"A little higher… yes, a bit to the left… that's right, a bit more pressure… huff…"
In the bathroom, Zhang Da Ye sat on a small stool while Tom, using both paws, vigorously scrubbed his back with a towel.
After such a tiring day, he had asked Tom for a full bath-and-massage session. Tom's skills were impressive to anyone who tried them.
Feeling refreshed afterward, Zhang Da Ye returned the favor with a grooming session for Tom's fur.
"By the way, Tom, can your fur be removed and washed like clothes?"
Tom turned his head, giving him a look that said, "Are you serious?" Of course, a cat's fur can't be taken off—skinning him would be fatal.
Zhang Da Ye didn't believe it. He picked Tom up, flipping him around in search of a zipper, but found nothing: "It should be here… I've definitely seen this kind of scene before."
Tom pushed his face away with a paw, washed himself briefly, and then dried off with a towel.
"Not shaking off water as a cat?" Zhang Da Ye grabbed a hand blower and carefully dried Tom's fur.
Once dried, Tom's fur puffed out into a ball-like shape before settling neatly again.
Back in the bedroom, Zhang Da Ye yawned, waved to Tom, turned off the lights, and went to sleep. He slept on the big bed, Tom in his little nest.
After a while, Zhang Da Ye heard rustling and felt his blanket tugged.
"What's wrong?"
Turning on the bedside lamp, he saw Tom clutching his tiny blanket, glancing around, teeth chattering.
"Scared? Nightmares?"
Tom shook his head and gestured, pointing at himself and then at Zhang Da Ye's bed.
"You want to sleep with me?"
Tom nodded.
"Uh… not scared by my ghost story, I hope?" Zhang Da Ye laughed, making room for Tom—his own doing, after all.
Lying next to him, Tom calmed down quickly, soon purring softly.
"Can I really make Tom feel safe? Wow…" Zhang Da Ye tucked him in and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Zhang Da Ye woke up. His old habit of checking his phone first was gone; now he glanced at Tom's nest.
Not there? Oh right, he slept on my bed last night—but he's not beside me now.
Checking the time, it was before six—Tom should still be asleep.
Suddenly, a paw poked his side from underneath the blanket. Zhang Da Ye looked down, quickly got out of bed, and saw Tom flattened like a 2D paper cutout from the 3D world.
Probably rolled over while sleeping. Strangely, lying on Tom hadn't been uncomfortable at all—rather cozy.
"Tom! Sorry!" He carefully peeled the flattened cat off the bed.
Tom shook his flattened head, producing a hand blower from somewhere, placing the nozzle in his mouth, and gesturing toward two long armboards.
Zhang Da Ye understood. He pressed the boards together, sending air from the hand blower into Tom, who inflated like a balloon.
What baffled him was how such a small blower could inflate Tom entirely, and the cat balloon floated unnaturally in the air.
And why wouldn't this silly cat let go of the nozzle?
Tom finally released the blower, exhaling a fresh puff that messed up Zhang Da Ye's hair. He floated briefly like a deflating balloon before landing on Zhang Da Ye's head.
Zhang Da Ye gently removed him and met his gaze: "Good morning, Tom."
A new day began—with cat cuddles, albeit in a peculiar way.
Zhang Da Ye, Tom, and Artoria went for a morning run.
Tom, dressed in a red tracksuit, soon gave up and sat down, tongue out, refusing to move.
Zhang Da Ye reluctantly carried him on his shoulder, running while asking Artoria about magic.
He feared answers like, "Isn't magic innate?" or "Doesn't magic naturally grow?"
"Magic is energy hidden in the body, tied to your physical strength. To grow stronger, daily training is essential. Its application is called magic release…"
Artoria explained how to channel magic into weapons or the body.
Zhang Da Ye realized it resembled martial arts' inner energy: versatile for attack, defense, or speed enhancement.
The best way to master magic was through real combat—meaning more hits for Zhang Da Ye, possibly with enchanted attacks.
Due to limited magic, he would begin with basic control exercises.
After the run, Tom prepared breakfast at Zhang Da Ye's request: hot dry noodles.
With only Zhang Da Ye's description, it lacked some alkaline flavor in the noodles and the sauce wasn't perfect, but it captured a familiar taste.
Everyone enjoyed the meal. Zhang Da Ye decided to carefully document past dishes, even if just ingredients and flavors, so Tom could gradually replicate them later.
Morning sparring seemed impossible without a bamboo sword—Artoria's was broken—but she picked up Tom's children's bamboo sword and waved: "This will do for now."
Zhang Da Ye's face brightened, then sank, recalling the first time Dracule Mihawk saw Zoro: "Sorry, I have no smaller knife."
Shaking it off, he accepted his limits; even with Artoria's bamboo sword, he must measure his strength. Maybe she could even defeat him with a chopstick.
Clashing swords, thanks to recent training, Zhang Da Ye's reflexes improved. He was no longer toppled in a few moves—if Artoria only used swordsmanship without magic.
Now, he no longer needed treatment after hits, just basic cleaning and letting his body recover naturally. A little pain was bearable.
For lunch, Tom made a seafood feast, attempting a large bone meat dish—Luffy's favorite.
As Artoria picked up a piece, Zhang Da Ye thought: "A beautiful swordswoman brings meat!"