Three days later, early morning at the dock pier.
"Do I really have to carry this thing?" Xiano weakly raised the Den Den Mushi that had been shoved into his hand.
"Stop complaining. Just take it," Bellemere snapped. "You've been making such a fuss about going out to sea, and you'll be gone for a whole month. You're still so young—how can I not worry?"
"Uh, I don't think age has much to do with it. Pretty much no one in the entire village can beat me, you know…"
"Just take it, Xiano," said a middle-aged man in a brown police uniform, laughing heartily. The brand-new little windmill on his head spun rapidly in the sea breeze. "Otherwise, she won't let you leave today. Oh, and remember to take good care of my little treasure. If you need to call, just dial the village office's number. Tsk, if Bellemere hadn't cornered me several times and forced me to contribute it, I wouldn't have handed it over to you, you brat."
"Mind your own business!" Bellemere roared, delivering a solid slap to Genzo. His police cap, along with the windmill, flew off and landed in the sea next to the pier.
"My new windmill!" Genzo frantically jumped into the water to retrieve it.
"So it is yours, Uncle Genzo," Xiano realized, poking the Den Den Mushi's head with his finger. "I was wondering why this little thing had a windmill on its head."
Buru Buru!
The Den Den Mushi, lazily chewing on a basil leaf, glared at Xiano when poked, then turned its face away in a huff.
Heh, this is fun.
It was his first time handling a Den Den Mushi, and it was quite cute. Though they were expensive, costing tens of thousands of Berries to start with.
Hmm, I can't afford one yet. I'll save up and buy one for each of my little sisters as pets someday.
"Violent woman, I was just trying to help convince him," Genzo grumbled as he climbed back onto the shore, blowing on the damp windmill and carefully placing his police cap back in place.
What bad luck. Why does fate always have it out for my little windmill?
Every so often, to be precise, about once a year, the windmill on my head mysteriously disappears.
Who knows which blasted little thief keeps stealing it? This one was just made a few days ago, and it almost met the same fate again.
Bellemere ignored him and turned to the tall, thin old man who was directing the crew to check the cargo. Her expression softened into a gentle smile.
"Mr. Gatt, this is his first time on such a long voyage. I'll be counting on you to take good care of him along the way."
"Don't worry. I come here every year to buy goods, so we're practically old friends. This little request is no trouble at all," Gatt said with a smile, lighting his pipe. His tone was polite. "Asakura Island is a major commercial hub, so it's already on our route. I can assure you, we'll get this kid safely to the island."
"Thank you so much," Bellemere said, clasping her hands together in a gesture of prayer for a safe voyage.
Once Gatt left, she immediately switched back to her stern demeanor, glaring at Xiano.
"Alright, go on. Considering how hard you've been working lately, I'll indulge you this once and let you go to Asakura Island to relax. Don't forget—you must contact me at least once a week!"
Of course, the real reason for his voyage was something he couldn't tell his family.
Traveling thousands of miles just to steal a hat from an eight-year-old kid—no one would believe it if you told them.
So, the reason was changed to being cooped up at home for too long and wanting to take a trip to Asakura Island to explore and, while there, visit the local Martial Arts Schools to see if there was a chance to learn a move or two.
As it turns out.
A convincing lie often needs to be grounded in truth.
The latter reason immediately convinced Bellemere.
She had heard about it during her time in the Navy.
That island was home to several renowned Martial Arts Schools, which jointly hosted a grand swordsmanship tournament every year, making it the best place in the nearby seas to study swordsmanship.
Moreover, from her secret observations, Xiano's progress in swordsmanship hadn't been smooth, and with a Navy branch stationed on Asakura Island, the shipping routes were also safe.
So, after much deliberation, she finally agreed to Xiano's somewhat excessive request.
"Alright, alright, I'm off! Remember to say goodbye to Nojiko and Nami for me!"
It was only six in the morning, and when he left, it was barely past five. The two little ones were sound asleep, and Xiano just pinched their cheeks, not having the heart to wake them.
Bellemere helped him tuck the Den Den Mushi into his pocket, the windmill on its shell immediately creating a comical bulge in the fabric, which Xiano patted down with slight dissatisfaction. He waved to the two elders seeing him off and then jogged toward the distant cargo ship.
