Uchiha Mikasa nodded affirmatively after hearing the first half, but when she heard Sora's last sentence, her expression suddenly turned playful. "Who do you think is worthy of your sister Mikoto?"
"Of course it's me... uh..."
Uchiha Sora subconsciously blurted out what was in his heart, then suddenly realized what he had just said.
Looking at his mother with embarrassment and facing her playful gaze, his young face turned red. "Ahem! In short, Fugaku is not worthy of Sister Mikoto! Mom, just tell me, am I wrong?"
"You!"
Uchiha Mikasa saw Sora's attempt to cover his slip and smiled, reaching out to tap his forehead with a finger. She teased, "I didn't expect that you'd be such a little pervert at your age!"
"You've already set your sights on your sister Mikoto so early."
"But you're right, Fugaku is indeed not worthy of Mikoto."
"Moreover, from the future you described, it's clear that you hadn't awakened your talent, and without me or your current circumstances, your future would've been very different!"
"Now that fate has changed, the future is naturally different too!"
"So, Mom supports you marrying her in the future!"
"That means you have to work hard! Not only do you need strength, but you also need to gradually establish prestige within the clan."
Time passed, and Sora spent most of his days aboard the ship. He alternated between cultivating with Sea King meat and copying medical books to study and train.
Uchiha Mikasa reciprocated by sharing Uchiha techniques she had brought with her.
When Sora received a certain technique, he mastered its basics within a few attempts.
He successfully entered it into his God Rewards Hard Work panel, and from there, improvements became much easier.
Two days later, the group successfully arrived at a port in Grove 13 of the Sabaody Archipelago.
There, they met Shakky and Rayleigh, who had been waiting for them.
"Congratulations on your safe return!"
As soon as the ship docked, Shakky boarded with Rayleigh, nodding to the group before turning her attention to Uchiha Mikasa and Sora. She said gratefully, "You must be Uchiha Mikasa and Uchiha Sora. On behalf of Amazon Lily, I want to thank you!"
"I know all about the promise they made to you!"
"Sending you to Drum Island is far from enough to repay your kindness!"
"If you have any requests, please let me know. As long as it isn't too much, I will do my best to fulfill it!"
"Additionally, I'm well-connected in intelligence. If there's any news you want, just ask, and I'll provide it for free!"
"Thank you again!"
If not for Uchiha Mikasa and Sora's timely intervention, Shakky couldn't imagine the heavy blow her crew would have suffered.
Hancock and the others might have been captured by those despicable slave-hunting groups and sold to the Celestial Dragons.
The consequences of that would've been catastrophic.
Hancock was the chosen candidate for the next empress of Amazon Lily—there was no room for error.
"You're too polite! It was just a coincidence that I helped," Uchiha Mikasa said modestly, not rushing to demand any benefits.
"No!"
Shakky shook her head firmly, clearly valuing gratitude. "A favor is a favor! There's no question about that. Please make your request. If you haven't thought of anything yet, just keep it in mind and come find me anytime to fulfill it."
"Haha!"
At this time, Rayleigh smiled and patted Shakky on the shoulder. "Alright! There's no rush for this kind of thing. This isn't the place to talk. Why don't you take everyone back to the shop first?"
As he spoke, he glanced at Uchiha Mikasa, his expression subtly questioning.
"Okay! Sorry to trouble you," Uchiha Mikasa replied without hesitation.
Soon, the group arrived at Shakky's shop.
Upon seeing the establishment with the signboard "Shakky's Rip-Off Bar," Uchiha Mikasa was slightly taken aback. She subconsciously glanced at Shakky.
Shakky: "..."
"Ahaha!"
Shaoyao felt a bit embarrassed under Uchiha Mikasa's gaze.
Fortunately, she was thick-skinned enough to recover quickly. She smiled, waved her hand, and explained, "You know how it is here—there are all kinds of people, villains, and countless pirates. A name like this is more intimidating."
"Yeah!"
Uchiha Mikasa and Sora both nodded with expressions of mock seriousness, as if they completely believed her.
Shakky, now more composed, welcomed them into the shop.
After serving wine, juice, cakes, and other refreshments, she asked again, "I heard you're heading to Drum Island for a doctor? Do you need me to introduce you to an excellent one?"
"My husband knows a great doctor who should be able to treat this young man's condition."
Sora's frail state was evident to anyone with some observational skills.
Even Shakky and Rayleigh noticed that Uchiha Mikasa herself didn't seem to be in perfect health.
Her vitality and physical constitution seemed unnaturally weak, which was surprising given her overwhelming strength in battle.
However, the unique energy emanating from her body hinted at something extraordinary, possibly the source of her power.
Out of politeness, neither Shakky nor Rayleigh asked about these apparent secrets.
"Not for now!"
Before Uchiha Mikasa could respond, Sora interjected. "We plan to find Dr. Kureha, the witch doctor, on Drum Island first."
"She should be able to resolve the issues my mother and I have. If not, I'll seek your help later."
"Oh?"
Shakky and Rayleigh exchanged glances, surprised that Sora had spoken first.
Shakky nodded thoughtfully. "Dr. Kureha, the witch doctor? I know her! Her medical skills are extraordinary—perhaps even better than Crocus's!"
"But, she isn't easy to approach. Without a reward that satisfies her, she won't help. I hope you're prepared for that."
"Yeah!"
Sora nodded calmly. "I've already taken that into account."
"Is that so?"
Shakky smiled. "That's great! I hope you succeed!"
"So, have you thought about what kind of reward you'd like from me? Please don't decline this!"
Shakky was not one to leave debts unpaid.
"We've also thought about that," Sora replied, stepping forward again.
He looked at Shakky, then turned to Rayleigh. "I'd like to use this favor, combined with information about the son of Roger, the Pirate King, to trade for your Haki training experience, along with the training methods and insights for Marine Six Styles and Life Return. Uncle Rayleigh, is that acceptable?"
Rayleigh's expression changed dramatically. "What? Information about Roger's son? Roger actually had a son?"
For a moment, Rayleigh was so shocked that he forgot to question how Sora knew his true identity. The revelation was overwhelming.
"This is incredible! Such explosive news!"
Shakky's surprise matched Rayleigh's. "Although we had suspicions, we were never certain this was true."
As she processed the information, Shakky noticed a distinct shift in dynamics.
Since entering the shop, Sora had consistently taken the lead, making decisions on behalf of himself and Uchiha Mikasa.
This realization deepened her curiosity about him.