"Welcome back, Lord George! Captain! Wait... Captain, didn't I just see you walking through the harbor this morning? You said you'd 'come back early' and went inside..."
The moment they dropped anchor at Fullalead, Kanata was met with utter confusion from her subordinates. Kanata was just as bewildered; she had only just returned from the Romnis Empire. The idea that she had already been seen on the island hours ago was impossible.
"Did you confirm her face?" Kanata asked, her voice dropping an octave.
"Of course! We'd never mistake the Captain's face!" the pirate insisted.
"Well, you clearly did, because you let an intruder in, you idiot!!" George barked.
Kanata raised a hand to her forehead, a headache already forming. "Did you speak with this 'other me'?"
"Yes, ma'am. She was leading a child. She just said, 'I've returned ahead of schedule. I'll be resting in my quarters,' and headed straight for the inner sanctum..."
"Leading a child?"
The Twilight Pirates often took in orphans, so a child on the island wasn't unusual. Between Teach and Kaye, the crew was used to young faces. But a woman who looked exactly like Kanata and knew the layout of Fullalead... only one name came to mind.
"No... it couldn't be."
Kanata expanded her Observation Haki. Almost immediately, she felt a presence—a massive, overwhelming aura that made the air itself feel heavy. She signaled for a subordinate to bring her spear and waited for the intruder to emerge.
As far as Kanata knew, there was only one person in the world who shared her face and the secrets of this island.
"The Echo" Octavia, a pirate with a bounty exceeding 3.5 billion berries—and Kanata's mother.
Octavia rounded the corner, her expression neutral, yet Kanata's guard went up instantly.
"It's been a while," Octavia said, her voice a perfect mirror of Kanata's. "You look well."
"What do you want?" Kanata replied, her grip tightening on her spear. "Did you forget something?"
The subordinates stood frozen, looking back and forth between the two identical women. Octavia glanced at the girl trailing behind her—Catherina—and gestured for her to step back.
Neither woman spoke another word. They leveled their spears simultaneously, coating the blades in a dense, shimmering layer of Armament Haki.
George felt the hair on his arms stand up. "Everyone! GET DOWN!!"
The collision was like a localized supernova. The shockwave tore through the harbor, creating a vacuum that nearly capsized the ships at anchor. The blast of pure Haki sent waves of pressure rolling through the town, shattering windows and cracking the stone pavement.
The subordinates who hadn't reacted in time were blown into the sea or slammed into buildings. Those who managed to hold their ground could do nothing but tremble.
At the center of the dust cloud, the two "monsters" lowered their weapons.
"Hmph... you've grown since the last time we met in Paradise," Octavia noted. She could feel the density of Kanata's Haki—it was a testament to the hellish journey her daughter had survived.
Still, the gap remained. Octavia was still the stronger of the two.
"Don't touch her," Kanata ordered her crew. She knew that even if they swarmed her mother, they would be cleared away like dust. "I'll ask you one more time: why are you here?"
"There was a sword in the basement," Octavia said calmly. "I was looking for it."
"The Muramasa? It's in my possession. Was it yours?"
"No... but if it's in your hands, I have no complaints. Use it as you see fit."
Without another word, Octavia began walking toward a small boat moored at the pier. Catherina hurried after her. Octavia stopped, turned back, and grabbed the girl by the scruff of her neck, thrusting her toward Kanata.
"On second thought, take this one. She's a burden."
"Don't tell me she's yours," Kanata said, eyeing the child.
"Hardly. Just an orphan I picked up. She's been following me around because she has nowhere else to go. She'll be safer here than with me."
Octavia's gaze drifted toward Teach for a fleeting second. Her eyes narrowed in a brief moment of recognition or suspicion, but she said nothing. She set Catherina down and gave her a slight push toward Kanata.
"I can take in a child," Kanata said. "But what are you planning, Octavia?"
"Nothing at all. I'll simply be out there, somewhere on the sea, waiting for the day you finally surpass me."
Octavia climbed into her small craft—a vessel uniquely powered by lightning. "It's a family tradition, after all. My mother waited for me, and now I wait for you."
Catherina watched the boat begin to drift away. "I'm still annoyed you're leaving me, Octavia! But thanks anyway! See ya later!"
