Sure, here is the translation:
Three days later in the morning, at the dock pier.
"Really, do I have to take this thing with me?"
Shano raised the Radio Snail that had been stuffed into his hand, weakly.
"Stop complaining, if I tell you to take it, you take it."
Belle-Mere said fiercely, "You insist on going to sea, and you're only coming back in a month. You're so young, how can I not worry?"
"Uh, this probably has nothing to do with age. It seems that no one in the village can beat me..."
"Just take it with you, Shano."
The middle-aged man in the brown patrol uniform hugged his arms and laughed heartily, the brand new little pinwheel on his head spinning rapidly in the sea breeze.
"Otherwise, she won't let you leave today. Oh, and remember to take care of my little darling. If you want to talk, dial the village public office's number. Tsk, if Belle-Mere hadn't cornered me so many times, forcing me to contribute, I wouldn't have been willing to give this to you, you brat."
"You chatterbox!"
Belle-Mere got angry and gave Ken a solid slap, causing the police cap along with the pinwheel to fly off and fall into the sea beside the pier.
"My new pinwheel!" Ken hurriedly jumped into the water to retrieve it.
"So it's Uncle Ken's."
Shano suddenly realized, flicking the head of the Radio Snail with his finger, "I was wondering why this little thing had a pinwheel growing on its head."
Bloobleoble!
The Radio Snail was lazily munching on basil leaves. Being poked, it glared at Shano and puffed up, turning its face to the other side.
Hey, it's fun.
This is his first time playing with a Radio Snail, and it's pretty cute. It's just that they cost a fortune, starting at tens of thousands of Belly.
Hmm, can't afford it for now. Once he saves enough money, he'll buy one for each of his two sisters as a pet.
"Brute, I'm just helping you persuade him."
Ken climbed out of the water, blew on the wet pinwheel, and carefully put the police cap back on.
What bad luck, why does fate always trouble his little pinwheel?
Every so often, approximately once a year, the pinwheel on his head would mysteriously disappear.
Don't know which damn little thief stole it, it was newly made just a few days ago and almost got taken again.
Belle-Mere couldn't be bothered with this guy and looked at the tall, skinny old man commanding the crew to check the cargo, revealing a gentle smile:
"Mr. Gat, this kid is sitting on the ship for the first time for so long, please take good care of him on the way."
"Don't worry, I come here to purchase every year. We're old acquaintances, this request is manageable."
Gat smiled, lighting up his pipe as he spoke politely, "Asakura Island is a major commercial town, usually on our route. I can assure you, I'll deliver this child safely to the island."
"Thank you very much."
Belle-Mere folded her hands in gratitude, making a prayer gesture for a safe voyage.
Once Gat left, she suddenly changed her demeanor, putting on a stern face toward Shano:
"Alright, go ahead. Considering how hard you've worked lately, I'll let you go to Asakura Island for relaxation this time. Don't forget, you must contact me at least once a week!"
The real purpose of his voyage definitely couldn't be disclosed to the family.
Traveling miles to steal the hat of an eight-year-old brat was unbelievable.
Thus, the excuse was altered to feeling bored staying at home for so long, wishing to tour around Asakura Island for fun, and coincidentally visiting the Swordsmanship Dojo there to see if there's a chance to learn a move or two.
As it turns out,
A convincing lie usually needs to be based on real facts.
Once the latter reason was given, Belle-Mere quickly bought it.
She'd heard during her time in the Navy,
about several renowned Swordsmanship Dojos on that island, even hosting a grand Sword Dao tournament annually—a prime location for Sword Dao practice in neighboring waters.
Plus, from her secret observations, Shano's swordsmanship training wasn't going very well. Given the Navy branch stationed on Asakura Island and the safe route,
after much deliberation, she finally agreed to Shano's somewhat excessive request.
"Okay, okay, I'm off! Remember to bid Nojiko and Nami farewell for me!"
