"So, Yamato, you're planning to come with us for now?"
Cain asked, a piece of roasted meat held between his teeth as he raised his eyes toward Yamato.
Yamato nodded, swallowed the meat in her mouth, and said,
"Yeah. Otherwise, if I leave too early or too late, Ace is going to start crying again. But he's been crouching over there without moving this whole time. Is he really okay?"
"He's fine. That guy's vitality is basically on the level of a cockroach. If not, we can contact Law and have him take a look," Cain answered casually, waving a hand without much concern.
"Oh. Then when are you leaving?"
Yamato leaned slightly to the side and asked Cain again.
"In two days, probably. Uta's training is almost done. After that, we'll go to Marine Headquarters and say goodbye to Ace and the others."
Cain lowered his head and gnawed on his meat as he spoke to Yamato.
"Oh."
Yamato responded, then her gaze suddenly fell on Uta's plate. She leaned closer to Uta and asked in confusion,
"Uta-chan, why are you eating so little?"
Cain followed her gaze and glanced at the table.
In front of him and Yamato were mountains of roasted meat, while Luffy's pile was even taller.
Uta's plate did look thin by comparison, but this amount was already much more than she usually ate.
Cain turned his face toward Uta and asked curiously,
"Huh, Uta, why are you eating so much today? Aren't you managing your figure?"
"Eating a little more once in a while is fine."
Uta poked at the food on her plate and answered Cain vaguely, while the corner of her eye quietly glanced at Yamato.
Cain immediately caught that look and understood at once.
There was no need to guess.
This was a woman's competitive spirit at work!
In his eyes, Uta's figure was already balanced and beautiful. There was no need for her to chase after fullness.
After all, too big was not necessarily a good thing.
Just like himself. He had originally been 1.82 meters tall and had recently grown another two centimeters.
As long as he was well-proportioned, that was enough. If he really grew into a monstrous body type like Kaido or Big Mom…
He might end up hurting Uta.
Not to mention Cain.
Just look at the other two, Ace and Yamato.
With Ace's Logia body, how could he withstand the impact of Yamato's Mythical Zoan?
Thinking this, Cain picked up some vegetables and placed them onto Uta's plate, saying casually,
"Remember to keep your nutrition balanced. Oh, right, Uta. There's one more thing—about your singing plans from now on, I was thinking…"
…
Two days later.
Marine Headquarters, still under reconstruction.
Garp slapped his thigh and laughed loudly.
"HAHAHA! SENGOKU, YOU REALLY WENT ALL OUT! YOU EVEN CALLED BACK THAT RUNAWAY MORGANS. IMPRESSIVE!"
Sengoku glanced at him and frowned.
"You bastard, don't tell me you're planning to settle accounts with him. I've already warned him not to publish those strange things again."
"If you go and argue with him now, and he writes some negative report about you, that really would be bad."
Garp picked his nose without a care.
"Not at all. Is this old man really that petty? But speaking of which, Ace and the others should be arriving soon, right?"
Sengoku looked at the hanging clock and answered flatly,
"No. They said they had something else to prepare. Either way, it is what it is."
Garp nodded and rubbed his chin.
"All right, then this old man will wait patiently. Also, remember, when it's time for the photo and handshake, let this old man do it. Sengoku, don't snatch it from me."
Sengoku helplessly held his head and said irritably,
"Stop obsessing over things like that at a time like this. Rather, you should be worrying about your disciple."
"Kuzan nearly got into another fight while stopping Sakazuki. Honestly, those two… What exactly are we supposed to do about the position of Fleet Admiral?"
Garp raised an eyebrow and spread his hands.
"Just let things take their natural course. But you should also think of a way to explain Cain's situation to the two of them. You'll have to tell them eventually anyway."
One of them had been struck directly in the head by Cain's Conqueror's Haki coating, and that guy's head was still faintly aching even now, not yet fully recovered.
The other was even worse. Although he had already been in a heavily injured state at the time, he was still knocked to the ground by Cain and his three brothers working together, unable to get back up.
For a dignified Marine Admiral, that was a true humiliation.
No matter how they tried to explain it to either side, it was a trap.
