Extra chapter dedicated to Solin Ling for contributions over five thousand.
The Blumarine Jackson floated upon the Lanternfish's acidic lake. Its golden-plated hull shimmered faintly, warding off the corrosive fluid.
Thanks to Tesoro's gilding, the ship held steady near the island inside the Lanternfish's belly.
"This place… it's wider than I imagined." Rhett stood at the bow, blood-mist curling at his fingertips, casting an eerie glow into the darkness.
In the story he'd once watched, the Lanternfish had swallowed an entire island in one gulp. Back then, Rhett only thought it seemed enormous. But stepping inside now, he realized it felt like an entire kingdom.
"Lord Rhett!" Perona suddenly pointed. "There… children?!"
From behind the distant reef came a sharp crack like someone stepping on a branch.
"Who's there?" Rhett didn't move, only asked lazily. He already had a guess.
Two lizards scurried into view, one green, one orange.
"Ahh! We've been found!" a clear, childish voice squeaked, followed by a thud, as if someone had fallen over.
Rhett raised an eyebrow and strolled forward at an unhurried pace.
A small girl with golden hair scrambled up from the sand, her cheeks smeared with grit, clutching a coconut in her arms. Barefoot, dressed in a dark-purple kimono, she looked both pitiful and endearingly stubborn.
"I-I wasn't spying on you!" she blurted, her face flushed. Then she slapped her hands over her mouth. "Ah! I said it out loud!"
Rhett: "…"
Wasn't this Olga? A child with a heart far too easy to read. He chuckled inwardly.
In a flash he appeared behind her.
"What's your name?" Rhett crouched down, meeting her eyes.
"Olga! Myskina Olga!" She puffed out her chest proudly, then clapped her hands over her mouth again. "...Why did I even answer you?!"
Rhett couldn't help laughing. "You've been living here all this time?"
"No! I was eaten by Lantern-sama!" she huffed angrily, then stomped her foot in regret. "Ahhh why did I say it again?!"
"Stop asking me things! I won't tell you anything!" She folded her arms and turned away.
Perona drifted closer, circling around her curiously. "Wow~ what a funny little kid!"
Olga's eyes sparkled as she looked at the ghost princess. "Are you a ghost? So cute! …Ah! I said it again!"
Everyone: "…"
That evening, beside the bonfire.
Tesoro grilled thick dragon steaks on a rack forged from gold. The meat sizzled and popped, releasing a mouthwatering aroma.
Family, Tesoro's "golden touch" was leveling up yet again.
The dragon had been Rhett's own hunt. He felt protective of this child, who had survived nearly two centuries trapped here. Maybe it was because he himself had several younger siblings.
Olga crouched nearby, her wide eyes fixed on the roasting meat, nose twitching furiously.
"Want some?" Rhett offered her a piece.
She accepted it cautiously, nibbling a small bite
"Mm…!!"
Her eyes flew wide. She froze mid-chew, then tears spilled in great heavy drops.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Rhett startled. "Too hot?"
Olga shook her head, stuffing more into her mouth between sobs. "It's so, so good… I've never eaten anything like this before… Inside Lantern-sama's belly, all I could find were fruits. Anything else was too strong for me to fight…"
She devoured the meat, then looked up tearfully. "Is… is there more?"
Everyone: "…"
Laboon silently pushed a whole platter toward her. After a pause, he pulled out three tiny dried fish from his pouch, set them on her plate, and gently patted her head.
Later that night, the fire crackled on the beach. Olga sipped warm milk Stella had specially prepared it for her.
Perona hovered nearby, curious. "Olga, how did you end up getting eaten by the Lanternfish?"
Olga's hands tightened around her cup. Her gaze dimmed.
"Because… my father discovered Pure Gold." Her voice trembled, laced with grief. "Pirates came to steal it. They killed my mother… and burned my father's laboratory. Why did he have to study something so dangerous…"
Her lips quivered, eyes filling with tears. "I hate him… If not for his obsession, Mom would still be alive…"
The camp fell into silence.
Leaning against a tree, Rhett let blood-mist drift lazily across his fingers.
He knew the truth Olga's father had never sought Pure Gold for wealth or immortality.
"Hey, kid." His voice broke the silence. "You ever been sick?"
Olga blinked, startled, then nodded slowly. "...When I was little, my body burned so bad it felt like I was dying. It hurt so much."
"And then?"
"Then… one day, it suddenly went away. I stopped hurting. But not long after, the pirates came."
Rhett and Tesoro exchanged a look.
"Before that, Papa gave me this." Olga hesitated, showing her hand. On her finger gleamed a small metallic band. "He told me, 'Never take it off.' But it just makes me sick to look at it."
In the firelight, the ring glimmered faintly. Pure Gold.
Rhett recognized it instantly.
"Listen, kid." His voice was blunt. "Your dad's not dead."
Olga froze mid-sob, tears and snot still streaking her face. "…What?"
"He's being raised by a mother dragon as her own child," Rhett continued quickly. "In a nest on the neighboring island."
Her jaw dropped.
"And one more thing. He never researched Pure Gold for treasure or eternal life. He did it to cure you. That sickness you had Southern Sea Emperor Fever. It was incurable. Your parents worked day and night with Pure Gold to save your life."
Rhett never claimed to be a good man. He often twisted words to win favor, just as he had with Shirahoshi.
But seeing children who misunderstood their parents for centuries… who wept over a piece of meat because of loneliness… that was a story Rhett had no patience for. He refused to play coy and reveal the truth only at the dramatic finale.
Everyone: "…"
Tesoro rubbed his temple. "Captain, the way you explain things is like the fine print on a bounty poster. Can't you at least try some emotion?"
Olga stood stunned, Rhett's words hammering into her mind.
"Come on, kid." Rhett rose, brushing off sand. "Let's go find him."
Truthfully, he only remembered Olga's father being in a cave. He wasn't sure where.
They needed to cross the acid sea. Snapping his fingers, Rhett summoned the two lurking dinosaurs from the bushes with his blood-mist.
One was the green one Olga recognized. The other, orange-scaled, radiated uncanny intelligence.
"Woof."
Laboon translated flatly. "He says you have to make him laugh, then he'll guide us."
Rhett stared at the creature for a long moment.
Finally, he said slowly, "Laboon. Hit him."
Without hesitation, Laboon charged forward with a flurry of fists.
Don't mistake me for Luffy. Making demands of me never ends well.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————
Hooked already? Let me know what grabbed you leave a review and fuel the journey forward! and if we hit every 250 Power Stones, a bonus chapter drops!
Things are just heating up. Read ahead in Unbound Evolutionand stay ahead of the crowd.
[email protected]/_tey
Change @ to a.