"I just went back to take a shower," Moses teased her with a smirk. "What, upset I didn't invite you along?"
"Ugh!"
Perona's face flushed red, her neck stiffening as she bared her teeth in outrage. "Who wants to shower with you, you shameless little brat?!"
Moses raised an eyebrow lazily. "Did I say I wanted you to join me? Pervert. Disgusting."
Perona's face darkened with fury as her Spirit Body clawed its way out of her physical form and dove straight into Moses' body.
The next second—despair, fear, rage, even a Conqueror's Haki Shock—waves of emotions exploded within Moses' mind.
His eye twitched. Taking a deep breath, he entered the State of Oneness and slumped into the lounge chair, rubbing his temples in exasperation.
Through Spirit Sight, he watched as Perona clung to his brain, relentlessly unleashing her abilities. Moses could only sigh in resignation.
Sigh… I spoiled her. Now I have to deal with it.
But unexpectedly, he sensed that the emotional energy radiating from Perona's Spirit Body had grown unusually active.
A thought flickered in his mind.
Adjusting the Breath frequency of his own Spirit Body to synchronize with hers, he completed the "Disguise"—now, the energy waves emanating from his Spirit Body perfectly matched hers.
Perona, still fuming, didn't notice. Or rather, she was already used to Moses constantly probing and studying her Spirit Body's power.
Their Breath frequencies aligned.
Their Spirit Bodies merged.
Moses immersed himself in the energy within her Spirit Body—strands of black-red electricity quietly flickering and pulsing between them.
He focused on that emotional force unique to Spirit Bodies.
Using his own Conqueror's Haki as a bridge, he imitated, disguised, and learned.
By the time the emotional storm in his mind subsided, Perona's Spirit Body finally snapped back to awareness.
Sensing Moses' Spirit Body still intertwined with hers, along with the lingering traces of Conqueror's Haki flowing through her, she curled her lip.
"Shameless. Stealing my techniques again."
But considering how good it felt—the black-red electricity massaging her Spirit Body like a soothing pulse—Perona decided to let it slide.
I'll be the bigger person this time.
Closing her eyes, her tiny Spirit Body sprawled lazily across the folds of his cerebral cortex, basking in the comfort.
A long while later, Moses withdrew the black-red electricity, opened his eyes, and stretched.
His gaze immediately landed on Robin, who was watching him curiously from the neighboring lounge chair.
"Where's Peipei?" Robin asked when she noticed him awake. "Isn't she coming out?"
Moses tapped his temple with a grin.
"That lazy bug's taking a nice, cozy nap in here."
Robin's eye twitched. Even though she was long accustomed to their antics, she couldn't shake the weirdness of it.
Her expression twisted slightly as she muttered,
"Don't you think that's kinda creepy? Having someone else's Spirit Body crawling around inside your brain, groping and squirming? Doesn't it feel gross?"
Moses chuckled, tilting his head at Robin with a knowing smile. "You wouldn't understand Peipei's charm. Emotional energy is fascinating."
Robin stared blankly at him, suddenly feeling like an outsider between the two of them.
Her cheek twitched involuntarily, puffing up in irritation as she shot Moses a glare.
"Fine. Go play with your Peipei then."
With that, he lay straight back on the deck chair and closed his eyes.
Beside him, Kureha, who was also reclining on a deck chair wearing sunglasses, allowed a faint smile to curl her lips.
"Ah, youth is wonderful."
"And having more people around is quite fun too."
After a moment, a small Spirit Body slipped back into its physical form. Perona suddenly sat up, bent over to yank Moses up by the arm, and plopped herself into his spot.
"Hahaha, move over. This is my seat."
Moses gave her an exasperated look before addressing Kureha and the others directly:
"We've rested enough. Let's go explore the island and see if there's anything interesting."
Kureha sat up with a grin. "Then let's go."
Robin lifted Chopper to his feet, while Bear Cub rolled upright in one smooth motion. Perona followed with a resigned sigh.
Moses led the way, heading in the direction he'd noted earlier. Passing an Island Cloud processing factory, they ascended a several-hundred-meter-long staircase made of clouds that wound through the sky.
At the top, they found the entrance to a town.
