On the roof of the giant wooden house.
The blue-haired girl sat on the eaves, her cheeks slightly flushed, hands clasped around her knees, gazing at the sky.
In her clear, cold eyes, the pale moonlight was reflected, emitting a chilly glow.
It was unclear if she was admiring the moon or waiting for someone.
A gentle breeze blew, scattering strands of blue hair like a ribbon fluttering in the wind. From a distance, the girl looking up at the moon and the surrounding cold stillness formed a breathtakingly beautiful picture.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?"
To the girl's left, a silver-haired boy in a moon-white shirt appeared silently.
The moment the boy appeared, the girl's body tensed. However, upon hearing the familiar, gentle voice, her body instantly softened.
She looked up. The cold girl thawed in this moment, revealing a stunning smile at the boy.
Gu Yina didn't answer Kong Tai's question. Instead, she smiled and asked, "You've been gone so long, did you find anything interesting?"
"I did meet an interesting person, and confirmed something that was within expectations."
As he finished speaking, Kong Tai sat down beside the girl.
The girl, following his lead, released her knees, shifted to his left, and leaned her upper body against his shoulder.
She tilted her head, looking at the boy's profile, her curiosity piqued, "Tell me quickly, who was it, and what happened?"
The boy looked down at the girl, a hint of doting in his eyes. Then, he raised his head, took the gourd of wine from his waist, and while drinking, slowly recounted the person he met and the things he speculated about.
Under the moonlight, a smile played on the girl's lips. Her clear, cold pupils were filled with tenderness as she gazed at the voluble boy, at his handsome profile, as if she could never get enough.
The boy and girl, nestled together at this moment, their shadows merging, stretched out long, like the eternal moonlight, as if they would last forever.
...
Early morning.
The gentle sunlight pierced the darkness of the sea's surface, bringing to the world the sole fairness that everyone could enjoy: "light."
The light was not scorching but warm enough to dispel the lingering chill of the moonlight. It seeped into the forest, passed through cracks, and slipped into a room on the second floor of a grand wooden house nestled within the woods.
Gazing at the two sleeping embraced on the wooden bed, the light, though reluctant, still moved forward and gently knocked on the eyelids of the boy lying on his back.
However, before the light could truly land, the boy seemed to sense its presence and slowly opened his eyes.
The azure of his pupils, under the gaze of the light, appeared exceptionally mysterious, with nebulae swirling within them, like two ever-moving star seas.
The boy was momentarily dazed, but upon feeling the softness pressing against him, he instantly became alert.
He turned his head and looked at the pretty face lying on his chest, a blend of coolness and a smile. The corners of his mouth curved upwards, revealing a gentle smile.
Raising his right hand, the boy gently brushed away the girl's disheveled blue hair. Then, his large hand softly covered her head, stroking her hair gently.
At this moment, the girl slowly opened her eyes and looked up, meeting the boy's smiling gaze. A gentle smile also appeared on her cool face.
After a moment of eye contact, the boy patted her back and said with a laugh, "Alright, can you get up now? The sun is already high."
As he spoke, he glanced at the crack of light entering through the window, his gaze seeming to see through the crack to the light standing outside, watching them.
He smiled, Kong Tai lowered his head, pulled back the blanket covering them, and slowly sat up.
The boy's physique was not muscular but possessed a perfect balance of muscle, giving him a sense of flawlessness.
His bronzed skin, under the sunlight, gleamed with the radiance of health.
The boy raised his right hand, ran it through his silver-white hair, combed it backward, and then let it fall loosely.
"Are we going to the Sky Island above the Tree of Knowledge, Adam, that you mentioned today?"
Just then, Gu Yina also sat up. Her smooth, dark blue hair cascaded like ribbons over her shoulders, falling loosely in front of and behind her.
"Yes!" Kong Tai nodded, reached for the red ribbon on the desk to his left, and motioned for Gu Yina to turn around.
Gu Yina looked at Kong Tai gently and obediently turned, her feet touching the floor as she sat on the edge of the bed to his right, her back to him, and asked, "The last Poneglyph really isn't what Sauro and the others brought back, and it's not in Elbaf, just as you guessed."
Last night, they had learned from Sauro that Ohara and her clan hadn't traveled the Grand Line to the West Blue "Ohara," but had gone directly through the Calm Belt.
Just as they could see the Western Sky Peak of the West Blue, traveling from Elbaf to the West Blue across the Calm Belt only took a day.
Therefore, the Poneglyph from Fish-Man Island was indeed not in Elbaf.
She wasn't particularly disappointed, as they had already anticipated the possibility of the last Road Poneglyph not being where they expected before they set out.
Gazing at Gu Yina's back, Kong Tai was lost in thought for a moment.
The young girl had truly grown up, becoming even more gentle. The slightly baby-faced cheeks of the past were no longer the youthful immaturity of when they first set sail.
"Kong Tai... are you listening to me?"
Seeing that Kong Tai had been silent for a long time and hadn't tied her hair, Gu Yina turned around curiously to look at him.
"It's nothing."
Kong Tai shook his head, smiled at Gu Yina, "Where were you?"
"I was saying your guess was spot on."
Gu Yina pouted helplessly, then turned her head back and continued, "If it's not in Elbaf, then it's truly possible it's in the Holy Land, Marie Geoise."
"I don't know yet," Kong Tai said while styling Gu Yina's hair, "After all, all guesses are just guesses. To know if it's in the Holy Land, Marie Geoise, we'll have to go find someone in the Whitebeard Pirates to ask."
Hearing Kong Tai say this, Gu Yina let out an "Oh~" and then asked curiously, "Someone you pay attention to must be an extraordinary fellow!"
"Yes! Truly an extraordinary fellow."
Kong Tai paused slightly in his actions, then picked up the ribbon and tied Gu Yina's silk-like dark blue hair into a low ponytail behind her back. He then tied the red ribbon into a large bow. From a distance, the bow, binding the dark blue, looked like a truly deep red butterfly soaring over the sea.
He released his hands, looking at his masterpiece with satisfaction. Then, he clapped his hands, turned, and picked up the white kimono with red flowers from the desk, draping it over Gu Yina.
"There, you can put it on yourself."
He then got up, picked up the white shirt from the desk, and put it on, saying, "That guy is a true pirate, a true pirate with ideals, ambition, a sufficiently cruel disposition, and great magnanimity."
"He can endure for decades within the Whitebeard Pirates for his ambitions, just waiting for the one hope that will allow him to fully realize them."
"Remarkable endurance."
Hearing this, Gu Yina's curiosity intensified.