208 Late Night Visitor

Smoothie prioritized rescuing the island's medical staff who had been poisoned. Once freed, the medical team began treating the affected residents one by one.

Fortunately, the poison wasn't fatal, but removing it was a slow process. It would take several days for the victims to fully recover.

Meanwhile, Katakuri and the other children of Big Mom were busy handling the aftermath on Cake Island—rescue operations, casualty reports, inventory checks, and preparations for reconstruction.

Amidst the chaos, Tom Cat, still in his Superman Cat form, floated a meter above the ground, casually eating canned dried fish.

As he watched the rescue workers rush back and forth, a question lingered in Tom's mind.

'Why isn't anyone asking me to detoxify them? Am I being underestimated?' Tom thought, feeling slightly annoyed.

'It's just a weak poison—not even strong enough to make Jerry sneeze. I could detoxify it with a flick of my paw if I wanted.'

But after a moment, Tom decided, 'Forget it. The master didn't ask me to get involved, so I'd better stay out of it.

Tom was no ordinary cat; he was smart and full of clever ideas.

With a quick glance around, he rolled his eyes, stretched out on the ground, and pretended to fall asleep. His relaxed posture seemed to say, Go ahead and stay busy—I'm just an innocent little kitten.

… 

Night fell, but the rescue work on Cake Island continued tirelessly.

Thanks to the island's abundant food stores, a grand feast was quickly prepared. 

The banquet was said to be the work of Long Bread, the old chef everyone thought had died. Surprisingly, he was only unconscious and had been stuffed into a flour barrel.

Perhaps Stussy avoided killing him to prevent his life card from burning, but whatever the reason, the old man had miraculously survived.

"Well, well, well! Let's raise our glasses to honor our eternal friends of Cake Island!" Big Mom declared, sitting proudly at the head of the table.

For a change, the feast wasn't filled with elaborate desserts. Instead, hearty steaks and steaming plates of traditional food were served.

Lifting her wine glass, Big Mom offered a toast, first to Lynch and then to Kaido, her booming laughter filling the air.

"Thank you, Mr. Lynch, for helping our Cake Island during this crisis," Katakuri said sincerely.

 "And Kaido-sama, thank you for stopping my mother from going berserk."

Big Mom's children stood from their seats, raising their glasses in a unified toast to Lynch and Kaido.

"You don't need to flatter me. We're all in the same boat, and we should stick together in the future," 

Lynch replied with a calm smile, lifting his glass slightly before taking a sip.

"Hahaha! We're all in the same boat, huh? Lynch, you sure know how to talk!" Kaido roared with laughter. "But I don't bother with small words. This glass is too small—bring me a wine jar!"

Meanwhile, Tom, another key figure in this battle, lay comfortably on Garrett's lap. Eating on chicken legs and sipping milk, he looked perfectly happy.

Tom wasn't upset that Big Mom hadn't toasted him

Tom didn't care about formalities or being toasted. His greatest dream was simple: to have an owner who wouldn't abandon him and a warm home.

Now that both wishes had come true, Tom was completely satisfied with his life.

As he grew tipsy from drinking milk, memories of his past owners drifted into his mind. From the cruel "Black Big Mom," to British escorts, to the cold scientists, and now Lynch.

The "Black Big Mom" was the worst of them all. She would hit Tom with a broom, scold him constantly, deny him sleep, and even kick him out of the house. She was a terrible owner.

'The cat was good, but the owner was bad,' Tom thought with a bit of bitterness.

Now, with Lynch, everything was different. Lynch liked Tom, and Tom liked him back. He was the best owner Tom had ever had—a kind and caring companion.

'As good as the cat is, so is the owner! 

Thinking of this, Tom liked Lynch even more. 

While reminiscing, Tom fell into a deep sleep

"Pfft~ How does Tom even manage to get drunk on milk?" Smoothie chuckled, watching the little cat snooze on Garrett's lap.

She reached out instinctively to touch Tom but paused midway, pulling her hand back. 

The memory of Katakuri, their usually stoic and commanding brother, respectfully calling Tom "Cat-nii" was enough to deter her.

Glancing at Garrett, Smoothie couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. Her younger sister had truly found herself a great husband. 

Smoothie sighed inwardly, wondering if she'd ever have the same luck in her lifetime.

"Yes, Tom is quite the magical little kitten," Garrett said warmly, gently stroking Tom's tiny head as he slept. 

"Sometimes, even I can't figure out why he does the things he does."

As the evening progressed, the banquet—outwardly full of laughter and cheer—gradually came to an end. After rounds of food and drink, the revelers began to disperse.

Lynch was escorted to a guest room, one of the few on Cake Island that had survived the chaos in decent condition.

After hearing about Tom's remarkable cooking skills, Longbread was so impressed that he begged to become Tom's disciple. To seal the deal, he promised to gift Tom a hundred premium hams as an apprenticeship offering.

Tom found it hard to refuse, so he reluctantly agreed, likely getting roped into cooking lessons with Longbread.

Still, Lynch couldn't help but wonder—could Tom's bizarre and seemingly instinctual cooking methods actually be taught to humans?

Meanwhile, Garrett spent the night catching up with her younger sister, whom she hadn't seen in years.

Lynch, however, lay alone in his room, gazing at the stars through the window, feeling wide awake. 

As a mythical beast, he wouldn't feel tired even if he went seven days and nights without rest.

The pendulum clock in the corner ticked steadily, marking the passage of time. 

When it struck one o'clock, faint footsteps echoed outside the door.

The owner of the footsteps seemed anxious, taking three steps forward and two steps back. They stopped in front of the door, hesitating for a long time without the courage to knock.

Suddenly, there was a soft sound—"Pa~."

A slender hand quickly grabbed the nervous intruder's arm as if expecting them. The person, already on edge, let out a startled yelp but was promptly silenced as the woman covered their mouth and dragged them into the nearby bushes.

Lynch, observing from his room, immediately recognized one of the voices—it was Garrett.

As for the other voice...

After a moment of thought, Lynch raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Pudding? The three-eyed girl who can read historical texts?" he murmured to himself.

Big Mom once mentioned that Pudding's third eye hadn't awakened yet.

After awakening, she would gain the ability to hear the voice of all things, similar to Roger. 

This would allow her to perceive and understand the truths of the world, including deciphering historical texts.

Because of this, after Big Mom's absence, the Blackbeard Pirates didn't hesitate to invade Cake Island to abduct Pudding.

This girl is truly a treasure.

If Lynch remembered correctly, the system had marked her with a value of 41 points.

.

.

TO BE CONTINUED

___________________

I've added an advanced chapter on P@treon, where you can read 85+ chapters ahead of everyone.

Link : patreon.com/MoonEater18