it wouldn't really matter if things stayed this way, so he decided to go with the latter and assume she'd get used to it eventually.
"One more day until Marx Island. Georges must be waiting impatiently, so we should hurry back."
"I bet he's worried about bringing back all this trouble."
"No doubt about it."
Junshi laughed heartily, and Kanata smiled back.
☆
Kuro was waiting at the port for Kanata and the others to return.
It was time for their arrival, so he had come to greet them along with Georges.
This voyage had gone smoothly with no major issues, and business had concluded successfully—though they had brought back some troublesome matters as well.
Behind the departing galleon, another galleon appeared.
Even from a distance, the massive shadow was unmistakable—was that a giant? Georges took a deep breath of the cold air, steeling himself.
"Oh, is that a giant? It's huge, as expected."
"I'm already feeling uneasy..."
"It'll be fine. If things get rowdy, the young lady will handle it."
"I hope so..."
Georges muttered as he lit a cigarette.
Kuro, on the other hand, seemed more curious, peering through his binoculars.
Long, pale purple hair and amethyst-colored eyes. Due to the distance, it was hard to tell the exact height, but Kuro estimated less than ten meters tall. The clothes were in tatters, but there probably wasn't anything else to wear. Kuro thought to himself that they must be cold in the winter air.
"Considering the age of giants, they're still a kid, but from our perspective, they're big enough."
"I don't know how to deal with kids."
"Me neither. Leave it to Kanata."
"But he seems to have a hard time with kids too..."
As they were talking, the ship arrived at the port, dropped anchor, and came to a stop.
While preparing to unload the cargo, Kanata and Junshi jumped off the ship and stood before Kuro and Georges.
"This is unusual. A welcome party?"
"Curiosity got the better of me."
"Well, they're giants, aren't they? They look interesting, so I'm curious too."
"Giants are one thing, but I came here because the real problem is what comes after."
In other words, they were waiting to discuss what to do if a force appeared that wanted to take the giants back—assuming such a force existed—as soon as possible.
There was a possibility that their communications were being intercepted, and they had crossed paths with several other ships. It was inevitable that information would spread.
They didn't want to fight in this town, but with only the Georges Trading Company members, they couldn't get the information they needed to take the initiative.
That was why—
"We're going to the Land of Flowers."
"...You mean spread the information around?"
"Whether there are a thousand or ten thousand of them, they're no match for me. If there are any strong ones mixed in, all the better."
"Hmph... We might end up causing trouble for the Happo Navy."
"If you're worried about them noticing us, don't worry. There'll just be a few more icebergs floating around."
"That's not what I meant!!"
Georges snapped at Kanata's foolish remark and threw his cigarette into the portable ashtray.
In any case, since they had been asked to transport supplies, they would have to go to the Land of Flowers at least once. They could think of it as a detour, but Georges couldn't seem to accept that so easily.
"Should we just leave the giant child like that? Their clothes look pretty ragged."
"There's no way we have clothes that fit that build. Bring every thick piece of cloth we have. It'll be patchwork, but at least it'll keep them warm."
"Got it. Are you going to make them?"
"Is there anyone else here who can sew?"
Kanata shrugged, glancing away from the men.
Zen seemed fine since he had his own cold-weather gear, but Feiyun probably didn't.
The ship should be large enough to accommodate even giants, but they stubbornly refused to enter the cabin. There must be some reason, but Kanata thought there was no need to force them to explain if they didn't want to.
They seemed to have grown quite attached to Zen, who had protected them this far, but even so, no one knew why they refused to go inside.
Or perhaps they didn't understand it themselves.
"They must be cold. Prepare some warm food too."
"It's ready over there..."
It seemed they had to increase the portions because of the giant.
However, Georges muttered while touching his chin.
"You're really taken with that kid, aren't you? Is it because they're a giant?"
"I don't know. I don't really understand it myself."
"Alright. Well, let's leave the luggage to Scotch for now and head over to that ship."
"That's probably best. There's no place for giants in town."
The four of them headed toward the ship where Feiyun and Zen were waiting.
