OPTC Chapter 212 The Strange Death of a Warlord
The bright moon hung in the sky, stars glittered faintly, but their light still couldn't pierce through the thick fog.
A small figure crept out of the cabin of the Amber. She wore a white blouse, a red short skirt, and long black-and-white striped socks. Her hair was tied into twin tails with a tiny princess crown resting on her head. On her back she carried a little bundle. A pair of red leather shoes weren't on her feet, but slung at her side, probably to avoid making noise while walking.
"Perona? Why are you out here instead of sleeping?" A voice drifted down from above. Ye Yan was sitting by the little garden near the mainmast, sketching new clothing designs.
Perona jumped in fright and turned stiffly. "Why are you here?!"
"Of course I'm on night watch. And while I'm at it, I'm sketching my next creation. Got too many ideas lately, can't decide which one to go with." Ye Yan showed her his drawings, then asked, "And you?"
"I… I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk." Perona stammered. Of all people to be on guard duty, why did it have to be the one she feared most?
Ye Yan glanced at her flustered expression and the bundle on her back. His lifeless eyes bored into hers as he asked, "Really?"
"O-of course! Hehe… heheh…" Perona forced a laugh, looking away.
Ye Yan rested his chin on his hand. "Since you can't sleep, why don't you recite the Elementary School Rules for me?"
Perona nearly screamed. "Why do you want me to memorize that too?!"
Ye Yan spread his hands. "Boss's orders. To make sure you study, any of us can check you at any time."
Perona glanced nervously at the drum beside him and whispered, "First, study well and improve every day. Second… second…"
She fumbled for a long time, then her mouth trembled and her eyes began to fill with tears.
"Alright, alright, that's enough. Don't cry, I won't punish you." Ye Yan sighed, already feeling helpless before this crybaby. "So, do you want to go back to sleep, or stay here to study?"
"I'll stay here!" Perona clenched her resolve. Tomorrow they would set sail. If she didn't escape now, it would be too late. All she had to do was wait for this drum-beater to fall asleep, then she could slip away.
Ye Yan seemed to see right through her thoughts but only said casually, "Suit yourself."
And so, he returned to sketching designs while Perona stared with wide eyes, pretending to study but really just waiting for Ye Yan to doze off.
An hour later.
Ye Yan put down his pen and began striking poses to test his designs.
Meanwhile, Perona's eyelids grew heavier and heavier. She shook her head furiously to stay awake. "No… I can't fall asleep…"
But soon her head was bobbing.
Another half hour passed.
Ye Yan finally scooped up the girl, now fast asleep on the table, and carried her back to her room. He removed her shoes and bundle, tucked her under the blanket, and seeing her frown in her sleep, slipped a pillow into her arms.
Perona turned and hugged the pillow tightly, her brow relaxing as she murmured softly, "Kumashi…"
Ye Yan closed the door quietly. "Good night."
…
The next morning, Perona woke with a start. Looking out the window, she saw the scenery retreating into the distance and rushed outside in panic.
On deck, everyone was busy. Shark Chili was at the helm of navigation, Artoria steered the ship, while Rui Meng Meng and Brook managed the sails.
Zhang Da Ye stood beside Shark Chili, hoping to learn some sailing so he could take over shifts in the future, just as Rui Meng Meng occasionally helped Artoria with steering.
Tom, after finishing breakfast, was back in a deck chair snoring. As a cat with habits much like a human's, he wanted to sleep at night like people—but also to nap during the day like cats, unless something tasty or interesting came along.
Ye Yan, as usual, had left a few glowing flags to guard the ship before going back to bed.
By the time Perona reached the deck, she saw the crew navigating carefully through the mist. Behind them, the massive silhouette of the Thriller Bark grew smaller, then finally disappeared into the fog.
"Why did we suddenly set sail?" Perona was confused. She had been waiting for Ye Yan to fall asleep—had she really dozed off first?
"You're awake? We planned to set sail today. When Meng Meng came to wake you, you were sleeping so soundly she didn't disturb you," Zhang Da Ye explained.
He figured that with the people who had left yesterday spreading news, the World Government would soon send someone to investigate. Better to get far away before then.
As for the plan to farm resources on Thriller Bark, that would have to wait until the storm blew over. They also lacked enough hands to handle repairs and sailing. Unless they forced Tom to be a laborer, which was just too cruel.
"Ye Yan told me you stayed up late studying the rules?" Zhang Da Ye teased. Of course Ye Yan had told him the truth, but like him, he saw no need to expose it. "Your effort is commendable, but children shouldn't stay up late. You won't grow tall. Now go eat—your breakfast is waiting: sandwiches and hot cocoa, your favorite."
"Uu…" Perona turned away, watching until Thriller Bark's shadow was completely gone. Then she trudged to the dining hall, spiritless. The food was nice, but… did this mean she had to live here from now on?
"Boss Da Ye, will she be alright like this?" Shark Chili asked worriedly.
"When I started preschool, I cried for days too. She's just a kid. Spend time with her, play some games, and she'll get used to it."
Zhang Da Ye glanced at the lazily rolling Tom and thought, Even if nothing else works, with Tom around, how could there ever be a lack of fun?
The weather favored them that day. The seas were calm, and once they got used to sailing in the fog, their journey became smoother. By afternoon, they had left the Devil's Triangle.
A News Bird circled overhead before landing on the lookout's window.
Rui Meng Meng, who had just taken her turn as lookout, opened the window, dropped a coin into the bird's money box, and received the newspaper.
A few moments later, she leapt down from the watchtower. "Boss! Moria's news is on the papers!"
They were actually late to hear it—thanks to Morgans' tireless promotion, this kind of huge headline had already spread across all four seas that morning.
Everywhere, people stared in shock at the bold headline:
"Warlord of the Sea, Gecko Moria, Dies Under Mysterious Circumstances – The Reason Will Shock You!"
…
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