https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-865-I-m-Just-Practicing-My-Handwriting/13539896/
Chapter 864: Just For Fun
Chapter 864: Just For Fun
"Nothing major, just running a few small businesses. Same old stuff", Oji waved a hand dismissively, but his chest puffed proudly as he added, "Just that I’ve got a hundred merchant ships now."
He casually smoothed down his hair as he said this, though there wasn’t a strand out of place to begin with.
"Whew…" Kuro let out a low whistle, impressed. He wanted to ask Oji how he’d pulled it off.
Not because the hundred ships itself was shocking, but because Oji had somehow managed to sound both humble and boastful at the same time.
That was a skill he’d love to learn.
"So what brings you here?" Kuro asked.
"You know your hometown gets repaired every year? I’ve been handling most of the upkeep, with the townsfolk helping out a bit", Oji explained. "Figured you’re busy as a Navy officer and probably wouldn’t have time to deal with it."
"Oh? So that’s been you? Thanks, then", Kuro nodded.
He’d always wondered why his old house stayed in such good condition whenever he visited. He’d assumed it was just the locals pitching in.
"Thing is, there was an accident this time. We did some repairs, but the house was just too old. You haven’t lived there in over a decade, and after a storm hit recently, it collapsed. I happened to be back in the village and was planning to rebuild it, but someone else took over the job. They fixed it up already, so I had nothing to do. But since we haven’t seen each other in years, I figured I’d collect your stuff from the house and bring it over."
Oji patted the large box in his hands. "Didn’t make sense to leave it somewhere while the house is still under construction."
"My stuff?"
Kuro blinked in surprise. "Oji Uncle, you didn’t have to go through all that trouble. Must’ve been tough hauling this all the way from East Blue."
"Oh, I got Navy escorts from Li Pa’s office. Naturally, it cost a pretty penny."
"I’ll reimburse you", Kuro said with a grin, tossing Oji a cigar. "Oji Uncle, if you ever want to branch into Grand Line, I’ve got plenty of business ventures. You could take a hand in managing them."
"Nah, I rarely come out here. East Blue suits me better", Oji shook his head.
Of course, the Grand Line was the largest of all seas. Even East Blue alone, where Kuro had spent most of his life, was so vast that he’d never fully explored it.
"Fair enough. This place is pretty dangerous."
Compared to Grand Line, East Blue—now mockingly called the "Weakest Sea"—was practically a vacation spot, with average pirate bounties hovering around three million.
Kuro couldn’t help but envy that safety.
His biggest dream had once been to become a Base Commander in East Blue and retire peacefully. But now…
If he’d known things would turn out like this, he might’ve tagged along with Oji to run merchant ships back when he was a kid. Who knows? Maybe he’d be East Blue’s King of the Sea Merchants by now.
Now that was impressive—thriving in East Blue for fifty or sixty years? Of course he’d be strong.
"Since you’re here, you should tour around a bit. I’ll have a warship send you back to East Blue", Kuro offered.
"Great, I haven’t seen you in ages", Oji smiled.
So Oji stayed for about ten days, touring G-3 Fortress and the surrounding seas with Kuro as his guide, checking out islands in the New World. "You should see the New World properly if you’ve never lived here", he joked.
"Oji Uncle, once I get my dragon tourism business up and running, I’ll invite you back for a proper vacation", Kuro said as he watched Oji board the warship at the port.
"You keep me posted! Keep up the good work, Kuro. You said you’d join the Navy back then, and look at you now! Keep pushing forward!" Oji waved as the ship set sail.
"Pushing? I’ve already pushed myself to the max. If I push any harder, I’ll end up killing Gramps", Kuro muttered, lips twitching as he watched the ship disappear before heading back to his office.
"Kuro, what’s in that box?" Lida asked curiously.
Klah’s eyes lit up too. He’d been intrigued by this man from East Blue ever since hearing the absurd rumors—like how Oji had killed pirates at two years old.
Two!
Klah had been playing in mud and urine at that age.
He wanted to know more about Kuro’s past.
"Oh, nothing special—just some childhood stuff. I barely stayed home after eight, only visiting occasionally. After joining the Navy at fourteen, I only went back for ancestor worship", Kuro said, snapping his fingers. The black box floated over and opened automatically.
Inside were random trinkets. A short sword drifted out, and Kuro pointed at it, "Toys I played with as a kid."
The box also held weapons from different ages—bamboo swords, wooden swords, even real blades. Alongside them were stacks of books.
"Whoa? Kuro, you read books?" Lida asked, picking one up. "What’s this? Goa Kingdom Geography?"
"Don’t make me sound like an illiterate! When did I ever say I don’t read?" Kuro rolled his eyes.
"But since I’ve known you, you’ve never touched anything like this. Kas used to say you hated books", Lida frowned.
"That’s after fourteen. I used to love reading", Kuro shrugged.
Klah glanced over. All the books were about East Blue—geography, history, culture, even personal biographies. Mixed in were piles of parchment covered in childish handwriting.
Kuro picked up a stack, smiling faintly. A flick of his finger sent them flying onto the table.
"Man, I miss those days. I spent hours copying characters onto these papers just to remember them."
He was a transmigrant, after all. When he first arrived in this world, he’d already had his own language. This world’s writing system wasn’t necessarily complex, but it was a chaotic mishmash. Learning it as an adult, rather than being immersed as a child, was tough.
He could speak just fine, but writing? He’d had to copy characters endlessly to remember them. It took years to get to a basic level of literacy.
But he hadn’t had much time for that later on. There were always cultivation techniques to master. Once he joined the Navy, he’d dropped it completely. After all, he was a combat officer—not a navigator or gunner. Later, as an officer, subordinates handled the paperwork for him.
He spread the parchments out, pointing to a particularly messy one. The title was amusing: Shelz Town Civilian Life Survey.
"Ah…" Kuro chuckled. "This must’ve been something I started writing when I was three—just messing around. Brings back memories."
(End of Chapter)
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