Kuina's sudden move shocked the rest of the team.
They figured she'd use the challenger as a punching bag to let out her anger from the past two days.
But none of them expected her to end it with just one strike.
"She's scary…"
"Kuina is terrifying when she's mad..."
A few seconds later, Leah finally reacted. She darted behind the others, pulling a dramatic face.
"Pfft~"
"Hahaha~~"
Seeing Leah like that, everyone burst into laughter. Then they started teasing both Kuina and Leah.
"That's right, that's right~"
"Kuina was really scary just now~~~"
"Hahahaha~"
...
"Oh, come on!"
"You're all picking on me! Kuina, they're still laughing at you. Quick, get them..." Leah stood in front of the group with her hands on her hips, pretending to scold everyone.
But Kuina quietly sheathed Wado Ichimonji.
Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, she walked behind Leah — and suddenly struck. *Smack!*
"Ah!"
"Damn it!"
"Kuina, I'm coming for you!"
After Kuina finished fighting Lia, she quickly slipped into the cabin, and Leah chased after her right away.
Everyone watching was shocked, unable to believe what they were seeing.
"Is this some kind of trick...?"
Anya looked surprised. She widened her eyes and rubbed them, as if trying to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
"The sun did rise in the east today, that's for sure… but Kuina joking around?!" Nojiko whispered in disbelief.
This change surprised her a lot.
"It's the first time I've ever seen Kuina joke since we were kids," Nami said, also finding it hard to believe.
They had known Kuina for years but had never seen her act so relaxed and cheerful. This change really shook up their impression of her.
"*Ahem ahem...*" Ryuen cleared his throat a couple of times, trying to ease the awkward mood.
He laughed and said, "Isn't this great? It's not good if she's always cold and serious. She's a swordsman, after all. If she's cold on top of being cold, that's just too much."
His words struck a chord, and everyone nodded in agreement.
"True…"
After that, everyone's mood lightened up.
For the rest of the time, they enjoyed the sea view and the fresh breeze.
After a while, people started doing their own things—some sunbathing on the deck, others going back to the cabin to rest or prepare lunch.
…
"Hog, what are you drawing?" Robin walked over to Hog and saw him working on a blueprint.
"Hmm~"
"I'm drawing the Dream's design. After some time thinking about it, I want to upgrade the Dream's power system," Hog said seriously when he heard Robin.
Everyone still on the deck turned to look at Hog.
Ryuen walked over and looked at Hog's unfinished blueprint.
"What's this device?" Ryuen asked, pointing to a strange-looking part on the blueprint with curiosity.
"Well…" Hog smiled confidently, "It's a power generator. I got the idea from the blueprint of the Ark Maxim, the ship from Sky Island."
"Hehe, after many tests, it's been proven to work really well!"
"A power generator?" Ryuen nodded thoughtfully, eyes showing surprise and hope.
"Hey, big brother, is it like that flying ship Enel had?" Leah ran over excitedly and stood next to Hog, asking.
Hog smiled and said, "In theory, yes, it's possible. But if we really changed the Dream into that, it wouldn't be the Dream we know anymore."
"Besides, I don't plan to change it like that."
"Honestly, if we wanted a ship like the Ark Maxim, it'd be better to just build a new one."
He shook his head and sighed a little, showing he didn't really agree with the idea.
Everyone else nodded too. After all, the Dream had been with them through many adventures—they couldn't just give it up now.
But upgrading it was a different story.
Their eyes lit up with excitement, hoping the Dream would get better and better.
After watching for a while, Ryuen and the others left Hog alone.
The Dream did need an upgrade. Although it was still a great ship now, it was only about as good as the newest Marine warships.
…
Time passed by little by little. The sun slowly set, painting the sky with evening colors. Before they knew it, night had fallen.
Nami held a sea chart, studying it closely for a while. Then she pointed to a small spot on the map and said, "According to this chart, we're about to reach a small, uninhabited island."
"Everyone, let's stay here for the night."
"No problem!"
"Nami, it's up to you..."
Everyone nodded in agreement with her idea.
So, the Dream set sail faster, and soon a small island appeared in front of them.
"This really is a tiny deserted island. It looks very empty, and there isn't even a single tree—only some weeds..." Nojiko looked at the small island nearby, a bit surprised.
"The island is less than 3 kilometers across, enough for us to spend the night. It's pretty bare, but we don't need much," Nami said after a quick glance, estimating the size of the island.
With Hogg's skilled handling, the Dream quickly reached the shore.
After dropping the anchor, everyone stepped onto the small deserted island.
Nami opened a pocket dimension, and everyone went inside. They skillfully took out camping tents, along with various food and drinks.
Anya's small kitchen was also set up by Nami.
Ryuen took out a dozen light shells, placed them around the camp, and pressed the tops. The whole camp lit up bright as day.
At that moment, Anya held a big piece of meat, ready to show off her knife skills, when Daisy's voice rang out.
"Anya, let me help you!"
Daisy eagerly ran over. "Room!"
With a few quick moves, before Anya could react, the meat she was holding was already chopped into a pile of bones and meat by Daisy.
"Damn it!"
"Daisy, if you keep this up, my knife skills will get worse!"
"Ahahaha~ Sorry, sorry, I just thought you were tired..."
"I think you just want to eat my cooking sooner, Daisy. I'm too shy to call you out on it." Anya rolled her eyes. "Alright, you handle these then."
"Sure thing~~~"
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