Sea Kings

"Is this your partner, Shark Chili~?" Trebol said, his disgusting snot dripping as he eyed the snake crawling along behind them. He looked eager to approach.

"Hey! Hey!! You're getting too close, Trebol!" Gray desperately shrank back, afraid Trebol's snot would smear all over him.

Unfortunately, Trebol didn't care how he felt. "C'mon, c'mon! Don't be such a stranger, kid!"

Gray looked disgusted. "If Shark Chili bites you, don't expect me to care!"

"Are you looking down on me, kid?" Trebol's snot swelled even more. "Besides, it's not even big enough to count as a Sea Beast yet."

"If I can't handle even this, then what was the point of making me an officer?"

"And besides~ I'm in charge of supplies! I get to decide how well and how much it eats from now on!"

Gray was speechless.

That was true enough.

Although Doflamingo had decided to invest heavily in Shark Chili's growth, making it go hungry for a few meals wouldn't exactly hurt.

But Gray soon thought of something. "Even so, what do you think will happen if Shark Chili slacks off during a fight at sea?"

"The Young Master is raising Shark Chili because of its strength in the sea."

"It can not only wreck enemy ships during a battle, but also help us retreat when we need to. How many people could outrun it?"

Trebol: ...

After a few moments of silence, Trebol decided to change the subject. "C'mon, c'mon! Since you've already called it back, I'll take care of the arrangements!"

As he spoke, he pointed his cane—which was more decorative than useful—at the abandoned courtyard nearby. "That'll be its home from now on. I'll have someone bring it food."

"Of course, you need to keep it under control. Don't let it eat the underlings delivering its food, or we'll have the trouble of assigning someone else!"

Gray nodded. "Got it!"

"I'll move in next door. That way, I can look after Shark Chili."

"Suit yourself!" Trebol waved dismissively. He didn't care about that. "Just wait here. I'll arrange for someone to bring food over."

"Oh, right. Baby-5!"

Baby-5, who was standing nearby, startled and immediately snapped back to attention. "Yes! Is there anything you need me to do, Lord Trebol?"

"Not today. Remember to train with Buffalo tomorrow!"

"Yes!"

After Trebol left, Gray took Shark Chili and Baby-5 to the abandoned courtyard next door.

The courtyard was laid out much like the neighboring Donquixote Family residence, with a two-story house.

Before its previous occupants moved out, this had been a wealthy neighborhood. The house's design and spacious rooms still spoke of its former luxury.

Unfortunately, much of the furniture had been taken away, leaving only the ordinary pieces behind.

Still, that was more than enough. A little tidying up, and it would be perfectly livable.

"Baby-5, let's go upstairs and fix up a room."

"Sure thing, Lord Gray!" Baby-5 never refused when someone gave her a task.

Upstairs, they brought furniture in from elsewhere and set it up in the master bedroom. Gray swept while Baby-5 wiped the dust from the furniture.

After quite a while, Gray had mopped the hallway and the room. When he returned to the master bedroom, he saw Baby-5 earnestly wiping every corner.

A feeling of domestic warmth filled Gray's heart. Thinking of the moment her own mother had abandoned her, he felt even more sorry for her. He had already liked Baby-5 in his previous life, and now his affection for her only grew. "Baby-5!"

"Hm?" Baby-5 wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked at Gray in confusion. "What is it, Lord Gray?"

Gray looked at her seriously. "From now on, you're my most important family."

"The kind of family who will never betray or abandon each other, for as long as we live!"

"And I need you to treat me as the most important person in your life, even more important than the Young Master and the others!"

"Ah! Someone needs me?" Gray's words turned Baby-5's cheeks bright red. She cupped her face in both hands, looking utterly blissful.

"Yes, Lord Gray! I'll remember!"

Baby-5 still had the same mannerisms and expression as before, but Gray knew she had taken his words to heart.

Given her experiences and personality, that was only natural.

The rest was up to time to prove.

Gray stood on the balcony and looked down. "Shark Chili!"

"Chuumy!" Shark Chili, coiled up in the courtyard, heard him and raised its head in confusion.

"Remember, she's our partner now too, just like you and me. Got it?" Gray pointed at Baby-5.

"Chuumy~"

"I'll take that as a yes. Now go back to sleep."

"When the food arrives, I'll call you."

Shark Chili: "Chuumy!"

Shark Chili lowered its head and quietly curled back up.

After they finished cleaning, the two began moving over the blankets and other belongings.

From the moment Gray had woken up at noon until now, the day had already passed. The sun cast its last rays of sunset across the sea.

"Come on, Baby-5! Let's go have dinner!" As he spoke, Gray took her by the hand and led the way to the dining hall next door.

"All right, Lord Gray!"

It was only a short walk to the dining hall. The first person they saw was Jora, busy at work.

"Aunt Jora!" ×2

"Oh~ It's you two little rascals!" Jora turned and glanced at Gray, whose head was wrapped in bandages, then casually asked, "Glad you're awake. Eat plenty of food~ It'll help your injuries heal faster!"

"Will do!" Gray made an OK sign and led Baby-5 to the bottom of the long table, directly opposite Buffalo.

Doflamingo sat at the head of the table. Trebol sat to his lower left, and Pica was on his right.

Corazon, Diamante, and Gladius sat farther down.

The remaining officers weren't there.

After the afternoon meeting, Senor and the other two had gone out to help Lao G handle business.

As the biggest underworld organization in the North Blue, the kind of "business" the Donquixote Family did was obvious.

"All right, everyone's here. Let's eat!" The young Doflamingo had no intention of discussing business over dinner.

"Let's eat!"

Gray, Buffalo, and Baby-5 had no idea what table manners were. They grabbed the meat with their hands and stuffed it greedily into their mouths.

"This is delicious!" Gray was certain that no food in his previous life had tasted as good as Sea King meat.

Besides, Sea King meat was the best tonic and body-strengthening food in this world of powerful fighters.

Without supplements like Sea King meat, even the strongest people couldn't replenish the energy their bodies burned every day.

Sea King meat was not only a specialty of this world, but also the foundation that allowed its strongest fighters to wield world-shattering power.

"Phew~ I'm full!" Gray didn't lean back in his chair, looking satisfied, until his stomach could not possibly fit another bite.

"Hehe! I ate more than you." Buffalo, sitting across from him, looked smug as he spoke.

Gray: "Uh..."

"Fine, fine, you win!" Gray couldn't be bothered with the little brat.

He envied how much the other boy could eat, but he didn't let it show.

In this world, being able to eat a lot was a talent. Only those who ate enough had the potential to grow into powerful fighters.