"We'll meet again," Octavia called back. The boat accelerated with a crackle of electricity, vanishing toward the horizon in a blur of speed.
The storm had passed as quickly as it had arrived. Kanata turned to Catherina. "Did she tell you why she was really looking for that sword?"
"She said it was a memento of someone named Xebec," Catherina said, tilting her head. "Is he famous or something?"
Kanata's expression turned to stone. "Yes," she whispered.
She turned away, ordering the recovery of the capsized ships and sending the wounded to the infirmary. She needed to prepare for Wano. Octavia hadn't taken anything but a few supplies, but the weight of her visit hung heavy over the island.
***
After a few days of rest, Kanata set out for Wano Country. She took only Zen, Gloriosa, and Kaye, leaving the rest of the officers to manage the burgeoning organization at Fullalead.
"I'm looking forward to seeing Lord Sukiyaki again," Zen mused as they approached the coast. "I hope his health hasn't declined too much."
"He's bedridden, from what I hear," Kanata said. "If the situation allows, I'll bring Skura back to look at him, but I doubt they'll let a foreign doctor near the Shogun."
Wano was a closed nation; foreign interference in the royal line was a political nightmare. Their primary goal was simply to check on the Shogun and deliver Oden's message to his retainers.
They docked at the Hidden Port once again. The guards remembered them and allowed them entry into Hakumai without incident. As they were being escorted to Lord Yasuie's castle, Kanata asked for an update on the country.
"How is Lord Yasuie?"
"He is well, ma'am."
"And Shogun Sukiyaki?"
The guard's expression clouded. "His health has been poor. He has appointed a proxy to handle the state's affairs while he recovers."
"A proxy? Who?"
Kanata didn't follow Wano's internal politics closely. The names of the various lords meant little to her.
"A man named Kurozumi Orochi," the guard explained. "The Kurozumi family was stripped of their status years ago, but Orochi-sama is Lord Oden's sworn brother. We trust him to hold the line until the Lord returns."
"Oden's sworn brother...?" Kanata glanced at Zen.
Zen frowned and shook his head. He had never heard of an "Orochi" during his time as a retainer. It was a strange development, one that hadn't been mentioned during their last visit.
That night, they were welcomed by Yasuie at a banquet. The Lord of Hakumai looked tired, his usual boisterous energy dampened by the weight of leadership.
"Apologies for the delay," Yasuie sighed. "Lately, strange elements have been appearing in the various regions... foreigners settling in the shadows."
"Pirates?" Kanata asked. "If they're causing trouble, I can handle them for you."
"No, no. They're in other regions. If I interfere, I'll be accused of overstepping my bounds."
They spent the evening catching up. Kanata relayed Oden's message: 'I know I said two years, but I'm staying out longer. Tell the old man.'
Yasuie laughed bitterly. "That sounds like him. Even across the sea, he remains a headache."
"Speaking of headaches," Yasuie added, his tone shifting. "I should mention that a pirate ship is currently anchored in Kuri."
"Pirates? Are they attacking?"
"No. They apparently broke their hull climbing the falls and are staying to make repairs. Their captain is a man named Newgate."
Kanata's glass froze in her hand.
"Newgate?!" she hissed.
The name hit her like a cannonball. Edward Newgate, better known as Whitebeard. A former titan of the Rocks Pirates and a man currently ranked alongside Shiki and Roger.
"Is something wrong?" Yasuie asked, concerned.
"He's a monster," Kanata said, her mind racing. "If he realizes I'm here, this country could become a war zone in minutes."
Given her history with Big Mom and Shiki, she knew that showing her face to an old "comrade" of her parents usually resulted in immediate, total war. With most of her fleet back at Fullalead, she couldn't afford a confrontation with the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Change of plans," Kanata whispered to Zen. "None of you leave Hakumai. We deliver the message through Yasuie and keep our heads down."
"Is he that dangerous?" Zen asked.
"In a one-on-one fight? I don't know who would win. But a war with him would leave Wano in ashes. We avoid him at all costs."
Fortunately, Whitebeard didn't know they were there yet. Kanata had to move fast, meet Sukiyaki, and get out of the country before the "Strongest Man" caught her scent.
***
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