Just as Carina said—El was getting stronger again.
As the chosen son of this era, El's growth rate was comparable to Big Mom, who made a name for herself in the second half of the Grand line at the age of six and received a bounty of 50 million Belly in that era.
That explosive growth would eventually slow down—either when he fully developed his talent, or if he ever started wasting it.
Over the more than three months on Sixis Island, El had repeatedly dived into the sea to hunt. The coast of Sixis was now littered with the bones of sea beasts, large and small.
Turning all those sea beasts into energy, in game terms… El hadn't just gone up "one or two levels" in the past three months.
His soaring stamina and physical strength could no longer be described with numbers.
But one thing was clear:The range of his Breath of All Things had fully doubled.
That increase in Breath of All Things meant his swordsmanship now covered a wider area and carried even greater destructive power.
Just like Hawk Eyes at Marineford, who casually swept his blade and cleaved an enormous iceberg—
With a single draw of his sword, El could now carve a trench hundreds of meters deep into the sea.
Momoo, the sea beast from the Grand line, had been sliced cleanly in two by that same slash.
As the saying goes, people change year by year.
Soon, El would turn nine.
It had been nearly four years since he first mastered the Breath of All Things. With that kind of foundation, and with his talent, it was no surprise his growth seemed almost absurd.
And even then… that wasn't his full strength.
After finishing off Momoo, El left Nami at the helm and went back to his cabin to shower and change into clean clothes.
When Carina saw him heading to the bath, she jumped up almost automatically to follow after him.
"Nii-san, I'll wash your hair and your back," she said casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
In the steamy bathroom, El sat on a small stool, a bath towel wrapped around his lower body. Carina stood behind him on a little wooden step so she could reach his head, fingers gently massaging shampoo into his long silver hair.
"Nii-san, isn't long hair inconvenient?" she asked curiously while rinsing the foam out.
"It is, a little," El admitted, rubbing himself down with another towel, "but don't you think I look handsome?"
By now, they'd known each other for almost half a year. El already saw the three girls as his most important companions. Aside from hiding his mind-reading and the fact he was a transmigrator, he didn't bother being shy or guarded around them.
Carina rolled her eyes and snorted softly.
"Long white hair obsession… Nii-san, your tastes are really weird."
Then she let out that signature little laugh of hers.
"Uhhehe… I've decided. Starting today, I'm growing my hair long too."
"I'm sure long-haired Carina will be super beautiful," El said immediately.
If his hands weren't full holding the towel, he'd have given the statement a big thumbs-up.
After all, in the Golden City timeline, both Carina's long hair and her single ponytail were stunning.
"Uhhehe…"Carina flushed slightly at the praise, suddenly looking forward to seeing her future self in the mirror.
Once she finished washing El's hair, she scrubbed his back as well, then quietly slipped out of the bathroom.
From the faint redness on her cheeks, it was obvious this Carina was not the same kid who had "understood nothing" when they first met. The books she loved to read had made her mentally older than her age—and more aware than Nami in certain ways.
Yet even after understanding "those things," she still faithfully washed El's hair and back with Nami every day.
Whatever her reasons, she never stopped.
When El finished his shower and stepped out, toweling off his hair, the outline of an island was already visible ahead of the ship.
"Nii-san, you came out just in time. We're almost there," Carina said, waving from the deck where she was chatting with Kuina.
"Got it."
El nodded, then walked over behind Nami at the helm. Resting his palm gently on her head, he asked with a smile:
"So, have you decided how you're going to handle things with the villagers?"
"Hehe… I can only tell them the truth," Nami replied, sticking out her tongue. "I believe they'll understand me."
Ever since her adoptive mother had been killed, Nami had joined the very pirate crew that murdered her—and had the Arlong Pirates' tattoo engraved on her arm.
In her mind, that made her a traitor in the eyes of Cocoyasi Village.
On the road to the village, villagers would avoid her as if she carried a plague, or glare coldly from a distance.
In the whole village, aside from her sister, Nami felt she had no one left to talk to.
Of course…
That was only what Nami thought.
In reality, after Nami had confided in Nojiko about the 100 million Belly deal with Arlong, Nojiko had gone and told the villagers.
Their "rejection" and "disgust" toward Nami were part of the act—a role they willingly played to help protect her plan.
"In that case," El said, gently ruffling her orange hair, "go and shock your 'family' and your 'enemies' properly."
"Let all that hatred you've been carrying out of your chest. Don't worry about anything else. None of them can escape my Observation Haki."
Nami nodded hard.
She clenched her small hand into a fist—and an orange flame bloomed there, dancing in the air.
"I'll let them feel my pain," she said, eyes cold and determined. "Then I'll turn them all into grilled fish."
A short while later, their ship arrived at Cocoyasi Island.
The small sailboat docked at the village port.
The moment Nami stepped off the ship, the villagers nearby lowered their heads and hurried away, as if they'd just seen a walking catastrophe.
The sight made Carina and Kuina frown.
Not knowing the truth, both of them felt a pang of helplessness and indignation on Nami's behalf.
El, on the other hand, felt the exact opposite.
The villagers weren't dropping their gazes because they couldn't stand to look at Nami.
They were dropping their gazes because if they looked at her any longer, their hearts would ache and their acting would crack.
Their performances might have fooled Nami.But their hearts could never fool El.
Not when he could feel them so clearly.
PS: Author's Note
Breath of All Things
Advanced swordsmanship perception that allows the user to "hear" the essence or life of all things.
Lets the swordsman choose whether to cut or not cut, even with a full swing.
Cocoyasi Village
Nami's hometown in East Blue.
Currently under occupation by the Arlong Pirates.
If you Enjoyed Reading
Visit my p@treon for more chapters
Advance 80+ Chapters Available
patreon.com/Sagamaster789
If you really Enjoyed Reading. Give Power Stones and Reviews !