CHAPTER 4

Chapter 4: BRAT 

Finally.

Ryusui finally breaks out of the stone.

The feeling of being stuck in a stone for who knows how long. Everything suddenly feels new to him.

Even the flow of his blood in his veins didn't sound right to him. How long has it been? Does it even matter in this situation?

Now that he is alive, there will be endless possibilities and growth waiting for him to conjure.

On the other side of the picture, there can be seen the stupefied bodies of Senku, Minami, Kohaku, and Taiju. "You see what I'm talking about!" Minami whined as she caught the attention of the newly revived man. 

On the other 'other' side of the picture, a smirk was seen slowly forming within the corners of Rika's lips. Apparently, for her, her existence was not yet revealed to the man since he was busy shouting to the world that he wants to take over. Not that anyone really cares. In addition, he didn't bother looking at his back. 

He suddenly points at them in a condescending and yet confident (or arrogant) tone. "Could it be that your sorry asses people... were the ones that saved me?" No one manages to answer his question. 

They were all...

Let's say, still statufied, if that's even a word. Not by what he just said, rather by what they are currently looking at.

Wow, that's...h-hug---Nevermind. 

They're just distracted, that's all. 

"I shall show you my gratitude!" He stated as anyone around him gave a confusing look. "You shall receive a check from my butler, Francois. Ten billion or twenty billion, write whatever you see fit."

'This dumbass.' Rika silently cursed. 

Ten? Twenty? Billion? Kohaku and the other people who were born in a world without civilizations only know that it was a form of arithmetic, but what does he mean by receiving something from him as a 'check'?

Aside from the miracles or rather inventions that were created by Senku and the others, they pretty much don't understand the concept of the technological world. 

"Francois!!" He shouted, but no 'Francois' answered. 

There is something that isn't right for him. 

"Hmm... I see." He ponders. "Things aren't quite right...but my seafarer's intuition knows best. Society has crumbled, right? My Nanami Conglomerate and my prize possession are all lost."

"Guess correct," Senku smirked. "I am glad you understood it quickly." 

He was about to offer his hands to the naked man, hoping it would cease the worry that might be budding in the man's heart but instead it suddenly burst into laughter like a madman who just got out of the jail. 

"Ha! Ha! This is the perfect chance!" He roared. "You lot did well to awaken me. If ownership over the entire world has vanished, then I will go on to acquire it all!"

'What the hell is wrong with this man?' They all had thought in unison. What in Senku's shiny booty is happening? Even I was confused.

For Ryusui, 

Conquering the world? No problem. 

He cannot possibly not have the whole world if it was just waiting for him to take over it. What a waste of chance, right? He's Nanami Ryusui, after all. 

After much time passed with her not giving any comments about what is currently happening, Rika decided to talk. "I can't believe that I just let them de-petrify a brat like you in the stone world." 

With a familiar voice entering his system, Ryusui slowly looked to where the voice was located. A smiling and waving figure of Rika was seen staring at him. Unforseemingly, the guy in his ultimate glory ran towards the girl, ultimately scaring the hell out of her. "HE—HEY! WAIT! DON'T COME AT ME LOOKING LIKE 'THAT'!"

Ryusui just laughed at her reaction. "Oh come on! It's not like you haven't seen me naked bef—" He was cut off by audibly collected gasps from the people surrounding the two of them consisting of Chrome, Gen, Kohaku, Niki, and the reporter. Others like Senku, Magma, and Taiju just don't really get it, or the former just not interested in the current issue between the two.

"What a daring information, you have there, Rika-chan." Gen tease her.

Blush was spread throughout the face of the ship engineer. This is not the first impression she wanted these people to have of her when meeting a brat named Ryusui on the island. 

"For the record, we were kids back then!" She defended as she was pointing her hands at him. "It's not my fault that your swimming shorts were too loose that they slipped out of your body and you ended up skinny dipping at the pool!"

Banter after banter came between the two. It's as if two siblings were fighting for something so trivial just like this. No assumptions or questions could be asked. They are definitely connected to each other. 

"Just put some damn clothes on." She insisted while trying to get as far away from him as possible. Ryusui begrudgingly complied as he was getting the handmade clothes created by Yuzuriha from the sexy reporter. "Fine. But remember that you are not the boss of my life. So don't go on tryi—"

"NOW!"

"Yes, Maam!"

Moments after the quick change, the whole mood became heavy and serious when Senku had finally revealed his intention to Ryusui. It's him becoming a captain of the ship that Rika is about to oversee the construction with. 

Apparently, the talk is not as smooth sailing as Senku thinks it's going to be. To successfully go with this plan, his kingdom was supposed to have the most important material that they are going to be needing. It's oil.

And of course,

They don't have any.

What a stroke of luck.

Being the capitalist that Ryusui is, growing on the leisure of having so much money, upon agreeing with the terms set by Senku, he as well did set terms in return. He insisted on having the full ownership and right of the oil field.

"You are one of a guy, aren't you?" Senku pointed out. "In terms of skill, you're the only option. Heh, Heh, Heh. I get it. You're ripping us off."

"What a con," Rika commented on the sidelines.

 "Wait!" Gen intercepted. "But then, even if we finally find the oil, if Ryusui-chan takes it all, what will we use to fuel the ship?"

The man wearing the sailor's hat laughed in response. "What are you saying? Isn't that obvious?"

An intense yet prominent glare was seen covering up his entire face. "You lot will..."

"But the oil..."

"From me!"

________

Unedited.