"Goodbye, Belle-Mere!"
"I'll miss you, Belle-Mere!"
"So will I!"
"Yo-ho, bye-bye~!"
In late February, twenty days after Shano set off for the East Sea, the Endgame finally welcomed its captain back.
Belle-Mere stayed on the ship for a full three days, reuniting with her two daughters, before heading off to Dressrosa.
Next to the sunflower fields outside the Royal Capital, Shano had already spoken to King Liku and rented a small wooden house with a windmill for her there.
Opening the window, you could see the golden sea of flowers.
It also came with a medium-sized yard for gardening, and it was conveniently close to the bustling area of the Royal Capital with a main road leading directly to it.
The country life and cityscapes could be switched at any time, making it Belle-Mere's dream house. If ever tired, she could move to another territory to experience different customs and cultures.
Of course.
The so-called "other territory" is only one, for now.
But, there will soon be more.
Because next, with the official return of Shano, searching for a suitable island as the main base had been formally listed as the first priority for the Endgame.
In fact, during the past twenty days, the crew had already begun collecting intelligence on this matter under Shano's prior instructions.
Now that the intelligence gathering was complete, it was time to have a meeting to determine the strategy.
On the deck.
"This is the Nautical Chart of the sea area we are about to enter."
Shano snapped his fingers.
Robin understood immediately and pulled out a long Nautical Chart from under her arm, spreading it out on the table.
Except for Bonney tormenting Ah Yin by riding a big dog at the bow of the ship, all other members gathered around the long table.
"Uh... Is this a Nautical Chart?"
Nami stared at the drawing in front of her, which looked like a child's doodle, with a face full of incredulity.
"...Yeah."
Kuma scratched the back of his head, his old face slightly flushed.
He had the ability to fly in the sky, so the main task of collecting and consolidating intelligence on this sea area was mostly done by him.
This Nautical Chart was also sketched by him while recording in the sky, showing a total of seven islands scattered throughout this sea area.
The distances between islands, specific latitudes and longitudes, and outlines, shapes...
Had nothing to do with the term "precision."
But...
"Having a rough guide to understand the distribution of islands in this area is enough for us."
Shano flicked Nami on the forehead with a disapproving look, "He's not a navigator, you know. If you want an accurate Nautical Chart, go draw one yourself later."
"Ignore him, Robin, continue with the serious matters."
"Okay."
Seeing Nami clutching her head with eyes brimming with tears, Robin smiled wryly.
"Everyone more or less knows the current layout of the New World. After the Four Emperors established their dominance, other than some scattered islands, the majority are under the control of the Four Emperors."
"However, this sea area is quite unique."
"It lies in a gap between the domains of the Hundred Beasts Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates, neither side intending to take full control but rather viewing it as a war buffer zone."
"The Whitebeard Pirates actually control the bottom right, that's the southeasternmost island called Wuxing Island."
"The Hundred Beasts Pirates actually control the top left, which is the northwesternmost one, called Ashen Star Island."
The Nautical Chart suddenly sprouted slender arms pointing to the two islands.
Robin continued:
"The other five islands are currently unclaimed."
"Being a long-term buffer in a tug-of-war situation, the original inhabitants found it unbearable and had to leave their homes, most of them gradually migrating to other islands."
"These islands have since gradually declined, with the two northernmost islands even becoming lawless areas, turning into locations rampant with underground market trading."
At this, Robin paused, smiling as she looked at Shano:
"And it seems our captain has taken a fancy to the island right in the middle?"
Named Crescent Island, the other six islands were all star-named, with the central island resembling a crescent shape, a large island once rich in underground minerals, its central highlands towering and defensible.
As a main base, it is indeed quite suitable.
"The island in the middle?"
Shano fixed his gaze on the center of the Nautical Chart, and suddenly slammed his fist on it, making the table buzz resonantly:
"No, wrong, Robin! Not just the middle, but all of them!"
He grinned, unabashedly displaying his ambition, releasing his fist and heavily pointing his finger at the center of the five unclaimed islands:
"I want all five of these islands!!!"
"The small scale skirmishes should come to an end, and since we're choosing a main base to formally establish our territory, a mere single island won't satisfy my appetite; we're going to take the whole sea area in one swoop!"
All five unclaimed islands.
Yet regardless of island area, population size, or economic foundation, they are quite decent, nowhere close to being barren lands.
If not for the overly special location, such places in the New World would have long been coveted by others.
After all...
One side is Kaido, the other is Whitebeard.
No one dares to oppose two Sea Emperors, getting stuck in the middle would only invite trouble.
But he is different.
He, Shano, is also a Sea Emperor!
Having repelled two Navy Grand Admirals consecutively, having fought the so-called strongest one-on-one, Hundred Beasts Kaido, to a draw, forcing the World Government to sign a ceasefire agreement...