Leisure Time and the Big Problem of Going to Sea
Moonlight streamed down as Yang Ning stood on the scorched earth, Kotetsu planted point-down, breathing slightly hard.
That sword strike wasn't just raw skill—it was the culmination of six months of relentless training. In his own mind, it wasn't about stats; it was about perfection of form.
By weaving the Feast ability seamlessly into the slash, he'd erased the flesh giant entirely. No revival. No fragments. Just nothing.
Of course, Feast had gone gray—locked in cooldown.
Yang Ning sheathed his sword and surveyed the devastation.
"I wonder how much health that thing will give me."
Not that he cared much. He was practically rolling in health points now. After wiping out every native on the island, his stats had skyrocketed to levels that even he found unsettling.
With numbers like this, he almost believed he could challenge a Four Emperor.
Almost.
He shook his head. That thought stayed in his head—where it belonged. Acting on it would be suicide.
No reason to linger. He'd rest on the ship tonight and sail at dawn.
Just as he stepped away from the cratered battlefield, three ragged figures emerged from the jungle behind Arthur.
Yang Ning's hand twitched toward Kotetsu—until the middle one spoke.
"Captain… are you really that strong? That's… unbelievable!"
He squinted. It was Nami.
But she was a mess—limping, clothes torn, hair tangled with leaves and twigs, dirt smeared across her face. She looked worse than Yang Ning, who'd just fought a forty-meter abomination.
"What happened to you three?"
The question flipped a switch.
Nami's eyes darkened with very visible resentment.
"Do you even remember we were still in the forest?!"
"Huh? Oh!~~~"
Yang Ning glanced at the flattened jungle—all that remained of his final slash—and scratched his head sheepishly.
"In battle, you can't worry about everything, hehe."
Nami huffed—but she understood. Her annoyance faded fast, replaced by wide-eyed awe.
"Captain-san… I never imagined you were this strong!"
Growing up under Arlong's tyranny, Nami had always felt small, powerless. She knew Yang Ning was capable back in Cocoyasi—but this? This shattered her East Blue understanding of strength.
A deep, instinctive admiration swelled in her chest. She stared at him, eyes shining.
Yang Ning blushed. A fangirl? Seriously?
"Ahem. Keep it low-key," he muttered, clearing his throat twice. "Just… know I'm strong."
He walked past them toward the shore, stiff-faced and flustered.
Arthur stood frozen, utterly bewildered. He hadn't gotten a single word in. He'd wanted to ask: "Big brother… should I come with you?"
After a glance at the ruins of the Black Stone Temple, he made his choice. Without looking back, he followed Nami and the others.
---
On the New Windbreaker, Esdeath leaned against the railing in simple clothes, her greatsword resting beside her. Moonlight caught in her silver hair, scattering like liquid starlight across the deck.
Crunch. Crunch.
Footsteps on sand.
A dark figure approached from the tree line.
"Back?" Esdeath asked, voice calm—not surprised, just… acknowledging.
"Hehe." Yang Ning looked up at her. "Back. Everything's settled."
He leapt onto the deck—awkwardly, his exhaustion showing. His basic agility, never his strong suit, had bottomed out.
"I'll rest for a bit. The rest is up to you."
He paused. "Oh—and I hired someone new. Our ship's doctor. Make arrangements."
Without waiting for a reply, he disappeared into his ten-square-meter "luxury" captain's cabin and collapsed onto the bed.
"Eh~"
Esdeath sighed, rubbing her forehead—but a small smile touched her lips.
"The feeling of being unconditionally trusted… isn't bad."
---
The night passed quietly.
Yang Ning woke the next day to sunlight tinged with twilight orange. He'd slept thirteen, maybe fourteen hours.
His stomach growled before his brain fully rebooted.
He pushed open the cabin door.
Sunset painted the sea in gold and crimson. The common lounge glowed warmly.
Willie wasn't there—likely on lookout. Sylvester puffed through push-ups on deck. Arthur had vanished—off doing who-knows-what.
Nami sat at the dining table in a tropical dress, deeply focused on a nautical chart. Sunlight filtered through her hair, casting living shadows.
Esdeath—unusually not meditating—sat by the lounge window, gazing at the horizon. The orange light turned her silver hair molten gold.
Yang Ning's entrance drew their attention.
Nami snapped the chart shut and cleared space on the table.
"Captain! You're awake! Esdeath made lots of food. I'll go get it!"
Her sudden obedience made Yang Ning uneasy. Since when did the little thief cat become this compliant?
Esdeath watched Nami scurry off, then glanced at Yang Ning—before returning to the sea, lost in thought.
Plate after plate arrived.
Yang Ning ate like a man who hadn't seen food in weeks. He devoured everything prepared—forcing Esdeath, mid-daydream, to start a fire and cook more.
The meal stretched until sunset.
Yang Ning leaned back in his chair, belly full, sighing in bliss.
"Ahhh~~~ So good~"
Esdeath quietly rubbed her sore hand and headed out to forage more food. His appetite had stunned her. At this rate, they'd need to stockpile—or starve mid-voyage.
Meanwhile, Yang Ning sprawled on the sofa, rubbing his stomach.
Full belly, no worries… time to plan.
He pushed aside the empty dishes and spread the nautical chart across the table.
Their location was terrible. Aside from this island, the sea was empty. No wonder Nami had been frowning.
But there was a worse problem.
He scratched his cheek, feigning nonchalance, and dropped the truth.
"The Grand Line can't be navigated with a normal compass. Only the Log Pose works."
Nami's eyes widened. Her tigress instincts flared.
"What?!?!"
"What do you mean 'ordinary compasses don't work'?!"
"What's a Log Pose?!"
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