OPTC Chapter 174 Make a Big Splash Before Leaving
On Goodman's suggestion, Zhang Da Ye and his crew docked the Hope at the shipyard for now, so they wouldn't need to leave someone behind to watch it.
All it took was paying a small fee—like a parking charge—which Zhang Da Ye found perfectly reasonable.
The next order of business was stocking up on food. No one could predict what might happen at sea. It wasn't impossible to go five or six days without catching a single fish, like Luffy's crew once did, nearly starving to the point of biting Chopper.
Zhang Da Ye never wanted to go through something like that again. So aside from cramming the ship's storage room full of rice, flour, vegetables, fruits, meats, and canned goods, he also tucked away some extra rations into his inventory.
Altogether, it would be enough to feed five big eaters for a whole month—though that was assuming Artoria wasn't eating at full capacity.
Fresh water wasn't an issue, since the ship was equipped with a desalination device. Drinking water and even baths were covered.
As for why a place like Alabasta still suffered from water shortages despite such technology, it came down to two reasons: the equipment was far too expensive to be widely used, and Alabasta's vast territory meant many inland cities weren't near the sea at all.
"Do we need to buy clothes? I already have plenty," Rui Meng Meng asked. She was a frugal girl—her entire wardrobe didn't even fill half a closet, yet she still insisted it was more than enough.
Zhang Da Ye explained, "Most of what we have are summer clothes. We need winter wear too. The Grand Line is unpredictable. Rain gear as well—we might have to steer through a storm one day."
"That's true. I never thought of it since I don't get cold or wet," Shark Chili admitted, patting his head. He was the type who could go bare-chested all year round.
Zhang Da Ye shook his head. "You should prepare too. Some extreme weather is way harsher than any winter you've been through. You might not be able to endure it."
As they passed a cosmetics shop, Zhang Da Ye suddenly asked, "Do you two need sunscreen or anything? I've never seen you use skincare products."
Artoria paused for a second to consider what cosmetics were for, then said plainly, "I don't need them."
She was naturally beautiful, forever looking like she was fifteen, so makeup or skincare were meaningless to her.
Rui Meng Meng tilted her head and answered in confusion, "I don't think the sun bothers me. I don't really understand makeup. As for skincare… does SOD honey count?"
"…Right, that's on me," Zhang Da Ye sighed. He remembered that Rui Meng Meng would one day be a super soldier, fighting in black armor even in space. The sun was nothing compared to that.
Shark Chili obviously didn't need sunscreen either, but Tom was hopping around with his paw raised, trying to get Zhang Da Ye's attention.
"You want sunscreen?" Zhang Da Ye asked.
Tom nodded seriously. He thought he was sun-sensitive.
Zhang Da Ye rubbed his head, exasperated. "What are you afraid of the sun for? We floated on the sea for five days and you were perfectly fine."
Tom furrowed his brows, trying to recall, but in the end, he still held his paws together pleadingly.
"…Fine, fine, I'll buy it," Zhang Da Ye relented, smacking his forehead.
Tom got to pick it himself, since he actually knew about sunscreens. After all, he was a cat who could invite little she-cats to the beach—truly a winner in life, probably.
They also bought sunglasses for everyone, even Shark Chili. There were models large enough for his huge head, so finding a fit wasn't a problem.
Then Zhang Da Ye decided each of them should have a suit. Matching outfits carried their own kind of presence.
Of course, the one who looked the sharpest in a suit was Artoria.
Zhang Da Ye nearly cried in frustration—he was completely outclassed in terms of style. Probably a matter of aura. No wonder people often said Artoria seemed more like Irisviel's husband than Kiritsugu ever did.
Once their shopping was done, everything was sent straight to the ship. Then the group returned to the tavern to pack their things.
Ordinary luggage didn't need much explanation, and the prizes from the lottery were all stored back into Zhang Da Ye's inventory.
Finally, he pulled out a small box from under his bed. Inside were the tracksuit and sneakers he'd been wearing when he first arrived, along with a nail clipper, an ear pick, a pendant, a keychain bent into a fishing hook, Tom's stick, a red cloth bundle, and a stack of green bills.
Tom's eyes lit up when he saw his belongings. He spread the cloth on the floor and began carefully packing.
Then Zhang Da Ye watched in disbelief as Tom lifted his bedding and pulled out a bag of cat food, yanked up a potted plant from the windowsill to reveal a bottle of milk buried inside, and even raised the whole wall in the corner to sweep out a few banknotes hidden beneath it with his tail.
When had he even hidden all this stuff?
In the end, Tom bundled up his odds and ends, slung the stick over his shoulder with the little package hanging from it, and gazed at Zhang Da Ye with sparkling eyes, clearly saying: I'm ready, let's go!
Zhang Da Ye laughed at the sight. Tom's feelings now must be completely different from the last time he carried such a bundle.
That abandoned little kitten, who had crossed worlds and saved his life—he seemed satisfied enough with the life they shared now.
Tom, have I done okay as your master?
…
Zhang Da Ye swallowed the thought before it could slip out. That would've been too much of a flag.
…
Two days later, at Grove 1, in front of the Human Auctioning House.
"Did you hear? Nightmare struck again last night," one guard whispered.
"Yeah? Who got unlucky this time?" his half-asleep partner yawned.
"Who else is left? There aren't many traffickers in the lawless zone anymore."
"That's true. Most of them either quit or fled Sabaody. No idea what kind of grudge Nightmare has against them."
"Probably someone kidnapped the wrong person. Thanks to him, the supply has dried up. We might not even have enough goods for the next auction."
"I heard someone got hit while delivering cargo the other day. Disco was furious."
"Of course. Even a top auctioneer is nothing without quality merchandise."
"Let's just hope he doesn't come after us."
"No way. I heard we're backed by a really powerful figure. Even Nightmare wouldn't dare."
"That's a relief."
Right then, an invisible little cat made a face at them—only to be snatched away by an equally invisible hand.
"Hey, did you see something just pass by?" one guard asked nervously.
"Huh? Nothing's there."
"But I swear I saw a shadow."
"You're seeing things. Must be sleep deprivation."
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