After finally convincing Yamato to use the women's bath, Uta breathed a sigh of relief, wrapped her towel securely around herself, and headed toward the mixed hot spring.
A bamboo fence enclosed the secluded bathing area, while candlelight cast dark shadows over the moss growing across the artificial rocks. Steam drifted lazily above the water before curling through the surrounding trees.
Cain was already leaning against the edge of the pool with his head tilted back against the stone, while Bella floated around on a wooden tray, happily spinning herself in circles.
Uta reached the edge, bent down to test the temperature with her toes, then slowly lowered one leg into the water.
"You two already started without me."
She gradually sank farther into the spring.
"So, Cain, how does this compare to the hot spring we used in Totto Land?"
Cain finally lowered his head and looked at her.
"It's different."
He smiled.
"This is fresh water, so there's less buoyancy than seawater. But Wano produces a lot of Seastone, which means there's more Pyrobloin dissolved in the water than you'd normally find in the sea."
"It's nowhere near concentrated enough to noticeably weaken a Devil Fruit user, but the pool is deep, so you should still be careful."
"I see."
Uta laughed as she sank halfway into the water.
"You're seriously boring sometimes, Cain. We're in a hot spring and you're still analyzing the mineral content."
She waved Bella over, then let the little cloud tow her across the water toward Cain.
Cain watched them approach and cleared his throat.
"Well, this is still a public bath."
"The water circulates and they clean it regularly, but we should probably avoid making a mess."
Unlike what had happened back in Totto Land.
This was definitely a place where they should behave themselves.
"Wow, Cain."
Uta scooped Bella up and placed her on top of her head, freeing both hands so she could lightly punch Cain twice in the chest.
"Do you seriously think I'm the one who causes trouble?"
"You're always the one who starts getting handsy first."
She tugged meaningfully at the towel wrapped across her chest.
"Are you really going to tell me you haven't thought about anything?"
"Nope."
Cain immediately shook his head.
"Nothing at all."
Unfortunately, Uta's face had already turned rosy from the steam, and each breath she took seemed warm enough to make Cain's imagination start wandering.
He hurriedly lifted Bella off Uta's head and placed her on his own instead.
The little cloud's cool body against his scalp helped suppress the heat rising through his thoughts.
Then Uta noticed the bracelet around his wrist.
"Huh? Cain, why are you still wearing that in the hot spring?"
"This?"
Cain raised his arm.
"I'm using it as a limiter."
"See? It's currently set to fifty-percent Seastone concentration."
He showed her the glowing scale on the bracelet.
"I'll gradually increase it as I get used to the effects. Better to adapt now than discover I can't handle it during an actual emergency."
Uta leaned closer to examine it.
Without Bella's cool body on her head, however, the hot steam was starting to make her feel a little lightheaded.
She blinked.
Then casually dragged one finger across the display—
all the way to maximum.
"Ugh—don't just max it out!"
Cain's strength vanished instantly.
Normally he could have forced himself to stay upright for at least a little while, but half his body was already submerged in hot water.
His feet slipped.
Cain immediately began sinking.
The sudden movement sent Bella sliding off his head and back onto Uta's. The little cloud grabbed onto Uta's hair to steady herself.
When Cain nearly vanished beneath the surface, Uta hurriedly caught him beneath the chin and pulled his face back above the water.
The only practical way to hold him there happened to leave his head pressed firmly against her chest.
Cain finally managed to take a breath.
"You know…"
Uta looked down at him, unable to suppress a smile as she saw the normally unstoppable Cain completely powerless and dependent on her for support.
"I don't think this bracelet is really a limiter."
"It feels more like Vegapunk made it specifically for me."
Normally, there was no chance Uta could physically overpower Cain.
But with this thing?
One little swipe of her finger, and adult Cain would obediently collapse into her arms.
The more she thought about it, the more useful the bracelet seemed.
For several moments, neither moved.
Cain considered struggling free.
Then he noticed how comfortable the back of his head felt.
So he decided not to bother.
After an unknown amount of time, Yamato's voice suddenly came from the women's bath next door.
"AAAAH! Bathing alone is way too boring!"
"Uta! I'm coming over there!"
"WAIT! You're not allowed!"
Uta panicked.
Her grip slipped—
and Cain's head was immediately shoved underwater.
"Glubglubglub…"
Uta instinctively trapped his head between her thighs to keep him from floating back up while she shouted toward the other side of the partition.
"I'll send Bella over to keep you company!"
"Okay! Thanks! Arigato!"
Bella floated over the wooden divider.
Yamato happily caught her.
"Wow. Sitting in this warm hot spring while hugging Bella's cold body feels amazing."
Then Yamato suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right! I almost forgot to tell you two."
"The temperature in a natural hot spring isn't adjustable like bathwater. Some parts of the pool can be hotter than others."
"So before getting in, you're supposed to rinse yourself with hot water first and let your body adjust."
"If you jump straight in, you can get dizzy pretty easily."
She added cheerfully,
"Devil Fruit users especially need to be careful!"
"…Could've…"
Uta weakly managed to speak.
"…said that… earlier…"
She had already been feeling lightheaded for some time.
Now her body was slowly sliding down against the side of the pool.
