After attending a lively banquet in Cocoyasi Village, Sherwin didn't rush to leave.
There were more than twenty villages scattered across the Conomi Islands. Unless Sherwin ignored everything and simply sprinted through them as fast as possible, it would take him at least a few days just to finish uncovering the map.
As for accommodation... Although Ajian and Boint both earnestly invited him to stay, Sherwin still declined all of them and instead moved into Arlong Park with the cats.
"Admiral~ Pet me, meow~"
"Sherwin-nii, Klee wants pets too, meow!"
"Uuuuuhhhh…"
"…Want some booze, meow?"
"Sanji still a kid! Don't give him alcohol!" Sherwin bonked Seijuro Meow, who didn't act like a proper adult cat at all, and snatched the wine flask from his paw.
"You're not allowed either! You reek of booze! Aren't you afraid you'll stink up Klee?!"
Sherwin picked up the little black cat and brought him close to his nose for a sniff…
"Nope. You need a bath."
"T-That won't be necessary, right? I can just go sleep in another room, meow." Seijuro Meow squirmed, trying to wriggle free from Sherwin grasp and make a run for it.
But how could someone like Sherwin—who had bathed countless kittens at rescue shelters—possibly let him escape that easily?
Sherwin ten fingers were like iron clamps, gripping tightly under Seijuro Meow armpits. No matter how much he twisted and turned, it was useless.
Felynes were physically much stronger than ordinary cats, so Sherwin didn't need to worry about hurting Seijuro Meow by holding him too tightly.
Next, he tucked Seijuro Meow under his arm, locking him firmly in place with his armpit and elbow. Then, he turned his head and looked at the other three cats…
Although Felynes, like ordinary cats, also groom themselves by licking their fur, they had other things to do during the day. As a result, they didn't groom as often or as thoroughly as normal cats. Plus, since they usually wore clothes, there wasn't much need for constant grooming anyway.
Sherwin had been treating them like regular cats up until now, but thinking about it again, that was a bit careless.
Sherwin first turned his gaze to Sanji Meow…
The little yellow cat was still sulking and biting his own tail like a scorned wife, completely ignoring Sherwin.
But since Sanji Meow liked swimming and, being a chef, paid extra attention to personal hygiene compared to most cats, Sherwin figured he could skip him.
Next, Sherwin looked over at Huamei Meow…
Huamei Meow was still lying obediently on the bed in the same pose as before, but the constant flicking of her tail betrayed her inner restlessness. She clearly wasn't as calm as she appeared.
Still, Huamei Meow had only just been summoned today, which meant she'd theoretically been "refreshed." Since she hadn't had any alcohol either, there wasn't any urgency to bathe her.
As for Klee Meow… well, little ragdolls weren't fond of water to begin with. And ever since eating a Devil Fruit, she had the perfect excuse.
But she'd been summoned for quite some time already and was always tinkering with her little gadgets, which meant she was bound to pick up dust and grime. So yes—she definitely needed a bath.
Sherwin turned his gaze from Huamei Meow to Klee Meow…
Huh? The little ragdoll who had been rolling on the bed just a second ago—where did she go?
Without hesitation, Sherwin activated Observation Haki and quickly dragged Klee Meow out from under the bed, where she had somehow snuck away.
"Klee doesn't wanna take a bath, meow!" The little ragdoll didn't resist after being caught. Instead, she rubbed against Sherwin hand in a fawning gesture while whining,
"After Sherwin-nii gave me that fruit, every time I soak in water, I feel all weak… Klee doesn't like that, meow~"
(=ω=)
"Relax, we won't be using seawater for your bath. You won't lose all your strength."
In "work mode," Sherwin was immune to charm skills. He firmly tucked Klee Meow under his other arm and marched toward the bathroom with both cats in tow…
Although Sherwin had no idea why a bunch of Fishmen had a bathroom installed in their own lair, it was definitely a good thing—it made bathing the cats much more convenient.
"W-Wait a minute! Even if Klee just a kitten, it still not appropriate for her to bathe with me, right?" Seijuro Meow was still resisting with all his might.
"Don't worry, I'll prepare two basins."
Sherwin gave him a faint smile—but in Seijuro Meow eyes, that smile was like that of a demon.
Meanwhile, Klee Meow, who had been obediently tucked under Sherwin arm this whole time, was actually rolling her fiery red eyes around, desperately trying to think of a way to escape this "crisis."
"That it, meow!"
The little ragdoll eyes suddenly lit up. She wriggled lightly—not to run away, but just enough to draw Sherwin attention…
"Sherwin-nii! Klee actually doesn't need a bath, meow! Put me down and I'll prove it to you, meow!"
Seeing that Klee Meow didn't seem like she was trying to make a run for it, Sherwin considered it for a moment, then really did loosen his arm and set her down on the floor.
