Chapter 33: The End of Honeymoon Island
Seeing Barok frozen solid by Aokiji, Loklav laughed hysterically, venting his rage by kicking the ice sculpture several times. Once his anger subsided, his expression seemed much clearer.
Kado was both surprised and pleased. Surprised that this guy's vitality was so ridiculous—beaten so badly and yet still lively. Pleased because he thought Loklav was dead, which would have denied Fite a chance for satisfaction. Who knew this guy would bounce back? It seemed like the people in the world of One Piece had incredible resilience.
Smack!
A slap sent Loklav sprawling to the ground as Kado shouted angrily, "What are you yelling about? I haven't even settled the score with you yet. What are you so happy about?"
Dazed by the slap, Loklav scrambled to Aokiji's feet, pleading, "Vice Admiral! You must help me! This lunatic clearly has his eyes on my wealth. He's attacking me without cause!"
"Tch, I'd rather take your life," Kado sneered.
Aokiji's expression shifted. "No matter what, he's still a noble. Assaulting a noble is no small offense. Doing so right in front of me—unless you have a very good reason—would be tantamount to challenging me."
"Heh." Kado scurried over to Aokiji, kicking Loklav aside as he did so, and began explaining with a fawning smile.
After Kado's explanation, Sanchi was filled with righteous indignation. Armed with a knife in one hand and a fork in the other, his face cold, he glared at Loklav and asked menacingly, "Steamed or braised?"
Terrified, Loklav hugged Aokiji's leg and wailed, "Vice Admiral, they're framing me! They're trying to take over Honeymoon Island! They have no proof and are falsely accusing me!"
"Get lost." Kado kicked Loklav flying. "Didn't you hear? The Vice Admiral doesn't need proof to act!"
"That's a separate matter," Aokiji said lazily. "This particular situation does require evidence. However, I didn't see any evidence, nor did I witness Kado assaulting you. So, this is between the two of you. Settle it yourselves."
Kado's heart trembled slightly when he first heard Aokiji speak, but as he listened further, he became overjoyed. Turning to Sanchi, he said, "Come on, Sanchi, stand in front of me. And grab your frying pan while you're at it. Vice Admiral Aokiji won't see me beating him."
"Got it!" Sanchi switched to holding a frying pan in both hands, blocking Aokiji's line of sight.
"You scoundrels! I'll report all of you! None of you are good people! What kind of Vice Admiral are you if you don't care about justice for civilians?!" Loklav howled in pain as he cursed at the group.
"What lovely weather," Aokiji stretched lazily. "If only there were some music to go with it."
Hearing Aokiji's comment, Kado became even more enthusiastic, and Loklav's wails seemed to weave into a melody of sorts.
While Kado was busy tormenting Loklav, Fite came running up from the base of the hill, yelling loudly as he approached.
"Kado! The navy is heading this way. Have they discovered our identities? Are they coming to arrest us?" Fite ran up in a panic, stopping Kado from continuing his violent antics. He motioned for Sanchi to prepare to flee.
"What's the rush?" Kado didn't budge and gestured towards Aokiji with his chin. "See that? A Vice Admiral from Navy Headquarters, a future Admiral in the making. He's my brother now!" Kado thumped his chest loudly as if claiming his brother was already an Admiral.
Aokiji's facial muscles visibly twitched. He almost couldn't resist the urge to beat Kado senseless.
"Oh, right. But why are there so many marines here?" Kado asked curiously.
"Idiot!" Aokiji finally snapped, scolding him. "Do you think I can just haul Barok away on my bicycle?"
"Ah, right, how foolish of me." Kado smacked his forehead as if having an epiphany, then scurried over to Aokiji. "Big Brother, you're so wise. Give me an autograph, will you?"
To be honest, this time Kado genuinely wanted an autograph—not just because Aokiji was a future Admiral but also because he was Kado's favorite among the Navy's top brass. Kado imagined that if he ever returned to Earth, having Aokiji's signature would be a legendary flex. All the One Piece fans would envy him. Little did he realize that on Earth, claiming to have Aokiji's autograph would get him dismissed as a lunatic and sent straight to the hospital.
