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Chapter 78 is out!!!! +40 advanced chapters monthly
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In other words, if Baishui simply turned the pirates in for their bounties, he should be walking away with 116.4 million Berries!
Not a measly five million and some useless badge.
It wasn't even set in stone that he would join the Marines in the future. And even if he did, so what if he started as a recruit? Would Sengoku really be willing to let a guy like him stay as a simple grunt?
Even if Sengoku was willing, with Baishui's level of strength, did he really have to worry about climbing the ranks? He could pile up enough military merits to force his way to the top. Never mind Ensign; he could easily make Rear Admiral or Vice Admiral.
He didn't need the help of some "Medal of Honor."
"Uh..." Baishui's flawless logic left Sengoku completely speechless, while T-Bone just stood to the side, looking utterly bewildered.
"Sigh, forget it. I don't even need to think about it—this has to be an idea from that old bastard Garp. I'll just go ask him for the money!"
Baishui knew Sengoku's temper well enough. Since breaking through the Fleet Admiral's stubbornness was proving too difficult, he'd just change his angle of attack. Garp wouldn't hold out on him, would he?
"Um... Mr. Baishui, please wait a moment!"
Just as Baishui was turning to leave, a somewhat hesitant voice called out to him.
"What is it?" Baishui paused, looking impatiently at the person who had stopped him—a rather shy-looking Marine Major.
"That... idea was mine. It... has nothing to do with Vice Admiral Garp!" The Major didn't even dare to meet Baishui's eyes. As he spoke, he nervously twiddled his thumbs, fidgeting awkwardly.
"It was your idea?" Baishui rolled his eyes. "And what good does telling me that do? It's not like you can give me the money!"
He turned on his heel again, grumbling loud enough for everyone in the office to hear, "I didn't realize Marine Headquarters was so stingy. I thought I'd at least get a few tens of millions. Turns out I get absolutely nothing!"
"Alright, alright! I'll give you another fifty million, deal?!" In the split second before Baishui stepped out the door, Sengoku finally compromised.
"Seventy million!" Baishui fired back without missing a beat.
"Sixty million, and not a Berry more!" Sengoku's grip tightened on his desk. The atmosphere in the room instantly grew thick with tension.
"Eighty million. I won't take a Berry less." Baishui spat out the words coldly. His absolute resolve left no room for argument.
"Seventy-five million. Truly, not a Berry more!" Sengoku ground the words out through clenched teeth, his fists popping from the strain. He was on the verge of erupting. He had already yielded time and time again for this kid; if Baishui didn't know what was good for him, Sengoku wouldn't hesitate to teach him a physical lesson!
"Done. It's a deal. Seventy-five million!"
Instantly, Baishui dropped the hardball act. A sleazy, merchant-like grin spread across his face as he rubbed his hands together. His eager expression was so punchable it made hands itch.
All that coldness and absolute resolve from a second ago? Completely faked.
Sengoku suddenly felt incredibly cheated. He'd given up the money, and Baishui still had the medal.
Sigh, I took a loss.
But words spoken were like spilled water; he couldn't take them back. He shot a pointed glare at the Major, signaling him to fetch an eighty-million Berry Card for Baishui.
"Thank you for your generous contribution, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" Baishui beamed, accepting the multi-million Berry Card with both hands.
"Enough. You've got what you wanted, now get out of here. Just looking at you annoys me!" Sengoku scowled, looking as if he'd just swallowed a fly. Livid, he demanded Baishui vanish from his sight.
On the warship!
"Hehe, I'm rich!"
Baishui carefully tucked the Berry Card away, then lay back on the warship's deck, happily soaking in the sun and humming a little tune. Life was good.
Five hours later!
T-Bone finally boarded the warship. A gleaming golden star had been added to his epaulets—the mark of a Marine from Headquarters. In other words, from this moment on, T-Bone had officially secured his future rank ahead of schedule.
"Let's go, hurry back home. I miss Aqi," Baishui said, sitting up and rubbing his sleep-filled eyes as T-Bone arrived.
"Understood," T-Bone replied.
The sailors quickly set to work. Guided by the port staff, the warship pulled out of the harbor in an orderly fashion, beginning its journey home.
Meanwhile, how was the girl Baishui was so fondly missing?
Not well at all. Aqi was sick.
Lovesick, to be exact. She was completely bedridden, and three days of medication hadn't shown any signs of improving her condition.
To make matters worse, the tyrants of the East Blue, the Arlong Pirates, seemed to have taken an interest in Kuro Island. Their frequent sightings near the island's shores kept everyone constantly on edge.
"Baishui... where are you? Why aren't you back yet?" Aqi murmured weakly from her bed.
The tears hadn't stopped flowing since the day Baishui left. Her eyes were so swollen they looked like a rabbit's, gleaming an irritated, ruby red.
She looked incredibly frail, her face as pale as wax paper. The heavy, pungent scent of boiling herbal medicine filled the room, making anyone who entered instinctively cover their nose.
The islanders had discovered Aqi's illness right when it started, but even now, she wasn't getting better. If anything, there were signs she was deteriorating.
Every doctor on the island was at a loss. They all recognized that her illness stemmed from severe anxiety and longing; conventional medicine was useless here. The only cure was Baishui's return.
