Three days later, early in the morning, at the pier.
"Wait, do I really have to bring this thing with me?"
Xia Nuo timidly raised the Den Den Mushi that had been forcibly stuffed into his hands.
"Stop whining. If I tell you to bring it, then bring it."
Bellemere snapped, "You insisted on going out to sea, and you won't be back for a whole month. You're still so young—how am I supposed to feel at ease?"
"Uh, I don't think this has much to do with age. As far as I know, no one in the entire village can beat me..."
"Just bring it, Xia Nuo."
The middle-aged man in a brown patrol uniform folded his arms and roared with laughter. The brand-new Little Windmill on his head spun rapidly in the sea breeze.
"Otherwise, she won't let you leave today. Oh, and remember to take good care of my little darling. If you want to make a call, dial the Village Office's number. Tsk, if Bellemere hadn't cornered me against the wall several times and forced me to contribute it, I wouldn't have been willing to hand it over to you, you brat."
"Who asked you to say anything!"
Bellemere flew into a rage and slapped Genzo squarely across the face. His patrol cap, Little Windmill and all, went flying and landed on the sea beside the pier.
"My new windmill!" Genzo hurriedly jumped into the water to retrieve it.
"So it really was yours, Uncle Genzo."
Xia Nuo suddenly understood. He reached out and poked the Den Den Mushi's head. "I was wondering why this little thing had a windmill growing out of its head."
Buru buru!
The Den Den Mushi had been lazily chewing basil leaves. After being poked, it glared at Xia Nuo, puffed up its cheeks, and angrily turned its face away.
Hey, this is kind of fun.
This was the first time he had actually played with a Den Den Mushi. It was pretty cute, though they were expensive, costing at least tens of thousands of Berries.
Well, I can't afford to raise one for now. Once I save up some money, I'll buy one for each of my two sisters as pets.
"Violent woman, I was only helping you persuade him."
Genzo climbed miserably out of the water and blew on his soaked windmill, carefully setting his patrol cap back in place.
What terrible luck. Why does fate always have it in for my little windmill?
Every so often—more precisely, about once a year—the windmill on his head would inexplicably disappear.
He had no idea which damned little thief kept stealing it. This one had only been newly made a few days ago, and it had nearly fallen victim again.
Bellemere could not be bothered with him. She turned toward the thin, tall old man nearby, who was directing the sailors as they checked the cargo, and smiled warmly.
"Mr. Gart, this is the first time this child has taken such a long voyage. I'll have to trouble you to look after him along the way."
"Don't worry. We purchase supplies from your village every year, so we're practically old acquaintances. This little request is nothing."
Gart smiled and lit his pipe, his tone courteous as well. "Asagiri Island is an important commercial hub, so it's already a necessary stop along our route. I can promise you that I'll deliver this child safely to the island."
"Then thank you very much."
Bellemere smiled and clasped her hands together, making a gesture to pray for a safe voyage.
Once Gart left, she immediately seemed to become a different person and turned sternly toward Xia Nuo.
"All right, go on. Since you've genuinely worked hard lately, I'll indulge you this once and let you go to Asagiri Island for a change of pace. But don't forget—every week, you have to contact me at least once without being prompted!"
Naturally, there was no way he could tell his family the true purpose of his voyage.
No one would believe that he had traveled thousands of miles to steal a hat from an eight-year-old brat.
So he had changed the reason to feeling cooped up after staying home for too long and wanting to visit Asagiri Island for a bit, while also taking the opportunity to see its Swordsmanship Dojos and perhaps learn a move or two.
As it turned out...
A convincing lie often had to be built on a foundation of truth.
Once he mentioned the latter reason, he successfully managed to fool Bellemere.
She had heard about it back when she was in the Marines.
The island had several renowned Swordsmanship Dojos, and they even jointly held a grand Kendo Tournament every year. It was the best place in the surrounding waters to practice kendo.
Moreover, based on her secret observations, Xia Nuo's swordsmanship training really had not been going smoothly. As Asagiri Island also had a Marine branch stationed there and the sea route was safe, she had little to worry about.
Thus, after agonizing over it repeatedly, she finally agreed to Xia Nuo's somewhat excessive request.
"Yes, yes, I'm going! Remember to say goodbye to Nojiko and Nami for me!"
