"Hm?"
Kizaru, who had just been glared at like a sworn enemy by Tornado, looked confused. He had no idea what he'd done to offend her this time. Still, out of respect for her pretty face, he offered her a gentle smile.
Unfortunately, that seemed to hit a nerve. What was previously just a glare of someone out for revenge now escalated to a stare like he'd wiped out her whole family register.
If looks could kill, Kizaru probably wouldn't even have ashes left by now.
Tornado, who had already flown halfway into the sky, landed again. Under Fubuki's slightly wary gaze, she took a deep breath.
"…Sorry. I won't target him without reason again."
Tornado turned her head away awkwardly, forcing herself to swallow her frustration and anger.
Even though she kept telling herself she was doing this to protect Fubuki, bowing her head for the first time in her life—even to her own sister—was a bitter pill to swallow.
"Sis…"
Fubuki could hardly believe her ears. In her entire life, she'd never imagined Tornado would take the initiative to apologize.
Not to say their conflict had reached a breaking point, but even if it had, Fubuki would've forgiven her without hesitation.
The two sisters quickly made up. Though Tornado was still a little disgruntled at first, she soon softened in the face of Fubuki's warmth.
Had she known that apologizing would make Fubuki so docile, Tornado wouldn't have hesitated in the slightest.
"Well… this isn't bad either…"
At this point, Kizaru more or less figured out what was going on in Tornado's head and couldn't help but shake his head with a small chuckle.
She thought by standing guard over her precious "cabbage patch," she could keep the wolves away. But she didn't realize she was putting herself in a dangerous position, too.
What's more, that "cabbage," Fubuki, was heading off tomorrow with a certain "wolf" on a cross-world trip. Tornado could crack her head open trying to figure it out, but she'd never guess Kizaru had a move like that up his sleeve.
"Speaking of which… what kind of gift should I prepare…"
Since Fubuki was still clinging affectionately to Tornado, Kizaru figured it wasn't the right time to butt in. Instead, he started thinking about what to bring to Zhang Sanfeng's 100th birthday celebration tomorrow.
If it were anyone else in the chat group, it'd be easy—just toss over a Devil Fruit. But with Zhang Sanfeng, it wasn't just about whether the gift was appropriate.
Kizaru couldn't even imagine the legendary Tai Chi master suddenly throwing out a blazing Fire Fist. The image alone was too absurd.
Well, he had time to kill anyway, so Kizaru opened up the group chat to see if anyone else had ideas.
---
[Tony Stark]: As expected, Mr. Stark is still the most brilliant mind in this group!
[Orochimaru]: Heh. Quite an intriguing approach—targeting the material structure of the research subject itself, hmm?
[Ai Haibara]: Don't get ahead of yourself. "Pure Gold" is a completely unscientific creation. It might not behave the way you think—it could be due to some special property of the material itself!
[Tony Stark]: Hey, my dear Miss Haibara, should I take that as a sign of envy over my superior research progress?
[Kizaru]: …What are you guys talking about?
[Tony Stark]: Oh, my best buddy! I have just confirmed the molecular structure of Pure Gold using the most advanced spectrometer available…
[Tony Stark]: Theoretically speaking, we're now one step closer to being able to manufacture Pure Gold ourselves. That, my friends, is worth celebrating!
[Kizaru]: Hm? Have any of you decided what to get for Master Zhang's birthday tomorrow?
[Tony Stark]: What? A gift! Damn, I almost forgot to prepare a present—good thing you reminded me!
[Random Guy Who Wants to Cling to Luo Feng's Leg]: I've already decided. What about you, Boss Kizaru? What are you planning to give?
[Kizaru]: Obviously, I haven't decided yet. That's why I came to ask if any of you had ideas.
[Ai Haibara]: The world where Master Zhang lives seems pretty dangerous. I prepared 3,000 doses of portable antibiotic injectors, complete with instructions. They should come in handy.
[Random Guy Who Wants to Cling to Luo Feng's Leg]: Damn, that's like a top-tier weaponized gift!
[Tony Stark]: Hey! I know what I'm going to give too!
