Hearing this, everyone looked up. In the distant sea, a blurry black dot was slowly drifting toward them. As the ship got closer, they saw that it was not a ship, not an island, but a huge wooden barrel floating on the sea. "Is it a drifting barrel? What's inside? Treasure or fine wine?" Gatz asked curiously.
"I'll go check," Silver's figure flashed. He leaped directly from the mast, which was dozens of meters high, tapped his toes on the sea surface a few times as if on solid ground, and arrived at the huge barrel. He lightly tapped the barrel with the sheath of his spear. Thump, thump. An echo came from inside; it seemed to be empty. But then, a faint, dream-like moan came from inside the barrel. "Hungry... so hungry... pineapple..."
Silver's brow furrowed slightly. He flicked open the barrel lid with his spear. Inside the barrel, a boy who looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old was curled up. He had messy, golden hair and some dust on his face. He looked like he had been starving for a long time. He was hugging his knees, sleeping soundly, and still muttering something. "Pineapple... give me a pineapple... yoi..."
The boy's unique verbal tic and his obsession with pineapples made the deck of the Moby Dick fall into a strange silence. Gatz scratched his huge head and asked Dolum in confusion, "What does 'yoi' mean? Is it some new kind of pineapple?"
Dolum held his forehead, feeling his common sense being repeatedly refreshed by this bizarre sea.
Silver, like he was carrying a small chicken, lifted the still-sleeping boy out of the barrel and returned to the ship in a few leaps. He casually dropped the boy on the deck. The boy grunted, rolled over, and continued to smack his lips and mutter in his sleep. "Pineapple... such a big pineapple... yoi..."
"Gurararara, this kid is quite interesting," Newgate said, looking at the suddenly appearing boy, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. To be able to drift alone in a barrel in the perilous New World and survive was a testament to the boy's extraordinariness.
"Captain, he's about to starve to death," Silver said calmly. He could feel the boy's weak life force.
"Ren," Newgate looked toward the kitchen.
Ren had already walked out. He crouched down and carefully examined the strange boy. The boy's eye sockets were sunken, his lips were chapped, but his breathing was relatively stable, and he had no obvious external injuries. It was just simple hunger and dehydration. However, seeing this familiar hairstyle, a smile appeared in Ren's heart. "Is this fate? To meet him here..." Pushing aside his thoughts, Ren extended a finger and lightly touched his wrist, feeling his unique life pulse. "His constitution is very special. The activity of his cells is far beyond that of a normal person. His recovery ability should be very strong." Ren gave his professional judgment and then stood up and walked back to the kitchen.
A moment later, he walked out with a bowl of warm, fragrant white rice porridge. It was not made with any fancy ingredients, just the best spring water and the plumpest rice grains, perfect for awakening a weak stomach. Ren gently fed a spoonful of porridge to the boy's lips. The warm and pure aroma seemed to have a magical quality. The still-sleeping boy's nose twitched, and he subconsciously opened his mouth. One spoonful of white porridge down, and the boy's furrowed brow relaxed, a look of satisfaction on his face. "Mm... delicious... yoi..."
The bowl of porridge was soon finished, and the boy's complexion visibly turned rosy. His long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and he slowly opened his eyes. They were a pair of somewhat drowsy but exceptionally clear blue eyes, like the sky after a rain. The young Marco was awake.
He looked around, a little confused. When his gaze swept over Newgate's mountain-like body, Gatz's oppressive muscles, and Silver's cold, sharp demeanor, the confusion on his face was instantly replaced by vigilance. "Who... who are you people?!" Marco sat up with a start, his hands subconsciously held in front of his chest in a defensive posture.
"Us?" Gatz grinned, showing his white teeth. He found it fun to tease this silly-looking kid. "We're a group of passing gourmets. We saw you were about to starve to death and fished you out."
"Gourmets?" Marco was stunned by this answer. Then his stomach grumbled, reminding him of the delicious porridge from just now. "Gurararara, no need to be nervous, kid," Newgate's loud voice sounded, carrying a reassuring power. "We are the Whitebeard Pirates. We saved you because we felt a connection with you. We have no ill intentions."
The Whitebeard Pirates! Marco's pupils contracted sharply. He had of course heard of this name. This was a powerful pirate crew that had recently risen to fame in the New World, giving even the Marines a headache! It was rumored that their captain, Whitebeard, had the power to destroy the world, and his crew members were all monsters. He had been saved by this legendary group of great pirates?
Marco's feelings were a little complicated. He was grateful for their kindness in saving his life, but he was also wary of their identity. "Thank you... for saving me," Marco stood up and bowed to everyone, his tone sincere. "My name is Marco. I was a doctor's apprentice on a small island..."
"A doctor's apprentice?" Newgate raised an eyebrow. That identity was a bit of a surprise.
Just then, Ren walked over with a plate of sliced pineapple and placed it in front of Marco. The golden fruit exuded an alluring sweet fragrance. Marco's eyes instantly went wide. He stared at the plate of pineapple, nearly drooling. "Go on, eat. Get some vitamins," Ren said calmly.
Marco couldn't be bothered with being wary anymore. He grabbed a piece of pineapple and stuffed it into his mouth, his face covered in juice, a look of bliss on his face. "Delicious! Yoi!"
Seeing his defenseless appearance, everyone couldn't help but laugh. This pineapple-headed kid didn't seem to have any bad intentions. "Alright, kid," Newgate said after he finished eating. "Where's your home? We can drop you off when we're in the area."
Marco's movements paused. He put down the pineapple in his hand, the smile gone from his face, replaced by a hint of sadness. "My home... is gone," Marco's voice became low. "Our small island was attacked by a group of pirates. They burned our village, stole everything, and killed my teacher... I barely escaped with my life." As he spoke, his fists clenched unconsciously, and flames of anger and unwillingness burned in his eyes. "I was too weak... if I had been a little stronger, I could have protected them..."
The atmosphere on the deck instantly became heavy. Newgate looked at the boy before him, as if seeing his past self, the one who longed for strength, who longed to protect his family. He was silent for a moment, then spoke to Marco in an unprecedentedly solemn tone. "Kid," Newgate's voice was not loud, but it was filled with an unquestionable power. "Since you have no home to return to, then why not... become my son."
....
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