A Promise

No one knew what methods Kuina had used to make that guy come running over the next day with a bruised and swollen face, crying and begging him to let him join the crew.

Ah! How miserable.

Seeing how sincere the guy was, he could only reluctantly agree.

What Ahua would never know was that, intentionally or otherwise, Kuta had revealed to Kuina that he wanted to invite him to sail the seas.

As he thought about it, a smug smile appeared on his face.

As for

A-Luo, who knew what he had gone through these past few years to turn into a shamate youth.

Maybe it was for love!

Not long ago, the guy had been preparing to follow his family's arrangements and get married.

But after hearing that Kuta was going to sea, he hurriedly dragged A-Tao, who was preparing to inherit his family's shipyard and become a Navigator, to find Koshiro.

When Koshiro found Kuta, Kuta was trying to figure out where to find a ship.

Well, this worked out perfectly. Here it was, right on time—what a lifesaver!

He agreed on the spot.

They had all grown up together. It definitely wasn't because of A-Tao, the shipwright, or the dirt-cheap ship from his family!

Next, he spent all the savings he and Kuina had accumulated over the years. He even borrowed several million Beli from Koshiro before he could pay for the ship.

And that was with A-Tao's family charging only for the materials.

He was a dignified transmigrator, yet he actually had to borrow money to build a ship.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help apologizing in his heart to all the transmigrator seniors.

He had truly brought shame upon transmigrators.

The ship was a fast sailboat with a triangular sail on the aft mast, a central rudder at the stern, and a ram shaped like a sheep's head at the bow.

As for why it had a sheep's head, of course it was modeled after the Merry!

Anyone who had watched One Piece wouldn't fail to wish for a ship like the Merry!

Not only did it have a sheep's head, he had also had an orchard set up on the ship, only replacing the orange trees with lemon trees.

Above the deck, the rear cabin had two levels. The first was the kitchen, while the second was for steering and resting.

The bedrooms, storage room, and toilet were all below deck.

Like the Merry, his ship had no wheel. It turned by operating the steering tillers left and right to move the stern rudder.

As for cannons, he felt they were useless at close range, couldn't hit anything at long range, and had a shorter range than his Slashes. So he had installed only one large cannon in the forward cabin and none on the sides.

This saved space and reduced the weight, making the ship lighter and faster.

Besides the sole cannon, the forward cabin also held the anchor winch and some essential supplies for life at sea.

Kuta's eyes swept over the entire ship as he lowered his head in thought.

A-Luo, the Lookout; A-Tao, the helmsman and repairman; and Ahua, the cook.

As for the Navigator, he himself was the Navigator. Over the past decade or so, he had read countless books about navigation. Those books had not been for nothing.

Although he could not reach Nami's level, he was still confident about ordinary natural disasters.

Moreover, his Space Domain could now expand to a radius of twenty meters, which was enough for him to carry the ship through the air.

Hmm! What else was missing?

Then his eyes lit up, and a look of sudden realization appeared on his face.

Right, they were still missing a doctor!

Chapter 11: Promise

On the forward deck of the Fake Merry.

Kuta was staring blankly at the distant point where the sea met the sky.

It was the warmest and brightest time of day. The deep blue stretching above and below possessed a crystal-clear purity that was difficult to describe.

Every now and then, a few mischievous large fish could be seen leaping vigorously from the sea.

The splashing water mingled with the morning sunlight filtering through the hazy mist, glittering with a cool light like translucent blue gemstones.

Yet no matter how beautiful the scenery was, it could no longer attract Kuta's attention.

Creak!

Creak!

Creak!

The sound of wooden boards being squeezed came from the ladder.

Kuta put down the cup in his hand and turned toward Kuina, who was walking up the stairs. A flash of amazement passed through his eyes.

Having finished her morning training and just taken a shower, Kuina's dark-blue hair, gleaming with a cool sheen, was as smooth and bright as the sea.

Kuina walked up to Kuta and handed him a comb, saying gently, "Kuta, comb my hair for me."

Seeing the affection for her in Kuta's eyes, she knew all her efforts had been worth it.

Ever since she learned that Kuta liked kimonos, she had worn nothing but kimonos.

After learning that Kuta liked long hair, she had kept her hair long.

Even though a kimono and long hair were inconvenient in battle, she had remained steadfast, because she loved Kuta so deeply.

Everything about her had become the way Kuta liked it.

