"A stress test? What does that mean?" Conis blinked, genuinely puzzled.
"No—Conis, you don't need to understand that," Arton cut in at once, then shot Uta a warning look. "Uta, zip it."
He could stop Uta from "educating" Conis… but he couldn't stop the other culprit.
"A so-called stress test…" Raki said thoughtfully, "…should mean testing Captain Arton's sword after it's been 'maintained,' right?"
The instant those words left her mouth, both Conis and Arton turned to look at her.
A second ago, Raki had still been wearing the distinctive Shandian warrior top—now her upper armor was gone.
Well… not gone.
It was in Uta's hands.
"Just so we're clear, I didn't do this," Uta said quickly the moment she noticed Arton's gaze sliding toward her. "Miss Raki handed it to me herself."
"Uh-huh…" Arton twitched a little at the corner of his mouth. "You really don't have to be this enthusiastic, Raki."
"It's fine. Our Shandians have habits like this," Raki replied, composed to the point of absurdity. "After we maintain a weapon, we test it. Swords, knives—we absolutely do 'pressure testing.' So… why don't we do a proper test right now?"
She paused, then added earnestly, "I'm definitely not as skilled at this as Miss Kaya, but I'll do my best."
And then—right in front of Arton—Raki proceeded to test the sword she'd just maintained, putting it through an extremely hands-on pressure test with an intensity that left absolutely nothing to the imagination.
Conis, seeing that, finally understood what Raki had meant… and promptly forgot how to speak.
Arton sighed. "Alright. Fine. A test is a test—just don't take too long."
He resettled himself with as much dignity as the situation allowed, watching Raki service the weapon in her arms like she was performing a sacred rite.
"Longer is fine, though," Uta chirped, grinning as she sauntered back to Arton and leaned in close, whispering into his ear, "Raki and Conis aren't exactly in a hurry, are they?"
Uta's eyes glittered. "Captain, why don't we complete the full procedure?"
Arton narrowed his eyes. "And what exactly are you implying?"
"Obviously…" Uta's smile curled. "We have to put the sword back in its scabbard."
She tilted her head, voice turning syrup-sweet. "Or better yet—send it back to its warm little home."
Then she added, far too cheerfully, "By the way, Captain… should the sword go to the front yard… or the back yard?"
As if worried Raki and Conis might miss the joke, Uta actually used her hands—gesturing between her own body and Conis's like she was presenting options on a menu.
Conis went rigid, lips pressed tight, and ducked her head like an ostrich burying itself in the sand.
Raki—already testing with enthusiasm—went even rougher, her motions turning downright savage from sheer excitement.
"Uta… seriously," Arton groaned, glaring at her. "Look what you've done."
He nodded toward Conis. "She can't say a word."
Then toward Raki. "And Raki's so worked up her technique's getting stiff."
Chapter 552: Raki Carries Out Her Unshakable Warrior's Resolve
Conis was already dying of embarrassment, and after Arton said that, she felt even more incapable of forming words.
Even though she'd steeled herself before approaching Arton to ask for help, at the end of the day she was still just an ordinary woman from Skypiea—not a Shandian warrior raised on battle like Raki. In moments like this, her body simply couldn't keep up with what her mind thought it was ready for.
That said, both Raki and Uta were confident in her. Given enough time, they believed Conis would eventually be able to reach out to Arton without freezing up.
"I think Miss Uta is right," Raki said. "Maintenance, testing… once you complete the full process, you're supposed to return it to its warm home."
Without slowing her hands, she lifted her gaze to Arton's face. "Captain Arton, if you don't mind… I'm willing to help you put it back home. So—do you want it in the front yard, or the back yard?"
"W-Wait—hold on," Arton waved frantically, sweat-beading at his temple. "The front yard stuff can wait until we… know each other a little better."
He genuinely couldn't understand why Raki was like this.
For a split second, he even wondered if his arrival had pushed the world onto a different track—changing even the original characters into something else entirely.
"…I see," Raki murmured, lips pressing together as she lowered her head.
"Don't be disappointed, Raki," Uta said, giving her shoulder a light pat and smiling. "If Arton is letting you maintain and test his weapon, that already proves he trusts you to a certain degree."
She leaned in, voice bright and coaxing. "At this point, he's definitely willing to help you. As for everything else… we'll talk about that later."
"Exactly," Arton nodded solemnly. "Some things… shouldn't be rushed."
If he was being honest, he preferred Raki not to treat "putting away the weapon" like a transaction.
"The front door isn't going to work," Uta announced. "So we'll put it in the back yard."
"Yeah. Back yard—my ass," Arton snapped, eyes going wide as he whipped his head toward her.
"Yeah! Exactly—ass—ow!" Uta yelped, clutching her forehead where he'd flicked her. "What was that for, Captain?!"
"You're the one who started it," Arton shot back. "I can handle a lot of your nonsense… but this can wait until later."
Then he looked at Raki, tone turning more serious. "Raki. That's enough. We need to prepare to deal with some trash."
He didn't name names, but Uta and Raki both understood immediately—the trash was the tyrant ruling Skypiea: Enel.
The moment that clicked, both Conis and Raki burned with excitement.
And the way Raki expressed that excitement… was by looking up with shining gratitude and opening her mouth again.
Arton frowned, baffled. "Uh… didn't we just agree you were stopping?"
Raki drew in a deep breath, then lifted her head to meet his eyes. "At least let me finish testing your weapon, Captain Arton."
Her expression was utterly earnest. "That way, you'll be in the best condition to take part in the real battle… right?"
Arton could only stare, equal parts exasperated and helpless. He wanted to say that even if she stopped right now, dealing with Enel would still be easy.
But—
"Since Raki's gone this far, just let her," Uta said lightly. Then she gave Arton a sly look. "Rejecting a beautiful girl isn't really your habit, is it… Captain?"
Arton: "…"
Seeing him go silent, Uta turned to Raki instead. "Oh, by the way—one more thing."
"Usually, when maintenance and testing happen together," Uta said, grinning, "Captain Arton and I call that… special maintenance."
"Special maintenance…" Raki nodded as if receiving a sacred technique. "I understand."
Her face set with solemn determination. "I'll make sure to complete this special maintenance properly."
And true to her word, she did exactly that—thoroughly, seriously, and with the kind of stubborn grit only a Shandian warrior could possess.
Raki carried it out to the end, fully embodying the toughness and unwavering resolve of her people.