Oni Island, Back Mountain Shore.
"Mmm~ So delicious~"
Yamato hugged a two-meter-long salmon and took a big bite, her fair cheeks flushed with delight.
Nom nom~
Nom nom~
She kept eating, her cheeks puffing up like a hamster's, looking utterly adorable.
In no time at all, while Luo Xia had just finished grilling one fish, Yamato had already devoured an entire salmon.
"Can I have another one? Just one more?" Yamato blinked her sparkling eyes, looking at Luo Xia expectantly.
Salmon was her favorite food, but due to the double debuff of being a Devil Fruit user and wearing Explosion Shackles, she couldn't dive into the sea to catch fish.
As the Oni Princess, she hardly got to eat well throughout the year. Most of the time, she could only drool on the shore while watching salmon leap in the water.
Seeing Yamato's adorable, drooling, greedy-cat expression, Luo Xia had to admit—he was a little charmed.
"Here, take it!" Luo Xia tossed the freshly prepared salmon to Yamato.
"Really? Can I eat all of them?" Her eyes sparkled as if she'd entered heaven, dizzy from being showered with endless pies.
"Keep talking and I'll change my mind," Luo Xia said.
"Got it! Time to dig in!" Yamato resumed her hamster-like eating.
Suddenly.
Sniff sniff~
A soft whimpering sound came from the girl.
"What's wrong?" Luo Xia glanced sideways at Yamato, who was now teary-eyed.
"Thank you... you're really a good person," Yamato sobbed.
Luo Xia: "..."
A "good person" card? Really unnecessary.
"It's been so long since anyone gave me food... I hit you without even asking why earlier, yet you treated me to something so delicious... I'm the worst..." Overcome with guilt, Yamato suddenly slapped herself.
It wasn't a fake slap—the crisp, loud sound left a clear handprint on her fair cheek.
"This meal wasn't free, by the way," Luo Xia raised an eyebrow.
"Ah, that makes sense. Tell me, whatever you want me to do, as long as I can manage it." Yamato continued eating like a hamster, her words muffled.
"Let's talk after you're done eating," Luo Xia said.
Nom nom~
Nom nom~
Soon, another salmon disappeared into her stomach.
Yamato picked up the third one, about to speak, when she suddenly gasped loudly.
"What now?" Luo Xia gave her another sidelong glance at the easily excitable girl.
"I'm sorry."
If earlier was gratitude, now it was an apology.
"If it's about those two hits earlier, don't worry. I didn't walk away empty-handed," Luo Xia said.
Combat was the best way to improve Dragon Slayer Magic proficiency—one of the discoveries Luo Xia had made during his ten years on Sirius Island.
Just now, he had found a new way to boost his Dragon Slayer Magic proficiency—or rather, a method unique to the Armor Dragon Slayer Power.
Since it was a defense-oriented Dragon Slayer Magic, enduring heavy strikes could also increase proficiency.
Yamato's earlier two strikes had noticeably improved his Armor Dragon Slayer Magic.
"No, no... Actually, there's a rule on this island. Kaido forbids anyone from giving me food. Anyone who breaks this rule gets executed."
Thinking of the kind souls who had died bringing him food in the past, Yamato's expression darkened slightly, feeling even the salmon in her hands had lost its flavor.
"Pfft, I thought it was something serious. No big deal—worst case, I'll just fight Kaido again. I've been waiting for it anyway!" Luo Xia waved his hand dismissively.
"Eh?!" Yamato was stunned by Luo Xia's 'bold declaration.'
Just fight Kaido again?!
That's the Ox-Head Gorilla Dad we're talking about!
Wait a minute, fight again, again...
Yamato keenly caught the key point: "You... you've fought Ox-Head Gorilla Dad before?"
"Had a fight a few days ago. Lost by a narrow margin, then got dragged back here," Luo Xia shrugged.
"So you weren't sent by Ox-Head Gorilla Dad to capture me? You were captured by him instead?"
