19: Chapter 19: You Weren’t Rescued,
Shortly after, out on the open sea.
Transformed into the nine-tailed fox, Ron carried Whitebeard and quickly caught up to Kaido and the others.
“Hey, hey, hey…
You’re finally back!”
Stussy stood on the deck of the auxiliary boat, patting her chest with one hand as she let out a long sigh of relief.
“If you were any later, this bastard Kaido would have made a move on me.”
Whitebeard clicked his tongue, leaning against the railing and casting an impassive glance at Stussy.
Getting into violent brawls over treasure was standard practice for the Rocks Pirates; he never got involved or interfered.
“Stussy, you know I never meddle in how the treasure is split.
So…
whether I came back or not, I wouldn’t have taken a side.”
Stussy pouted, her shoulders slumping slightly as she gave Whitebeard a look of wounded innocence.
She even forced a watery sheen into her eyes, her tone dripping with just the right amount of hurt: “Hey, Newgate, am I really such a money-hungry woman in your eyes?”
Whitebeard looked at her with pure shock, his mouth opening slightly: “Are you…
not?”
“Sob, sob, sob…
Saying that really breaks my heart.” Stussy clutched her chest, letting out a dramatic, overly sweet lament, drawing her words out soft and long.
Ron didn’t join Whitebeard and Stussy’s conversation.
Instead, with deliberate annoyance, he turned to Kaido: “You bastard Kaido, are we still an Apprentice Alliance or not?
You actually ditched me and ran first?”
Of course, he just wanted to curse him out for the fun of it.
As a transmigrator, did he not understand Kaido?
Never mind running first—if Ron had gotten his hands on a legendary Devil Fruit, Kaido wouldn’t have hesitated for a second to smash him with his spiked club and snatch it away.
“Hm?”
Kaido, who hadn’t cared at first, completely lost his composure upon hearing Ron’s shout, his voice jumping an octave: “You bastard Ron, are you questioning our bond?!”
Holy crap?
We actually have a bond?
“Then why didn’t you wait for me?
Let me make this clear first…
I hate post-facto apologies the most.”
“Give me a break~” Stussy raised her hand from the side.
“Because we left first, this kid Kaido almost started a fight with me!
If I hadn’t explained the reason, you two would only be fishing my corpse out of the sea right now.”
With Stussy’s explanation, Kaido’s back suddenly straightened.
Thrusting his chin up, he cast a sideways glance at Ron, mimicking his exact tone in a sarcastic drawl: “I also…
hate post-facto apologies the most.”
Ron blinked, slightly taken aback.
He was genuinely surprised that Kaido had nearly thrown hands with Stussy over this.
It seemed many things couldn’t be judged with preconceived bias.
Only by seeing and experiencing them for oneself could a real conclusion be drawn.
A grin spread across Ron’s face.
Stepping over with a laugh, he threw an arm around Kaido’s shoulder, shaking him firmly: “Like I said!
The bond of our Apprentice Alliance is unbreakable—how could it ever fail a simple test?”
“Tch.” Kaido turned his head away, his chin tilting even higher as a grunt escaped his nose.
“Who was the one slandering me just a second ago?”
“Hey, Stussy,” Ron turned toward Stussy, raising his voice.
“Next time, you’re not allowed to do things that hurt team unity!”
Stussy burst out laughing at Ron’s words, unable to hold back a snort.
Resting one hand on the railing, her shoulders shook with laughter.
Listen to this—team unity on the Rocks Pirates?
Still, Stussy didn’t pour cold water on these two amusing youngsters.
Smiling, she flashed an “OK” gesture with her hand and gave a firm nod: “Fine, fine, I’m the one who hurt your team unity.
I apologize to both of you.”
“I hate post-facto apologies the most…” Whitebeard chimed in with amusement, his tone flat, though the corner of his mouth curved up slightly.
Stussy rolled her eyes in complete exasperation: “Hey, Newgate, do you want to die?
Losing your mind right along with them?”
Whitebeard didn’t answer.
He simply leaned against the railing, his gaze shifting from Stussy to Ron and Kaido, watching the two young men with their arms around each other’s shoulders—trading insults without either letting go.
From these two brats, he felt a spark of…
something hard to put into words.
A scene like this…
really made one long for more.
A faint light flickered in Whitebeard’s eyes, and a gentle smile surfaced on his lips.
Inside the boat’s main cabin.
“Name.”
“Lucia Annika!”
The pink-haired woman stood before him, her hands neatly folded in front of her, her back straight as a board.
“What’s your relationship with Shakky?”
Annika’s eyes brightened slightly, as if recalling something warm: “Years ago, I helped her once, and gradually we stayed in touch.
She is a very kind person, a truly reliable senior.
She always told me to escape and go see the wider world outside…”
Before she could finish, Ron waved his hand: “You’re off topic.”
Annika gave a gentle smile, reaching up to tuck away the pink hair falling across her face, revealing a smooth forehead and clear eyes: “I’m sorry…
But, Mr.
Ron, thank you very much for saving me.”
“Miss Annika, I regret to inform you that you weren’t saved—you were simply kidnapped by another group of villains.”
Annika blinked her large eyes, tilting her head to ask earnestly: “I…
was kidnapped by Mr.
Ron?”
“Yes,” Ron smiled warmly.
“You’d better hope your friendship can withstand the test, Miss Annika.”
On such close terms with Shakky?
Asking for a Devil Fruit in exchange wouldn’t be over the line, right?
No, asking for two wouldn’t even be too much.
A hint of disappointment surfaced on Annika’s face, the light in her pretty eyes dimming a bit.
After two seconds of silence, she asked softly: “Then…
will you kill the hostage?”
“Of course,” Ron nodded dead seriously, his tone laced with deliberate intimidation.
“If Shakky doesn’t give me what I want, I’ll toss you into the middle of the sea to feed the sharks.”
Annika showed no fear.
She merely thought it over carefully, then asked: “Then…
before throwing me in, could you let me get completely drunk?
That way it won’t hurt.”
Ron’s brows furrowed slightly, the corner of his mouth twitching.
“Of course not.
Do you think you’re buying groceries at a market?
Bargaining like that.”
“Hey, hey, hey, Ron~~”
Stussy’s drained voice drifted over from a distance.
She was slumped over a table nearby, propping her head with one hand while tapping the wooden surface lazily with the other.
“Could you have her cook first?
We’re all starving to death.”
Ron glanced sideways at her, then turned back to Annika.
“Hmm, thinking it over, if you do the chores assigned to you well, I’ll consider letting you get completely drunk.”
Annika’s eyes lit up again.
She gave Ron a deep bow, her long pink hair cascading off her shoulder like a soft waterfall.
“Thank you very much, Mr.
Ron.”
Ron smiled.
Listen to that—she’s actually thanking me.