[Cover Story – Straw Hat Serial, Part 7: "The Curious Little Cat Burglar"]
"At night, the orange-haired baby girl, who had been sleeping soundly, was startled awake by noises upstairs. Sucking her thumb, she tilted her little head, staring blankly at the faintly trembling ceiling."
...
Girls, after all, are naturally shy.
Back then—
Shiya never cared much. But Gion and Bellemere, although they had accepted each other's existence, still insisted on the principle of being alone with Nao when they were sleeping together.
And so, Nao became a master of time management.
Sometimes, it was like running three shifts in a single night:
—for example, 10 p.m. to midnight with Gion, midnight to 3 a.m. with Shia, and finally waking up in Bellemere's bed at dawn, yawning sleepily as he stepped out the door—only to find his childhood sweetheart had already prepared a hearty breakfast.
Sometimes, it was a weekly rotation. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. They would take turns every night, freely arranging the schedule. He still hadn't exhausted all the combinations.
In any case, Nao was still young, his bones were strong, and his body could handle anything.
He wasn't like some prematurely aging idiots who had no girlfriends and were already at their limit with two days of abstinence.
In short.
In a strict sense.
This night was the first time for a foursome.
It was an unprecedented experience.
Nao thought he needed to give them a psychological preparation beforehand. It would be best to write a short prologue or cover story before the main event to set the mood.
But who would have thought.
Perhaps they were too busy preparing for the wedding and hosting guests this week that they hadn't been intimate for a long time. Or perhaps they drank a little too much at the wedding banquet.
He was caught completely off guard.
The invincible Natsuya Nao had been completely put in a passive position.
…
The wedding dress slipped to the floor, like mist dissolving away.
He was pushed down firmly onto the blanket.
The little rabbit stepped atop him, her delicate jade-white foot slowly tracing along the lines of his powerful thigh.
She tossed the silvery-white tiara aside. Her silky black hair tumbled down, brushing lightly across Nao's chest and leaving a faint, lingering coolness.
Then she lay beside him, a soft smile playing on her lips as her gaze locked with Nao's. Their warm breaths mingled in the quiet space between them.
"Rear Admiral…"
Nao parted his lips, ready to speak, but the cool sensation had already drifted upward from his chest to his mouth..
…
No one knew how much time passed.
Outside, night was as dark as ink.
Inside, the room was still filled with light.
The little rabbit lay lazily in his arms, eyes soft, smiling as she traced circles on his chest with her fingertip;
Shia lay on the pillow beside him, hands cupping her cheeks, staring dreamily at his profile.
Her small bare feet dangled over the bed's edge, fidgeting like restless little deer — parting, touching, parting again.
Bell-mère, on the other hand, had no strength left to even speak.
She dragged her tired body to the washroom to wash up. Only when she came back did she have a little bit of energy.
"That's… it? We're done already?"
Noxia looked around, dissatisfied.
As if he had been ambushed by three heroes—yet before he could truly unleash his might, the enemy had already retreated.
That's outrageous!
So he flared up again, remounted his steed, charged out beyond the city gates, determined to restore his dignity as husband:
"Once more!"
Hum!
The wind sword was unsheathed.
The Azakana Sword was drawn.
Tonight, he would be like Zoro, becoming a Three-Sword Style great swordsman.
——————
By the time the sun was high, it was already noon.
When he finally woke, breakfast was long past—he went straight to enjoy the lavish lunch that Tulip had already prepared.
This was the latest Noa had ever woken up in his memory—yet also the most refreshed he had ever felt.
"Ah la~ you're glowing today."
Yukia held a jug of her homemade orange sweet wine, pouring full glasses for the three women one by one, her gaze sweeping over their faces with amused interest.
"I've always been proud of you, thinking my son was already the most remarkable of all."
Then, looking at Nao with a teasing smile:
"But now it seems… I still underestimated you."
Nao, long accustomed to his mother's style, poured himself a full glass and shrugged indifferently.
"Auntie…"
"Miss Yukika…"
The women, however, couldn't quite hide their shyness. Under the table, Bellemere even gave Yukika a discreet little kick with her toe.
"My, my, still calling me that?"
Tulip blinked mischievously, smiling wide.
Gion and Shia exchanged glances, then looked at Noa—already busy with knife and fork, eating away—before finally lowering their voices, embarrassed:
"…Mom."
"That's better."
Yukika was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling. She hummed a little tune like a fifty-year-old girl and skipped back to her seat with the wine jug.
"By the way, where's Dad?"
Noa, in excellent appetite, had already devoured a big plate of roast meat. Seeing the seat beside Yukika empty, he asked casually.
