Bubble Cable Car

Kane and his group did not stay at Red Port for long, because Tsuru had already issued a requisition order for the Bubble Cable Car directly to Red Port through Marine Headquarters.

So as soon as the warship docked, Tsuru led Swift and Grey Pigeon under the cover of the deep night and secretly escorted Doflamingo's group onto the Bubble Cable Car.

As for Kane, Cuckoo, and Hina, they remained below with part of the Marines to provide support, preventing anyone from causing trouble. They would head to the Red Line once everything was secure.

Watching the Bubble Cable Car rise smoothly along its tracks and disappear into the clouds, Kane stretched lazily.

"I've been drifting at sea for so long that standing on land suddenly feels a little strange."

As he spoke, he seemed to have genuinely come down with seasickness-on-land. He staggered unsteadily and leaned backward.

"Careful!"

"Mr. Kane!"

Robin, disguised in plain clothes, and Monet beside her moved at the same time. Each of them caught one of Kane's arms.

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes meeting in midair, yet both used their slight bodies to support Kane with all their strength.

Kane laughed heartily, patting Monet on the shoulder before rubbing Robin's head. He was clearly in a good mood.

Robin only let go after confirming that he was truly fine. Behind her round glasses, she shot Kane a reproachful yet shy glance.

Monet, meanwhile, lowered her head with a flushed face and walked two steps away, nervously twisting her hands together, looking timid and bashful.

Hina, standing a little farther away, watched everything unfold and felt a knot in her chest. Even the lollipop in her mouth somehow tasted sour.

Cuckoo crossed her arms and watched with interest, wondering whether she had successfully drained that hateful fellow dry.

But when she carefully recalled his performance, she felt that idea was probably just an illusion.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Kane stopped joking around and swept his gaze through the crowd waiting to board the Bubble Cable Car.

Though it was nighttime, there were still quite a few people choosing to travel to the Red Line at this hour, especially merchants carrying large amounts of cargo and commoners who did not want to encounter the Celestial Dragons.

Soon, Kane spotted two tall men.

One had a head of wild purple hair and an unbelievably huge head.

The other was tall and powerfully built, with black curly hair, thick limbs, and a rugged face.

Kane's eyes immediately lit up as he recognized them.

Emporio Ivankov and Kuma!

Both wore hoods and cloaks, trying their best to reduce their presence, yet their massive builds made them particularly conspicuous.

Kane's scrutiny quickly drew their attention, and they immediately looked over.

But when they saw Kane, they both revealed delighted expressions. Then they turned and left the crowd, quickly vanishing from sight.

It seemed they had learned about my situation from Rosinante...

Fine. That saves us the time of recognizing each other...

Kane withdrew his gaze as well and quietly waited for Tsuru's message.

Half an hour passed like that. By the time Baby-5 had started dozing off atop Kane's head, Tsuru finally gave the order for them to head to the Red Line.

It was nearly midnight by then. Robin and Monet were both getting sleepy; one kept yawning while the other occasionally rubbed her eyes, yet they both stood quietly beside Kane.

Hina walked solemnly toward the Bubble Cable Car. As she passed Kane, she viciously rammed him with her shoulder, then gave a soft snort and entered the car.

Cuckoo covered her mouth and chuckled at the sight, finding the scene before her especially amusing.

However, just as she was about to board the Bubble Cable Car, Kane suddenly stopped her.

Then she saw Kane's lips move slightly, and his familiar whisper sounded beside her ear.

"Wait for me. I'll fly you up."

Cuckoo blinked in astonishment. Then she remembered what Kane had once told her, and her jewel-like eyes immediately brightened.

An excited smile appeared on her face. She stopped, stepped aside, and watched Kane lead everyone onto the Bubble Cable Car.

"Cuckoo, aren't you getting on?"

Hina, who had boarded first, looked at Cuckoo in confusion, unable to understand why she was still standing outside after Kane had said something to her.

"I'll take the next one."

Cuckoo answered briefly, but a radiant smile hung on her face, as though something wonderful was about to happen.

What did Kane say?

Puzzled, Hina subconsciously glanced at Kane and inexplicably felt that tonight was unbearably irritating.

Even after the doors closed and the Bubble Cable Car slowly rose into the air, vanishing into the clouds, Cuckoo continued waiting with an expectant expression.

Suddenly, a hand settled on her waist. As the familiar scent of pine filled her nose, the voice she had long awaited drifted into her ears.

"Instructor Cuckoo, aren't you afraid I might be lying to you?"

"You wouldn't."

Cuckoo turned and tightly embraced Kane, tilting her head up to gaze into his eyes. Her jewel-like eyes shone brilliantly.

She did not ask why Kane had clearly boarded the cable car only to appear beside her again. At that moment, she only felt happiness filling her heart.

"Why not?"

