[81] The Blackcliff Slasher (1)

Chapter 81: The Blackcliff Slasher (1)

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Hashirama wasn’t as bad with directions as a certain swordsman, but he wasn’t the best either. Even inside a forest, he could get lost.

Thankfully this was an island of sharp shape, so just bringing out his wings and flying up to see the directions were good enough.

“There, that way.”

Hashirama created a Wood-Clone and patted its back, pointing to the north side where the ships were docked right now.

The Clone-rama nodded while all the Crux crewmates stared at him and the main, their eyes gawking as they stared.

“What sort of devil fruit did you eat, anyway?” asked Beidou, looking at him with a suspicious gaze that Hashirama replied with a mere smile.

“Well, follow me. There shouldn’t be any enemies since we came clearing it, but if there are any, stick closer to me so that I can keep you safe.” The Clone-rama walked away while motioning his hand to get the group moving.

“Ah…”

The Crux crew looked at their captain, and their captain sighed with a shake of her head. With a shrug of her shoulders, she gestured for her crew to follow the clone.

*  *  *

The large group was gone, and around ten minutes later Hashirama gained a shot of memories from the clone that the mission was a success. The clone created another clone and left it on the Sail of Ohara, to keep things safe in the wildest case those pirates try anything funny.

“Yeah, they’ve been safely escorted. We can start our search now.”

Hashirama, sitting on a tree branch, said to the girls beneath him.

“May I know exactly what we’re looking for, Mid Mom?”

“Don’t call me that, and yes, you may. It’s just the personal possession of me and my crewmates that were confiscated by bandits. Mainly my weapon, so to speak.”

“So we just need to find some bandits? All right, Mid Mom. But damn, you got done badly by bandits? How weak.”

“Why is your captain like this?”

Captain Beidou turned to the crewmates and asked, to which the group shrugged.

Hashirama grabbed a new leaf from the tree he was sitting on and jumped down. He then chose a random path and started walking, while the group blinked and got up, realizing he was leaving, and quickly following him.

Hashirama brought the leaf near his lips and started using it as a Leaf Flute, playing the ‘lalalalala~’ from [Without Me – Eminem].

Beidou stared at his back with a complicated gaze, knowing how nice he was since he did save her and her crew, but perhaps he was too easygoing and naïve for the grand seas.

If only she knew. Though perhaps it was better that she did not.

*  *  *

The next few hours, the exploration was pretty smooth. There were a lot of beasts and weird plants that attacked them, and Hashirama let the girls take care of them while he rested on top of Karoo.

Anytime he came across an exotic tree, he would send a thread of chakra from his feet and touch the plant. However, if the plant was big enough, he’d get down from on top of Karoo and touch the plant.

Scanning a tree didn't take much time. The biological formation of the trees was easily understood by Hashirama's body, stored in his biological system to be produced at any time.

For Hashirama, it was like copying hair presets similar to a game character in a salon. He would choose the template he wants to create, and that tree will be created in just a moment.

In his head, it was a list of plants that he could use right away, or mix with other ones to create plants never seen before.

Half a day later, Hashirama once again realized what a heaven this was for him. This place was a cheat.

"I'm a bit tired by now."

Hashirama yawned as the group sat near the campfire that they created. The group wasn't outdoors though; they were inside a lavish wooden house. Hashirama just created it, and now they were sitting in the living room, around the fireplace.

Right now, the best he could concentrate on was this house with no room but a single living room. Instead of a proper bed, there was a futon made of leaves in the room.

It was a few meters wide, enough for a group of people, and all the smaller leaf was wrapped by a large leaf to make it work properly.

"Come lie down, you all can sleep. No need to stay awake to keep watch, the house is sturdy enough to ignore the tries of beasts."

Hashirama yawned while stretching his arms and walking to the futon. He threw his body on the soft fake futon, and then he was gone. He slept just like that.

The girls stared at him for a few seconds and returned to look at each other.

“He is tired? That’s new.”

“I agree.”

Mikita and Vivi said together, before blinking and looking at each other. Vivi just blushed and looked away, thinking she was the only one thinking the dirty thing. In response, Mikita made a weird ‘bff’ sound with her lips and looked away with a dry expression.

Hashirama was tired by now. Absorbing all that information throughout the day had driven him quite sleepy, so he went to bed early.

“By the way, is it safe? The fire, I mean. It’s a wooden house…”

“It should be fine. The chimney is made out of cake, not wood, so if an accident does happen the cake will just fall on the fire and turn it off.”

That sounded silly. Though at this point, what was silly and what was normal wasn’t clear in Beidou’s head anymore.

Beidou sighed. “You guys should sleep. He did say it’s all right to not keep watch, but I feel paranoid otherwise.”

“I don’t think I will sleep comfortably knowing a stranger is keeping watch, though.” Mikita narrowed her eyes and said.

Beidou was about to counter that, but Robin slipped in before an argument could start.

“It’s all right, I will keep watch. I have this book I want to read anyway; time will pass fast.”

Robin slipped out a book from her side and waved it in the air. It was titled with bold letters, [Pirates of the Caribbean].

