Bonus chapter unlocked by your Power Stones
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"If I say no, will you let me go, Teach?" Robin asked with a faint smile. Her composure was flawless—no hint of fear remained.
"Zehahahaha! Since we've met, of course I won't let you leave," Blackbeard roared with laughter. "After all, you're the only person alive who can read the Poneglyphs!"
His luck, he thought, was exploding lately. After decades of waiting, he'd finally obtained a Devil Fruit from Whitebeard's crew. And now, only a short while after leaving the Whitebeard Pirates, he'd run into the Devil's Child, Nico Robin—a woman the Marines and the World Government had hunted for years without success.
He'd already made up his mind. Even if she refused to join, he'd force her to work for him. All of it—for the sake of becoming Pirate King.
"You want me to translate Poneglyphs?" Robin asked calmly. "So that means you already have one in your hands?"
Since Teach came from Whitebeard's crew, it wasn't impossible. If he really possessed even a rubbing or fragment of a Poneglyph, Robin would believe it. In fact, a part of her hoped so.
Even though she still hadn't found Arton—the one most likely to know about the ancient stones scattered across the world—if she could learn something from Blackbeard first, that would still make her happy.
But she'd celebrated too soon.
"Unfortunately, I don't have a Poneglyph—yet," Teach said. "But don't worry. As long as you work for me, I'll make sure you see one soon enough!"
"Is that so? Then… thanks, I suppose," Robin replied expressionlessly.
She'd heard promises like that before—from Crocodile, among others—and she was long past being impressed by such talk. Rather than chase another man's hollow ambition, she'd rather find Arton and seek the true history herself.
Still… how do I shake off this man? she thought, frowning tightly.
Meanwhile…
Just over ten kilometers away, a pirate ship raced across the waves.
Its sails bore the unmistakable flag of the Flameblade Pirates. Any Marine who saw it would instantly be on high alert—because this was the ship of Arton himself.
…
Aboard the Sylvan, inside the lookout tower.
Slurp… Slurp… Slurp…
"Hah… finally finished cleaning. You should be satisfied now, Arton."
Uta lay back on the floor mat, panting and drenched in sweat.
"More or less," Arton replied with a smirk. "But what about you? Are you satisfied, Uta? Done with your dance practice? Your vocal training?"
"Of course!" she grinned. "Do you even know who I am? I'm the number one diva of the seas. After training this long, both this song and this dance are perfect! No matter what happens on stage, I'll perform flawlessly."
Propping her cheek on one hand, Uta reclined gracefully beside him.
From Arton's angle, the soft curve of her waistline was dangerously visible. Fortunately, after plenty of practice sessions together, Arton could still keep his composure.
"I see… what a shame," he said teasingly. "I was hoping to keep practicing with you for a bit longer. Looks like my chance is gone now."
"You can't say that," Uta chuckled. "I'll keep creating new songs and dances—and I'll definitely need your help again, Captain."
Her crimson eyes gleamed playfully. After all, she still had one secret goal: to someday let her red-haired father see his grandchildren.
If this training session didn't grant her wish, she had no intention of giving up yet.
Chapter 338: Kaya Takes Over from Uta
"I see. Then bring it on, Uta," Arton said, thumping his chest with a confident grin. "However you need me to help you train, I can do it."
"Hee-hee, I'd do it even if you didn't say so. Haaa—" Uta lifted a hand to her mouth and let out a long yawn.
"Tired?" Arton asked.
"Of course. Not everyone has a body as strong as Captain's. After practicing this long, of course I'm worn out. Not to mention, you even had me use Elizabeth's template and transform into that form to practice with you," Uta pouted, giving him a plaintive look.
"Well, training that way gets results faster. You know how it is, Uta—the harder the grind, the better the gains," Arton chuckled.
"I don't buy it. Hmph." Uta huffed and started to rise.
"Uta, where are you going?"
"I'm heading back to my room to rest."
"You could rest here."
"No way. When I rest, I want a proper wash, too."
"I see…" Arton hesitated.
"If you want to come back to my room and wash up together, I won't refuse" Uta added.
"Better not. It's not good to leave the lookout unattended."
Arton shook his head, though his heart itched—few men could refuse an invitation like that.
"Alright, then I'll head out first." Uta glanced at Arton as he pulled on his underpants, then straightened her own clothes. She opened the lookout door and there stood Kaya, wearing a doctor's white coat.
"Yo, you're here, Kaya," Uta waved cheerfully. "No surprise—it suits you. In a white coat you look even more like a doctor. Wait… do doctors need black garter stockings?"
"Mm. I'm here," Kaya answered, a bit stiffly. "If there's nothing else, I'll go in first."
Because right now there was nothing at all under that white coat. If Uta noticed… Just imagining it made Kaya's heart pound.
"Okay, I'll leave Arton to you," Uta said with a nod. Kaya's stiffness felt odd, but remembering what Arton had just put her through, Uta understood.
They may have just fought a decisive battle, but Arton clearly still had energy to spare. If he wanted Kaya to spar right after, Kaya would be mortified—so being a little rigid made sense.
Kaya's still as bashful as ever, Uta thought as she vaulted from the lookout and headed to her room. Good thing I accepted this from the start. Fighting with Arton is such a delight. She really was exhausted now, though, and needed a proper rest.
…
"Kaya, what brings you here?" Arton hadn't finished pulling on his trousers. Seeing Kaya step in so suddenly, he was a little surprised.
"I—I thought since Uta left, you might be bored, so I came to keep you company," Kaya said, head down, staring at her toes. She'd come now because Uta had pinged her through the diary's chat function; that's why she was right on time.
"Is that so? Then… can I rest my head on your lap for a bit?" Arton asked with a smile.
"If you want to, of course," Kaya whispered. If Arton's hearing weren't so sharp, he might not have caught her voice at all.
"Haha, maybe next time," Arton shook his head and looked back out the window. "I'm still on lookout duty. If I lie down, I can't properly keep watch outside."
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