Chapter 142: Jack on the Ship, Kaido on the Way [66K]

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

Inside the cabin of the Curtain Fall.

Siano carried Robin through the long corridor, gently nudging the door open with his elbow before stepping into her room.

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

Moonlight spilled through the porthole as Siano carefully placed Robin on the bed.

Unconsciously, Robin curled up like a black cat that had finally found a safe corner, her hair scattered across the pillow, her breathing even and deep.

A faint scent of alcohol mixed with the unique, elegant fragrance of a mature woman drifted into his nostrils, compounded by the astonishing elasticity he felt when his arm accidentally brushed against her...

It was hard not to feel one's heart pound.

Yet his gaze remained clear; after tucking a thin blanket over her, he stood quietly by the bedside.

Looking at Robin, her face flushed crimson as she slept soundly, Siano sighed.

She really had drunk too much.

In front of everyone, she had even managed to say something like, "Are we just companions?"

It had startled him.

Perhaps...

today's meeting with Aokiji had finally dispelled the nightmares that had haunted her childhood, lifting the heaviest shackles from her heart.

Only then had she relaxed enough to lose her composure.

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

Siano crouched down, folded his arms, and said with a grin, "I might have thought you were testing me, Sister Robin."

He couldn't withstand many such tests.

One more time, and he truly wouldn't have been able to hold back.

After all, who could dislike a big sister with long, straight black hair?

It was just that...

the relationship between him and Robin was still far from reaching that stage.

Robin was the last member to join the ship; compared to the other companions, she had spent the past month or so gradually integrating into the group.

It was only after what happened during the day today that the final barrier and membrane between them were effectively torn away.

Did Robin have feelings for him?

Perhaps a little.

But Siano knew very well that the dependence Robin had shown toward him while drunk in the dining hall earlier stemmed more from a longing for and immersion in a sense of security,

rather than any other affection.

At such a time,

taking advantage of her while she was unconscious would be tantamount to tearing apart the unconditional trust she had finally managed to build, shattering it into pieces once again.

As for how their relationship would develop afterward...

... it was best to let nature take its course and take things slowly.

"Goodnight, Robin."

Siano stood up, gently closed the door, and the sound of his footsteps gradually faded away at the end of the corridor.

It was not until that figure disappeared behind the door of the training room

that three heads popped out from top to bottom from behind the corner with a rustle.

Black hair, orange hair, and blue hair.

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

"Why do I get the feeling he noticed we were secretly following? What a pity; if we hadn't been here, would things have worked out?"

"No!"

"Hm?" Nami and Nojiko looked up in unison, staring upward in astonishment.

"What do you mean, 'no'?"

"..." Someone's breath hitched; only then did she realize she had spoken her inner thoughts aloud.

"..."

The young swordswoman lowered her eyelids slightly, her expression blank. "I mean, we shouldn't continue peeking here; let's all go back to sleep. This behavior is very improper."

Hm?

Wasn't it you who urged us to come back in the dining hall?

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

Hiss, why does it feel like...

there might be more than one Sister Robin on this ship?

In the blink of an eye,

it was already early dawn the next day.

When Robin opened her eyes, sunlight had already filled the entire room.

The hangover left her head feeling somewhat dull and groggy; she rubbed her temples as memories from the previous night surged forth like a tide.

"Under the warm orange light, she tugged at the hem of Siano's clothes."

"Ah la, are we just companions?"

As soon as this sentence floated into her mind, the roots of her ears immediately burned.

"What exactly did I do..."

She buried her face in the pillow in vexation, lacking the courage to turn over for a long time.

So, so improper.

Those words from last night, those actions—recalling them now was simply suffocatingly shameful.

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

"..."

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

She slowly sat up, her gaze sweeping across the room—

On the bedside table sat a glass of clear water and hangover medicine; presumably, Siano had left them there this morning upon seeing she hadn't woken yet.

Other than that, there was nothing abnormal in the entire room, and looking down at herself, the same held true for her body.

It seemed nothing had happened.

Thank goodness...

Or was it?

She pressed her lips together, got up, and washed.

