Chapter 255: Do You Really Think We'd Believe Your Nonsense?
Chapter 255: Do You Really Think We'd Believe Your Nonsense?
"This thing..."
Kuro remembered—it was Pure Gold.
A Legend item, an invaluable treasure that everyone in the world would kill to possess.
No one knew where it was.
But Kuro remembered now.
It was embedded in the Lanternfish's belly. Not only that, if his memory wasn't faulty, the creature's enormous glowing lantern held even more Pure Gold.
"Who—who are you? A Navy officer?"
Suddenly, a voice rang out from the side.
From the ruins emerged a figure.
His clothes were tattered and ragged, his belly bulging awkwardly beneath his shirt. He looked like a washed-up middle-aged man.
"There's someone else here?"
Kuro turned his head, glancing over with a look of realization.
There were only two people inside the Lanternfish's belly.
This man was one of them.
Mi Si Qi Na·A Xi Ai—the scientist who had created "Pure Gold."
"How did you get in here? Wait—this is... the Sky?"
A Xi Ai lifted his head, spotting the boundless blue sky above. His expression turned dazed.
The warm sea breeze tousled his hair tips, carrying the sharp scent of the ocean—the scent of freedom, a fragrance he hadn't smelled in ages, so distant it was nearly forgotten.
The ocean. The Sky.
"Are we outside?" A Xi Ai murmured in awe. "Have I really left the Lanternfish's belly? It's been two hundred years since I've seen the Sky..."
"No! This isn't the time for nostalgia! Navy officer, please save my daughter! My daughter is missing!"
A Xi Ai snapped back to reality, begging Kuro desperately.
Kuro exhaled a puff of smoke. Honestly, if he hadn't remembered a few things, he wouldn't have believed this bloated man was the scientist who created "Pure Gold."
That substance was something the world could never accept.
"My daughter?" Kuro raised an eyebrow.
"Over there", he gestured toward the island's beach. "Forget it—I'll handle it."
Using Observation Haki, he could clearly sense other living beings nearby.
"This place can't stay. Your presence here is already a headache."
With a single palm strike, the ground beneath A Xi Ai cracked open, forming a platform that lifted him upward.
"What the—?!" A Xi Ai panicked, instinctively crouching low and gripping the platform's surface.
"Hold on tight. Don't fall."
Kuro narrowed his eyes and pressed his palm harder.
"Yoyoyoyoyo!!"
Far away, another rocky platform soared through the air, carrying several figures.
It was a young girl with golden hair cascading to her waist, kneeling in panic as the platform flew. Beside her stood two oddly-colored dinosaur-like creatures that looked more than a little clueless.
"That's Ao Er Jia!"
A Xi Ai's eyes widened.
"Yo?!"
Ao Er Jia spotted A Xi Ai at the same time, her mouth forming an 'O' as she studied him intently. After two centuries apart, their appearances had changed, but Ao Er Jia recognized him instantly—the man before her was her father.
"You—" Ao Er Jia gasped in disbelief.
"Ao Er Jia! I'm your father!" A Xi Ai shouted.
Boom!
As the words left his mouth, the entire island began rising. Amidst countless colliding islands, weapons, and debris, it shattered into massive rocks ascending toward the Sky.
"Done. Covered up the evidence", Kuro dusted his hands. With a wave, the platforms carrying A Xi Ai and Ao Er Jia merged, carrying them all toward Moe Island.
"Kuro! Did you finish?" Lida spotted Kuro approaching from afar, then noticed the two newcomers. "Wait—where'd these two come from?"
Kuro had already removed his hooded cloak, wrapping it tightly to hide the glowing object inside.
This treasure was too precious—merely revealing it was a major event.
"Never mind that. Get Klah. We're holding a meeting."
Seeing Kuro's serious expression, Lida nodded without questioning the golden-haired girl and rushed off.
"Where are we?"
Ao Er Jia looked around Moe Island, eyes sparkling with wonder. But her alertness returned quickly. "Wait! Who are you? Why am I outside? And why is my father here?!"
"Ao Er Jia, we were all on the same island", A Xi Ai explained. "But the island's environment kept us apart. My beloved Ao Er Jia, I'm so glad you're safe after all these years." Tears streamed down his face.
"Father..." Ao Er Jia bit her lip, at a loss for words.
She'd spent countless days on that beach, only her pets for company. She thought she was the last soul in the world. But now, after a sudden shockwave, she was outside—and her father was right here.
What did this mean?
"Save the reunion for later", Kuro interrupted. "I need answers from both of you. After we're done, you'll be free to do as you please. Just—" He fixed A Xi Ai with a stern gaze. "Keep the 'Pure Gold' secret buried in your gut."
"How do you—" A Xi Ai's eyes widened in shock.
...
The former upper district, Navy Base.
Though hastily constructed by Kuro and in need of future reinforcement, the structure was solid enough.
When Klah arrived, Kuro led them to the upper office. He shut the doors and windows tightly, even drawing the curtains to eliminate every sliver of light.
"Captain Kuro, what's the meaning of this?" Klah adjusted his glasses. "And these two guests? May I ask their names?"
"Please, I'm Mi Si Qi Na·A Xi Ai", the scientist introduced. "This is my daughter, Mi Si Qi Na·Ao Er Jia. We were rescued from the Lanternfish's belly by this Navy officer."
"The belly of a Sea King—" Klah blinked. "The odds of surviving that must be astronomical."
"Not too long, really. About two hundred years."
"Two hundred—wait, what?!" Klah stared. "Mr. Mi Si Qi Na, did you say two hundred years?"
"Two hundred. I've kept track. I was swallowed in Marine Calendar Year 1320. It's 1520 now, I assume? I wonder how the world's changed. This island feels much like the ones I visited before."
Klah: "..."
Lida: "..."
"Two hundred years?!" Lida blurted. "You expect me to believe you lived for two centuries?!"
"Mr. Mi Si Qi Na", Klah said gravely. "We're Navy officers. Do you really think we'd believe your nonsense?"
"It really was two hundred years", Kuro said calmly, finally speaking up. He unwrapped the hooded cloak, and instantly, a golden radiance as brilliant as the sun filled the office.
"This", he said, "is why they could survive so long."
(End of Chapter)
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