章 38: Kamabakka Kingdom

The Grand Line – the dream island, Momoiro Island.

Animals, plants, everything as far as the eye could see was a single shade of pink. Everyone who gathered on this island held the heart of a maiden.

After a week-long voyage, they arrived at this island, renowned as the second Amazon Lily, and the person they were looking for was there.

"So... you came here relying on this vatashee?"

But before that, he said, holding a microphone in one hand, dressed in a flamboyant outfit on a stage, smashing the microphone stand as he shouted,

"Nn~fufufu!! Well!! Kamaーーー!! Welcome to Kama Land!! We welcome you, hyah-ha!!"

He was about four meters tall, but the size of his face was disproportionately large compared to his body. Watching him give instructions for their welcome with high energy, Kanata thought to herself,

(... So noisy...)

Dragon seemed accustomed to Ivankov's energy, as he greeted him without changing his expression.

Ignoring Scotch, who was collapsing in tears behind them, Kanata decided to at least exchange greetings and disembarked.

"Nn~fufu. So Vanata is the 'Dragon-Slaying Witch.' I've heard the rumors. I didn't expect you to invite vatashee onto your ship."

"Yeah, Dragon said you were someone I could trust. I was planning to decide after actually meeting you. You're quite different from what I imagined."

"Oh really? But sorry, vatashee is a 'newkama'!! A sexable that esily transcends Imagination!!"

Everyone on this island was an okama – or rather, a "newkama."

Ivankov, who had eaten the Horu Horu no Mi and could manipulate human hormones, was a "Hormone Human" who could easily change a person's gender, body temperature, pigmentation, growth, and even their tension.

A man could have originally been a woman, and a woman could have originally been a man.

This was that kind of island.

That's why Scotch was crying.

"Waah... such a hell exists in this world...? Tell me this is a dream..."

"It's not a dream! It's a dreamland!!"

"Buheh!" Ivankov, with a simple blink, created a shockwave that hit Scotch in the face.

Tiger, who had disembarked next, looked at the surrounding okamas with a puzzled expression, while Kuro, who had also disembarked, was laughing hysterically.

Both of them had never been to a place like this and had never met an okama before, so it was like they were looking at some strange creature.

"Humans are so diverse..."

"Hehehe, this is what makes traveling so interesting."

"Indeed. We've got a good story to tell."

It might be an interesting story, but they didn't want to think of this as normal.

They decided to move to a place where they could relax and have a meal together as a way to get to know each other.

While the food was being prepared, they explained their situation to Ivankov and asked him once again to join their crew.

"──I see. So that's what happened, chable. I was wondering what was going on when Dragon came back after visiting a few months ago."

"If you want us to trust you, we need to take some action. Well, to be honest, I also wanted you on the ship because you seem interesting."

"But if Dragon has a big goal, wouldn't it be bad to stand out?"

"We'll deal with the Marines who are chasing us. You just need to stay on board as guests. You'll have work to do, though."

"I can't let you do that. If I'm staying on board as a crew member, I have to do at least some work."

That being said, Kanata didn't expect Dragon and Ivankov to be able to fight Marine Vice Admirals or Admirals head-on. Even Kanata herself would likely lose if she fought them head-on.

There was no shortcut to becoming stronger. It was the daily accumulation of effort that increased one's strength. The five years they spent in the West Blue and the year on Little Garden were not in vain. They couldn't keep running forever. Eventually, they would have to defeat even the Admirals.

"In that case, I'll send some cooks from vatashee's place! Because, you see, this Kamabakka Kingdom has a Newkama Kenpo that has been passed down for generations!!"

One of its secret techniques was called "Bridal Training."

Physique, personality – the "environment" of food was the soil that built the entirety of the human body. The "offensive cuisine" that shaped this environment through cooking was the source of the strength of the resilient okamas on this island.

However, these "99 Vital Recipes" were literally a secret technique. They couldn't be taught easily, so Ivankov offered to send several cooks from his place as crew members.

"Okamas on board the ship!? No way!!"

