No one quite knew how the ocean currents had carried them all the way to the remote corner of the East Blue. Logically speaking, even under the influence of deep currents, drifting such a great distance seemed impossible—it was truly baffling.
Given the circumstances, they would have to make their way to Reverse Mountain and from there re-enter the Grand Line. After all, both sides of the Grand Line were bordered by the Calm Belt, and with just a sailing ship, it was impossible to cross.
If Kaguya were traveling alone, it wouldn't be a problem. As long as she had a map and a Log Pose, she could simply fly across. But glancing at the crew aboard the ship, she decided against it.
After all, these people had served her for quite some time. Even if they hadn't made great contributions, they had at least put in the effort. Abandoning them to be fish food in the ocean didn't quite seem right.
For some unknown reason, the crew suddenly felt a chill run down their spines, involuntarily shivering. Was it because the weather had turned cold?
The air was cold and dry, heavy with thick, dark clouds. Before long, large snowflakes began to fall, swirling in the howling northern wind and bringing a bone-chilling cold.
After months of sailing, they finally arrived at the gateway to Reverse Mountain—Loguetown.
It hadn't been an easy journey. Due to the unpredictable currents, they had been thrown to the southwestern part of the East Blue. Although the direct distance to Mary Geoise and Fishman Island wasn't too far, the Calm Belt in between had forced them to take a detour.
Technically, Kaguya could have used her powers to propel the ship straight through the Calm Belt. But she wasn't a shipwright, nor a beast of burden meant for hauling transport. She had no interest in doing such tedious work, so they had taken the long way instead.
That detour, however, wasn't entirely unfruitful. Along the way, Kaguya managed to collect five or six Devil Fruits—smuggled from the Grand Line into the East Blue.
Though none of them were particularly rare, most being Zoan types with rather unimpressive abilities, it didn't matter to Kaguya. She was simply gathering them to complete a mission.
Since they had come to Loguetown, it was only natural to visit the execution platform where the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, had met his end. However, upon seeing it, Kaguya found that it was no different from any other execution ground. Perhaps it was only because of Roger's legacy that this place held any significance at all.
As she strolled through the bustling streets, Kaguya suddenly had a feeling. She turned her head and spotted a man wearing a deep green cloak. There was something special about him—an indescribable aura that felt somewhat like Conqueror's Haki.
At that moment, a Marine captain hurried over and respectfully reported, "The fleet's repairs and resupply are complete. We can set sail at any time."
Kaguya nodded and instructed, "Notify everyone—we set sail in two hours."
"Yes, ma'am."
When she turned back to look for the cloaked man, he had already disappeared into the sea of people.
Meanwhile, in a secluded corner of the street, the man in the deep green cloak smirked slightly and murmured, "As expected of that person—her instincts are incredibly sharp. I wonder… will she become my enemy in the future? How exciting."
By the time Kaguya returned to Mary Geoise, more than a year had passed. Many things had happened during that time, but what surprised her the most was the appointment letter issued by the World Government.
Instead of being promoted to Admiral as she had anticipated, she was given the title of Inspector General.
Inspector General? What kind of nonsense was that?
Kaguya had never heard of such a position in the world of One Piece.
In the original story, after Sengoku stepped down as Fleet Admiral, he was appointed as the Grand Inspector, responsible for overseeing all Navy affairs. It seemed similar to a government auditing position in the real world—lacking substantial authority but still holding an important supervisory role.
But Kaguya was hardly some retired bureaucrat. The World Government's decision to grant her the title of Inspector General was rather intriguing.
By not appointing her as a formal naval officer, it was clear that the World Government still didn't fully trust her—or at least, not entirely.
Yet by giving her the role of Inspector General, it also indicated that the World Government, or more precisely, the Five Elders, still wanted to make use of her strength.
They didn't want to grant her real authority, yet they still hoped she would serve their interests. So, what was the solution?
Appointing her as an Inspector General was the perfect compromise—having it both ways.
Unfortunately for them, Kaguya wasn't some naive fool who could be easily manipulated. She saw through their little scheme at a glance.