[Ai Haibara]: Is the "genius" Mr. Stark planning to copy an idea it took a young girl ages to come up with?
[Tony Stark]: NONONONO, what Mr. Stark is giving is way more high-end than yours.
[Kobayashi]: Ugh, my head hurts. What should I do if Tohru insists on coming with me?
[Random Guy Who Wants to Cling to Luo Feng's Leg]: Then just bring her! Didn't Orochimaru say that as long as it's not a human, we can safely transfer them to other worlds? Just to be safe, have Tohru stay in her dragon form when she goes over.
[Kobayashi]: Well, I'm mainly worried that Tohru will cause trouble…
[Random Guy Who Wants to Cling to Luo Feng's Leg]: Fair, but honestly, if you don't bring her, the trouble she causes might be even worse.
[Kobayashi]: Sigh… guess I'll have to bring her then. Let's just hope she behaves.
[Ai Haibara]: Speaking of which, if Kobayashi's Tohru is coming too, shouldn't we all try to go over at the same time?
[Random Guy Who Wants to Cling to Luo Feng's Leg]: Yeah, definitely best to coordinate. Would be pretty terrifying if, during Master Zhang's birthday celebration, a giant dragon suddenly popped out of nowhere.
[Kizaru]: You guys decide on a time. Fubuki and I can go over anytime.
[Kizaru]: Oh right—@Tony Stark @Orochimaru @Ai Haibara—can any of you spare a slice of Pure Gold right now?
[Random Guy Who Wants to Cling to Luo Feng's Leg]: Wait—Kizaru, you're giving Pure Gold as a gift?!
[Kizaru]: Mm. Otherwise, with all the fierce competition from you guys, I really can't think of anything better.
[Random Guy Who Wants to Cling to Luo Feng's Leg]: Kneeling to you, Boss Kizaru. Seriously rich.
[Ai Haibara]: Hold on, I just happen to have a freshly cut piece…
[Esdeath]: We're giving gifts? There's not much good stuff in the Empire's north. Worst case, how about I send a few thousand barbarian slaves?
[Random Guy Who Wants to Cling to Luo Feng's Leg]: Uh… that's probably not a good idea. I'm pretty sure Master Zhang wouldn't want slaves…
[Random Guy Who Wants to Cling to Luo Feng's Leg]: Here, check out my gift. Took me forever to catch it in the remote mountains of the wilderness zone.
[Random Guy Who Wants to Cling to Luo Feng's Leg]: Look at this thing. It's almost at high-level warrior class. If I wasn't more skilled, I might not have been able to capture it.
The user uploaded a photo: a massive, striped tiger wearing a red collar, lying on the ground like a submissive kitten. A towering giant ape, several times its size, had its paw resting on the tiger's back. The tiger didn't dare struggle or move, looking pitiful and meek.
That said, considering the giant ape was as tall as a two- or three-story building, this tiger was still bigger than a full-grown water buffalo.
[Esdeath]: Hm? I think I know what I'll give now…
[Kobayashi]: Wait—are we sure this is okay? That tiger's huge. Can an old man even manage it?
[Random Guy Who Wants to Cling to Luo Feng's Leg]: Uh… should be fine, right? It's just a big cat. Doesn't have any special abilities…
[Tony Stark]: Hey, that's not a problem. I've got electric shock collars meant for dinosaurs. Even a T-Rex behaves with those on.
[Tony Stark]: @Kizaru Our Jurassic Park is officially complete. Now we're just waiting on you to deliver the dinosaur.
[Kizaru]: Already? I haven't even had time to send someone to Little Garden yet… eh, forget it. I'll make a special trip myself later.
[Ai Haibara]: Don't forget about me. You promised to find someone to help change me back.
[Kizaru]: Relax, yours is simple. Just come find me when I'm back.
[Ai Haibara]: I just sent the Pure Gold over. Check your end.
…
Right after Ai Haibara sent the message, Kizaru got a chat notification. A dazzling piece of freshly cut Pure Gold appeared in his hand.
Pure Gold was a highly unusual metal—softer than regular gold. A strong enough person could knead it like putty.
