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Chapter 13: Heartwarming (?)
And so, with our new companion Esune added to the roster at Shakky's Rip-off Bar, my life on the Sabaody Archipelago began in earnest.
That being said, my actual daily routine wasn't much different from my two years of unpaid labor. The scent of stale alcohol and cigarette smoke still clung to the rafters, and the clientele was just as gullible.
My duties included cleaning the shop, running errands around the archipelago, tending to the flower beds outside, enjoying Shakky's pampering, and, of course, beating the absolute crap out of unruly customers to rip them off.
Since Shakky had spent the last two years teaching me the ropes of the local underworld, I'd gotten much smoother at the art of extortion. I knew exactly where to strike a pirate to make them empty their pockets without completely destroying the furniture.
Esune was also doing her best to help out around the shop. Despite her tragic past, she threw herself into the work.
Her duties included cleaning the shop, cooking meals in the back, serving customers with a polite smile, soaking up Shakky's pampering, and beating the absolute crap out of customers to rip them off... Well, she couldn't exactly do that last part. She was still just an eleven-year-old girl. So, whenever the beatdown sessions commenced and I started throwing grown men through tables, she usually stayed safely hidden in the back room until the screaming stopped.
The biggest change to my daily life, however, was her intense attachment to me.
"Big brother... aren't you cold?"
I looked up from the ledger I was organizing. "No, not really. If anything, it's a bit hot today. It's too humid."
"Understood. Then I'll hug you and warm you up~"
Before I could protest, she scooped my tiny, twenty-centimeter frame into her arms and pulled me into a tight, suffocating squeeze against her chest.
"Wait, Esune! We're not even having a conversation here! That makes zero sense!"
Shakky had kindly lent me one of the spare back rooms to sleep in, and Esune was currently sharing that room with me.
Since I am a Tontatta, a human-sized room was way too big for me anyway. I only needed a small corner for my makeshift bed, so sharing the space wasn't an issue at all. The problem was that Esune was basically glued to me whenever we were in the room. If I took a step, she took a step.
"Big brother, where are you going?" she asked, instantly standing up the second I hopped off the bed.
"To the bathroom."
"Understood. Let's go." She reached out to pick me up again.
"No, don't come with me!? At least let me use the bathroom by myself!?"
Her cheeks flushed, and she brought her hands up to cover her face tightly. "I-I'll keep my eyes closed so I won't accidentally look...!"
"That's not the problem here! It's a matter of basic privacy!"
Rabbits can die from loneliness. I'd heard that was just an urban myth from my past life, but looking at Esune, it really made me wonder if it was true. Thanks to the Rabbit-Rabbit Fruit, Model: Netherland Dwarf, that she had accidentally eaten, those rabbit traits seemed to bleed into her personality. There was a terrifying fragility about her, as if she really would just drop dead from a broken heart if left all alone for more than five minutes.
"Big brother..." she whispered from the floor later that evening. "Is it okay... if we sleep together again today?"
I sighed, softening my gaze. "...Sure. Come here."
Whenever night fell and the lights went out, Esune would shift into her Beast Form. As a fluffy, short-eared Netherland Dwarf rabbit, she was practically the same size as me. She would crawl under the covers of my tiny futon, pressing her soft fur against my side for warmth.
But the nights weren't always peaceful. Esune often cried in the middle of the night.
"U-Ugh... sniff... Dad... Mom..."
Her small, furry body would tremble violently against mine as the nightmares took hold, forcing her to relive the worst day of her life over and over again.
Well... having her parents murdered right in front of her... it was completely understandable. She was just a kid.
The only thing I could do was wrap my arms around her trembling form and continuously stroke her head as she softly wept in her sleep.
I just hope this kid's emotional scars heal up soon... I thought, staring up at the dark ceiling. I'll do whatever it takes to make her smile again.
—————
Time, as it turned out, was the greatest medicine. That, and the unwavering support of an eccentric found family.
"Wahahaha!" Rayleigh's voice boomed through the bar, rattling the empty glasses on the counter. "Line! Esune! We're having a barbecue today! Shakky, get the booze ready!"
"Yes, yes, keep your voice down, Ray," Shakky replied with a cool smile, exhaling a thin plume of smoke from her cigarette. "Well then, Esune-chan, could you help me set up the grill out back? Line-chan, you're on errand duty. Go buy about a hundred kilos of meat from Grove 41."
"A hundred kilos!? Who's going to eat all that!?" I yelled, already grabbing my wallet.
Ever since we officially started living at the bar, both Ray-san and Shakky began treating Esune and me like genuine family. The Rip-off Bar was a den of thieves and pirates, but to us, it was the safest place in the world.
On our days off, the four of us would leave the bar behind. We would go camping in the dense mangrove forests, fishing off the edge of the roots, or spend the entire day riding the rides at Sabaody Park.
And whenever it was someone's birthday, we went all out. We would close the shop, bake a massive cake, and celebrate with mountains of food and presents.
"Esune! Happy birthday!" I cheered, holding out a small, intricately woven box. "Here, this is my present to you. They're earrings made out of specially bred flowers. They'll never wilt!"
Esune carefully took the box, her eyes widening as she lifted the delicate, glowing petals. "They're beautiful... Thank you, big brother. I'll treasure them forever."
