In the repaired main square, lanterns were hanging everywhere, even though the sun was still setting and it was still light out.
The main street was simply decorated, and a few stalls were lined up. Children were happily eating food made with lots of meat and sugar, things they rarely get to enjoy.
"It looks a little nicer now," I commented. "It's good we didn't add too many stalls..."
"It's better than the countries hurt by the Pirate Alliance, but we still don't have many people."
"Just trying to make it look fancy is pointless if there's nothing real inside, huh."
We finally made it this far.
A harvest festival, held here in Mopuchi Country and at the same time in Luchu Island and other villages that are hard to get to.
Well, it's pretty late for a real harvest festival, so maybe we should call it something else.
"But, this is impressive, Tesoro."
Daz and I watched the festival from a distance. Then, I spoke to the tall man standing next to me, who was wearing a brand-new suit with the three-claw mark.
"To be honest," Tesoro replied, "I thought we could make it a bit bigger..."
"Sorry, with the way things are, we need our supplies and money for other things."
Gild Tesoro. He's the man I just recently put in charge of our money.
"Right now, we're just trying to make life stable. But if we recover, by this time next year, we can probably have the amazing festival you're imagining."
"...If nothing bad happens," Daz grunted.
"Hey, stop it, Daz."
Don't say unlucky things.
...But it's true, I'm very worried about the bad feeling between the Navy and the World Government.
The worst thing that could happen is the Navy splitting in two...
Based on the info from Bege's letter, it looks like the fight between the group against the World Government and the group that wants to keep things the same is getting worse.
The small fight during the forced inspection, which helped Tesoro escape, was probably part of it.
If the military balance breaks now, this could turn into a real pirate world. A time when violence is everything.
The Government wants to get control of the Navy again.
But the Navy trusts the World Government less than ever before.
...If I ignore this, our current enemy might make another weird move. Or the World Government might do something drastic to force its control over the Navy.
This is the kind of worst-case problem I expected to worry about in five years, not right now. It's really too much.
"So, Tesoro," Daz said, changing the subject. "I heard from the Captain that he made you the finance officer. How did that happen?"
"Ah, Tesoro gave me a proposal for the festival, and it was really good," I explained. "I went to his house that night to talk to him."
"Captain," Daz said with a sigh, "you need to learn to be a little more gentle."
"What do you mean?"
Tesoro is smiling weakly, too. Come on, wouldn't you be scared if you just got to the island and the pirate boss suddenly showed up at your house?
"At first, I thought he'd be good at running events, like festivals and ceremonies. But right now, we're missing a lot of people and skills... so I decided to give him this job instead."
That's why I went to visit his home, and I even brought a basket of fruit as a gift.
"I knew he was skilled. He made a good plan for this festival, which he sent through the Guard. And in his first few days working at the port, he got along with the other workers and got things done."
I first thought about putting him in charge of planning or managing projects. But after we talked about his past jobs, I saw he's better at making money than developing land. That's why I made him finance officer.
"Well, I'll still have him plan and run events," I added. "The next big one is Hancock's ceremony for becoming Admiral of the First Fleet."
"Yes," Tesoro confirmed. "As soon as this festival is over, I'll use the plan I already gave you to get it ready."
Maybe because he used to be in the underworld, he doesn't look down on people because of their age or looks. He respects the chain of command. He's polite to the young Guard, and even to the kid executives like Daz, Perona, Robin, and Hancock.
Seriously, he's exactly the kind of person we needed.
"Captain Kuro," Tesoro asked, "So, you still want to build up our trade by next year?"
"That's right. Like I explained when I was with Stella, I want us to make money through trade, starting with food."
"...That means we'll need our own trade routes," he mused. "...Is making them my job?"
"Yes. I need you to do it."
The most unique thing about us 'Black Cats' is that our crew is made of people who are the total opposite of criminals, or people who were victims themselves.
Because of that, we have good morals, we take training seriously, and we're disciplined. But that also gives us a big weakness.
We have few connections to the underworld.
Thinking about it now, Nami's role on the Straw Hat crew was super important...
They even got that gold from Skypiea valued correctly because of her. Her experience as a thief must have been a lifesaver for them.
On the other hand, the Kuro crew had limited ways to make money, partly because we ended up fighting the Five Families.
That's one reason why we started developing these ignored, non-affiliated countries. It was hard to buy and sell supplies.
Tesoro knows how the underworld works, but he still chooses to work hard. He's a really valuable person.