However, the deadline Baishui had promised them had come and gone without a single word, causing everyone's hearts to sink.
What happened to Baishui? Why hasn't he returned on time?
Since the day the deadline passed, Aqi's health had plummeted. If not for her sheer willpower—her absolute obsession with seeing Baishui return—she likely would have fallen into a coma long ago.
On the other side of the ocean, Baishui had just crossed Reverse Mountain and officially re-entered the East Blue.
The moment he crossed over, Baishui felt a sudden, sharp pain in his chest, as if an invisible hand was squeezing his heart. A profound sense of dread washed over him out of nowhere.
"I have something to take care of. I'm going on ahead!"
His first thought immediately darted to Aqi.
Without even waiting to properly bid T-Bone farewell, Baishui spread his wings and shot into the sky, his form blurring into a streak of light as he vanished from the Marines' sight.
One day later!
An exhausted Baishui finally arrived in the airspace above Kuro Island. He let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Thankfully, the island hadn't suffered any pirate attacks. The Marines T-Bone had dispatched were diligently patrolling the area, and the five Sea Kings Baishui had left behind were faithfully carrying out their guard duties in the surrounding waters.
The Marine commander immediately recognized Baishui and ordered his men to stand down, granting him passage onto Kuro Island.
"This feeling... what the hell is going on?"
The moment his feet touched the soil of Kuro Island, Baishui's heart seized again. The intense pain made him clutch his chest, his mind racing with uncertainty.
Please don't let it be about Aqi, he prayed frantically.
But deep down, he knew that was probably just wishful thinking.
"Aqi, I'm home!"
When he arrived outside her house, Baishui realized the area was terrifyingly quiet. Aside from the wind, the only sound was the crashing of the ocean waves against the shore.
"Aqi...!"
The color drained from Baishui's face. Just as he was about to sprint forward, the front door suddenly flew open, and a slender figure launched herself straight at him.
Instinctively, Baishui caught her in his arms.
"Waaah, you're finally back! Cough, cough!"
The moment she hit his chest, she broke down completely. Like a wronged child finally seeing their parent, she couldn't hold back her tears and began to sob uncontrollably.
But before she could even cry out twice, a violent fit of coughing overtook her.
Baishui felt a sudden damp chill on his shoulder. He looked down, only to see a patch of crimson rapidly spreading across his shirt.
"Aqi, are you okay?! What's wrong?!" Baishui yelled, his heart leaping into his throat.
"I'm fine... I'm fine!" Aqi shook her head, clinging to him like an octopus, refusing to let go.
"No, let me look at you first! You're coughing up blood and telling me you're fine?!" Baishui was beside himself with worry, desperate to know her exact condition.
"Okay..." Seeing his firm stance, Aqi reluctantly complied. She slowly untangled herself from him, finally letting Baishui see her face clearly.
The moment he did, his entire body shuddered, his eyes filling with overwhelming heartache.
It had only been ten days, but Aqi looked as though she had wasted away. Her eyes were swollen and red, her complexion was ghastly pale، and she was practically skin and bones. Her hair was a tangled mess, devoid of any vitality.
Her breathing was incredibly erratic, and a faint trail of crimson lingered at the corner of her lips. She looked so fragile that a strong gust of wind might literally blow her away.
Was this really his bright, sunny Aqi?
Without another word, Baishui scooped her up into his arms and bolted straight for the harbor.
He was taking her to Ship-Cutter Island. The medical facilities there were far superior, and the doctors were much more skilled than those on Kuro Island. When it came to Aqi's safety, Baishui wasn't taking any chances.
This time, however, he had learned his lesson from his previous trip and procured a large ship. He sat cross-legged on the deck, letting Aqi rest her head comfortably in his lap. Her body simply couldn't handle any more physical strain.
Terrified that the journey would be too much for her, he deliberately slowed the ship's pace. A trip to Ship-Cutter Island that normally took half an hour ended up taking a grueling five hours.
By the time they arrived, night was already falling.
Ship-Cutter Island looked particularly vibrant in the evening light, its bustling, jewel-like atmosphere practically inviting people to lose themselves in it.
Baishui carried Aqi all the way into the hospital. During the trip, Aqi buried her flushed face deep into his chest, too embarrassed to let anyone see her in such a state.
After a thorough examination by the doctors, Baishui finally learned the true nature of Aqi's condition. His face flushed with embarrassment, rapidly followed by a wave of crushing guilt.
It was his fault for neglecting her!
If he had just returned on time, she never would have gotten this sick, let alone started coughing up blood.
Fortunately, she was only suffering from extreme anxiety and emotional exhaustion. There was no fundamental damage to her body; she just needed a few days of rest and proper care to recover.
Baishui didn't quite know how to describe the cocktail of emotions he felt upon hearing the news, but the massive boulder resting on his chest finally vanished.
His greatest fear had been that something irreversible had happened to her. Thank God she was going to be okay. If something serious had happened, he would never have forgiven himself.
"Feeling a bit better?" Baishui asked softly, gently stroking her cheek as he sat by her hospital bed.
"Mhm, much better," Aqi smiled, her eyes reflecting nothing but his silhouette.
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