Casually tossing the appointment letter aside, she smirked with disdain.
Did these old men really think they could fool her with such cheap tricks?
At that moment, Shirley hurried over, hesitating before speaking. "Master, are you sure about this? What if—"
Kaguya waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine. That little brat needs a lesson, or she'll think she can run wild forever."
As expected, not long after Kaguya left Mary Geoise, Shalria started causing trouble.
Relying on her Celestial Dragon status, she began ordering Shirley and the others around, restoring her previous extravagant lifestyle. Whether it was food, clothing, or entertainment, she expected the highest standards, acting as if she were the true master. Her arrogant, entitled nature as a Celestial Dragon became painfully obvious.
Not stopping there, she even conspired with a few other Celestial Dragon families she was close to, urging them to sign a joint letter. Their plan? To submit a formal complaint to the Five Elders, accusing Kaguya of oppressing her fellow Celestial Dragons and committing "atrocious" misdeeds.
Unfortunately for her, the letter was never completed.
Before she could finish writing it, Shirley and the other maids—who had been anticipating her move—swiftly captured her and locked her away in a small dark room.
It was reminiscent of those times when rebellious villagers dreamed of becoming emperors, only to be swiftly crushed by the local police force.
By the time Kaguya finally returned after more than half a year, Shalria had been locked up for so long that she was almost unrecognizable. Her once-pristine appearance had become a disheveled mess—unkempt hair, a pale complexion—she looked no better than a ghost.
In fairness, this wasn't Shirley's fault. With a spoiled young lady like Shalria, there was no way to keep her in check without such drastic measures.
As for the Celestial Dragons who dared to conspire with Shalria, Kaguya dealt with them one by one, leaving them battered and bruised, groveling on the ground.
Predictably, after getting beaten senseless, they ran to the Five Elders, demanding justice. But just as predictably, the Five Elders dismissed their complaints, stating that this was an internal matter among Celestial Dragons, and thus, they had no authority to intervene.
In other words—they didn't care.
Kaguya had already anticipated this response. If the Five Elders alienated her over such trivial matters, who else would do their dirty work?
"Baby 5, get me a cup of coffee. Make sure to add milk."
"Yes."
"Baby 5, bring me a freshly baked donut."
"Yes."
"Baby 5, fetch my clothes. Oh, and is that guy's breakfast ready?"
"Lady Shalria, it's already prepared."
"Good, bring it here. That guy is about to wake up."
"Understood. Anything else you need?"
Looking at the black-haired little girl with big, expectant eyes, Shalria finally felt like she had regained some of her former authority and dignity. A sense of confidence she hadn't felt in a long time welled up inside her. Lifting her chin slightly, she spoke with a haughty tone, "No, you may go."
Today was another wonderful day. If only that annoying person weren't around, it would be perfect, she thought.
And by "that guy," she was, of course, referring to Kaguya.
What she didn't realize was that everything she was doing had already been noticed by Kaguya.
Standing nearby, Shirley hesitated before speaking. "Master, is this really okay?"
Her concern was, of course, for Baby 5. The girl had clearly suffered severe psychological trauma as a child, making her desperate to be needed and accepted—to an almost unhealthy degree. This worried the ever-gentle Shirley.
"What's wrong with it? Just ignore them," Kaguya replied lazily, sipping her tea while watching the little girl being ordered around. "As long as they're happy, that's all that matters."
She smiled slightly. Shirley didn't realize it, but Baby 5 was already much better off than in the original story.
In the original timeline, Baby 5's psychological issues were far worse. As long as someone needed her, she couldn't refuse, whether it was lending money, being scammed, or even accepting random marriage proposals—she would agree without hesitation. Naturally, this led to her being constantly deceived, and she even racked up an enormous amount of debt.
Now, Baby 5 was much better. She only had trouble rejecting the requests of her close family. As for strangers? They wouldn't even get the chance to ask—if they tried, they'd be lucky to avoid getting shot. After all, she was now a Weapon-Weapon Fruit user.
"Yes, Master," Shirley said, gazing at the two little girls in the distance. Recalling the first time she had met Baby 5, she sighed sentimentally. "The little girl who once wandered the streets has grown so much."
