As they found that tree, Rin opened his bag and took the rope out from it. Then he threw it over the branch of that tree. Then he tied it around his waist. And on the other side of the branch, Ming and Luca held the rope tightly. Then Rin stepped forward. Luca and Ming pulled the rope, and Rin started climbing the tree with the help of the rope. It became easy for him to climb. When he climbed to the branch where the rope was, and he stood on it, Ming and Luca eased their grip on the rope. Then Rin started shaking the other branch of the tree, and fruits started falling from the tree. Luca walked towards it. He stepped forward and then took an extra bag and started putting the fruits in it. Deiba also helped him. She stepped forward and started helping him to pick the fruits and put them in the bag. When that branch's fruit was finished, Rin climbed higher onto another branch with the help of the branch. Then he started shaking the branch again that was beside him, and Luca and Deiba kept picking it up. For a few 10 minutes, they kept doing it. The bag was too big, and they kept filling it until the bag got full.
"Rin, come down! The bag is already full!" Ming said to Rin.
Then Rin looked down, and he started climbing down from the tree on that branch where the rope was. Then Luca quickly took his position next to Ming, and both of them held the rope tightly. Rin started climbing down slowly, and they released the rope slowly as Rin climbed down. Then Rin finally put his foot down on the ground and untied his waist from the rope. Ming and Luca released the rope completely, and Rin rolled the rope and walked towards where his bag was and put it in his bag.
Then Luca asked, "Captain Rin, can we start our journey again back to headquarters?"
Rin looked at him as he asked, and then Rin replied, "Wait." Rin said with a firm and commanding voice and looked at the fruit bag and said, "Before we start our journey, we need to check if those fruits are safe or not. Because we saw that other tree, whose fruit you ate when you first came here, and it was safe at that time. But before that, we lost our comrades. Before you arrived here, we lost our comrades because of the same fruit tree."
Luca and Ming nodded with understanding. Then Rin took that bag and took one fruit from it. He was about to eat that fruit when suddenly, "Wait!" A voice stopped him. It was Deiba. Deiba stepped forward and said, "Let me try. You are their captain. If something happens to you, then it will be the biggest loss for them. So let me try. I will eat it." Rin looked at her with surprise. Then Luca interfered. "No! You don't have to do this. I can eat it."
But Ming stopped him and said, "No, Luca! You will not eat it. Your friend is waiting for you to come back, so don't." Ming took a deep breath, then continued, "I will eat it." But Deiba interfered, and said, "NO! You all have someone to take care of, but I—I don't have anyone, and I want to help, so please let me help." Rin, Luca, and Ming did not like that idea, but when she pleaded, they nodded hesitantly as okay.
Then Deiba stepped forward, took the fruit from Rin's hand, and moved the fruit closer to her mouth. Luca, Rin, and Ming were holding their breath and didn't know what would happen. They were completely stressed at that time. Then Deiba ate one bite from that fruit. She swallowed from her throat and waited for a minute, and they waited to see what would happen… A few minutes passed. Nothing happened. Then Deiba looked at her hand and herself, let out a breath of relief and disbelief, and laughed.
Then Luca stepped forward and said, "You are fine!! You are really fine. You didn't get poisoned from it!! That means the fruits are safe!!"
Luca said it with happiness. He shouted it for the first time ever and laughed. Rin and Ming also let out their breath of relief. "That's good. That's, that's great," Rin said firmly, but there was a bit of softness in his voice now. Ming shook his head with relief. "Everything is fine. Then let's start our journey back to headquarters again," Ming suggested, and everyone nodded and started their journey again.
During it, because the bag of fruit was very big, Ming and Rin carried it by turns. There was a victory on their faces, but was it truly a victory, or just the start of something they never expected?
.
End of chapter 25