Kanata felt that this ship could be usable with some cleaning and renovations. Cost-cutting was a natural part of being a merchant. It was stolen goods, but since the owner was the mafia, they wouldn't complain.
If we're discovered, we'll probably be attacked, though.
"Zen! Can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Oh, young lady. Go ahead. And who might you be?"
"This is Georges, our boss, and his bodyguard, Kuro."
"Just 'our boss'?"
"I'm Kuro. You're a Mink, right? Tell me all about it."
"I'm Zen. Thank you for your help."
"Ah, that's fine. I already said we'd take care of it."
When they boarded the galleon where Zen and the others were staying, they were warmly welcomed. As usual, Feiyun stood behind Zen with a sullen expression, but she didn't seem to have any intention of objecting to boarding the ship.
Rather than staying on the cold deck, they decided to go inside the cabin to warm up.
"It's even colder with you here, isn't it?"
"I don't like the heat."
"You're the one who wears thick clothes even in summer and never sweats."
"That's just my ability—I can cool the area around me. Thanks to that, everyone wants to stay near me in summer, which is annoying."
"So that's why it's always cool near you..."
There was a brief exchange like that, but let's set that aside for now.
"First, let's talk about what's next. We'll depart for the Land of Flowers tomorrow or the day after. Our plan is to lure the people chasing you and take them all down at once."
"I see... so we'll eliminate any future threats. I'll help. I should be able to be of some use."
"Ideally, we'd like to handle this on our own, but if we need your help, we won't hesitate to ask."
"And... what about you two after that?"
Georges spoke to Zen, who was sitting on a modified chair because he couldn't fit on a regular one, and Feiyun, who was sitting cross-legged in the corner of the room.
If they had nowhere else to go, he wanted to hire them.
He expected Zen to be useful in combat, and if Feiyun was willing to work, they could help with carrying cargo—Georges calculated in his head.
"Our organization is starting to attract attention from various factions. It's not exactly safe, but we can provide you with a place to live and work."
"...I see. To be honest, I was starting to feel like I'd reached my limit."
Back when they were bounty hunters, they hunted pirates, stole their money, and collected bounties on their heads.
But now that they had Feiyun with them, their actions were restricted. They didn't want to abandon her, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to survive. They also had little money left.
If we could secure a place to stay, I wouldn't have any objections.
"Feiyun, what about you?"
"...I'm tired of being chased around... But you're afraid of me, aren't you? Besides, there are a lot of people on that ship."
Georges grimaced when she pointed that out.
The other three didn't seem to pick up on it, but Kanata was certain.
"Is that Observation Haki? Is it something you were born with?"
"It seems so. Not only can I hear 'voices,' but I can also read emotions to some extent... Well, that's how it is."
By this point, she had already sensed various malicious intentions.
Since it was something she was born with, she couldn't control it. It was no wonder she had become distrustful of people.
However, Kuro, who was filled with simple curiosity, and Junshi, who had no particular interest, seemed to be something she was seeing for the first time, and Feiyun also seemed slightly confused.
The fact that she had been staring at Kanata intently upon first meeting might be because she was trying to read his intentions and realized he had no ill will. Since she was still a child, it was understandable that she was observing something she had never experienced before.
"I think it'd be better if we took her in."
"Yeah, I guess so... I'm a coward, but if you're talking about being scared, Kanata is way more..."
"Way more what?"
"...Nothing, never mind."
Georges averted his gaze after Kanata glared at him. Junshi laughed loudly, and Zen joined in.
Georges scratched his bald head and sighed.
"Well, it's not like we're forcing you to decide right now. Just think about what you want to do."
"Right. We won't force you."
The decision was left up to them. It didn't matter either way to Kanata.
Hiring someone who was dissatisfied would be like having a time bomb in the organization. It was partly to minimize risk, but also because he knew that reluctant allies who held you back were the most harmful.
"That's all we have to say. The next departure is soon. Let us know if there's anything you need to prepare. We'll take care of Feiyun's cold-weather gear."
"That's very kind of you."
As Zen bowed his head, Kanata and the others left the cabin.
"I hope it goes well," someone muttered, but their words were swallowed by the sound of the waves.