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Zyhark stood on the second deck of the Endless Dream, silently watching the pirate ship of the Black Cat Pirates gradually move away until it disappeared from sight.
Their sails and hull were coated with a thick layer of waterproof grease, clearly showing that Kuro had prepared for battle with them in advance.
After all, the commotion they caused in Orange Town was significant, and information like Aqua being able to use flood attacks was easily gathered!
As for why Kuro ultimately did not attack, it was probably because of the sudden presence of King on the maritime restaurant.
During the brief conflict, Zyhark clearly noticed Kuro's expression of surprise and astonishment the moment he heard King's heartbeat, sounding like an engine roar.
And that was one of the reasons he decided not to pursue capturing Kuro for the bounty.
Unless one could absolutely overpower him, such a speed-based opponent would be difficult to capture immediately.
If Kuro was pushed too far and resorted to indiscriminate attacks at speeds comparable to Soru, not to mention Aqua, King, being a normal person, would likely not withstand it!
Furthermore, with the Black Cat Pirates already prepared, the uncertainty and risk of capturing Kuro would greatly increase.
Anyway, they had already earned more than two million berries from this encounter, which was certainly not a loss.
Thus, what could have been a fierce conflict between the maritime restaurant and the Black Cat Pirates ended with Captain Kuro paying money to take his people and leave.
With a bounty of 14 million berries, Kuro of a Hundred Plans was undoubtedly considered a major pirate in the weakest sea, the East Blue.
Therefore, the fame of the maritime restaurant, the Endless Dream, rose once again!
Ordinary merchants and even some pirate hunters began to patronize the ship, paying for their meals orderly.
This caused Zyhark some distress—because the time he needed to spend cooking in the kitchen naturally increased.
Thinking about his Haki, which was still at a basic level, Zyhark got an idea while looking at the kitchen knife and iron spoon laid out in front of him.
He could train his Haki while cooking!
So, Aqua, who was responsible for serving dishes, walked in to see Zyhark with his eyes closed, holding a kitchen knife glowing faintly with black light, furiously chopping at a pork bone...
Seeing Zyhark so focused on training his Haki, Aqua's clever eyes rolled.
She quietly stepped back, carefully exited the kitchen, and gently closed the door.
Half an hour later.
Zyhark was disturbed by a noise.
Opening the tightly shut kitchen door to the dining hall, he saw the idiot goddess already mingling with the customers, drinking heavily, boasting about her glorious days and heroic posture in the divine realm.
"Ahahaha! And let me tell you a secret, Eris pads her chest with something!"
A slightly flushed Aqua, holding a bottle of sparkling wine, laughed heartily, slapping the table.
"Is that so? She didn't learn that from you, did she?" A cold voice came from behind.
"How could that be possible! I'm all natural!" Aqua lifted her head, proudly patting her chest.
Strange, why does that voice sound so familiar?
Just after finishing her sentence, Aqua realized something was off and stiffly turned her head around.
Seeing Zyhark's familiar face, her smile froze on the spot.
"Causing trouble the moment I look away, this is a maritime restaurant, not a rowdy tavern."
"Got it, you idiot goddess!"
Looking at the mess of wine bottles on the floor, Zyhark grabbed Aqua's cheeks and began to knead them.
If Aqua set this precedent, future customers might treat this place like a tavern, getting drunk senselessly.
After all, the restaurant's core purpose was to attract bounty pirates and earn a bit of money from meals, its essence still being a sailing sloop.
Zyhark didn't want his first ship to be filled with the disgusting smell of alcohol in just a few months!
"Got it, got it, I'm really sorry."
Knowing she was in the wrong, Aqua didn't dare to resist and could only fidget with her arms.
King, sitting at the front desk responsible for collecting money, quietly took away the beer on the table and placed it under his seat.
Finally, until the customers expressed their willingness to pay for the alcohol and the cleanup, Zyhark didn't pursue the matter further with Aqua.
Two days after encountering the Black Cat Pirates.
King, responsible for lookout duty, finally spotted the outline of an island at the end of the coastline through his telescope.
Their destination, Cocoyasi Village on Conomi Islands, had arrived!
Conomi Islands was not small, with several villages and towns scattered around besides Cocoyasi Village.
The most prosperous among them was Fuchsia Town, separated from Cocoyasi Village by just a mountain, where there was a dedicated docking port.
Zyhark's main goal was to meet familiar characters from the original story and purchase some fruits to sell on the ship.
Therefore, the Endless Dream did not dock at Fuchsia Town port following official procedures but directly anchored off the coast near Cocoyasi Village according to the island map.
Stepping on the water slide constructed by Aqua, the trio successfully landed on the soft, cool sand.
At the end of the beach was a hill several meters high, covered in lush tropical vegetation.
A steep slope extended from the hill to the beach, forming a two-meter-wide road leading into the jungle.
Following this dirt road into the interior would most likely lead to Cocoyasi Village.
Zyhark speculated this was the place where the Arlong Pirates landed in the original story.
However, with Jinbei not yet a Warlord and Arlong unable to be released without charge, he was probably still in prison at this time!
What would Cocoyasi Village look like now?
Nami, together with Nojiko and Bellemere, were probably still living a poor but happy life, right?
Thinking this, Zyhark suddenly sensed something and looked up ahead.
There stood a small and cute figure at the edge of the hill, nervously watching them.
Her beautiful orange short hair fluttered in the sea breeze, and her youthful face with clear brown eyes was striking.
Despite her patched and worn clothes, it only made her natural cuteness and beauty even more apparent and profound.
Little Nami tightly held a navigation book stolen from the village, her sparkling eyes fixed on Zyhark standing on the beach.
Her gaze moved from the blue-haired beauty Aqua to King, with his fierce scars and brutal aura.
Having never seen real pirates before, she turned pale with fear, stepping back and then running away.
"Pirates, pirates are coming! Everyone in the village, pirates have arrived!!"
(End of Chapter)