Before long, it was time for Cain and the others to leave.
Ivankov stood on the shore bidding them farewell, with a huge crowd of okama gathered behind him to see them off.
Cain glanced around and felt as though someone was missing.
"Strange. Where's Sanji?"
"Sanji Boy?"
Ivankov rummaged through his hair as though searching for something.
"He stayed up all night talking to Pudding-chan, so he's probably sleeping like the dead right now."
As he spoke, he pulled a thick stack of documents from his hair and handed them over.
"These are some materials I collected in Impel Down. I submitted part of them before, but a few things were left out."
"Since you'll be passing by the sky island anyway, could you deliver them for me?"
Cain accepted the files. It was hardly a difficult favor, so he nodded.
"Then please give them to Dragon."
Ivankov paused before pulling a palm-sized box from his hair and handing that over as well.
"Oh, and this too."
Cain looked down at it.
"Is this also for Uncle Dragon?"
"Of course… not."
Ivankov shook his head.
Several newspapers he had deliberately hidden over the past few days flashed through his mind, and he hurriedly added,
"This is for you, Cain Boy. It needs to be kept frozen with Bella's ability, though, so be careful with it on the way."
"That's easy enough."
The moment Bella heard her name, she opened her mouth and swallowed the box whole.
Cain's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
He immediately grabbed her mouth open and reached inside.
"Bella! Stop eating every random thing people hand us!"
"Papa, that tickles!"
Bella giggled and twisted away from him.
"I can spit it out myself."
She gave a small cough and expelled the box.
Unfortunately, it was now encased in a thick block of solid ice, frigid mist pouring from its surface.
Trying to break it open by force might damage whatever was inside, so they would have to wait for it to thaw naturally.
Cain asked Bella to absorb the cold again, but she shook her head like a rattle.
There was no way she was eating something she had already spat out.
In certain ways, the girl was just as stubborn as Cain.
Ivankov patted Cain on the shoulder, his tone becoming unusually serious.
"Don't worry, Cain Boy. There's nothing dangerous inside."
"Consider it a small personal gift from me. Perhaps one day, it'll help you solve a troublesome problem."
There was something meaningful hidden in his voice, along with a teasing glint in his eyes that left Cain deeply suspicious.
Meanwhile, Uta had been completely surrounded by the okama.
"Uta-chan, you have to visit us again!"
"Waaah! I don't want you to leave!"
"I knitted this scarf myself! Please take it! The stitches are a little crooked, but I stayed awake for three nights making it!"
Everyone crowded around her at once.
Some shoved gifts into her arms, others clung to her hands and refused to let go, and several were already sobbing uncontrollably.
Uta struggled to keep up, thanking everyone as she slowly backed away. Despite the chaos, she could not hide her smile, and the pile of gifts in her arms had nearly risen past her chin.
"All right, all right! Make some room. Don't delay Uta-chan's journey!"
Ivankov swept one hand outward.
Only then did the reluctant crowd open a path.
"We're leaving now."
Cain and Uta climbed onto Bella's back and slowly rose into the sky, waving to everyone below.
The okama on the shore threw both hands into the air and shouted at the top of their lungs,
"Have a safe trip!"
Ivankov folded his arms and watched them disappear into the distance, a faint smile on his lips.
Then he turned toward the crowd and spoke calmly.
"All right. Bring him out."
The okama carried Sanji from the middle of the crowd, bound so tightly that he could barely move.
The knots were remarkably elaborate, created with the Kamabakka Kingdom's legendary Ultimate Inescapable Binding Art, passed down across generations. The more its victim struggled, the tighter it became.
It was practically performance art.
Or, more simply, rope bondage.
Everyone immediately crowded around him, eager anticipation written across their faces.
"Hehehe, Sanji Boy. Even though you have Miss Pudding now, don't forget why you're staying on this island."
"You're here for special training."
Ivankov crouched until he was eye level with Sanji. His tone was gentle, yet terrifying.
"You'll need to survive the ultimate okama training."
"It's time to begin."
A strip of cloth had been stuffed into Sanji's mouth, preventing him from speaking clearly.
All he could do was whimper desperately, tears already filling his eyes as he pleaded for mercy like a lamb being carried toward a sacrificial altar.
Unfortunately, Cain and the others were already far away.
There was no longer any possibility of rescue.
Whatever happened on that island next was destined to become one of the chapters in Sanji's life that he would least want to remember.
