Chapter 29 – mysterious shadow battle suit
Watching their playful banter, Dante Voss felt his heart grow even lighter.
Compared to Mary Geoise, this place was a warm haven, healing the blood-soaked corners of his soul at every moment.
Seeing everyone looking so worried, Dante Voss smiled and said,
"To thank you all for saving me, let me solve our food problem!"
With that, Dante Voss opened his [backpack], took out some food, and placed it on the deck.
In an instant, the deck was covered with an abundance of food.
Besides nine lunch boxes and nine barrels of water, there were several crates of fruit and a crate of liquor.
The sight of so much food made the Straw Hats' eyes light up as they hurried over.
"A bento box? It's this big and still warm."
Sanji picked one up and exclaimed.
He couldn't figure out how Dante Voss had conjured the food; setting that aside, the box was not only huge but still steaming, as if it had just been cooked.
"Is that liquor?"
Zoro's nose was sensitive to alcohol; catching the scent, he walked over.
He still had some sake left, but not much.
And from the aroma, Dante Voss's liquor clearly smelled better.
"Dante Voss, are you a Devil Fruit user too?"
Nami looked at the spread on the deck and asked curiously.
To her, only a Devil Fruit power could produce all this food.
"More or less."
Dante Voss nodded with a smile.
"Meat! Meat! Meat!"
At the sight of food, Luffy lost all restraint, rushed over, grabbed a lunch box, and flipped it open.
Aroma wafted from the box, driving the starving Luffy even wilder.
Without using utensils, he stretched his mouth wide and swallowed the meal whole.
Seeing this, the rest of the crew quickly snatched their own boxes to guard against Luffy's raids.
"Ahh… great sake!"
Zoro pulled a bottle from the crate, took an impatient swig, and his face lit up in delight.
"What kind of liquor is this? I've never tasted it before."
Zoro turned to Dante Voss and asked.
Dante Voss glanced at the two big characters on the bottle and answered, "It's Rum, a fine liquor from my hometown."
"I see."
Zoro nodded.
Dante Voss also began eating his own lunch; after a day and night of rest, he was rather hungry.
But seeing Luffy wolf down fruit after finishing his meal, Dante Voss produced five more lunch boxes and handed them to him.
"Food, food!"
Luffy's eyes sparkled as he dove for the boxes.
"Did you cook this? It's delicious."
After one bite, Sanji's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Dante Voss.
His own culinary skill was superb, yet he felt it would be hard to reach the level of this bento.
Everyone else looked at Dante Voss curiously; the lunch tasted so good they were reluctant to finish it.
"No, it was made by an Ability."
Dante Voss shook his head.
Hearing his explanation, they all nodded; after all, food this tasty was almost unthinkable.
After the meal, everyone was stuffed and contentedly sprawled across the deck.
Such a chance to eat their fill was rare these days, and the Straw Hats' opinion of Dante Voss rose even higher.
"Is there a place to bathe on your ship? I'd like to wash up."
Dante Voss asked.
Back in Mary Geoise he had lived in a dungeon, and after several days soaked in seawater, he longed for a bath.
"You can bathe in the room you're staying in—go ahead!"
Nami said kindly.
"Ahh! Nami-swan, that's your private bathroom! How can you let a man use it?"
Sanji shouted, green with envy at Dante Voss's privilege.
Not only had Dante Voss slept in Nami's bed, he was now using her bathroom—something Sanji had only dreamed of.
Ignoring Sanji's protest, Dante Voss headed straight back.
Halfway there, he remembered something and turned to Nami.
"A token of my thanks—consider it the bathing fee."
Dante Voss casually tossed a stack of million-Berry notes into Nami's hand, then leapt down into the lower cabins.
"Ahh! Berries, Berries—mine, mine!"
Nami's eyes glittered as she clutched the cash, caressing every note.
"That guy…!"
Sanji took a deep breath; he felt Dante Voss might understand Nami even better than he did.
Following Nami's directions, Dante Voss entered the bathroom and began scrubbing himself clean.
Afterward, he tossed the prison trousers out the window and from his [backpack] produced the item he had obtained earlier—the [mysterious shadow battle suit].
He had acquired this equipment some time ago.
But because he had been fighting in Mary Geoise, he had never used it; now it would serve perfectly as clothing.
[Item Name: mysterious shadow battle suit]
[Item Description: A wondrous combat suit capable of self-repair and able to change color and style at will.]
He drew the garment from his [backpack]; it was pitch-black.
A deep, fathomless black, like shadows under the night sky, exuding a cold, sharp aura.
The upper section had a short-sleeved inner shirt and a long, billowing coat.
The matching trousers were slim and straight, faintly shimmering with hidden light.
The footwear was a pair of combat boots.
The uppers were smooth yet tough, adorned with intricate dark patterns—both beautiful and mysterious.
Once he had everything on, the entire suit seemed to come alive.
It adjusted itself to Dante Voss's frame, fitting him perfectly for comfort and combat readiness.
Looking at himself in the mirror, Dante Voss nodded in satisfaction.
Though not exceptionally handsome, all his stat boosts had given him a rugged presence, and the black outfit made him stand out even more.
Fully dressed, Dante Voss took out the [bloodthirsty sword] from his backpack.
To a swordsman, a blade is life—his most important partner; even with the convenient [System backpack], he preferred to keep the sword at his side.
It gave him a greater sense of security.
He tried resting the sword at his waist, watching expectantly.
Sure enough, the [mysterious shadow battle suit] sensed his intent.
Several black threads emerged from the suit, wrapping around the [bloodthirsty sword]'s scabbard and securing it firmly in place.
Dante Voss gently grasped the hilt; the familiar feel brought him comfort.
He pushed the door open and stepped outside.
While the Straw Hats chatted and joked, they saw Dante Voss leap back onto the deck from below.