Chapter 38: Captain, Another Plate!

By the time Ah Jin awoke again, night had already fallen.

Outside the porthole.

A full moon had just risen from the sea's surface, its pale grey light spilling across the water, rising and falling with the waves, refracting into a shimmer like scattered silver.

Ah Jin struggled to prop himself up, only then realizing he was already inside a ship's cabin.

Beneath him was a warm, soft blanket, which had not grown damp even at sea, and the bandages on his body, soaked through by his movements during the day, had been replaced with fresh ones.

He slowly sat up on the bed, thoughts churning in his mind, recalling what had happened at the port a few days earlier.

Paru's warning, Klick's unhesitating abandonment, the questions and wails of his brothers before they died...

These things could destroy a person's will far more than physical pain.

Even though he bore the title of Ghost Man, and was known as cold-blooded when facing enemies, at this moment he still could not help feeling a chill that reached his very marrow.

Even though there was still a burning stove in the room, and the cabin window was tightly shut so not even a breath of sea wind could get in, Ah Jin still instinctively pulled the cotton blanket tighter around himself.

"Loyalty and righteousness…"

A self-mocking smile curled at the corner of Ah Jin's mouth:

"Heh."

"Among pirates, betrayal is the truth—!"

Creak—!

The room's door was pushed open at that very moment.

Ah Jin turned his head and saw Gao Wen walking in with a plate of fried rice in his hand, saying casually:

"The ship's cook got hurt earlier, so I made something to eat myself. Give it a try—after all, you need to be full before you have the strength to do other things."

Saying so, Gao Wen set the fried rice on Ah Jin's bedside and beckoned to him.

Ah Jin was slightly taken aback.

From Gao Wen, Ah Jin sensed an aura utterly unlike Klick's—clearly bearing far greater power, yet the man's entire presence was incomparably calm and even.

Compared to Klick's brutal, savage aura, it was the complete opposite.

He had never seen a person like this, a pirate like this.

Ah Jin looked at the fried rice steaming at the head of the bed, then turned his head back to Gao Wen:

"Why did you save me?"

"I'm short on men. Whether it's your character or your strength, you're exactly the talent I need."

Gao Wen looked at Ah Jin, making no attempt to hide his appreciation.

As early as the day the cargo ship set sail, he had cast a scan toward Ah Jin.

As expected, in that battle, the one who awakened Observation Haki was not only Klo—Ah Jin before him was one of them as well.

Although Ah Jin's potential was still Bronze-tier at present, after awakening Observation Haki he had already become one of those at the Bronze level closest to Bai Yin.

As long as he achieved a mental breakthrough later or ate a Devil Fruit, his potential would surely rise to Bai Yin tier—basically a long-term experience package on par with Klo.

Moreover, Ah Jin possessed the most precious quality among pirates:

Loyalty.

This could easily be seen from the battle at Raven Port.

After all, when Klick had ignored Ah Jin's presence in the port and directly opened fire, the gravely wounded Ah Jin was still willing to trade his own life for a chance to save Klick.

On this point alone, Gao Wen had to have this man.

"Hey, Ah Jin, do you still remember the last thing he said to you?"

Ah Jin's gaze darkened:

"Of course. He said, 'Don't ever board my ship again in your next life.'"

"So what you owed him has already been repaid."

Gao Wen continued:

"You are free now. You have the right to choose where you go."

"If you're willing, the position of combat captain on my ship is still being held for you—until this ship docks."

Looking at the dejected man before him, Gao Wen cast aside his original idea of using the life-saving debt to forcibly keep the man aboard; after all, if he truly did that, there would be no difference between himself and Klick.

Ah Jin looked at the fried rice placed at the head of the bed and said nothing.

Seeing this, Gao Wen sighed inwardly, then rose and walked out of the room:

"Get some proper rest."

Creak~!

Gao Wen closed the cabin door and was about to leave.

Turning his head, he found Klo standing in the cabin looking at him, a faint, ambiguous smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

Seeing Gao Wen walk out expressionless, Klo guessed roughly what had happened inside, and his smile deepened:

"Took a cold reception after all, did you?"

"That kind of stubborn fellow, once he makes up his mind to follow a captain, will give his life without a second thought—I feel this more deeply than you do."

"After all, the one who fought that guy was me…"

Klo raised a hand to touch his chest, feeling the pain from his wound, the smile on his face gradually fading as his gaze grew sharp:

"Names can be wrong, but nicknames never are."

"Ghost Man isn't just cold-blooded toward enemies—he's even colder toward himself. To win, he won't hesitate for a moment to stake his own life."

"How could a man like that be shaken merely by your goodwill?"

Klo raised a hand to adjust his glasses, his entire presence radiating a sharpness like a blade:

"Need me to handle it for you?"

"Though my wounds aren't healed, I am no longer the same as before. Even you..."

"Heh."

Gao Wen looked at the bandages on Xiang Keluo's body:

"A severely injured you holds no interest for me. Wait until your wounds heal, and I'll wait for you to take the captain's position."

"However."

"The loser can't cry, okay~"

"Oh my~"

Xiang Keluo shrugged helplessly and said:

"You've always been like this, as if nothing matters to you. This deeply hidden arrogance is truly infuriating."

"Hmph."

Gao Wen smiled faintly.

As the two were about to turn and leave, Jin's voice suddenly came from inside the room.

"Captain, another one!"

After a brief pause, Gao Wen's lips gradually curved upward:

"He really thinks I'm a chef."

"How did you do it?"

Xiang Keluo's pupils contracted; what lay before him had already exceeded his expectations.

"I made him a plate of fried rice."

Xiang Keluo was puzzled:

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Gao Wen patted Xiang Keluo's shoulder:

"To become a qualified captain, one needs more than just strength."

"Heh, when I set sail, you were busy chasing Wang Fei in the Goa Kingdom."

"Can you stop bringing that up?"

"Then tell me honestly, what exactly did you say to Jin? How could such a stubborn person yield so easily?"

Xiang Keluo could not figure it out no matter how he thought.

Especially when he saw the faint, almost imperceptible smile on Gao Wen's face.

He felt despised.

"Some things cannot be judged solely from the perspective of gain and loss; human hearts are made of flesh and blood."

"Even the Ghost Person is no exception."

Para Island.

A small port.

Besides several small pirate ships moored in the harbor, a row of wooden houses lined the port, most showing signs of rot. Clearly, Xiang Keluo's base here had existed for many years.

At this moment, in the center of the port, dozens of pirates gathered around a bonfire. The firelight struck their faces, making their pale complexions even more apparent.

Zango, expressionless, looked at the two pirates who had long remained on the island and barked:

"Just two female thieves stole all the treasure Captain Xiang Keluo—no, First Officer Xiang Keluo—had stored over so many years?"

"That's right."

The two pirates guarding the port nodded repeatedly:

"I remember their appearances."

"Around fifteen or sixteen years old. One had short orange hair, the other short purple hair."

"To be honest, though they were a bit young, their figures were top-notch."

As he spoke, this pirate even gave a thumbs-up.

Slap!

Zango, in a bad mood, slapped the pirate on the head, knocking him to the ground, and said with a Solemn Face:

"The problem now is, how do we explain this to the captain?! Even with Captain Gao Wen's style, he would likely split you in two with a single sword strike!"

(End of Chapter)