Chapter 13: Under the Stars
On the boundless sea, a pirate ship burned fiercely.
The remaining pirates stared in terror at the figure standing amidst the flames, one hand gripping their captain by the neck.
A monster! A monster in leather armor!
It had leapt from the sea without warning,torn down their flag without a word, and then begun a silent slaughter. No one could stop it. Not the captain, not the first mate, not the boatswain—none could withstand a single blow.
Monster! It's a monster!
Then, the monster spoke.
"Honestly, why did you have to come all the way out here? It's so far from any Marine base."
"If you were closer,I could have just scuttled your ship and let the Marines handle the rest. I could have called them over. Now I have to deal with you all myself. What a pain."
"Gerd was supposed to make seafood paella today.You've wasted her time. I'll have to eat faster now..."
"Se-Seafood paella? What kind of monster are you...?"
Crack.
With a gentle squeeze, Linlin snapped the captain's neck and tossed the body aside.
"Alright.Oro said to leave no witnesses. Let's finish this quickly."
In the firelight, Linlin's still-youthful, slightly rounded face took on a fearsome cast. Yet, the mere thought of the seafood paella waiting for her back on the ship made her smile involuntarily.
To the surrounding pirates, the monster who had just killed their captain was now grinning and chuckling amidst the blood and flames!
Monster!
"Paella~ paella~ seafood paella! Hehehe~ yummy!"
"Slow down, slow down! It's all for you, no one's taking it! Linlin!"
Seeing Linlin wolf down a bowl in a few bites and start gnawing on the dish itself,Gerd quickly snatched it away and ladled another heaping portion for her.
"Hmm? Oro~ Why are you looking at charts again? Oh? What's that?"
Having polished off her second massive bowl,Linlin noticed Oro lying over the large wooden table, sketching on a nautical chart with a strange pointer she'd never seen before. Her curiosity was piqued.
"The old man gave it to me before they left. This Log Pose is the reason the Icebreaker Pirates were after them." Oro held up the device. According to the old giant, it pointed to an island his elder brother called "Treasure Island." Barren and inhospitable on the surface, but rich with rare mineral veins underground.
"This island was their hope,their reason for not returning to Elbaph after the crew disbanded."
By the time Oro finished his explanation, Linlin had emptied another bowl. The little story had apparently been quite appetizing.
After three enormous servings of seafood paella, Linlin finally set her bowl down—not because she was full, but out of discipline. Three bowls was her controlled portion. She'd finally grown taller and achieved a more balanced figure, and she wasn't about to revert to her old ways.
"So, should we go check out this island?" Linlin's eyes sparkled.
Oro didn't answer immediately.Instead, he looked at the giant girl quietly clearing the dishes. "What do you think, Gerd ?"
"Let's go.Linlin said sailing has been boring lately. A change of pace would be nice."
Galz offered her support without hesitation.Linlin cheered, hugging Galz and jumping for joy.
Gerd is the best!
"Linlin! Settle down! If you don't let go, you're helping me wash every dish!"
Watching them,Oro couldn't help but smile. He chuckled and bent his head back to the chart.
Once the decision was made,they had to move quickly. Anticipation faded with delay, and they couldn't keep Linlin waiting forever.
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The sea breeze at night tasted saltier than during the day.
Oro sat beneath the figurehead carving of Tarrol at the bow,gazing up at the starry sky. The heavens in this world were breathtaking—streaks of blue and purple from the galactic river stretched across the darkness, dotted with countless twinkling stars.
"Oro-nii, still awake? We set up all those security measures. The whole ship is monitored. There's no need for a night watch."
Gerd emerged from the cabin;she thought she'd heard a splash.
"Hey,Gerd. Is Linlin asleep?"
"Out like a light."
Oro turned to see Gerd walking toward him in her nightclothes, a white wool coat over her shoulders, carrying a folded blanket.
"Gerd,do you know why we went to sea?"
"You and Linlin never even asked before running off with me.Weren't you afraid?"
Oro shifted, patting the space beside him in invitation.
Gerd sat down and unfolded the blanket."Do we need a reason to follow you to sea?"
"A young lady like you shouldn't read so many romance novels."A wry smile touched the corner of Oro's mouth as he accepted the offered blanket.
"Is Oro-nii blushing?"
Somewhat helplessly, Oro changed the subject. "Linlin and I killed Carmel and a CP agent. We dismantled a human trafficking ring that had operated for nearly fifty years. A ring that could access giants. The World Government will find out about us eventually."
"Let them try!The world is vast. Do you really think the World Government would launch a full-scale manhunt over two dead operatives?"
Oro patted Gerd's hand,calming her agitation. He knew why she was so upset. They'd grown up together.
"I would never abandon you. But I don't want you to spend your whole life following me, hiding and running across the seas."
"Oro..."
Gerd stared intently at him.Oro met her gaze, his own steady and resolute.
"I have a contingency plan. We'll travel from Fish-Man Island, beneath Mariejois, back to the first half of the Grand Line. There are islands there, floating high in the sky. I will make one of them into a new home—a safe harbor you'll love. We can still explore the seas, but when we're weary, we'll have a place to return to."
Oro's tone carried undeniable confidence.
"It's a future I look forward to as well...though I doubt we'll ever need that backup plan."
"Huh?Why not?"
"Because I believe Oro-nii can definitely achieve the primary goal!"
Oro laughed, a genuine warmth spreading in his chest—a warmth he was certain didn't come from the blanket.
"I haven't even told you what that primary goal is yet."
"So,Oro-nii, what is your primary goal?"
"What if I said...to rule the world?"
"Then I believe you!"
"Hahaha... Silly girl..."
Beneath the starry sky,at the ship's bow, the laughter and conversation of childhood companions lingered on.
It was a beautiful scene.
An ordinary painter might simply sketch the moment onto a scroll.
But a true artist would paint a picture of Charlotte Linlin,sound asleep and wrapped in a blanket, and title it: "Oro and Galz's Heart-to-Heart Under the Stars."
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