"Don't mind that idiot. Last night he got too excited, drank far more than he could handle, and let Vice Admiral Garp drink him under the table. He couldn't even walk straight, so he just collapsed in Garp's place. Probably still asleep."
"I can't be bothered to wake him…"
Yukika picked up a few pieces of broccoli and put them on little Nojiko's plate, which was already piled high with roasted meat. The little girl immediately pulled a long face.
"Oh, right—you don't have to go to work these next few days, so you can relax at home for a while, right?"
"Mm. Headquarters gave me seven days off."
Nao took a sip of the sweet wine and said lazily, "But I feel that's still not enough, so this afternoon I'm planning to stop by the Fleet Admiral's office and request another two months."
"Two months?!"
Yukika froze for a moment, then quickly realized. Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Taotu and the others: "You're planning… to go on a honeymoon trip?"
"Bingo! A mother knows her son best. As expected of my mom."
Nao snapped his fingers with a grin. "A wedding without a honeymoon is like beef stew without salt. I don't want them to have regrets."
"You're a busy man now, with high rank and heavy duties," Yukika said. "Will Fleet Admiral Kong really agree?"
"Don't worry, Mom. Remember last time, when this guy defeated the Golden Lion?"
Guin chimed in cheerfully, "Headquarters made a special exception for him—he gets two months of paid vacation every year. That's a privilege other officers can only dream of."
"And besides," Nao added, turning his gaze toward the distant horizon outside the window, "ever since graduation, I've been working nonstop — always on missions or rushing between them. I've never had a chance to travel. Now that I have a rare opportunity, it's time for me to go wherever I want and see the world."
Then he turned his head and looked at Yukika. "Mom, why don't you and Dad come along too? A family trip could be nice."
"No need for us."
Yukika spoke on behalf of the drunken man still snoring in Garp's bed, smiling as she said:
"You're newlyweds, going on your honeymoon. What would it look like if the old couple tagged along? We'd just be in the way. Besides, someone has to take care of Nojiko and Nami. We can't just leave them with Garp, can we?"
Leave them with Garp…
Nao and the three women imagined that scene in their minds. Then they all shivered and shook their heads in unison.
——————
Asking for leave went much more smoothly than Nao had expected.
In the Fleet Admiral's office, Kong first greeted him with hearty laughter and once again congratulated him on his marriage.
Before Nao could even finish explaining, Kong waved his hand grandly—doubling the original two-month leave.
That meant a full four months of honeymoon vacation.
The reasoning was blunt and simple:
First, the situation in the New World had stabilized. The Marine's three great branches had regained the initiative, the Sea Emperor had retreated into a defensive stance, and no large-scale war was likely to break out anytime soon.
Second…
The old man's mischievous grin was just like Yukika's. Normally, newlyweds get two months off. But you have three wives. A little extra effort on your part deserves a little extra time—one more month for each wife. Fair enough, right?
"You've worked hard for so long. Go enjoy yourself on the seas! Before winter comes, I don't want to see you hanging around Headquarters!"
—Those were Kong's exact words, laughing heartily as he sent Nao out the door.
——————
A honeymoon trip couldn't be just spur of the moment.
Before leaving Marineford, Nao made thorough preparations.
First, he wrapped up his current work and then requisitioned a small speedboat from the logistics department, loading it fully with fresh water and provisions.
Most importantly, he secured more than a dozen Eternal Poses.
Unlike the Blues, navigation in the Grand Line was unpredictable — currents and weather defied normal logic. Therefore, ordinary Log Poses or compasses couldn't find the correct direction in the Grand Line.
An Eternal Pose would always point to a certain island and never change.
Headquarters kept plenty in reserve, covering allied nations and key islands across the seas, allowing the Marine to respond quickly to emergencies. But the ones Nao picked? They all led to famous destinations:
For example, the Spring Queen's City, which had beautiful scenery all year round.
Spa Island, where it would rain candy beans.
The magnificent Water 7.
The Sabaody Archipelago, which had various amusement parks all over the island.
And…
Jaya Island, which was under the Knock Up Stream.
This island was not very famous.
But 400 years ago, this island was one with Skypiea. Half of it was just sent up into the sky.
For Nao, since he had a rare opportunity to travel, how could he not go and see the legendary Skypiea?
He had no intention of crossing the Calm Belt to travel the four seas. All these destinations lay along the Grand Line. With good route planning and some luck, four months would be enough to visit them all.
As for companions, the arrangement was simple.
No subordinates, no servants. Just one man, three women, a dog, and a pigeon.
