Chapter 37: Rumble-Rumble Fruit (Part 1)
"Uncle, are you sure it's okay for you to stay here for now?"
"Yeah. Don't you guys have your own goals? Go ahead. This gives me a chance to dig deeper into the conflict between the Shandians and Sky Islanders. After all, I'm a descendant of Noland's friend—I want to help. Besides, you'll be coming back anyway."
"Alright then. Since you insist on staying here in Upper Yard, we'll go and return quickly!" Eric didn't argue further. He turned to Gan Fall and shouted, "Old man, we're heading out!"
As soon as he finished Speaking, the Super Express Shrimp lifted their ship and shot southward at incredible speed.
"Whoa! So fast!" Da Vinci watched the massive shrimp beneath the ship with excitement. "For it to float on the Sky Sea, which has far less buoyancy than the ocean, means it must be low in density. But it also has a strong shell and powerful muscles… I'd love to dissect it and study its physiology!"
Perhaps the shrimp understood the danger in her words, because it immediately swam even faster. At that moment, it had only one thought: get away from this dissection-happy woman as fast as possible!
"Hahaha, it seems like it understood you. Looks like the perfect big sister isn't feared by just one or two," Eric joked, but someone overheard.
"Oh? Who else fears me, hmm? Tell Big Sis~ I'm curious to know." Da Vinci leaned in again—yes, again.
"My respect for you flows endlessly like the Yangtze River, surging like the flooding Yellow River, uncontrollable in its admiration…" Eric began spouting nonsense. After all, women love compliments, right?
"Hahaha, Captain Little Brother, you're so fun. Fine, I'll let you off this time." Da Vinci laughed, sparing him.
[Ding… You have a new message]
[Leonardo da Vinci's affection level increased. Bond Level: 1 (Casual Friend) → 2 (Close Friend). Bond Point +1]
'As expected, women love flattery—even a genius of human history falls for it,' Eric smirked to himself. 'Heh… foolish woman.'
"Captain Little Brother, it's time to study electricity in physics," Da Vinci announced, ready to teach modern science.
"Why?! Didn't you say you'd spare me?!" Eric protested in horror.
"No idea why, but I'm suddenly in a bad mood. And since you're interested in the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, you'd better start learning electricity now—it'll help you later." She said it with the tone of someone doing it for his benefit, but it reeked of pure revenge, which only made it worse. Still, she wasn't wrong—so he had no argument.
"I know, I know! Current equals voltage divided by resistance! That's enough, right?!" Eric quickly threw out what he remembered from middle school physics, hoping to skip class.
"Do you know about electromagnetic fields, electrostriction, piezoelectric effects, inverse piezoelectric effects, the Seebeck effect, the Peltier effect, wired communication, wireless communication? You need to learn all of it—not just for tests, but for your own good."
"You said 'test,' I heard it! You said I'd be tested!" Eric jumped on the slip. "Besides, why do I have to learn all this anyway? Isn't developing technology your job, oh genius among geniuses?"
"It's for revenge—oops, I mean so you can use your powers better. Imagine charging a future electric-powered ship and blowing it up because you overdid it."
"I definitely heard the word 'revenge' just now." Eric didn't believe her, but still, he started studying. That day reminded him of the soul-crushing grind of exam prep in high school.
Thanks to the Super Express Shrimp, it only took one day of travel via artificial canals between the Sky Islands to reach Angel Island. So Eric only suffered through one day of hellish tutoring.
As the shrimp let down their ship, it promptly dove back into the Sky Sea and disappeared from Da Vinci's view.
"Aww, I wanted to buy it some food to thank it…" Da Vinci said with slight regret.
"We'll probably need another Super Express Shrimp for the return trip. Don't worry."
"Captain Little Brother really doesn't understand a woman's heart~"
"Ah, my bad. I'm sorry." Eric apologized immediately, even though he had no idea what he did wrong. Apologizing to a woman was never shameful.
"All the houses on Sky Island look the same," Da Vinci said while exploring Angel Island. "Even though the distances are far apart, the architectural style is identical. Not like in Europe, where each country had its own system and style."
"Probably due to environmental reasons. These are all houses in the sky, so safety is more important than appearance. Style differences usually come from cultural diversity. But Sky Islanders probably count as one people," Eric answered. "By the way, Da Vinci—have you finished designing the pirate flag?"
After all, she was the artist behind Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. A painting genius like Da Vinci was the best candidate to design their Jolly Roger. But it had been over ten days and she hadn't said a word about it. Eric wanted to offer some ideas and maybe spark some inspiration.
"Mmm~ Even someone as perfect as me has moments without inspiration. But this flag will follow our crew for life, so I must design it perfectly."
"Then I'll look forward to the perfect pirate flag from the perfect Da Vinci."
"So, Da Vinci, what's going on with your stamina?" Following the compass through a jungle outside Angel Island, Da Vinci had already bent over in exhaustion.
"Huff… Back in Chaldea, I didn't need stamina—I used magic. But after gaining a physical body, I'm running on low endurance," she tried to excuse herself.
"Want me to carry you like a princess? Or give you a piggyback?"
"Then carry me like a princess."
…
"Tch, so it's piggyback after all, huh, Captain Little Brother~"
"It's just… a princess carry would've been too much because of your wei—ow, ow!" Eric yelped as Da Vinci pinched the soft flesh on his waist with two fingers.
"My figure was perfectly designed! Built exactly to my specifications! There's no way I'm heavy! This is normal weight! Normal weight!!"
All those exclamation marks made it clear how furious she was. Even the most laid-back woman gets touchy when it comes to her weight. Say she's fat, and boom—volcanic eruption.
"It's your mechanical arm and staff that are heavy! Your body is a golden ratio!" Eric shouted, his head pounding from her voice right in his ear.
"That's more like it."
As they progressed, they reached the center of the small forest. Trees were about ten meters tall, shrubs reached their waists, and the ground was covered in vines and moss. The greenery filled the Island Cloud. The only difference from the surface world was the absence of grass.
With every step they took, the compass needle kept shifting.
"We're getting close."
Finally, beside a shrub, the compass needle began to spin wildly.
"This is it!" Eric exclaimed with joy. The fruit he'd dreamed of was finally within reach.
He pulled away the moss and began digging with his bare hands. Though the Island Cloud was soft, digging was exhausting. Even half a meter down, there was still only fluffy cloud.
"Damn it! What's going on?!"
Just then, Chiron spoke up. "Captain, this is a good lesson—don't let assumptions blind you. Always consider multiple possibilities."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Eric was puzzled.
"Look up," Chiron said, pointing.
Eric followed his finger to the branch of a crooked tree—where a blue, oddly patterned fruit was hanging. It was right above Eric 's head.
(END CHAPTER)
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