Chapter 124: Jack is on the ship, Kaido is on the road【66K】

The moonlight was bright, and the night breeze was slightly cool.

Inside the cabin of the *Rakumu*.

Xia Nuo held Robin, walked through the long corridor, gently nudged the door open with his elbow, and stepped into her room.

The weight of the person in his arms was lighter than he had imagined.

Moonlight spilled in through the porthole, and Xia Nuo carefully placed Robin on the bed.

Robin curled up unconsciously, like a black cat that had finally found a safe place to land; her hair was scattered across the pillow, and her breathing was steady and long.

A faint scent of alcohol, mixed with the unique, elegant fragrance of a mature woman, drifted into his nostrils, and when added to the astonishing elasticity he felt when their arms brushed against each other...

It was hard not to feel his heart race.

But his gaze remained clear; after covering her with a thin blanket, he stood quietly by the bedside.

Looking at Robin, who was fast asleep with a flushed face, Xia Nuo sighed.

She really had drunk too much.

In front of everyone, she had even been able to say something like, "Are we just partners?"

It had even startled him.

Perhaps...

It was the meeting with Aokiji today that had finally dispelled the nightmares that had haunted her childhood and lifted the heaviest shackles from her heart.

That must be why she had relaxed enough to lose her composure for once.

"If I didn't have Observation Haki and know that you were truly asleep..."

Xia Nuo squatted down, arms crossed, and said with a grin, "I would have thought you were testing me, Sister Robin."

He couldn't withstand many more tests.

If there were one more, he really wouldn't be able to hold back.

After all, who could not like a long-haired, black-haired big sister?

It was just that...

His relationship with Robin was still far from that point.

Robin was the last member to join the ship, and compared to the other partners, she had still been in the stage of gradually integrating into the group over the past month.

It wasn't until after what happened during the day that the final barrier had been torn down.

Did Robin have feelings for him?

Perhaps a little.

But Xia Nuo knew very clearly that the reliance Robin had shown after drinking in the restaurant earlier stemmed more from a craving for and addiction to a sense of security.

Rather than other sentiments.

At a time like this.

If he were to take advantage of her while she was unconscious, it would be equivalent to tearing the hard-won, unconditional trust she had built into pieces all over again.

As for how their relationship would develop in the future.

...That should just be left to take its natural course; take it slow.

"Goodnight, Robin."

Xia Nuo stood up, gently closed the door, and his footsteps gradually disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Not until that figure disappeared at the entrance of the training room.

*Swish, swish, swish*—from behind the corner, three heads poked out, one after another.

Black hair, orange hair, and blue hair.

"Wahahaha, see? I told you, Big Brother is always upright and honorable; he's not that kind of person!"

"How come I feel like he noticed us sneaking after him? It's a pity, if we weren't here, would things have happened?"

"No!"

"Hmm?" Nami and Nojiko looked up in unison, staring at the person above in astonishment.

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"..." Someone's breath hitched, only then realizing that she had blurted out her inner thoughts.

"..."

The young swordswoman lowered her eyes slightly, expressionless. "I meant, don't keep peeking here; let's all go back to sleep. Doing this is very bad."

Huh?

In the restaurant, wasn't it you who urged us to come back?

Nami and Nojiko exchanged a glance, both seeing the suspicion in each other's eyes.

*Hiss*, how come it feels like...

There seems to be more than one Sister Robin on the ship?

In the blink of an eye.

It was the early hours of the next day.

When Robin opened her eyes, sunlight was already filling the room.

The hangover left her head with a dull ache; she rubbed her temples, and the memories of last night gradually came flooding back like a tide.

"Under the warm orange light, she tugged at Xia Nuo's sleeve."

"Oh my, are we just partners?"

As soon as this sentence surfaced in her mind, her earlobes immediately burned.

"What on earth did I do..."

She buried her face in the pillow in frustration, unable to find the courage to turn over for a long time.

It, it was just too rude.

Thinking back on those words and actions from last night, it was so shameful it was suffocating.

Wait, the Captain couldn't have taken it seriously, right?

"..."

Robin took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

She slowly sat up and scanned the room—

On the bedside table sat a glass of water and a hangover pill; Xia Nuo had likely left them there this morning when he saw she hadn't woken up yet.

