It's Time for a Confession

"That's the story," Sairona summarized.

"So Rono has also given birth?" Uncle Mo pondered, arms crossed. Axia visibly relaxed, and said softly to Rono, "Mr. Rono, may I hold him?" Axia looked at Rono with great expectation. Rono glanced at Mo, who was ready to send him flying again if he refused, and smiled, "Of course." He handed over Little Treant Gelu. Gelu didn't dislike Axia and let her hold him.

"Hmm~ Is it really about looks?" Rono seemed to understand something, and looked at Sairona with pity. Alas, being ugly is unavoidable.

Sairona pulled out his pistol and shot expressionlessly. Bang! Rono's head exploded. Seeing this, Gelu struggled out of Axia's arms and leaped towards Sairona's face. Sairona agilely dodged Gelu's pounce, then Splat! he fell face-first. Axia silently retracted her hand and watched Gelu beat up Sairona. As Sairona's eyes spun and his face swelled like a Smurf, Rono, whose new head had already grown, picked up Gelu, flipped him over, and sat him on his shoulder. Gelu wrapped his arms around Rono's neck and threatened Sairona, "Waaahhhhh!" "Sairona, how many times have I told you, don't always blow my head off. You're making my wise brain stupid."

Axia silently extended her hand. Just as Sairona stood up, a sudden, unidentified flying object hit his face. "Ah--" His fragile bridge of nose snapped. It wasn't over. Sairona fell backward, and the sharp stone that had pierced Rono was right behind his head. Sairona closed his eyes. With his memory, he remembered the location of the sharp stone. Sairona thought, Can I do 15? Uh, no, wrong word again. It's over. This was Sairona's only thought.

After nearly 5 seconds, Sairona opened one eye. It was still the same sky, still so blue. Ah~ I'm not dead!

"How long are you going to lie there? Scared yourself into peeing?" Rono taunted LV3. Axia pouted and canceled her ability. Uncle Mo, the bystander, watched Axia's every move with a loving smile. The girl had found someone, and the son-in-law was satisfactory. For Uncle Mo, who was over 40, this was enough.

Sairona got up and gave Axia a deep look. Axia activated her skill: Annoy Your Poker Face. She confronted Sairona's zombie face. Sairona quickly realized that Axia must have used her Devil Fruit Ability, but he couldn't say anything. He had just blown up the person she liked, after all. How could he dare speak?

"Alright, it's getting late, we should be going too. The Patriarch asked me to tell you that the Research Department has developed a new two-masted sailing ship. It's very fast, um~ about three times faster than an ordinary warship." Uncle Mo compared and announced a shocking result. What did three times the speed mean? Imagine a centaur with 400 speed using its E skill (without equipment); the kick would be insignificant. If that centaur reached 1200 speed, a single kick would leave someone dead or severely injured.

The Gongdongtalio Family agreed to Rono establishing a pirate group, treating it as a game. Rono lived up to his Shichibukai title. Every few days, he would call Sairona (and later Gelu) to Alabasta and confront pirate ships. For the past two years, this route in Alabasta had been called the Death Route by pirates. Rono also gained a nickname: Red Devil. Sairona's nickname was: Sniper King. Both were high-status titles.

Ever since Rono became a Shichibukai, Spandam had people go to Alabasta to buy Dancing Powder and resell it at a high price to other drought-stricken countries, a price 50 times higher. Dancing Powder had always been controlled by the Alabasta royal family. If not for Rono's Shichibukai status and Alabasta being in turmoil, Spandam wouldn't have been able to buy it. Spandam was good at managing relationships, and every month he transferred 20% of the profits to Rono and Sairona's accounts. In addition, with 20% of the monthly dividends from the Baroque Works, which was reorganized by the Gongdongtalio Family, Rono stated: "I make friends with anyone regardless of their wealth, because they're not as wealthy as me anyway."

Ahem, I've digressed. After speaking, Uncle Mo beckoned Axia to leave. "There will be plenty of opportunities to visit in the future. Don't keep looking back." Axia blushed shyly and said coquettishly, "Uncle Mo, why are you like this?"

"Haha, let's go." Uncle Mo waved goodbye. Axia glanced at Rono again and followed Uncle Mo's footsteps.

"Let's see them off," Sairona said, putting away his gun. He even pushed Rono, but couldn't move him. Rono still took a step forward after being pushed.

On the dock, Axia and Uncle Mo stood on the deck. Uncle Mo put on the suit handed to him by his subordinate and said, "Alright, you don't need to see us off."

"Okay then, come visit often when you have time," Sairona said with a smile. "Rono, aren't you going to say something?"

Rono exclaimed, took a breath, and said, "Axia, I like you! Be my girlfriend!"

"..." Sairona was stunned. I just asked you to say a few words of farewell, what are you doing with this sudden confession? Don't you know girls are shy? If she agrees, I'll live stream eating... Never mind, I'll live stream eating.

Rono's voice was loud enough for half of Enies Lobby to hear. Under the gaze of many Marines, Axia's face turned crimson, definitely over 100 degrees, steam practically rising. Then she fainted. If your head could reach 100 degrees, it could be eaten. If you had an appetite.

"Hahahaha--" Uncle Mo laughed heartily. Although he didn't know what possessed Rono, seeing this guy with such touching IQ and EQ confess to Axia, Uncle Mo could only say, Heh heh. "Rono, I'll accept on Axia's behalf!"

If Rono was still this foolish in another two years, Uncle Mo was prepared to propose to him on Axia's behalf. What if he refused? Knock him out, drug him, and throw him on the bed, a full-service package. What if he refused to take responsibility? Uncle Mo stated that Rono could go feed the fish.

"Phew~" Sairona wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Damn, thankfully I didn't boast, or I would have had to live stream eating shit. Speaking of which, Devil Fruit users all say Devil Fruits taste like shit, how do they know what shit tastes like? Never mind, I'll get killed if I think about it.

The sailing ship gradually disappeared, and Rono also withdrew his gaze.

"Phew--" Rono let out a light breath, turned to Sairona, and smiled, "Thanks to you egging me on, otherwise I'd still be a single dog!" Single dog... dog...

Sairona looked at Rono with a calm expression. "I didn't egg you on. I just asked you to say goodbye and a few words."

"Ah! Is that so? Ahhh Sairona, you've broken my heart." Rono ∑(oAoll).

"Gelu Gelu." Gelu.