His two daughters were far too young—their little bodies couldn't endure the hardships of long sea voyages—so they would stay home under the care of their grandparents. But leaving the pets stuck at Headquarters didn't seem right either, so Nao decided to bring them along.
Speaking of which—
In the past six months, Sadaharu had basically stopped growing. His development had slowed, and his attributes were about the same as the last time Nao checked.
But Little Luo, on the other hand, had continued to grow at a rapid pace. In his eagle form, his wingspan now stretched nearly two meters, and his strength had improved greatly as well:
[Name: Little Luo]
[Species: White Night Hawk (Pigeon Form)]
Strength: 6
Agility: 8
Stamina: 7
Intelligence: 7
Charm: 9
Suggested Role: Cuteness / Message Delivery
In pigeon form, he was still rather weak—about the level of a promising new recruit from Headquarters' elite training camp.
But in eagle form, it was a completely different story:
[Species: White Night Hawk (Eagle Form)]
[Species: White Night Hawk (Eagle Form)]
Strength: 15
Agility: 20
Stamina: 12
Intelligence: 7
Charm: 10
Suggested Role: Precision Strikes / Reconnaissance
...
Judging by stats alone, he was already comparable to an average Rear Admiral of Headquarters.
Although Little Luo hadn't mastered any strange special techniques like Sadaharu, his physical toughness alone was astonishing—his hardened body was like metal, and his razor-sharp eagle claws could slash through steel plates as if they were the flying sword strikes of a master swordsman.
His flying speed was even more remarkable.
Noxia tested it once—at full flight, Little Luo could reach speeds of over 600 kilometers per hour.
And he could maintain that speed with ease. Flying for a full day and night was no problem at all, far beyond anything ordinary birds of this world could compare to.
"I wonder just how far he'll evolve once he reaches full maturity."
As they boarded the boat, Nao chuckled, teasing the white pigeon perched on his shoulder.
The little fellow tilted his head affectionately, rubbing against Nao's palm. Despite his strength, he still looked just as cute and harmless as the day he hatched.
"Dad, Mom—we'll see you again in four months!"
On the speedboat's deck, he and the three women waved and laughed loudly toward the family who had come to see them off.
"Don't miss us too much—we're off!"
Sea Circle Calendar 1503, mid-May.
On a bright and sunny afternoon, the small speedboat carrying Noxia on his honeymoon officially departed from Headquarters' harbor.
Heading west.
——————
The first stop of the trip was naturally the Sabaody Archipelago.
The speedboat had left Marineford at noon and had already entered the port of the Sabaody Archipelago before dusk.
The areas from 1 to 29 of Sabaody were all lawless zones not under the control of the World Government.
Nao had experienced them when he came to rescue Emily last month. This time, he just wanted to enjoy his vacation and had no intention of going there and ruining his mood.
So, he docked at Area 35.
This was where the world-famous attraction, Sabaody Park, was located.
The park sprawled across a vast area. Everywhere you looked, there were amusement rides far ahead of their time: Ferris wheels, pirate ships, carousels…
From a distance, it looked like something out of a fairy tale kingdom floating among the clouds.
Nao walked down the street with the three women, heading toward the park entrance.
He wore a light summer outfit—simple T-shirt and shorts. His medium-length black hair was left untidy, swaying freely, and a pair of oversized mocha-tinted sunglasses covered half his face.
It was meant to avoid unnecessary trouble, but even so, plenty of girls they passed couldn't resist turning back for another glance—so distracted they nearly walked into lampposts and trees.
At the entrance, the first step was to buy tickets: 6,000 Berries per adult. Children weren't half price—just a 200-berry discount.
"What a rip-off," Nao clicked his tongue, pretending to be pained. "Too bad… otherwise, Shia could transform into a child and save me 3,000 Berries."
Shia shot him a playful glare.
Inside, the first thing they saw were rows of coin-operated kiddie rides shaped like little animals—lambs, wolf pups, and the like.
Nao lingered a moment, regretfully realizing he wouldn't hear the old jingle—"Daddy's daddy is grandpa…" The scene felt the same, yet the familiar tune was gone, leaving him oddly wistful.
"Should we start with the carousel?"
His eyes lit up at the big spinning platform just ahead, his tone suddenly excited, itching to try.
"Childish."
"Are you a kid?"
"If Nojiko were with us, then maybe."
The three women's reactions were almost identical.
Sigh, they have no childlike innocence at all. Vice Admiral Nao sighed sadly.
Reluctantly, he bypassed the carousel. With one wife on each arm, he led them instead to the attraction girls usually loved most—
The Ferris wheel.