Then, both Sherwin and Seijuro Meow watched as Klee Meow was suddenly wrapped in a layer of flames… No—that wasn't quite right. More accurately, Klee Meow herself turned into flames.
A moment later, the fire retracted. The little ragdoll gave her fur a quick shake, then planted her paws on her hips and tilted her chin up proudly as she declared to Sherwin, "Klee is super clean now! No need for a bath, meow!"
(=`=)
Sherwin hadn't expected Klee Meow to use the powers of the Flame-Flame Fruit to give herself a "fire bath"...
He vaguely remembered scenes of Logia-type Devil Fruit users taking baths, so his instinct had been to think that Klee Meow still needed one too.
But in truth, if a Logia user wanted, they could easily handle personal hygiene just by elementalizing. Taking a bath was more of a luxury, a way to enjoy the process.
But in the case of a cat who hated water, well—elementalizing was obviously far more efficient.
"Alright then. Since that the case, go play with Sanji and Big Sister Huamei. Once I finish bathing Seijuro, I'll come back and brush your fur."
Sherwin didn't necessarily have to give Klee Meow a bath—since her body was already clean, there was no need to force the little ragdoll into something she didn't like.
At this moment, Klee Meow didn't even bother clinging to Sherwin anymore. Before he had even finished speaking, she had already dashed off on her little legs and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Seijuro Meow: "..."
"Lord Sherwin, please be sure to help me find a Logia-type Fruit in the future, meow!" The resigned samurai cat no longer struggled, but instead made a request to Sherwin. "I will serve you diligently and accumulate enough merit to trade for that Fruit, meow!"
"If I come across a Logia Fruit in the future, I'll find a way to get it for you." Sherwin smiled and rubbed Seijuro Meow cat head as he said, "As for merit and all that—forget it. We don't really go by that."
After a pause, he added, "But when it comes to Fruits, I'll still prioritize Huamei. Her strength isn't great, and she doesn't have your talent for combat, so she needs a powerful Fruit more than you to ensure her safety."
"As it should be, meow."
No matter how much he hated bathing, Seijuro Meow wouldn't put his own comfort above a comrade safety. He nodded without hesitation, his expression returning to its usual calm.
However, that look didn't last long because...
"Oh, we're here."
Sherwin, carrying Seijuro Meow under his arm, walked into the bathroom.
"Lord Sherwin, actually, I could still spend a little time grooming myself with my tongue, meow…" Seijuro Meow voice trembled slightly as he watched the water level in the tub steadily rise.
"With your booze-soaked tongue? Licking yourself would be no different from not licking at all." Sherwin wasn't about to be fooled.
As he tugged at the little black cat clothes, he exposed him mercilessly. "And with the way you never stop once you start training, I don't believe for a second you'd waste time grooming yourself!"
Since Seijuro Meow wasn't exactly cooperative, Sherwin had to put in quite a bit of effort to get all the little black cat clothes off. Then he picked him up and prepared to place him in the tub.
"I can brush my teeth first, meow! Lord Sherwin, you can supervise me too, meow!"
"Quit the nonsense! Get in there already!"
"Meow-aaargh—!"
(=`Д=)
The moment he touched the water, Seijuro Meow instinctively tried to leap out, only to be swiftly and decisively pressed back down by the experienced Sherwin.
And after pushing him back in, Sherwin didn't let go. One hand held Seijuro Meow chin, while the other pressed down on the little black cat back, keeping everything except his head submerged in the water.
"Meow-aaargh—! Meow-aaargh—! Meow-aaargh—!"
Powerless to resist, Seijuro Meow could only flail his limbs uselessly in the water while letting out pitiful howls of protest.
It wasn't until he gradually calmed down that Sherwin finally started washing his body properly.
Although Seijuro Meow no longer struggled, the feeling of being submerged in water was deeply unsettling for a cat.
Especially when Sherwin lifted his limbs and made it impossible for him to maintain balance—every time that happened, Seijuro Meow couldn't help but let out another couple of howls.
"Good thing Klee doesn't have to take a bath, meow!" The little ragdoll, who had already snuck back to her room, patted her chest in relief when she heard the wailing from the direction of the bathroom.
Then a worried look appeared on her face. "Seijuro-nii is crying out so miserably, meow… Sherwin-nii didn't hit him, did he?"
Huamei Meow flicked her tail uneasily, but in order to maintain her majestic Shining Scarlet Tiger demeanor in front of Klee Meow and Sanji Meow, she forced herself to remain calm and said, "It just a bath. There no way the Admiral would hit Seijuro. He just overreacting, meow."
Sanji Meow, thinking that Huamei Meow was one of the few cats like him who weren't afraid of water, stopped biting his tail, came closer, and chimed in,
"Exactly, exactly! What there to fear about water, meow? Seijuro not a little kid like Klee—so useless, meow!"
Feeling slightly offended, Huamei Meow: "..."