The world is forgetful.
A month ago, the enormous rift that felt like the sky was falling, affecting nearly half the world, had caused a period of panic in this part of the New World's seas.
But as time passed, a month later, very few people discussed it anymore.
After all, there was no news, and the World Government hadn't reported anything. Except for the top powerhouses, everyone else took it as a peculiar celestial phenomenon.
There were plenty of interesting things in this world, so after a few days of discussion, it was forgotten.
Gertrag.
An ordinary island in the New World.
Snowflakes drifted down, blanketing everything in white.
The entire island was shrouded in a silvery cloak.
This was a Winter Island.
*Creak!*
*Creak!*
*Creak!*
On the wide street, a handsome young man with his hands shoved into his pockets strolled forward.
The young man had silver hair, which appeared even whiter under the falling snow. His attire was also snow-white, making him look like a snow spirit emerging from the wind and snow.
To the young man's right, a girl with dark blue hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a pink robe, held his right arm with both hands, gazing around with curiosity.
Her eyes were full of liveliness, but if one looked closely, they could see fleeting arcs of blue lightning flickering in her pupils, making her appear petite yet exuding an indescribable majesty.
These two were Kouta and Guina.
They had arrived here after several days of sailing from Gurs.
The New World was unlike the first half of the Grand Line. Here, due to the generally higher strength of the people and the presence of various pirates and merchant ships, the New World was more open than Paradise.
The maps here were also more comprehensive.
Kouta and his companions navigated using the map, along with the unique three-needle Log Pose specific to this region.
Their destination was primarily the Kingdom of Dressrosa.
This island was a transit point they were passing through.
He didn't want to be a hero of the world, nor a hero to everyone. But since he knew what was happening in Dressrosa, and he had the strength, coupled with his strong dislike for that guy Doflamingo, it was a simple matter to go and deal with him.
At this point in time, Caesar should have just returned to Punk Hazard. He wondered if that guy's collaboration with Doflamingo on artificial Devil Fruits had succeeded.
Thinking of artificial Devil Fruits, Kouta thought of Wano Country, of Shimotsuki Kozaburo, who could only laugh even in sadness, and he thought of Toki.
He thought of the little girl, heartbroken after witnessing her father’s execution by Kurozumi Orochi, but because of…
In such heavy snow, arriving here wearing such thin clothes clearly indicated that the visitors, though young, were powerful.
And such powerhouses were generally wealthy. From Kouta and Guina's demeanor, she couldn't detect the brutish aura of pirates.
Looking at their attire, the luxurious silk was not something ordinary people could afford. Combined with their bearing.
"Wealthy, noble, kind. Business is here."
The maid stepped forward, positioning herself to the left of Kouta and Guina. She bowed slightly, extended her hands towards them, and gestured them inside. "This way, esteemed guests. We have private rooms. Would you like to dine, or perhaps some fine wine? We have it all."
As a unique commercial hub in the starting seas of the New World, it saw a great many merchant ships. Due to the presence of a Marine base on the island, pirates dared not cause trouble here.
Consequently, the island was prosperous.
Although the streets outside had few pedestrians, this was solely due to the heavy snowfall. The occupancy rate in the tavern was enough to show that business was far from poor.
And the maid's favorite customers were those like Kouta and Guina—people who weren't short on money and were kind.
Such people wouldn't haggle with her over trivial matters and were often generous.
This was why she was so enthusiastic towards the duo.
Kouta glanced around the tavern, nodded, and followed the maid into a private room on the right.
The moment the door closed, the clamor from outside vanished.
It seemed the soundproofing here was quite good.