An Unresolved Draw

"I didn't say anything. Are you... nervous?"

Kane placed a hand on Cuckoo's shoulder and turned her to face him.

Cuckoo turned around, but kept her head lowered, not daring to look at Kane.

She did not understand what she was doing. She had clearly only intended to relay Tsuru's arrangements before heading back, yet she had taken it upon herself to bring Kane to Minion Island.

And to be alone with him...

What am I even thinking...?

A mad thought suddenly arose in Cuckoo's heart. It would be nice if Kane and I were trapped in the Birdcage forever.

As she thought that, every moment they had spent in the Birdcage flooded back into her mind, leaving Cuckoo even more conflicted.

But then Swift's words somehow echoed in her ears. Cuckoo froze for a moment, then suddenly raised her head to look at Kane, her bright eyes sharper than ever before.

"You. Fight me!"

"Huh?"

Having delivered those decisive words, Cuckoo ignored Kane's baffled expression as her beautiful eyes grew brighter and brighter.

She felt as though she had cast off her shackles. Her pale hands suddenly seized Kane by the collar and yanked him before her.

"Let's fight!"

He was a warrior, and she was a swordswoman. They should have a battle!

A battle that belonged to the two of them alone!

The drastic change in her state of mind made Cuckoo see everything much more clearly. She stared fixedly into Kane's dark eyes.

Her reflection was inside them. That reflection was blushing, her expression resolute, her sparkling eyes brimming with intense fighting spirit.

That's right!

This was it!

She was a swordswoman, a swordswoman who charged forward without hesitation!

What kind of swordswoman acted so timid and cautious?

When facing an enemy called hesitation, all she needed to do was draw her sword and cut it down!

Once her thoughts became clear, Cuckoo acted decisively!

She shoved hard with both hands, and the off-balance Kane landed in the thick snow with a thud.

But Kane did not mind being knocked down. He simply propped himself up on his arms and looked at Cuckoo, his blazing fighting spirit making her heart burn.

It felt as though all the blood in her body had begun to boil. Images flashed through Cuckoo's mind of herself knocking Kane flat time and time again.

She suddenly smiled, confident and proud.

As though sensing her fighting spirit, her loose pale-golden hair stirred in the rapid air, swaying with delight and excitement.

"Kane, remember this.

"I am Cuckoo.

"Your instructor, Cuckoo.

"The Cuckoo who has knocked you flat seventy-five times!

"So don't get cocky. In front of me, you'll always be Little Kane!"

Kane understood what Cuckoo meant, and his upward gaze carried a teasing smile.

"Instructor, no one can keep winning forever."

"Hmph... You're asking for it!"

Cuckoo snorted coldly, accepted Kane's challenge, and lunged at him with blazing eyes!

Under the moonlit night, a fierce battle erupted like wildfire.

It was as though the moon in the night sky had witnessed a battle it loved, and the moonlight it cast down suddenly grew brighter.

Yet the two people engrossed in battle had no room for distractions. Neither the moon above nor the snow beneath them could stop their determination to settle the score.

"Can you give my rifle back now?"

"Sorry, no."

"How much longer are you going to use it?"

"Hehehe..."

On Tsuru's warship, Swift held Grey Pigeon's sniper rifle, which was nearly as large as a small cannon. She peered through its long scope, wearing an indulgent smile.

At that moment, everything happening on the moonlit snowfield was perfectly clear through the scope she had claimed for herself.

From the vivid and crystal-clear view, she could even imagine the soft cries coming from her friend.

Should I fire a shot to scare them?

Swift's finger brushed the trigger for a moment before she shook her head and abandoned the idea.

Then, as though she had seen something amusing, she smiled and said,

"Cuckoo's riding skills are really good..."

When dawn began to break, Cuckoo finally remembered that she and Kane had come to Minion Island to look for their swords.

The swords had been thrown a little too far away. They needed to get up and walk a few steps to retrieve them.

But she did not want to get up, because beneath her was a bed tailored just for her—broad, sturdy, and radiating astonishing warmth. For the first time in her life, the highly disciplined woman felt like staying in bed.

She regretted not cutting down the hesitation in her heart sooner.

Now that their parting was imminent, she had become attached to him. How was she supposed to endure the time apart from Kane?

Thinking of that, Cuckoo could not help biting down on the large bed beneath her.

"Does a swordswoman start biting people after she loses?"

"I didn't lose!"

How could a swordswoman admit defeat? Cuckoo's pride, mixed with other emotions, could not bear Kane's provocation, and the battle erupted once more!

At last, the battle came to an end when one side ran out of strength. The already messy snowfield had been ravaged into an even worse state, with signs of battle scattered everywhere.

"Instructor, you lost."

"I didn't lose! It was clearly... an unresolved draw!"

Cuckoo struggled to steady her breathing, her steps unsteady and her body unable to remain upright. She could only lean on her sword for support.

Kane laughed at the sight and thoughtfully carried her on his back, but she stubbornly tightened her arms around his neck.

Kane walked slowly, his steps steady and even. Cuckoo could barely feel any jostling.

As they drew closer and closer to the shore, Cuckoo's strength gradually returned, and she became increasingly reluctant to climb down.

But no matter how slowly they walked, the outline of the warship soon entered their sight.

Cuckoo's body tensed. She almost roughly turned Kane's head and fiercely pressed her lips against his.

The familiar scent of pine landed on Cuckoo's tongue, giving her an illusion.

It was as if that scent spread down her throat, seeped into her chest, merged with her blood, and was carried by her heart throughout her body, leaving her with the fragrance of pine as well.

A moment later, Cuckoo released Kane, leaped down from his back, and strode toward the warship.

Kane watched her unhesitating retreating figure and felt the lingering warmth on his lips, unable to stop himself from smiling.

When Cuckoo returned to Tsuru's warship, she happened to see Tsuru stepping onto the deck. She went forward and saluted.

"Ma'am, are we departing now?"

"Mm." Tsuru nodded. "Has Hina's warship completed its escort preparations?"

"...Huh?" Cuckoo froze. "What escort preparations?"

Tsuru looked at Cuckoo strangely. "We decided last night that Hina would serve as the escort ship. She and Kane will escort us to Impel Down. Swift said you went to notify her."

"Me? Swift? She obviously..."

Question marks seemed to pop up over Cuckoo's head. Then she abruptly stopped speaking, immediately realizing what had happened. She sharply turned to look at Swift.

Leaning against the rail, Swift winked at Cuckoo. Her lovely face was full of a mischievous smile as she silently mouthed, No need to thank me.

Cuckoo immediately understood that Swift had played her. Her pretty face flushed red as she slowly turned back to Tsuru and asked hopefully,

"Ma'am, last night... did you ask Swift to pass along any message to me?"

"Ask Swift to pass it along?" Tsuru looked at Cuckoo in confusion. "If I had something to say to you, why wouldn't I tell you directly?"

"...Ah? Y-You're right..."

Cuckoo stammered in reply, then stiffly turned toward Swift. A vicious gleam appeared in her eyes, like a predator ready to devour its prey.

Swift, however, casually walked over. Smiling, she leaned close to Cuckoo's ear and whispered,

"Cuckoo~ Your riding skills are pretty good~ Hehehe..."

With that, Swift walked past Cuckoo with light, cheerful steps.

Cuckoo was instantly struck dumb. She turned as red as a fully cooked crab, her mind completely blank as she stood there without reacting for quite some time.

When her eyes finally refocused, an unprecedentedly terrifying aura burst from Cuckoo. She pounced on Swift like lightning!

"Swift, you bastard! I'm going to kill you!"