"Huh? Where's Wyper?"
The next morning, Loa was enjoying breakfast when he suddenly noticed a few people were missing. Wyper wasn't there, and neither were Laki or the little girl Aisa. Only Enel remained, yawning as he crouched on a chair and rummaged through the fruit bowl for something he liked.
Crocodile and the other dead had no need to eat to replenish their energy. Only when they were in the mood would they have some raw meat to satisfy a craving. Loa understood why they weren't there. He wasn't used to being watched while he ate, especially by people who could only watch. But he couldn't figure out where the Shandians had gone.
At Loa's question, Enel finished off an apple and pointed the core out the window. "They went over there first thing this morning. Said they were going to talk to Noland's descendants."
"I see." Loa looked toward the distant forest and nodded.
Mont Blanc Cricket was a descendant of Mont Blanc Noland, so Wyper and the others did need to meet him. Whatever either side thought, talking could only help. What had happened between Calgara and Noland had taught Wyper that communication mattered, whether it seemed worthwhile or not.
"What about you? Are you coming back to Turtle Island with us, or what?"
Loa valued Enel's fighting strength, but he still had plenty of room to grow. If he came with them now, he could only serve as a long-range cannon. The moment a strong close-range fighter got in his face, he'd be a sitting duck.
It would be better to let Enel go out and gain experience on his own. As Crocodile had said, the next two years would be spent at war. They had no time to play nursemaid while Enel developed his powers.