Nodding and shrugging in agreement, Bill didn't want the lively girl's last impression of him to be a stern reprimand, so while wandering around, he only offered gentle advice like "it's better not to walk too close to the edge" and other similar remarks.
"Yes," he thought, "I will definitely tell her dad about this."
After spending some time at the secret base, Bill told her that he needed to say goodbye to others, and the girl led him back on a completely different route than the one they had arrived by.
If he didn't have an excellent sense of direction, he would have been completely lost.
When they exited the cave system, Yoko followed him as he bid farewell to others.
Aside from Mayor Fabra, Chief Mitsuboshi, and the little old lady Luigia, he didn't know many others, so his trip mostly consisted of informing the island's residents that the naval patrol would soon leave the island.
This message elicited mixed reactions, but mostly he saw reluctance in people's eyes.
After all, the strong presence of the Sailors meant relative safety. There was even an abundance of food, as Captain Hina had caught three small sea kings.
After restocking their supplies, she handed over the leftovers to the island's inhabitants.
Of course, Bill himself didn't see this. Since the incident with the bounties, his relationships with the captain and other officers had become strained.
It couldn't be said that, except for Marron and the recruits from the Science Division, Bill found it any easier to communicate with the island's residents than with those men and women with whom he had survived a life-and-death situation.
On the surface, their conversations were polite, but something of a businesslike relationship had developed between them.
By the time Bill had spoken to most of the city's residents, it was already dark.
Bill: "Come on, Yoko, I'll walk you home."
Noticing the girl had grown quiet, Bill began to talk more.
He told her about Vallipo Island and archipelagos with amazing fauna. She was slightly older than him, but she too was fascinated by the Super Sparrow, large enough to carry a person and fly.
Bill didn't mention Chunchun Itomimizu or the Foxy Pirates, and just laughed, continuing to talk about what this world was like.
Hearing his stories, Yoko asked, "What about your friends?"
Bill: "Which ones? I had many! Ha-ha-ha!"
As he said this, Bill looked down to see her reaction and saw that she simply hung her head and quietly said, "I... I don't have that many."
Looking at her, Bill, without thinking, lifted her onto his shoulder effortlessly.
She squealed with delight, and he laughed, saying, "Well, I'm your friend, and if you ever need support or help, I'll always be there!"
Perhaps because she grew up on such an island, with high peaks and long views, Yoko showed no fear sitting on Bill's shoulders.
Instead, she excitedly asked, "Hey, hey, Bill! Can you take me home while flying?!"
After thinking a bit, Bill replied, "Why not?!"
And so they both took to the air. Having fully mastered the Moon Step, the girl couldn't feel that they weren't actually flying but "jumping" through the air.
Thus, although Bill deliberately slowed down, they quickly arrived at Captain Ryudo's house.
The man was sitting on the porch, and when Bill let Yoko go, she ran to her father and began to tell him about her day, omitting only her secret base.
The captain listened to her for a while, but eventually told her to wash up and go to bed as it was already nearly dark.
After Bill hugged her goodbye, only the two men remained.
Gesturing to the porch, Ryudo offered, "Want to sit for a bit?"
Following him, Bill noticed a new, larger chair and realized something.
Ryudo: "Nothing special, but thanks to you and Hina's team, I had a bit of free time."
Given Bill's height, he could still sit in a regular chair, but following Ryudo onto the porch, the extra space was very welcome.
So Bill spent the night talking with the Sailor, who reminded him of his father from a previous life.
They didn't discuss anything profound, but under the light of several moons, the night passed very quickly.
Rising with the sunrise, Bill bid farewell to Captain Ryudo, and they shook hands.
Their final exchange was Bill's words: "I'll be back when I become a captain," to which Ryudo replied, "We'll be here and waiting for you."
If Bill had known this would be his last meeting with the captain, he might have said something different. Instead, after saying goodbye, he leapt into the air and headed for the harbor.
Even though it was still early morning, the camp was already bustling.
The temporary fences had been dismantled, and the wood was used to create sturdier cages, which now occupied most of the deck on the "HINA" ship.
If it rained, these pirates would have had to suffer.
Landing on the deck, Bill saw Hina approaching him: "Glad you finally joined us, Lieutenant."
Nodding, Bill simply replied, "Thank you, Captain. "When do we set sail?"
Hina: "In an hour, we just need to conduct roll call."
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