…
Not long after Cain's group flew away, the ice surrounding the box finally melted.
Cain opened it and found ten neatly arranged bottles of temporary sex-change hormones.
He stared at them in silence for a very long time.
Suddenly, Ivankov's smile when he patted Cain's shoulder took on an entirely new meaning.
At that moment, Uta purchased the latest newspaper from a News Coo.
Once they looked at the box and the article together, they finally understood why Ivankov had given Cain the hormones.
The front-page headline was printed in enormous letters:
BREAKING NEWS! EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW OF THE EAST BLUE CONCERT!
UTA'S DANCE PARTNER, "EN-CHAN"—THE TWIN SISTER OF CHARLOTTE CAIN—WILL APPEAR ONSTAGE BESIDE HER!
Beneath the headline was a photograph of Cain dancing awkwardly onstage.
The angle was infuriatingly perfect, and his expression was even worse.
The photographer had caught the exact moment Cain held down his skirt with one hand while twisting his waist, making him look exactly like a startled young maiden.
The article also included audience polling data.
Readers were apparently desperate to see En-chan perform beside Uta. Support had skyrocketed, turning the mysterious dancer into one of the most anticipated parts of the upcoming concert.
"What the hell is this article?!"
Cain's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets as he glared at the photograph, looking as though he wanted to burn a hole straight through it.
"Morgans, I'm going to kill you!"
"Now I understand why Ivankov was looking at me like that. He already knew!"
"Wait, this only happened on his island. How did the story even get out?"
Cain turned the paper back and forth, searching for clues.
"Cain, look."
Uta pointed toward a small detail in the corner of the photograph.
Sanji's head was clearly visible.
Cain immediately fell silent.
There was no need to investigate further.
Sanji had almost certainly leaked the footage to Totto Land.
The article had also gone out of its way to emphasize the surname Charlotte.
What exactly was Totto Land planning by inventing an identity like En-chan for him?
Were they deliberately trying to humiliate him, or did they have another motive?
Cain gripped the newspaper and remained silent for a long time, countless ideas racing through his mind.
He could storm Morgans's headquarters and tear the entire newspaper office apart.
Or pretend to be sick and miss the concert, claiming En-chan had suddenly developed a serious illness.
But every thought was dismissed almost as quickly as it appeared.
Finally, Cain shook his head, then nodded slowly.
"Forget it. I'll perform."
"Huh?"
Uta froze, nearly dropping the newspaper in her arms.
She had expected Cain to erupt in fury and refuse outright. She had even begun preparing words to comfort him.
His sudden acceptance left her unable to react.
Cain turned toward Uta and smiled.
There was no reluctance in it, only a trace of resignation and peace.
"The whole world has already been told, and your fans are looking forward to seeing En-chan."
"If I refuse to appear as her, they might end up disappointed in you."
He paused, his voice calm.
"You want to become the greatest singer in the world."
"If something like this caused your dream to fail… I'd never forgive myself."
"It's only becoming a woman again. I've already done it once, so a second or third time isn't that frightening."
He lightly patted the box of hormones and spoke as though it were nothing.
"There are ten bottles. That should last me a while."
Uta stared at him.
Her violet eyes reflected Cain's deliberately carefree expression.
She suddenly remembered something he had told her and Luffy when they were children.
I haven't found my own dream yet. Until I do, I'll protect yours.
Even after all these years, Cain had not changed.
He still valued the dreams of the people he loved more than his own pride.
Tears welled without warning and rolled down her cheeks one after another, splashing against the newspaper.
"Thank you, Cain!"
Uta threw herself at him and wrapped both arms tightly around his neck, burying her face against his shoulder as her voice trembled with tears.
Cain could barely breathe under the force of the embrace, but he did not push her away.
He simply patted her back.
"There, there. It's only a small sacrifice."
"I'll be fine."
"And if you're still worried, we can make a pinky promise."
Uta nodded, though she still hesitated.
"But… you don't have to do it if you truly don't want to."
Cain reached out first and hooked his little finger around hers.
"For you, there's nothing I wouldn't do."
"Cain."
"Uta."
"Promise."
Their little fingers linked beneath the sunlight, sealing a promise that was not especially formal, yet serious enough for both of them.
The road ahead was still long, and the challenges awaiting them stretched far beyond a few minutes onstage.
After all, once the name En-chan appeared before the world…
Cain would probably never be able to escape it again.