章節 27: A Rabbit Mink and A Pink Lady

After our thrilling journey down Reverse Mountain, the waters of the North Blue felt calm, much like those in the East Blue. We sailed onward, filled with anticipation; everyone was on edge but prepared for whatever might come next. I stood at my favorite spot on the figurehead, watching two figures drifting on the sea.

"Wyna, a little to the left!" I shouted back to Aerwyna.

The pink-skinned octopus fishwoman adjusted her course, bringing Merry's Revenge closer. As we neared, I recognized the two figures clinging to a floating scrap of debris. One, a girl with bunny ears, white fur, short blonde hair, a black cap, and a short orange dress, looked exhausted, barely holding onto consciousness. The other, a young woman with light pink hair wearing a white dress, lay limp in her arms.

Aerwyna dove into the seawater, her movements fluid and effortless, as if she were one with the ocean. With each powerful stroke, she cut through the waves, sending cascades of glistening spray into the air, reminiscent of a sleek shark gliding through deep waters. She reached the two drifting women in no time, their figures barely visible against the swirling currents. Gently yet assuredly, she gathered them in her arms and swam back to the deck. Upon arrival, she carefully laid them down on the deck.

Kaya wasted no time, quickly opening her emergency kit. She noticed Reiju's harsher breath, "Her breath sharpened—" Reiju had severe bleeding on her left thigh; Kaya used a clean cloth and pressed it firmly on the wounds. She put on a tourniquet above the bleeding site, "—we need to put her in my medical bay."

Nojiko rushed over to Carrot, offering the bunny-eared girl water. However, she fought to stay upright, her brown eyes tired but determined.

"My friend, she needs help more than me," she murmured, her voice weak.

"Don't worry, our medic got her," Nojiko said gently, helping her sit. "You need to rest. Here, drink this water. You're dehydrated."

The rabbit-like girl refused; she insisted that they save her friend first, but then she suddenly slumped to the deck, unconscious.

"Carmen, can you please prepare a meal for her? I suggested carrot-based food," I said.

"On it, husband." Carmen quickly walks to the Galley.

"Am I crazy, or does that rabbit speak?" Bellemere asked, puffing her cigarettes, her eyes narrowed in a motherly concern.

"She's probably a devil fruit user, Mom, a Zoro or something," Nojiko calmly explained, holding the unconscious Carrot to place her gently on the deck.

"Zoan, not Zoro," I corrected her. I felt somewhat sorry for Zoro.

Sensing Carmen's cooking from the Galley, Carrot's bunny-like nose sniffed on its own. She opened her large brown eyes and quickly sat on the deck, scaring Nojiko beside her.

"Nojiko, can your devil fruit produce a carrot plant?" I asked the tattooed girl.

"I'm not sure about that, Cap. I wasn't familiar with my power yet, but I'll try." Nojiko closed her eyes, her brow furrowed in concentration. A small carrot plant miraculously grew on the deck floor near her, causing Carmen to leap and eat it immediately.

"Ahh, Carrot, after so long!" the bunny girl exclaimed. She kept on eating the carrot like there was no tomorrow. And then she hugged Nojiko. "Thank you, blue-haired lesser mink lady, Garchu!" She rubbed her white furry cheek against Nojiko's reluctant face.

After she finished eating, her gaze moved between us, wary yet grateful. "My name's Carrot," she said, her voice fast, and her talking sounded like she was rapping. " And that's the pink lady." Her furred hand pointed to where Reiju was.

Wyna carefully picked Reiju up. Following Kaya's direction, she brought the pink-haired girl to the medical bay.

"What happened to her?" I asked Carrot.

Carrot took a shaky breath and looked at me, clearly still on guard, but her mouth munching tirelessly on the carrot Nojiko produced. "We were on our way to Flevance when a big, den-den mushi-like ship ambushed us. Three ugly men laughed at us, and then one of them shot her and left. I will not forgive them," Carrot munched the carrot furiously.

"Den-den Mushi like?" The faces of three of Sanji's brothers flashed in my mind, another different scenario from this world.

Carrot's ears drooped as she frowned, clearly reliving the ordeal. "I didn't get a good look, but I was pretty sure the ship looked like den-den mushi; we were in a boat, they harassed pink lady, she fought them, and she managed to injure one, but the other two fought her before one of them, shot her on the leg and laughed at us. I tried to help the pink lady; I destroyed some of their big scary guns and flew to the sea."

"Pink lady?" said Sham, looking pointedly at Carrot, absentmindedly clawing the wooden rail.

"Sham, how often must I remind you not to claw on the ship? I built you a scratching post in the bow already."

"Sorry, Captain." Sham quickly hid her two hands while she looked to the side.

I sighed and looked back at Carrot. She was looking at Sham intently while her bunny-like nose sniffed at her. "Are you a half-mink? You smell like Nekomamushi! Oh No! Master Inuarashi will be angry If I don't come back. Wait, how long have I been out again." Carrot speaks very fast, as fast as her mood changes.

"What did you call me, Bunny? I am a cat, not a mince!" Sham argued hotly.

"She said Mink, not Mince, sham," Nojiko said diplomatically. She stood, knowing that Carrot was fine.

Curious, I asked her, "How did you get here?"

"I think I have a more urgent question: are you those devil fruit users, too? Or are you something else," Bellemere asked the bunny girl.

"I'm a rabbit mink; nice to meet you all, Lesser Mink," Carrot bowed to us and then looked to me, "You're the only male lesser mink; are you their mate?"

