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The Strongest Frost Loli (82)
🕑 Added 2024-07-19 17:03:00 +0000 UTCChapter 82 - Hangovers
The next morning dawned after the grand feast with the Roger Pirates, leaving a trail of hungover crew members stumbling about like zombies, their breath reeking of sake.
Most had overindulged, succumbing to the allure of victory and celebration.
Kanata, observing the scene with a weary sigh, postponed their departure. “At this rate, we won’t be leaving today,” she pushed back their schedule.
There was no rush. Delaying their departure by a day or two wouldn’t be a problem.
“What are you planning to do?” she asked Rayleigh.
“Most of our crew is also recovering from their hangovers. We’ll depart tomorrow.”
As expected, Roger was also passed out. Rayleigh, the only one seemingly unaffected, said. “What a mess.”
The younger members of the crew, including Shanks and Buggy, hadn’t drunk any sake, but they were still asleep, having stayed up late.
“…Did Roger say anything about your father?” Rayleigh asked Kanata.
“I told him the same thing I told you. I’ve never met him. It doesn’t matter who killed him.”
“I see… If that’s what you want.”
Rayleigh seemed relieved. Kanata, ignoring his reaction, gathered those who weren’t suffering from hangovers and instructed them to clean up the aftermath of the feast.
Even though the island was currently uninhabited, they were planning to use it as a base eventually. They couldn’t just leave it in a mess.
…Of course, when they would actually establish a base was another question.
“Do you have a specific destination in mind?” Kanata asked Rayleigh.
“Hmm? Well, our goal is to circumnavigate the world, to reach places no one has ever been before.”
Rayleigh explained that even though they had reached Lodestar Island, it wasn’t the final island. Their journey continued, a quest to find the island that lay beyond, a land unknown to all but those who had deciphered the secrets of the Road Poneglyphs.
“Do you have someone who can read them?” Kanata inquired.
“No… We haven’t been able to decipher them yet. We’re hoping to find someone who can… What about you?”
“I… know… someone… who… can…” Kanata said slowly.
Rayleigh’s eyes widened in surprise. The person they had been searching for, for so long, was known to this young girl standing before him. It was a revelation that left him speechless.
“Kozuki Sukiyaki, the shogun of Wano Country. Or his son, Kozuki Oden, should be able to read the Road Poneglyphs,” Kanata explained.
“…I’m surprised. You’ve come this far.”
“We gather information from various sources. And we have a personal connection to Wano Country.”
The archaeologists of Ohara could also read the ancient glyphs, but Kanata didn't want to involve them. It was too dangerous. If she had to recommend a place, it would be Wano Country.
Rayleigh pondered her words. “Do you think we can convince them to help us?”
“We were fortunate because Zen knew the shogun personally. But I’m not sure about you… I’m sure they’ll listen if Zen writes a letter of introduction.”
“I’m not sure if I want to go that far…”
“They’ve saved my life twice. This is the least I can do to repay them.”
“Or do you want the deciphered text directly?” Kanata asked.
Before Rayleigh could answer, Roger, who had been sleeping nearby, suddenly shouted, “No way!”
“…You were awake, Roger? If we have the deciphered text, we can reach the final island much faster,” Kanata said.
“I said no way! Our journey is about finding something no one has ever seen! There’s no point if we know the way, if we know it even exists! That’s not an adventure! That’s just… boring!”
“Fu fu… I see. That’s a shame.”
It was Roger’s own personal conviction. He wasn’t interested in simply reaching a destination. Their journey was about the unknown, about the thrill of discovery.
He wouldn’t take a shortcut.
Some paths were meant to be traveled, every step a testament to the journey itself, not just the destination. Roger wasn't a man who sought only results.
He finished his declaration, then lay down and started snoring again. Kanata and Rayleigh shrugged and continued their conversation.
“…Well, regardless of Roger’s opinion, we’d still like information about Wano Country. It’s pointless if we reach the Road Poneglyphs but can’t read them,” Rayleigh said.
