With Rolan's help, Lina quickly buried her grandfather.
Afterward, the two went to a small restaurant in town. Luckily, the recent skirmish hadn't touched this place. If it had been a real war, it would've been reduced to rubble by now.
"Benefactor, this is the restaurant my grandfather owned. Please, have a seat," Lina said softly.
Watching her busily move around, Rolan felt a strange warmth. In his previous life back on Earth, he had always wanted a little sister like her.
[ Ding. Triggering a choice:
A: Recognize Lina as your younger sister. Reward: 'Good Brother' title *1, Animal-Type Devil Fruit *1, senzu bean *100.
B: Recruit Lina as a Pirate companion. Reward: Logia-Type Devil Fruit *1, 100 million Berries, senzu bean *1000.
C: Leave without bothering. Reward: Cotton Candy *1, Paramecia-Type Devil Fruit *1, senzu bean *100. ]
Soon after, a simple but hearty dinner was served.
When Lina brought out three bowls, Rolan understood immediately. One was meant for her late grandfather.
"Please eat, Benefactor. It's not much, but I did my best," she said shyly.
"Don't call me benefactor. My name's Rolan, just Rolan."
"Rolan?" she repeated, testing the name gently.
"Yeah," he nodded.
Lina glanced at his face and, for a moment, her cheeks flushed bright red.
"What's wrong?" Rolan asked, genuinely confused.
"N-nothing. I'm Lina… Imella Lina." She blinked up at him, eyes wide and uncertain.
"Lina, huh? That's a beautiful name. It suits you," he said casually.
Her blush deepened.
"Rolan… please try the food. I'm not good at many things, but I'm confident about my cooking."
She picked up a piece of steamed meat and placed it gently in his bowl, looking at him with quiet anticipation.
Rolan took a bite, and his eyes widened. The taste exploded across his tongue. Even compared to his past life on Earth, this was top-tier.
"This is amazing. Seriously, the best dish I've ever eaten!" he said between bites.
Hearing that, Lina's shy smile bloomed fully.
Then she began talking, one story after another pouring out of her—her childhood, her grandfather, and the tragedy of losing her parents to pirates.
"So your parents were killed by pirates after you were born…" Rolan murmured. He sighed. "You've had it rough."
"Then, Lina… would you like to come with me?" he asked. Her grandfather had entrusted her to him, but he still wanted her to choose for herself.
Since he was bound to become a pirate anyway, a good cook was essential. But that wasn't the only reason—he didn't want to leave her all alone in the world.
"My grandfather entrusted me to you, so I'll go," she said, blushing again. "But I—I haven't come of age yet…"
In the world of One Piece, adulthood came at sixteen. Seeing her flustered face, Rolan quickly clarified, "Not what you're thinking. I just mean I can't stay here forever. I want you as a companion, that's all."
"Ah! O-oh! I understand," she said, still red but smiling.
"But I should warn you," he added, "I might become a pirate."
At that, her smile faltered. The word "pirate" carried weight—her whole tragedy began with them.
"I won't force you," Rolan said calmly. "It's your choice."
He continued eating in silence, giving her space to think.
Finally, Lina straightened up, eyes firm. "I'll go! I know someone like Rolan-sama… even as a pirate, you'll be a good one."
Rolan chuckled softly. "A good pirate, huh? That's a funny thought."
"Really!" she said earnestly.
"No regrets?"
"No regrets!"
"Then, from now on, you're my first companion." He extended his hand toward her.
Lina stared for a second, then reached out and clasped it.
[ Ding. Congratulations, host. Choice completed. Rewards received: Logia-Type Gold-Gold Fruit, 100 million Berries, senzu bean *1000. ]
'System, what's this Gold-Gold Fruit?'
[ Logia-Type Gold-Gold Fruit. The user's body can transform into and manipulate gold. ]
'So it's even stronger than Tesoro's fruit,' Rolan thought. Tesoro's fruit was Paramecia-type, unable to elementalize his body. This one clearly could.
"Alright, Lina. Pack what you need. I'll pick you up in the morning."
"Okay, Rolan-sama… or should I say, Captain?" she asked with a shy smile.
---
When Rolan stepped outside the restaurant, Ace and Luffy were already waiting.
"How did it go?" Ace asked.
Rolan smirked. "Pretty well."
"Geez, could you not just appear out of nowhere?" Ace said, annoyed. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."
Rolan raised an eyebrow. "Sorry. How about the village?"
"All good," Ace said. "We paid the chief, and he thanked us for saving everyone."
"Perfect. We'll set sail tomorrow."
"Eh?! Already?" Luffy groaned. "There are still so many adventures waiting on this island!"
Rolan chuckled. "Plenty of other islands out there, Luffy. Or are you just upset about leaving the food?"
Luffy pouted, refusing to answer. Ace laughed. "Luffy, there'll be more people to help and more food to eat. Don't get stuck in one place."
"Fine…" Luffy muttered, lips still sticking out.
---
The next morning.
Aboard the ship, Lina looked curiously at the two boys. "Rolan-sama, who are they?"
"Oh, them? Just a couple of kids out to train at sea," he replied casually.
"Kids?!" Luffy shouted. "Who're you calling a kid?"
"Am I wrong?" Rolan asked, smirking.
"How much older are you anyway?!" Luffy protested.
"Apparently, old enough to teach you manners," Rolan replied, then flicked his fist and knocked Luffy flat onto the deck.
"Ah! So you hit people when you can't win an argument?!" Luffy shouted, bouncing right back up.
"Luffy, calm down," Ace said, grabbing him by the collar.
"Let me go, Ace!"
Lina sweat-dropped. What kind of people are these? Is Rolan-sama always like this too?
_____
(＾▽＾) Become a patron to get access to chapters in advance.
[email protected]/Zphyr_
Change @ to a.