16 Years Old

Led by John, they took no detours and quickly arrived at the captain's quarters.

"It's right here!"

"Good!"

"Bang!"

Facing the tightly shut door, Chen Qiang did not hesitate for a second and kicked it open. The door swung inward with a groan, revealing a room that looked incredibly luxurious.

The room was quite spacious, with various crystals embedded into the walls and a chandelier hanging in the center, making the entire space shimmer with brilliance. Beneath the chandelier sat a magnificent sofa, and not far from it stood a bed crafted entirely out of gold.

"Where is the item?"

The room was huge, and Chen Qiang figured that without help, it would take him a long time to find a single key in such a place, so he simply asked John, who was standing to the side.

"The captain usually keeps his things by his bedside so he can feel them while he sleeps; it makes him feel more at ease!"

Originally, when John had led Chen Qiang here, he had intended to slip away while Chen Qiang was distracted by the room. But the moment he took a step, he noticed Chen Qiang had already turned his head to look at him. John froze instantly, sweat beading on his forehead as he quickly spilled everything he knew to Chen Qiang.

"Hmm!" Chen Qiang didn't bother with John's little attempt at escape. After hearing the information he wanted, he nodded in satisfaction and then slammed a fist into John's head, finishing him off with a single blow.

"Those who live by the sword must pay the price. Evil deeds eventually invite retribution, and I am that retribution for you lot."

Looking at the headless corpse before him, Chen Qiang smiled as he crouched down, wiped the blood from his hands using the dead man's clothes, and spoke indifferently.

Having said that, he ignored the body on the floor and walked toward the spot John had mentioned.

Soon, after Chen Qiang dismantled the entire golden bed, he finally found a small box underneath. Inside, he discovered some gold jewelry, and in a smaller case, he found the key he was looking for.

"I don't know if this is the right one, but it doesn't matter. I'll just take it and see!"

Chen Qiang packed all the jewelry back into the box, kept the key out, examined the peculiar-looking object in his hand, and then carried the box toward the place where he had been imprisoned.

With Little Jack having fled and John killed by his own hand, the ship was essentially empty. Chen Qiang encountered no resistance on his way back and quickly returned to his former cell.

"Little girl, don't be afraid! Big brother is here to save you!" Reaching the door, Chen Qiang opened it smoothly and smiled at Lin inside.

"Thank you! I will repay you for this!"

As Chen Qiang used the key to unlock the Seastone shackles on Lin, she didn't make a sound. She just stared straight at him, as if trying to etch his appearance into her memory. Only after she was completely free did she whisper her thanks.

"Don't be scared! Next is the collar around your neck. Let me see if this key can open it. If not, we'll just have to go find that captain later! Regardless, big brother promised to save you, and I will!"

Chen Qiang just smiled at her talk of repayment, not taking it to heart. Instead, he looked at the collar on her neck and spoke in the soothing tone one might use with a child.

"Oh dear! It seems this isn't the key for the collar. Looks like we really do have to find Captain Gill. But don't worry, since they went to Impel Down, we'll find them there soon enough!" Chen Qiang tried the key several times, but it wouldn't open the collar. Still, to keep her from panicking, he maintained a gentle, smiling tone to reassure her.

"That won't be necessary!"

Once the Seastone shackles were off, Lin stopped whispering. Whether she had confirmed there was no more danger on the ship or was simply confident in her own strength, she feared nothing as long as she wasn't suppressed by Seastone.

"Huh?" Chen Qiang looked at Lin, confused, having no idea why she would say that.

However, Lin didn't offer an explanation. She simply reached up to her neck, grabbed the collar, and pulled it off with a forceful tug.

"Bang!"

An explosion erupted from around Lin's neck.

"Whoa! You're even tougher than me? Little girl, don't be so reckless! Let me see if you're hurt!"

Lin's actions startled Chen Qiang. In this world, he only dared to act so brazenly in Impel Down because he had a powerful cheat, but he hadn't expected this little girl to be even more ruthless—detonating a collar without even blinking.

After his surprise, Chen Qiang pulled her out into the hallway to check her neck under the light, as the room was too dim to see clearly.

On her small neck, although the explosion had left some scorch marks on her otherwise fair skin, a thorough inspection by Chen Qiang revealed no actual wounds. Just as he was wondering what her ability might be, Lin's face darkened.

"I say, don't push your luck. I'm grateful you saved me, but that doesn't mean you can go touching me wherever you please!"

With a dark expression, Lin swatted Chen Qiang's hand away from her neck and spoke with clear dissatisfaction.

"Tch! You little brat, you sure know a lot for your age!"

After his hand was swatted away and he heard her words, Chen Qiang burst into laughter and patted her on the head.

"Who's a little brat? I'm already 16, not a child!" Hearing Chen Qiang's words, Lin became even more annoyed.

"16? You're lying!" Chen Qiang's hand, which had been ruffling her hair, froze noticeably at her words. He silently pulled his hand back and, using the hallway light, began to size her up.

Under the light, Chen Qiang finally got a clear look at Lin. She stood about 145cm tall—compared to his own height of nearly two meters, she only reached his stomach. Although her face was covered in grime, the youthfulness was obvious. Aside from her surprisingly well-developed chest, she looked nothing like a 16-year-old; one would believe she was only seven or eight.

"Why would I lie to you? I just look a bit small!"

Seeing Chen Qiang's disbelief, Lin didn't bother explaining further and simply rolled her eyes at him in silence.