“Yes, that’s fine… but I have one condition.”
“A condition?”
“Don’t… recruit… Kozuki… Oden…” Kanata said slowly, her words carrying an unspoken warning.
Rayleigh tilted his head, confused. “What do you mean?”
“I’m just guessing, but…”
“If you asked him to join your crew, Kozuki Oden wouldn't hesitate. He’s capable of reading the Road Poneglyphs as well.”
“That’s not a bad thing for us.”
“But he’s the heir to the Kozuki Family. He has obligations to the current shogun, Sukiyaki. It would be awkward for me if you took him out of the country.”
“Ah… I see. You’re right.”
Kanata didn't get along with Oden, but Roger and Oden would likely hit it off. They were similar in many ways.
Even though she had revealed information about the Road Poneglyphs, she couldn’t let them take Oden away. She owed Sukiyaki a debt of gratitude.
She knew it would be pointless to try and stop Roger, so she simply stated her request, hoping he would at least consider it.
…She also realized that knowing Oden’s whereabouts was better than him wandering around aimlessly.
Both Roger and Oden were impulsive individuals. She couldn't control them. All she could do was hope they wouldn’t make things too difficult for her.
“…I doubt it will have much effect.”
“We won’t know until we meet him.”
“They’ll probably become best friends. They have no brakes.”
There was little doubt Oden would join Roger’s crew. They were kindred spirits.
To Oden, who yearned for freedom and adventure, Roger was a dream come true.
“And Wano Country has laws against leaving the country. It’s fine if we just ask him to read the Road Poneglyphs, but…”
There would be many restrictions. Whether Roger would be willing to accept those limitations… well, it was highly unlikely.
“It might have been better to not tell them about the Road Poneglyphs, but they saved my life twice. It’s the least I can do to repay them.”
“You didn’t have to do this. But we appreciate the information.”
Roger had saved her life twice. This was her way of repaying him.
…Of course, the second time, she wouldn’t have died even if he hadn’t intervened. But her crew wouldn’t have survived. She needed to become stronger.
“We’re heading for Lodestar Island.”
“So you’re finally going to circumnavigate the world.”
“Yes. We don’t have anywhere else to go.”
If they had any requests, she would listen. Aside from Feiyun’s homeland, Elbaf, there weren’t any places they particularly wanted to visit.
Reaching Lodestar Island was their top priority. Afterward, they would explore various islands.
“Our Den Den Mushi number hasn't changed. Contact us if anything happens. We’ll help if we can.”
“Yes, thank you. That’s reassuring.”
Rayleigh was an experienced pirate, but even he couldn't predict every situation. And he felt obligated to inform Kanata about what would happen with Oden.
“We’ll contact you when we reach Wano Country,” he promised.
“Yes, please do.”
“One last thing. I want to show you something after Roger wakes up.”
She decided to show him the most important piece of information.
***
“…What… is… this?!”
“A red Road Poneglyph!”
“It’s called a Road History Poneglyph. This one is from Fishman Island,” Kanata explained.
“You stole it?”
“Yes. I didn't want anyone else finding it.”
They were in the basement of Hachinosu.
Roger and Rayleigh stood before the massive stone, awe etched on their faces. It was a dark, damp space, but the red Poneglyph seemed to glow with an ancient power.
Kanata had brought them here, leading them to the basement where she had hidden two Road Poneglyphs. They had made rubbings of both, carefully storing the paper copies.
“I can’t believe it’s hidden here… Do you know any other locations?” Roger asked.
“Yes. There’s one in Wano Country, and another one in a place called Zou.”
“Three in total… You’re incredibly well-informed. Amazing!”
Kanata had already deciphered the Poneglyphs, but she had hidden the information to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. She had shown Roger, but she didn't intend to reveal it to anyone else.
Perhaps, after they reached the final island, she would tell them. It all depended on what awaited them there.
“We’ve never found so much information in one place before… Roger,” Rayleigh said, awestruck.
