"What do you mean, spacing out? Lord Barn is fishing!"
"But he's been fishing for so long and hasn't caught a single fish. If he isn't spacing out, what is he doing?"
The Amazon Lily warrior who had spoken first asked in confusion.
"Lord Barn must be meditating! Ah, he looks so handsome when he's serious!"
The other warrior spoke with a lovestruck expression.
The first warrior gave her infatuated companion a look of disgust and said,
"Too bad Lord Barn can't see that lovesick look on your face. He'd hate you if he could!"
Thump!
"Don't you dare talk about my Lord Barn! And who were you calling lovesick?"
"Aaaaah!"
The warrior, now sporting a large bump on her head, exploded with anger. She clutched her head and bared her teeth as she shouted.
"I'm talking about you! You hopeless fangirl!"
"Ah! You said it again!"
A fight was about to break out...
"How long has it been since I last felt the sea breeze?"
The Kuja Pirate Ship carrying Barn had finally sailed out of the Calm Belt. Feeling the sunshine and sea breeze and listening to the gulls overhead, Barn was perfectly content. As a pirate, what could be more relaxing than spending time at sea? Although he couldn't see the blue ocean, he simply loved being out on the water.
"What a fine day for fishing!"
Barn narrowed his eyes and imitated Mabu's tone. Then he turned to "look" toward the commotion...
"If only there weren't all this noise..."
Yes, Barn was fishing again. He had quickly grown accustomed to the stern of the Kuja Pirate Ship and claimed a patch of it as his personal fishing spot.
Fitz was there this time too. After fifteen years, it could finally eat its favorite bait again...
The Kuja Pirates had been at sea for two months, and the voyage had been peaceful so far. Whenever they encountered a small pirate crew, Barn didn't even need to intervene. The brave warriors of Amazon Lily could handle them. Perhaps women found it easier to master, because almost every crew member could use Haki.
The mention of Haki filled Barn with resentment. "Why doesn't a transmigrator like me have something as broken as Conqueror's Haki? Where's the cheat ability I was promised?"
Fitz soon finished off the bait. Although Barn had expected to catch nothing, he still put away his fishing rod with a disappointed expression. He went onto the deck just in time to hear Aishi, the Kuja Pirates' current captain, say,
"Everyone, Mo Li spotted a town ahead. After lunch, we'll get ready to go ashore and buy supplies. Head to the dining hall for now!"
Barn was pleased to hear that. After all, he hadn't been out to sea in fifteen years, and the first landing of this voyage left him a little excited.
"Pops! There's a town up ahead!"
A huge sailing ship cruised steadily across the sea, and a young man with a single tuft of blond hair shouted excitedly.
On the deck, a burly man wearing a black headscarf and a coat draped over his shoulders answered with a laugh.
"Guhahahaha! Look how excited you are, Marco. Get ready to go ashore, boys! Go buy whatever catches your fancy!"
"Yeah!"
After lunch, the Kuja Pirates also landed on the island.
Aishi took some of the warriors to buy supplies, while the others were free to shop for things they liked.
With Fitz guiding him, Barn entered the town as well. They stopped outside a sword shop.
"This is the sword shop?"
"Chirp, chirp!"
"All right, let's go in."
Barn pushed open the door, and a warm, hearty voice immediately greeted him.
"Welcome to the finest weapons shop in Matru Port, where Jax, the finest blacksmith, offers you the finest service!"
A heavily bearded face came right up in front of Barn's.
Feeling the man's breath against him, Barn couldn't help frowning.
When the weapons shop owner noticed the ribbon tied over his customer's eyes, he realized how rude he was being. He stepped back and hurriedly apologized.
"Sorry, sorry! I didn't know you were blind."
Although Barn had long since accepted that he was blind, this was the first time anyone had pointed it out so bluntly. His frown deepened.
Jax, the weapons shop owner, clearly noticed and hastily added, "Sorry, sorry! I didn't know you couldn't see!"
"No, I mean, I didn't know you were blind."
"That's not right either. I know you're blind!"
"Enough!"
Barn could already feel a vein throbbing rhythmically on his forehead. He cut the shop owner off and said,
"I need a sword sharpened!"
Seeing that business had come his way, Jax stopped talking and put on his original, charming salesman's expression.
"Of course! Leave it to me. I'm the finest blacksmith in all of Matru Port!"
"Mm."
Barn nodded mildly, untied Nidai Kitetsu from his waist, and handed it to Jax.
The moment Jax took the sword, a chill pierced his mind. Feeling its weight in his hands, he couldn't help swallowing.
"Sir... this sword?"
"That's right."
Barn answered calmly.
Jax swallowed again and slowly drew Nidai Kitetsu from its sheath. Its eerie, red, flame-shaped temper pattern burned itself into his mind.
"Nidai Kitetsu! It's actually Nidai Kitetsu, one of the twenty-one great grade swords!"
