https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-304-Do-I-Look-Like-Someone-Who-Goes-Around-Causing-Trouble-/13536821/
Chapter 303: You Won't Abandon Me, Right?
Chapter 303: You Won't Abandon Me, Right?
Lida was dining in the Navy's exclusive cafeteria when Kuro found him. Several chefs hovered nervously nearby while others in the kitchen worked furiously, their intensity resembling a battlefield.
As chefs dispatched from Headquarters, they'd encountered their fair share of big eaters among the Navy, but Lida was one who left an unforgettable impression.
Faced with such a big eater, giving less than your full effort would be a disgrace to a chef's pride!
Empty plates piled up in front of Lida - this wasn't eating, it was pouring food into her mouth. She grabbed each dish as soon as it arrived, stuffing the contents into her mouth with barely a chew or two.
Klah and Kas sat at the same table, eating their meals while keeping Lida company.
"Mmf! Mmfmm!" Lida mumbled through a mouthful at Kuro's arrival.
"Eat properly, don't make noises", Kuro scolded, pulling up a chair. "Bring me some curry."
"At once, Commander!"
A chef saluted and rushed off. Soon, the curry rice arrived. Among Navy mess halls, curry was a specialty - while chefs varied in their individual strengths, every Navy chef had a signature curry recipe. At the very least, the curry Commander Kuro had tasted was exceptional.
The meal lasted until noon. Kuro finished his curry quickly, then leaned back to smoke a cigar while watching Lida devour her feast.
"I'm full!" Lida declared, patting her round belly as she leaned back in her chair like a satisfied old man. "See, Kuro? I can get full! That person was lying! I told you I could get full!" She gestured dramatically at Kuro. "Look - I'm full!"
"You got full just to prove that?" Kuro asked, blinking in surprise.
"Of course!" Lida stood. "If I can get full, then that talk about eternal hunger means nothing! I'm not like that!" She pointed an accusing finger. "So Kuro, let that person rot! I'm not some 'Luo' family member - I'm Flo Lida!"
Kuro stood and gently ruffled her hair. "Don't worry. I'll handle this. This is just the Four Blues we're talking about. Don't you trust me anymore?"
For once, Lida didn't swat his hand away. Her expression turned uncertain. "But... would it be too much trouble?"
Kuro smirked. "I was already heading to Flower Country to find craftsmen and chefs. Dealing with this alongside won't take long."
"Klah, prepare the ship. We're leaving now. Kas, you'll stay behind, right?" Kuro turned to his subordinates.
"Understood, no problem!" Kas straightened. "Commander Kuro, rest assured! Pirates will only get through Pegasus Town by stepping over my dead body!"
"I'll handle the ship preparations." Klah nodded and left first, followed closely by Kas who needed to gather personnel.
Once they were alone, Lida suddenly gripped Kuro's coat hem, her eyes shadowed with worry. "Hey, Kuro... you won't abandon me, right?"
Her small hand clung tightly.
"What nonsense", Kuro scoffed, flicking her forehead. "I've told you before - stop overthinking things! Eat when you should eat, drink when you should drink! You're a Navy recruit I personally brought in. Once you're in this organization, you don't just quit easily. Even a low-ranking Navy officer is valuable, you know?"
"I don't care about the Navy!" Lida glared at him. "Just don't abandon me!"
Kuro sighed. "I won't. I promise you - absolutely nothing will make me leave you behind."
Ever since Luo Wei revealed her true identity and she fled in panic, including this act of proving herself through eating, Kuro understood what she wanted to show. She wanted to prove she had nothing to do with that 'Luo' family, that she wouldn't become a burden.
But Kuro had no intention of letting such a 'burden' remain.
He never left potential dangers by his side - that would create far more problems later.
"Let's go. Meet this 'brother' of yours." Kuro ruffled Lida's hair again as he walked out.
"You're messing up my hair, Kuro!" Lida grumbled, fixing her hairstyle before following.
Near the dirt pillar outside, a group of children gathered below, curiously staring at Luo Wei's exposed head. One child tossed a small stone, which hit the dirt beside Luo Wei's face.
"Bah! You wanna die, brat?!" Luo Wei snarled.
"Waaah! It's alive! Scary!" The children scattered like birds.
Tch!" Luo Wei growled at the fleeing children. "Unforgivable! Even as a prisoner, they won't feed me properly? At least I'm her elder brother!"
Pop!
The dirt pillar collapsed as his confinement suddenly vanished. Luo Wei floated mid-air, his limbs held fast by invisible restraints. As he struggled, he realized how tightly bound he was.
"Why's it a ship anchor?!" He finally spotted the massive iron anchor wrapped around him.
A voice cut through. "Hey."
Kuro and Lida appeared in his view.
"You said your family's in Flower Country? Perfect. You're coming with us. Cooperate, and I'll overlook your ambush on Pegasus Town."
"Ha? Flower Country?" Luo Wei blinked. "We're from Insect Country! The Luo Family is the greatest noble house in West Blue's Insect Country!"
Insect Country - enemy of Flower Country - one of the major players in West Blue's ongoing great war. Their customs mirrored Flower Country's, as was common among neighboring states influenced by the larger nation.
"We were weak before, but since we've expanded, Insect Country has grown stronger. Our Luo Family is West Blue's greatest mercenary clan - masters of war, assassination, and intelligence! Flower Country is destined to fall this time!"
Luo Wei's voice boomed across the Grand Line.
"Hey, Rita, is this how you treat your elder brother? Let me go! If you wish to return to the family, I have no reason to oppose you!"
Bound like a giant black beetle on the warship's deck, Luo Wei squirmed toward Lida.
"I don't know you", Lida scoffed, biting an apple. "Commander Kuro just wants to eliminate potential threats. I had to check - what if I really wasn't related?"
"Kuro!" Luo Wei turned his glare to the officer beside Lida. "Navy! Bring the food closer! I can't reach it!"
Bound on the warship's deck, Luo Wei strained his neck toward the Navy officer feeding him.
For now, they couldn't kill him, but couldn't risk freeing him either. So Lida drained his energy again while Navy personnel ensured he received just enough food to survive.
(End of Chapter)
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