"Don't worry, I understand the Hunter Association's rules too."
Luke chuckled, easily catching the hidden meaning in the red-nosed captain's tone.
"So let's not drink, let's just have some plain water instead."
After saying that, he waved over to a nearby sailor who was watching curiously.
"Hey, bring us two big cups of drinking water."
"Oh, right up."
The sailor was startled at first, instinctively looking at the captain.
When he realized his captain hadn't said anything, he scratched his head and walked into the cabin.
A moment later, he returned with two full buckets of drinking water.
This is just ordinary drinking water... the red-nosed captain looked at the cup in his hand, then at Luke, and fell silent again.
He wasn't sure what Luke meant.
He couldn't really drink this stuff with peanuts, could he?
That would be too boring...
"Come, try it."
Suddenly, a hand appeared in front of the red-nosed captain.
Luke grabbed some peanuts and stuffed them into the red-nosed captain's hand.
"A mouthful of peanuts, a sip of water. This is definitely something extraordinary."
Luke said this to the red-nosed captain with a hint of meaning.
Peanuts and water... No matter how unusual it is, there's nothing extraordinary about the flavor, right?
The red-nosed captain was a little confused.
But since Luke had said so, and was looking at him with such a smile, he couldn't help but pick up a peanut and put it in his mouth, then took a sip of water to moisten his throat.
"Regarding the matter of Ging Freecss, I can only say... Um...?"
The red-nosed captain chewed for a moment, then suddenly froze.
The flavor that blossomed on his tongue made him savor it again, somewhat stunned.
That's right, this kind of flavor... he first glanced at the drinking water in his hand, then quickly glanced at the peanuts.
Then he suddenly looked up at Luke with a mixture of shock and disbelief.
"Captain, go on..."
Luke glanced at the peanuts again, then the corner of his mouth slowly curled up.
"What's going on about Ging Freecss?"
"Ah..."
The red-nosed captain paused, then immediately understood.
"Ahem."
He clenched his fist, brought it to his lips, and coughed twice. Then, with a serious expression, he spoke to Luke.
"He's a very good professional hunter; there's no need for me to elaborate on this part."
The red-nosed captain assumed a businesslike manner while chewing another peanut with crisp crunches as he continued: "It all started when he was just a boy..."
"Every year, I would sail this ship and stop at the various registration points to ferry applicants to the hunter exam site."
He deliberately acted as if his throat were dry, then lifted the cup of water and took another sip.
"... I don't remember when it began, but whenever I sailed past Whale Island."
"There would always be a figure at the port, watching my ship from afar."
"Later, I found out that the figure was a boy... Phew!!"
The red-nosed captain took another gulp of water, then let out a deeply satisfied sigh, the kind that only came after a truly refreshing drink.
He looked completely drunk on pleasure.
The sailor who had brought the water: "...?"
"I could've sworn that it was just regular water... Straight from the barrel..."
He scratched his head while staring in confusion.
So why did the captain now look like he was drinking liquor?!!
"When that boy finally boarded the ship, I learned his name was Ging Freecss..."
The red-nosed captain seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.
He ate the peanuts, gulped the water, and felt wonderfully relaxed.
The peanuts Luke had brought were simply divine.
In fact, they were almost indescribably miraculous!!!
Well, of course they were, because they were the magical drinking snack.
Invention: Fine Sake Snacks
Origin: Doraemon World — Future Tech Company
Function: A small gourd-shaped snack resembling a peanut. After eating it, drinking ordinary water will feel like drinking alcohol.
The item's origin comes from the legend of the Filial Son of Yōrō from the Ten Moral Lessons in Japan.
The tale takes place in Yōrō, an area in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, famous for its Yōrō Waterfall.
It tells of a devoted son who worked tirelessly to care for his elderly, poor parents.
One day, while fetching water from the mountain, he miraculously found that the waterfall's water had turned into sake, a heavenly reward for his deep filial devotion.
When he brought the sake to his father, the father, tasting it, was so moved that tears of joy fell, and the story spread far and wide as a symbol of filial piety rewarded by Heaven.
In other words, this was a miraculous snack capable of turning water into wine.
For the red-nosed captain, this was his first time eating such an appetizer and drinking such water.
Unable to resist, he drank merrily and heartily.
Well, after all, he was only drinking water drawn by the sailors; it wasn't against Hunter Association regulations!
In his high spirits, the red-nosed captain began to spill everything he knew about Ging Freecss, every rumor, every memory, and every story.
"You don't know, huh? When Ging Freecss was a kid..."
"Mm, I'm not sure if it's true or not, but everyone on Whale Island says so..."
"I also heard some residents of Whale Island talking about Ging Freecss's reputation and what they think of him..."
"Hey! The water's gone!! Hurry up and get me some more! Can't you see I'm talking so much that my throat is going dry?!!"
He slammed the table impatiently and shouted loudly.
The red-nosed captain truly spoke without reservation, saying everything that came to mind.
Fueled by the magical snack and good company, he told Luke everything he knew.
Meanwhile, the sailors around could only exchange puzzled looks.
That expression... That behavior…
It was exactly like someone who was drunk!
But when they went up to fetch his cup and sniffed it, neither the cup nor the water had any trace of alcohol.
Yet their captain..
"Burp."
The red-nosed captain burped.
The strong odor made the sailor stumble.
No, could drinking water actually make you drunk?!
The sailor couldn't make sense of it, but he still obediently followed orders and fetched more water.
Fearing the captain might not drink his fill, they even brought over a full barrel of water and set it beside the two men.
The red-nosed captain kept drinking happily, while Luke quietly took mental notes of everything he heard about Ging Freecss.
Thus, their voyage across the sea passed pleasantly, filled with talk and laughter, and soon neared its end.