I looked at her big brown, curious eyes, "You could say that."

"Okay, lesser mink, are you sure the pink lady will be alright?" She asked me with that boundless energy for someone who had just survived drifting at sea.

"We'll keep her safe," I assured her, feeling the weight of her concern. "We're headed to Notice Island. For the time being, you can live here. Or do you want to join my adventurer crew?"

"Isn't that too fast, Cap?" asked Nojiko. After finishing treating Carrot, she was on the deck practicing her newly acquired devil fruit. I could see her hands transformed. She had a wood-like texture, with small branches, leaves, and flowers jutting from her wood-like skin. I could see a small forested area miraculously appear around her.

"I know you like women in all shapes and sizes, but to recruit someone without a background check was unbelievable," Bellemere puffed her cigarettes while she stood on the portside railing. Hearing those words from her was pretty ironic, considering she joined me without doing any background check.

"Captain, why did you ask her to join? She called me mince. " Even Sham, who usually doesn't care about this matter, joined.

I ignored their words because who doesn't want to have a cute furry in their crew?

"No! I will decline! Whenever somebody asks me to join, they must have motives, either to sell me or to—-ah, that felt nice." I patted Carrot's short blonde hair in the middle of her speech. Her face instantly changed from angry to relaxed. Her eyes closed, her lips tugged into a bright smile, and her large, round, fluffy tail moved so fast in excitement.

"This rabbit girl is a lost cause," Bellemere laughed.

"Captain, I wanted to be patted, too," Sham said, bent to her knee so my hands could reach her head. She was taller than me, after all. I gladly patted her teal-colored hair, and she purred like a cat.

"Why are you so accepting, Mom, Sham?" Nojiko murmured from behind me.

I continued to pat the rabbit and cat until I heard Carmen's voice from the Galley: "Husband! Nojiko! The food is ready. Help me bring the food outside."

***

As we sailed toward Notice Island, Kaya remained by Reiju's side, administering medicine and checking her vitals every few minutes. "Usopp, I need to buy more alcohol. I almost ran out of supplies, and I needed a larger oxygen tank.

Carrot stayed close by, too, casting worried glances between us and the sea as if fearing another attack might come, but she couldn't restrain her boundless energy. Her tail would move right and left; she would move to the portside, the aft, and the starboard side. This girl acted just like a real-life rabbit.

"We will arrive in Notice Island in a few minutes!" Nojiko called, pointing to a silhouette of an island in front of us. Her navigational skills improved after only a few days.

Carrot seemed calmer as we docked, though she acted no less energetic. She leaned down to Reiju, gently shaking her shoulder, and whispered, "Pink Lady, we're on an island called Notice Island."

We arrived at Normal Port. I had to do a double-take for that. "Okay, girls, same drill: walk in two, and if you find any confrontation, don't engage." I looked pointedly at Carmen and Bellemere, our likely trouble attractions. Kaya distributed money as usual before we departed.

I looked at the town; it was modest and quite plain. All buildings were painted white with red roofs; it was too generic. The place was flat, and a sign with 'Welcome to Dull Town' was written clearly. What the heck is wrong with this town?

I saw a road leading to the only two distinguished buildings in town and a square. Nearby, there was a market. The scent of fresh bread and roasted fish wafted from nearby stalls. All of the bread and fish looked plain. Unseasoned. And was the name of the market Plain Market? Really?

"Usopp, we need to find a suitable room for her recovery. The medical bay in The Merry's is too cramped, and it was too humid. I don't want her to get an infection, however tough her body looks," Kaya asked me, pleading.

"I'll find yourself an Inn," Bellemere offered, her practical side kicking in. She slings her custom rifle to her shoulder.

"I'll go with you, Mom," Nojiko volunteered, ever calm and composed.

They found a modest inn at the edge of town. It was called Bland Inn. Seriously, who named these?? Bellemere angrily negotiated a few rooms with the hotelkeeper while Nojiko tried to calm her Mom down.

I got Reiju settled in one of the booked rooms, and Kaya went straight to work, carefully setting up her medical supplies. The modest Inn became an Intensive Care Room.

"How do you know how to treat a bullet wound," I asked her.

"It was my first time, but I've read the theory seven times," said Kaya, her hands busy setting up an IV-like thing.

"You never do that, yet you can do it? Wow, you were either genius or crazy," I praised her while observing her practiced movement.

"Yes, it was weird, but I could learn faster recently; I could understand words I wouldn't even know existed; I could picture how to do things just by reading them carefully; it was amazing." She finished setting up everything and then looked at me. "I've noticed most of the girls who have been with you have an increase in talent about something that they like; Sham's wasn't as fast and agile as now, Carmen's fire control became better, Nojiko's navigational skill increased, probably because of you we feel this way?"

Well, I was blushing. Like, please don't praise me more, Kaya. "Thanks?" I asked, unsure how to respond.

"For what, Usopp?"

"For the compliment."

Kaya only smiles and sits on the nearby chair while monitoring Reiju's condition.

"This girl has tough skin; whatever bullet can hurt her, it must be the toughest bullet in North Blue," Kaya said.

I picked up on that—a tough bullet. If only I could find enough metal to cover my trick bullet, I could fire it through my automatic rifle and pistol without failure, and when I finished with my rifle and pistol, I could try to recreate a railgun.

"This tough bullet, do you still have it? Can I study it?"

Kaya only arched an eyebrow at me.