OPTC Chapter 214 Tom's Butt Is Off-Limits
Swimming is a wonderful exercise. Not only does it train the body and relax the mind, it also gives you the chance to enjoy the sight of beautiful girls in swimsuits.
Of course, things like Perona's little loli-style school swimsuit had no appeal. Zhang Da Ye wasn't some kind of strange gentleman with questionable tastes.
As usual, Zhang Da Ye and Rui Meng Meng casually swam ten thousand meters before anything else. Ye Yan struggled hard behind them, trying to keep up.
Once Ye Yan's stamina was nearly drained, Tom, dressed in a red swimsuit, began to show off. He sped past Ye Yan with freestyle, then returned with backstroke, overtook again with butterfly, circled him with breaststroke, and even swam around him in loops.
Ye Yan clenched his teeth, feeling mocked, and pushed himself to chase Tom. The end result? Tom had fun, while Ye Yan collapsed lifelessly on deck.
"Damn it, it's bad enough that people have abnormal stamina, but cats too?"
The Flag Spirits gathered around Ye Yan in a circle, massaging his muscles while throwing in sarcastic remarks.
"We never noticed before, but Master really does have terrible stamina. No wonder Grandma Scattered Immortal always chases you down."
Ye Yan roared, "You ungrateful traitors! Every time you're the first ones to run!"
"Would you like a cup of black tea, Mr. Ye Yan?" asked Brook. He hadn't gone swimming. Instead, he stayed behind with Shark Chili to watch the ship. Zhang Da Ye had also asked him to help Shark Chili overcome his fear of music.
Brook had noticed Shark Chili's problem back when they visited their comrades' graves. As a musician, he couldn't stand someone having a fear of singing. So he resolved to help him recover.
Unfortunately, progress was limited. Shark Chili still could only listen to that one last chorus of the Rumba Pirates.
Ye Yan declined Brook's offer. "I think I need a sports drink right now. Even light salt water would do."
"I see, so you need to replenish salt after exercise?" Brook suddenly understood. "But I only have bones. Replenishing salt won't do me any good. Yohohoho~"
"That skeleton is saying something weird again, isn't he?" Perona floated nearby with a swim ring, gently kicking her legs. She wasn't far from the ship and could hear the laughter above.
Even though she was a Devil Fruit user, half-submerged like this wasn't too big of a problem. She realized she'd never really played in the sea before—her zombies never dared to accompany her down.
"Brook is interesting. He sings and plays instruments wonderfully. I just don't understand those strange habits of his," Artoria said. She was holding Perona's hand, and perhaps because of that first lollipop they shared, their relationship had grown surprisingly close.
Perona had once been terrified of Artoria, remembering how she slashed ghosts with that glowing sword. But now, staying by her side made her feel safe. Plus, Artoria was the only one who never suddenly forced her to recite lessons.
Yes, the only one. Even Tom sometimes put on a mortarboard, took out a tiny pointer, and raised a small chalkboard filled with questions.
Speaking of Tom—two white splashes were rushing closer from afar.
At the front was Tom, swinging his arms like propellers, speeding straight toward Artoria. Behind him was a shark, moving at an equally ridiculous pace.
Looking closely, one could see shark teeth stuck to Tom's butt. Judging by their size and shape, they clearly belonged to the shark chasing him. The shark, lips curled inward, was desperately trying to reclaim its teeth—and perhaps eat the cat as a bonus.
Tom quickly swam behind Artoria, then stuck his head out and taunted the shark with his tongue: "Bleh-bleh-bleh~"
The shark's eyes reddened. It pulled back slightly, gathered strength, and then shot forward like an arrow.
"Shark! A shark! Why did you bring it here?!" Perona screamed in panic and unleashed her power. "Negative Hollows!"
The tiny ghosts flew straight through the shark's body. The poor creature froze, tears of despair welling up.
Tom grew even bolder. He swaggered over, pulled the teeth from his butt, and prepared to slam them back into the shark's face.
But the negative effect ended right then. The shark snapped its mouth open, swallowed the teeth whole, and a moment later grinned wide, flashing two neat rows of restored fangs. It bared them at Tom with a sinister smile.
Tom immediately lost his nerve. He grabbed the shark's upper and lower lips, covered the teeth, patted them gently, then gave a flattering smile and waved goodbye—before turning tail and running.
The shark lunged again, only for another Negative Hollow to pass through it.
The shark, frustrated, smacked Tom away with its tail, then slipped beneath the waves to go cry in private.
Tom, caught off guard, went flying straight into Perona's arms.
Artoria thought about it but didn't intervene. Sharks didn't taste very good anyway, and eating one in front of Shark Chili felt inappropriate.
On deck, Shark Chili stared at the vanishing shark, uneasy. He knew all too well how horrible it felt to be hit by Negative Hollows.
Perona hugged Tom, soft and warm, rubbing her face against him. On the ship, she didn't even have a plush toy. Being able to cuddle a cat like this made her happy.
For some reason, Tom wasn't wet at all despite swimming. But that didn't matter. Rub rub.
Tom didn't mind Perona's affection, whether stroking his head or cuddling him. She had just helped him a lot, so he considered this thanks.
…
Life after this wasn't much different from when they first set out from Sabaody. On stormy days, they battled wind and rain. On good days, they enjoyed some leisure and games.
Training was never skipped. Zhang Da Ye was pleased to see no one developing bulky torsos or skinny legs.
Classes for Perona continued, with Ye Yan also forced to review basic knowledge. Lessons varied—basic manners one day, multiplication tables the next, literacy after that.
Sometimes Zhang Da Ye recalled old childhood cartoons like "Stories of Diligent Learning" and "Stories of Traditional Virtue" to give her moral education.
Every seven days came Perona's most dreaded test.
Over time, Perona grew attached to Artoria, grew fondest of Tom, remained hostile to Brook, and still feared Zhang Da Ye, Ye Yan, and Shark Chili.
Shark Chili was intimidating because of his fierce looks. Ye Yan because his ability countered hers.
As for Zhang Da Ye… she looked at him like struggling students looked at teachers back in elementary school, unable to hand in homework or answer questions.
One morning, Zhang Da Ye was teaching her radio calisthenics. He realized Perona didn't like sports. She preferred sitting around with drinks and snacks, or just hugging Tom in a daze. So he pieced together his fading memories and made her a set of calisthenics.
"Boss! We spotted a ship in the distance! The flag looks black!"
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