Sengoku sighed softly and looked toward the distant plaza still under construction.
"There's no rush. Let's wait until the next Fleet Admiral is chosen first."
…
"Hehe, bet you didn't expect this. I caught you again, Morgans!"
Cain hooked an arm around Morgans' shoulders teasingly as he spoke.
Morgans shuddered all over in fright, the news drafts in his hands scattering across the ground. He hurriedly took half a step back and said warily,
"Hey, you brat, why do you keep haunting me? What do you want this time?"
"Hehe, don't be in such a hurry to run."
Cain stepped forward and bent down to pick up the scattered papers.
"I just want to ask you for a favor. Take the photo of Fire Fist Ace accepting his Warlord status as you should. In addition, I want you to report one more thing."
The moment Morgans heard the word "report," his eyes instantly lit up.
He threw the resentment of being controlled earlier far away and loudly pressed,
"WHAT BIG NEWS? IS IT A FOLLOW-UP TO THE PREVIOUS BATTLE BETWEEN THE FOUR EMPERORS? OR HAS THERE BEEN A RESULT IN THEIR FIGHT OVER CUSTODY?"
"It's about Uta."
Cain withdrew his smile, his tone sinking slightly.
"I will officially serve as her guard. After some time, we will hold concerts across different seas and islands. This matter must be written truthfully in the report."
Morgans froze in place, scratching the back of his head with a confused expression.
"Haven't you two already been together for a while? Why do you need me to specially report this?"
"Uta cannot be connected to pirates in the slightest."
As Cain spoke, flames slowly spilled from the corners of his mouth, and a wave of heat rushed forward.
"So, you understand how to write it, right?"
Morgans' expression changed drastically. He swallowed and quickly nodded like a pecking bird.
"I understand! I understand completely! I guarantee the report will be airtight and won't let Miss Uta be touched by even the slightest trace of piracy!"
"Good."
With that, Cain let Morgans leave.
Afterward, everything proceeded much like in the original story.
Luffy, Ace, and Rayleigh rode a Marine warship around the island once, ringing the Ox Bell sixteen times.
The heavy tolling echoed through the skies above Marineford, a deep mourning for those who had died in the war.
Ace and Luffy placed a bouquet of pure white flowers by the shore, and the waiting reporters immediately raised their cameras.
Shutters clicked one after another, and the information about 3D2Y was sent out as well.
Soon after, Sengoku and Garp walked out from the temporary command platform one after another, their expressions solemn as they approached the three of them.
Meanwhile, Cain, Yamato, and Uta, hidden in the shadows of a corner, exchanged a tacit glance and nodded lightly.
Under the suddenly shocked gazes of everyone present, Cain transformed into a massive dragon and soared into the sky. He slowly coiled in midair, letting out a low dragon's roar.
The reporters all turned their lenses and frantically captured the breathtaking scene.
Yamato stood firmly on the left side of the dragon's head, while Uta stood on the right.
She took a deep breath, and her clear, sorrowful singing slowly flowed out.
The gentle melody soothed the pain in the hearts of everyone present.
Luffy and Ace nodded toward them, already understanding that this was Cain saying goodbye.
The reporters, meanwhile, looked back and forth in a panic, not knowing what to write.
After all, whether it was the Warlord investiture ceremony this time or the appearance of the Songstress Uta, both were major pieces of news that would draw enormous attention.
Even amid such a solemn atmosphere, Morgans of the World Economy News Paper could not suppress the restlessness in his heart.
He raised his camera and snapped wildly at the giant dragon and the two people in the sky, the corner of his mouth curling into a wicked smile.
As everyone knew, being resented by someone who controlled public opinion was an extremely bad thing.
So the headline Cain had imagined—
Pink Beast Cain Enchanted by Songstress Uta's Music, Voluntarily Becomes Her Touring Guard! Concert Tours to Be Held Regularly on Islands Around the World!
—became:
Vicious and Brutal! Pink Beast Cain Publicly Abducts Songstress Uta at Marine Headquarters, Declares He Will Force Her to Sing Across the World to Make Money for Him!
Just as Morgans had promised Cain, he truly had not let Uta be connected to pirates in the slightest.