Chapter 4: An Unexpected Incident in the Night
Three days later, on the pier at dawn.
"Hold on, do I really have to take this thing with me?"
Shane weakly held up the Den Den Mushi that had been forcefully shoved into his hands.
"Less nonsense. You'll take it because I said so," Belle-mère said fiercely. "Making all this fuss about wanting to go to sea, and for a whole month, no less. You're still just a kid, how can I possibly rest easy?"
"Uh, I don't think this has anything to do with age. It seems like no one in the entire village can beat me..."
"Just take it, Shane."
A middle-aged man in a brown sheriff's uniform stood with his arms crossed, laughing heartily. The brand-new pinwheel on his head spun rapidly in the sea breeze.
"Otherwise, she won't let you leave today. Oh, right, remember to take good care of my little baby. If you want to call, just dial the number for the village office. Tsk, if Belle-mère hadn't cornered me several times and forced me to contribute it, I would never have parted with it for a brat like you."
"Nobody asked you to butt in!"
Belle-mère flew into a rage and gave Genzo a solid slap. His police cap, along with the pinwheel, went flying and landed in the sea next to the pier.
"My new pinwheel!" Genzo panicked and jumped into the water to retrieve it.
"So it really was yours, Uncle Genzo," Shane said with dawning realization, flicking the head of the Den Den Mushi with his finger. "I was wondering why this little thing had a pinwheel growing on its head."
Puru-puru!
The Den Den Mushi, which had been lazily munching on a basil leaf, was startled by the poke. It shot Shane a glare and angrily turned its face away.
Hey, this is fun.
It was the first time he had ever handled a Den Den Mushi. It was actually quite cute, but they were expensive, starting at several tens of thousands of Belli.
Hmm, can't afford one for now. When I have some money saved up in the future, I'll buy one for each of my sisters as a pet.
"You violent woman! I was just trying to help you persuade him!" Genzo grumbled as he climbed out of the water and back onto the pier. He blew on the soaked pinwheel and carefully placed his cap back on his head.
What rotten luck. Why was fate always messing with his pinwheels? Every so often—to be precise, about once a year—the pinwheel on his head would mysteriously disappear. He had no idea which damn little thief stole it. This one was brand new, made just a few days ago, and it had nearly met a tragic end already.
Belle-mère couldn't be bothered with him. She turned to a tall, thin old man who was directing the crew with inventory and loading, a gentle smile on her face.
"Mr. Garter, this is the boy's first time on such a long voyage. I'll have to ask you to please look after him along the way."
"Don't you worry. We come here to purchase goods every year, so we're old acquaintances. It's a small request," Garter said, lighting his pipe with a friendly smile. "Cherry Blossom Island is a major commercial town and already on our route. I can promise you we'll get this child to the island safely."
"Thank you so much." Belle-mère smiled and clasped her hands together in a prayer for a safe journey.
The moment Garter left, she was like a different person again, turning to Shane with a stern expression.
"Alright, go on. Seeing as you've worked so hard lately, I'll indulge you this one time and let you go to Cherry Blossom Island to relax. But don't forget, you must contact me at least once every week!"
Of course, he couldn't tell his family the real reason for his trip. No one would believe he was traveling a great distance just to steal an eight-year-old kid's hat.
So, his excuse was that he was bored from being at home for too long and wanted to explore Cherry Blossom Island for fun. He also tacked on that he wanted to check out the sword dojos there and see if he could learn a move or two.
It proved that the most convincing lies are often built on a foundation of truth.
The second reason immediately sold Belle-mère on the idea. Back when she was a Marine, she had heard about the island. It had several famous sword dojos that even held a grand joint swordsmanship tournament every year. It was the best place to practice the way of the sword in the nearby seas.
Besides, from her secret observations, Shane's sword training really wasn't going smoothly. Plus, with a Marine branch stationed on Cherry Blossom Island, the shipping route was very safe.
So, after much deliberation, she finally agreed to Shane's somewhat excessive request.
"I know, I know, I'm going! Remember to say goodbye to Nojiko and Nami for me!"
