บท 40: Chapter 38: This Isn't Taking Advantage
"Ah, that was a good sleep," Catherine said, stretching and basking in the morning sun. "Hey, why are you all looking at me like that?"
She noticed that Shirakawa, Shanks, and Buggy were staring at her with strange expressions, as if she were an alien.
"Are you okay?" Shirakawa approached her, placing a hand on her forehead to check for a fever.
"What are you doing?" Catherine's face flushed, a mix of shyness and annoyance at his touch and the closeness.
"I don't have a fever. Why did I sleep for so long? Did something happen to my body?" Shirakawa muttered to himself, his hands now wandering over Catherine's body, checking for any abnormalities. If not for his serious expression, he would have looked like a lecherous pervert.
"Stop it! What are you doing?" Catherine pushed him away, her face burning even brighter.
"Do you even know how long you slept?" Shirakawa leaned in close.
Catherine instinctively stepped back. "How long?"
"Fifteen, maybe sixteen hours. You're quite the sleepyhead. I should start calling you the Sleeping Goddess."
"Fifteen hours? How could I sleep that long? Am I a pig?"
"Maybe you're a sow. Haha!"
Shirakawa's laughter was contagious, and soon Shanks and Buggy joined in.
"Seriously, why did I sleep so long?" Catherine asked, still bewildered.
Suddenly, her eyes widened in fear. "What about Draken? Did he kill us? Are we in hell?"
"Relax. Draken's dead. Someone saved us," Shirakawa reassured her, patting her shoulders.
"What?" Catherine couldn't believe her ears.
"Draken is dead. We're safe."
"How is that possible? He's the strongest!"
"The strongest on this island, maybe. But there are plenty of people stronger than him out there," Buggy scoffed. He couldn't stand the thought of anyone being considered stronger than Roger.
"Is it true?" Catherine looked at Shirakawa, hoping for confirmation.
"Yes, it's true. One of our crewmates saved us. Draken is dead."
Catherine burst into tears.
"What's wrong? Shouldn't you be happy that Draken is dead?" The three boys were at a loss, especially Shanks and Buggy, who had no idea how to comfort a crying girl. They stepped back, leaving Shirakawa to handle it.
Shirakawa awkwardly hugged Catherine and patted her back.
"It's okay. Don't cry," he said.
"Waaah!" Catherine only cried harder, burying her face in his chest.
Shirakawa sighed and used his shirt to wipe away her tears and snot.
Eventually, her sobs subsided.
"Why were you crying?" he asked gently.
"Draken was our family's greatest enemy. My brother died at his hands."
"But we avenged you. You should be happy."
"I am happy. I was crying tears of joy. But when I think of my brother... I can't help but feel sad." Her eyes welled up again.
"It's okay. Don't think about it. Focus on the good things. You'll be home soon." Shirakawa hugged her again.
"Mmm," Catherine mumbled, snuggling into his embrace.
"Hey, Shanks, something's not right with those two," Buggy whispered, watching them.
"Yeah. This feels... inappropriate," Shanks agreed, feeling uncomfortable.
Catherine overheard them and quickly pushed Shirakawa away, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"They're such buzzkills," Shirakawa grumbled. He might not have romantic feelings for Catherine, but he didn't mind the hug.
"Gurgle~" Catherine's stomach growled loudly, adding to her embarrassment.
"Hungry? After sleeping for fifteen hours and crying like that, I'm not surprised. Let's get something to eat."
"Okay..."
They found some food in the bandit's kitchen and ate their fill. Catherine ate three times her usual amount.
"Is this really the same Catherine we know?" Shanks and Buggy wondered, exchanging glances.
"Alright, let's get going. We should reach the border in a few days."
"Okay."
Before leaving, they set the hideout on fire, along with the corpses. The bandits' reign of terror was finally over.
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