Chapter 73: This is Punishment
Natsu and Gray glanced at each other. For the first time ever, they shared a common understanding. They exchanged knowing looks and grinned mischievously.
Before Dino could react, the two grabbed him—one seizing his shoulders, the other his legs—and hoisted him into the air.
Dino's eyes widened. "What are you two idiots doing?!"
"One, two, three!" they shouted in unison, hurling him forward.
"SPLASH!" Dino crashed into the ocean while Natsu and Gray jumped around on the shore, laughing triumphantly.
Dino stood up in the shallow water, feeling the familiar sensation of weakness wash over him. The water wasn't deep here, but the debilitating effect of seawater on Devil Fruit users was very real. Though he'd been taking regular sea baths to build up some resistance, the ocean remained the most dangerous place for someone with his abilities—a natural enemy that could spell death.
Still, it was rare to visit the beach. Might as well enjoy it.
"You two bastards! You think you're getting away with this?!" The three immediately launched into an all-out water fight. Naturally, Dino lost without much suspense, his strength sapped by the seawater.
Just as Dino was about to drag himself ashore for a break, Erza grabbed his wrist. "Where do you think you're going? I told you I'd teach you how to swim today."
"N-No thanks, Erza. I really can't learn it." He desperately wanted to avoid revealing the weakness of Devil Fruit users in this world where such powers didn't exist. Only Master Makarov knew about this particular vulnerability.
"A man shouldn't give up so easily!"
"Now grab my hands!" Erza commanded in a tone that left no room for argument.
With no way out, Dino grasped Erza's hands with both of his own. Like a child taking swimming lessons, he kicked his feet and began to paddle. Almost immediately, he started sinking.
"This isn't working. The water must not be deep enough!" Erza declared, pulling Dino toward deeper water.
Dino's face went pale. "Wait! Stop! This is going to kill me!" Despite his usual combat prowess, Dino found himself utterly powerless against Erza's grip—weaker than a child.
"Don't be afraid! I choked on water when I was learning too. I understand the fear, but you can't learn to swim without experiencing it! Only when you're in real danger will your survival instincts truly awaken!" With those words, Erza lifted Dino high above her head.
"Are you recreating the Lion King?! Glub—!"
Before Dino could finish his complaint, Erza threw him into the deep water. He plunged beneath the surface, his toes unable to touch bottom, panic setting in.
When a Devil Fruit user falls into the sea, they typically float motionless on the surface. If they struggle with all their might, they can stay afloat for a short while.
But soon, even the strength to struggle faded. Whether he survived or not would come down to drifting with the current—if fate washed him ashore, he'd live.
Dino opened his eyes underwater, vaguely making out one or two white shapes in the distance. He moved his arms and legs with textbook form—anyone watching would think him a professional diver with excellent technique.
But the reality was that Dino was desperately trying to pull his head up, only to have it sink down instead. No matter how hard he struggled, he remained inverted, reminding him of a certain airplane model with a fatal design flaw.
Finally, after choking down several mouthfuls of seawater, he caught hold of something and frantically climbed up.
"Kyaa!"
He burst from the water, only to realize he'd reached a shallower area where the water came up to his neck. Dino coughed and gasped for a full minute before his breathing settled.
That's when he noticed he was clinging tightly to Erza. Their bodies were pressed together in an intimate position, with only the thin fabric of their swimsuits between them. The contact was… extremely noticeable.
Erza turned around, her face bright red. "L-Let go already," she whispered.
Seeing Erza's adorable flustered expression, what man could resist? Dino gently tilted her chin with his hand and kissed her inviting lips.
Erza froze, feeling all her strength drain away as she melted into Dino's arms. After a long moment, they separated. Erza couldn't meet Dino's eyes, her ears and neck flushed crimson.
Dino whispered in her ear, "That's your punishment for throwing me into deep water."
"Y-You jerk! You just like teasing me! I'm not talking to you anymore!" Erza pushed him away and fled like a startled rabbit.
Dino thought it over carefully, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. That felt really good. Even if he'd swallowed several mouthfuls of seawater, he'd definitely come out ahead.
Dino returned to the beach, collapsing onto a lounge chair and lazily soaking up the sun. After recovering some strength, the others dragged him into various games. Happy times always passed too quickly—before he knew it, evening had arrived.
That night, the group visited the underground casino. This luxury hotel catered to wealthy guests, and when they grew bored, the underground casino provided evening entertainment.
Dino and Natsu stood before a roulette table. Natsu leaned over it, shouting indignantly, "Damn it! I clearly saw it land on seventeen! Why'd it end up somewhere else?!"
"Don't mind if I do!" Dino grinned, sweeping all the chips toward himself.
"Aye! Don't mind if I do either!" Happy had been copying Dino's bets and happily collected several chips of his own.
Natsu pointed accusingly at Dino. "You're cheating, aren't you?!"
"Don't make baseless accusations. I didn't do anything." Dino's face was the picture of innocence. As for whether he'd actually cheated… well, of course he had.
He hadn't expected to find this particular game in the casino. A spinning wheel, a small ball dropped onto it, and wherever it landed determined the payout multiplier. For someone with the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's vibration powers, manipulating such things was child's play.
"Aye! I'm a witness!"
"You traitor!"
Dino stood up. "I'm going to check on Erza and the others."
Happy covered his mouth, whispering conspiratorially, "There's something going on between you two!"
Dino pulled out a chip and pressed it into Happy's paw. "You didn't see anything." Happy immediately nodded vigorously like a bobblehead.
Just as Dino spotted Erza, the entire casino suddenly went dark. He felt himself trapped in an enclosed space, invisible walls blocking his path.
"A magic-created dimensional space? Seriously? It's so rare we get to go out and have fun—why does trouble always find us?"
Dino clenched his fists, white spherical auras of vibration energy forming around them. Then he punched forward.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
"CRASH!" The dimensional space shattered like glass, and Dino reappeared in the casino.