"Sister, what are you doing?"
"Shh, play by yourself for a while, sister has something to do."
Setsuna rummaged through her bag and took out a small model of a ship. Her bag was also filled with many things, mainly intricate items. Being from Zou, she knew what Zou needed.
The lifestyle here is quite primitive. Because the Fluffy Kingdom is located on the back of Zunisha, there are no minerals, and rocks and soil are scarce, which is why the houses in the Fluffy Kingdom are very ancient.
These stone houses have been passed down from a long time ago. Sometimes, when Zunisha passes by an island, it rolls up some soil and stones and throws them onto its back, which is one of Zou's sources of soil and seeds.
After all, at this height, even birds become extremely rare. In such a situation, there's naturally no extra metal or stone to make things like models.
Perhaps the most sophisticated craft in Zou is using sea sand to make glass.
Zunisha's massive body stirs up the seabed's mud and sand when it moves, and when it squirts seawater onto its back, it inevitably brings mud and sand. The filters on the Fluffy Kingdom's drainage channels then capture this mud and sand for other uses.
A small toy is enough to capture a child's attention, while she lay on the ground with her ear pressed against the floor, listening to the things downstairs. The old house's soundproofing wasn't very good, making eavesdropping easy.
...
"How old are you this year?"
"Nineteen."
Age is a cliché way to start a conversation, but Hatch and Ling didn't know what to say. They hadn't experienced such a thing. As childhood sweethearts, they naturally formed a family as they grew up together.
Zeraora's age is also a mysterious thing. Strictly speaking, he is only nine, as that is when he was created, but you can't say that. Otherwise, it turns into a dual big cart mode.
His origin and age are a mystery, and it finally settled on this number, conveniently a few years older than Setsuna.
"The age difference is okay..."
"Looks quite handsome, just a bit short. At this age, I wonder if he can still grow taller..."
Hatch and Ling were whispering to each other. Appearance doesn't decide everything, but it can affect the first impression. An excellent look leaves a good impression score.
There are not many Furr Race individuals at a normal human height, though some special individuals are quite short, like Miyagi and the gatekeeper's monkey, Nata.
But most male warriors of the Fur Race are over two meters tall. Hatch himself is two and a half meters tall.
Although female Fur Race individuals are significantly shorter than males, Ling is two meters tall. Compared to someone as large as Hichugiskhan, she's much shorter, but still among the taller group. Setsuna has clearly inherited genes from both sides.
In this respect, Zeraora, at one meter eighty, falls quite short.
Regarding wealth, the Fur Race doesn't pay attention to that. Money is of no use in the Fur Race; a pair of willing hands is enough. Returning to Zou heavily laden with packages also indicates they aren't poor. They were curious about what they did in the open sea.
"What have you and Setsuna been doing outside all these years?"
"Well... piracy."
The word did not avoid their ears, and Hatch and Ling's inquisition was within Setsuna's expectation. Setsuna also had predictions about what they would ask since most Fur Race members who set out to sea eventually became pirates.
This is how the World Government defines most navigators. Without an allied nation's travel permit, you are not a legal navigator. Falling into the category of the unlawful if you don't resist or being labeled a pirate if you resist successfully.
Hichugiskhan also went through this when he was young. Future individuals like Bepo, Pedro, Pekoms, Jebo—all Fur Race members who went out to sea had pirate identities; even those without pirate identities left following pirate ships.
As for pirates who can board Zou without conflict, they will be warmly entertained in exchange for supplies. If any pirates have any special ideas, the militaristic Fur Race is no joke.
If they're unlucky enough to be here when the full moon arrives, the Fur Race will let them know the terror of a warrior race.
"Pirates, huh? As expected, with Setsuna's personality, she couldn't have stayed calm after going to sea. But when did you two meet?"
"More than nine years ago, on an island in the New World."
"Nine years ago? Didn't she just leave not long before meeting you?"
"That's right."
"Why did it take you so long to come back?"
"I was born in the open sea and didn't have a Life Card to return here. Setsuna lost hers. After finally finding a Life Card to return here, we got quite busy, so it was only this year that we freed up time."
"I see... Seems that girl kept quite a few things from us..." Upon hearing Zeraora's explanation, Hatch's tone changed.
Zeraora's answer wasn't problematic, but Setsuna forgot to remind Zeraora not to mention the Life Card. The Life Card is the only hope for Fur Race members to return home when they go out, and they would never lose such a thing.
Nekomamushi and Inuarashi, in the original timeline, boarded Whitebeard's and Roger's ships, later experiencing the war in Wano Kuni, yet even then, their Life Cards were never lost.
Thus, the loss of a Fur Race Life Card implies something extremely dangerous occurred.
Just then, a thud was heard from their ceiling, indicating something had dropped to the ground. Ling glanced at the ceiling, understanding what was happening.
"We are not stubborn people, and we wouldn't oppose things Setsuna herself likes too much...."
"Wait, Ling, isn't that too hasty? We don't know that kid well enough yet!"
"That's Setsuna's own business. Why are we always interfering? Are you the one who's going to live with him in the future?"
The bloodline suppression between the Siberian Husky and Mongolian Shepherd seemed to manifest, illustrating the family hierarchy in Setsuna's home. After Hatch's voice got overridden, Ling continued to ask, "So, I need to confirm, what exactly is your relationship with each other?"
In the attic, Setsuna's paws were subconsciously scratching the floor, and her tail was wagging, seemingly restless.
"Sister, are you uncomfortable?" Wanda, noticing Setsuna's strange behavior, couldn't quite understand—it looked like she had caught fleas or something.
"Shh, play a bit longer, sister still has something to do."
Although nine years passed, making them more familiar with each other, they never confirmed their relationship. She couldn't openly ask the question herself, but today Ling brought it up for her.
However, things seemed to have quieted down below, leaving the eavesdropping Setsuna upstairs feeling itchy.
"We... are indeed in a relationship."