"Well, well… That was an unexpected haul, Roger," Rayleigh chuckled.
"Yeah, I never thought Kanata would be so well-informed."
"I have connections to both Zou and Wano," Kanata explained.
The three of them emerged from the basement, laughing as they walked through the deserted streets. Thanks to her various connections, Kanata was ahead of Roger in the race to uncover the mysteries of the Road Poneglyphs. However, the location of the final one remained a mystery, even to her.
"It could be underwater, I suppose, but we haven't thoroughly searched every corner of the world. There's no point dwelling on it. If it's in the sea, we'll just have to recruit more Fish-men and Merfolk," she added with a shrug.
“That Golden Lion bastard might attack again. What are you going to do then?” Roger asked, changing the subject.
“He failed to defeat us even with his entire fleet. I doubt he’ll attack anytime soon… But if he does, we’ll crush him,” Kanata replied confidently.
“Wahaha! You’re a tough one!”
“I’ve been attacked enough because of my mother. There’s still Linlin and Kaido to deal with as well… But I’m sure we can handle them now.”
“Your mother? I heard something from the Golden Lion about your father…” Rayleigh said, glancing at Roger.
For now, Roger was the only one who knew about Kanata’s parents. Buggy and Shanks had heard their names mentioned, but they likely didn’t understand the significance.
Roger looked at Kanata, seeking her permission. “Is it alright to tell him?”
Kanata nodded. “It’s fine.”
Roger turned back to Rayleigh, making sure no one else was listening, then whispered, “Her mother is Octavia. From the Rocks Pirates.”
“Wha…?!”
Rayleigh’s jaw dropped. He was speechless, struggling to process the information. Even Rayleigh, usually calm and composed, couldn’t hide his shock.
“Then… you… your father… could it be…!”
“Rocks,” Roger confirmed.
“–I-Is that true?!”
“Yes, it’s true. Right, Kanata?”
“It’s a fact. Octavia told me herself.”
Kanata had never met her father, so she didn’t know how much they resembled each other, but judging from the reactions of the other Rocks Pirates members, they weren’t alike.
They were targeting her because she was the spitting image of her mother.
“…This is… quite a bombshell… To think that man had a daughter…” Rayleigh was still stunned.
“It’ll cause problems if people find out who my parents are. Please keep it a secret,” Kanata requested.
“Sure, we can keep a secret,” Roger agreed.
“Do you have any siblings?” Rayleigh asked.
“Not that I know of. But there might be half-siblings somewhere.”
“Ah…” Roger and Rayleigh exchanged glances.
“…It’s possible,” Roger said.
“Rocks was human, after all. It wouldn’t be strange for him to have a few children.”
Rayleigh shrugged, seemingly understanding why Linlin and Shiki were so fixated on Kanata. It would be best to not pry any further.
The only remaining secret was Dragon’s true identity. They would be surprised to learn who he was, but since he hadn’t revealed it himself, Kanata wouldn’t betray his trust.
“Knowing your parents are those two… I think I understand why you’re so strong,” Rayleigh remarked.
“So your real name is Rocks D. Kanata?” Roger asked.
“I abandoned that name. And don’t call me by his name,” Kanata said firmly.
Only Octavia knew her former name. The island where the orphanage had been located had been destroyed, according to the newspapers, and she hadn’t interacted with anyone else who knew her past. If she didn't reveal her former name, no one would ever know.
“Alright, we’ll respect your wishes. Everyone has things they don’t want to remember,” Roger said.
“We’ve received a lot of information from you. We don’t want to do anything that could harm you,” Rayleigh added.
“I appreciate that.” She reminded them to keep her secret, then they headed back to the ship.
They would depart the next day. Perhaps fate would bring them together again someday, but the life of a pirate was unpredictable, guided by the whims of the wind and the waves.
Kanata had her own path to follow. Roger had his own dreams to chase. They would both continue their journeys, pursuing their own destinies. And when they met again, it would surely be amidst a storm.
