The Canaan Affair Concludes

East Sea, an unnamed island.

Several days had passed since the encounter with the pirate ship. Following the nautical charts, the group found an island suitable for the Ganan Remnants to survive on and brought them there.

No kingdom occupied this place, and there were no signs of human habitation on the island. Dozens of small islands dotted the surrounding area, where the local people lived in various villages.

The arrival of the Ganan Remnants was unremarkable. Because the origins of the various villages were similar, many were also formed by those who had suffered shipwrecks, drifted to these islands, and settled down to multiply.

Yelena named this island New Ganan. The two hundred or so remaining Ganan people would live and multiply here.

With the help of Louis's abilities and the Red-Haired Pirates, the Ganan Remnants quickly cleared the land and built homes to shelter them from the wind and rain.

Low stone hills were smashed to pieces, and a river route was excavated from a lake deep within the island to facilitate drinking, farming, and washing for the people.

Within just a few days, all the necessary conditions for survival were met.

Louis and Yelena stood side by side in front of the newly built village. Opposite them, the Ganan people had gathered spontaneously.

During the voyage, they had already learned that Yelena would be embarking on a new journey with Louis. They had no complaints about this; on the contrary, they accepted it gladly.

They knew that Yelena's departure with Louis would be a very long journey. Therefore, with the parting at hand, everyone gathered spontaneously, preparing to see off the last monarch of their kingdom.

Facing pairs of eyes filled with gratitude, guilt, and a sense of indebtedness, the usually fearless Yelena subconsciously pursed her lips.

She lowered her head, not daring to meet those fervent gazes.

For a time, everyone was silent, save for the breeze brushing against the greenery, creating a faint rustling sound.

Finally, the oldest man in the crowd stepped forward slowly. He looked at Louis, who stood side by side with Yelena, and said sincerely, "Lord Louis, Her Majesty Yelena has a simple nature and does not know much about the outside world. I hope that in the days to come, you will be more understanding."

Louis nodded gently and replied with sincere, firm words, "Rest assured, Yelena and I will be partners who can entrust our backs to one another."

"The Ganan people are eternally grateful!" The old man bowed in thanks, and behind him, all the people did the same.

Seeing this, Louis unleashed his Observation Haki, searching for the faint life signals beneath his feet. Then, he bent down and picked up several shriveled seeds from the grass.

The next moment, Louis's body shone with golden light once more, strands of dawn-like radiance circling his form. Like a galaxy swirling in his palm, the light sank directly into the seeds, awakening their dormant vitality.

After doing this, Louis raised his hand and scattered the seeds into the surroundings.

Immediately, the vitality within each seed erupted, catalyzing the rapid growth of the fruit seedlings.

In an instant, the seedlings bypassed their long growth cycle, transforming into a fruit forest that surrounded the village.

On the vast fruit trees, which averaged over twenty meters in height, human faces emerged, only to fade away the next moment. Python-like vines twitched, coiled, and retracted their murderous intent.

"If anyone comes to attack your village, hide in the forest." Louis's eyes swept over Yelena and the weather-beaten people. "They will stay here in Yelena's stead to protect you."

This was the first time Louis had created a long-term sentient construct, with the goal of providing this nearly extinct race a safe place to inhabit.

They could pull their roots from the ground to briefly transform into legs for movement, but under Louis's command, they would not leave this island. This was to prevent the descendants of Canaan from developing the same ideas as the Jacobites—relying on them to conquer nearby islands.

After doing what he could, Louis patted Yelena on the shoulder and said, "Say something. Don't bottle it up inside, only to regret it later."

With that, Louis turned and left, leaving this lush greenery to Yelena and her people.

It was not until Louis flapped his wings and landed on the Red Force that Yelena slowly raised her head, staring blankly at her subjects.

After a while, Yelena spoke with a complex expression, "From now on, I will no longer be the monarch who shelters Canaan..."

Hearing this, although they had mentally prepared themselves, the crowd couldn't help but tremble, their eyes welling up with crystalline tears.

"From now on, you will have to rely on your own strength to obtain food..." Yelena's vision gradually blurred, but her expression remained indifferent, and she tried her best to keep her tone calm.

As her words fell, bursts of sobbing erupted from the crowd. They knew that the monarch who had protected their dignity with her life was about to leave them.

Everything in the future would have to be earned by themselves.

But they had no reason to dissuade or oppose her. The kindness of the royal family was a debt they were powerless to repay, and it had only grown deeper over time.

The royal family could have walked away, but they didn't; they had chosen the most difficult path.

"There is abundant water and food here; you won't need to trade your lives for filthy water sources anymore."

"You can also bathe every day, and newborns will no longer die of illness..."

After a long silence...

Yelena swept her gaze over each familiar face, opened her mouth, but the words she had been brewing in her heart turned into a single sentence:

"Everyone, in the days when I am gone, you must live well. I hope you will not become the kind of people we despise..."

"..."

Hearing this, the crowd wiped the tears and snot from their faces with their newly acquired clean clothes and nodded heavily.

Seeing this, Yelena felt even more heartbroken.

"We will have a day where we meet again." In the end, Yelena dared not look back, turned around, and walked away.

Yelena walked forward step by step, her figure appearing somewhat disheveled, leaving deep footprints in the emerald-green world.

On the deck of the Red Force, the entire Red-Haired Pirates watched this scene, their hearts filled with a thousand thoughts.

It wasn't until Yelena stepped onto the deck that the crew dispersed, heading to their respective posts, ready to set sail at any moment.

Yet, a long time passed, and Shanks still hadn't given the order to depart. He leaned against the railing, saying nothing.

It wasn't until a long, lingering horn blast echoed through the air that a brilliant smile finally appeared on his face.

"Possessing bonds more precious than treasure is the only way a warrior venturing across the sea can avoid falling into the trap of becoming a greedy Dragon..."

Shanks' eyes flickered with traces of memory as he issued the order to set sail to his companions.

On the deck, Yelena's body trembled at the sound, and she slowly turned her head to look toward the village beneath the forest.

Beneath the vast, towering trees, tattered banners snapped in the wind. Loyal subjects had formed an ancient formation for their departing monarch and sounded the horn of expedition.

Under the sails billowing in the wind, Yelena could no longer maintain her composure; her tears broke through like a bursting dam.