Kizaru thought for a moment, then decided to embed the piece of Pure Gold inside a wooden hairpin. That way, it'd be easier for Master Zhang to carry it around.
If it were a ring or a necklace, knowing Zhang Sanfeng's personality, he'd probably ignore it even if he knew about its benefits.
"Hmph. You can give up. There's no way I'll let you and Fubuki— what is that?"
Having reconciled with Fubuki, Tatsumaki gave Kizaru a victorious smirk. But before she could warn him not to lay a hand on Fubuki, her eyes landed on that dazzling piece of Pure Gold.
Those eyes—which normally looked down on everyone except Fubuki—could no longer look away. She didn't even blink once.
"Pretty, isn't it?"
Kizaru held up the small piece of Pure Gold, chuckling at the sight of Tatsumaki nearly drooling over it.
Especially when he deliberately moved the gold away from her line of sight—and watched her eyes follow his hand like a cat tracking a toy.
Fubuki liked designer handbags and high heels. Tatsumaki, on the other hand, had no resistance to shiny things.
Even putting aside the Pure Gold's rumored power to grant immortality, its brilliance alone surpassed the most beautiful jewels in the world.
It didn't need to reflect sunlight or artificial light—its mere presence radiated an enchanting glow.
"Where… where did you get that?"
Tatsumaki stared greedily for a while before snapping back to her senses, speaking reluctantly to Kizaru.
She had already promised Fubuki that she wouldn't go after Kizaru—at least not publicly.
Otherwise, with her domineering personality, she might've already made a move to snatch it, offering "compensation" afterward at best.
"Only one in the entire world. Completely unique."
Kizaru replied calmly. Unless Tatsumaki could travel to the Pirate World, this Pure Gold was truly one of a kind in the One Punch Man universe.
Hearing the words "completely unique", Tatsumaki bit her lip. For a split second, she even considered just giving in and letting this guy off easy. But she quickly shook her head hard.
If it were just about herself, it wouldn't be such a big loss considering Kizaru's face and strength.
But this guy was after both her and Fubuki. No way she was going to let him succeed!
"What's it called?"
Tatsumaki still wasn't willing to give up. Maybe she could find a second or third one somewhere.
That brilliant golden glow was just too beautiful—Tatsumaki simply couldn't resist.
"Pure Gold. And for the record, it's far more valuable than you imagine. If people found out about it, starting a war over it would be perfectly normal."
Kizaru sounded a little sentimental. Even in the Pirate World where it originated, the Five Elders, the Celestial Dragons, and kings and nobles of various nations wouldn't hesitate to wage war for it.
After all, no number of dead soldiers compared to the prize of immortality.
"No. Its appearance alone is enough to start a war!"
Tatsumaki watched, heart aching, as Kizaru tucked the Pure Gold away. She wished she had hands growing out of her eyes to snatch it back.
"You really want it?"
Kizaru smiled as he examined Tatsumaki. To others, Pure Gold was the key to eternal life. But to him, it was just a mildly useful trinket.
Even without it, he could easily live for centuries thanks to his physique. Who knows what level he'd reach by then—maybe by that point, lifespan would be meaningless to him.
"D-Damn it! I don't want anything from you! Don't flatter yourself! As long as I'm around, I won't let you succeed!"
Tatsumaki gritted her teeth and turned to run, afraid that if she stayed a second longer, she wouldn't be able to resist the lure of Pure Gold. She even forgot she could fly and nearly tripped over a chair leg, making Kizaru burst out laughing.
But clearly, laughing at Tatsumaki came at a cost. For the rest of the night, she stuck to them like a 100-watt lightbulb, refusing to give Kizaru and Fubuki even a second of private space.
It was as if she believed that if she took her eyes off them for even a moment, Kizaru would whisk Fubuki off to some unspeakable place to do unspeakable things.
And in a way, Tatsumaki wasn't wrong. Good thing Kizaru didn't mind. In fact, he had enough leisure to tell Lily to prep a barbecue setup—he was planning to grill out on the training grounds the next day.
°°°
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