Seeing Kado push his luck, Aokiji finally lost it. Before Kado even registered what happened, he was sent flying.
At that moment, an elderly man, appearing to be in his fifties, arrived at the manor. Fite called out "Head Butler!" and quickly ran to greet him.
Upon seeing the pitiful state of Loklav on the ground, the butler's spirits visibly lifted. Gone was his previously haggard demeanor. Rushing forward, he alternated between laughing and crying while punching and kicking Loklav.
Realizing the butler's presence, Loklav seemed to understand something. His heart sank, and his expression turned numb. He lay on the ground, offering no resistance as the butler beat him, not even uttering a single cry of pain.
Fite, with his eyes burning with hatred for his mortal enemy, charged forward as well, joining in the assault.
Even Kado felt a twinge of pity for Loklav's miserable state and reminded them, "Ease up a bit. Don't let him die too quickly." Kado wasn't entirely altruistic; he was worried that if Fite killed Loklav in front of Aokiji, it might provoke the Vice Admiral into taking action. Kado had been so brazen earlier because he was confident Aokiji wouldn't harm him—within limits, of course. It was best not to push too far.
Before long, the navy arrived. After saluting Aokiji, a few justice-driven young marines tried to stop Fite's assault on Loklav. However, when the butler presented Mr. Bakrov's will and the letter, they backed off and even kicked Loklav a few times themselves. A scoundrel who angered his own father to death was truly despicable.
With everything resolved, the navy escorted Barok and Loklav away. Thanks to solid evidence and Aokiji's intervention, Fite successfully inherited Honeymoon Island.
However, the wealth accumulated on Honeymoon Island over the years did not belong to Fite. It was taken away by the new head of the Bakrov family, along with all the island's entertainment facilities.
Initially, Kado was indignant, thinking Fite deserved everything on the island. However, Fite remained calm. To him, preserving his family's burial grounds was enough. Moreover, since he planned to continue adventuring, he couldn't manage the island's business anyway, so he chose to let it all go.
Upon reflection, Kado admitted it made sense. The Bakrov family reclaiming their wealth and facilities wasn't wrong. It was like on Earth—if a robber stole $10,000 from you, used it to buy a gun, and then robbed a bank, you couldn't claim the bank's money was yours just because the gun was bought with your $10,000.
When Kado, Fite, and Sanchi left, Honeymoon Island was completely deserted. The wealthy vacationers and nobles were all sent away. A few rich individuals who knew the story even offered to buy the island, but Fite firmly refused. The island was not only his hometown but also a home for the butler.
The butler, who was actually only in his forties, had aged prematurely due to Loklav's persecution and years of living like a wild man. Now, with his vengeance complete, he looked much younger, almost unrecognizable to Kado.
Kado asked the butler, "Why do you look so young? Did you start working for Mr. Bakrov in your twenties?"
The butler rolled his eyes. "Who says butlers have to be fifty or sixty? You've read too many novels."
Rejuvenated, the butler volunteered to manage Honeymoon Island for Fite. Fite and Kado readily agreed.
Fite was glad the butler wouldn't be lonely on the island. By rebuilding the resort, there would be people coming and going, and perhaps the butler might even find a companion.
As for Kado, he was daydreaming about riches. If the island became profitable again, he'd have a "money tree" to fund a lifetime of extravagance.
However, when Kado later checked the treasure room on the Kado Ship, he almost cried. It was completely empty—not even a mouse left behind.
Furious, he confronted Fite, who replied matter-of-factly, "We need capital to rebuild Honeymoon Island. Buying entertainment facilities costs money, doesn't it? Besides, you personally approved it, my dear captain. You're not regretting it now, are you?"
Kado was speechless, almost in tears.
With everything settled, the crew of the Kado set sail for the unknown seas, ready for new adventures.
End of chapter
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