In the mirror, her complexion had mostly returned to normal, with only a faint flush lingering at the roots of her ears.

Robin stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly patted her cheeks lightly; after practicing a few times before the mirror, she finally restored her usual composed smile.

Creak.

Pushing open the cabin door, she stepped onto the deck.

All their companions were here, mostly gathered around the long table beneath the sun umbrella.

"Over here, over here! Sister Robin!"

Nami, sharp-eyed, was the first to notice her; grinning, she raised the lottery tube in her hand:

"You're the only one missing; you haven't forgotten what we said yesterday, have you? Hurry up and draw a lot; it's time to decide who rides the sea train and who sails the ship!"

"Coming; good morning, everyone."

She greeted them calmly with a smile, yet her gaze involuntarily flickered toward Siano.

The youth had long finished his cultivation; he lay in a rattan chair, sipping coffee to refresh himself while lazily basking in the sun.

Hearing the movement, he turned his head and asked casually, "Awake already? Did you take the hangover medicine? Does your head still hurt?"

His tone was natural, as if nothing had ever happened.

"Mm, much better." Robin offered a faint smile.

Now she could be one hundred percent certain that nothing had occurred last night.

She felt a slight relief in her heart, yet strangely also a small sense of disappointment.

Fortunately, at that moment, Nami began shaking the lottery tube with a loud clatter-clatter, instantly dragging Robin's thoughts back to reality.

"Here, take turns drawing."

Seven hands, plus one large paw, reached out simultaneously, each drawing a lot.

"Meow!"

Mochi also wanted to participate, but alas, it was merely a round, fluffy little ball without even hands, so Nami coldly ignored it with a sneer.

The allocation results emerged quickly.

Siano, Smoker, Zeff, and Gin would ride the sea train.

Robin, Sister Sister Guyina, Nami, and Nojiko would sail the ship.

This was the travel arrangement for the journey to Spring Queen City; once they departed Spring Queen City for their next stop, Water Seven, the two groups would switch.

"..." Siano pinched the wooden lot, falling silent in contemplation.

"What's wrong, Brother?"

Nami leaned over, took a glance, and said, "Isn't experiencing the sea train first a good thing? I'd love to ride the train first; how about we swap?"

"It has nothing to do with the lottery."

Siano frowned, lost in deep thought. "It's just that we're about to leave this island, yet I feel like I've forgotten something..."

Huh, what was it again?

Never mind; it probably isn't important.

Just as everyone prepared to sail out of the harbor and head toward the station, a series of urgent shouts suddenly came from the shore.

"Lord Siano! Lord Siano!"

Puffing heavily, Parker rushed to the front of the ship, his face filled with anxiety and unease, beads of undried sweat still on his forehead.

"What is it?" Siano immediately went to meet him. "Didn't you all settle down on the island? What trouble has arisen again?"

"You, you are leaving?"

"Mm." Siano nodded. "Supplies are mostly gathered; it's time to head to the next island."

"Then, what about my son?"

Parker glanced around the deck, saying with some dejection, "I don't see him; as expected, you... you didn't accept him?"

Of course.

Lord Siano's ship; how could just anyone board it?

He had simply hoped for too much...

"Your son?" Siano looked utterly confused.

"It's Jack; you must know him, right?"

Pike was also stunned by the question; he scratched his head. "He came to see you yesterday, wanting to apologize to you and also to follow you from now on. Didn't you run into him?"

Who?

Jack?!

"..."

Siano slapped his forehead.

He finally remembered what he had forgotten.

Ten minutes later.

Town center, garden.

Jack had reverted to his human form, squatting on a bench and holding out his hands to warm them by the fire, yet his whole body still shrank back, trembling violently from the cold.

Ice shards still hung from his eyebrows and hair tips, his lips were purple; clearly, this single night had tortured him severely.

"Papa... I'm sorry, I, I seem to have messed up..." he stammered, his voice full of regret.

"You didn't mess up, but you were just a hair's breadth away!"

Pike stood on the chair, standing on tiptoe, and heartbrokenly rubbed his adopted son's arms with a hot Mao Jin:

"Luckily, Papa saw you hadn't returned all night, felt something was wrong, and found my lord Siano; if we had been one step later, you would truly have frozen to death, you idiot!"