I want to let him do the work he enjoys someday, but for now, I need him to help build our foundation.
"Bege is our ally," I said. "But if we rely on him too much, he'll become someone we can't live without. Then it will be hard to say no to him.
...Actually, he's probably aiming for that."
Bege is very skilled, and I can trust him, but I can't let my guard down around him.
I asked him to get supplies to help with the chaos from the Alliance incident. He's doing the job perfectly, but he's also secretly growing his own power.
He knows it's hard to beat us with pure strength, so he's trying to get an advantage in a clever way.
My ally is so dependable it makes me want to cry.
"For trade," Tesoro said, thinking, "we'll need to find things we can sell..."
"Right. We plan to sell food next year, but that depends on the weather, so we don't know how much we'll have."
"...Not many stable products, huh."
Toya and the others are lighting the big bonfire in the square.
In a little while, it will be time for singing and dancing.
Until last year, the people in this country fought each other, or fought pirates and bandits, just to protect the food they had. Now, they can hold a festival.
"First, I'll get us some trade routes," Tesoro decided. "Then, I'll start researching what people in West Blue want to buy."
"I'm counting on you. I'll also work on making the crew bigger, so outsiders can't bother us."
But before that, we have so many problems. I just don't know how we'll get through them...
What should I do...
--
"Here, Robin," Hancock said, handing her a cup. "It's pumpkin soup. It's sweet and warm."
"Thank you, Hancock."
We call it a harvest festival, but it's really a bit late in the year for one.
Winter is getting close, and it's much colder now than it was during the harvest.
After making an appearance as 'Black Cat' executives at the start, Hancock and Robin went to enjoy the festival at a picnic table with an umbrella, set up a little way off.
"But Hancock," Robin said, "Is it really okay for me to get such a nice coat?"
"Yes. You don't have many clothes besides your usual suit, and you never ask for any, right? The Captain asked me to use this chance to get you some warm winter clothes before it gets too cold."
The Black Cat pirate crew spends a surprising amount of money on clothes.
This is partly to make the clothes part of our "image," but they are also just really good clothes.
Robin didn't get many clothes when she was little. To her, a suit made just for her from good fabric was a treasure.
And now, she had a new treasure to add to it.
A high-quality coat, made to fit her current height.
Hancock had ordered it for her.
"Since it's a nice coat for going out, you didn't have to put our mark on it, you know."
"No. I like this mark," Robin said, smiling.
She smiled and stroked the three-clawed cat on her chest, which was sewn onto the coat.
She smiled—but right after, her face turned a little sad.
"Hancock."
"What is it, Robin?"
"Is it really okay... for me to get so many nice things?" Robin mumbled, pulling at the coat's fabric as if trying to see her own back.
"That's a strange thing to say," Hancock replied. "Have you forgotten you are one of the top executives of 'Black Cats'? The leaders must look the part. If the leaders look shabby, people will look down on those below us."
"But I don't fight like you, Hancock, or lead soldiers."
"No, I heard that before I joined 'Kuro', you used your devil fruit to take down many enemies with nasty joint locks..."
After Hancock and Mihawk joined, they had more than enough fighting power. So Kuro had Robin focus on being an operator, watching and managing the battles.
"Before the Captain found me... no, back when I was on my island, I never got pretty clothes..."
"...I only really know Amazon Lily, so I don't know what your life was like... " Hancock said.
She finished the soup in her wooden cup and took a breath.
"It's okay to want things. And it's okay to have them if you can get them. It's true, 'Black Cat' is a strange pirate crew that would rather make or buy things than steal them. But we are still pirates."
The wooden cup Hancock just finished was one that Kuro himself had tried to carve by hand, just by copying what he saw.
It was not well-made at all. It was lumpy and uneven.
Kuro thought it was a complete failure and was going to throw it in the fire. But Hancock liked how uneven it was, so she took it.
"But..."
"But what?"
"...If I weren't here," Robin said, her voice quiet, "maybe the Captain could do more of what he wants."
"Robin..."
"If it weren't for me, he could have joined the Seven Warlords. He could have saved more people... I'm always just being protected. Is it okay for me to be this happy...?"
"You worry too much," Hancock said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Everyone knows how hard you work, especially those of us who fight on the front lines. And if someone doesn't, I'll make them understand. Besides—"
"No matter what, the moment the Captain met you, he would have saved you. That's just the kind of person he is..."
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