[80] Random Encounter (2)
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Chapter 80: Random Encounter (2)
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"You guys…"
When Beidou saw the new group walk in, being guided by a young man riding a large duck, she released a sigh of relief.
It’s not wise to judge people based on their appearance, in this world of pirates, but this group really didn’t look hostile. It was a little weird, somewhat creepy perhaps, that the young man was riding a large duck while wearing too happy an expression, but Beidou didn’t question it.
This forest had massive beetles and lions, so it wasn’t surprising that they found a massive duck too.
Until then, Beidou thought this was a normal group of adventurers. If it was a group of pirates, she was sure to know them – since the group seemed strong, to stay calm after killing such a large enemy.
However, she realized she was wrong.
"I didn't recognize the ship and flag earlier, but seeing her face made me remember. I know her. That's Beidou, the captain of the Crux Pirates. Though they are more popular by their nicknames… the Mid Mom Pirates."
"Huh? Mid Mom- what?"
A black-haired woman who stood beside the duck explained. While the boy riding the duck blinked and then his expression twisted in a weird manner, and by weird, the Crux Pirates realized what it meant.
With a failed try at controlling, the boy released a peal of laughter, laughing so hard that he nearly fell off the duck’s back.
“Mid? Mid Mom? Oh my god-”
While the boy’s laughter continued, Beidou’s grateful expression changed, similar to her crewmates’, as their expression turned solemn and deadpan.
The Crux Pirates had a shameful nickname. The Mid Mom Pirates was supposed to be an inside joke, but then it got leaked and became a joke. Being called a cheap copy of the Big Mom Pirates was hurtful enough, but to be called “Mid” was salt over the wound.
Beidou sighed and shook her head internally. There was no helping it, she would have laughed if it was someone else.
She realized something, however, as she watched one of the four girls of that group, a blue-haired girl with a noble-like appearance, started to scold the young man to tell him to stop laughing. Beidou hadn’t seen it earlier, but looking at the girl, her mind just clicked.
“You’re the kid who ran with the Princess of Alabasta.”
“-Huh?” the boy who was stopping laughing frowned. “Girl, don’t call me a kid. Be respectful to your saviors.”
“My bad, I just speak like that.”
“Hmm,”
The guy chewed on his lip for two seconds before shrugging. He jumped off the duck’s back and approached her, walking behind her.
“The name is Hashirama Senju, and you’re welcome.”
Hashirama crouched down behind her and undid her binding, and as he did that, he whispered in a tone low enough that only she heard it.
“Don’t try anything funny, though. Pirates rarely trust each other, so I am saying this just in case you repay my kindness with backstabbing. The result will not be pretty.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Beidou gave a curt nod. She didn’t really feel fear by his threat, but it wasn’t her nature to betray. Well, except for when she fled her home with the family heirloom, breaking all the trust. Speaking of that, she just lost that sword to the bandits too.
Cursing in her head, Beidou sighed and stood up after she was freed. Hashirama stood up behind her, and she turned around to give him a respectful nod.
“Thank you for your help. If it isn’t too much to ask, can you tell your crewmates to help undo the restraints of the others? Freeing nine people will take me a while since I am feeling weak right now…”
“It’s alright.”
Hashirama waved it off and clasped his palm. His clasped palms squeezed, and sharp wood came out of the ground from behind all the Crux Pirate members. The wooden blade went through their bindings, easily severing the ropes, and they were free in just a second.
“Oh…”
Beidou shot Hashirama a surprised look.
‘A devil-fruit user. Moreover, tree-related? If that’s the case…’
This encounter may be more impactful and helpful than she thought at first.
* * *
Hashirama didn’t exactly remember the name, but he recalled “Beidou” from some mid "gacha game". He wasn’t exactly surprised, however, since Naruto Anime stuff also existed in this world, so the addition of some stray characters from other works wasn’t that surprising.
Given that she was living up to the rules of this world, proven by the fact that she wasn’t wearing her signature eyepatch, as eyepatch-wearing pirates were unheard of in this world, it meant she was still a person born in this world but with name and appearance from somewhere else.
Not that he was complaining about her appearance. She wasn’t wearing her iconic qipao dress right now and rocked a fur-trimmed coat over a black bra, coupled with black pants, but that didn’t do her beauty any injustice.
Perhaps due to not being as old as her other counterpart, she looked like a gyaru girl who could take on a bear on her own.
[Image Here]
After freeing the hungry Crux crew, the first thing the captain requested was food. She asked if he could share some rations with them. He just created some chocolate bars, M&Ms, hotdogs, sandwiches, and some other lucrative stuff.
The Crux was simply stunned at the display of power. Beidou, who had thought that he had tree-related powers, started to doubt it and began to contemplate deeply instead of focusing on eating.
In the meantime, while the Crux ate their fill, Hashirama was pulled to the side by Nami, behind a tree, and within a bush.
“What an unsafe place to be.”
“No, forget that. Hey, are you sure we should help them out? They’re still pirates. How are we sure they won’t betray us?”
Nami wore a worried and agitated expression. She was looking at his eyes with a confused gaze as she asked in a hush, waiting for answers.
For the past two months, Nami and Hashirama hadn’t talked that much. One would assume that being one of the only five people on the ship who can talk, more so the newest member, she would talk a lot with the captain – but ironically, she turned out to become the closest with Mikita, who she had a rough start with.
When Mikita heard Nami’s story, and Nami heard Mikita’s, the stifle between them calmed down a lot. They would still pick on one another, but not in a mocking tone, it would instead be like a snarky friend.
The least development she had was Hashirama himself. Hashirama could have fixed that, but last month he really was busy running around and training his Haki control. He could seriously kill civilians if he released his Conqueror Haki without control, so it needed to be tamed. Thanks to the sea kings, that had progressed quite a bit.
