The weather was clear, but the waves ran high. Strong winds rocked the ship violently, as if caught in a powerful gust.
They had departed for Hanano Country as planned, sailing smoothly without incident along the way. They'd expected some interference, but nothing materialized. The only problem was...
"Where's Kanata?"
"..."
"We just stitched together some thick cloth to make makeshift winter gear, but she's taken quite a shine to it."
"Well, I suppose it can't be helped. She said no one had ever treated her kindly before."
"It's a story that would bring tears to your eyes," Junshi sighed at his subordinate's words.
Kanata had bought up all the cloth in town to fashion a crude coat for the giant girl, Feiyun. Whether she loved it so much or was simply overjoyed, Feiyun seemed determined to stay by Kanata's side at all times. It was something thrown together in a day with whatever materials were available, but she didn't seem to mind in the least.
Though Feiyun could easily fit aboard the ship Kanata and the others usually used, they wanted to avoid increasing the cargo burden, so Kanata was traveling on the other vessel with Feiyun and the rest.
As bodyguards, it didn't matter which ship they were on, but as Junsei pondered this, Georges spoke up.
"But is it really okay for us to come along? The office is completely empty!"
"There's no choice. She decided that leaving things as they were would only cause more trouble."
"It's problematic if we become targets... Even though we're supposed to be guards, that guy Kuro can't be relied upon."
"If only he could handle haki, but he has no talent for it whatsoever."
Kanata had trained him the same way after taking him in, but he never managed to master haki. He must be completely devoid of that particular gift.
Still, as a Devil Fruit user, he's stronger than ordinary soldiers, so in terms of protection, it was certainly the right call.
Basically, he accompanies Georges and fulfills his role as a bodyguard. If he were allowed on a ship, his curiosity would get the better of him with various things, and he might wander off, so he's been forbidden from boarding.
"I wonder how far we can go with our current forces."
"Kanata alone should be sufficient. If we could utilize Kuro's ability, we'd be fully prepared."
"So it's basically just Kanata by herself, right? What makes these 'Zoan-type' ability users so special..."
Unlike other types, those whose abilities alter their physical form are generally better suited for fighting large groups rather than one-on-one battles, due to the nature of their powers.
Of course, some can cause widespread disasters, but they are few in number.
Junshi is among the strongest individually, but against large groups, he still falls short compared to other ability users.
"What did Chinjao say?"
"He said it's fine as long as there's no damage to the country... Do you understand why he was so anxious?"
"Yeah, I get it..."
The Celestial Dragons.
Descendants of the world's most noble bloodline, known as the World Nobles.
They reside in the "Holy Land of Mariejois" at the summit of the Red Line, but occasionally travel to other countries for inspections. This time, the Flower Country was apparently the target.
They wield unimaginable power, and if anyone dares raise a hand against them, even a Navy Admiral would be dispatched.
"The Celestial Dragons... I see. No wonder Chinjao was so anxious."
"If you mess up, your entire clan could be executed. They must be on edge too."
Before the might of the Celestial Dragons, even a king can be swept away like driftwood. The term "enslaved royal family" isn't entirely without basis.
Extreme caution is required when dealing with them.
"I don't understand why the Celestial Dragons would come all the way to this sea."
"That level of information isn't necessary for us to know. Just knowing that the Celestial Dragons are coming is enough."
They must also be wary of the Navy and the government's "Cipher Pol" who would likely come as escorts.
If they made a mistake and drew their attention, it would make their lives difficult in the future.
Junshi and Georges were hoping that no unnecessary trouble would arise in the Flower Country.
☆
Hana no Kuni.
A country where the Happo Navy is based, and it's said that enormous treasures lie dormant beneath a massive glacier. Pirates who come seeking these treasures are all captured by the Happo Navy, though the truth of this remains unknown.
There are several ports, but considering the possibility of trouble, they were guided to one that isn't normally used. They were told they'd be charged for repairs if anything was damaged, so they wanted to complete their business without causing any harm if possible.
That might prove difficult, as suspicious ships are apparently being redirected here.
Just before arriving at the island, Kanata had sunk two or three warships and was standing on the pier with a refreshed expression, as if she'd had a good workout. Georges, who rarely ventures out to sea, was pale from the attack.
Beside him, Zen stood on guard, and it was no exaggeration to say he was the most alert of the group.
"Those were a bunch of weaklings, but were they from the organization that was using you?"
"No, miss. They weren't pirates with that kind of discipline."
"Then they must be the ones who caught wind of our information."
She'd received a frantic message from Drevann, the boss of the Rash family, but ignored it because it was annoying. They were dangerous enemies, but they were in just as much trouble as her group with this mess. She wasn't going to make any rash moves, and besides, they had no agreement with them.
To begin with, if they recognized the giant Feiyun as a trump card, there was a possibility they'd decide it was impossible to get her back once she fell into Kanata's hands.
"...Did I make a mistake?"
If so, it was an opportunity to demonstrate the strength of the Georges family.
Either way, no harm done. They'd simply be targeted by a larger organization.
"Regardless, let's unload the cargo first and contact Chinjao—"
Suddenly, the deafening roar of exploding gunpowder echoed through the air.
Instinctively judging it came from the sea, Kanata created an ice wall, which was shattered by the explosion, sending fragments flying in all directions.
"Cannon fire? Where's it coming from?"
"Keep watch on the surroundings! If the cannon can reach us, they must be nearby!"
