1489, Sea Year.
After sailing on the White Sea for an unknown period of three months, they finally arrived at Bick, a small sky island southeast of the White Sea.
The entire island had an ancient feel to it, not as vibrant as other sky islands. The residents were mostly elderly or children, and the young people, unable to stand the oppressive atmosphere, had all gone out to seek their fortunes.
The warship docked by the shore, and the soldiers disembarked, interacting with and procuring supplies from the residents of Bick. Kurik looked at the architecture of Bick with a strange feeling.
"Mr. Sakazuki, why do I feel like I've seen these buildings somewhere before?"
Sakazuki looked back at the ancient buildings of Bick and replied,
"The Golden City, Shandora."
Only then did Kurik realize that there were many similarities between the buildings here and those of Shandora: the appearance of the houses, the towering altars, and the carved patterns.
"Wasn't Shandora an island that existed in the Blue Sea a thousand years ago? How come..."
Sakazuki's voice echoed leisurely.
"Didn't you notice..."
"The Skypieans..."
"Also have wings."
Kurik froze in place as if stunned.
Sakazuki called out to his adjutant, instructed him to watch the warship, and then disembarked, using his Observation Haki to scan the island.
Bick was not a large island, but even after Sakazuki had circled it several times, he found no differences. It was all normal houses.
"This..."
Helpless, Sakazuki had to return to the ship to find another solution.
As soon as he returned to the ship, his Observation Haki detected an additional person, a child. He looked at his adjutant.
"Where did this little one come from?"
The adjutant smiled and said,
"No wings, so he must be a child from the Blue Sea. I don't know why he ended up here. He looks like he hasn't had a very good life."
Sakazuki became interested. "Let's go take a look."
With that, he headed towards the storage room below the deck, and the adjutant followed with a smile.
Inside the ship's cabin, in the storage room.
Crunch, crunch, crunch...
Enel, with an apple in his left hand and an apple in his right, took bites from both, his cheeks puffed out like a little squirrel, chewing rapidly.
Just as Sakazuki was approaching the storage room, Enel, as if sensing something, skillfully lifted the lid of a nearby chest and hid inside.
He didn't forget the two apples in his hands, not letting go of them.
Sakazuki and the adjutant, who had also sensed Enel's movements, revealed slight smiles. This was interesting.
Pushing open the door to the storage room, Sakazuki entered, speaking to the adjutant behind him as he walked.
"Karol, has anything gone missing from the storage room?"
Enel, inside the chest, startled and tensed. What! Did they notice even two apples?
Karol looked at Enel hiding in the chest and chuckled.
"It seems something is missing, Vice Admiral Sakazuki."
Sakazuki's voice rang out,
"How should a brat who steals be punished?"
Karol's somewhat "cruel" words followed.
"For a child who steals, they are usually hung above the dining table for three days, punished by only being able to watch, not eat~"
Enel's heart tightened. Were these two devils! He quickly held his breath, praying they hadn't found him.
Sakazuki gestured, and Karol walked to the chest where Enel was hiding, lifted the lid, and looked down at Enel with a smile.
"What do you think~"
"Little thief, sir."
The moment Karol placed his hand on the chest, Enel knew it was over!
His heart was in a panic. After all, he was only a three-year-old child. His mind went blank, and he only reacted after Karol lifted the lid and spoke.
He haphazardly threw the apples in his hands at Karol, not caring about the half-eaten apples, and nimbly flipped out of the chest, running towards the door.
Before he could take a few steps, he was yanked into the air by an "irresistible" immense force, flailing in panic.
Karol smiled, holding the two apples in his hand, and looked down at Enel, who was being held in the air by Sakazuki's two fingers.
"Wasting food is a great sin, little thief, sir."
"Then I'll punish you~"
Hearing this, Enel panicked even more, twisting left and right. A hint of tears flashed in his eyes, but his personality, honed by years of wandering since he could remember, prevented him from crying.
"Eat these two apples."
Enel was even more terrified when Karol announced his cruel punishment, but he immediately realized something was wrong. Eat them?
He looked left and right at the smiling Karol and the slightly smiling Sakazuki, his face turning red. How could he not know he was being tricked!
"You bastard, let me go!!!"
"I....mmph mmph mmph mmph."
Karol shoved the apples into Enel's mouth. "Children who curse will be hung up~"
Enel knew the two had no intention of harming him, and given the "cruel" punishment, he accepted the apples with his hands.
Crunch!
He took a big bite and stopped talking.
Sakazuki, carrying Enel, and Karol walked out of the cabin towards the office. The scene that followed made Enel experience an emotion called "social death."
"This is...."
"Eh, where did this little child come from?"
"When did he sneak in?"
"Who was on guard?"
"Huh? I was on guard during the day, impossible."
"Haha...."
Enel, born with powerful Observation Haki, clearly heard the distant soldiers' discussions. In just a moment, his face turned red again, and he dared not look at anyone, his limbs drooping as if playing dead.
Click!
Karol closed the door, and Sakazuki placed Enel on the sofa, asking,
"What's your name?"
Enel awkwardly turned his head, but as soon as he turned, he saw Karol's smiling eyes and tensed up, honestly replying,
"Enel."
As expected, Sakazuki continued to ask,
"How did you get in?"
This was Enel's biggest secret, how could he easily reveal it.
"It's because your people are too stupid."
Sakazuki's low voice sounded.
"Is it because you can sense others' movements?"
"What's the range?"
"To the bow of the ship? To the port? To the town?"
"I see, to the town."
Hearing Sakazuki's words, Enel's eyes widened, and he clenched his fists. This person must be a devil!
When Sakazuki mentioned sensing others' movements, Enel froze. When Sakazuki then mentioned the town, he became even more flustered.
This was why Sakazuki could determine Enel's Observation Haki range. This range, this talent, he continued to ask.
"Where are your family?"
Enel's expression dimmed, and he said somewhat dejectedly.
"I have no family. I've been wandering since I can remember..."
Seeing Enel's low spirits, coupled with his worn clothes, he was still just a child. Sakazuki lost the desire to interrogate him further.
"Karol, take him to get washed, and do we have any children's uniforms? Get him changed."
Karol stepped forward, scooped up Enel, and despite Enel's struggles.
"Yes, Vice Admiral Sakazuki."
Enel pushed at Karol's arm with his thin arms.
"Hey, I haven't even... mmph mmph"
Karol, without anyone noticing, produced a new apple and stuffed it into Enel's mouth, and walked out.
Splash!
After being washed, Enel was much cleaner. Karol found him a set of new children's military uniforms to wear. Because they sometimes took in children from massacred towns, they had uniforms for all age groups.
Karol pulled Enel in front of a mirror.
"Alright, take a look."
Looking at himself in the mirror, Enel was momentarily dazed. For the first time since birth, he was being taken care of... This feeling... tears gradually welled up in his eyes.
Enel turned and rushed out the door, all the way down the ship, until he disappeared into the small town of Bick.
Sakazuki, standing by the ship's railing, watched Enel run into the town and asked Karol beside him.
"How is it?"
Karol smiled and looked in the direction Enel had disappeared.
"Everything's been placed, it should be enough for a while, right?"
Sakazuki nodded.
-----------------------------
Bick Island, under a bridge in the small town, Enel sat there panting.
"Tch, who needs your kindness."
Then, afraid of soiling his new clothes, he quickly got up to tidy himself. Suddenly, he felt something in the two pockets of his top. He reached in and pulled them out.
Two stacks of large-denomination Extols appeared in Enel's small hands. Enel lowered his head, his face obscured, and tried hard to control his expression.
Patta! Patta! Patta!......