It was only six in the morning now, and he had left the house before five. The two little ones were sleeping soundly. Shane had only pinched their cheeks, not having the heart to wake them.
Belle-mère helped him tuck the Den Den Mushi into his pocket. The pinwheel on the shell immediately created a comical bulge in the fabric. Shane patted it down with dissatisfaction, waved to the two elders who had come to see him off, and turned to jog towards the distant cargo ship.
The salty sea breeze swept past the boy's gradually blurring figure.
"..."
Belle-mère sniffled, turning her head away with suspicious speed.
Only Genzo saw her discreetly slip several large-denomination bills into the boy's pocket along with the Den Den Mushi.
"Say," Genzo waited a moment before asking curiously, "why are you sneaking him money? You put it all in the same pocket. Aren't you afraid the Den Den Mushi will eat it?"
Belle-mère's hand, which was secretly wiping away tears, froze mid-motion.
"Aaaah! You idiot, why didn't you say so earlier!"
The red-eyed, ponytailed woman whipped her head around, a look of complete panic on her face. She broke into a sprint towards the end of the pier, shouting as she ran:
"Hey! Shane, wait! Don't get on the ship yet—"
The moonlight was somewhat dim, and the sea was shrouded in darkness.
On the deck of the merchant ship, warm orange lights were lit. A makeshift banquet of mismatched tables and chairs steamed with cheerful warmth.
The ship wasn't small, with a crew of twenty to thirty men. They were all gathered together now, their celebration punctuated by whistles and the cheers of clanking beer mugs.
This banquet, of course, wasn't for Shane. He was just a passenger hitching a ride and didn't have that kind of status. As for the reason for the party... did you really need a reason for a banquet on the high seas?
"Hey, kid. How are you feeling? Still dizzy and wanting to puke?"
The old captain, Garter, ambled over with his pipe and put an arm around Shane's shoulder.
"I'm fine now, Captain Garter," Shane replied, quickly swallowing a mouthful of roasted meat. There were only eight or nine empty plates stacked next to him. Clearly, in front of outsiders, he was eating in small, restrained, and shy bites.
Thinking about what Garter mentioned was actually a bit embarrassing. It was his first time on a large, ocean-faring vessel, and he had no experience with it. Yesterday morning, when the ship had just reached full speed and was rocking in the waves, Shane had genuinely been leaning over the railing, on the verge of throwing up last night's dinner.
Several middle-aged crewmen had gathered around him, patting his back, getting him water, and handing him towels before he managed to recover.
Fortunately, his years of training had not been in vain. His robust body also gave him a superhuman ability to adapt. Within just a few hours, the symptoms of seasickness had gradually subsided. After a night's sleep, he was completely back to normal, feeling energetic no matter how much the ship swayed, no different from the veteran sailors who had spent their lives at sea.
"Ho, you've got a good constitution. Looks like your mother was worrying for nothing, haha," Garter chuckled, tapping his pipe. "You're good material for a sailor. How about it? When you're older in a few years, want to come work on our ship?"
"If I get the chance, I'll definitely consider it," Shane said with a grin, knowing the man was just teasing him.
The older men on this ship were all very kind to him, and he had a very good impression of them.
"Mr. Garter," Shane asked curiously, "we've been sailing for over forty hours now. How much longer until we reach Cherry Blossom Island?"
"The currents and wind have been quite favorable this trip, faster than expected," Garter said with a smile. "Four days at most, assuming we don't run into any trouble..."
THUD!
A deep, muffled bang suddenly shattered the silence of the night, cutting off Garter's words.
"What was that sound!"
"What happened?"
The lively banquet came to an abrupt halt. Almost everyone shot to their feet, looking around in confusion, searching for the source of the noise.
"It came from the stern!"
As expected of an experienced captain, Garter made an instant judgment and shouted in a deep voice, "Everyone, stay calm! Helmsman and cannoneers, to your posts! Send a few men to the stern to check it out!"
"Yes, Captain!"
The crew quickly dispersed, each following their orders.
Shane also subconsciously reached for the wooden sword at his waist—he had no real need to carry it, but since his cover story was that he was going to learn swordsmanship, he had to keep up the act.