It was only six in the morning, and he had left before five. The two little ones had been sleeping soundly, so Xia Nuo had merely pinched their cheeks and could not bring himself to wake them.
Bellemere helped him tuck the Den Den Mushi into his clothing pocket. The windmill on its shell immediately pushed the fabric into a comical bulge. Dissatisfied, Xia Nuo gave it a couple of gentle pats, waved to the two elders who had come to see him off, then turned and jogged toward the distant cargo ship.
The salty sea breeze swept across the boy's gradually fading figure.
"..."
Bellemere sniffed and turned her head away with suspicious speed.
Only Genzo saw her secretly stuff several large-denomination banknotes into the boy's pocket along with the Den Den Mushi.
"I say..."
After waiting a while, Genzo asked in puzzlement, "Why did you sneak the money in? You put it in the same pocket—aren't you afraid the Den Den Mushi will eat it?"
Bellemere's furtive motion of wiping away her tears froze at once.
"Ahhh, you bastard! Why didn't you say so earlier!"
The ponytailed woman, her eyes red, spun around in total despair and sprinted toward the end of the pier, shouting as she ran:
"Hey! Xia Nuo, wait! Don't board the ship yet—"
The moonlight was somewhat dim, and the sea was shrouded in darkness.
Warm orange lights illuminated the merchant ship's deck. A hastily assembled feast around several crude tables and chairs steamed with cheerful warmth.
The ship was not small. It had some twenty or thirty sailors in all, and they were gathered together now, with whistles occasionally ringing out amid cheers as mugs of draft beer clanged together.
The banquet was, of course, not being held to welcome Xia Nuo. He was merely a passenger hitching a ride and was not important enough for that.
As for the reason... on this vast sea, did anyone need a reason to hold a banquet?
"Hey, boy, how are you feeling? Still dizzy and wanting to throw up?"
The old captain, Gart, came over with his pipe and put an arm around Xia Nuo's shoulders.
"I'm fine now, Captain Gart."
Xia Nuo hurriedly swallowed the roasted meat in his mouth before answering. Only eight or nine empty plates were piled beside him. Clearly, in front of outsiders, he ate in small bites, acting shy and restrained.
Speaking of what Gart had mentioned, it really was a little embarrassing.
After all, this was his first time boarding a large ship on an ocean voyage. He had never experienced anything like it before.
Yesterday morning, when the merchant ship had just reached full speed and began pitching through the wind and waves, Xia Nuo had genuinely leaned over the railing and nearly vomited up everything he had eaten the night before.
Several middle-aged uncles had gathered around him, patting his back, fetching water, and handing him towels before he barely managed to recover.
Fortunately, his years of training had not been wasted. His robust body had also given him extraordinary adaptability.
After only a few hours, his seasickness gradually subsided.
By the time he woke up on the second day, he had completely recovered. No matter how violently the ship rocked, he remained full of energy, no different from these veteran sailors who had spent years at sea.
"Oh, you've got quite the constitution. Looks like your mother was worrying for nothing. Ha ha."
Gart smiled and tapped his pipe. "You'd make a fine sailor someday. How about joining our ship when you've grown up in a few years?"
"If I get the chance, I'll definitely consider it." Xia Nuo chuckled. Knowing the other man was teasing him, he did not reject him outright.
The uncles aboard the ship had all been very kind to him, and he had a good impression of them.
"Mr. Gart," Xia Nuo asked curiously, "the ship has already been sailing for more than forty hours. How much longer until we reach Asagiri Island?"
"The currents and wind have been favorable this time, so we've made better time than expected." Gart smiled. "Four days at most, assuming there aren't any problems later..."
Boom!
A muffled roar suddenly shattered the silent night and cut Gart off.
"What was that sound?"
"What happened?"
The lively banquet instantly fell silent. Nearly everyone leaped to their feet and anxiously searched for the source of the noise.
"It came from the stern!"
Gart lived up to his reputation as an experienced captain. He assessed the situation immediately and shouted in a deep voice, "Don't panic! Helmsman and gunners, take your positions! Send a few men to inspect the stern!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Everyone quickly dispersed and sprang into action according to their orders.
Xia Nuo instinctively reached for the Wood Sword at his waist. He had had no real need to bring it along, but since he had claimed he was going to study swordsmanship, he had to make the act convincing.
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