"That was a Navy Admiral! You fool, charging straight up like that—how did I teach you? Don't be so rash; if you had first clearly stated your intentions to my lord Siano, could this have happened?"

Nearby.

Siano exchanged glances with the others; for a moment, they all felt both amused and helpless.

Along the way, through their conversation with Pike, they had already figured out the ins and outs of the matter.

This honest and straightforward giant, upon hearing yesterday that the benefactor who had saved Papa was someone he had once opposed, was filled with immense guilt and had prepared to come offer apologies and beg for punishment.

And Pike also felt that his adopted son's abilities were too wasted continuing as a porter at the docks, so he simply went one step further, encouraging him to pledge allegiance and contribute his strength to my lord Siano.

As for the result...

Just as Jack found Siano in the garden, he happened upon that scene where Aokiji was pressing forward step by step; instantly filled with rage, he said not a word and directly made his move.

And on Siano's side, because of the black history in Alabasta, everyone still regarded him as an opposing party and simply ignored him.

Later, due to Robin's drunken loss of composure, they all returned to the ship early along with Siano.

In short.

Under all sorts of coincidences.

The unlucky fellow was thus frozen for an entire night in the silent, deserted garden.

If not for the physical foundation of the Fish-Man race and the fleshly toughness granted by the Mammoth-Mammoth Fruit, he would likely have died long ago.

"Hee-hee, luckily I was here."

Nami, brimming with pride, snapped her fingers, bursting brilliant sparks from her fingertips to add more fuel to the bonfire before Jack.

This bonfire was built by her; just now, it was also she who used the power of the Flame-Flame Fruit to rapidly melt Aokiji's ice.

Otherwise, if it were anyone else, dealing with this great lump of ice would have taken considerable effort.

"It's much warmer now..."

Jack lifted his head, looking at the orange-haired girl before him; although his whole body was still trembling, he still managed to force out a grateful smile:

"Th-thank you, Big Sister Nami!"

His teeth chattered, his voice broken and halting, "If you hadn't stepped in to save me, I might truly have frozen to death..."

Amidst the endless cold, his consciousness had long become blurred; he did not know how long he endured before gradually reviving.

Afterwards, the first glimmer of firelight he saw, the first smile he witnessed, both came from this kind and enthusiastic human girl before him.

Therefore, he felt heartfelt gratitude toward Nami; struggling to stand up to bow, his legs gave way, and he nearly fell flat on the ground.

Pike quickly caught him, shaking his head repeatedly with a pained expression.

"Oh, don't be so polite!"

Nami waved her hand. "It was just a casual effort; just remember, next time don't be so rash—that was a Navy Admiral! Among us, only Big Brother can withstand such a foe; as for you, forget it."

Putting on an air of premature maturity, she tried to project the aura of a big sister, intending to pat Jack's shoulder to comfort him, but finding she couldn't reach, she settled for patting his knee instead.

However...

The wildly upturning arc of her mouth still exposed just how proud she felt inside; even several tufts at the tips of her hair happily curled up into tiny flames.

—He called me Big Sister!!!

"You are right to scold me."

Jack nodded forcefully, deeply convinced. "That fellow is indeed extremely strong, but if it happens again and I see him make a move against my lord Siano, I still won't let him off!"

Nami: "?"

Wait, did I say all that for nothing?

How infuriating.

It really wasn't that she held a Stereotypical Seal against big guys.

But...

Sure enough, those who are tall don't have much going on upstairs.

"Ouch, that hurts!"

It was Nami's ear that Siano had forcefully pinched.

"What was that for, Big Brother!" Nami turned her head, aggrieved.

Even if it's Big Brother, bullying me requires a reason, right!

Nami, fuming with anger, wanted to retaliate, but suddenly remembered Big Brother's true height; immediately embarrassed, she smiled awkwardly and shrank back.

Siano snorted coldly; having grown up together since childhood, how could he not know what this girl was thinking?

Jack, however, clearly had no idea what Nami was thinking; he turned his head to look at Siano, then dropped with a thud, kneeling directly before him.