A signpost marked the entryway, bearing its name:
"Angel Island - Lovely Avenue"
The ground, crafted from Island Cloud, had a slightly muted sheen.
The entire surface possessed a firm texture—processed Island Cloud hardened to durability.
The streets bustled with activity.
The passing crowds sported peculiar hairstyles—two upright antenna-like strands topped with spherical ornaments.
Each person also bore small, decorative white wings on their backs, resembling angels. Their clothing carried a distinctive, elegant charm.
This was clearly a region with its own unique cultural attire and customs.
The arrival of Moses' group drew the attention of the island's residents.
People pointed and whispered—some gazes curious, others wary; some held malice, while others radiated goodwill.
Seeing this, Moses understood—this wasn't an entirely xenophobic island.
"Moses, look! They all have wings! How strange! Do you think they can fly?" Perona tugged at Moses' arm, her face alight with curiosity.
"And their clothes—those patterns are so beautiful!"
"Those wings obviously can't support flight. They've clearly atrophied," Moses replied helplessly. "The clothes are nice though. We can buy plenty later."
At this moment, Robin suddenly spoke up with a smile: "Moses, let's visit the bookstore. I'd like to learn about this island's history."
"This Angel Island seems quite fascinating."
As she spoke, Robin pointed toward a shopfront not far away, its sign adorned with book illustrations. Her eyes shone with intellectual hunger and investigative zeal.
"Kehihihi, no problem," Kureha declared, waving her pale little hand decisively.
"Let's go book shopping. Hopefully they have some unique medical texts."
"Are there any romance novels?" Perona blurted out, then hastily covered her mouth before correcting herself: "Storybooks! I meant storybooks!"
Bear Cub raised his paw eagerly, eyes sparkling. "I want cookbooks!"
Crow Dabao perched indifferently on Bear Cub's shoulder.
To him, reading couldn't compare to the excitement of making bird eggs with Crow Xiao Niu.
Listening to them all, Moses felt particularly warmed by Bear Cub's request. This was why he'd raised the panda to be a chef from childhood—the cub never disappointed.
"Let's go, we'll head to the bookstore now."
The group made their way to the bookstore in high spirits.
Soon, with the jingle of a bell, Moses was the first to push open the bookstore door. Inside, a middle-aged man was bent over a book, his head lowered.
With glasses on, he looked somewhat scholarly.
"Hello, everyone. Looking for any books? I have all kinds here—everything you could imagine and more."
The bespectacled man didn't even look up. Moses, hearing this, smirked playfully and was about to speak when Perona suddenly asked:
"Do you have the book BRAGMEN (The Liars)?"
This was a book Robin had previously recommended to Perona.
The bespectacled man's head jerked up as he scrutinized the group. The glare on his glasses obscured his exact expression.
After staring at them for a few seconds, he thought to himself, "A bunch of Blue Sea brats," then said aloud:
"Yes, I have that book. A few copies were brought up by Blue Sea merchants before. Do you want to buy it?"
"No, I'd like books on this island's history, medical texts, culinary arts, and romance novels. Do you have those for sale?"
The man's face lit up—this was a big sale. His enthusiasm instantly grew:
"Yes, yes! I'll fetch them for you. By the way, how many do you need? If it's a large order, I can give you a discount."
"As many as you have, but only good books. Don't try to cheat me with junk. I'll check them."
The man gave a dry chuckle, assuring them he wouldn't.
Soon, stacks of books were brought over—at least a hundred. They covered all the requests from Moses and the others.
After flipping through them and finding no issues, Moses glanced at Robin, who was already engrossed in a book titled Sky Piea (The Divine Kingdom), a historical account of the island. Smirking, Moses asked:
"How much, boss? Do you accept Belly?"
"That's your Blue Sea currency, right? Yes, I take it. For all these books... Well, since you're buying in bulk, I'll give you a discount. The total comes to 800 million Extol."
"How much?" Perona exclaimed. "800 million? Are you robbing us?"
Robin blinked, equally surprised. Was this a scam?
Seeing their reaction, the bespectacled man paused, then laughed. "Belly and Extol aren't equivalent. One Belly equals 10,000 Extol."
"So that's 80,000 Belly, right?" Moses said. The man nodded with a smile.
"Exactly. If it's convenient, you can pay now."
"Sure, just a moment."