Even as the finest blacksmith in Matru Port, Jax couldn't contain his excitement. Although he didn't own a single famous sword, he still had the eye to recognize one.
He raised the sword above his head with both hands, bowed deeply to Barn, and then ran into the back room.
With Mind's Eye active, Barn could discern other people's movements, so he knew Jax had bowed to him. He smiled.
"A pretty good blacksmith, isn't he, Fitz?"
"Chirp, chirp."
Barn stroked Fitz's feathers, and Fitz nodded with an air of solemn agreement.
When Barn took the sword back from Jax, he felt its familiar presence and knew the blacksmith hadn't entertained any improper ideas. He paid without fuss and left.
Barn finished early. When he reached the dock, none of the other Kuja Pirates had returned yet. He said to Fitz,
"Looks like we're back early, Fitz."
"Chirp, chirp."
But Fitz wasn't looking at the Kuja Pirate Ship. Instead, its gaze was fixed on the ship beside it.
It murmured so quietly that only it could hear,
"Chirp, chirp. (So big.)"
"Fitz! What are you doing?"
"Chirp, chirp. (Nothing.)"
"Let's get aboard first and wait for them there."
"Chirp, chirp."
But Fitz never took its eyes off the large ship, which it thought was far better than the Kuja Pirate Ship.
If Barn could see, he would surely have cried out, "The Moby Dick!"
Yes, the ship moored beside the Kuja Pirates was the Moby Dick, belonging to Whitebeard, the future World's Strongest Man.
Meanwhile, the blind Barn had unwittingly let Fitz lead him aboard the Moby Dick and over to its stern.
"The ship feels a lot bigger. Am I imagining things?"
Although Barn sensed that something was off, he didn't think much of it. After all, he wasn't very familiar with the layout of the Kuja Pirate Ship. He spent every day fishing at the stern and couldn't see anything else.
At the stern, Barn took out the fishing rod he carried with him, sat on the railing, and began fishing quietly.
Perhaps he was tired, because he actually fell asleep with one hand holding the rod and the other propping up his head...
"Where has Lord Barn gone? Why isn't he back yet?"
A member of the Kuja Pirates complained after waiting aboard the ship for an entire day.
Aishi, however, remained calm.
So you chose to leave without saying goodbye? What a coward you are, Barn.
That was what Aishi thought. Clearly, she had taken Barn's disappearance as a departure without farewell. After all, back on Amazon Lily, he had said he wouldn't stay aboard their ship forever.
"All right, warriors of Amazon Lily! Get ready. We're setting sail!"
"Huh? We're not waiting for Lord Barn?"
"He's already left, Elena. Get ready to set sail!"
"Oh."
The warrior named Elena answered in disappointment upon hearing that Barn had left.
Meanwhile, aboard the Moby Dick, which had already been at sea for some time...
"Pops! Look what I found!"
Marco excitedly showed off the bird on his head. It was none other than Fitz. Perhaps because Marco had eaten the Mythical Zoan Phoenix Fruit, Fitz was very friendly with him, even though it was usually wary of strangers.
"Guhahahaha! Where did you find that little fellow, Marco?"
"Right here on the ship. Maybe it got lost."
Marco tried to play with Fitz on his head, only to have it peck his hand away. He answered with a smile.
"Pops! We found someone at the stern! Looks like he's fishing!"
"Hmm? Where? Take me to see him!"
The burly man with the black headscarf and the coat draped over his shoulders abruptly stood and headed out of the cabin.
"Hey, Pops! Wait for me!"
Marco followed with Fitz still on his head.
Barn had already woken up, but the voices around him weren't those of chattering women. Instead, they were the rough voices of one man after another.
"Who are you? Why are you aboard my ship?"
Upon hearing that, Barn was certain he had boarded the wrong ship. Damn Fitz. It must have gotten carried away playing and led me the wrong way.
"Pops! Hey, wait for me!"
Marco finally caught up with Fitz on his head. Seeing that Barn was awake, Fitz left Marco's head, flew over, and perched on Barn's.
"What kind of guide are you, Fitz?"
Barn grumbled at Fitz.
"Chirp, chirp..."
Fitz gave two aggrieved chirps.
Wait, that man just called him Pops? Could it be... A thought occurred to Barn, and he asked tentatively, "Who are you?"
"Who am I? Guhahahaha! You boarded my ship without even knowing who I am, brat? Tell him who I am, boys!"
"My Pops is the great pirate with a bounty over a hundred million, Whitebeard, Edward Newgate!"
Marco said proudly.
Although Barn couldn't see Marco's smug expression, he was just as shocked inside. I actually boarded Whitebeard's ship?
Seeing Barn's awkward expression, Whitebeard asked what had happened, and Barn explained everything to him.
"Guhahahaha! So you boarded the wrong ship?"
Barn scratched his head awkwardly and gave a wry smile.
"Looks that way. But I'm not directionally challenged, I'm just blind."