Chapter 4: An Unexpected Incident in the Night
Three days later, early morning at the dock's pier.
"Wait, do I really have to bring this thing with me?"
Xia Nuo raised the Den Den Mushi that had been forcibly stuffed into his hand with a helpless look.
"Cut the crap. If I told you to take it, then just take it."
Bellemere barked at him fiercely. "Making a fuss about going out to sea, and you're gonna be gone for a whole month. You're just a kid—how am I supposed to not worry?"
"Uh, I don't think age has much to do with this? I mean, probably no one in the village could beat me in a fight anyway..."
"Just take it, Xia Nuo."
A middle-aged man in a brown patrol uniform chuckled, arms crossed. A brand-new little pinwheel on top of his head spun rapidly in the sea breeze.
"Otherwise, she's really not gonna let you leave today. Oh, and take care of my little baby, okay? If you wanna make a call, just dial the village office number. Tch, if Bellemere hadn't cornered me against the wall like, three times, forcing me to hand it over, I wouldn't have given it to a brat like you."
"Big mouth!"
Bellemere roared in fury, smacking A Jian so hard his police cap—pinwheel and all—went flying, landing on the sea surface beside the pier.
"My pinwheel!"
A Jian panicked and dove into the water after it.
"So it was yours, Uncle A Jian."
Xia Nuo realized aloud, poking the Den Den Mushi's head with a finger. "I was wondering why this little guy had a pinwheel on its head too."
Bloop bloop!
The Den Den Mushi was lazily munching on a basil leaf. When it got poked, it shot Xia Nuo a glare and turned its face away in a huff.
Hah, kinda fun.
It was actually the first time he'd handled one of these. Pretty cute, honestly. Just... expensive—starting at tens of thousands of Beli.
Hmm, can't afford one for now. Maybe someday when he's saved enough, he could get one each for his little sisters as pets.
"Violent maniac... I was trying to help talk him into it, wasn't I?"
A Jian grumbled as he climbed back onto the dock, blowing on the now-wet pinwheel and carefully placing the police cap back on his head.
Man, what bad luck. Why does fate always have it out for his pinwheels?
Every so often—about once a year—his beloved head-pinwheel would mysteriously disappear.
He still didn't know which little punk kept stealing them. This one had just been made a few days ago—almost got swiped again.
Bellemere ignored him and turned to the lanky old man off to the side, currently overseeing the crew loading cargo. Her expression softened into a warm smile:
"Mr. Gatt, it's this kid's first time on such a long voyage. I'll be counting on you to look after him."
"Don't worry. We've been coming here every year to purchase goods—we're old acquaintances by now. I can handle that much."
Gatt puffed on his pipe and spoke politely, "Asakusa Island's a big commercial hub anyway. We always pass by there. I can guarantee we'll get this boy there safe and sound."
"Then I'll leave him in your care."
Bellemere joined her hands and made a gesture praying for safe travel.
Once Gatt turned away, her whole vibe flipped as she turned to Xia Nuo with a stern face:
"Alright, get going. Seeing how hard you've worked recently, I'll let you off the hook this time. Go have some fun on Asakusa Island—but don't forget, you have to contact me at least once every week!"
Of course, he couldn't tell his family the real reason for heading out to sea.
Traveling miles just to steal an eight-year-old kid's hat? No one would believe it even if he told them.
So the excuse became: he was bored of staying at home, wanted to go explore Asakusa Island for fun, and maybe visit a few dojos to see if he could pick up some sword techniques.
Turned out—
The best lies were often rooted in truth.
That last reason? It instantly convinced Bellemere.
She'd heard of it back in her Navy days.
That island was home to several famous swordsmanship dojos, which even held a large-scale kendo tournament every year—definitely the best place in the nearby sea for training.
And from what she'd secretly observed, Xia Nuo's sword training hadn't been going smoothly. With the added bonus that there was a Marine base stationed there and the route was safe...
After much internal struggle, she finally gave in to Xia Nuo's bold request.
"Got it, got it, I'm going now! Say bye to Nojiko and Nami for me!"