Cain was still trapped underwater between her legs, while Uta herself barely had enough strength left to lean back against the stone edge and wait for the dizziness to pass.
Unfortunately—
hot springs had a nasty habit of making dizziness worse the longer you stayed inside.
…
By the time Cain emerged from the bathing area carrying a dazed Uta in his arms, they had barely turned into the corridor before running into the bathhouse proprietress.
The elderly woman held a smoking pipe between her fingers.
She looked Cain up and down.
Then she looked at Uta, whose eyes were closed and whose face was still flushed bright red.
The proprietress slowly exhaled a stream of smoke.
"My, my."
"Young people certainly have plenty of energy."
Then she narrowed her eyes.
"But this old woman's bathhouse isn't meant for that sort of thing."
Cain opened his mouth.
He wanted to explain.
Then he realized there was absolutely no version of this story that would sound convincing.
The proprietress had spent years running a bathhouse.
She had seen every kind of customer imaginable.
Apparently deciding she had no interest in hearing Cain's excuses, she pointed upstairs with her pipe.
"There are private resting rooms on the second floor."
"Use the same number as your clothing locker."
She gave him a pointed look.
"And keep the noise down."
"…Understood."
Cain knew there was no point arguing.
So he carried Uta upstairs.
Naturally, they were only going there to rest.
Uta was still dizzy, after all.
As Cain passed the front counter, he also asked for two bottles of milk.
Not for any ridiculous reason involving protein.
Drinking milk after a hot spring was simply tradition.
He had barely reached the staircase when Bella flew out from the bathing area, spotted Cain, and hurried after him.
The proprietress had just taken another puff from her pipe when a living cloud suddenly flew past her face.
She nearly dropped it.
Fortunately, Yamato emerged from the women's bath moments later.
She had heard Cain say through the divider that they were finished, so she had already dressed and now had a towel draped over her shoulders as she prepared to follow them.
The proprietress immediately stepped into her path.
"Shogun, are you going to find those two?"
Yamato nodded.
"I'm afraid they're… occupied right now."
The proprietress spoke with the absolute certainty of someone who believed she understood exactly what was happening upstairs.
"It would be inappropriate for you to interrupt them."
From the old woman's perspective, this was obvious.
Whatever those two young people were doing—
the shogun absolutely should not wander in on it.
"What are they doing?"
Yamato clutched her towel, visibly curious.
"I really want to know!"
After all, she had already decided she would imitate how Cain and Uta interacted with one another.
How was she supposed to learn if she couldn't observe them?
The proprietress lowered her pipe and studied Yamato for several long moments.
"…I suppose the shogun has reached that age."
She might merely be the owner of a bathhouse, but when it came to matters like these, she clearly knew infinitely more than Yamato.
"If you cannot go inside and see them…"
The old woman turned.
"…then allow me to show you a few things instead."
Yamato tilted her head, completely confused.
But she understood the words show you a few things, so she obediently followed.
The proprietress led her into an extremely secluded room.
Inside stood several enormous bookshelves filled from top to bottom with illustrated books of every variety.
Curious, Yamato casually pulled one down.
She opened it.
Turned a few pages.
And promptly turned bright red.
"You may take your time, Shogun."
The proprietress smiled knowingly as she headed for the door.
"If there is anything you don't understand, feel free to ask this old woman."
Then she left.
Yamato remained staring at the pages as though someone had just opened the gates to an entirely new world.
'So this is what Uta and Cain are doing?'
She kept reading.
"I see…"
"I see, I see…"
"So that's why your naked body is only supposed to be shown to one particular person."
Her face grew hotter.
"So if it's me and Ace…"
"Would we have to…?"
Yamato was still confused when her eyes landed on a clearly written note beside one of the illustrations.
Warning: If you do this without taking proper precautions, be prepared to become parents.
Yamato pulled the book closer.
She stared at that sentence for a very long time.
The blush spread all the way to her ears.
Then, after several moments—
she nodded solemnly.
'I learned it.'
'I understand now.'
'Ace, just wait.'
'I'm definitely going to become a wonderful, qualified mother.'
At that moment—
Yamato grew up a little.
…
Far out at sea—
"Achoo!!"
Izo stared at Ace in disbelief.
"What's going on with you, Ace? Did traveling all night actually make you catch a cold?"
"You've been sneezing nonstop."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
Ace rubbed his nose vigorously and stared toward the distant horizon.
"I don't know…"
A strange chill ran down his back.
"But I've got this feeling…"
"…that something really bad is about to happen."
…
Meanwhile, on Onigashima—
"Achoo!"
BOOM!!!
A violent blast of dragon fire erupted above the island and shot into the night sky.
The enormous pillar of flame illuminated half the heavens dark red.
Beasts Pirates members standing night watch were knocked off their feet by the shockwave. Several tumbled directly into nearby drainage ditches, yet not a single person dared complain.
Kaido sat cross-legged on his throne and rubbed his nose.
Then he clicked his tongue.
"Strange."
He frowned.
"Why the hell did I dream that bastard Roger had his arm around my shoulders while we drank together?"
Kaido stared at his sake.
"Did I really drink that much?"
He spat to the side.
"Bah."
--------
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