"A paper doll. It's Kalluto, isn't it?"
Listening to the wind's whispers, Sean had long since discovered the paper doll hiding behind the large tree, peeping at him.
He returned to the old castle without showing any sign, pretending he hadn't noticed Kalluto's spying. He ate and painted as usual, conveniently harvesting the attribute values his shadow clones had worked hard to produce all day. It wasn't until late at night, when he was preparing to bathe and sleep, that he finally cast a glance—
And there it was, the paper doll, quietly peeking its head over the window ledge, still spying. Just like Kalluto—silent and reserved, yet inheriting the Zoldyck family's stubbornness to an absurd degree.
But, "Little Kalluto, has no one taught you that you need to be selective about who you peep on?"
A faint arc formed at the corner of Sean's mouth. He flicked a finger towards the window.
[Fei·Finger Gun]. An "Armament Nen Bullet," enhanced by Armament Haki, whistled out and struck the paper doll like lightning.
Kalluto, who was boredly binge-watching shows with Kikyo, was wearing a purple kimono. His body suddenly fell backward into Kikyo's arms, and a large lump visibly swelled on his smooth, doll-like head.
"Oh my~ Kalluto! What happened to you?" Sniped by his big brother through the "internet cable" (Nen thread), Kalluto fought back tears and forced out one word: "Nothing."
Unfortunately, Silva, who was leaning lazily by the bonfire and flipping through "Pirate King," mercilessly exposed him.
"I told you long ago, Kalluto. There are some people you can watch, and some you cannot."
"You just opened your aura nodes and awakened your Nen, so you're itching to try it out. Dad understands that. But peeping on your big brother... Forget you, even your grandfather wouldn't dare do that."
"You were peeping on Sean?" Kikyo grabbed Kalluto's face.
"Mom, it hurts." Kalluto shook his head, hugged his head, and pouted, muttering, "I just wanted to see how big brother trains..."
"And did you see anything?" Kikyo shot Kalluto an annoyed glance.
Kalluto pursed his lips. "I didn't. Big brother just paints or fishes every day. He's even more laid-back than I am."
"Heh, is that so?" Silva sneered without looking up. "Painting and fishing are also training, Kalluto."
"He looks laid-back only because you can't understand what he's doing."
'Is that right?' Kalluto, still confused, bit his finger and suddenly asked Silva, "Then Dad, can you understand it?"
'Me?' Silva flipped to the last page of "Pirate King," seeing Whitebeard shout to his sons behind him: "I am a remnant of the old era. There is no ship that can carry me in the new world."
Silva let out a melancholy breath and said faintly, "Dad hasn't been able to understand him for nine years."
"Is it since the day Dad lost to big brother?"
"Yes."
Kalluto: "..."
He was stunned... After another long silence, he took a poke from Kikyo before snapping back to his senses.
"Now you know how it is. Go apologize to your big brother tomorrow."
A command from his mother could not be defied. Kalluto mumbled, "Yes."
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew the curtains, and Sean's words drifted in with it—
"An apology isn't necessary. But, Tousan~ Kaa-san~, could you two please keep it down a little at night? It goes on for half the night. Who can stand that?"
Silva, Kikyo: "..."
Their eyes met, their toes curling in embarrassment. Kikyo's face instantly turned red, looking even redder than her electronic eyes!
"Eh? Mom, do you have a fever?" Kalluto reached out a small hand to touch Kikyo's forehead.
Kikyo was too embarrassed to speak. In the end, Silva gave a dry laugh to save the situation.
"You brat, don't corrupt your little brother." Silva shot a glare out the window, then stood up, grabbed Kalluto by the neck, skillfully pulled a "balloon" from his pocket, and stuffed it into his arms. Then he threw him straight out.
"Bang!" The bedroom door slammed shut.
The poor, silly boy still didn't understand what was happening. He stood outside the door clutching the balloon, stunned for a long time. Sean almost burst out laughing.
'Balloons... balloons again. Maybe I'll even see balloons on the day of the finale festival.'
Sean lay on his bed, covering his eyes, suddenly feeling like he could never look at balloons the same way again.
However, just as he expected, on the day of the "Pot Shadow Ninja" third-anniversary finale festival, the area around the Batoean Republic's capital library was decorated with a massive number of balloons.
When Uvogin, Nobunaga, and Shizuku arrived just in time on the rooftop of an adjacent tall building, looking down towards the library, the balloons and banners floating everywhere nearly burst their eyeballs.
"Whoa~ This Ben An guy really knows how to put on a show~"
"Old man, in a minute, you take the small fry, I'll take Ben An. It's settled!"
With his hands on his hips, Uvogin laughed heartily, only to suddenly hear a swish. He dodged, narrowly avoiding a strike from Nobunaga's sword!
Samurai uniform, geta sandals, a single ponytail. Nobunaga, with his slanted eyes, looked blankly at Uvogin and said, "How many times have I told you? Don't call me old man!"
"I'm only f*cking one year older than you!"
But... "One year older is still older!" Uvogin grinned, showing Nobunaga a mouth full of white teeth. "Old man, a sword has to be drawn to cut anyone~"
"Hitting people with the scabbard, who are you looking down on?"
"You think I don't dare?" Nobunaga's thumb pushed open the hilt. A cold glint flashed. The bright, autumn-water-like katana was no longer the cheap imitation Tsubone could snap with a casual slap back in the day. Just a single glance made Uvogin's pupils sting.
Unfortunately, as they were both "Enhancers," Uvogin's fists were just as good. He punched Nobunaga's sword. The two started fighting before Ben An even arrived. Only a natural airhead like Shizuku could put up with them.
Wearing a black turtleneck sweater and casual jeans, the girl stood to the side, pushed up the black-framed glasses on her nose, and suddenly said, "Ben An is here."
Uvogin and Nobunaga, who were grabbing each other's collars in a brawl, suddenly heard a "buzz~"
They peeked over the edge and looked down. A sea of fans burst into an uproar, parting to either side as security gathered, completely surrounding a black minivan!
"Whoa~ There are quite a lot of people today." In the back seat of the minivan, Sean sat with Gotoh on his right and Matsuki Nanako on his left. He scanned the area. The massive crowd surged towards them like a tide, more suffocating than the pressure his old man Silva had put on him back in the day!
"Hehe, it's all thanks to the fame of 'Teacher Ben An'." This was also the first time Ms. Nanako had seen Sean in ten years. She looked him up and down, startled by Sean's exaggerated height of nearly three meters. Even her voice became a little quieter.
Sean, with his keen perception, naturally noticed Nanako's nervousness. He smiled faintly, dispelling her tension with a few words, and then smoothly released his Observation Haki, scanning the surroundings—
His eyes suddenly narrowed!