Moses turned to Crow Dabao. "Pay up."
A few seconds later, Crow Dabao produced eight 10,000-Belly notes. Moses handed them to the man and asked:
"Boss, one more thing—do you know where we can rent or buy a place here? We'll be staying for a while."
The man's eyes brightened. "How long? I actually have a place to rent. If it's an extended stay, I can give you a better rate."
Moses: "How big is the place?"
The man: "Five bedrooms, one living room, one kitchen, and two bathrooms—though the bathroom and shower are combined. Interested? It's fully furnished, well-designed, though it's on the outskirts, not in the main streets. But you can move in anytime."
"How much for a one-year lease?"
"Calculated in your Blue Sea's Belly, it's 100,000 Belly per month, so 1.2 million for a year. Not expensive at all. Would you be willing to rent from me?"
Wow, switching from "you" to "honored you" now—this bespectacled guy is quite the pragmatist.
"Not bad. Take us to see the place first. If it's suitable, I'll pay the full rent upfront."
With a big deal on the table, the landlord naturally wouldn't linger in the bookstore any longer.
Crow Dabao put the book away, which surprised the landlord, though not excessively. After all, even Angel Island's divine ruler, Ganfall, had a strange mount that could freely shift between bird and horse forms.
Soon, under the landlord's guidance, the group arrived at the entrance of Lovely Avenue. They ascended a staircase made of clouds and reached the doorstep of a detached house built on Island Cloud floating thirty meters above the ground.
The door opened.
Moses and the others began touring the place. The house was fully furnished—all they needed was a new set of bedding to move in.
At this point, Moses also saw what he had most wanted to find: the unique shells of Skypiea, an assortment of shell resources.
Light Shells, Flavor Shells, Heat Shells, Wind Shells, Flame Shells...
The house only had the most basic daily-use shells.
Unsurprisingly, everyone was satisfied with the place. Moses paid the rent on the spot and took the keys.
Meanwhile, the landlord also pointed out where to purchase various supplies on the island.
After the landlord left, Moses stepped onto the open-air balcony of the living room, enjoying the sea breeze. In the distance, he could see Angel Beach and, further beyond, another island—Upper Yard.
Robin walked over at this moment, leaning on the balcony railing as she gazed into the distance, a faint smile curling her lips.
"Never thought I'd one day live in a place like this—on clouds ten thousand meters high. It feels like a dream."
Moses chuckled at her, then crooked a finger at her. Robin looked puzzled but leaned her head closer.
At that moment, Moses flicked her smooth forehead with a light but firm snap—thunk.
"Ow?!"
Robin let out a pained cry, widening her eyes at Moses in protest.
"Why'd you flick me?"
"Relax, I didn't use much force. I heard pain helps people know if they're dreaming... So, clear now?"
Robin's expression turned blank for a second before she twitched her lips helplessly.
"That was obviously a metaphor. I know this is reality—I'm not an idiot. Could you not treat me like Peipei?"
"Huh? Robin, were you calling me?"
Perona walked over, looking at Robin in confusion. Robin's expression turned slightly awkward, while Moses calmly said:
"Yeah, she called you—called you an idiot, actually."
Perona puffed her cheeks, planting her hands on her hips as she glared at Robin. "You called me an idiot?"
Robin smirked, poking Perona's cheek with her right hand—deflating it instantly—and said with a laugh:
"Moses is lying. Why would I call you that?"
Moses grinned, telling Perona:
"Peipei, use your Negative Spirit on her. Guaranteed she'll spill the truth."
Robin stiffened at once, quickly clasping her hands together in sincere apology. "I was wrong, I'm sorry."
Perona narrowed her eyes at the increasingly flustered Robin, then turned her head with a huff. "I'll let you off this time. If there's a next time, I'll give you a ten-ghost barrage straight to the brain."
Moses chuckled cheerfully, rubbing Perona's little head with his right hand. "That's the way. How dare she call you an idiot? Absolutely unacceptable."
Perona puffed up her cheeks, growing angrier the more she thought about it. Robin quickly interjected:
"Let's go buy some daily necessities. I just saw a shop selling nice clothes."
Perona's eyes immediately lit up, deciding to let it go this time.
She'd spare her.
The group promptly went out shopping.
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