"By the way," Arton said, lounging in a chair in the living room, "where'd your dad go? I haven't seen him."
Conis kept working in the kitchen as she answered, "My father went out to do some work. He'll probably be back tonight."
"Got it." Arton rubbed his chin, thinking, So even on Skypiea people still have to hustle to make a living. It might not have a huge population, but it was still a society—regular folks still had jobs to do.
"Since Conis's dad isn't here…" Uta pressed her lips together and suddenly giggled.
Arton narrowed his eyes at her. "Uta. What are you plotting?"
"Captain, I'm hungry," Uta said innocently.
"Hungry? Then wait a bit. Conis's pumpkin noodles will be ready soon."
"But I'm thirsty too."
"The noodles come with broth."
"Sure, but…" Uta's smile slowly curved upward. "I kinda want something… special to drink."
Then she turned toward the kitchen and called out loud, "Conis! Can I borrow your room for a minute?"
"Ah? O-Okay…" Conis nodded, biting her lip.
"Perfect!" Uta chirped, bouncing up from Arton's lap. She grabbed his hand and practically dragged him into Conis's room next door.
The door shut with a heavy thunk.
In the kitchen, Conis's cheeks instantly turned bright red.
Conis was still a pure, sheltered girl—but thanks to the "educational materials" she'd been studying, she understood plenty now. She hadn't actually done anything herself yet, but she definitely wasn't clueless anymore.
And the moment she realized what Uta and Arton might be doing in her room, her heart started hammering like it had doubled its speed.
"Raki…" Conis asked, face burning as she looked at the woman beside her, "do you think Uta-san and Arton-san really went to do… that?"
She was so flustered she could barely focus on making the pumpkin noodles.
Raki did her best to keep a calm expression as she asked, "Does it bother you, the idea of them doing that in your room?"
"Th-That's not it," Conis shook her head quickly. "I don't mind them doing it. I just… I just wasn't mentally prepared."
Arton was going to deal with Enel. He hadn't moved yet, sure—but in Conis's eyes, it was only a matter of time. And once that happened, Skypiea would finally be free from Enel's brutal rule.
No matter how you looked at it, Arton would become Skypiea's savior—her savior.
If he was her benefactor, then him "borrowing" her room was hardly a big deal.
And honestly… Conis had already braced herself for the possibility of Arton taking liberties with her anyway.
"Then you'd better start getting used to it," Raki said, voice steady. "Because if you end up joining Arton-san's crew thanks to the Serval template… this kind of thing won't be rare."
That wasn't just advice for Conis.
It was Raki talking to herself too.
"…Y-You're right," Conis said, lifting her head with a determined look. "I should get used to it… slowly."
Then her gaze sharpened.
"When the noodles are ready, I'll take them over myself."
Getting used to it starts with seeing it with my own eyes, Conis told herself, resolve locking in.
Chapter 542: A Reason to Go Down to the Blue Sea
"Conis… can I ask you for a favor?"
Raki pressed her lips together, looking at the blonde beauty beside her with clear, hopeful eyes.
"Hm? Of course. What is it, Raki?" Conis asked, a little confused.
Raki was also a Skypiea diary-copy holder, and that alone made Conis instinctively warmer toward her. If Raki needed help, Conis genuinely wanted to give it.
"I was hoping… if it's okay… could you let me be the one to bring Arton-san the pumpkin noodles?" Raki said.
"I mean, sure, I can," Conis replied, "but why? We'll probably have plenty of chances to cook noodles for Arton-san in the future, right?"
"You will," Raki said with a soft sigh, glancing toward the kitchen doorway. "But for me… it's not guaranteed."
Conis blinked. "Not guaranteed?"
"Arton hasn't made any moves yet," Raki said carefully, "but he's definitely going to invite you. After all, the Serval template he just pulled needs someone like you to use it."
Then her voice lowered, more honest.
"But I'm different. I need a reason—a believable one—to join the Flame Blade Pirates."
"Th-That… makes sense," Conis admitted. "So what reason are you going to use to get Arton to accept you?"
"I've already thought it through," Raki said, placing a hand over her chest as if swearing an oath. "I'll tell Arton I heard about him from his crewmates—that I learned he's unbelievably strong… and that he likes beautiful girls."
She paused, choosing her words with care.
"And if he's willing to help us deal with that awful guy… then I'm willing to follow him."
Raki wanted to say Enel's name, but she didn't dare.
She knew by now that "Mantra" was basically Observation Haki, and she didn't believe Enel was literally listening to everything on Skypiea at all times. Even Arton couldn't keep his Haki running nonstop—Observation burned stamina.
So Raki suspected Enel had his net spread across the island in a simpler way—something like filtering for keywords. Names like "Enel" or "God" would trip the wire, and then he'd focus in and extend his Observation to hear more clearly.
That was why she kept it vague.
Conis clearly understood, because she avoided those words too.
After thinking for a moment, Conis asked quietly, "If you do that… will Arton-san really agree?"
Then she hesitated, cheeks faintly warm as she added, "I don't think he's the type to force a woman to… to serve him."
"That won't be a problem," Raki said with a small, confident smile, her hand still resting over her heart. "Because I'll be sincere. And I'll make it clear that I truly want to see the Blue Sea."
She met Conis's eyes.
"That's a pretty good reason, don't you think?"
Conis found herself nodding before she even realized it.
Wanting to go down to the Blue Sea… really was a perfect excuse.