"Ah~!!" Clover exerted some force and pulled something out of the sea, but instead of a fish, it was a person…
With a thud, the person fell onto Clover's deck, coughing and sputtering water. "I'm saved, thank you so much!"
Clover stood there, speechless, not because the girl was in the sea but because she was wearing white clothing. Soaked by the water, it had turned transparent…
With her good looks and now transparent clothing, Clover's eyes were drawn and locked on her figure, unable to look away.
"Uh..." The girl soon noticed his stare and followed his gaze, realizing what he was staring at. "Ah!" she screamed, covering Clover's eyes with her hands.
"Hey! I can't see anything now!" Clover responded, reaching out in confusion, and ended up touching her, which only made things worse.
"Ah!" The girl screamed even louder. She quickly ran to the other end of the boat, crouching down and covering herself. "You… you pervert!"
"Pervert? No way! I'm a pirate… though I don't have a flag yet." Clover corrected her. "And if you hadn't blocked my eyes, I wouldn't have touched you!" he protested, instinctively sniffing his hand afterward, smelling the fishiness of the sea.
"Pirate!?" The girl's eyes widened. In her panic, she tried to jump back into the sea to escape, but her clothing was hooked on Clover's fishing line, pulling her back into his arms before she could jump.
Clover smiled as she lay there in his arms. "Throwing yourself into my arms now, huh?"
Flustered, she untangled herself from the fishing hook and stood up quickly, trying to run again.
"There's no island nearby," Clover called after her. "Are you planning to drown?"
She hesitated and finally stopped, pulling her feet back from the side of the boat. She looked at him cautiously. "Do… you have any other clothes?"
"Huh, fine," Clover sighed.
Clover let the girl take a shower in his cabin and gave her one of his shirts to wear. Since she was smaller, the shirt looked like a dress on her, covering her decently.
"You can't fit into my pants, though. I'll buy you some when we reach the next island," Clover said as he sat on the edge of the boat.
"Thank you..." the girl responded shyly, stepping out of the cabin.
"My name is Yoru," she introduced herself.
"I'm Clover Benson," he replied.
"Thank you for saving me," Yoru said, now feeling more at ease. He didn't seem like a bad person after all, especially considering he had let her clean up without causing any more trouble.
"No problem, but how did you end up in the sea? There's no ship nearby."
"My ship was attacked by pirates. All the guards protecting me were killed, and I was thrown into the sea. I barely survived…" Yoru said, her eyes downcast in sorrow.
Clover nodded, guessing she wasn't just an ordinary traveler. "So, where were you heading?"
"I'm the princess of Atal Kingdom. I was heading to Matea Island for an auction. But after the attack, I lost everything—my guards, my ship, all the money I brought with me..."
"Got it." Clover nodded thoughtfully. This girl clearly had a complicated background. "Do you want to call your father?"
"Yes, please!" Yoru eagerly took the Den Den Mushi from Clover's hand and dialed home.
Buru buru buru... click. "Hello?" A groggy voice answered the call, as if the person had just woken up.
"Father!" Yoru broke down in tears upon hearing her father's voice.
"Yoru!? What happened? Why are you crying!?" The voice on the other side was instantly alarmed.
Yoru explained everything that had happened—the pirate attack, the loss of her guards, and how she was rescued by Clover.
"I'm so glad you're safe! Don't worry, I'll send someone to pick you up at Matea Island immediately!" her father assured her.
"But..." Yoru hesitated and glanced at Clover, unsure of his plans. Clover shrugged and nodded in agreement.
"Alright," Yoru responded after getting Clover's approval.
After hanging up, Yoru exhaled in relief. "Thank goodness."
"But I don't know how to get to Matea Island," Clover said, scratching his head.
"..." Yoru looked at him, dumbfounded. Then, noticing his Log Pose, she asked, "Where's your Log Pose pointing?"
"I have no idea." Clover raised his arm and stared at the Log Pose on his wrist, looking confused.
"Are you even a real pirate? You don't have a flag, no crew, no navigator, and you don't plunder or rob people. You don't even know your destination. Honestly, you're the most unprofessional pirate I've ever met."
Clover's eye twitched at her remark. "Oh, you think I'm not professional, huh? I'll show you what it means to be a professional pirate!" he growled, tearing off his shirt as he moved toward Yoru.
"Ah! I'm sorry! I was wrong, I was wrong!" Yoru screamed in panic.
"Go ahead and scream. In this vast sea, no one will save you even if you scream until your throat is raw!" Clover smirked menacingly as he drew closer.
"Stop!" A sudden voice shouted, and a figure leaped at Clover from behind.
Clover's Haki sensed the incoming danger, and he dodged just in time. A blade sliced through the air where his head had been moments earlier.
Spinning around, Clover saw a young man standing there, and behind him, a larger ship had pulled up without Clover noticing.
"Damn, are there really heroes out here?" Clover muttered to himself, quickly pulling his shirt back on and adjusting his stance. "So, you think you can save her, huh?" he sneered at the newcomer.