Kael was still weak, but now he was mobile.
He slowly made his way to Gorran's forge.
The moment he pushed open the heavy iron door, a wave of heat engulfed him. Sparks danced through the air. Molten metal hissed inside the furnace.
Gorran looked up from his workbench, soot covering his arms and beard.
"Ha, look who finally decided to wake up."
A genuine smile spread across Kael's face. "Old man, I brought you some things you might like."
That got the old dwarf's attention. "What do you have for me?"
Kael gave him a mischievous look as he stepped forward and carefully placed the four objects onto the blackened workbench.
The Adamantite Core Shard.
The chunk of Meteoric Ore.
The black feather from Mihawk.
And finally...
The shattered hilt of his mother's sword.
For a moment, Gorran stared.
Each item made the old blacksmith's eyes sparkle with excitement. "These are excellent materials, Captain."
Gorran held the Meteoric Ore up to the forge-light.
"This came from the stars. It'll make the edge harder than steel has any right to be."
He picked up Mihawk's feather next, turning it between thick fingers.
"And this… strange. There's sword intent in it. Sharp enough to cut even after being plucked."
Finally, his gaze fell to the broken hilt. His voice softened.
"And this is the heart of it."
Gorran looked up from the materials and locked eyes with Kael. "Do you want me to recreate the old blade?" Gorran asked quietly.
Kael stared at the shattered hilt for a long moment.
"No."
The word hurt to say.
"That sword was hers. This one…"
He looked down at his trembling hands.
"This one has to be mine. Use these materials. I heard you've been working hard to forge me a new blade. I just have one request of you: make it a blade worthy of her memory."
Kael ran his thumb across the cracked hilt one final time before leaving the forge.
As the heavy door shut behind him, he let out a low sigh and reopened the system store.
His eyes drifted immediately toward the Meta Meta no Mi.
"Our old blacksmith could make good use of that Fruit..."
The whopping price of 1.2 billion Beli made his chest ache.
He closed the store with a grimace.
"Later."
With his blade gone, Kael focused on using his Devil Fruit.
Kael transformed into his hybrid form and flew into the jungle, intending to hunt something for breakfast.
The moment he landed, pain shot through his body.
His ribs still ached.
His right arm trembled when he tried to summon lightning.
"Still not healed…" he muttered.
Even so, he pressed deeper into the jungle.
When he finally brought down the two giant boars, he was breathing hard, blood dripping from where one of his wounds had reopened.
By the time he returned, the sun was just beginning to rise.
Yamato stood at the entrance to the stronghold with her arms crossed, Riche sitting beside her.
The moment she saw him carrying the two boars over his shoulders, her eyes widened.
Then narrowed.
"You big dummy!"
Kael winced.
"You just woke up, and the first thing you do is go into the jungle to fight wild beasts?!"
Kael scratched the back of his neck.
Yamato marched up to him and jabbed a finger into his chest.
"You can barely stand!"
"I wanted the crew to have a grand breakfast," he said weakly.
Her expression flickered.
For half a second, she looked like she wanted to stay angry.
Then she noticed the blood seeping through the bandages around his ribs.
Her face paled.
"Idiot..."
Her voice came out softer this time.
She reached out and carefully grabbed his arm.
"Come inside."
Kael let himself be dragged back into the stronghold.
After dropping the boars off near the kitchen for Carmen, he returned to his room and took a long shower.
When he finally entered the dining hall, the smell of roasted meat and fresh bread hit him immediately.
His whole crew was present along with Mihawk.
Kael sat down at the head of the table.
For a moment, the room went quiet.
Then Betty slammed a newspaper down in front of him with a huge grin.
"Captain, you're officially terrifying."
Kael blinked and looked down.
On the front page was his new bounty poster.
THE ONI STORM KING - KAEL D. RAEN
DEAD OR ALIVE
575,000,000 BELI
The picture showed him in the middle of the duel with Mihawk, lightning crackling around him, his expression fierce enough to make him look like an actual demon.
Kael stared at it.
"They picked the worst possible picture."
"You look hot," Yamato said immediately.
Silence fell over the table.
Yamato blinked.
Then crossed her arms stubbornly.
"What? I said what I said."
Carmen nearly dropped the plate she was carrying.
Maki choked on her drink.
Even Mihawk's lips twitched slightly.
Kael rubbed a hand over his face.
"I think the fever from my injuries spread to all of you."
Carmen quickly set a huge plate of roasted boar in front of him.
"Eat before you collapse again," she ordered.
Kael took one bite.
His eyes widened.
"This is incredible."
Carmen immediately looked away, cheeks faintly pink.
"T-Thanks."
Betty proudly explained that she had already spread the story of his duel across half the New World.
Carmen admitted she had started learning the basics of Rokushiki.
Then she demonstrated Soru.
The next second, she vanished.
Kael nearly spat out his drink when she reappeared beside him.
"You learned that in five days?!"
Carmen smiled proudly.
Then Maki stepped forward.
Dark energy flowed around her fist.
Armament Haki.
Kael stared.
"You awakened it?"
Maki nodded.
"Mihawk helped."
Kael glanced toward the world's strongest swordswoman.
Mihawk calmly sipped her wine.
"Her talent is acceptable."
Maki looked deeply offended.
"Acceptable?!"
"If you had been fighting me," Mihawk said flatly, "you would still be dead."
Maki gritted her teeth.