"What do you mean, no way!? Are you saying you won't let us on!?"

"Discrimination! Discrimination against okamas! We oppose it!"

"Shut up!!"

Several crew members, led by Scotch, raised their voices in protest.

Kanata didn't really care if okamas were on board, but it seemed to be a big deal for them.

She could use her authority as captain to force them on board, but using too much power could lead to resentment later on. It was best to avoid doing anything unreasonable.

As for Ivankov... well, he had no choice but to join.

"Then how about we have them learn Newkama Kenpo?"

"That's fine."

"Scotch, you bastard!?"

"Don't act like it doesn't concern you, asshole!"

"Shut up! It's better for you guys to learn some weird Kenpo and memorize the recipes than to have okamas on board, right!? You'll get stronger!"

"Let me tell you, these '99 Vital Recipes' are a secret technique of Newkama Kenpo!! I can't teach them lightly!!! If you want to learn them, become maidens in your hearts!! Seriously study Newkama Kenpo!!"

"Isn't that putting the cart before the horse!?"

They didn't want okamas on board, but the only way to learn the recipes was to become okamas.

Scotch, feeling completely helpless, looked at Kanata with pleading eyes. He believed that she could somehow fix this situation –

"Do you want to learn it?"

"Of course not, you idiot!?"

He was instantly betrayed.

Putting that aside.

The only real problem was the ship's doctor, so only Ivankov needed to join the crew. They were interested in the "offensive cuisine," but they understood why he couldn't teach them easily since it was a secret technique.

They could just visit Kamabakka Kingdom to eat the food, so Kanata and the others only needed to use this place as a base until Sukura's training was over.

Scotch and a few other crew members would probably complain, but that was their problem.

It was troublesome to have them complaining like children, so she made them compromise on at least this much.

"Witchy girl. I don't mind joining your crew, but do you have a destination in mind?"

"A destination, huh... I don't have anywhere I particularly want to go. For now, it's just killing time until our ship's doctor finishes his studies."

The only other thing they needed to do was stop by Drum Kingdom once a month. Other than that, they had no particular errands, so they could go wherever they wanted. However, they were being pursued, so they couldn't stay in one place for too long.

"Is there anywhere you want to go?"

"No, there's nowhere I particularly want to go." Ivankov replied, making an X with his hands.

As he watched the okamas serving food, he said, "If you don't have anywhere to go, why don't you try learning Newkama Kenpo on this island?"

"Me?"

"Yes. Kenpo isn't just about fighting techniques. It's also for polishing 'women's weapons' such as beauty and health!!"

"I see. I've never worn makeup in my life, so I wouldn't know."

"Vanata, you're this beautiful without makeup!?"

It went without saying for Ivankov, who wore heavy makeup, but everyone in Kamabakka Kingdom wore makeup to enhance their beauty. Or rather, the okamas around them were devastated by the fact that she was this beautiful without any makeup.

It was partly because she was surrounded by men, but Kanata herself had no interest in "those kinds of things," so she had never worn makeup.

Come to think of it, she suddenly remembered, "──Ah, no. I did have my makeup done once by an older sister... or rather, an acquaintance who was like an older sister. I've never done it myself."

"What a waste!! Polishing your own beauty!! That's your duty to the self you were born with, and it's a way to show gratitude to the parents who gave birth to you, chable!!!"

"I'm an orphan, so I've never met my parents. And since I was sold to human traffickers by the orphanage, I don't know what to be grateful for."

"Vanata, you've had a tough life..." Even Ivankov's energy level dropped.

They decided to continue the conversation after the meal and started eating.

The "offensive cuisine" that Kamabakka Kingdom, the headquarters of Newkama Kenpo, boasted was truly something else, as it made them feel energized from within.

It was a new concept to build the body from the inside, and it might be a good island for training against Zephyr.

The dining hall was large enough for giants to enter, so Feiyun was also there, devouring dish after dish.

"This is delicious! I can eat so much more!"

Perhaps moved by Feiyun's happy expression as she ate, the surrounding okamas rushed to take care of her.