"S-sorry!"

Jack stammered, "Lord Siano! I haven't even had time to thank you for saving my old man's life, and now I've caused you trouble again... Back in Alabasta, I-I was following Boss Hua Zha and attacked everyone..."

"Nobody remembers that!" Nojiko teased with a laugh. "Didn't you sink straight to the bottom of the sea? No one even got a clear look at what you looked like."

Jack's face instantly flushed red with embarrassment.

That scene had indeed been too shameful.

Fortunately, even after eating a Devil Fruit, fish-men can still breathe underwater; otherwise, what would have drifted to Gourmet City would have been a corpse.

"No need to apologize."

Siano shook his head and helped Jack up:

"Back then, you were still under Boss Hua Zha's control, after all. Besides, you didn't cause any substantial trouble."

He paused, then looked the big fellow up and down with keen interest: "However, I did hear from your father that you now wish to follow me?"

Eh?

Does Lord Siano take a liking to him?

Puck immediately perked up and was just about to secretly kick his adopted son.

But Jack had already snapped his head up, his eyes lighting up as he spoke incoherently from excitement:

"Yes! Lord Siano! I-I am strong and can work! Although my brain can't figure out many things, if you tell me to go east, I will absolutely not go west!"

"And I have this set of skills!"

He patted his chest. "Boss Hua Zha said I am a very rare Zoan-type Ancient Species with great growth potential. Although I can't beat that powerful Marine Admiral, I can definitely knock away any 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 lifted his chin and chest, answering decisively, "No matter how many of those guys come, I'll fight that many!"

"Pfft!"

Nami and Nojiko couldn't hold it back anymore; they burst into laughter, clutching their bellies.

"..." Siano was also speechless.

He looked up at Jack, who was scratching his head with a blank expression, then pinched his chin, pondering in silence.

Seeing that Siano was truly considering it, Jack immediately became somewhat uneasy; beside him, Puck subconsciously grabbed his adopted son's arm, his palms sweating nervously.

It had to be said.

Siano was indeed somewhat moved.

In the original timeline, six years later, Jack would only be in his twenties yet already one of the Three Calamities of the Beasts Pirates.

Just as Boss Hua Zha had said, this fellow's growth potential was top-tier.

More importantly.

At only twenty-two years old, Jack had not yet gone astray; his character was straightforward and loyal, and due to Puck, he harbored gratitude toward him.

Once on the ship, he would absolutely be a trustworthy companion.

The only drawback.

Was perhaps... in terms of style of action, he was indeed slightly too reckless.

"Brother, why not accept him?"

Nojiko whispered a suggestion beside him, "The ship happens to lack someone strong; it would be convenient for carrying things, repairing the ship, and so on."

"Yes, yes!"

Nami quickly chimed in, looking at Siano with eager eyes, "This kid might be a bit dull, but his personality is good; he's very reliable!"

She referred to him as 'this kid' repeatedly, 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 she could bring him onto the ship, she would gain an obedient underling, and wouldn't her status on the ship skyrocket?

Moreover, Jack had no bounty yet; this way, her bounty would finally not be at the very bottom!

Siano looked at the others; seeing that no one objected, he finally nodded.

"Alright."

He smiled and extended his hand to Jack, "I forgot about you last night and left you here; that was my fault. Thank you for your righteous assistance. From today on, you are our companion. Welcome to the Curtain Fall Adventurer Group."

Jack froze for a second, then erupted in wild joy; he grabbed Siano's hand and shook it excitedly up and down, nearly flinging the entire man into the sky:

"Thank you, Lord Siano! I-I will absolutely not disappoint you!"

"Relax, no need to be so excited."

Siano applied a little force, instantly stabilizing his stance. Noticing someone's expression, he thought for a moment and added, "Also, don't call me 'Lord'; calling me Captain or Boss is fine."

Sister Sister Guyina's freshly furrowed brows immediately smoothed out.

"Yes! Boss Siano!!!"

Jack replied loudly, his voice so resonant that it made everyone's ears ring.

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

Siano patted his arm and instructed, "I'll give you one hour; then, we must depart."

