"Why? Didn't you say it was fun?"
"Well..."
The pressure initially lay on Tesoro and Stella in the cabin, but now it has shifted towards them. How to explain their secret gathering to Yamato has become a fatal issue.
If they don't explain it well, Yamato won't leave. If explained too well, Arceus might have a deep conversation with them about life.
"What are you all doing here so late at night? Sober from the drinks, right? Then off to scrub the deck!"
"Yes, big sis!"
Shaina's voice was their savior at this moment; scrubbing the deck was clearly better than staying here.
"Alright, Miss Yamato, it's time for you to go to bed, or else the Sacred Beast will be upset." Shaina, picking Yamato up, took her away.
"But they said it's really fun in there?"
"You'll understand these things when you grow up, Miss Yamato. For now, you need to sleep."
"Oh... Growing up is great. When will I grow up?"
"Not far off, ten years will pass quickly..."
A group of people on the deck was working enthusiastically. The slight sound of wood brushes scraping the deck wasn't worth mentioning amidst the crashing waves.
Tesoro was puzzled, why was there a pink room on a pirate ship? He didn't know. This room was originally a bedroom for Chansey, but it was temporarily loaned to them, and now the Chanseys were squeezed into a room with Yamato.
"Stella... I'm sorry, but from now on we might have to become pirates."
Sitting on a chair in the room, Tesoro announced this decision. He owed Yamato three huge debts: Belly, himself, and Stella. The Belly was easy to say, but the freedom of the two was not something easily repaid.
"It's okay, Tesoro. There are bad people among the World Government officials, just as there are naive girls among pirates. As long as you stick to your heart, even as a pirate, it's fine. You don't have to be a good person, but at least you can be not a bad person."
She thought at most, the Hundred Beasts would have them sing songs, as Tesoro, apart from singing well, had no other talent.
They did nothing but talk freely all night as before, without barriers or chains. The only downside was the occasional pirate passing by outside, trying to eavesdrop.
Meanwhile, on Arceus's side, he was flipping through the index. One fruit was confirmed as the Bug-Bug Fruit: Bombardier Beetle, another one belonged to the Bug-Bug Fruit category but lacked detailed information. The incomplete book Quinn acquired often had such problems.
"Shaina, bring Little White to me."
"Understood, please wait a moment."
Shaina, who had just returned Yamato to her dorm, had been waiting by the door. Upon hearing Arceus's command, she got up and headed towards the deck. Little White wasn't a person but a cat.
On large ships like this one, it's common to have cats, not to serve them as masters, but to catch mice.
They were adept at handling people, but dealing with mice required specialists. Mice on board during long voyages was a serious problem, so large ships always had a few cats.
If there were no mice, feeding the cats didn't consume much food, and keeping a few cats helped ease the crew's mood. Many people enjoyed petting cats.
A cream-colored kitten was brought over by Shaina. The cats on the Origin were the most relaxed because the crew's diligence left no room for mice on the ship, except when restocking supplies, when mice might sneak on board.
Before Little White could react, Arceus's energy was infused into its body. Its size visibly expanded, and a red jewel appeared on its forehead.
Still cream-colored, but more like a lion, it was the Siamese Cat Pokemon - Persian.
Initially high-spirited and hard to tame, this Pokemon was different after being modified by Arceus. With its tail curled up, it was acting affectionately beside Arceus.
By its tail, one could judge the state of Persian. A normally curled tail indicated a normal mood, a straight tail was a sign of impending attack, and a tightly coiled tail meant they were completely unguarded.
Persian's body was very flexible, like most cats, since cats are essentially liquid creatures. But beneath Persian's seemingly soft appearance lay a hidden strength.
"Sacred Beast, this cat..."
"Tomorrow, give it to Tesoro. Certain matters are more reassuring when handled with a Pokemon."
Since Tesoro was temporarily recruited as an adult, his potential as CEO of Hundred Beasts Fruit required assessment. Having a Persian around could prevent some mishaps.
...
The next day, Tesoro heard about the arrangements concerning him.
"Hundred Beasts Fruit?"
"Yes, it's a very legitimate company, even with a business license from the World Government.
You don't have to worry about trade between the Pirate Islands. This position is based on an island where a shop will be handed over to you. Changes in revenue within three months will determine your future arrangement.
If you're capable, you can become the CEO of the entire group. If not, you can just be an ordinary clerk. As long as you have the ability, wealth, power, and status, you can obtain it all.
Even if you want to package yourself as a big star, it's no problem."
He painted a tempting picture for Tesoro, but it was very real as long as he was competent enough to achieve it.
Tesoro, full of confidence, agreed. He initially thought his future role would be as the ship's musician, but this new arrangement was unexpected, and frankly, more suitable than becoming a pirate.
"However, the island where you'll be working is within our territory, and you'll need a period of special training. You also wouldn't want to fail to protect her, right?"
"I understand, in three months, I will show you results."
"By the way, do you like cats?"
"Uh... they're alright."
"Then this is an employee benefit. It's very well-behaved; consider it a pet from now on, Little White."
"Meow~"
Persian responded to the call and walked over to Tesoro's side. Its sleek fur and noble demeanor matched Tesoro's aesthetic, and Persian didn't resist his touch.
Even Stella seemed to like this cat, so Tesoro happily accepted Persian.
"In summary, you were recruited by that girl Yamato, so heed this warning: don't do anything to disappoint her."
Having drawn the picture, given the benefits, and left a hidden line, Arceus left Tesoro with a warning before turning away.