It was only six in the morning, not even five when he left. The two little ones were still fast asleep, so Xia Nuo had only pinched their cheeks gently—he couldn't bring himself to wake them up.
Bellemere tucked the Den Den Mushi into his coat pocket for him. The pinwheel on the shell poked the fabric out into a goofy lump, which Xia Nuo smacked lightly in annoyance. Then he waved goodbye to the two adults and jogged off toward the cargo ship in the distance.
The salty sea breeze blew past the slowly fading silhouette of the boy.
"..."
Bellemere sniffled, quickly turning her head away, just a bit too fast.
Only A Jian noticed her secretly slipping a few high-value bills into the boy's pocket along with the Den Den Mushi.
"Hey."
A Jian paused for a moment, puzzled. "Why'd you sneak money in like that? They're in the same pocket, you're not afraid the Den Den Mushi's gonna eat it?"
Bellemere froze mid-motion as she was wiping her eyes.
"Ah ah ah, you idiot, why didn't you say so earlier?!"
The red-eyed woman with the ponytail spun around, completely flustered, and sprinted toward the end of the pier, yelling as she ran:
"Hey! Xia Nuo, wait! Don't get on the ship yet—!"
...
※Newest chapter first posted on Liú6JiǔShūBā!
The moonlight was a little dim, and the sea lay cloaked in night.
On the deck of the merchant ship, warm orange lanterns flickered, casting cozy glows over a haphazardly thrown-together banquet of mismatched tables and chairs, steaming with cheer.
The ship was by no means small—there were at least twenty to thirty crew members. They'd all gathered together now, whistles and cheers echoing with the clink of beer mugs.
Of course, the party wasn't being held in Xia Nuo's honor. He was just a hitchhiker tagging along—not qualified for that.
As for the reason... do you even need a reason to throw a party on the open sea?
"Hey, kid, how're you doing? Still dizzy? Wanna puke?"
Captain Gatt puffed his pipe and threw an arm around Xia Nuo's shoulder.
"I'm fine now, Captain Gatt."
Xia Nuo quickly swallowed his mouthful of roast meat and replied. He only had eight or nine empty plates next to him—clearly, he was holding back, eating carefully and modestly in front of others.
What Gatt mentioned really was kind of embarrassing.
This was Xia Nuo's first time on a ship sailing the open seas—he'd never gone through this kind of experience before.
Yesterday morning, when the ship hit full speed and started rocking through the waves, he was seriously slumped over the railing, almost barfing up his dinner from the night before.
A few of the older guys gathered around, patting his back, handing him water and towels, finally helping him pull through.
Thankfully, his training these past few years wasn't for nothing. His strong body had granted him exceptional adaptability.
In just a few hours, the seasickness started to fade.
And after a good sleep, by the next day, he was back to normal—no matter how much the ship rocked, he felt just fine, no different from the seasoned sailors around him.
"Whoa, you've got good constitution. No wonder your mom worries so much, hahaha."
Gatt grinned as he tapped the ash from his pipe. "You'd make a good sailor in the future. What do you say? Want to come work on this ship in a few years?"
"If the chance comes, I'll definitely think about it," Xia Nuo chuckled, knowing the captain was just teasing.
All the uncles on this ship had been kind to him. He had a pretty good impression of them.
"Mr. Gatt," Xia Nuo asked curiously, "it's already been over forty hours since we set sail. How much longer till we reach Asakusa Island?"
"The currents and wind are favorable this time. We're moving faster than expected," Gatt replied with a smile. "If nothing else comes up... probably no more than four days."
Thud!
A dull, heavy thump suddenly shattered the quiet night and cut Gatt off mid-sentence.
"What was that sound?!"
"What happened?!"
The lively party came to a halt. Nearly everyone jumped up at once, looking around in alarm for the source.
"It came from the stern!"
Gatt's experience showed immediately. He gave a sharp command, "Don't panic! Helmsman and gunners to your stations—send a few men to check the stern!"
"Yes, Captain!"
The crew quickly scattered, each moving according to the orders.
Xia Nuo instinctively reached for the wooden sword at his waist—he hadn't really needed to bring it, but hey, if he said he was going to study swordsmanship, might as well look the part.