East Sea, an unknown island.
Several days had passed since they last encountered a pirate ship. Following the sea chart, they had found an island where the Ganan Remnants could make a home, and brought them there.
No kingdom claimed this place, and not a soul lived on the island. Dozens of smaller islands lay nearby, where the people of these waters lived in villages scattered across the islands.
The Ganan Remnants' arrival went unnoticed. The villages had all come about in much the same way: many had suffered shipwrecks, drifted ashore, and settled down to make their homes.
Yelena named the island New Ganan. The little more than two hundred survivors of Canaan would live and thrive here.
With Louis's abilities and the Red-Haired Pirates' help, the Ganan Remnants quickly cleared the land and built homes to shelter them from the elements.
They smashed apart the low stone hills and dug a channel from the lake deep within the island, providing the villagers with water for drinking, farming, and washing.
In just a few days, they had secured everything they needed to survive.
Louis and Yelena stood side by side in front of the newly built village. Across from them, the people of Canaan had gathered of their own accord.
During the voyage, they had already learned that Yelena would soon set off on a new journey with Louis. They had no complaints; instead, they accepted it gladly.
They knew that Yelena's journey with Louis would be a long one. With their parting near, the people had gathered to see their kingdom's last monarch off.
Faced with one pair of eyes after another, filled with gratitude, guilt, and a sense of indebtedness, Yelena—who had always feared nothing—pressed her lips together despite herself.
She lowered her head, unable to meet their fervent gazes.
For a time, no one spoke. Only the breeze stirred the grass, whispering softly through it.
At last, the oldest man in the crowd slowly stepped forward. Looking at Louis, who stood beside Yelena, he said sincerely, "Lord Louis, Her Majesty Yelena is innocent and knows little of the outside world. I hope you'll be patient with her in the days to come."
Louis nodded gently and replied with genuine conviction, "Don't worry. Yelena and I will be partners who can trust each other with our backs."
"The people of Canaan are deeply grateful!" The old man bowed in thanks, and all the people behind him did the same.
Seeing this, Louis spread his Observation Haki, searching the ground for the faint traces of life. Then he bent down and picked up several shriveled seeds from the grass.
A moment later, golden light shone from Louis once more, and wisps of dawn-colored radiance swirled around him. Like a galaxy circling his palm, the light poured into the seeds and awakened their dormant vitality.
When he was done, Louis raised his hand and scattered the seeds around them.
The life within each seed burst forth, and saplings sprang up at astonishing speed.
In an instant, the young trees passed through a long season of growth and became an orchard encircling the village.
Faces appeared in the towering fruit trees, each more than twenty meters tall, then vanished a moment later. Vines as thick as giant serpents writhed, coiled, and gathered their murderous intent.
"If anyone attacks your village, hide in the forest," Louis said, his eyes moving from Yelena to the villagers' weathered faces. "They'll stay here in Yelena's place and protect you."
This was the first time Louis had created living constructs meant to last. He wanted to give this nearly extinct people a safe place to live.
They could pull their roots from the earth and briefly use them as legs to move around. But under Louis's orders, they would never leave the island. That would keep the descendants of Canaan from adopting the Jacobites' ambitions and relying on the trees to conquer the nearby islands.
After doing what he could, Louis patted Yelena on the shoulder. "Say something. Don't keep it bottled up, only to regret it later."
With that, Louis turned and left, leaving the green meadow to Yelena and her people.
Only after Louis beat his wings and landed on the Red Force did Yelena slowly raise her head. She stared at her subjects in a daze.
A while later, Yelena spoke, her expression conflicted. "From now on, I won't be the monarch who protects Canaan..."
Her people had been prepared for this, but they still trembled, tears glistening in their eyes.
"From now on, you'll have to rely on your own strength to find food..." Yelena's vision began to blur, but her face remained calm as she did her best to keep her voice steady.
As soon as she finished, quiet sobs rose from the crowd. They knew their king, who had risked her life to protect their dignity and lives, was about to leave them.
From now on, they would have to provide for themselves.
But they had no reason to try to stop her or protest. They could never repay the royal family's kindness, and their debt only grew.
The royal family could have left them behind, but they had not. They had chosen the hardest path.
"There's plenty of clean water and food here. You won't have to risk your lives for filthy water anymore."
"You'll be able to bathe every day, too. Newborns won't die of illness anymore..."
After a long while...
Yelena's eyes moved over the familiar faces. She opened her mouth, but the words she had been gathering in her heart came out as something else.
"Everyone, while I'm gone, you must live well. I hope you won't become the kind of people we despise..."
"..."
Hearing this, the people wiped the tears and snot from their faces with the clean clothes they had just put on, then nodded firmly.
Yelena's heart ached all the more at the sight.
"We'll meet again someday." In the end, Yelena couldn't bring herself to look back again. She turned and walked away.
Yelena took one step after another, her figure a little disheveled, leaving deep footprints in the emerald-green world.
On the Red Force's deck, the Red-Haired Pirates watched the scene, their hearts full of tangled feelings.
Only after Yelena boarded did everyone disperse to their posts, ready to set sail again at any moment.
Yet long afterward, Shanks still hadn't given the order to depart. He leaned against the railing without saying a word.
Only when a long, deep horn sounded did a bright smile appear on his face.
"Bonds more precious than treasure keep the warriors who sail the sea from becoming greedy dragons..."
Memories flickered in Shanks's eyes as he gave his companions the order to set sail.
"..."
On deck, Yelena trembled at the sound and slowly turned toward the village beneath the trees.
Beneath the towering trees, a tattered banner fluttered in the wind. Her loyal subjects had assembled in an ancient formation to send their departing monarch off, sounding the horn of the expedition.
Beneath the sails billowing in the wind, Yelena could no longer hold back. Her tears broke free.
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