Other than that, there was nothing unusual in the room; she looked down at herself, and it was the same.

It seemed nothing had happened.

Thank goodness...

Right?

She pursed her lips and got up to wash.

In the mirror, her complexion was basically back to normal, with only a faint blush remaining on her earlobes.

Robin was dazed for a moment, then suddenly patted her cheeks gently, practiced a few times in front of the mirror, and finally recovered her usual calm smile.

*Creak.*

She pushed open the cabin door and went out onto the deck.

The partners were all there, mostly gathered around the long table under the parasol.

"Over here, over here! Sister Robin!"

Nami had sharp eyes and was the first to notice her, grinning as she held up the bamboo lot container:

"You're the only one missing! You didn't forget what we said yesterday, did you? Hurry up and draw a lot; it's time to decide who takes the train and who takes the ship!"

"Coming. Good morning, everyone."

She greeted them with a calm smile, though her gaze couldn't help but glance toward Xia Nuo.

The youth had already finished his training and was lying on a rattan chair, drinking coffee to wake up while lazily basking in the sun.

Hearing the commotion, he turned his head and asked casually, "You're awake? Did you take the hangover medicine? Does your head still hurt?"

His tone was natural, as if nothing had happened.

"Yes, much better." Robin smiled faintly.

Now she could be one hundred percent sure that nothing had happened last night.

She felt a slight sense of relief in her heart, yet inexplicably, a little bit of disappointment as well.

Fortunately, at this moment, Nami began shaking the lot container vigorously, instantly pulling Robin's thoughts back to reality.

"Here, draw one by one."

Seven hands and one large claw reached out simultaneously, each drawing a lot.

"Meow!"

Nomi also wanted to participate, but since it was just a round little ball of fur without even hands, it was directly ignored by Nami with a cold sneer.

The distribution results came out quickly.

Xia Nuo, Smoker, Zeff, and Gin would take the train.

Robin, Kuina, Nami, and Nojiko would take the ship.

This was the travel arrangement for heading to the City of Spring Queen; once they left the City of Spring Queen and headed to the next stop, Water 7, the two sides would swap.

"..." Xia Nuo held the wooden lot, lost in thought.

"What's wrong, Brother?"

Nami leaned over and took a look. "Isn't it great to experience the Sea Train first? I'm dying to ride the train; how about we swap?"

"It has nothing to do with the draw."

Xia Nuo frowned, deep in thought. "It's just that we're leaving this island soon, and I feel like I've forgotten something..."

Huh, what was it?

Never mind, it probably wasn't important.

Just as everyone was preparing to set sail from the pier and head to the station, a series of urgent shouts suddenly came from the shore.

"Lord Xia Nuo! Lord Xia Nuo!"

Parker rushed to the ship, panting, his face full of anxiety and unease, sweat still wet on his forehead.

"What's wrong?" Xia Nuo immediately went to meet him. "Didn't you settle down on the island? What happened again?"

"Are, are you leaving?"

"Yes." Xia Nuo nodded. "Supplies are mostly done; it's time to head to the next island."

"Then, then what about my son?"

Parker looked toward the deck, saying with some disappointment, "I don't see him... did you... did you not accept him?"

It made sense.

Lord Xia Nuo's ship wasn't something just anyone could board.

He had thought too highly of it...

"Your son?" Xia Nuo looked puzzled.

"It's Jack! You should know him, right?"

Parker was also confused by the question and scratched his head. "He came to find you yesterday to apologize and also to follow you from now on. Did you not run into him?"

Who?

Jack?!

"..."

Xia Nuo slapped his forehead.

He finally remembered what he had forgotten.

Ten minutes later.

Town center, garden.

Jack had returned to his human form, squatting on a bench, holding his hands out to the fire, but he was still shivering uncontrollably, frozen to the bone.

His eyebrows and hair tips were still covered in ice, and his lips were purple; clearly, he had been tortured quite a bit throughout the night.

"Dad... I'm sorry, I, I think I messed up..." he said, teeth chattering, his voice full of frustration.

"You didn't mess up, but you were close!"

Parker stood on the chair, on his tiptoes, rubbing his foster son's arms with a hot towel, his heart aching:

"Good thing I noticed you hadn't come back all night and felt something was wrong, so I found Lord Xia Nuo. If we had been a step later, you would have really frozen to death, you idiot!"

