Time passed quickly, and before long, the first pale light of dawn appeared along the horizon.
After learning that Cain barely had any spare money to his name, Yasopp could only grit his teeth, turn around, and leave with a thoroughly dissatisfied expression.
Not long afterward, Cain found himself standing inside Mayor Iceburg's office.
"Income? Wait, wait, wait!"
Cain stared wide-eyed at the money pouch pushed across the desk, along with several large chests of Beli behind it. He looked at Iceburg in disbelief.
"Weren't all the tickets for this concert free? Where did this income come from? And it's a whole billion Beli! That's almost exactly how much I spent!"
"That is true," Iceburg replied calmly, leaning back in his office chair. "However, this concert has drawn an enormous number of visitors to Water 7 and the surrounding region. The entire city is enjoying prosperity on a scale we've never seen before."
"This is the share you're entitled to. I know you're a pirate, so naturally, you aren't going to behave like an ordinary businessman and return after the event to collect your earnings. That's why I arranged an early settlement for you."
"Oh, I see. In that case, I'll gladly accept it."
Cain had only just reached out when he suddenly spun around and scanned every corner of the office, afraid Yasopp might emerge from somewhere.
Fortunately, it had only been his imagination.
…
Cain returned to the Going Merry carrying several heavy chests of Beli.
After locking them inside the storeroom, he softened his footsteps and slipped into Uta's room, crouching beside her bed.
Uta was still curled beneath the blankets, sleeping soundly. Her long red-and-white hair lay messily across the pillow.
Cain gently brushed a fingertip over her soft cheek and spoke in a quiet voice.
"Uta, it's time to wake up."
Uta opened her eyes just a crack. Once she saw who it was, she wrapped both arms around Cain's neck and pulled him closer with a little force.
"I won't get up without a kiss."
Before the words had even fully left her mouth, she lifted her face toward him.
Cain paused briefly, then leaned down to meet her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and the two embraced as their lips met.
The intimate mood had only just begun to spread when a soft, childish mumble interrupted them.
"Shameless… Bella can't see anything. Can't see anything!"
Both of them instantly froze.
Their cheeks heated as they awkwardly turned toward the source of the voice.
A small, round lump bulged beneath Uta's blanket.
A tiny corner of cloud poked out from beneath it, giving the little cloud a perfect view of the embracing couple.
It was Bella.
At that moment, she had buried her face in the blanket and was swaying from side to side with her eyes tightly shut, repeatedly muttering in her childish voice,
"Can't see anything… can't see anything…"
"Uh, Bella, why are you…"
Uta's cheeks turned even redder.
She knew Bella stayed in her room at night, but the little cloud normally slept quietly while floating above her head.
Why had she suddenly crawled beneath the covers?
"Papa wasn't here last night, and Mama wouldn't stay still while she slept! You kept rolling around and touching everything!"
Bella shot out from beneath the blanket and floated in front of them, eagerly filing her complaint.
"You dragged Bella under the covers and started touching me all over! You kept saying Papa's name and saying lots of strange things too! Bella didn't understand any of it, but it all felt really embarrassing!"
"AAAAAH! Bella, stop talking!"
Uta's hair practically stood on end.
Her face turned so red it looked ready to bleed as she lunged forward and smothered the little cloud against her chest.
There was nothing more humiliating than having her private thoughts overheard by her own child—only for that child to repeat everything clearly in public!
…
After washing up, Uta changed out of her pajamas and sat in front of the mirror wearing an oversized T-shirt.
A faint blush still lingered across her cheeks.
She hurriedly coughed twice to hide her embarrassment, then forced herself to look calm as she turned toward Cain behind her.
"Ahem! Cain, you didn't hear anything just now, right?"
"No. I definitely didn't hear a thing."
Suppressing his smile, Cain nodded with a perfectly serious expression.
The comb moved gently through Uta's long red-and-white hair as he slowly worked through the tangles left from sleep.
Warm morning sunlight and the sea breeze slipped through the porthole and wrapped around them.
It would have been an impossibly peaceful domestic scene…
If not for the Music Domain soldiers surrounding the bedroom with weapons raised, standing solemnly shoulder to shoulder until there was barely any room left.
Once Cain finished smoothing out her hair, Uta waved her hand with a red face, causing the soldiers gathered around the doorway to disappear.
Cain walked over to the wardrobe and picked out several suitable outfits.
"Which one do you want to wear?"
"Huh? I don't need those. I can just create one."
Uta activated her ability and transformed the oversized T-shirt into an ordinary casual outfit.
Cain frowned when he saw it and held the real clothes out to her again.
"Put these on. Be good."
"Why?"
"Uta, have you ever considered what would happen if you relied entirely on your ability to create clothes, and then one day your power suddenly stopped working? Wouldn't you end up—"
Before Cain could finish, Uta hurriedly covered his mouth.
Her face turned bright red as she shouted,
"I understand! Stop talking! Out, out! Go outside! I'll change by myself!"
Cain was promptly shoved out of the room.
He and Bella, who was floating in the hallway, looked at each other with matching awkwardness.
Cain quickly spoke.
"Bella, that's enough. You can disperse the cold now."
"Okay, Papa."
Bella obeyed and released the mist surrounding them.
Before long, the Going Merry's silhouette gradually appeared upon the surface of the sea.
This was Bella's technique, Mirage.
Naturally, she had copied it from Nami.
By manipulating cold air to alter how light refracted, Bella could conceal the Merry from nearby pirates.
Of course, the technique merely changed what people could see.
Any true powerhouse could easily see through it with even basic Observation Haki.
That was why even Aokiji had never considered it an especially important technique.
Not long afterward, Uta emerged wearing a new white one-piece dress with two small wing decorations on the back.
A hooded jacket rested over it, and light makeup had been applied to her face.
She met Cain's eyes.
"Let's go. It's time."
Cain nodded.
He then transformed into a thousand-meter-long pink dragon and lifted the Going Merry, soaring into the sky beneath the shocked gazes of everyone on the island.
Together, they flew toward the island where the concert would be held.
Only after they had disappeared completely did Yasopp slowly step out from the shadows near the harbor.
He scratched his head awkwardly and muttered,
"Damn. I saw that brat carrying all those chests of treasure and thought I might secretly recover the money we spent."
"Who would've guessed he'd take the entire ship with him too?"
He sighed.
"Forget it. Forget it."