Chapter 131: King, I Want to Smack Your Butt

Worried Kaido might beat the life out of him, Jack decided it was better to leave Yamato on the ship.

After all, Kaido flew faster than the ship sailed, especially after a few drinks. When he eventually noticed Yamato was missing, he'd catch up in no time. If all else failed, Jack figured he could hand her over to King when they met. But there had to be some ground rules in place first.

As the thought crossed his mind, Jack felt an old ache in his body flare up again. Wincing, he stood and turned to Yamato.

"You can stay here, but you have to promise me one thing!" he declared firmly.

"What is it?" Yamato tilted her head, curious.

"Whatever happens, you are not allowed to hit me! Got it?"

Yamato eagerly nodded, her face bright with enthusiasm.

Jack wasn't convinced. He repeated, "At any time, Yamato! Any time at all! Got it? Especially when I'm sleeping! Or—wait—especially when I've had too much to drink! Don't hit me from behind! Do you understand?"

The smile on Yamato's face faded, replaced by an annoyed frown.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it already! Geez, you're so naggy!"

"I'm not done eating yet!" she added before storming off toward the galley, her footsteps loud and impatient.

Bam!

Jack watched her go, a shiver running down his spine. Instinctively, he reached behind and rubbed his rear.

Yamato had no sense of restraint. If this kept up, his butt might develop calluses—and if other parts of him started going down the same road, well, that'd just be ridiculous.

Jack had assumed Kaido would notice Yamato's absence within a week at most and catch up. To buy time, he'd even ordered the ship to slow down.

But two months later, as they neared the bustling port of Renske, Kaido was still nowhere in sight. The longer it went on, the more Jack worried about what the future held.

It wasn't that Jack disliked Yamato. Despite her sharp features, she had a certain charm with her big eyes and high nose bridge. Over the past year, her figure had developed into something quite striking.

But Yamato had always been a little... off.

Not the kind of off you could ignore—she was the kind of oddball that left both Jack and Kaido completely exasperated.

There was the time she hid food in blankets. Or the time she used a barrel for... well, let's not go there.

In an attempt to make her act more ladylike, Jack had tried telling her stories of heroic women, which gradually evolved into tales of tragic romance—Romeo and Juliet, The Butterfly Lovers, and eventually overly sentimental soap operas.

Perhaps it backfired, because Yamato, despite her bold and brash exterior, grew up with a surprisingly sensitive core.

As a child, Jack used to joke about marrying Yamato and Black Maria when they grew up. But as the years passed, Maria and Jack grew taller and more mature, while Yamato stayed much the same. She started to notice Jack's attitude toward her shifting.

Spending her days with Black Maria, Yamato eventually began to understand the dynamics between men and women.

Proud as the daughter of Kaido and princess of the Oni race, Yamato naturally wanted to catch Jack's attention. But her attempts usually resulted in chaos.

Countless times, she'd interrupted Jack's moments of triumph or inadvertently caused him injury. And with Kaido always playing the doting father, Jack didn't dare retaliate.

Recently, though, Yamato had switched tactics. Now, she called him "Jack" in a sweet, singsong voice while prancing around him.

Jack, unsurprisingly, was helpless. His nose bled every day, and he had to take frequent swims to cool his temper. His crew, meanwhile, kept their heads down, walking on eggshells to avoid his wrath.

This odd dynamic continued until they arrived at the port of Renske.

Yamato, thrilled by the bustling port city, jumped onto the back of her wolf and dashed off ahead.

Given that it was her first time leaving Onigashima since she'd grown up, her excitement was understandable.

Renske had grown dramatically over the past few years. Its port was several times wider, with dozens of merchant ships docking in an orderly fashion.

Fearsome fishmen patrolled the docks, scrutinizing everyone who passed by, while armed pirates roamed the streets, maintaining order.

Yamato's wild entrance on her wolf immediately drew attention, but the sight of Jack's trusted pirates following close behind quickly reassured the fishmen. They even jumped into the sea to spread the word.

The streets buzzed with activity as merchants hawked food and exotic goods. Yamato, thrilled by the lively atmosphere, disappeared into the crowd like a child let loose in a candy store, her wolf bounding along behind her.

Meanwhile, Jack's Mammoth sailed straight into the harbor without needing to register. One look at its markings, and everyone knew who had arrived.

The crowd fell silent as Jack stepped off the ship. His towering frame, rippling with muscle, exuded an intimidating aura. His long, golden hair flowed over his broad shoulders, and his pristine white vest showcased his sculpted chest.

But it was his menacing glare, coupled with the pure white sclera of his eyes, that made even seasoned pirates break into a cold sweat.

"Oi. Where's King? He's not here yet?" Jack's voice was gruff.

"Uh, uh... Jack-sama!" stammered one pirate. "He's handling some matters and said he'd be here soon!"

"Fine. Make it quick."

Moments later, a shadow fell over Jack. King landed nearby, his sharp gaze locked onto Jack.

"King!" Jack's face lit up as he flexed his muscles. "I've gotten a lot stronger lately! Let's spar! I wanna smack your butt!"

BAM!

King's expression immediately darkened, and he delivered a powerful kick that sent Jack hurtling into the ocean.

"Hey! Listen up!" King barked at the crew. "No one fishes him out until after dinner! Got it?"

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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg