Chapter 52: Captain

Ten minutes later.

Zoro and Sanji's ears were pinched bright red, each bearing a slap mark on their faces; with hot tears in their eyes, they squatted at the courtyard gate, using glue to repair the signboard.

"With so much debris, how could we possibly finish this!"

"Isn't it your fault for insisting on chopping it up with a knife?"

"Then why don't you admit it was you who kicked it apart first!"

Just as they seemed about to start arguing again, Zeff inside the house casually glanced their way, instantly scaring the two little rascals out of their wits, forcing them to bury their heads and work furiously.

"They seem to listen to you very well now, Uncle Zeff," Siano said with a light laugh, sitting opposite him.

"You make me laugh."

Teacher Teacher Gengsilang brought over a tea tray, poured a cup of tea for everyone, and said apologetically, "I am a man who cannot bring himself to be fierce; these two children are far too unruly, so often I can only rely on Mr. Zeff to step in and discipline them."

Zeff did not respond; his attention was completely captured by the mechanical leg Siano had just taken out. After playing with it left and right for a while, he clicked his tongue in wonder and said:

"What marvelous craftsmanship; I completely cannot understand how it was made... Honorable Siano, can this really cure my leg?"

"Why not try it now?"

Siano lifted his teacup with great interest.

He was also quite eager to see whether this mechanical leg, once belonging to the Budget Warrior, could truly restore Zeff to his peak condition.

"Good!"

Zeff had been waiting for these words; impatiently, he grabbed the mechanical leg with one hand and directly twisted his own wooden leg downward with the other!

Siano, quick-eyed and fast-handed, covered his two younger sisters' eyes; with a sudden spurt, a torrent of blood gushed from the stump, only to be roughly forced back by Zeff, who grimaced in pain as he pressed the mechanical leg against the wound...

"Uh..." Teacher Teacher Gengsilang watched with a pounding heart, "Mr. Zeff, you could actually have Grandma Shilan come over to perform a leg-replacement surgery for you..."

"No need; I am just this kind of impatient person; I cannot wait, haha!"

Zeff laughed loudly, while Nami and Nojiko struggled fiercely to pry open Siano's large hands, curiously peering through the gaps between his fingers,

Just in time to see that titanium-silver mechanical limb undergoing a bizarre deformation; the metal connection points driven into flesh and blood suddenly erupted with dozens of silver threads, rapidly extending outward in both directions.

Within a few seconds, the cross-section of the knee was completely repaired, allowing the entire mechanical leg to fit perfectly with the upper half of the thigh, becoming one seamless whole.

"Wow!!" Nami and Nojiko exclaimed in unison, "So amazing!!!"

Teacher Teacher Gengsilang was also startled, subconsciously glancing at Siano.

This technology is too exaggerated; it is simply unheard of. No... perhaps there are still people in this world capable of achieving it.

Could it be that while traveling abroad, Honorable Siano happened to meet that mysterious Sage?

"Oh oh oh!!!"

Zeff's eyes bulged wide; feeling that long-lost sense of power transmitting from his leg, he began jogging back and forth on the tatami, running from one end to the other more than a dozen times, growing more excited with every stride.

Suddenly unable to restrain himself, he let out a roar, spun around, and delivered a kick straight at the wooden post placed by the entrance!

Boom!

The wooden post, deeply buried underground, was suddenly ripped from the earth, shooting out like a cannonball; carrying immense impact force, it struck the two young punks squating at the courtyard gate, sending them flying high with miserable screams—

Thud!

The two flew seven or eight meters away like kites with broken strings, finally crashing into the same cypress tree; their heads lolled to one side as they slumped against each other's shoulders, fainting on the spot.

"... Uh."

Feeling the strange gazes of everyone, Zeff's old face flushed red; he awkwardly scratched his head, "I truly did not intend to target these two little rascals; it's just that I haven't exercised my legs in so long, and I momentarily failed to control my strength."

Zoro and Sanji offered no protest; remaining completely silent, they clearly accepted the old man's explanation.

"It seems it will take some time before you can adapt," Siano said with a smile while drinking his tea.

"Indeed."

Zeff bent down and gently stroked his alloy mechanical leg as if it were a precious treasure, "It's back; I can feel it; that familiar sense of control has returned, even stronger than in my prime... Eh, what does this button do?"

"Don't!" Siano's pupils constricted, and he hurriedly stopped him.

But ultimately, he was a moment too late; like a curious baby who had just received a new toy, Zeff, before the sentence was even finished, slapped his hand down and pressed it directly.

Boom!

The next instant, a massive amount of steam erupted from Zeff's leg; his entire body shot into the sky like a rocket, instantly smashing through the ceiling and soaring toward the firmament—

The remaining people in the house looked up in bewilderment, gazing at the tiny black dot high in the heavens that was already becoming faint and hard to discern.

A long time later.

That tiny black dot finally began to enlarge in their field of vision, and they could vaguely hear Zeff's heart-rending wails—

Siano let out a deep sigh and set down the teacup in his hand.

He rose from his seat, vanished from the spot with a swish, stepped onto the roof through the hole, then looked upward to slightly confirm the direction before treading on Moon Step to meet him.

A few minutes later.

Zeff sat on the tatami with a dazed look in his eyes; his clothes were disheveled, and his hair and braided beard remained sticking straight up in defiance of gravity.

"Was it fun?"

Zeff nodded vigorously.

"Never experienced anything like it before, right?"

Zeff shook his head repeatedly.

"Then at least wait until I've finished introducing it before blindly pressing things, you stinky old man!"

Siano suddenly slammed the table; after shooting an annoyed glare at Zeff, he pointed to the two buttons located at the Achilles tendon area.

"There; the first one you've already tried; it sprays out a large amount of gas, allowing you to sprint hundreds of meters instantly; I don't know what the limit is, but it consumes tremendous stamina, so use it with caution."

"As for the second one, you can adjust it yourself to release fierce electric currents or flames that envelop and surround your leg, enhancing destructive capability; similarly, it requires stamina consumption."

"Oh?" Zeff's eyes lit up, "Then couldn't it be used to ignite the stove and start a fire for cooking? We'll never lack a fire source again?"

"... It really seems so."

Siano listened, utterly stunned, then suddenly snapped to attention and roared at Sharp Tooth, "Rein in that chef's intuition of yours, hey! This thing is meant to boost combat power; using it to light a fire for cooking is a colossal waste!"

"Hahaha, I was just joking!"

Zeff grinned broadly, laughing until he gradually straightened his posture, gazed at Siano opposite him, and his expression turned serious.

"Lord Siano, you first saved my life, then went to great lengths to completely heal my leg... Something this powerful couldn't be bought even for hundreds of millions of Berries, could it? It's not even a matter of money; searching the entire Grand Line, I fear you wouldn't find a second one."

"This debt of gratitude, I shall engrave deeply in my heart!"

The old man drew a deep breath, abruptly bowed low until his forehead touched the tatami, and said in a heavy voice, "Rest assured, the agreement from a year ago has now been fulfilled, so it officially takes effect from this moment onward; from now on, I am a crewman under your command!"

"Over the next few years, I will do my utmost to quickly adapt to this leg, strive to cultivate and enhance my strength, ensuring that when we formally set sail together in the future, I won't become a useless burden!"

Siano hadn't anticipated this; he stood dazed for quite a while before regaining his senses.

Looking at the old man before him, he suddenly grinned, reached out, and helped Zeff up.

"It seems I finally have an official crewman, and one worthy of pride at that! Not only possessing superlative leg techniques, but also wielding extraordinary culinary skills! I look forward to your guidance in the days to come."

"Such praise truly makes me blush; surely it is I who need your guidance, Captain—"

Zeff lifted his head, met Siano's gaze, also grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, and said, "Captain."

A new week begins; posting early, and while I'm at it, I'd like to ask for monthly tickets. With only a few days left before dropping off the New Books rankings, and having never yet broken into the top ten of the sub-category list, boo-hoo, I hope everyone can cast a vote to lend me a hand, letting me make a splash on the New Books rankings. Thank you!





(End of Chapter)