After letting off some steam, Luo Ya lay in his room, growing more and more delighted as he read the little booklet on Line-Cutting Void he had just gotten.
The technique involved completely condensing and compressing sword intent, Haki, and the like. The more concentrated the compression, the greater its power.
The way this technique controlled sword intent was also immensely useful for Infernal Fire Prison. After all, both techniques were simply different ways of using sword intent.
Knock, knock, knock! The sound of knocking came from the door, leaving Luo Ya a little puzzled. When he opened it, he saw Annajia, freshly washed and changed.
Her long hair, which had originally fallen over her shoulders, had been replaced with a neat short cut that gave her a unique charm. She wore a green qipao with a very high slit, revealing long, slender legs that gleamed white. Her ample cleavage was practically spilling out.
Before Luo Ya could say anything, Annajia smiled and said, "Let's go inside and talk."
Then the two of them went into the room and sat down. Annajia, unusually, sat right beside Luo Ya on the sofa.
Luo Ya raised an eyebrow and wrapped an arm around her slender waist. Annajia stiffened at once in his embrace.
Then she put an arm around his shoulders, deliberately brushing her ample chest against Luo Ya's arm now and then.
Luo Ya could tell now that this woman definitely wanted something from him. Otherwise, she wouldn't be acting so inexplicably warm.
Maybe there really were people who got more excited the more they were beaten. But Annajia, a woman capable of wielding Armament Haki in the first half of the Grand Line, definitely wasn't one of them.
"Go on. What is it?"
As he spoke, Luo Ya pulled Annajia in front of him and held her in his arms, with her back to him. Then he began to gently stroke Sophia's body.
A fool passed up a chance to take advantage. Besides, Annajia was beautiful in every way, especially her pair of long, slender, pale legs.
Luo Ya didn't hold back at all.
"When I was little, slave traders sold me to the Osama Kingdom. I'd been living in a daze, expecting to go on that way until the day I died,
"But then I met my master. She was from the Flower Country, but she'd been defeated while out at sea and sold to the Osama Kingdom, too.
"Five years ago, she found a chance to escape with me. She trained me for three years, then died from the lingering injuries and pain she'd suffered as a slave.
"For the past two years, I've been honing my skills, hoping to go back and destroy that disgusting country. I want to avenge my master!"
After hearing Annajia's story, Luo Ya let her go. Holding a soft-bodied woman like her had felt good, but...
"Heh. Destroy a kingdom? Why should I help you?" Luo Ya lit a cigarette and stood up to stretch.
Luo Ya always went by one principle: whether he wanted to do something or not. Even though killing large numbers of people could restore Ryujin Jakka and increase his strength, he didn't go around slaughtering people indiscriminately.
Aside from the fact that killing large numbers of ordinary people wasn't as useful as taking down a single strong opponent, Luo Ya didn't want to become a madman who cared only about gaining strength.
Ultimately, Luo Ya's ideal might have been to enjoy the scenery along the road to becoming stronger. The result didn't matter; what he pursued was the journey.
So, although destroying a kingdom sounded like a challenge, Luo Ya had absolutely no interest. After all, the people he'd killed over the years were either people who'd offended him or people who'd attacked him.
"I have a lead on a Supreme Grade Sword. And I can offer the Devil Fruit from the tournament as payment."
Luo Ya raised an eyebrow. Supreme Grade Swords had passed through the hands of several Great Swordsmen, at the very least. If he could absorb one, it would greatly increase his strength.
"If you can produce one, I'll consider it. A lead? What good is that?"
"The lead will definitely take you to it! It's just that the location is in the second half of the Grand Line." Annajia grew anxious when she saw that Luo Ya didn't believe her.
"Then come back when you've found it."
With that, Luo Ya got up and went back to the bedroom, leaving Annajia standing there with a pale face, staring blankly after him.
Her lips moved as if she wanted to keep trying to persuade Luo Ya, but she remembered that devastating slash on the training ground and didn't dare say another word.
Luo Ya was lying on the bed, continuing to study the training manual, when he heard the door slam shut. He laughed.
"Heh. She came here trying to get something for nothing."
Luo Ya had never heard of the Osama Kingdom, but since it was a kingdom, it couldn't be weak. Otherwise, pirates would have already wrecked it.
Besides, a small island couldn't support a country. How could something smaller than a town become a kingdom?
The payment was a Devil Fruit and a lead on a Supreme Grade Sword. Leads were unreliable enough as it was, let alone a lead on a Supreme Grade Sword.
And Luo Ya wasn't planning to eat the Devil Fruit anyway. He'd only keep it in his collection. There were still several on the Black Pearl.
All in all, that payment wasn't even as tempting to Luo Ya as the two twins Vitt had found for him.
Luo Ya had already decided not to get involved in Annajia's mess. As long as she didn't bother him, he'd simply ignore her.
Meanwhile, he could give some thought to how to train Madalina. This was the first time Luo Ya had ever taught a disciple, and he was a little excited.
After all, the payment King Brunen had given him would be a huge help. Given Luo Ya's personality, he planned to stay on the island a while longer and teach her properly.
At the very least, Madalina needed to be able to protect herself. But first, she needed to slim down.
As he planned the next day's training, Luo Ya drifted off to sleep.
Annajia, who had left earlier, didn't return to her room. Instead, she was discussing something with King Brunen in his room.
Madalina sat nearby, listening excitedly and chiming in from time to time.