"That's a Marine Admiral! You fool, you just charged right at him. How did I teach you? Don't be so reckless when doing things. If you had explained your intentions to Lord Xia Nuo first, would this have happened?"

Beside them.

Xia Nuo and the others exchanged glances, all feeling a mix of amusement and helplessness.

Along the way, they had already figured out the ins and outs of the matter while talking to Parker.

This honest and straightforward giant had heard yesterday that the benefactor who saved his father was someone he had once been hostile toward, and feeling immense guilt, he had prepared to come and apologize.

And Parker had also felt that his foster son's abilities were wasted continuing to work as a porter at the pier, so he had simply encouraged him to defect and contribute to Lord Xia Nuo.

As for the result...

Jack had just found Xia Nuo in the garden when he happened to run into the scene where Aokiji was pressing in step by step, and he had immediately flown into a rage, attacking without a word.

And on Xia Nuo's side, because of the dark history in Alabasta, everyone had still regarded him as an enemy and hadn't paid him any mind.

Later, because of Robin's drunken loss of composure, they had all followed Xia Nuo back to the ship early.

In short.

Due to a series of coincidences.

The unlucky guy had been frozen for an entire night in the quiet, deserted garden.

If it weren't for his Fish-Man physique and the durability granted by the Mammoth-Mammoth Fruit, he probably would have been dead long ago.

"Hehe, good thing I'm here."

Nami said triumphantly, snapping her fingers, sparks bursting from her fingertips to add more fuel to the bonfire in front of Jack.

She was the one who had built this bonfire, and just now, it was she who had used her Flame-Flame Fruit ability to quickly melt Aokiji's ice.

Otherwise, if it had been anyone else, dealing with this giant block of ice would have taken quite a bit of effort.

"It's so much warmer now..."

Jack looked up at the orange-haired girl in front of him; although he was still shivering, he tried his best to squeeze out a grateful smile:

"Tha, thank you, Big Sister Nami!"

His teeth chattered, his voice intermittent. "If you hadn't stepped in to save me, I might have really frozen to death..."

In the endless cold, his consciousness had long since blurred; he didn't know how long he had endured before he gradually recovered.

And afterward, the first ray of fire he saw, the first smile he encountered, all came from this kind and enthusiastic human girl.

Therefore, he was filled with heartfelt gratitude toward Nami, struggling to stand up to bow, but his legs went weak, and he nearly fell to the ground.

Parker quickly supported him, shaking his head in distress.

"Oh, don't be so polite!"

Nami waved her hand. "It was just a small favor. But remember, don't be so reckless next time! That's a Marine Admiral! Among us, only Big Brother can hold his own; you should just forget it."

She acted all grown-up, wanting to project the aura of a big sister, and tried to pat Jack's shoulder for comfort, but found she couldn't reach, so she had to settle for patting his knee instead.

However...

The curve of her mouth, which was curling up wildly, exposed how proud she was inside, and even the tips of her hair were happily sprouting a few small flames.

—He called me Big Sister!!!

"You're right to scold me."

Jack agreed deeply, nodding vigorously. "That guy is indeed very strong, but if it happens again, and I see him move against Lord Xia Nuo, I still won't let him off!"

Nami: "?"

No, did I say all that for nothing?

Damn it.

It really wasn't that she had a stereotype about big guys.

But...

Sure enough, those who are tall don't have very good brains.

"Ouch, that hurts!"

It was Nami's ear being pinched hard by Xia Nuo.

"What are you doing, Brother!" Nami turned her head, feeling wronged.

Even if it's Big Brother, you need a reason to bully me!

Nami wanted to retaliate in a huff, but suddenly remembered her brother's real height, immediately gave a sheepish smile, and shrank back.

Xia Nuo snorted; having grown up together, how could he not know what this girl was thinking?

Jack clearly didn't know what Nami was thinking; he turned his head, looked at Xia Nuo, and *thump*, knelt directly before him.

"I, I'm sorry!"

Jack stammered. "Lord Xia Nuo! I haven't had a chance to thank you for saving my dad's life, and I've caused you trouble again. Back in Alabasta, I, I even followed Hanafuda and attacked everyone..."