Kuta took the comb. Looking at her as she crouched in front of him, he gently ran it through her soft, silky hair.

Of course Kuta knew how much Kuina had changed. He could only repay those feelings with his entire life.

After smoothing her hair, he picked up the red ribbon resting nearby, tied Kuina's hair into a ponytail, and held her head up to inspect it with satisfaction.

Hmm! His skills weren't bad.

"All done, Kuina."

Kuina stood up and turned around. Meeting Kuta's infatuated gaze, she happily spun in front of him like a pink butterfly, freely displaying her beauty.

Looking at the woman before him, who wished to show her charm and tenderness only to him,

Kuta pulled her over and let her lie against him.

Holding her soft, delicate body and breathing in the fresh scent of body wash from her recent bath mixed with the unique fragrance of a young woman, he spoke with deep affection.

"Kuina, in two years, when you turn eighteen, let's get married."

Hearing Kuta's voice, Kuina suddenly raised her head and stared incredulously at his gentle face so close to hers. Tears welled up like a spring, dropping one by one onto Kuta's chest.

She had thought the guy was waiting for her to confess before responding to her feelings!

Kuta smiled at Kuina. His smile was like ripples on a clear spring, spilling from the tiny vortex at the corner of his mouth and spreading across his entire face.

He reached out with his right hand to wipe away her tears and teased, "What? You don't want to?"

Kuina hurriedly nodded. "I do. I do."

How could she possibly not want to?

"Hahahahaha..."

Seeing Kuina's adorable appearance, Kuta could not hold back his laughter, which burst continuously from his mouth.

In his previous life, he had not even had a girlfriend. In this life, he had a fiancée at seventeen.

It felt wonderful.

Didn't it?

Listening to Kuta's laughter, Kuina buried her head in his arms, her face flushed as she lightly pounded him a few times with her fists.

Her face burning, she quietly listened to Kuta's strong heartbeat.

At that moment, she felt a peace she had never known before.

Kuta's face was full of smiles, and his eyes were tender as he looked at Kuina. The two of them had spent every day together for so many years, and he really had treated Kuina as a younger sister.

But as this

younger sister gradually grew up and became increasingly dependent on him, eventually even falling in love with him and willingly changing so much for his sake,

he could not possibly remain unmoved.

Faced with such a beautiful girl, he refused to believe anyone could not fall in love with her.

That needed a little explanation: he was definitely not a lolicon playing some sort of childhood-training game!

Stroking Kuina's long hair, smooth and silky as satin, Kuta raised his head to look at the sky. His eyes held a firmness they had never possessed before.

This promise made him more mature and even stronger.

Sailing really was not a simple task.

They had been at sea for three days. The first two had been rather exciting, and everything had felt fresh and new.

Yet no matter how beautiful the scenery was, after looking at it for two days, all that remained was boredom.

Looking out over the sea, there was not a single person in sight. Nothing but sea, wherever he looked.

No wonder Pirates loved holding banquets. They were all driven crazy by boredom.

On the open sea, besides training, all you could do was lie around like a salted fish.

Kuta was fishing at the bow, staring blankly at the surface. Weren't fish supposed to be easy to catch in manga?

Why was there nothing at all when it came to him?

Sure enough, manga was full of lies.

"Ah!"

At that moment, Kuina came over carrying two cups of cola. Hearing his sigh, she asked, "What's wrong?"

"How come it's been three days and we still haven't seen another ship?"

Wasn't this the Great Pirate Era?

Weren't Pirates as common as blades of grass?

Why hadn't he encountered any here?

Was the East Blue simply too vast, or had the other Pirate Ships been too lucky?

With a dejected look on his face, he accepted the cola Kuina handed him.

He shook it a few times.

Clink, clink, clink—!!!

The ice struck the sides of the cup, producing a pleasant, crisp sound.

He raised the cup, tilted back his head, opened his mouth, and took a large gulp.

The cold cola traveled straight down his esophagus into his stomach. First he belched, then he exhaled a cloud of white vapor.

"Refreshing!"

Kuina looked at Kuta and smiled softly.

Her smile drifted past the corner of her mouth like a faint glow from the rosy dawn.

She reached out, took the cup from Kuta's hand, and placed it on a nearby tea table.

"There's no need to rush. It's only been three days. We should reach the Baratie today."

She paused, stuck out her tongue to lick her lips, and continued, "I heard the Baratie is a restaurant built on the sea. It has the greatest chef in the entire East Blue."

"You little glutton."