Three days had passed since the battle between Shirakawa and Mihawk. After treating his wounds and sharing a meal aboard Shirakawa's ship, Mihawk had left.
Shirakawa had wanted to invite Mihawk to join his crew, but the rejection came as no surprise. Mihawk was a man who walked his own path, now and forever.
It was a shame, but Shirakawa couldn't force Mihawk to stay. A reluctant ally was worse than none at all. If Mihawk ever decided to plant a knife in his back, Shirakawa wouldn't even have time to regret it.
Though, honestly, the chances of Mihawk doing something like that were slim.
Today was a rare day off for the entire crew. Shirakawa had set a rule aboard the ship: two rest days every month. On those days, everyone could do whatever they pleased. No training required.
For Mol, this rule was a godsend. For the others, it made little difference. To them, every day was already a rest day. Train if you felt like it, rest if you didn't. Shirakawa never forced anything. It all came down to self-discipline.
In fact, it was fair to say Shirakawa had made that rule specifically for Mol, since it was established right after Mol joined the crew.
"Captain! Captain! Get over here! I can't hold it!"
Shirakawa, who had been spacing out nearby, snapped back to reality at the sound of Mol shouting at the top of his lungs.
He turned his head and saw the fishing rod in Mol's hands bent nearly in half.
"Looks like he's hooked another big one," Salar said with a grin. Every fish Mol pulled up ended up in their stomachs after Salar worked his culinary magic.
This was far from Mol's first catch. He seemed to have far more natural talent for fishing than Shirakawa did. Over the past three days, any spare moment Mol had, he spent fishing. By now, it might as well have been his one true joy in life.
"It really is a big one."
Shirakawa took the rod from Mol's hands. The moment he gripped it, he felt tremendous force surging through the line. The muscles in his arms bulged instantly.
"A Sea King?"
The thought crossed his mind. No ordinary large fish possessed strength like this.
With one powerful pull, Shirakawa hauled an enormous shape out of the sea. It was so massive it blotted out the sunlight shining down on their ship.
"It really is a Sea King!"
Seeing the creature, everyone on board wore expressions of pure shock.
"Not bad, kid. That thing's gonna feed us for days," Eulestin said, clapping Mol on the back.
Mol, for his part, looked thoroughly spooked. That monster could have swallowed him in a single gulp and probably wouldn't even have felt it between its teeth.
Shirakawa drew his blade in an instant. Two swift slashes carved out a middle section of the beast. Letting the entire thing drop onto the deck would've capsized them for sure.
Even that smaller portion made the ship shudder when it landed.
"Salar, it's all yours. Let's hope this thing tastes good."
"No problem." Salar rolled up his sleeves. He loved the challenge of unfamiliar ingredients the most. That was where his true culinary skill could shine.
"Never thought we'd see a Sea King this huge in the North Blue," Eulestin remarked, staring at the massive carcass floating on the waves. Having once been a bounty hunter, he'd traveled through plenty of seas and seen his fair share of Sea Kings. But one this enormous was a rare sight indeed.
"It probably lived deep in the ocean for a long time. Mol just got lucky enough to hook it."
At this point, even Shirakawa had to give Mol credit. Reeling in a Sea King of that size was genuinely impressive.
Normally, a Sea King could bite through any fishhook in one snap. Unless their ship's hooks were just that well-made. That thought made Shirakawa want to ask Riddle where he'd bought them, since most of their gear had originally belonged to Riddle's old crew.
"Captain! Look! There's a treasure chest inside the Sea King's stomach!"
At that moment, Salar burst out of the kitchen, holding a box in his hands. It wasn't large, maybe a hundred and twenty square centimeters at most.
"A chest?" Shirakawa had never found something like this in a Sea King's belly before.
"Could it be a treasure map inside?" Mol crowded closer, his interest thoroughly piqued. Eulestin also leaned in with a gleam in his eye. His thirst for treasure might very well have surpassed his thirst for strength.
"Only one way to find out if it's a treasure map. Open it and see."
The chest was locked, but that was hardly a challenge for Shirakawa's crew. He gripped the lock and squeezed lightly. The sturdy-looking mechanism crumbled to pieces.
"I'm opening it now."
Shirakawa placed both hands on the chest with exaggerated formality.
"Yeah!" The gathered crew nodded in perfect unison.
Shirakawa slowly lifted the lid. Everyone collectively held their breath, eager to see what lay inside.
But what greeted them left everyone a little disappointed. All it contained was a nautical chart with a route drawn on it and a single Eternal Pose.
"What? Not even a single piece of treasure?"
Eulestin walked off, visibly let down.
Shirakawa, however, unfolded the chart and studied it carefully. In one spot, a red dot was marked. Right beside it was the symbol of a sword.
"Looks like this Eternal Pose points to that island. So? Anyone interested in checking it out?"
Shirakawa pitched the idea to his crew.
"Whatever."
"Fine by me too."
The crew answered one after another. They were sailing without a destination anyway. Maybe this detour would bring them a pleasant surprise.
"Alright then. Since everyone's on board, our next heading is right here. Set sail! Steer toward this direction!"
Shirakawa felt unusually fired up. Maybe it was because he'd gone too long without a clear goal.
"Mol, I'm putting you in charge of the Pose. And let me tell you, you'd better not lead us off course."
Shirakawa ruffled Mol's hair as he spoke.
"Don't worry, Captain! Leave it to me, no problem at all!"
Mol was practically trembling with excitement. Did this mean he was finally ready to stand on his own? He definitely wouldn't betray the captain's trust.
Somewhere deep inside, Shirakawa had a gut feeling. This journey was going to bring him something unexpected.
"Hope this really does turn out to be a surprise."
Standing at the bow, he gazed out at the vast sea ahead. Suddenly, it all felt full of passion. Full of hope.
/-\
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