"Nobody remembers that!" Nojiko teased with a laugh. "Didn't you sink straight to the bottom of the sea? Everyone didn't even see what you looked like."

Jack's face immediately flushed red.

That scene was indeed too embarrassing.

Good thing Fish-Men can breathe in the ocean even after eating a Devil Fruit, otherwise, what would have drifted to the City of Gourmet would have been a corpse.

"No need to apologize."

Xia Nuo also shook his head, helping Jack up.

"At that time, you were still under Hanafuda's control, after all. Besides, you didn't cause any substantial trouble."

He paused, looking the big guy up and down with interest: "However, I did hear from your father that you want to follow me now?"

Eh?

Lord Xia Nuo is interested?

Parker immediately perked up, just about to secretly kick his foster son.

Jack had already raised his head abruptly, his eyes lighting up, so excited he was incoherent:

"Yes! Lord Xia Nuo! I, I have great strength, I can work! Although my brain can't figure out many things, if you tell me to go east, I will never go west!"

"And my abilities!"

He patted his chest. "Hanafuda said I am a very rare Ancient Zoan type with great growth potential. Although I couldn't beat that powerful Marine Admiral, I can definitely beat other pirates or Marine Vice Admirals in the future!"

"What about Vice Admiral Garp?" Nami asked with a grin.

Garp?

Never heard of him, but since he's just a Vice Admiral...

"Absolutely no problem!" Jack held his head high, answering decisively. "No matter how many of those guys come, I'll beat them all!"

"Pfft!"

Nami and Nojiko couldn't hold it in and burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs.

"..." Xia Nuo was also speechless.

He looked up at Jack, who was scratching his head in confusion, and rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

Seeing that he was really considering it, Jack became anxious, and Parker beside him subconsciously grabbed his foster son's arm, his palms sweating with nervousness.

Must say.

Xia Nuo was indeed tempted.

In the original timeline, six years later, Jack would only be in his twenties and already one of the three Disasters of the Beasts Pirates.

Just as Hanafuda had said, this guy's growth potential was top-tier.

More importantly.

Jack, at only 22 years old, hadn't yet gone down the wrong path; his personality was straightforward and loyal, and because of Parker, he felt indebted to him.

As long as he boarded the ship, he would definitely be a trustworthy partner.

The only drawback.

Might be... in terms of his style of doing things, he was indeed a little reckless.

"Brother, why not just take him in?"

Nojiko suggested in a low voice beside him. "The ship happens to be missing someone strong; it'll be convenient for moving things, repairing the ship, and so on."

"Yeah, yeah!"

Nami also hurriedly agreed, looking at Xia Nuo with eager eyes. "This kid is a bit dumb, but his personality is good; he's very reliable!"

She kept calling him "this kid," as if Jack were younger than her.

She didn't care; Nami only knew one thing.

—This big guy was saved by her own hands, and he even called her Big Sister!

Just hearing Jack call her that made her vanity explode.

If he could be brought onto the ship, she would have an obedient little brother, and wouldn't her status on the ship rise straight to the top?

What's more, Jack didn't have a bounty yet, so her bounty wouldn't be the lowest anymore!

Xia Nuo looked at the others, and seeing that no one had any objections, he finally nodded.

"Fine."

He smiled and reached out to Jack. "I forgot you here last night; that was my fault. Thank you for your righteous help. From today on, you are our companion. Welcome to the Rakumu Adventure Team."

Jack froze for a second, then was overjoyed, grabbing Xia Nuo's hand and shaking it excitedly, nearly throwing him into the sky:

"Thank you, Lord Xia Nuo! I, I definitely won't let you down!"

"Relax, no need to be so excited."

Xia Nuo used a little force to stabilize himself. He noticed someone's expression, thought for a moment, and added, "Also, don't call me 'Lord'; 'Captain' or 'Boss' is fine."

Kuina's furrowed brow immediately smoothed out.

"Yes! Boss Xia Nuo!!!"

Jack responded loudly, his voice so resonant it made everyone's ears buzz.

"Go home, bring the luggage you need to take, have breakfast with your dad, and say a proper goodbye."

Xia Nuo patted his arm and instructed, "I'll give you an hour, and then we'll be setting off."

