Xiang En stepped out onto his porch in the early afternoon, feeling the familiar ache of post-Haki exhaustion.
He needed a meal, both to recover and to feed the two tiny, destructive forces he now called crewmates.
He stopped short. Sitting on the massive root of the Yarukiman Mangrove just outside their house was X Drake.
The pirate captain was fully healed and calmly reading a newspaper, the afternoon sun highlighting the distinctive X-shaped scar on his chest.
"Drake-san," Xiang En called out, recognizing the former Marine Rear Admiral instantly from their brief, strange encounter near the auction house. "It seems fate insists we keep running into each other on this island."
Drake lowered the paper, his gaze sharp and assessing. "Xiang En," he replied, acknowledging the name.
He remembered the odd young man who spoke casually about a Warlord's auction house being 'ransacked' and whose companions included a monster of a girl.
"I was merely enjoying the shade. This location offers a clear view of the harbor traffic."
Just then, the front door burst open. Kagura and Klee rushed out, both soaked and smelling strongly of seawater and smoke, having clearly returned from their "fishing trip."
"Big Brother Xiang En, look! The water is sparkling! We made the water sparkle!" Klee chirped excitedly, oblivious to the imposing pirate.
Kagura spotted the towering figure. "Oh, it's the man with the serious face! The one who was running towards the noise yesterday."
Xiang En quickly stepped forward, putting himself between Drake and his chaotic crew. "Drake-san, you should join us for lunch," Xiang En offered immediately, hoping to preempt any awkward questions about the smoking children or the sinking slave ship he knew had just occurred. "You look like you could use a proper, home-cooked meal."
Drake observed the three of them—the exhausted young man, the volatile elf, and the delighted, bomb-making child.
He shrugged, intrigued by the inexplicable chaos surrounding Xiang En. "I accept. I haven't had anything decent to eat in a long time."
The living room inside was brightly lit.
The four had finished their meal. While "Chef" Xiang En and Drake sat resting on the sofa, Kagura and Klee had volunteered to wash the dishes.
After hearing a few crisp sounds of dishes making intimate contact with the ground, Xiang En finally lost his patience and chased both of them out.
(Actually, chasing out just Klee would have been enough. Back when it was only Xiang En and Kagura, he cooked and she handled the cleaning, surprisingly adeptly. Klee, due to her age and status, had never washed a dish in her life. The broken plates and bowls were her handiwork, but Xiang En had sent them both out to avoid dampening Klee's enthusiasm.)