Kael laughed.
"Sounds like you two are getting along."
"We are not," both women said instantly.
Kael smiled. He felt truly happy. Kael felt at that moment that he had found his new family.
After breakfast, he stood.
"Everyone, come with me."
The crew followed him up to the fortress wall.
Even Mihawk.
She looked mildly confused, though she hid it well.
As they walked, Yamato moved close beside him.
"Can we really trust her with this?" Yamato whispered.
Her eyes flicked toward Mihawk for only a second.
Kael offered her a reassuring smile.
"I believe we can."
Yamato gritted her teeth.
"I hope you're right."
Mihawk moved to Kael's other side.
"What exactly are you showing us?"
Kael only smiled.
"You'll see."
Once everyone had gathered on the wall, Kael pulled out the summoning token.
A translucent screen appeared in front of him.
Three names glowed across it:
Monet, Harpy Scout of the Donquixote Pirates
Baccarat, Luck-Luck Fruit User, and High Roller
Issho Fujitora, Blind Swordsman and Future Admiral
Kael's eyes lingered on the three names.
Monet would bring information and loyalty.
Fujitora...
Even the thought of summoning an admiral-level monster made Kael's pulse quicken.
But in the end, one name stood out immediately.
Kael grinned.
"Once more..."
He crushed the token in his hand.
"Let's activate the last Current Era summon."
A beam of golden light shot down from the sky.
Through it, they could all hear the rattling of dice.
The light slowly faded.
And a woman stepped out.
She wore a long black cocktail dress with a slit up the side. Her long red hair spilled down her back in loose curls. Her green eyes were sharp and calculating.
Beautiful.
Dangerous.
And smiling as she had just found the winning hand.
She blinked, then slowly looked around the fortress.
"Hmm. Stone walls. Fresh cannon placements. New construction."
Her lips curved.
"Someone here has ambition."
Then her gaze landed on Kael.
For a moment, she froze.
Her eyes finally land on Kael, and it's like she hit the jackpot.
Then her smile widened.
"My, my..."
She slowly walked toward him.
"I wasn't expecting to meet the Storm Oni King."
She stopped only inches away.
Then winked.
"Should I bow?"
Her voice lowered.
"Or would you like something more from me?"
The crew's reactions varied.
Yamato folded her arms and frowned.
"Great. Another one."
Carmen simply tilted her head.
"Do you have any food allergies?"
Baccarat blinked.
Then laughed.
"I think I'm going to like you."
Gorran gave her an approving grunt before heading back toward the forge.
"Good eyes," he muttered.
Maki narrowed her eyes.
"There's something weird about her."
Baccarat looked toward her.
"Luck," Maki said quietly.
"You're wrapped in it."
Baccarat's smile sharpened.
"Very perceptive."
Then her eyes drifted toward Mihawk.
For the first time since arriving, her smile faltered.
"...Right."
She slowly looked between Mihawk and Kael
.
"So this is the kind of crew I've joined."
For the first time since arriving on Moonfang, Mihawk's eyes widened slightly.
Then she calmly crossed her arms.
"Try not to be too irritating."
Baccarat laughed.
"No promises."
Later that night, after the excitement had finally settled, Baccarat found Kael standing alone on the fortress wall overlooking the sea.
She leaned beside him.
For once, her smile was smaller.
More genuine.
"You know," she said softly, "I knew a girl once."
Kael glanced at her.
"Orange hair. Cat burglar. Always had the worst luck in the world until suddenly she didn't."
Kael froze.
"Nami?"
Baccarat smiled.
"So I was right."
Kael looked out over the sea.
"You knew her?"
"Yeah."
Baccarat leaned against the stone wall.
"She cleaned me out in a backroom poker game a few years ago."
Her grin widened.
"She said she learned from the best."
Then she reached out and tapped his chest.
"Guess that was you?"
Kael's throat tightened.
"You could say she's... my sister. In a way."
Baccarat's green eyes softened for a moment.
"Then you've got good taste in family."
She stepped a little closer.
Close enough that he could smell jasmine and faint cigar smoke.
"So, Captain..."
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"What's the game?"
Kael looked out across the dark sea.
"Survival."
He thought of Aetheron.
Of his mother.
Of the people he still wanted to protect.
"Freedom."
He thought of the Marines.
The Celestial Dragons.
The people who thought they could decide who deserved to live.
"And maybe..."
Lightning flickered faintly in his eyes.
"Revenge."
Baccarat stared at him for a moment.
Then her smile turned wicked.
"I like those odds."
Far above, on a cliff overlooking Moonfang Mihawk, stood alone.
The night breeze gently blew the tail of her dark coat.
Her golden eyes drifted toward the forge below, where sparks still rose into the sky.
A new blade was being born.
And perhaps...
So was something else.
Her fingers brushed lightly against the small journal hidden beneath her coat.
Inside was a single page.
A rubbing taken from an ancient ruin.
At its centre was the image of a white tiger wrapped in storms.
Byakko.
For years, she had searched for the Devil Fruit tied to that legend.
The fruit is said to grant the power of the Heavenly White Tiger.
The one thing in this world she had never been able to find.
Her gaze drifted back toward Kael.
Toward the man who seemed to pull impossible things toward himself.
Legendary weapons.
Lost companions.
Miracles.
A faint smile touched her lips.
"Perhaps..." she murmured into the night.
"...you can help me find it after all."