"Don't mention it!" I puffed out my chest proudly, crossing my arms. "Looking after my little sister is a big brother's duty, after all."
Her breath hitched. "Little sister..."
"Yep." I grinned, giving her a thumbs-up. "You're already my sister, Esune. No matter what happens, your big bro will protect you! You'll never be alone again."
Tears welled up in her eyes, but this time, they weren't born of grief. She wiped them away quickly and gave me the brightest, most genuine smile I had seen since we met. "Yeah... I know."
Before I knew it, Esune's habit of crying in her sleep faded away. Her extreme, round-the-clock dependency on me lessened, replaced by a healthy, confident independence. She began to smile naturally, her laughter echoing through the bar and bringing a rare warmth to the lawless Grove 13.
I truly thought that was for the best.
—————
And so, a full six years passed while we lived at Shakky's Rip-off Bar with Esune.
In total, that meant I'd been living on the Sabaody Archipelago for eight years. Between the massive floating resin bubbles, the constant influx of pirates, and the comforting smell of Shakky's cooking, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this place my second home at this point.
Esune was now eighteen, and I was twenty-three.
Even though my height hadn't grown a single millimeter in those six years, firmly locking me at a staggering height of twenty centimeters, Esune had completely transformed. She had grown from a scrawny, traumatized child into a stunningly beautiful woman, developing quite the captivating body.
Height: 166 cm. Measurements: 96, 55, 83... or so she claimed. She told me the exact numbers with a completely straight face without me even asking. I was a little turned on, honestly.
I'd always thought this since being reincarnated, but the big-boob ratio for women in this world was ridiculously high. I mean, not that I was complaining—as a healthy adult male on the inside, I was absolutely thrilled.
"Alrighty then, time to tend to the flower beds today."
I stood outside the front of the bar, a miniature watering can in hand. The afternoon sun filtered beautifully through the canopy of the Yarukiman Mangrove.
"Oh, oh, grow big and strong, my flowers ♪" I hummed a cheerful, upbeat melody to myself as I watered the soil. "Oh ♪ The Tontatta are the best in the world at tending to plants~ ♪"
I scattered a fresh batch of my Special Fertilizer over the flower beds. Thanks to my relentless gardening over the past few years, the exterior of Shakky's bar had drastically changed. The once gloomy, imposing facade of the extortion tavern was now heavily covered in vibrant, blooming flowers of every color imaginable.
It totally ruined the shady, intimidating atmosphere of a rip-off bar, making it look more like a quaint florist's shop. I'd apologized for it once, but Shakky and Esune were both delighted by the aesthetic, so I figured it was fine.
When I first punched that Celestial Dragon six years ago and became a wanted criminal with a bounty of over a hundred million Berries, I had worried endlessly about what to do. I thought the Marines would be breaking down our door every day. But as it turns out, living in the Lawless Zone with Silvers Rayleigh as your roommate meant you could actually live a pretty laid-back, peaceful life regardless.
I stretched my tiny arms above my head, taking a deep breath of the floral-scented air. "Mmm, another peaceful day"
...Maybe saying that out loud was a flag.
Suddenly, the tranquil silence was broken by a wet, slithering sound. Squelch. Squelch.
Wondering what could possibly be making that noise on dry land, I turned around and saw...
A bald head gleaming with sweat. A dark blue, incredibly thick five o'clock shadow. A bulging, overweight, hairy body stuffed into a sequined outfit. And a lower half completely made up of writhing, glowing pink tentacles.
Basically... there was a monster standing in front of my flower beds.
The creature locked eyes with me, its lips curling into a horrifying, lipstick-smeared grin. "Found you! You must be Line-chaaan!"
"Eek!?"
The visual impact was so overwhelming that my brain short-circuited, and my reaction was delayed.
Seizing that brief moment of distraction, the monster lunged forward. Before I could activate my Tontatta speed or coat my tail in Armament Haki, it tightly bound my entire body in its slimy tentacles, lifting me into the air.
"Uwaaaah!?" I flailed my limbs wildly, completely disgusted by the texture. "L-Let, let me go! What the hell are you!? A Bounty Hunter!?"
"I'm no Bounty Hunter!" The creature winked at me, blowing a kiss. "My name is Rozuo. I'm a Firefly Squid Mermaid. Nice to meet you ♡"
Don't put a heart at the end of your sentence! And your stubble is scratching me!
A fat, bald, okama Firefly Squid Mermaid is way too many clashing traits at once! Pick a lane and stick to it!
"Aahn! This is no time for proper introductions!" Rozuo suddenly shrieked, his jovial demeanor vanishing in an instant. He shook me frantically. "More importantly, there's a huge emergency, Line-chan!"
"I honestly don't think there's anything more alarming than your current existence right now, but..."
"Esune-chan was kidnapped by a Celestial Dragon!" Rozuo screamed, tears welling up in his mascara-streaked eyes. "They took her to Mary Geoise!"
"!!?"
My heart stopped. The ambient noise of the Sabaody Archipelago faded into a deafening silence.
That lolicon Celestial Dragon. Saint Bomiol. The monster who had murdered Esune's parents and declared he would make her his wife six years ago.
The fact that I had only punched him. The fact that I hadn't managed to completely, irrevocably finish him off back then...
The crushing weight of my past actions hit me like a physical blow.
I was going to regret my mercy immensely.
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