This is... Tailmon?
Shano's eyes widened as he looked up and down at the handsome cat in front of him.
"It evolved again so quickly? Can it speak human language?"
"Hehe, I'm very strong! Half of it is thanks to the reward Master gave me last time, and the other half is, of course, because I worked super hard!"
Tailmon shook his head proudly. "Actually, I evolved this morning. I wanted to tell Master right away, but when I saw how seriously you were training, I couldn't bear to disturb you..."
Shano couldn't help but lower his eyes.
Work hard? You eat and sleep all day, and Ah Yin gets kicked into the sea every now and then, so there's at least some activity there.
This little guy's shameless personality... how could he be like Nami?
Probably because he liked sleeping on Nami's head as a kitten. You are who you hang around with.
Shano subconsciously glanced at Nami and found her dumbfounded—she had clearly just noticed that Nuomizi had evolved.
"Woah!!!"
She grabbed her orange short hair in frustration.
"You really evolved again?! When will my name finally be cleared? Argh... Tell me! Are you going to evolve again in the future? Are you? Are you?"
"Well~"
Tailmon tilted his head and instinctively looked toward Shano. After Shano blinked at him, he turned back with an innocent smile:
"Don't worry, Nami. That probably won't happen again."
"Good."
Nami reluctantly let out a sigh of relief. But when she thought about the next time her wanted poster got updated, and she might be blamed for something even pet dogs wouldn't do, her head started hurting again.
Nojiko and Kuina patted her shoulders in sympathy, while Robin—watching the shaking shoulders of the two from behind—couldn't help but chuckle as she sipped her coffee.
"Let's get to the main topic, Nuomizi."
She looked at Tailmon with interest.
"You just said... you really found Rocks' treasure?"
The moment she said that, everyone snapped back to attention and looked toward Tailmon.
Ordinary treasure might not get them excited, but if it belonged to Rocks—that was something else entirely.
Only Nami still leaned her chin in one hand, worrying about her reputation.
"Yes, Big Sister Robin!"
Tailmon puffed out his chest, his tail wagging side to side, and said happily:
"After I evolved, my sense of smell and perception got way better! This morning, I was watching Master train and got bored, so I wandered around the island. Then I suddenly smelled something really special!"
You're just bragging. Why didn't I smell anything?
Gin, lying on the deck, looked up and curled his lips in disdain.
Tailmon didn't notice and went on,
"I followed the scent and found a super hidden crack at the base of the black rock peak. It was pitch black inside, but my night vision is amazing now. I immediately saw a rusty iron box that had been there for many years, with a big 'R' engraved on it!"
"R..."
Robin pondered. "Rocks? That really could be something he left behind."
"Nothing to guess." Shano grinned.
"Let's just go check it out. Nuomizi, lead the way!"
...
Ten minutes later.
At the base of the black rock peak in the center of Thunder God Island.
Everyone was present—except for a slumped Nami—each looking eager and curious.
"Right here!"
Tailmon pointed to a moss-covered crack in the rock wall. "The smell came from inside, but the rock is way too hard. I couldn't get through it."
"So well hidden... No wonder so many pirates searched but found nothing," Robin said as she leaned in. If Tailmon hadn't pointed it out, she wouldn't have noticed anything at all.
"I'll handle it."
Jack said nothing. He raised his fist, covered in Armament Haki, and punched the wall!
Boom!
Rocks exploded, and the crack was blasted into a huge hole. Jack went in first, using his arms like excavators to dig through until everyone reached the treasure chest.
"Nami." Shano called.
"I know."
Nami immediately understood and snapped her fingers. A bright flame flared above her head, lighting up the dark cave.
"No lock?"
Robin was first to notice. She frowned slightly.
"It looks like it's already been opened..."
"Huh?" Nojiko looked disappointed.
"Then it's just an empty box? A wasted trip..."
"No."
Shano narrowed his eyes and said suddenly,
"It's not empty. There's something alive inside—but the life force is really weak."
