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Standing at the doorway, Rojen had finally reached the limit of his patience. He strode over and punched every person who had been talking earlier, leaving large bumps on their heads.
"Anyone who dares joke about the captain will pay the price!"
Looking at the crew members clutching their heads and crying out in pain, Rojen let out a cold laugh.
Among them was even the usually aloof Daz Bonez. The kid had joined recently, but he got along best with Chaporos. Although the two argued every day, their friendship had clearly deepened. Before he knew it, Daz had even picked up a bit of that rascal's personality.
"This is a little girl I rescued on the way here. She's from Skypiea."
After everyone quieted down, Rojen finally explained.
Lordling visibly relaxed, while the other crew members looked at Dina with curiosity.
"She's from Skypiea? Wow, so Skypiea really exists!"
Chaporos and the six members of Dragon-Elephant immediately sprang forward and surrounded Dina, startling her into letting out a scream.
"Look, she has wings! Just like the angels from myths and legends. That's amazing!"
"Little angel, can you fly?"
"Legend says angels possess powerful divine abilities. Why can't I see any?"
The barrage of questions left Dina trembling with fear. She genuinely worried that these overexcited people might tear her apart and dissect her.
"Back off. You're scaring her."
Nalene stepped forward, glared at them, and shielded Dina behind her.
The potion-making knowledge Nalene had demonstrated recently had greatly impressed the crew. Since they might one day depend on the ship's doctor to save them from poison or injuries, everyone treated her with considerable respect.
Seeing her intervene, Chaporos and the others silently retreated, though their faces showed clear disappointment.
"I've never seen an angel before. They're completely different from humans!"
"Wings! Actual wings! And she's really pretty too."
"So Skypiea really exists! Are we actually going there? I can't wait!"
The group chatted excitedly among themselves, their eyes shining with anticipation. Every now and then they glanced at Dina, causing her entire body to shiver.
Deep down, Dina felt as though she had fallen into a den of wolves.
"Don't be afraid. That's just how they are."
Rojen turned back and said with a smile.
"W-What exactly are you people?"
Dina asked in a trembling voice.
The looks in those people's eyes were far too fanatical. She was frightened.
"We're pirates."
Rojen answered.
Those two words caused Dina's eyes to roll back as she fainted on the spot.
Good heavens! Pirates were far more terrifying than those four kidnappers! How could she be this unlucky?
"Captain, she passed out."
Nalene said calmly. After glancing at Dina, she added two more words in an indifferent tone:
"From fright."
Rojen was speechless. He waved his hand and rejoined the crew's small banquet.
"You're responsible for taking care of her."
Nothing noteworthy happened during the night, and soon morning arrived.
After breakfast, everyone headed toward The Logan.
The Eternal Pose had already finished storing Whiskey Peak's magnetic field, and the Log Pose was now pointing toward the next island.
Bringing along the still somewhat fearful little Dina, everyone boarded the ship.
After three days of sailing, and with Nalene's constant reassurance, Dina gradually became familiar with the crew. She was no longer as terrified as before and could carry on simple conversations with everyone.
To the surprise of the others, the energetic Chaporos got along exceptionally well with Dina. The two quickly became close enough to talk about almost anything.
"Dina, how did you end up here? What exactly happened in Skypiea?"
As their conversations continued, Chaporos learned the rough outline of Dina's story. Curious, he pressed for more details.
At the mention of the topic, Dina's mood immediately darkened. The crew members also focused their attention on her and listened carefully.
"It's all because of that newly arrived God!"
Those words instantly changed the expressions of the crew.
"There's really a God?"
"No way! Skypiea has a God?"
They found it hard to believe. Could there truly be a God living in the sea of clouds above the ocean?
"He controls the power of lightning. He destroyed the kingdom, causing countless civilians to lose their homes and families and become refugees. My father and I came down to the Blue Sea because of that."
Dina said through tears.
"You came here with your father? Then where is he?"
Chaporos asked in confusion.
"We got separated when we fell from the sky. I was rescued by a passing merchant ship, and they brought me to Whiskey Peak."
"After arriving here, I was worried about my father and wanted to ask for help. That's when I ran into the four people who kidnapped me."
At this point, Dina finally told her entire story. Only then did the crew fully understand the tragedy she had experienced, and they could not help but sympathize with her.
Her country had been destroyed by a God, forcing the people of the kingdom to flee in all directions. By chance, she and her father had come down to the Blue Sea, only to become separated. Then, after being rescued by kind-hearted people, she soon fell into the hands of criminals once again.
Had Rojen not saved her, the little girl would probably have been sold to some Noble as a living exhibit.
"That's so sad!"
Chaporos listened with tears streaming down his face as he hugged Dina and cried loudly.
At some point, this fellow had turned into an overly sentimental Celestial Dragon, completely different from how he used to be.
"I promise I'll help you find your father and reunite your family!"
Chaporos sobbed as he made his vow.
"Really, Chaporos?"
Dina asked excitedly.
"Of course it's true! I guarantee it!"
With tears in his eyes, Chaporos pounded his chest and shouted.
"That's wonderful!"
Dina threw her arms around him and burst into tears as well.
One big crybaby and one little crybaby ended up hugging each other and bawling uncontrollably, causing Daz Bonez's eyebrows to twitch as he watched.
"Why is he crying?"
"Who knows?"
Jason and Trens muttered in bewilderment.
"I miss my dad!"
Chaporos suddenly shouted and cried even harder.
Those words instantly caused black lines to appear on everyone's foreheads.
"I suddenly have the urge to punch him."
Jason gritted his teeth.
"He'll die."
Trens casually added, forcing Jason to suppress the urge.
Rojen could only shake his head. Chaporos had gone ahead and made a promise on behalf of his captain, leaving him speechless.
"The captain hasn't even said anything yet. Don't make promises on your own, Chaporos."
Daz Bonez kindly reminded him.
"Ah? Captain, I forgot!"
Chaporos snapped back to reality and then looked at Rojen with tear-filled eyes.
That watery, pitiful little gaze made Rojen's eyelids twitch repeatedly.
"Rojen!"
Dina also looked at him with a pleading expression.
The combined effect of those two gazes was devastating.
Dina's expression naturally evoked sympathy and compassion.
Chaporos, on the other hand, was simply disgusting.
Unable to take it any longer, Rojen rubbed his forehead and waved his hand.
"Fine! We'll help you find him!"
The moment they heard that answer, Chaporos and Dina jumped up together while embracing each other and burst into laughter.
"Those two are quite a pair."
Trens said with a helpless smile.
"We're heading to Skypiea anyway. We should be able to gather information about her father in the sea regions we'll pass through. We just need to keep an eye out."
"As for Skypiea, bringing them along isn't a problem."
Rojen's eyes flashed.
"After all, I'm very interested in hearing about that guy."
His thoughts were naturally focused on the so-called God of Skypiea—the mysterious newcomer who possessed the power of lightning.
(End Of This Chapter)