Despite scanning the area with binoculars, they couldn't spot a single ship.
It made no sense. There was no way a cannon could hit a target from such distance without even seeing the ship's silhouette. It wasn't the kind of firepower you'd expect from someone like Garp's cannon techniques.
Unless they were invisible...
"Transparent—that's it!"
Kanata immediately leaped into the sea from the port.
Georges couldn't help but raise his voice.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
"I'm freezing the entire area! Even if we can't see them, we can cover them in ice!"
Without hesitation, she froze everything within her field of vision.
The winter sea was already cold, but freezing the entire area made it even more frigid. Their breath turned white, and the enemy ship materialized.
"How can they be so close...!"
"Someone must have eaten a Devil Fruit that grants invisibility. I'll sink that thing. And then..."
"I'm coming too. We're the ones who planted these seeds, after all."
"Alright, two of us should be enough. Junshi, keep watch for any other ambushers."
Nodding at Zen's words, Kanata jumped onto his back, and they raced toward the ship whose invisibility had been broken.
Though the ice beneath them was solid, the waves were high and the surface slippery, making running difficult, but they paid it no mind.
"This is fast," Kanata murmured with a smile.
"Miss, what do you make of the enemy?"
The enemy possessed the ability to become transparent—likely the "Suke Suke no Mi."
It was fortunate they hadn't used it for assassination, but Kanata, their de facto leader, was a user of Haki. They might have judged such tactics useless.
It might be possible to detect them with Kenbunshoku Haki, but she wasn't skilled enough to use it unconsciously.
However, if she concentrated and actively searched, that was a different story.
"I should be able to pinpoint their location. I don't want to waste time, so I'll use Haoshoku Haki to sort them out."
"Hmm, you can use Haoshoku... Very well. If there are any soldiers who don't fall, I'll lend a hand."
"I'm counting on you."
The ship was frozen in place, unable to move. The transparency had already faded, and its form was clearly visible.
Sounds of commotion could be heard from the ship. From what she could sense with her Kenbunshoku—there were two or three strong individuals among them.
"Incoming cannon fire!"
"Hmph, no problem!"
Zen deflected the cannonballs fired at them one after another with the spear in his hand.
Without slowing down at all, he leaped onto the ship as soon as they came within range.
Those on the ship were startled and raised their guns and swords.
But Kanata wouldn't allow it.
"I have no use for such rabble."
In an instant, the men were struck by Conqueror's Haki and collapsed one after another.
Among them, a few continued to glare despite being hit by the overwhelming presence.
Their subordinates seemed unable to hide their surprise at their comrades' sudden collapse, but their fighting spirit remained unbroken.
"What the hell just happened!?"
"They fainted out of nowhere...?"
"Doesn't matter! Kill that woman... and the horse!"
After glancing at Zen for a moment, they turned their attention to Kanata and raised their swords and guns.
There should be an invisible person who ate the "Suke Suke no Mi," but Kanata strained her senses to find them.
Three people in front of her. By her perception, there should be two more hiding.
"Miss, shall I handle those three?"
"It's fine. I can't see them, but there should be two more concealed somewhere."
She dodged the bullets fired at her from the front. Having sensed them coming, avoiding them was simple.
Zen closed in and swung his spear, but one enemy blocked it with a drawn sword while another attacked from the side.
"Die!"
"Hmph, you're still green!"
Zen dodged the blade by a hair's breadth, closed the distance with his opponent, and brought his free hand toward the enemy's chest—then, without even touching him, sent him flying.
Like the enemy, Kanata was also surprised by the technique and her eyes widened.
She couldn't help but smile, thinking it was an unexpected windfall.
"Die, woman!"
Despite being targeted multiple times with gunfire from the front, Kanata avoided each shot without concern. There was no haki in her movements, but she didn't want to be hit even if it wouldn't hurt.
Besides, this barrage was likely not meant to actually hit her, but to mask approaching footsteps.
—Without being noticed, someone approached from behind and swung a knife, but Kanata blocked it with her haki-wrapped arm.
"A haki user. And the 'Suke Suke no Mi'? You're quite troublesome."
However, attempting close combat with Kanata at this distance was sheer folly.
Without giving the knife-wielder a moment to speak, she instantly froze the entire body of the ability user behind her.
While it would be advantageous to have a Devil Fruit user as an ally, she had already decided it was impossible if they were enemies.
"Damn it, damn it! What the hell is going on!"
"You're still too green. Thinking you can defeat me with skills like that is laughable!"
Considering his ability to use haki, he was likely a former member of one of the Five Great Families whose leader had been eliminated in a previous clash. Even from Kanata's perspective, he was quite strong, but Zen's strength was overwhelming.
He had fought under the Golden Lion Pirates multiple times and had even allowed Feiyun to escape to this sea. If he couldn't handle opponents of this caliber, there was no point in having him along.
"Ha, haha! Even if you defeat us, it's useless. They're already making their move—look, our boss is on the move!"
He pointed toward the port—and beyond it.
On the outskirts of the Flower Country, mountains had transformed into humanoid shapes, creating gigantic beings that surpassed even the Giant Tribe.
The icy sea trembled. With each step, an earthquake occurred.
Seeing the colossal figure that seemed like a mountain itself had come to life, both Kanata and Zen were struck speechless.
"What... is that..."
"Don't underestimate our boss. He's a rock-assimilating human who ate the Ishi Ishi no Mi. That ability is invincible!"
***
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