"Yes, Boss Siano!!!"

…………

The Curtain Fall finally sailed out of the port.

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

Pike stood on the dock, laughing heartily as he bid farewell to Jack, waving his hand to watch the ship's silhouette gradually disappear at the edge of his vision.

His wish had finally been fulfilled; a surge of pride overwhelmed even his reluctance to part.

Once he returned and saw those slaves who had been liberated alongside him, he would definitely make sure to show off thoroughly.

Those ordinary people among them wanted to become general laborers but hadn't caught Boss Siano's eye, yet his son was now an official crew member aboard the Curtain Fall!

A real man aims for the four corners of the world; since he was fortunate enough to follow Boss Siano, the future Jack would surely become a remarkable figure when he returned to his hometown someday!

……

Meanwhile.

On the deck of the Curtain Fall.

"Before we reach the Sea Train station, let's get your room arranged first; the men's quarters and women's quarters on the ship are separate, with ten rooms each; the men's are on the right side, so don't go to the wrong side—just follow me, rookie."

Smoker, with a cigar in his mouth, was about to show Jack around when suddenly a loud "Bang!" of a head collision came from behind.

"……"

Smoker turned his head, saw Jack clutching his head, and frowned slightly:

"As expected, it's too tall, over eight meters... It seems that inside the cabin from now on, you'll have to bend over constantly and be careful."

The main entrance to the Curtain Fall's cabin was a full five meters high, and the ceiling height on the first floor inside was even around six meters.

In the vast majority of cases, this height was completely sufficient, but this kid happened to be an exception.

"Yes! I will pay attention, Big Brother Smoker!" Jack stood at attention, his expression utterly serious.

Not bad, this kid.

Smoker grinned.

"Staying like this forever isn't feasible; it's too stifling."

After pondering for a moment, he proactively reminded him, "Boss Siano is a top-tier martial arts expert in the world; you should seek his guidance more often and learn Life Return soon, so you can move freely inside the cabin afterward."

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

"Mm, that's for later; for now, continue following me."

Walking through the corridor, Sister Sister Guyina happened to be walking toward them from the opposite direction while wiping her sword; she glanced at Jack: "Hey, rookie, your abilities are quite good; when you have free time later, come spar with me."

With his thick skin and flesh, he made a perfect target for testing the power of her swordsmanship.

"Okay! Vice-Captain Sister Sister Guyina!" Jack agreed without hesitation, nodding eagerly.

"Mm."

Sister Sister Guyina nodded in satisfaction, sheathed her blade, and strode away.

"Hey, you brat Jack!"

Zeff's voice came from the kitchen at that moment, "After you finish settling in, remember to come help this old man move the ingredients; there are too many items, and they all need to be put into the storage room!"

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

"Haha, you agreed very readily; once you finish moving them, this old man will specially prepare some delicacies to reward you!"

"Really, Mr. Zeff? I want to eat cheese beef burgers! And french fries, and grilled fish! And salted cream cake, and..."

"That's enough, you actually have the nerve to make so many requests, you little brat!"

……

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

Siano held a cup, listening with one ear to the sounds coming from within the cabin, and couldn't help but smile as he took a sip of coffee.

Rough fellows have their advantages too.

Whether it was Smoker or Robin, these two latecomers had spent quite some time adjusting after boarding; in the first few days, they were even somewhat unable to let go of their reserve.

But Jack was completely different; this kid was too genuine, possessing no scheming mind at all, and was enthusiastic and sincere toward everyone.

At this rate, his speed of integrating into the group would likely be the fastest on the ship.

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

Fresh off the press, it had just been bought by Nami; although this girl now claimed orally that she no longer cared about bounties, the habit of immediately digging out money to buy the newspaper the moment a News Coo appeared had already taken root and could not be broken.

The headline on the front page of this issue was...

Siano's gaze shifted downward, and after just one glance, he instantly froze, revealing a look of astonishment.

There, written in bold, enlarged black font, were the words—

"Breaking News! Emperor Kaido, alone, has left the New World and currently appears in the first half of the Grand Line; specific destination unknown!"

(End of Chapter)