OPTC Chapter 294 - Being a Thief Is Too Hard
"Wow, what's with that outfit? Are you guys going to chop trees or rob them?" Ye Yan leaned on the railing, mocking Zhang Da Ye's tattered clothes.
"Heh…" Trying to stab at my pride, huh? Too young for that. Zhang Da Ye handed the tree over to Shark Chili to carry, activated Soru under his feet, and appeared beside Ye Yan in a blur. Putting on a smug act, he said,
"Ran into a master on my trip. Picked up some pointers, accidentally learned Soru, and I'm almost there with Tekkai and Haki too. Such a hassle. Can't imagine when some people's physical stats will reach the level needed to even start training."
"No way. You met an old master by chance and suddenly got a huge power-up? That kind of cliché really happened to you?" Ye Yan looked stunned. He couldn't help believing it—he'd seen Zhang Da Ye practice Soru before, crashing into walls or face-planting half the time. For him to master it after just one day out, he definitely met a powerhouse.
Rui Meng Meng, who was helping Shark Chili plant the tree with roots and soil still attached into a big pot, also came over curiously to listen.
"The facts speak for themselves." Even though using Soru right now left his legs shaking, that didn't stop Zhang Da Ye from showing off a little. "Want to come with me tomorrow? Six Powers crash course."
Ye Yan gave him a long, skeptical look up and down, then turned away to continue his physical training. "Forget it. You can enjoy that 'blessing' by yourself. I'll pass."
He knew that tone all too well. Zhang Da Ye just wanted to drag someone else into suffering with him. Six Powers crash course? Yeah right. Without the body for it, even the best instructor couldn't help. Let him play alone.
"Ah…" After failing to rope Ye Yan in, Zhang Da Ye decided to just explain honestly. He planned to return to Garp's "training camp" for more practice, hoping to finally grasp Haki.
No one objected. They didn't have a fixed schedule anyway, so staying a while longer wasn't a problem.
The only one hoping the ship would move faster was Brook. The sooner they set sail, the sooner he could see Laboon again. Still, he didn't rush them. "To be taught personally by a Marine hero is a rare opportunity, Mr. Da Ye. Please, don't worry about me. I can wait a bit longer."
Laboon was so close now—just the thought made Brook both eager and anxious. After forty long years apart, what if Laboon didn't recognize him anymore? What if he couldn't forgive him? The usually carefree skeleton now found himself full of dread. He hadn't even flirted with any lovely ladies yesterday—proof of how distracted he was.
He figured he needed some time to mentally prepare. And speaking of which, Shark Chili's "therapy session" hadn't happened today yet—good timing to use that to distract himself and ease his nerves.
As they finished talking, Shark Chili was about to leave when a skull suddenly popped up in front of him, startling him half to death. "Brook? What is it?"
"Yohohoho~ Mr. Shark Chili, it's getting late. Shall we begin? Yohohoho~"
"Hey, hey, Brook! I just got back, can we not—"
Despite his protests, Shark Chili was dragged away by the overly enthusiastic skeleton.
That night, the sky was pitch-black with no stars or moon—a perfect setting for mischief, as the saying goes: a dark night and strong winds favor thieves.
The first half of the night passed quietly. But after midnight, someone slipped out of the sea and climbed aboard.
The ship was silent and unlit as four figures crept cautiously toward the cabin.
Just as they were about to make their move, a shadow dropped from the lookout post—three rapid thuds later, three of them were already down. Two ghostly flags unfurled behind the figure, and the flag spirits restrained the last man, pinning his arms behind his back.
"D-demons!" the man shouted instinctively.
One of the flag spirits smacked the back of his head. "Demon your face! Keep it down, will you? Don't wake the boss!"
Ye Yan crouched beside him, turning on a flashlight under his chin to illuminate his masked face. "Perfect timing. I was getting bored."
"Another demon?!" the man whimpered.
Another slap from the flag spirit. "Watch your mouth! We're the demons here! This great man is our master, the Ye family's night watchman! His look is art, you fool!"
Ye Yan obligingly shone the flashlight on Lu Dashan and Sui Feng'er's hideous faces, scaring the poor man even more.
So there really were monsters on the Grand Line! No wonder people said it was terrifying.
"This," Ye Yan said dramatically, "is performance art—The Black Cat in the Night." He handed the flashlight to Sui Feng'er to spotlight his ridiculous outfit.
But seeing the intruder's terrified, confused expression, Ye Yan gave up and started questioning him. "Name, gender, age, occupation, home address?"
The man stammered out his answers. Bit by bit, he calmed down—turns out Ye Yan was just a guard on night duty.
Wait… there was a guard on board this whole time? Then why didn't he keep the lights on?!
He'd waited a long while after seeing the ship go dark before climbing up, yet somehow this lunatic was patrolling in total darkness!
How the hell did he even spot them? Being a thief is too damn hard!
A massive fist the size of a pot smashed into his face. Lu Dashan rumbled, "Answer honestly. What's with that glare?"
…
The next morning.
"Well, we've got guests, huh?" Zhang Da Ye said as soon as he stepped out of the cabin, spotting four people tied up and unconscious on the deck.
"Thugs from a nearby town," Ye Yan yawned, handing him a small notebook. "Heard our ship had valuables and decided to try their luck. All yours." He then shuffled back inside to sleep.
"Appreciate it."
Ye Yan usually slept during the first half of the night but would randomly wake up near midnight—his "night watchman instincts" kicking in. After patrol duty, he'd nap for an hour in the morning, go about his day, and take a short siesta at noon. All in all, he got plenty of rest.
For the early hours, everyone else took turns standing watch, reading, or training late into the night. Anyone who didn't feel like doing it could always bribe the flag spirits with snacks.
Zhang Da Ye didn't bother checking on Ye Yan—he knew the man could take care of himself. Unlike Wendy and Carla, who were still new and shy, Ye Yan had already adapted perfectly to life on board.
Looking at the four tied-up men, their bruised faces told him they'd probably gotten smacked around by the flag spirits. It was hard to tell whether they were just unconscious or also hit by one of Ye Yan's timed punches.
The notebook listed all their personal details—names, addresses, even their motive. It looked more like a police report than anything else.
After reading it carefully, Zhang Da Ye confirmed it was just greed. No mention of anyone hiring them.
"So it wasn't that noble we offended the other day. Makes sense. If it were revenge, they wouldn't only send four guys." He pocketed the notebook, losing interest.
"Boss, breakfast is ready!" Rui Meng Meng called. Then she blinked at the tied-up men. "Huh? Who are they?"
"Thieves Ye Yan caught last night. We'll hand them over to the patrol later," Zhang Da Ye said. "Maybe the soldiers could use the credit for their monthly report."
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