Finally piecing it together, Yamato's eyes sparkled brighter, looking at Luo Xia as if she'd found a comrade-in-arms.
"Hey hey, my name is Kozuki Oden, also known as Yamato. What's yours?"
"Luo Xia."
"Luo Xia, want to team up with me to take down Ox-Head Gorilla Dad?" Yamato invited.
"No problem," Luo Xia agreed with a smile.
"Awesome~" Yamato cheered like a gleeful child.
The two hit it off instantly. Yamato shared her wilderness survival tips on Oni Island and recounted the heroic deeds of her idol, Kozuki Oden...
Half an hour later, all the salmon had been devoured.
"Stuffed~ so stuffed~" Yamato rubbed her round belly and let out a satisfied burp.
"Now that you're full, time to get to work?" Luo Xia clapped his hands and stood up.
Yamato blinked. "What work?"
"Come on, keep hitting me!" Luo Xia beckoned.
Yamato: "???"
Huh?
Wait, what?!
"We're friends now! Why would I hit you? If we're fighting anyone, it should be Ox-Head Gorilla Dad!" Yamato protested.
"The condition for feeding you was that you'd hit me," Luo Xia stated matter-of-factly.
"Why?!" Yamato's brain short-circuited, her CPU overheating. She'd never heard such a request in her life.
Her newly-made friend seemed mentally unsound—what should she do if he's asking to be hit? Help, urgent!
"Stop overthinking it. Just hit me. Didn't you say you'd do anything I asked earlier?" Luo Xia urged.
"But..." Yamato mumbled, head lowered, hesitation written all over her face. She couldn't bring herself to strike the person who'd fed her.
"No buts. If you won't hit me, I'll hit you instead—then drag you back to Kaido," Luo Xia threatened.
"How could you?!" Yamato's face fell.
She thought she'd found a kindred spirit, only for their friendship to shatter so quickly.
Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!!!
Seeing Yamato's reluctance, Luo Xia took the initiative, his flame-wreathed fist descending mercilessly.
"Ahhh, fine, whatever!" Yamato snapped, swinging her kanabo Takeru wildly at Luo Xia.
Clang!
Thud!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The rhythmic clashing of metal echoed through the mountains like a blacksmith's forge.
"Hahaha, this rocks!" Luo Xia laughed heartily, reveling in the indomitable defense of his Armor Dragon Slayer Power.
Yamato: "..."
Time ticked by.
One hour, two hours...
After a full three hours, Yamato, who had just eaten her fill, collapsed exhausted on the ground.
In contrast, Luo Xia, who had been taking hits for three hours, looked completely unfazed, his face beaming with satisfaction.
That's because his Armor Dragon Slayer Magic proficiency had increased by one percentage point.
"No more, no more, I really can't go on," Yamato panted heavily.
"Giving up after just this little while? And you still want to fight Kaido?" Luo Xia shot her a disdainful sidelong glance.
The one being hit hadn't fallen yet, while the one doing the hitting had already collapsed from exhaustion.
Yamato: "Wah~"
Baby feels wronged, but baby won't say it.
"You get half an hour to rest, then we continue," Luo Xia said enthusiastically.
"Wah~" Yamato was on the verge of breaking down.
The kind person who gave her food to eat had already put her through enough torment, and now there would be a second round, who knows how many more...
If she had known it would be like this, Yamato would rather have not eaten Luo Xia's food.
"Can we just stop fighting?" Yamato tentatively asked.
"No!"
Luo Xia flatly refused.
"Stop dawdling around like some weakling."
"But I am a girl," Yamato said.
"Didn't you say you were Kozuki Oden?" Luo Xia retorted.
Yamato: "..." Feeling a bit emotionally crushed!
Just as Yamato and Luo Xia were locked in a staring contest, at an impasse...
"Hahaha!"
A delighted laugh suddenly rang out from nearby.
"Found you! You must be that Luo Xia Kaido-sama mentioned. And Yamato's here too—two birds with one stone! I'll become an Executive before that idiot older sister of mine!"