The salty sea breeze brushed past the gradually fading figure of the young boy.
"..."
Bellemere sniffled, turning her head away suspiciously fast.
Only Genzo saw that she had secretly slipped a few large bills into the boy's pocket along with the Den Den Mushi.
"Hey."
Genzo waited for a moment, then asked in confusion, "Why sneak the money in? If you put it in the same pocket, aren't you afraid the Den Den Mushi will eat it?"
Bellemere's surreptitious attempt to wipe her tears froze.
"Ahhh, you jerk, why didn't you say so earlier!"
The red-eyed woman with a ponytail turned back abruptly, her face a picture of despair, and sprinted toward the end of the pier, shouting as she ran:
"Hey! Xiano, wait! Don't get on the ship yet—"
...
The moonlight was somewhat dim, and the sea was shrouded in night.
On the deck of the merchant ship, warm orange lights flickered, and a makeshift banquet with a few simple tables and chairs was steaming with cheerful warmth.
The ship wasn't small, with a total of twenty to thirty crew members, now gathered together, with whistles and cheers from clinking beer mugs occasionally rising.
This banquet, of course, wasn't held to welcome Xiano; he was just a passenger hitching a ride and didn't have that privilege.
As for the reason... on this vast sea, do you even need a reason to throw a banquet?
"Hey, kid, how are you feeling? Still dizzy and nauseous?"
Old Captain Gatt, puffing on his pipe, came over and slung an arm around Xiano's shoulders.
"I'm fine now, Captain Gatt."
Xiano hurriedly swallowed the piece of grilled meat in his mouth to respond. Only eight or nine empty plates were stacked beside him, clearly showing that in front of others, he ate in small, restrained bites, very shy and reserved.
Speaking of what Gatt mentioned, it was indeed a bit embarrassing.
After all, it was his first time on a long ocean voyage, and he hadn't experienced anything like it before.
Yesterday morning, as the merchant ship had just reached full speed, tossing and turning amidst the wind and waves, Xiano was truly leaning over the railing, almost vomiting up his dinner from the night before.
Several middle-aged men surrounded him, patting his back and preparing water and towels, barely helping him recover.
Fortunately, the years of training were not in vain; his robust physique granted him an adaptability beyond that of ordinary people.
In just a few hours, his seasickness gradually subsided.
After a night's sleep, by the next day, he had fully recovered, remaining energetic no matter how much the ship rocked, just like the seasoned sailors who had been sailing for years.
"Ho, not bad physique. Seems your mother was overly worried, haha."
Gatt chuckled, tapping his pipe, "You've got the makings of a good sailor in the future. How about it? In a few years when you're grown up, want to come help out on our ship?"
"If the opportunity arises, I'll definitely consider it," Xiano grinned, knowing the other was teasing him and didn't outright refuse.
The men on the ship were all very kind to him, leaving a rather good impression.
"Mr. Gatt," Xiano asked curiously again, "The ship has been sailing for over forty hours now. How much longer until we reach Asakura Island?"
"The currents and winds have been quite favorable this time, faster than expected," Gatt smiled, "At most, four more days, assuming no issues arise later..."
Boom!
A dull, heavy thud suddenly shattered the quiet of the night, also cutting off Gatt's words.
"What was that?"
"What's going on?"
The lively banquet instantly came to a halt, and almost everyone sprang to their feet, looking around in shock and uncertainty for the source of the sound.
"It came from the stern!"
Gatt, with his seasoned experience, was the first to make a judgment, shouting in a deep voice, "Don't panic! Helmsman and gunners, to your positions! Send a few men to check the stern!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Everyone quickly dispersed, each moving according to orders.
Xiano also instinctively reached for the wooden sword at his waist—there was no real need for him to carry it around, but since he was supposed to be learning swordsmanship, he had to keep up appearances.
The contract status has been updated, so everyone can invest with confidence. During the new book period, we have to queue for recommendations, so only two updates per day for now. Once it's on the shelves, there will be more updates. Also, a humble request for monthly votes.
(End of chapter)