Chapter 182: The Cat Crew Strikes!
This is… Gatomon?
Shane's eyes widened, and he looked the beautiful cat up and down. "You've evolved again already? And you can talk now?"
"Hehe, I'm strong, right? Half of it is thanks to your reward, Master, and the other half is because I worked so hard!"
Gatomon said, flicking her head proudly. "I actually finished evolving this morning. I wanted to tell you right away, but you were so focused on your training, I didn't have the heart to interrupt…"
Shane's eye twitched.
You worked hard? My ass! You eat and sleep all day! At least Gin gets kicked into the sea every now and then for a little exercise.
This shameless attitude, how is it just like Nami's?
It's probably because she's been sleeping on Nami's head since she was a baby. She's been a bad influence.
Shane subconsciously looked at Nami and saw that her jaw was on the floor. It seemed she had only just noticed that the little mochi-like creature had evolved.
"WAAAAAH!!!"
She grabbed her short orange hair. "How did you really evolve again?! How am I ever going to clear my name?! Waaah… tell me! Are you going to evolve again?! Are you?! Are you?!"
"Well~"
Gatomon tilted her head and subconsciously looked at Shane. Only after he had given her a wink did she turn and say with an innocent smile, "Don't worry, Nami. I probably won't."
"That's good,"
Nami said, barely breathing a sigh of relief. But then she thought of the next wanted poster, and the fact that the Marines might accuse her of eating a pet dog, and she started to worry again.
Nojiko and Kuina patted her on the shoulder sympathetically, but Robin, who was behind them, saw their shoulders shaking and couldn't help but take a sip of her coffee with a small smile.
"Let's get back to the point, Mochi,"
she said, looking at Gatomon with interest. "Did you just say that you really found Rocks's treasure?"
At that, everyone came back to their senses and turned their gazes to Gatomon.
Ordinary treasure might not have held much appeal for them, but Rocks's… that was undoubtedly very tempting.
Who cares about treasure?! What's more important than my reputation?! Only Nami was still resting her chin on her hand, her face full of worry.
"That's right, Boss Robin!"
Gatomon puffed out her chest, her tail wagging back and forth. She said with a grin, "After I evolved, my sense of smell and perception have improved a lot. This morning, I was bored watching Master train, so I was just wandering around the island, and then, suddenly, I smelled something very special!"
What a braggart. How come I didn't smell anything? Gin, who was lying on the deck, looked up at her and pursed his lips.
Gatomon didn't notice Gin's expression and continued. "I followed the smell and found a very hidden crack at the very bottom of the rock peak. It was dark inside, but my night vision is super strong now, and I saw a rusty, old iron chest inside! And it had a big 'R' carved on it!"
"R…"
Robin said thoughtfully. "Rocks? It seems it really could be something left by Rocks."
"No need to guess," Shane grinned. "Let's just go and see for ourselves! Let's go, Mochi, lead the way!"
…
Ten minutes later, at the bottom of the black rock peak in the center of Raijin Island.
Everyone was there. Aside from the listless Nami, everyone else was a little impatient.
"This is it!"
Gatomon pointed to the crack in the rock wall, which was almost completely covered in moss. "The smell is coming from inside. But the rock here is too hard. I don't know how to get down."
"So hidden. No wonder so many pirates have been looking and have found nothing…" Robin said, leaning in for a closer look. She couldn't see anything. If Gatomon hadn't pointed it out, she would have never found it.
"I'll do it,"
Jack said without a second thought. He swung his fist, coated it in Armament Haki, and slammed it into the rock wall!
BOOM!
The rock shattered, and the crack was widened into a massive opening. Jack was the first to go in, and he used his hands as an excavator, digging through the rock and leading the others to the treasure chest.
"Nami," Shane called out.
"I know, I know,"
Nami said, knowing what her brother meant. She snapped her fingers, and a roaring flame erupted from her head, illuminating the dark cave.
"No lock?"
Robin was the first to notice the anomaly, her brow furrowed slightly. "It looks like it's already been opened…"
"Huh?" Nojiko was suddenly disappointed. "Then it's an empty chest. We came all this way for nothing…"
"No,"
Shane said, his eyes narrowed. "It's not empty. There's a living creature inside, but it's very weak."
So weak that you would almost think it was dead. Even Katakuri's Observation Haki hadn't been able to detect it on the island.
Shane went to the front, pushed Robin back, and then had the others back up a little. Only then, with a look of caution, did he reach for the lid of the chest.
