Chapter 22: The Little Butterfly Effect
After saying that, Alvida returned to her recliner.
Cheng Lang reached out and rubbed the girl's head, brushing aside the black hair that covered her eyes.
He had to admit—there were very few ugly women in the world of One Piece when they were young. Of course, if they grew fat, it ruined everything—whether it was Alvida, Big Mom Linlin, or even the little kunoichi from Wano.
Kuya Mi's face was no longer as gaunt as when she first boarded. Now she had a soft oval face, drooping aqua-blue eyes, and a shy, forced smile that made her look almost adorable.
With her hair lifted, her cheeks flushed crimson. Still, she tried her best to meet Cheng Lang's gaze.
"Haven't you noticed you've been eating more and more lately?"
Alvida, who had just reclined, nearly slipped off her chair in shock.
Kuya Mi's face—no, her entire head—turned red, almost steaming.
"Y-yes… I'm sorry. I'll eat less next time." Her voice trembled, and she looked as if she might cry.
"Cheng Lang, you—"
Before Alvida could finish, Cheng Lang cut her off.
"Don't misunderstand. I want you both to eat more. That's how I discovered the true nature of my ability."
"How so?"
"The more food someone eats that's created by my power, the more it reflects not just their appetite—but their strength."
"?"
"I noticed it with Mi. At first, she could only handle three Cha-Cha fruits. Now she can eat nearly five. And the number keeps increasing. The same is true for you." Cheng Lang turned to Mi. "Your physical fitness is completely different from when you first boarded. Back then, you were seasick, vomiting constantly, exhausted just from cleaning a single room. But now…"
Kuya Mi thought about it. She realized she could probably clean the entire ship without much trouble.
"It's true…"
"The food I create doesn't just fill your stomachs. It restores your condition, relieves fatigue. Which means if you keep training, without worrying about rest or recovery, your progress will multiply. If you put in several times the effort of others… can you imagine how powerful you'll become?"
Kuya Mi pictured it. Her eyes grew firm.
It was true—her original goal had been to find Coby. But during her days at sea with Cheng Lang and Alvida, she had glimpsed a world she had never known. And she wanted to see more of it.
She knew she was small, insignificant. Since leaving the orphanage, she had tried many jobs, failing each time. Her timid personality made communication difficult.
If not for the occasional help from the orphanage, she might have starved on the streets.
---
So she tried her best to change herself. At that time, she thought of Coby—equally cowardly, yet struggling to grow stronger. When she learned he had gone to sea, she began studying the notes and books he had left behind. But the results were disappointing.
She was a woman, and she knew all too well the looks businessmen gave her.
Perhaps it was precisely because of her timid personality that she became skilled at reading expressions, protecting herself through observation. But those same businessmen who had no ulterior motives disliked her cautious nature.
After many twists and turns, she wandered into a tavern where pirates gathered, ready to take on shady work. She disguised herself in rustic, almost androgynous clothing to protect herself.
But even then, she hit a wall. Pirates didn't care about experience, but she was simply too frail.
Just as she was about to give up, she saw Cheng Lang and Alvida recruiting.
She had wanted to sign up eagerly at the inn, but was pushed to the outer edge of the crowd, unable to speak.
Fortunately, she had finally gathered the courage.
---
"What is your decision now?"
"I want to go to sea! I want to be a pirate." Kuya Mi's voice was firm.
Crash.
Cheng Lang saw experience orbs burst from her body again. Not as many as Alvida's, but enough.
His level rose to nine.
---
Looking at the experience bar, so close to breaking through to level ten, Cheng Lang was speechless. Only a quarter remained. He considered going to the warehouse to use up his stored XP.
But in the end, he didn't. Hunting cattle, sheep, and chickens was troublesome. And even if he slaughtered them all, it probably wouldn't be enough to fill that last quarter.
After all, leveling in this world was far harsher than in the game. Each level demanded far more.
He let it go, turned to Kuya Mi, and rubbed her head.
"Very good. Very energetic."
Alvida was pleased to see Cheng Lang had persuaded her. At the same time, she felt she had found yet another reason to stay with this man.
When Alvida realized she wasn't strong enough, her thoughts turned to how she could grow stronger. Naturally, her first thought was a Devil Fruit—the secret treasures of the sea. Her current ability made her immune to physical attacks, but it was passive. She was ready to actively develop it.
As for physical strength?
She had to admit: women's strength had limits, and improvement wouldn't come overnight.
But things were different now.
Even ordinary people could have a promising future—if they followed Cheng Lang.
---
Cheng Lang and the others had already made their decision.
On the far side of the island, near the reef, in a sunken cave, Jango stepped backward out of his hiding place of the past few days.
"In that case, I'll return to the Black Cat Pirates. Captain Kuro, we'll arrive early tomorrow morning."
"I told you not to call me that name. My name is Klahadore now, and I'm Miss Kaya's butler." Kuro pushed his glasses with his palm. "I look forward to tomorrow."
Jango lowered the brim of his hat, said nothing, and boarded his boat.
Perhaps because of Cheng Lang's presence, Usopp never noticed any of this.
At that moment, Usopp was perched in a tree, telling Kaya about the day's adventures—boasting about a giant goldfish whose droppings were as large as a continent.
Meanwhile, Luffy and the others were already gathered at the village entrance.
---
"Luffy, if you really want to go to the Grand Line, you need a big ship. But don't forget—the five million berries you had went to the villagers of Orange Town! You're penniless now!" Nami scolded.
Luffy leaned back, hands behind his head.
"Even with five million, I couldn't buy a decent ship."
"Well… true. But what if we ask the lady here for help? Maybe she'll give us a ship?" Luffy grinned.
Nami pressed her palm to her forehead.
She had met him in Orange Town, and she could already tell—Luffy was kind. That was the only reason she followed him. If he were an ordinary pirate, she would have stolen his treasure and fled long ago.
Zoro chuckled at the idea.
"Maybe it's possible. Usopp's in there now, right? They seem close. He might agree."
"Want to go check?" Luffy asked.
Zoro stood immediately.
Nami rolled her eyes.
Do these two even know what propriety is?
"Haven't you thought of any other way?"
"Oh? Nami, do you have a plan?"
"That Alvida woman was once a pirate, wasn't she?"
"Yeah."
"They're not pirates anymore. Why not just buy their ship?" Nami's eyes gleamed with a profiteer's spark. Bargaining was her specialty.
Looking at the three of them, she thought: aside from Alvida, the others seemed easy to fool. Especially Cheng Lang—he looked like a fat sheep ready for shearing.
After all, he had paid the restaurant bill without even asking for change. He had to be rich.
And with Alvida's connection to Luffy, maybe she could be persuaded emotionally.
"Of course, let's agree in advance—I'll front the money, but you'll pay me back later." Nami smiled sweetly.
Luffy hesitated.
"Maybe… that's not good."
Nami blinked. What? You shamelessly asked a stranger for a ship, but now you're embarrassed with people you actually know?
Zoro, however, nodded in sync with Luffy.
"It does feel inappropriate."
"Huh? They don't plan to be pirates anymore, so why keep a pirate ship? And if they're heading to Branch 153 to find Coby, we could just travel together." Nami insisted.
She wasn't wrong. Selling a pirate ship in the East Blue was difficult. Buyers were scarce.
If you weren't a pirate, the price dropped drastically.
If you sold to a ship dealer, they'd discount it further once they learned it was a pirate ship.
And if you dealt with traffickers, they might report you to the Navy—costing you both the ship and your freedom.
It happened often in the East Blue.
"Besides, they only said they might quit piracy. What if they were just talking? And didn't Cheng Lang