Klein spoke with heartfelt sincerity:
"If you're strong enough to bring your mother the gold and treasure she loves, she'll adore you for it!"
"If you're strong enough, it won't be me saying you're my son—you'll get to choose who calls you Dad!"
"If you're strong enough, your father will keep you by his side to help him achieve his dream... and pass on to you the kingship of Elbaf!"
"·····"
Loki was still young and had never received proper guidance—practically a blank slate.
Klein's words struck him hard. He muttered,
"It's all because I'm too weak..."
"I—I want to get stronger!!"
Sitting on his shoulder, Klein patted him encouragingly.
"I'll teach you how to grow strong. When it's time to train, we train. But when it's time to play, you'd better play to your heart's content!"
After all...
Loki was still just a four-year-old child.
"From now on, no more wrapping your face in bandages. And if you must, at least do it stylishly!"
"God gave you these unique eyes, so use them to take in the beauty of the sea."
Just like that one mental hospital protagonist, who wrapped his eyes in black satin.
Not like Loki, who sloppily wound a few loops of bandages around his head, making people mistake him for a blind man or someone with a serious eye disease.
On the ship's dining deck.
Loki's sheer size alone already made him a problem—and now, they had yet another glutton onboard.
He was shoveling food into his mouth like a machine.
Normal-sized burgers looked smaller than fingernails in Loki's hands. He could down one in a single bite.
"So yummieeee!" he exclaimed. This was his first time tasting human cuisine.
Os walked out from the kitchen, wiping sweat from his brow with a bitter smile.
"Mr. Klein, the ship's chefs are swinging their spatulas so fast they're about to burst into flames!"
"They just can't keep up with how fast everyone is eating."
It wasn't just Loki—Charlotte Linlin, Whitebeard Newgate, and Klein himself were all monsters in their own right.
Just one meal consumed as much food as a normal ship crew would eat in an entire day.
Fortunately, Klein had his Scroll-Scroll Fruit to store food in advance. Otherwise, stocking provisions for the voyage would've been a nightmare.
"Alright, everyone, eat a little slower. When we pass by the next island, we'll hire a few more cooks."
Klein glanced at the table full of bottomless stomachs.
He added to Os,
"Make sure you write all this down. When we get back, submit the expenses to the Vice Admiral."
Official business meals!
That's the privilege of being a Marine.
After dinner.
When Klein returned to his room, he was met with the sight of a voluptuous silhouette sprawled across the bed.
"Klein-sama, um..." Gloriosa's cheeks were flushed, her breathing unsteady.
"I just came to see if Charlotte was here..."
"She said she wanted to sleep with you."
She sprang up hurriedly.
But in the next second, her eyes widened as Klein tackled her onto the bed.
"A duck delivered to the door—how could I possibly let you fly away?"
Fwoosh—
Gloriosa's face lit up like wildfire.
Half struggling, half yielding... she offered her first blood.
Her graceful throat began singing a high-pitched, soul-stirring tune that would ignite the blood of any man.
A sleepless night.
By the time dawn broke, Gloriosa had melted into a puddle of jelly, her whole body limp, like her bones had disintegrated.
Despite the battle lasting all night, Klein was fresh-faced and brimming with joy.
'Well, I've definitely got it better than most transmigrators. I mean, imagine still being a virgin after beating the final world boss—what's the point then!?'
'Why even transmigrate at all? Might as well apply to a screw factory and get on the assembly line!'
His mood soared as morning came.
The world of pirates really is the best!
With his multiple talents, gamer's physique, and advancement bonuses, his stamina was practically inhuman.
Aokiji and Akainu fought for ten days and nights without a break—that was while fighting.
If it wasn't combat?
Klein felt like he could go for a month or two without stepping out of his room. Even walking out with help wasn't happening.
His waist was more terrifying than steel.
Gloriosa could confirm that firsthand.
"Haha..." Klein chuckled and recalled an old saying from his past life,
"They used to say: 'There are only tired bulls, never broken fields.' And if you lasted 3 minutes, that was considered normal."
"But in the One Piece world? 3 minutes is like 3 seconds."