Beidou hesitated for a moment, but she nodded in the end. She wasn't sure of the hierarchy in the crew, but given this woman was the oldest here, even older than Beidou herself who was 25 this year, she may be the Vice-Captain.

So Beidou rolled with the decision and went to the furthest edge of the futon. The other girls also didn't question the decision, they were tired too as they’d been fighting all day, and went to sleep. Naturally, it was Vivi who lay right by Hashirama's side, followed by Mikita and then Nami.

Robin sighed in her head that there was no coffee or tea, and went to sit down on the chair as she started to read her book.

* * *

"What are you reading?"

"...!"

Robin nearly made a weird sound when a voice crept up behind her, tickling her ears as his breath brushed against her hair. It didn't help that it was raining, and she was already feeling a little sensitive due to the book she was reading.

"Hashirama! Stop being weird."

Robin turned her head backward to give him a look and then went back to read her book. While she read, she continued speaking.

"Why are you up already?"

"What do you mean by already? Pretty sure it's been 5 hours."

"Oh?"

Robin was somewhat surprised hearing that, realizing she lost track of her time while reading.

"Still, isn't five hours too little for a guy who was dying to sleep?"

"I don't need that much sleep, since I am better than you humans. Anyway, what are you reading?"

Robin was wearing glasses. As he stood behind her, her neck in a clear view to his, he could see her eyes shift back to look at him via the slight reflection on the glass. Sighing, she turned her head entirely at him and turned the book's cover for him to see.

Hashirama blinked in surprise.

"Huh? Pirates of the Caribbean? Here? Damn, the world is more interesting than I thought it would be."

"What are you talking about?"

"I am wondering what else I can find in this world. I'm more curious about how it worked though."

Did all worlds in the multiverse share fictional stories?

Robin narrowed her eyes at him. "Have you read this before?"

"Maybe. What part of it are you in right now?"

"Um…"

Robin didn't answer, and Hashirama saw a slight tinge of redness on her cheeks.

Thinking again, it was raining outside. As the rain drizzled down, enveloping the forest in a veil of mist, this wooden cottage stood as a refuge against it.

Within its walls, these two people with very weird relationships shared furtive glances. The pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof served as a delicate soundtrack to their uncertainty, while the flickering firelight was casting wavering shadows that mirrored their inner turmoil.

"So?"

As the rain tapped a hesitant rhythm against the windows, Hashirama found himself asking again. The gentle heat from the fireplace made the whole place feel cozier, and he found his face drawing closer to hers, navigating his uncharted feelings amidst the backdrop of a rain-soaked forest hideaway.

"What part are you at?"

"L-let's change the subject…?"

"All right, sure."

Hashirama smiled, just an inch far from his face, as his green eyes stared at her lovely blue ones.

"Do you want to talk about how seductive your lips are right now?"

"Hashirama…! I told you to not-"

Hashirama leaned an inch closer, and his lips pressed against hers.

One of his hands gently gripped down her shoulder, and the other hand grabbed her chin to keep it turned towards his face.

The not-too-sweet taste of cake layered on his tongue, thanks to his powers, as he gently parted her lips and invaded inside.

Robin's hands twitched. She wanted to make a move. However, as the kiss just deepened beyond control, his arms gently wrapping around her neck and head, she put her book down on her thigh and kept her hands there.

"Mmhm…"

Only when Hashirama yanked her up from the chair and tried to pull her to his body by her waist, still kissing, did she return to her senses and push him back.

"S-stop! We can't do this!"

Hashirama wiped his lips with a finger, while smiling, as the blushing and very rapidly breathing Robin yelled at him in a hushed voice.

"It doesn't look like you hated it."

Hashirama was also breathing a little fast, but he was composed.

Robin grumbled. "That's not the point. You already have two girls. And one of them doesn't know about the other. I don't want to get into that mess. Goodnight."

Robin will not get a tingle of sleep, that was for sure. But she still jumped on the bed and faced away from Hashirama.

Problem was, in the heat of the moment she had jumped to the spot where he was sleeping just a moment ago. The scent of his hair and body that she was smelling just now while kissing, was remnant on the spot as was his body heat.

Robin grumbled and pretended to be asleep.

Hashirama stared at her ass for a total of sixty seconds before moving on and going to read the book too.

Opening the book, he realized why she was so easily lured in. It was a steamy scene in the book. That probably had her in the mood, coupled with the rain.

Otherwise, in no way would she give in so easily. Nico Robin feared love because she feared losing it. Hashirama was in a tight situation with Vivi and Mikita as of right now, Robin didn't want to join that and make things worse. That was most likely a subconscious decision though because he doubted she actively thought of him as a possible romantic partner.

"Oh well, there's no hurry…"

He really wanted her. Despite their rough past, now they were crewmates, and to a woman as hot and lovely as Robin, he wanted to be more than just a crewmate.

While she would look up at him with hearts in her eyes, he wanted her pouty lips wrapped around his—

"Oh no, not good, I have to control my thoughts. Since I can't relieve my stress while in this mess…"

Hashirama sighed dramatically and shook his head, beginning to read the book to distract himself.

The incident was dealt with. But while Hashirama thought nobody had noticed, the duck who was sleeping in a corner peeked with eyes wide. If Karoo could speak, the situation would have gotten messy tomorrow.

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