23 Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Adrian, Please Get Stronger Soon

One master bedroom, two guest bedrooms, one bathroom, and a storage room – that was the layout of the second floor of the tavern.

Adrian and Tom shared the master bedroom, while Artoria was given the adjacent guest bedroom.

Although it was called a guest bedroom, in reality, its size wasn't much smaller at all. Moreover, Artoria didn't seem to have any specific requirements in that regard.

Adrian had only prepared a bed and some toiletries for her. He secretly thought to himself, "The king didn't even bring her own blanket."

"I have a feeling, Adrian, that you're thinking of something impolite."

"Absolutely not! Goodnight, Artoria." Adrian fled the scene.

Artoria blinked and began arranging her bed.

Upon returning to the room, Tom was busy curling up and adjusting himself in his little nest. Eventually, he settled into a comfortable position.

"Goodnight, Tom."

Tom waved his paw as a response.

"It's been quite a fulfilling day." Adrian turned off the lights and closed his eyes.

...

Early the next morning, Tom stepped out of the tavern's entrance. He looked left and right, suddenly revealing a smile. He took the newspaper from the mailbox and grabbed two bottles of milk from the doorstep, then brought them back inside the tavern.

The milk had been ordered the previous day; it would be delivered every morning.

As for the newspaper, one had to put enough coins in the mailbox every evening. The next morning, a news seagull would take the coins and deliver the corresponding number of newspapers, even providing change if necessary.

Tom placed the newspaper and milk on the table, then turned to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

At this time, both Adrian and Artoria came downstairs one after the other and sat at the table.

Adrian picked up the latest issue of the newspaper, while Artoria grabbed one from the past – there were over three hundred issues, and she seemed to be reading them just from the headlines.

[Sun Pirates Executive Arlong Captured, Reveals Fisher Tiger's Death!]

Several days ago, Sun Pirates executive Arlong attacked a naval vessel and was captured by Vice Admiral Borsalino. After interrogation, it was revealed that Arlong's actions were a retaliatory act aimed at avenging Fisher Tiger.

According to Arlong, former captain of the Sun Pirates, Fisher Tiger, was ambushed by the Marines and suffered severe injuries. He managed to escape but died due to excessive blood loss after humans refused to give him blood transfusions.

Fake news, Adrian concluded. Well, not entirely fake news, but rather, Arlong was lying.

Fisher Tiger had refused to accept human blood. He harbored an intense hatred for humans and would rather die than accept their blood. However, he didn't want his hatred to extend to other fish-men because of him. Thus, he had requested the Sun Pirates' crew to conceal the truth.

Clearly, Arlong didn't understand Fisher Tiger's reasoning and instead fabricated a reason that would incite even greater anger among fish-men.

Discrimination and hatred were issues that couldn't be easily resolved.

Speaking of which, after this incident, Kizaru was likely to be promoted to Admiral, right? Capturing Arlong and bringing news of Fisher Tiger's death back could be considered a significant achievement for the Celestial Dragons and the World Government.

"Meow?" Tom came out with a plate, reminding the two readers that it was time to eat.

Two slices of toast, with lettuce and ham in between, and sometimes filled with meat and tomatoes. Each was evenly spread with either ketchup or salad dressing. Simple ingredients resulted in various combinations and flavors, each cut into a triangle and neatly arranged on a large plate even bigger than Tom.

Adrian and Artoria enjoyed their breakfast while chatting about various topics. Tom watched them eat, occasionally swiping at the toast crusts on their plates.

"It's a nice day today." Adrian looked out of the window.

Artoria nodded in agreement. "Indeed, the weather is quite pleasant."

After breakfast, they headed outside for a stroll. The town was bustling with activity, and Adrian took this opportunity to explore and familiarize himself with the surroundings.

Artoria, who was still adapting to this new world, was quite curious about everything she saw. She asked Adrian about various things, and he tried his best to explain, although he often found himself relying on the information he had gathered from the "One Piece" story.

As they walked, they passed by various shops, stalls, and other sights. Adrian noticed a bookstore that seemed to have a wide variety of books on its shelves. He made a mental note to check it out later.

They also walked by a training ground where a group of people were practicing swordsmanship. Artoria's eyes lit up when she saw this. "Adrian, would you mind if I join them for a bit?"