This kind of experience? He'd never had anything like it in his old world.
A skinny weakling? Not anymore—he was a walking machine!
Klein thought with glee,
'Once I'm done enjoying the system, it's time to let my readers enjoy too!'
After a refreshing bath, he stepped out feeling great.
Gloriosa, on the other hand, still hadn't recovered.
Her brain was swimming—her consciousness spent the entire night drifting in the "Heavenly Palace above the clouds," with fireworks going off non-stop in her mind.
Crackling, popping, all night long.
Meanwhile, in another room...
Shakky hadn't slept a wink either. She sat silently, puffing on a cigarette.
"Snake Princess-sama has fallen completely in love..."
Puff—
"In the future... maybe I'll have to take over as Queen of Amazon Lily."
Her eyes were dark with fatigue, red veins still visible in her usually sharp gaze.
Gloriosa hadn't returned all night. On this ship—where else could she have gone?
Where else, really?
To Shakky, that night felt like an eternity.
She had finally learned what it meant to feel like a day stretched into a year.
Half a month later.
Marine G-14 Base.
A Marine guard holding a giant telescope turned pale with shock.
"Massive—it's a massive ship!!"
"Quick, report to the Vice Admiral!"
Inside the base commander's office, Krotos was dozing off with his legs propped up, a snot bubble expanding and contracting with each breath.
Bang—!
The door slammed open, popping the snot bubble with a loud splat.
"Vice Admiral Krotos! A massive ship has been sighted approaching the base!"
Krotos sprang to his feet.
"A massive ship?! What pirate dares attack a Marine base?! Tired of living, are they!?"
He threw on his Justice cloak and strode toward the port, where the gigantic ship had already docked.
One of his soldiers came up to report:
"Vice Admiral Krotos, it was a misunderstanding. That ship belongs to Rear Admiral Klein..."
"...?"
A huge question mark floated over Krotos' head. He stared at the colossal vessel in disbelief.
"Good grief... How much money must that have cost?!"
The ship was several times bigger than even the highest-grade Marine battleships.
"Let's go find out."
He turned to his adjutant,
"Also, go prepare a banquet. Last time, Klein saved my life—I still owe him a proper thank-you."
But at the same time, Krotos winced a little.
That 100 million Beli payment would have to be handed over soon...
One hundred million!
How long would it take him to save up that much on his salary?
At the port.
Marines gathered in awe, gasping at the enormous ship. It was the first time many had seen anything like it—with paddle arms that could move, talk, and even emote.
The moment the door opened—
What shocked them even more were the appearances of Loki and Charlotte Linlin!
Cries of disbelief erupted like a wave.
If Klein hadn't been sitting on Loki's shoulder, these Marines would've probably drawn their weapons on sight.
The horns on his head, the demonic legs, those terrifying eyes—like the devil himself was staring straight at them.
Just looking at him made their skin crawl.
The sheer pressure of his appearance alone was enough to make normal Marines feel like they were suffocating.
But...
The moment they saw Gloriosa and Shakky, all that fear vanished.
Their hearts bloomed pink as if spring had come.
Every last one of them wore the same dumb lovestruck face.
"Hsss—" Vice Admiral Krotos sucked in a breath. His pupils trembled.
"Where the hell did Klein find these people... Those horns... those eyes..."
"Even I felt like prey under the gaze of a predator."
He muttered to himself,
"What the hell has Klein been doing out at sea? Where did he find these monsters?"
Then his eyes shifted—and landed on the 'Charlotte' standing behind Loki.
His pupils shrank to pinpricks.
"Lin—"
"Vice Admiral Krotos!" Klein appeared beside him.
"Got that money ready for me?"
Krotos frowned.
'That person looks just like Linlin… but he's male?'
He was completely confused.
Klein casually slung an arm around his shoulder.
"His name's Charlotte. Anyone with eyes can see he's a man. How could he possibly be Linlin, right?"
"Vice Admiral Krotos!"
Klein's grip tightened slightly. Krotos snapped back to reality and forced a stiff smile.
"Y-Yes, yes! He's Charlotte!"
"Now we're talking."
Klein gave his shoulder a hearty slap.