章 263: Chapter 263: Daily Life: The Two Worried Companions
Takumi did not like being disturbed while he slept, so when he took his afternoon nap, Enel and Kaku were careful not to bother him.
It wasn't until the ship had been flying over the sea for over two hours and finally spotted a small island, docking near its coast, that the two of them cautiously glanced toward Takumi, who was still sleeping.
"Long-nose, you go wake up Takumi," Enel whispered.
Kaku shook his head. "No… I'm still injured. If I get hit by the captain again, it'll just make my wounds worse. Then I won't be able to move, and you'll have to carry me to the island to find a doctor."
"You bastard!" Enel snapped. "And you think I'm okay with getting hit? Why don't you just ask Takumi to heal you with his Mystical Palm Technique?"
Kaku smiled. "No, this is a punishment I deserve. Even if the captain is willing to heal me, I wouldn't accept it. Besides, you're used to getting hit by him. What's a few more punches? At least he never goes all out when he hits you."
"I've never met anyone as stubborn as you…" Enel grumbled, unwilling to face a beating. "Well, I'm not going. If you want, go wake him yourself. And if you do get beaten up, I'll carry you to the island."
Kaku sighed in resignation. "You're really… Fine, just remember, this was your idea. The captain should have slept enough by now."
With that, Kaku walked over to where Takumi was resting on a deck chair. As soon as he saw the unusual expression on Takumi's face, he shouted back to Enel, who was a few meters away, "Hey! Something's wrong with the captain!"
"What do you mean, wrong?" In a flash, Enel was beside Kaku. He noticed that Takumi was frowning deeply, his forehead covered in a light sheen of sweat. "What the heck? Is he having a nightmare? Someone like him, who fears nothing, having a nightmare?"
"I'm not sure, but something feels off," Kaku said as he leaned down and gently shook Takumi. "Captain, wake up."
No matter how much Kaku shook him, Takumi showed no sign of waking up.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Enel moved to Takumi's other side, baffled. "This guy usually wakes up the moment someone gets near him. Why isn't he reacting at all today?"
"I have a bad feeling about this," Kaku muttered, his brow furrowed. "If the captain doesn't wake up soon, this could get dangerous. We need to find a way to wake him up."
"What do you suggest?" Enel asked, now understanding the gravity of the situation. "Are we supposed to beat him up?"
Kaku shook his head, suddenly struck with an idea. "Try pinching him."
Enel raised an eyebrow. "Why me? Why don't you do it?"
"I'm injured, remember?" Kaku said, exasperated. "If I exert even a little strength, my whole body hurts. You have to do it, no more excuses! The longer we wait, the worse it'll be for the captain."
"Fine, fine, stop nagging," Enel grumbled as he reluctantly raised his hand, intending to pinch Takumi's face. But at the last second, he hesitated and shifted his attention to Takumi's arm instead, giving it a hard pinch.
Kaku kept a close eye on Takumi's condition. Seeing no reaction, he urged, "It's not enough. Pinch harder."
"How much harder can I go? I've already pinched him so hard his arm's red! Any more, and I'll leave a bruise," Enel protested. Just as he finished speaking, Takumi's hands suddenly clenched into tight fists, his nails digging into his palms so deeply that blood began to trickle down his hands.
Enel stared in disbelief. "What's going on? I only pinched him, and now he's acting like this?"
Kaku glanced at Takumi's bloodied hands, his concern deepening. Something was seriously wrong.
"There's no more time. Enel, think of something fast!"
"I'm trying! But I have no idea what to do…" Enel glanced nervously at Takumi's face. He hesitated no longer and grabbed Takumi's cheeks with both hands, pinching them as hard as he could. Even though he left Takumi's face red and sore, there was still no response.
"Damn it! Even using my lightning won't help—he's immune to it. What if we try splashing water on him?" Enel suggested, starting to panic.
"Give it a shot," Kaku agreed and was about to head to the ship's cabin to grab a bucket.
But before he could move, Takumi suddenly jolted awake.
Enel quickly pulled his hands back.
"Captain, you're finally awake," Kaku said, relieved.
Enel added, "You really scared us. No matter what we did, you wouldn't wake up…"
Takumi sat up slowly, staring dazedly at the clear blue sky above. It took a moment, but as the pain in his hands and face registered, his consciousness snapped back into focus.
He quickly looked down at his blood-covered hands and noticed the red marks on his arm where he had been pinched. His frown deepened.
Everything he had just experienced was still vivid in his mind. He couldn't tell if his strange return to his original world had been a dream or reality.
Enel and Kaku exchanged concerned glances when Takumi didn't respond to them.
Finally, Kaku spoke up, "Captain, are you okay?"
Pulled from his thoughts, Takumi shook his head and used Mystical Palm to heal the wounds on his hands.
Enel, bracing himself for the inevitable punch, said, "I'm the one who pinched your arm and face. If you're going to hit me, just do it. But can you at least avoid hitting my head?"
Takumi turned to Enel, who smiled nervously.
But to Enel's surprise, Takumi simply said, "It's fine."
"Huh?" Enel was stunned. "You're not going to hit me?"
"No," Takumi replied, touching his still-sore face. Even though it hurt, he realized that anything was better than returning to that world full of disappointment and bitterness. "Thank you, both of you."
"Wha-what?! Did you just… thank us?" Enel was completely taken aback.
Kaku looked equally shocked. "Captain, are you sure you're okay? You're acting so different, I don't know how to react…"
"I'm fine," Takumi reassured them as he stood from his chair and glanced at the small island where their ship had docked. "Go ashore and buy supplies. I'll stay here and watch the ship."
Before either of them could respond, Takumi tossed them a few pouches of money.
Still confused but seeing that Takumi didn't want to talk further, the two decided not to press the matter.
"Alright, we'll head to the island. Anything in particular you want us to bring back?" Kaku asked as he jumped ashore and looked back at Takumi on the ship's deck.
Takumi shook his head. "Just get what you think we need."
"Got it. We'll be back soon," Kaku nodded before he and Enel started toward the town.
Takumi stood at the ship's railing, watching as Enel and Kaku gradually disappeared into the distance. His mind drifted back to something Iceburg had told him back in Water 7.
He had been lost and confused before.
But now, it seemed like he had finally found something worth protecting.
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