"As long as I believe in you, you'll never be able to deceive me."

Even through their clothes, Kane could feel Cuckoo's joyful heartbeat. He lightly touched her lips, then took her hand and led her away from the crowd.

When they reached an empty corner, Kane wrapped his arms tightly around Cuckoo and whispered:

"Instructor, hold on tight."

"Mm!"

Obediently, Cuckoo tightly wrapped her arms around Kane's waist. Then a fierce wind suddenly rose, and she saw a pair of enormous bat wings grow from Kane's back.

Before Cuckoo could cry out, the wings lifted high and then beat down violently, carrying her straight into the sky with tremendous force!

The raging wind swept past Cuckoo, whipping her hair into disorder.

Yet her eyes remained fixed firmly on Kane's face, the affection in them so intense it was intoxicating.

In the blink of an eye, the two flew into the clouds and then burst through them. A huge crescent moon appeared above their heads.

Moonlight poured over Kane's face like frost. Cuckoo could not help reaching up to touch it. It felt as warm and familiar as ever, yet it drew her in with an attraction she had never felt before.

Above the clouds, it was incredibly quiet. Cuckoo could even hear their heartbeats beating as one. She breathed in rhythm with Kane, and now even their breaths had become one.

She looked toward the moon, then at their shadows cast upon the clouds, feeling that everything before her was wonderfully unreal.

Kane clearly felt Cuckoo's joy and held her as they soared above the clouds.

As they skimmed along the cloud layer, Kane held Cuckoo's hand and lightly brushed the cloud surface. The white mist churned and surged as though startled by them, rising and falling as if to match their movements.

"Instructor, is this fun... mm."

Kane did not get to finish speaking before Cuckoo silenced him.

The clouds around them seemed to grow excited as well, gathering to watch. In the blink of an eye, they swallowed the two figures from sight.

Kane and Cuckoo's shadows were blurred by the clouds too, rolling and merging with their currents until they gradually became impossible to distinguish.

Inside the Bubble Cable Car, as time passed, everyone's vantage point rose higher and higher. The novel experience drove away the drowsiness brought by midnight, and they all looked out the windows.

Baby-5 excitedly ran around inside the cable car, happily shouting and squealing.

People occasionally looked at her, their gazes filled with indulgence and affection, as though they were looking at the group's beloved mascot.

Hina, who often rode the Bubble Cable Car, had long become immune to the scenery outside. Her gaze kept falling on Kane, sometimes intentionally and sometimes not, while her brows alternately tightened and relaxed.

Suddenly, the lollipop moving unconsciously in her mouth stopped. Her brows furrowed tightly, and the words "deeply annoyed" were practically written across her face.

Monet seemed to have grown tired of watching the scenery and timidly walked over to Kane, who was resting with his eyes closed.

She bit her lip and hesitated for a moment. A faint blush suddenly spread across her face, and then she carefully yet resolutely sat beside Kane, looking too shy to disturb him but desperate to get close.

What a pretentious woman!

Hina immediately felt agitated. She ground the lollipop between her teeth with force. With a crack, a large piece broke off, and the sweetness of watermelon spread fiercely through her mouth.

She looked toward Robin, who had originally been sitting beside Kane, hoping Kane's personal aide would bravely rise and slap Monet hard across the face.

Hina had already made up her mind. If Robin truly dared to do that, she would definitely step forward to help.

However, Robin did not do as Hina wished. She had naturally noticed Monet's intentions, but she did not care about Monet drawing closer.

In her eyes, Monet's behavior was far too petty.

Robin knew very well that shy and affected Monet would never understand Kane's helplessness in the face of a direct approach, much less taste the blazing love he carried.

Thinking this, Robin looked at Hina, who was sulking by herself, and could not help laughing inwardly.

She felt that Hina was just as petty as Monet. The only difference was that Monet was putting on airs and playing hard to get, while Hina could not let go of her own pride.

Suddenly, Robin sensed Kane, who had been resting beside her with his eyes closed, move slightly. She turned her head and found that he had opened his eyes and was adjusting his sitting position with a strange expression.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked softly.

"Nothing."

Kane shook his head with a smile, signaling that everything was fine. He tried hard to suppress the urge to move his body, closed his eyes again, and focused most of his consciousness on the clone in the clouds.

For him now, controlling five Flower-Flower Fruit clones at once was more than manageable.

What was more, his strength had greatly improved along the way. His Flower Clones could move farther from his real body, which was why he could take Cuckoo flying through the sky.

But he had never expected that this action seemed to awaken some hidden trait in Cuckoo. Not only had she been delighted that Kane could take her into the sky, but now she wanted Kane to send her even higher.

Kane simply could not divide his attention during something like this. Nearly all of his focus was concentrated on his clone as he and Cuckoo battled fiercely within the clouds.