"Miss, they've already left. Can you get off me now?" Bai Chuan said stiffly. In his previous life, he had never been hugged like this before.
"Mmm, ha." Hearing Bai Chuan, the woman lifted her head from his chest and let out a long, deep breath.
"They're finally gone. Thank you, handsome."
Once she raised her head, Bai Chuan stared for a moment. He truly had not seen what she looked like earlier, but now that he did, it was not a loss at all. If anything, he had gotten lucky.
"No need to thank me."
"Right, my name is Kather·Lynn. What's your name, handsome?"
"Adolf·K·Bai Chuan. Just call me Bai Chuan."
"Bai Chuan... that name really suits you. You can call me Lynn too."
"By the way, Lynn, why were those people trying to catch you? From what they were wearing, they should be this country's guards, right? Did you commit some crime, so they came after you?"
"Of course not. It's because I'm not from this country, that's why they wanted to grab me."
"Oh, I see." From that sentence alone, Bai Chuan could tell Kather·Lynn was lying, or at least hiding something important. After all, they were not from this country either, yet nobody was hunting them down.
"Hey, you two lovebirds, can you pay attention? We're still standing right here," Rayleigh's voice drifted into their ears.
"Ha, sorry, I forgot about you guys." Bai Chuan gave an awkward laugh. Of course, he had not really forgotten. He just wanted to joke around.
Grrr.
A strange sound suddenly reached everyone's ears, and all eyes turned to Kather·Lynn.
"Hehe, I haven't eaten in a long time. I'm a bit hungry, sorry."
"Then let's go eat. We only drank just now," Bai Chuan said.
"Then let's go."
The group headed out to the main street. Before they left, they also took some time to "dress up" Kather·Lynn's face, just in case she got recognized and caused trouble.
"This is way too ugly," Kather·Lynn complained. Even without seeing herself, she was sure she looked awful right now.
"Just bear with it. It's better than getting chased all over the place, right?"
"That's true."
During the meal, even though Kather·Lynn was hungry, she was still a normal woman and could not eat that much. After eating for a short while, she was already full.
After that, she could only watch the other four devour food like mad, with the stack of plates on the table getting higher and higher.
"You guys... are you even human?" Kather·Lynn said in shock.
"Watch your mouth. Is that how you talk to your lifesavers?" Bai Chuan spoke with his mouth full, his words muffled.
Even though there was a cook on the ship, the food could only be called average. It was nothing compared to a professional chef.
With food this delicious in front of him, if he did not eat until he was satisfied, he would be letting down his own mouth.
"Sorry. It's just my first time seeing people who can eat as much as you. I got a bit shocked."
"It's because we're strong. Strong people eat a lot."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
Burp.
After eating and drinking their fill, the four of them burped in unison. Buggy and Shanks wore satisfied smiles.
"This place is really good. If we get the chance, we should come here more often," Shanks said happily.
"Wait, you're not from here either?" Kather·Lynn asked in surprise after hearing him.
"You're only realizing that now? I thought you already knew," Bai Chuan said, picking his teeth with a toothpick.
"Nonsense. If you don't say anything, how would I know?" Kather·Lynn roared, startling the nearby diners.
"S-sorry. Please continue."
She also realized she had gotten too loud and apologized awkwardly to the people around them.
"I'm telling you, you'd better be careful. You're probably wanted in this country now."
"And whose fault is that? Yours!"
"You can eat whatever you want, but you can't talk nonsense. What do you mean it's our fault? It's clearly your own brain that doesn't work."
"Hoo... hoo... hoo... No. I can't get angry. I have to hold it in." Kather·Lynn took several deep breaths, comforting herself.
"Since you're not from this country, then which country are you from?"
"We're not from any country. More accurately, we're not from this island."
"Don't tell me you're from outside the island?" Kather·Lynn asked in shock.
"Seriously?"
"Of course it's true. Do you think we get anything out of lying to you?"
"Wow! A living one!" Kather·Lynn walked up to Bai Chuan, reached out, and poked his face. Soft.
"Nonsense. If I'm not alive, what, am I dead?" Bai Chuan swatted her hand away irritably.
"Then is that kid's nose real too? You outsiders are really weird." Kather·Lynn pointed at Buggy's red nose.
"I don't know if it's real. You can ask him yourself. But we don't see people like that often either."
"Wait, don't tell me you've grown up without ever seeing anyone from outside this island?"
"Living people, no. Dead people, I've seen plenty. They were shipwreck victims who drifted over with the sea."
"Then you've never taken a ship out either?"
"My royal father said the seas outside are extremely dangerous, and the climate is extremely harsh. It's not suitable for sailing at all. We also sent out many people to explore the outside world, but none of those who left ever returned."
"That makes sense. If you're not strong enough, you can end up buried at the bottom of the sea at any time."
"Then how did you get here?"
"Of course we came by ship. What, did you think we swam here?" Bai Chuan looked at her like she was an idiot.
"I know you came by ship. I mean, how did you make it here without anything happening to you?"
"Because we're strong, obviously. No matter what kind of difficulty it is, it can't stop us now."
"Then can you tell me what the outside world is really like?"
"Sure." Bai Chuan told Kather·Lynn about what he had seen and heard over these past three months. Shanks and Buggy occasionally added a few lines too.
"Wow... I really want to go out too."
"Don't you have any way to communicate with the outside world here?"
"No."
"In places where the weather is too harsh, News Coos can't get in," Rayleigh explained to Bai Chuan.
"Like this island. The weather in the surrounding sea should be extremely bad."
Hearing that, Bai Chuan remembered it too. On their way here, about half a day's sail away from the island, they had passed through a stretch of terrible climate.
In that kind of weather, even a trained News Coo would not be able to endure it.
"How about this. If there's a chance, I'll take you outside for a trip."
"Really?"
"Really."
/-\
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