It's only six in the morning, and the departure was even before five. Those two little ones were sleeping soundly, and Shano only pinched their faces, reluctant to wake them.
Belle-Mere helped him stash the Radio Snail into his clothes pocket, the pinwheel on the shell immediately pushed the fabric into a funny bulge, prompting Shano to pat it dissatisfiedly, waving goodbye to the two elders seeing him off before turning to sprint toward the freighter in the distance.
The salty sea breeze swept past the gradually fading back of the boy.
"..."
Belle-Mere sniffed, turning away suspiciously quickly.
Only Ken noticed her quietly slipping several large bills into the boy's pocket along with the Radio Snail.
"I say,"
After pausing for a bit, Ken asked, puzzled, "why sneakily stashing the money, aren't you afraid it'll be eaten by the Radio Snail, putting them all in the same pocket?"
Belle-Mere's tear-wiping hand instantly froze.
"Oh damn, why didn't you say earlier!"
With red-rimmed eyes, the pony-tailed woman sharply turned around, face collapsing, and sprinted towards the end of the pier, shouting as she ran:
"Hey! Shano, wait! Don't board the ship yet—"
......
The moonlight dimmed as the sea became enveloped by the night.
On the deck of the merchant ship, warm orange lights illuminated, and a sparse arrangement of simple tables and chairs formed a cheerful banquet steaming hotly.
This ship wasn't small; there were about thirty crew members gathered together, with whistles and cheers occasionally ringing under the clinking of draft beer.
The banquet was certainly not held to welcome Shano, he was just a stowaway passenger and not qualified for that.
As for the reason... in these seas, do you need a reason to throw a banquet?
"Hey, kid, what do you think, still feeling dizzy or vomity?"
Old Captain Gat approached Shano, puffing his pipe and putting an arm around Shano's shoulder.
"I'm okay now, Captain Gat."
Shano hurriedly swallowed the roast meat in response, with only eight or nine empty plates by his side. It was clear that in front of outsiders, he ate in small bites, being shy and restrained.
Talking about what Gat mentioned, it was a bit embarrassing.
It was his first time on an ocean-going ship, and he'd never had this kind of experience.
Yesterday morning, as the merchant ship reached full speed, rocking in the waves, Shano truly lay over the railing, nearly vomiting up all his meals from the night before.
Several middle-aged men surrounded him, patting his back and offering water and towels, barely managing to calm him.
Fortunately, these years of training hadn't been in vain; his robust physique endowed him with extraordinary adaptability.
In just a few hours, the seasick symptoms gradually faded.
Once he had a nap and awoke the next day, he completely returned to normal, remaining lively despite the ship's sway, much like the seasoned sailors on board.
"Wow, not bad physique, looks like your mother really did worry for nothing, haha."
Gat chuckled, tapping his pipe, "You've got potential for being a sailor in the future, so how about it, want to lend a hand on our ship when you grow up?"
"I'll definitely consider it if there's a chance then." Shano grinned, knowing the other was teasing him, he didn't outright decline.
The uncles on this ship were all very amicable toward him, leaving a rather favorable impression.
"Mr. Gat." Shano curiously asked, "The ship's been sailing for over forty hours now, how long until Asakura Island?"
"This time the ocean currents and wind directions are pretty favorable; it's faster than expected." Gat smiled, "At most four days, assuming nothing happens…"
Boom!
A dull boom suddenly shattered the silent night, interrupting Gat's words.
"What sound is that!"
"What's going on?"
The lively banquet abruptly paused, nearly everyone jumped up, searching around in confusion for the source of the noise.
"It's coming from the stern!"
Gat, experienced as ever, immediately judged, sternly ordering, "Don't panic! Helmsman and gunner take position, dispatch some to check at the stern!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Everyone quickly dispersed, following orders and taking action.
Instinctively, Shano reached for his Wooden Sword at his waist—though there wasn't really any need to keep it by his side. As he said he was going to learn swordsmanship, he had to play the part.