The next day.
Before the sun was up, Lister woke to his body clock. He opened his eyes to a rosy, sweet sleeping face and couldn't help replaying the night. Who would have thought the frail, delicate Kaya could be so wildly passionate.
He kissed her warm cheek, eased her arm off his chest, slipped out of the room, and started a new day of training.
It was late morning before Nami and the others stirred. Kaya rose early as well and, as if nothing had happened, saw to breakfast for everyone.
After the meal, Lister sought Kaya out.
"Kaya, come out to sea with me."
Because of last night, he had the thought of bringing her aboard.
Kaya smiled and shook her head. "I can't, Lister. My body's too weak. I'd only hold you back. And I'm the only one left in my family now. I have to carry on what my father left me. It's not forever. When you have time, you can come back and see me."
"You really won't come?" he asked again.
"You won't tie me up and drag me onto your ship, will you?" she joked.
"No. I'll respect your choice. And you're right—leaving isn't a farewell. When I can, I'll come back," Lister said.
"Then… will you stay and keep me company for a few days?" Kaya asked hopefully.
"I'll stay three more days."
"Three days is enough."
She smiled, bright and breathtaking.
"When you beat Kuro yesterday, you looked so cool in that state. Will you show me again?"
Lister understood at once and didn't refuse. Before he performed, he had Kaya tell the servants to bring a thousand jin of meat and sweets. Kaya didn't know why, but she did as he asked.
When everything was ready, Lister slipped into Overclock. Confidence and charm rolled off him in waves. Kaya's eyes lit up.
"Yes, that feeling. So handsome. My heart's racing."
He slid an arm around her waist and kissed her. Happiness flooded Kaya's chest. She answered him with all her heart.
One minute. Five. Ten. Twenty. At thirty minutes the familiar dizziness hit. Lister let the breathless Kaya go.
"What's wrong? You went pale," she asked, worried.
"Have them bring the meat," Lister said.
"Right away."
Servants hurried in with platter after platter. Lister ate like a storm and ran Six Ku Senzei to accelerate digestion. In under three minutes his color returned. Only when he had put away about a thousand jin did he stop.
"I was selfish," Kaya said softly. "That state must be a heavy burden on you."
"Don't overthink it," Lister said, ruffling her hair. "I also wanted to test how long I could hold it now. The result pleased me."
He couldn't keep Overclock proportionate to his mental growth yet, but his duration had doubled. For him, that was huge.
After a while, they parted sweetly.
In the afternoon, Lister didn't continue to linger with Kaya or the girls. He returned to the shore and boarded the Black Gold.
Yesterday Johnson's First Division had been the ones ashore to play. Today they were on ship-watch. Rocky had taken Second Division into the village early to enjoy themselves.
"Captain!" Johnson and the others hurried over to greet him.
"How's Kuro of a Hundred Plans?"
"Doing fine. Eating and drinking. If I didn't keep him chained, he'd run," Johnson said.
"Bring him out."
Lister had a chair set on the deck and sat. Soon Kuro was hauled up.
"Here to dispose of me?" Kuro said with a dry laugh. He had a good idea how this would end, but the unwillingness still burned.
"I planned to hand you over to Kaya," Lister said. "But she's too kind. Even though you killed her parents, she still remembers three years of service. She wouldn't kill you. She only asked me to take you away so you'll never appear in front of her again."
"What a naive girl." A flicker of complex emotion crossed Kuro's eyes, then froze into indifference.
"Maybe. It makes her all the more worth protecting," Lister said.
"Pointless."
"To give Kaya an answer, I have to kill you. But you can choose how. First, call in your old subordinates and I'll give you a quick death. Second, refuse, and I'll put you through ten cruel tortures so you can savor dying."
"You want to take in my former crew," Kuro said at once, seeing the intent.
"Smart. What's your choice?"
"I'll take the first. I'm dead either way. What happens to them means nothing to me now."
"Refreshing."
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