Stars dotted the night sky over Bacchus Island.
At the center of the once-ravaged basin, a massive bonfire now blazed. A grand feast for the natives, their guardian beast, and the Eclipse Pirates was in full swing in the ancient forest.
"Stay out of my way! Even a second off on the timing is unacceptable!"
Beside the bonfire, Leona wore a heavy dark-brown leather apron. Without a shred of courtesy, she kicked Buggy away when he tried to sneak over for a bite.
She refused to let anyone help and took it upon herself to prepare food for the hundreds of people gathered there.
The ingredients tonight were nothing rare—just the forest's most common wild boars and giant birds, along with prehistoric mushrooms and wild greens that grew everywhere.
As the tribe's former guardian, this was the last farewell meal she would prepare for her people with her own hands.
Leona darted between several enormous grills and stone pots. The Bone-Deboning Blade in her hand fluttered like a silver butterfly as she cut ordinary boar meat into evenly thick slices. The stew bubbled in the pot, and under her skillful touch, the most common prehistoric greens gave off a rich, soul-stirring aroma.
When the first platters of grilled meat and bowls of stew were brought to the long tables, the entire basin erupted.
"W-Wow, this is so good!"
Buggy clutched a huge piece of grilled meat in his left hand and a bowl of hot soup in his right. Grease shone around his mouth, and tears welled in his eyes. "Turning ordinary ingredients into something this incredible— even back on the Oro Jackson, your humble self never ate meat this satisfying!"
Sabo sat on a log, elegantly cutting off a piece of grilled meat and placing it in his mouth. He wasn't usually picky about food, but even he couldn't help widening his eyes a little. "The meat's cooked perfectly, and all the juices are sealed inside. What incredible cooking."
Ace, seated at the head of the table, was without question the biggest eater at the feast.
The empty plates before him had already piled up into a small mountain.
Leona's cooking made the normally tough meat of forest beasts remarkably easy to digest. Ace tore into the grilled meat, feeling it rapidly turn into pure energy in his stomach and replenish the strength he'd spent training. His muscles hummed with satisfaction.
"Another fifty pounds!" Ace swallowed his last bite and called to Leona by the bonfire with a grin.
"Eat, eat, eat! That's all you ever do! Are you a bottomless pit?"
Leona scolded him gruffly, but her hands moved deftly as she flung a huge platter of freshly grilled beast leg onto the table in front of him. Watching Ace and the tribespeople dig in, the fiery-tempered cook's eyes softened with deep contentment and warmth.
Ancient Kong sat nearby, happily drinking fruit wine from an enormous wooden barrel and letting out a hearty growl now and then. The natives danced and sang around the bonfire, their laughter and cheers filling the night sky.
This farewell feast, warm with the spirit of home and bonds between them, continued until well into the night before finally winding down.
The next morning.
The long-awaited calm dawn broke over Bacchus Island's outer harbor.
The Eclipse sat quietly at the shore.
Standing at the bow, Ace stretched his tall frame in the somewhat chilly sea breeze.
Two figures came up the gangplank. Sabo carried a heavy black case, while Carina held her sea chart and abacus. Both looked to be in high spirits.
"Morning, Captain."
Sabo stepped onto the deck and set down the case. "You all had such a lively feast last night that Carina and I took the opportunity to head over to the port district and clean out Gluttony Baron's underground vault."
"No wonder he'd been entrenched here for so long. The spoils were shockingly generous." Carina patted the case with a beaming smile. "Besides a large amount of cash, we also seized plenty of high-quality nautical supplies. The Eclipse's provisions are fully stocked now."
"Nice work." Ace nodded with a smile. With those two managing the crew's affairs and supplies, his job as captain was certainly easy.
Ace glanced at the Log Pose on Carina's wrist. "Has the needle finished storing the magnetic field?"
"Mm-hm. It finished this morning."
Carina opened her sea chart and checked the needle's direction. Her expression grew a little more serious. "But according to some of the reports we found at Baron's hideout, the next island the needle's locked onto seems to be in a bad state."
"Oh?" Ace poured himself a glass of water and asked casually, "Is the weather terrible?"
"The weather isn't the main problem." Carina pointed to a spot on the chart. "It's an island known for heavy industry and weapons manufacturing called Steel Country. But the reports say the country is currently mired in a chaotic, all-out civil war. There's fighting everywhere."
"A country at war?"
Ace gazed at the shimmering sea ahead. His deep eyes showed no trace of apprehension; instead, he smiled with easy confidence.
"Perfect. After all the storms our ship has weathered, we'll need top-quality steel to repair her sooner or later. If there's a war going on, they probably have no shortage of good metal and ready-made weapons." Ace waved a hand, setting the course. "I don't care what kind of civil war they're having, as long as they don't block our route."
As the three talked, heavy footsteps sounded along the road leading to the dock.
Ancient Kong lumbered toward the ship, escorting a group of people.
The tribe's elders and their people stood along the shore, waving tearfully to the tall, red-haired woman.
"Big Guy, go on back. And remember to patrol your territory every day from now on. Don't let any more shady characters catch you off guard."
Leona carried an absurdly huge pack, even bigger than she was. It was stuffed with her treasured cookware, oil for maintaining her knives, and fragrant spices the tribe had insisted she take along.
Ancient Kong let out a low, gentle whimper and softly patted the sand with one massive hand, as if bidding her a final farewell.
Leona's eyes grew misty. She took a deep breath, turned, and strode up the gangplank of the Eclipse.
"Put your bags in the ship's kitchen."
Sabo stood on deck and greeted Leona with a smile. "Welcome aboard, Leona. We're counting on you to keep us fed from now on."
"Leave it to me!"
Leona set down her heavy pack, gave the Black Steel Bone-Cleaver at her waist a hearty pat, and looked around the spacious black vessel. Her eyes shone with anticipation and excitement for the journey ahead.
She lifted her head and looked at Ace standing in front.
"Now that everyone's here, let's get going."
Ace looked at his crew—a motley bunch with wildly different personalities, but the same boundless ambition—and grinned with unrestrained confidence.
"Buggy, weigh anchor."
"Our destination: Steel Country!"
"Aye aye, Captain!" Buggy hurried off to turn the capstan.
The enormous pitch-black sails unfurled with a thunderous snap in the morning breeze.
Like a black blade drawn from its sheath, the Eclipse cut smoothly through the waves as the natives and their ancient guardian beast watched it go, leaving the harbor of Bacchus Island behind. Ahead of them lay a war-torn nation steeped in steel and gunpowder.
Before you continue