Whether or not the saying "new year, new atmosphere" exists in the world of One Piece, at this moment it perfectly captured the feelings of the Lohart Tribe, who had settled on Wenmigudan Island and begun a new life.
As dawn broke and the morning sunlight spilled over Wenmigudan Island, the once-deserted island was now bustling with activity.
On the southeastern side of the massive island, a small port had already been built. A broad stone-paved road stretched over the waters along the shore, linking the port to a small town not far away.
Countless Lohart tribespeople were hard at work, transporting supplies from the warships docked at the harbor to warehouses near the town.
With the central road connected to the port as the dividing line, small stone houses had been built on both sides.
Perhaps because of the Lohart Tribe's natural talents, they preferred to live in stone houses, but that did not make the homes look crude in the slightest.
Even though they lacked proper tools, once those rough, hard stones fell into the hands of the Lohart Tribe, they became as obedient as clay. And because the Lohart Tribe was naturally very strong, construction work was almost effortless for them.
Closest to the harbor stood a huge arched building, with temporary warehouses set up behind it.
Once the supplies were unloaded from the warships, they were all sent there.
The people managing the place were selected from among the more educated members of the Lohart Tribe. Their job was to sort everything brought into the warehouses, then distribute daily necessities for food, clothing, shelter, and transport to the Lohart tribespeople living on the island according to fixed quotas.
Most of them had previously worked in the World Government's shipyards, so they were very familiar with this kind of work.
But compared to their lives on Warship Island, where they had labored like slaves under the World Government's oppression and received only a tiny amount of food each day, things were completely different now. The Lohart Tribe was working for itself, and with only a modest amount of labor, they no longer had to worry about food or clothing. To them, life now was practically heaven.
They also no longer had to worry about being poisoned by filthy air and a terrible working environment. On the contrary, some of the chronic ailments they had carried for years had been completely cured under Ayala's treatment, making them feel as if they had been given a new life.
That only made them more grateful to the Sky Pirates, and filled them with confidence in both their future and their nation.
The workers at the port continued moving cargo nonstop, while the sailors who had gone out to sea to purchase those supplies had already gone home to rest.
Over the past month and more, they had already gone to sea four times. For the Lohart Tribe, who were naturally more dependent on life on land and had little seafaring experience, that had been fairly exhausting.
Still, after four voyages, those hundred-plus sailors had accumulated a great deal of experience and were gradually beginning to adapt to life at sea.
After the hundred sailors returned home to rest, Enel and Tiger said goodbye to Modlin and headed for the volcanic crater at the very center of the island.
There, clearly visible, stood a gigantic multicolored tree shaped like an umbrella, like the Tree of Life from some myth, radiating dazzling light that turned the surrounding world into something out of a dreamlike fairy tale. Sunlight filtered through its branches and leaves, scattering across the ground and casting rainbow-colored streaks through the air.
Beneath the tree, Yemu, the captain, was training in a sweat, holding a barbell in one hand.
When he saw Enel and Tiger approaching, Yemu wiped away his sweat, took a break, and asked,
"You're here. Is everything settled?"
Tiger answered. There was no point expecting Enel to handle detailed matters like this.
"Yeah. The supplies stockpiled on the island are enough to feed everyone for half a year, so I was thinking we should pause for now. Even though Modlin handled the purchases on all four trips, so our movements haven't been exposed, the more often we go to sea, the more likely it is that something slips through. And we haven't shown up on the open sea for more than a month now, so the Marines and the World Government are definitely getting anxious trying to find us."
Yemu nodded.
"That makes sense. But there's no need to worry. It won't be long before the Sky Pirates can set sail once again!"
At that, Yemu turned to Enel, whose eyes had been fixed on the Rainbow Tree the whole time.
"How's the Kumo Kumo no Mi coming along?"
Enel scratched his head.
"Over on Kuromi's side, it'll probably still take another two months before the ability can be used again!"
Yemu frowned.
Combining objects with Devil Fruits really was an extremely rare ability, so having a cooldown was normal enough, but once every six months really was a bit too long.
"Looks like we really can't put off the scientist problem. Hopefully once the third-generation Baku Baku Metal appears, we'll be able to solve it."
At that moment, Enel suddenly thought of something.
"Can my Goro Goro no Mi and the Kumo Kumo no Mi be planted into this Rainbow Tree too?"
Yemu naturally understood what Enel was thinking.
"I have thought about it, but from what things look like right now, there's no way. Unless your own Devil Fruits awaken self-awareness the same way mine did, there's no way to make them obediently transfer into the Rainbow Tree."
"I see?"
Enel was clearly disappointed.
Seeing that, Yemu reassured him,
"There's no need to rush. It may be impossible now, but that doesn't mean it'll stay impossible forever. Besides, for you right now, if you can awaken the Goro Goro no Mi, then together with the power of the Kumo Kumo no Mi, your strength will grow a lot..."
At that point, Yemu seemed to remember something. After hesitating for a moment, he looked at Enel and Tiger and said,
"To be honest, I've had an idea for a long time now. I wanted to talk to the two of you about it earlier, but I never found the chance. Now might be the right time. Enel, go call everyone over."
Enel and Tiger were instantly drawn in.
Enel nodded, his figure vanishing in an instant. Before long, everyone else had arrived.
"What happened?"
Flare asked curiously.
Yemu looked over everyone present and said,
"The reason I called all of you here is actually very simple. Since our goal has already shifted from adventure at sea to building a nation, the current structure of our pirate crew no longer suits us."
Everyone froze at those words.
"For the sake of our nation, and for everyone's growth as well, I think it's time to give all of you a certain degree of freedom."
That only left everyone even more stunned.
"So starting today, I've decided to establish three divisions under the Sky Pirates. Enel, Tiger, and Erik, the three of you will each serve as a captain. From now on, I'm giving you absolute freedom. As long as they agree with our dream and ideals and aren't evil people, you can recruit companions as you see fit and form your own pirate crews."
At those words, everyone's eyes filled with surprise and confusion, along with a faint spark of anticipation...