It was so weak that it could easily be mistaken for death. Even with Katakuri's Observation Haki, he hadn't noticed it earlier.
Shano stepped forward and gently moved Robin aside. He signaled everyone to back up a bit, then cautiously extended his right hand to the lid.
The chest was heavy—its material unknown.
Even for Shano, it took a bit of effort to open. A dozen grown men wouldn't have managed it.
Creak—
The inside of the box was revealed. Everything else was empty, except for a skinny, white-haired boy lying in the center.
He looked around fourteen or fifteen, with slightly tanned skin, curled up in a deep sleep.
"This..."
Everyone looked at each other in stunned silence.
"Rocks' treasure... is a person?"
"How's that possible? He looks way too young!"
"Maybe he has special abilities... The world's full of strange stuff."
As the group debated, the boy's eyelids trembled, then slowly opened.
He glanced around in a daze, until his eyes landed on Shano at the front. His dry lips trembled slightly, trying to speak—but no sound came out.
"Water."
Shano reached out without turning.
"I've got it, boss."
Jack handed over a massive kettle.
The boy took it and gulped down several big mouthfuls. Finally, he caught his breath and hoarsely said, "Thank... thank you..."
"Who are you?"
Shano got straight to the point.
"Why were you in this box?"
Yeah... why was I in a box?
The boy's brain was clearly still rebooting. He thought for a long while before he finally snapped out of it, slapped his forehead, and quickly tried to get up:
"Oh no! Grandpa is still waiting for me! I—I have to go back now!"
He tried to scramble out of the box in a panic, but the moment he stood up, he staggered from weakness and nearly collapsed.
Shano steadied him and frowned:
"Don't rush. If you don't eat or rest properly, you might not even make it off the island. We can help you—but at least answer my question first."
"Uh..."
The white-haired boy hesitated. But looking around, none of the people here (except the white-haired uncle smoking a cigar) looked like bad guys. He scratched his head and replied honestly:
"Sir, my name's Chia. I'm a hunter from the Agatha Islands. I came here a few days ago—uh, maybe more than ten days? Not sure how long I've been asleep... Anyway, I came to find something for my grandpa."
"That day, I used all my strength to pry open the chest, but before I could find what I was looking for, the lid slammed shut on me. I yelled until my voice went hoarse, but no one came. I passed out from exhaustion..."
"What were you looking for? Something you thought was in Rocks' treasure chest?" Robin asked with a smile.
Rocks?
The boy looked confused, slapped his forehead again, and strained to remember.
The name seemed familiar... who was that again? Dang it, I should've paid more attention to those elder stories!
"Tsk. Ignorant kid, doesn't even know who Rocks is..."
Nami crossed her arms in disgust.
You dare talk?
Shano knocked her on the forehead and turned to Chia.
"You don't know who Rocks is—so how'd you find this place?"
"My grandpa." Chia scratched his head.
"Many years ago, he followed a treasure map here and found a holy relic."
"It had a magical power that repelled beasts and nearby Sea Kings. It protected our tribe and kept us safe for a long time."
"But a few months ago, some big-shot pirate found out about the relic and wanted it. He tried to wipe us out to steal it."
Chia clenched his fists. "That bastard kept pressuring us... Grandpa, the chief, got desperate. He tried to harness the relic's power, but it backfired. He fell into a coma and hasn't woken up since. Luckily, a good man came and drove off the pirates, or we'd be gone."
"But grandpa still hasn't woken up, and he's getting worse... the priests can't help him."
"I couldn't take it anymore, so I secretly took the map and set sail—hoping this box had a way to help him..."
Why does this story sound more and more familiar...?
Shano stared at Chia, who was still guzzling water.
"What's the name of the pirate who attacked you?"
"Doffe... or Dover something? It was a long name. But I remember everyone calling him Flamingo."
Chia clenched his fists.
"This all started because of him. I can't beat him now, but one day, I'll get revenge for Grandpa!"
"What about the benefactor who saved you?"
"Oh, that guy's name is easy—he's called Bear!"