The ship was sailing steadily.
Suddenly, from the bottom of the sea came a loud and clear neighing roar, and at the same time, the calm sea surface surged with billowing waves.
A gigantic creature poked its head out from the seawater.
Seeing this, Nami shivered in fright and quickly hid behind Jotaro.
Jotaro walked over to the railing and looked down, discovering that it was the Sea King from before.
When the Sea King saw him, it let out two excited cries, its long fish tail happily swaying.
"So you still haven't left…" Jotaro smiled slightly. "Thank you for earlier. If it weren't for you bringing me to this island, I might have long been buried in the sea."
"This is a thank-you gift, here."
Jotaro didn't know what Sea Kings liked, so he casually tossed down some small snacks to her.
Praised by Jotaro, the Sea King was so happy that she did somersaults in the water.
Waves rose high and splashed all over the deck.
Jotaro raised his hand to block the spray in front of him and said helplessly, "Hey, hey, calm down a bit, I really can't take this…"
It was the first time Nami had seen a human getting along so well with a Sea King, her face full of astonishment.
"You know her?"
"Mm."
Jotaro replied. In his heart, he had long considered the Sea King a friend.
The Sea King followed alongside the ship, with no intention of leaving.
Nami leaned on the railing, quietly watching her, no longer having the initial fear.
She had never thought that the overlord of the ocean could have such a cute side.
"Right, what's her name?" Nami turned her head and asked.
"Don't know." Jotaro had never delved into that question.
"That won't do! We can't just keep calling her Sea King." Nami was in high spirits, tilting her head as she thought.
"Her skin is purple, so how about we call her Little Purple?" she suggested.
The Sea King seemed to understand what she meant and sprayed a tall column of water, clearly not too fond of it.
After that, Nami came up with a string of names.
Without exception, not a single one was to the Sea King's liking.
Nami felt a bit discouraged and looked at Jotaro. "You do it instead."
Jotaro silently examined the Sea King.
Her appearance was very similar to a character from a beautiful country's animation he knew, Starlight Shimmer.
"How about we call her Starlight?"
Jotaro thought this name was quite fitting, because before, she had always guided him like starlight.
The Sea King didn't spray water again but instead raised her head and let out a melodious and lingering cry.
———
Jotaro returned to Orange Town.
Shinobu and Nezuko were both waiting for him there.
Seeing that he was covered in injuries, the two were not only concerned but also reproachful.
Jotaro planned to rest for a few days to recover from his wounds, and then set off for the next place.
This place was full of dangers, and only in peak condition could he face them calmly.
The people of Orange Town wished for Jotaro to stay longer here. Even if they ignored the fact that he could protect the place, it was also interesting to interact with such a wise man.
Boodle especially enjoyed conversing with this young man. In order to have him live in his home, he even kicked his own family out.
At night, after clearing out the small hut, Shinobu carefully re-bandaged Jotaro's wounds.
Those chilling knife wounds nearly made her suffocate.
It was her first time seeing Jotaro so badly injured; she couldn't imagine what kind of powerful enemy he had encountered.
"Sorry for making you worry."
The flickering candlelight shone on Jotaro's chiseled profile. Looking at Shinobu, there was a trace of apology in his eyes.
The ship had been piloted by Nami, and wanting to catch up to her as quickly as possible, Jotaro could only ride the Sea King.
So he hadn't brought Shinobu and Nezuko along.
Although both of them wanted to follow him, he refused.
To make them wait in Orange Town without worry, Jotaro promised to come back as quickly as possible, assuring them that nothing would happen to his safety.
Who would have thought that on the way, he would encounter one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Hawkeye, and end up in a fierce battle, ultimately sustaining heavy injuries.
Jotaro knew that Shinobu cared for him deeply, which made him feel guilty.
Shinobu gazed into Jotaro's eyes and said softly, "Jotaro-san, don't say things like that to me. I only hope that no matter what happens in the future, you won't leave me and Nezuko behind."
"We won't be a burden to you." Her expression was solemn, her tone serious. "Every time, you shoulder everything alone and never let us intervene. Afterwards, you always downplay and cover it up, but you are not alone, Jotaro-san."
"We want to help you too!"
Jotaro silently looked at her.
In those misty eyes, there was none of the usual gentleness, only a seriousness that softened his heart.
A long time passed.
"You are not a burden," Jotaro's voice was low. "On the contrary, it's you two who have been supporting me all along."
Sometimes, out of concern for them, he truly did ignore their feelings.
Realizing this, Jotaro felt a bit guilty.
'Yare yare daze~'
No wonder, in the system's shown scenes, his daughter disliked him.
"Sorry, it won't happen again." He spoke just as seriously, starlight flickering in his eyes. "We will definitely leave this world safely, I promise."
"Mm."
Hearing his promise, Shinobu softly replied, the corners of her lips quietly curling up like wisteria blooming on a spring night.
She sat beside him without speaking, only reaching out her hand and gently placing it in Jotaro's palm, letting him hold it.
Outside the door, the night wind brushed past the treetops, moonlight spilled over the rooftops, quiet and gentle.
"Mmh… I just can't sleep without taking a look at Jotaro-san." Nezuko walked toward Jotaro's room, muttering softly. "I wonder if Jotaro-san is asleep yet."
In the small courtyard, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, lowering her head as the blush on her cheeks gradually deepened, until it was as alluring as colored glass set against the evening glow.
Inside the room, candlelight flickered, and the shadows of two heads on the paper window grew closer and closer until they overlapped.
Nezuko was like a flustered little girl.
"I… I'll just come back tomorrow."
She quietly left the courtyard, quickly running back to her own room, where she flopped onto her bed and buried her head in the thick quilt.
She herself wasn't sure what she was feeling.
She truly wished for Sister Shinobu to be with Jotaro-san, but why did her own chest feel so heavy?
She gently pressed a hand to her chest, not quite daring to admit her own disappointment.
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