"This is... maternal instinct...!"

"My maternal instincts are awakening...!"

"This is what love is...!"

Watching them flutter with excitement, Kanata and Ivankov exchanged glances.

"Feiyun seems to be quite popular."

"Most people who come to this island are newkamas, so it's rare for us to take care of someone, nashhible! I'd like to let them do as they please, if that's alright with you."

"Feiyun doesn't seem to mind either. Let them do whatever they want."

"Thank you! I'm grateful!"

Scotch also seemed to approve of the food and was eating voraciously. He had preferences when it came to people, but when it came to food, his philosophy was "if it's edible, it's fine." This was mainly due to his experience on Little Garden.

Well, back then, they would first have Samuel taste any fruits that weren't in the books to check for poison, so it was usually Samuel who suffered the consequences.

The meal, which also served as a get-to-know-you session, was over, and they were taking a break while planning their future activities.

"If we go to a country that's not affiliated with the World Government, there's less chance of us being discovered..."

"Is there one around here... Iva, do you have any Eternal Poses?"

"Let's see. Vatashee, or rather, vatashee's candies*1 had a few Eternal Poses, chable."

(*1 Candies: A term of endearment used by Ivankov to refer to her followers.)

"We could hunt pirates and plunder their belongings, but if we have nothing else to do, I'd like to use the time for training by just going back and forth between Drum and here."

"Training? For what?"

"To defeat Zephyr. We can't keep running forever."

Kanata, Dragon, and Ivankov continued their meeting while looking at a map and decided to spend the next month on Kamabakka Kingdom.

Since Ivankov had offered to teach them Newkama Kenpo, they decided it wouldn't hurt to stay a little longer.

Even so, Kanata thought as she looked out from the palace of Kamabakka Kingdom.

"Our crew has grown quite a bit."

"How many people did you have originally?"

"At first... let's see, less than thirty. We gained more people after becoming merchants, and at one point, we must have had two hundred."

They had gathered the thugs from Marx Island and hired them as laborers, traveling around the West Blue with two used galleons. It had only been a year ago, but it felt strangely nostalgic.

"We picked up Feiyun and Zen, and after I killed a Celestial Dragon, we were back to about thirty people... and then we met Sukura and you after entering the Grand Line."

"Fufu... you were a merchant, huh. I'm a little curious about Vanata's past."

"Don't pry too much into her background, Iva. There might be things she doesn't want to talk about." Dragon warned him that it wasn't something he should ask about lightly, considering Kanata was originally an orphan and had been sold to human traffickers.

Kanata didn't seem to mind and replied, "I was just trying to survive back then."

She had never told anyone about her time at the orphanage. There was no need to talk about it, and no one had ever asked.

"There's nothing particularly interesting. The most I can say is that the bald old geezer who was the director was scared of me – or rather, my parents."

She had wondered why, but she had been sold before she could find out, so she had lost interest.

However, just like when she met Kureha, it seemed that she looked a lot like her mother, so she might be mistaken for her in the future. It was a nuisance, but she could only hope that no strange people would approach her.

***

Marine Headquarters in Marineford.

In one of the rooms, the man sitting in the Fleet Admiral's chair – Kong – was receiving a report from a flustered subordinate.

"R-Reporting! Shiki, the 'Golden Lion,' has sunk all of the military's surveillance ships in the New World and has gone missing! Afterwards, there have been sightings of a flying pirate ship near Water Seven..."

"That bastard...! What is his objective?"

Kong held his forehead as if he had a headache and instructed them to inform Zephyr and Sengoku.

Those two were currently out on other assignments, but an opponent like the "Golden Lion" would be difficult for an average Vice Admiral to handle.

Garp, as usual, was chasing Roger, and Tsuru was at headquarters but busy with other matters. Those two were the only ones who could move quickly and deal with the situation.

"I hope nothing happens..."

Kong looked at the wanted poster of the woman Zephyr was pursuing and sighed. When strange things happened consecutively, the cause was often the same. He could only hope that this wasn't the case as he quietly sipped his tea.