Adrian smiled. "Of course not, Artoria. Feel free to join in if you're interested."

Artoria stepped forward and observed the training for a moment before approaching the instructor. She engaged in a friendly conversation and soon found herself practicing alongside the group. Adrian watched from the side, impressed by her quick adaptability.

As they continued their stroll, they eventually found themselves near the harbor. Adrian gazed out at the sea, lost in thought. He wondered about the world beyond, the mysteries that awaited him, and the adventures he would experience alongside Artoria and Tom.

"Adrian, is something on your mind?" Artoria asked, noticing his contemplative expression.

Adrian turned to her and smiled. "No, just thinking about how much this world has to offer. And I'm looking forward to discovering it all with you and Tom."

Artoria's eyes softened, and she nodded. "As am I."

With that, the three of them continued their walk, embracing the promise of new experiences and adventures in this unfamiliar world.

At the same time, Tom set up three glasses and opened two bottles of milk. He enjoyed licking the bottle caps before pouring the milk into the glasses. He even took out a ruler and seemed to want to measure something.

"Alright, Tom, you don't need to be so meticulous. I'll just go talk to the owner and order an extra portion today." Adrian chuckled.

Tom finally stopped and sat on his stool. The three of them began to eat.

"So delicious!" Adrian couldn't help but praise.

Artoria nodded in agreement, then took two bites of her sandwich – talking would only slow down her eating.

Tom happily accepted the praise, enjoying the fruits of his labor.

The task of washing the dishes was left to Adrian in the end. Although he disliked doing dishes, he felt that if he didn't do something, he might start to wonder if he was the one being taken care of by Tom.

But come to think of it, considering what he did every day now – eating, sleeping, and having fun (exercising) – besides not being cute enough, he really didn't seem much different from a pet...

No, no, it'll be better once the tavern opens. I'll be the one earning money to take care of Tom, and I'll also take care of Artoria. Yes, I'll strive for it! Fight!

Tom held his fingers against his chin and felt like there was a fire burning behind his owner.

Artoria seemed to be deep in thought, wondering if washing dishes was such a thrilling thing after all.

...

"Over here is the shipyard, it's the pillar industry of this island... well, in this world, ships are incredibly important. That area is the residential district, mostly where the shipwrights live. The vegetable market is also nearby, and that's where Tom and I buy ingredients."

"As for clothing stores, you just need to walk two streets over. Actually, the clothing stores here are quite small. The shopping street on Island 30 is more impressive, though I haven't been there myself... Well, even if you say you don't care about these things, I can't just neglect you. By the way, Tom, do you want some clothes?"

As they walked, Adrian pointed out and introduced nearby shops to Artoria. Although she wasn't very concerned about clothes and such, Adrian couldn't just ignore it.

He couldn't have Artoria keep wearing that blue dress with attached leggings forever...

Adrian and Tom walked side by side, Tom's walking posture not much different from humans. After hearing Adrian's suggestion, Tom decisively shook his head. Clothes and such were too troublesome. Unless there was a cute little female cat to impress, he had no desire to wear clothes at all.

In the past, Adrian had always kept Tom on his shoulder because he was worried that others would mistake him for a furry creature and cause trouble. Now, that was no longer necessary. With a capable combatant around, Adrian felt a bit more confident.

Following Adrian's directions, Artoria looked around, observing the sights of this new world. She was currently holding a bubble about the size of a basketball in her hands. "Although you explained to me how these bubbles are formed, I still find it incredible. They form naturally without any magical aura..."

Adrian smiled, "If we're talking about wonders, this world still has more to offer. I know there are floating islands at an altitude of ten thousand meters, underwater fish-men islands at a depth of ten thousand meters, and the Momoiro Island full of various delicacies... I do want to see them someday, but if I go in my current weak state, I might end up dead."

In the next moment, Adrian seemed to catch a glimpse of something, and Artoria was already standing in front of him, holding his right hand and shaking it up and down. Her emerald eyes were fixed on him, and she spoke earnestly, "Adrian, please become stronger as soon as possible. I will do my best to teach you!"

Adrian: "Huh?"

Did I say something I shouldn't have?