The problem was, nothing had progressed with Nami, and now she was mad that he was trusting random people.
“Hey, c’mon, they’re good people. I can judge that much. If worse comes to worst and they do betray our goodwill, I will just take care of them. Why are you mad?”
“But, like, they’re not good people- they are pirates!”
“You are a pirate, miss.”
“Yes, but we are differ-”
“We looted pirates just a day ago.”
“….”
Nami shut up and shot him a glare. Hashirama gave her a dry stare until she purred in her throat. Wiping that look off her face, she sighed.
A stubborn girl she may be, but she didn't find it in herself to argue right in his face about a decision that he was iron solid about. She accepted her defeat and backed off.
“Sorry, my bad for acting weird.”
“That time of the month?”
“….”
Nami gave him another glare, but it was coupled with a red hue on her cheeks.
“I guess it’s easy for you to guess, you apparently know a lot about the female body. Ah- a-anyway, my bad, forget I ever said anything. I will keep an eye out for them too.”
“Thank you.”
Hashirama smiled, his right arm jerking a little as he did; about to go forward and pull her by the waist, having to actively hold it back.
"Be sure to stay relaxed and take some rest. You don't have to fight if you're not feeling like it, I will take care of any and all situations."
"Yeah, you're right."
Nami gave a short smile and left, and she seemed quite happy too.
Hashirama stared at her back and tilted his head. 'Why today? Man, girls are so fucking weird.'
Shaking his head and remembering some stuff his master used to say, he went back to the light of the sun. By now, the Crux crew has finished eating and only Beidou looked a little off.
When she saw Hashirama come out of the bush, her eyes lit up as she stood up.
"Hey, can you make booze too? Vodka, preferably."
"...No."
Hashirama gave her a weird look.
"And don't treat me like a kitchen, this was a one-time thing."
"Ugh, dammit."
Though now that she mentioned it, wasn't there a ramen fountain? This island was an entire plant, actually. It wasn't land, it was a flower-shaped plant. In that case, if he were to scan it entirely, would he be able to make ramen juice?
In theory, it should be possible.
Hashirama could just scan the entire island right away, by spreading his chakra throughout the entire forest. He had enough chakra to spare. The only problem was that the information would be too complicated to handle at once. He might lose consciousness, or worse, he might earn a year-long migraine.
So he would have to scan all the trees first, and only after that the entire island. Afterward, he would sort all the trees' information one by one.
'I might get my hands on water style at this rate…'
Not exactly water, but ramen juice worked too. And who was to say a pool of vodka didn't exist too? He would have to search.
"But I do have a bottle of booze."
Hashirama slipped his hand into the knee pocket of his trouser and took out a small bottle of alcohol.
"Ah, thanks-"
"Not giving it to you, though."
Beidou's lips widened as she was about to thank him for his kindness, but then he uncapped the bottle and unloaded all its contents inside his mouth.
"Are you trying to pick a fight? I don't want to fight, though."
Beidou crossed her arms under her breasts and stared at him.
Hashirama chuckled and put his hand in the pocket of his other leg. Taking out another bottle and tossing it to her.
"Oh. Aren't you packed?"
Beidou caught it and tossed the cap away, starting to drink it while keeping her eyes locked on him. When she was done, she wiped her lips.
"I need your help. I know I may be asking a lot since you saved us and then even gave us food… but still. Not only are you resourceful, but you're also strong too. I can feel it in your gaze. Our group can't survive in the forest now that we have lost our weapons."
"Hmm, you want me to guide you out?" Hashirama asked, leaning against a tree and looking into her eyes.
Her crewmates were behind her, while his crew was on the side, chatting quietly until then but now they also listened to the conversation.
"Yes. Well, my crew anyway. I have to stay here for a bit longer. I lost a very important possession of mine, I need to retrieve it. You don't need to help me with that, however, don't worry. Will you help my crew reach our ship that is docked on the shore?"
The Crux crew behind her started to get loud, complaining about what she was talking about, and why they should leave her alone in this dangerous place. But she just ignored their words and waited for Hashirama to speak.
Hashirama wasn't exactly in the mood to help people out. He was in the mood of exploring the island and scanning more food trees. Well, he could just send his clones to accompany them, but still. He wasn't in a good enough mood to relay free help.
"What do I get in return?"
He asked. Robin and Vivi sighed on the side, while Mikita smirked and Nami looked complicated.
Beidou nodded as if she had expected such an answer.
"We have 20 million in our ship. I can give you that."
The Crux tried to get loud again, but Beidou shot them a glare.
Hashirama still didn't seem convinced. He hummed as he scratched his chin.
"What's your bounty?"
"...Ninety million, why?"
"Isn't it more profitable to just give you to the marines? And don't say I'm a pirate myself so I can't do that. I have connections, who can do it for me."
Connections, as in Transformation Jutsu using clones. In hindsight, this was the better deal, not that Hashirama would actually do it. He was just messing with her, testing her.
"...Then we'll have to fight it out. It'd be a sad outcome, no matter who wins, but that would be the only way left."
"I see."
Hashirama smiled.
"How about 30 million?"
"Alright, you got a deal."
Beidou returned the smile and went for a handshake, which Hashirama accepted with ease.
"I'm going to accompany you in your search, though. Because I'm exploring anyway, for the most part, but another reason is that I wouldn't want the person I saved to just die to some beast. Count this free."
"Fine, I won't reject help."
With that said, the short-term alliance was formed between the two crews and was to last until both of them finished their short missions ahead of them.
Hashirama wanted to hurry because he wanted to finish here fast and enter the other Calm Belt soon. While Beidou too wanted to hurry, scared that her sword might get eaten by some carnivorous plant.
Just like that, the crews started to move toward their respective goals.
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