"Yeah," Kaguya agreed, feeling a touch of nostalgia. "Hard to believe that years have passed in the blink of an eye. They were just tiny kids back then."
Shirley spoke softly, "It was lucky that Master took us in back then. Otherwise, who knows what would've happened to us? We might've ended up like…"
Over the years, she had seen countless other maids like her, only for them to be brutally tormented and killed by cruel Celestial Dragons.
Kaguya waved her hand, cutting her off. "No need to talk about that. I've heard it enough times for my ears to grow calluses."
Seeing Kaguya's impatience, Shirley smiled knowingly. Master was still the same as ever—never comfortable with being thanked.
"Understood," Shirley chuckled softly. "Master really is a good person."
"A good person?"
"Of course, Master is always so gentle..."
"How dare you call me a good person! Looks like you need to be punished properly."
Shirley didn't quite understand why praising Kaguya led to punishment, but as long as it was from her Master, she was willing to accept any punishment with delight.
As Shalria entered the room carrying breakfast, she eyed them suspiciously—especially Shirley, whose flushed cheeks looked as if they had been dusted with rouge. Wrinkling her delicate nose, she seemed to catch a familiar scent.
Unable to bear Shalria's inquisitive gaze, Shirley's face reddened further. "Master, I'll go take care of some tasks."
Kaguya cleared her throat and waved her off. "Go ahead, and remember to bring me my documents later."
"Yes." Shirley quickly left, though her walking posture seemed a bit unnatural.
Shalria's eyes grew even more skeptical. She had never seen Shirley act so flustered before.
"Why are you still standing here? Planning to eat with me?"
A voice snapped Shalria out of her thoughts. She quickly laughed awkwardly. "No, no, of course not. Master, please enjoy your meal."
"Did you make this?" Kaguya picked up a donut and took a bite. It was crisp and delicious. "Your skills have improved quite a bit."
"Thank you for your praise, Master!" Shalria beamed with a radiant smile. "I put my heart into making it. Receiving your compliment is the greatest honor!"
In reality, all the breakfast had been made by Baby 5—Shalria had merely taken credit for it.
What a shameless girl. But her flattery was getting more refined.
Kaguya didn't expose her lie and simply said, "Since you've been behaving well lately, I'll allow you to go out for a few days. But you must be accompanied. Understood?"
"Really?!" Shalria was momentarily stunned before she cheered. "That's amazing!"
She had been confined in the castle for so long that she was going crazy. She never expected Kaguya to show such kindness today. Even looking at Kaguya seemed more pleasant now.
Watching Shalria's excitement, Kaguya chuckled. No matter how arrogant she acted, she was still just a little girl.
Over the past few years, many significant events had unfolded.
One of the biggest was the escape of Golden Lion Shiki from Impel Down. He had cut off his own legs and used his Float-Float Fruit ability to break free. The incident caused an enormous uproar, prompting the Navy to dispatch multiple admirals to hunt him down. However, after months of searching, he had completely vanished.
Following this event, various powerful factions began stirring restlessly.
Red-Haired Shanks, after recruiting numerous members, had significantly strengthened his crew. With his rapidly growing power, his reputation in the Grand Line had soared, establishing him as a well-known pirate. However, compared to Whitebeard's massive empire, he was still far from matching that level of dominance.
Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Army had also become more active, instigating numerous bloody conflicts. Yet their movements remained elusive—even the World Government's top intelligence agency, CP, struggled to track them down.
As for Doflamingo, despite the severe beating he had received from Kaguya, he had survived and was once again operating within the Grand Line. However, perhaps due to his previous lesson, he had become much more discreet in his activities. Without Kaguya's informants on Fishman Island, he might have remained undetected.
But one figure in particular had caught Kaguya's attention—Kaido of the Beasts, the so-called "strongest creature."
This reckless madman was constantly causing trouble—one day fighting Whitebeard, the next clashing with the Navy. He was utterly fearless, a berserker who cared nothing for his own life. Even Kaguya found dealing with someone like him exasperating…
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