The treasure chest was very, very heavy. He didn't know what it was made of.
Even he had to use a little strength to open it. An ordinary strong man, even with a dozen or so of them, probably couldn't lift it.
Squeak~
The inside of the chest was revealed. It was empty, except for a skinny, white-haired young man lying in the middle.
He looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, his skin a little dark, his body curled up in a ball, his eyes closed in a deep sleep.
"This…"
The group looked at each other, stunned.
"Rocks's treasure… is a person?"
"How is that possible?! Then how old is this guy?! He doesn't look it at all!"
"Maybe he's a Devil Fruit user. There are all sorts of strange things in this world…"
As they were arguing, the young man's eyelids suddenly trembled, and then he slowly opened them.
He looked around, bewildered, and his gaze finally settled on Shane, who was at the front. His lips trembled, and he seemed to want to say something, but his chapped lips couldn't make a sound.
"Water,"
Shane said, holding out a hand without looking back.
"I've got some, boss,"
Jack immediately handed over a massive water bottle.
The young man took the bottle and, after a few large gulps, he finally caught his breath and said, his voice hoarse, "Th… thank you…"
"Who are you?"
Shane didn't beat around the bush. He asked directly, "Why were you in this chest?"
That's right, why was I sleeping in a chest?
The young man's brain was clearly still offline. He thought for a long time before he finally figured it out and, slapping his forehead, he quickly climbed out. "Oh no! My grandpa is still waiting for me! I-I have to get back right away…"
The young man fumbled to get out of the chest, but the moment he stood up, he stumbled from weakness and nearly fell.
Shane caught him and frowned. "Don't be in such a hurry. In your condition, you probably won't even be able to get off this island. We can help you, but you should probably answer my question first."
"Err…"
The white-haired young man hesitated for a moment. He thought that these people, aside from the white-haired old man with the cigar, didn't look like bad guys. He scratched his head and answered honestly. "My lord, my name is Kia. I'm a hunter from the Agassia Archipelago. A few days ago… err, maybe a dozen or so days? I don't know how long I've been asleep… in any case, I came here to find something for my grandpa."
"That day, I went to a lot of trouble to pry open this chest, but before I could even find what I was looking for, the lid slammed shut, and I was trapped inside. I shouted until my voice was hoarse, but no one came to save me, and then, before I knew it, I fell asleep…"
"What were you looking for, that you would find it in Rocks's treasure chest?" Robin asked with a smile.
Rocks?
The young man was bewildered. He slapped his head and wracked his brain.
The name sounded a little familiar. Who was it again? Dammit, he should have paid more attention when the elders of his tribe were telling stories!
"Tsk, you clueless brat. You don't even know who Rocks is…"
Nami crossed her arms, a look of contempt on her face.
You have the nerve to say that?
Shane gently tapped her on the forehead and turned to the white-haired young man. "If you don't even know who Rocks is, how did you find this place?"
"It was my grandpa," Kia said, scratching his head. "Many years ago, he followed a treasure map and found this place. He got a sacred treasure."
"That sacred treasure seems to have a strange power. It can drive away the ferocious beasts in the forest and the nearby Sea Kings, and it has protected our tribe and given us a long period of peace."
"But a few months ago, a great pirate, I don't know how, found out about our sacred treasure and, out of greed, he wanted to kill us all and take it."
At this, Kia gritted his teeth. "That bastard was getting closer and closer… my grandpa, as the chief, was very worried, and he wanted to get the power from the sacred treasure to protect us. But for some reason, he fell into a coma and has been asleep ever since. Luckily, a good person came and helped us to fight off those pirates, and we were safe."
"But my grandpa has been asleep all this time, and his condition is getting worse and worse. He's on the verge of death, and the shamans of our tribe can't do anything about it."
"I couldn't stand it anymore, so I secretly took the treasure map and came here, hoping to find a solution in this chest…"
This story, why does it sound so familiar?
Shane was thoughtful. He looked at Kia, who was chugging down water. "What's the name of that great pirate you were talking about?"
"Dofe… or Dofla or something. His name is very long. Anyway, I hear everyone calls him 'Flamingo.'"
Kia said, clenching his fist. "It's all his fault. I can't beat him now, but one day, I will avenge my grandpa!"
"And the benefactor who saved you?"
"Ah, the benefactor's name is easy to remember. It's Kuma!"
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