"Yes, Boss Xia Nuo!!!"

The *Rakumu* finally sailed away from the pier.

Riding the wind and waves, it headed toward the Sea Train station located on the north side of the island.

Parker stood on the pier, laughing and saying goodbye to Jack, waving as he watched the ship's silhouette gradually disappear at the end of the horizon.

His wish was finally fulfilled, and a sense of pride surged up, even overwhelming his reluctance to part.

Once he went back and met the slaves who had been liberated with him, he would definitely have to show off.

Ordinary people like them wanted to be handymen, but hadn't been looked at by Lord Xia Nuo, yet his son was now an official crew member on the *Rakumu*!

A man's ambitions lie in the four corners of the world; since he was lucky enough to follow Lord Xia Nuo, Jack would surely become a remarkable big shot when he returned home in the future!

Meanwhile.

On the deck of the *Rakumu*.

"While we haven't reached the Sea Train station yet, let's get your room sorted. The boys' and girls' rooms on the ship are separate, ten of each. The boys' are on the right side; don't go to the wrong side. Just follow me, rookie."

Smoker was chewing on his cigar, about to take Jack to get familiar with the environment, when he suddenly heard a "thump" of a head bumping from behind.

"..."

Smoker turned his head and saw Jack rubbing his head, frowning slightly:

"Is he really too tall? Over eight meters... looks like you'll have to bend over all the time inside the cabin from now on, be careful."

The main door of the *Rakumu*'s cabin was five meters high, and the ceiling of the first floor was about six meters.

In most cases, this height was completely sufficient, but this kid was an exception.

"Yes! I will be careful, Brother Smoker!" Jack stood at attention, looking serious.

Not bad, this kid.

Smoker curled his lips.

"It's not good to be like this all the time; it's too stifling."

He pondered for a moment and took the initiative to remind him, "Boss Xia Nuo is a world-class martial arts expert. You should ask him for advice more often and learn Life Return as soon as possible, so you can move freely in the cabin in the future."

"Life Return? Understood, Senior Smoker, thank you for the reminder!"

"Hmm, that's for later. For now, keep following me."

Walking through the corridor, Kuina happened to be walking from the opposite direction, wiping her sword. She glanced at Jack: "Hey, rookie, your ability is quite good. If you have time later, come and spar with me."

Thick-skinned, he was a good target for testing the power of her swordsmanship.

"Okay! Vice Captain Kuina!" Jack nodded without hesitation.

"Hmm."

Kuina nodded with satisfaction, sheathed her sword, and walked away with long strides.

"Hey, kid Jack!"

Zeff's voice came from the kitchen. "After you've packed your things, remember to come over and help me move the ingredients. There's too much stuff; it all needs to be put into the storage room!"

"No problem! Wait a moment, I'll be right there, Mr. Zeff!"

"Haha, you agreed quickly. Once you're done moving, I'll make a few special delicacies to reward you!"

"Really, Mr. Zeff? I want to eat a cheeseburger! And french fries, and grilled fish! And salted butter cake, and..."

"That's enough, you really have the nerve to make so many requests, you stinky kid!"

On the open-air sword training ground on the second floor.

Xia Nuo held his cup, listening to the commotion from the cabin, and couldn't help but smile and take a sip of coffee.

A brute has the advantages of a brute.

Whether it was Smoker or Robin, these two latecomers had spent quite a while adjusting after boarding, and for the first few days, they had been a bit reserved.

But Jack was completely different; this kid was too honest, had no ulterior motives, and was enthusiastic and sincere to everyone.

At this rate, the speed at which he integrated into the group would probably be the fastest on the ship.

Putting down the coffee cup, he casually unfolded the newspaper in front of him.

Fresh off the press, it was one Nami had just bought. Although she said she didn't care about bounties anymore, the habit of buying the newspaper as soon as the News Coo appeared had already been formed and couldn't be changed.

The headline for this issue was...

Xia Nuo's gaze moved down, and after just one look, he was stunned, showing a look of astonishment.

He saw bold, black, large-font text that read—

《Breaking! Four Emperor Kaido has left the New World alone and has now appeared in the first half of the Grand Line; his specific destination is unknown!》

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 143 =====