The Barbecue Continues.
As everyone ate, they gradually began to get to know each other.
Besides Lilith, Lillian, and Mary, Noah also met five other boys:
First was Anthony, 12 years old, with spiky black hair. He was the son of a fisherman, and just like Noah's parents, Anthony's parents had been killed by pirates.
Then there was Tommy, 11 years old, with curly brown hair. His father was an artist who had died during a visit to the Goa Kingdom, and his mother had passed away the previous year from grief.
Next up was Vic, a 10-year-old with black hair and bright green eyes. His father had been a farmer who died from a snakebite, and his mother had succumbed to illness shortly after.
Ari, a lanky 10-year-old with green hair, and his younger brother, Jay, 7 years old, both had a tough story too. Their father had abandoned them three years ago to become a pirate, and two years later, his crew had been wiped out in a battle with another pirate gang. Their mother, too ashamed of her husband's decision to become a pirate, had taken her own life.
Because of this, Ari and Jay harbored a deep hatred for their father—and for pirates in general.
As for Lilith and Lillian, their parents had died in the same pirate raid that claimed Noah's family three years ago.
Mary, on the other hand, had been found by the sea as a baby. The grandmother who raised her had passed away last year.
After eating their fill, Noah finally got down to business, grinning as he asked, "So, how would you all feel about helping out around here?"
"Huh?" Mary, still busy stuffing her face, blinked in confusion.
"You saw how much I eat earlier—around fifty kilos of meat in one go. Uncle Joseph's got work to do, and I'm swamped myself. So, I need some help with the kitchen and keeping the place tidy. What do you think? I can offer food and a place to stay, but no salary."
"Food and a place to stay? I'm in!" Mary shot her hand up instantly. She had no intention of going back to her old life, where finding her next meal was always a question mark.
Lilith, after a glance at her frail sister Lillian, nodded. "Brother Noah, I can do the laundry and cleaning. Lillian can cook."
"You're both hired," Noah said with a smile, then turned to the five boys. "How about you guys? Interested in working with me? We'd be handling the orchard and the workshop—same deal, food and lodging included."
"I'm in," Anthony agreed without hesitation. He didn't know exactly what Noah wanted him to do, but right now, all he wanted was a job.
"We're in too," Ari chimed in, pulling his little brother Jay closer. Life had been rough for the two of them, with their father's pirate past leaving them constantly shunned by the villagers. The chance to work for Noah was a way out, and they weren't about to pass it up.
Tommy, with his family's remaining savings still keeping him afloat, hesitated for a moment. But helping out in the orchard and workshop didn't sound too bad, so he eventually nodded. "I can help, but I don't need a place to stay."
"That's fine," Noah replied, unfazed.
Vic, however, scratched his head awkwardly. "Brother Noah, um… I've got kind of a big appetite."
Noah had already noticed Vic's appetite—he had eaten at least 20 kilos of meat earlier, and still seemed like he could go for more. Grinning, Noah clapped Vic on the shoulder. "Worried you'll eat me out of house and home? Don't sweat it. As long as you work hard, I promise you'll never go hungry."
"Really?"
"Come on, Vic. I need you," Noah said sincerely, extending his hand.
Vic, his eyes welling up with tears, grabbed it. "Brother Noah, I'm in!"
Joshua, sensing the emotional moment, quickly lightened the mood by clapping his hands. "Hey, everyone, less talking, more eating!"
"Cheers!" The group raised their glasses of juice, and at that moment, their fates intertwined.
In this vast era of pirates, they were like grains of sand—small, insignificant, and ordinary. No one could say where their paths would lead.
Before they knew it, the day had come to an end.
And with it, Noah's Manor was officially born.
Noah wasted no time assigning jobs: Lilith was made housekeeper, Lillian became the cook, Anthony was the kitchen assistant, and Mary took on general chores.
Tommy was put in charge of logistics and inventory, while Vic and Ari handled the orchard work. Jay assisted in the workshop.
With everyone assigned their roles, Noah spent the evenings training and teaching them, mostly to explain the manor's rules. He was especially adamant about the secrecy policy, repeating it multiple times to make sure they understood.
After a little over a month of this, Noah introduced the group to some new ideas and even taught them songs.
One of the songs, "No Savior," had started off as just Noah and Joshua singing, and it had felt a little underwhelming. But with all ten of them singing together, the harmonies created a powerful, moving sound that made everyone feel like a completely different person.
It soon became a tradition to sing the song before dinner at the manor.
________________________________________
February 28, 1502.
In the wooden dining room of the manor, Lillian, still a bit chubby-cheeked, brought out a massive plate of sausages and hollered, "Dinner's ready!"
In no time, everyone gathered around the table.
Joseph smiled at the kids, feeling a sense of pride. Joshua, always the jokester, clapped his hands again. "Alright, everyone, take your seats. Ready? Sing!"
Soon, the whole group was belting out "No Savior" together.
As Noah sang, he suddenly felt a surge of power explode from deep within him, radiating outward like a tidal wave, sending a terrifying force across the room.
Uncle Joseph and the others were stunned. In the next moment, everyone collapsed, unconscious.
"Conqueror's Haki awakening?" Noah thought, staying calm even as the strange power surged around him.
He stood up and lightly slapped Joseph's face. After a moment, his uncle blinked awake.
"Noah… what just happened? Why did everyone pass out?"
"Uncle, you take care of Joshua and the others. I'm going to check outside. I'll explain everything when I get back."
Still confused, Joseph nodded. "Leave it to me. Go."
Noah darted out, sprinting like a cheetah to the nearest neighbor's house. In under two minutes, he reached their door.
Peering through the window, he saw that the whole family had passed out, but there didn't seem to be any danger. Quietly, he moved on to the next house.
He checked five houses in total. At one, he noticed flames licking up from the stove. Summoning a card, he doused the fire with water before continuing his rounds.
Finally, after about 800 meters, he found people who were still conscious. Without stopping to introduce himself, he slipped away, satisfied.
It was clear now: his burst of Conqueror's Haki had reached a radius of roughly 800 meters.
When he returned to the wooden house, everyone had woken up.
"Brother, what just happened?" Joshua asked, fear creeping into his voice.
Noah waved his hand, calming them down. "No need to worry. It was just my Conqueror's Haki awakening."
He then pulled a book from his card library titled "An Analytical Report on the Grand Line." It was a summary he had written over the years from newspapers and travelogues.
As the group read the section on Haki and its powers, everything started to make sense.