Chapter 237: The Arrival of Kuzan
After the wedding concluded, Rodney left with his people. He initially thought that BIG MOM would force him to stay, but to his surprise, she let him go.
Sanji and Brynn bid each other a reluctant farewell, their hands entwined, tears glistening in their eyes, and speech choked with emotion. Unable to bear it any longer, Rodney leaned in and whispered a few words in Brynn's ear. She looked at him with a mixture of belief and doubt, only to hear him say, "I didn't mean to deceive you. The possibility is still very much there. If it doesn't happen, how about I help you escape?"
Brynn hesitated for a moment, her gaze fixed on Sanji. She hugged him gently and whispered, "Lord Sanji, don't forget me!"
"Don't worry, Miss Brynn! Even if I die, I won't forget the sweet, chocolate-like Miss Brynn!" Sanji cried, clearly reluctant to part with Brynn. However, whether it was out of love, he couldn't say for sure.
"Alright, stop crying. Sanji, you will have your day to return," Rodney mysteriously chuckled, patting his waist pouch, which contained something either he or Robin desired.
"I will definitely come back!"
Unsure of Rodney's intentions, Brynn boarded the Black Pearl with her tearful farewell. The ship set sail, needing to leave this area quickly. By evening, the Juice Sea would congeal, and a swarm of ants that consumed everything would appear. Arriving in the morning was manageable, but now they had to hurry to avoid trouble.
As the Black Pearl left the harbor, Cake Island grew smaller in the distance, and Rodney's group embarked on their journey back to Avileton.
"Did you eliminate them? It seems I underestimated those underground world kings," the memory of his shadow clone transmitted back. His shadow clones had gone to assassinate those underground world kings, but they hadn't acted directly. Instead, he had used his Sharingan to manipulate a group of people to carry out the assassinations. However, all those individuals had been taken out by the kings' subordinates.
These were true top dogs, surrounded by countless skilled subordinates. Rodney had indeed underestimated them. However, his purpose had already been achieved.
When these individuals died, they had shouted slogans like "Long live BIG MOM!" "Long live Kaido!" and even "For justice!" Some had even mentioned the names of those kings. This would naturally breed suspicion among them, creating chaos in the underground world.
A few days later, when they returned to Avileton, Rodney noticed something unusual on the streets of Avileton. There was a giant penguin, over two meters tall, resembling a Galapagos penguin, carrying a massive backpack and standing by a small stall.
Rodney was shocked by what he saw!
Rodney: !?
What had he just witnessed?
Kuzan had set up a stall in Avileton and was selling shaved ice?
You used to be a former Admiral of the Marines, how did you end up like this?
"Isn't that guy...?" Jiraiya, recalling the battle, asked, "Wasn't he a Marine Admiral? Why is he selling shaved ice here?"
"You're asking me? Who should I ask?" Rodney scratched his head, utterly puzzled. He had no idea what was going on in that guy's mind. He approached the stall and said, "Boss, a cup of shaved ice!"
Kuzan, appearing lethargic, asked, "What flavor would you like?"
"Cola flavor."
Kuzan drooped his eyelids, found a bottle of cola, and poured it over the ice. In an instant, the ice turned cola-colored. He handed it over and said, "Thanks. That'll be fifty Beli."
"Fifty? Why don't you just rob me? With this fifty Beli, I could buy a Chopper!" Rodney exclaimed.
"This is quite troublesome work, you know. Oh, Rodney, you're back." Kuzan finally looked up upon recognizing Rodney. He smiled and said, "Ah, this cup of shaved ice is on the house for you."
"Well, thank you very much. By the way, do you have a permit for this stall?" Rodney inquired.
"Permit? What permit? I just got here. Are there any rules in this place?" Kuzan was taken aback. Did you even need permits for street vending?
"You mean you're vending without a permit?" Rodney grinned mischievously, and a glint of silver shone in his eye.
"Security officer, where are you? We've got someone vending without a permit! Bring him in!" Rodney shouted.
Two burly men emerged from the crowd. "Lord Rodney!"
"Arrest him, according to the rules."
"Understood."
Kuzan was still dazed as the two burly men escorted him away, and they even confiscated his stall.
"Your boss has been detained. Would you like to come with me? There's fish!" Rodney said to the penguin named "Camel" that was still sleeping.
Camel opened its eyes, glanced at Kuzan being taken away without resistance, nodded, and followed Rodney.
"Ah, sir, are the rules in Avileton so strict?" Kuzan asked.
One of the burly men replied, "It's Lord Rodney's rules. Street vending is allowed, but you must have a permit. It's straightforward. This way, there's someone to take responsibility in case something happens. But you've got some guts, vending right under Lord Rodney's nose."
"So that's how it is? Looks like my luck isn't great," Kuzan mumbled. Little did he expect to experience Avileton's detention center so soon.
Kuzan was locked in a small room, where everything except his clothes was taken away. He leaned back in the chair and dozed off.
Kuzan: ZZZZZ
Meanwhile, Rodney returned home and flopped onto the sofa. Camel had been taken away by Lester and the others, who found the penguin's adorable
appearance to their liking. Sanji had mentioned that occasionally, they could hear strange laughter coming from his room, suggesting that he was working on his art.
Rodney valued his intimacy with Jiraiya, especially since he enjoyed literature.
"Feeling tired?" a gentle voice whispered in Rodney's ear, and someone appeared beside him. It was Robin.
"I'm alright, just feeling like sleeping," Rodney replied, leaning in. Suddenly, a pair of hands lifted his head, and his head rested on Robin's soft thigh.
Oh, oh, oh, it's a lap pillow!
He exclaimed in his heart!
Soft fingers gently combed through his hair as Robin asked, "Do you want a haircut? It's gotten quite long."
"Sure, make it look handsome," Rodney replied. While he rarely cut his hair nowadays, having mastered the Return to Life technique, he could control the growth of his hair if needed. Nevertheless, an occasional haircut was fine.
The Hana Hana no Mi was quite practical. With a few arms and scissors, Robin efficiently turned Rodney's somewhat long hair into a neat, short style. After washing away the hair clippings, she grinned at Rodney and said, "Rodney, here's a gift for you. I'm sure you'll like it."
"What is it?" Rodney asked.
In her memories, Rodney rarely gave her gifts, but when he did, they were always exactly what she liked.
Could it be...
Rodney retrieved a copy of the historical text that his shadow clone had stolen from BIG MOM's treasure trove. He smiled and said, "It's a copy of BIG MOM's historical text. I had my shadow clone steal it for you. Although it's not the real thing, I'm sure you'll like it."
Robin meticulously read the document, leaving no detail unnoticed. Finally, she smiled and said, "I really like it, Rodney."
She hugged Rodney, and their lips met in a gentle kiss.
(End of this chapter)