“Why? Didn’t you say it was interesting?”
“That…”
The pressure that was initially on Tesoro and Stella inside the cabin had now shifted to them. Explaining to Yamato the reason for their gathering had become a deadly problem.
If they explained it poorly, Yamato wouldn’t leave. If they explained it too well, Arceus might have a chat about life with them.
“Why are you all gathered here so late at night? Looks like the alcohol has worn off, huh? Then go and clean the deck!”
“Yes, boss!”
Shayna’s voice became their lifeline at this moment, as cleaning the deck was clearly a better option than staying here.
“Alright, Miss Yamato, it’s time for you to go to sleep. Otherwise, Lord Sacred Beast will get angry.” Lifting Yamato with one hand, Shayna carried her away from here.
“But they said something interesting was in there?”
“You’ll understand these things when you grow up, Miss Yamato. Now, it’s time for you to sleep.”
“Oh, how wonderful it is to be all grown up. When will I grow up?”
“Not much longer, just ten years, it’ll pass quickly.”
The group of people on the deck were working fervently. The sound of friction between wooden brushes and the deck created a slight noise, but this sound was negligible under the cover of the waves.
At this moment, Tesoro was feeling puzzled. Why is there a pink room on a pirate ship? He didn’t know, but this room was originally Chansey’s room, but it had been temporarily lent to them, while the Chansey went to share a room with Yamato.
“Stella, I’m sorry, but from now on, we might become pirates.”
Seated on a chair in the room, Tesoro made this decision. He owed Yamato three big favors—Money, himself, and Stella. Money wasn’t a problem, but the freedom of the two of them wasn’t something that could be easily repaid.
“Don’t worry, Tesoro. Just as there are evil people among the officials of the World Government, there are innocent little girls among pirates. As long as you stay true to your heart, even if you become a pirate, you don’t necessarily have to be a good person, but at least you can strive to be a person who isn’t evil.”
She thought that at most, the Beasts Pirates might make them sing songs. After all, aside from being a good singer, Tesoro didn’t have any other notable skills.
They didn’t do anything, and just talked all night like they used to. There were no bars or chains separating them, and the only inconvenience was the occasional pirates passing by outside who seemed interested in eavesdropping.
Meanwhile, Arceus was flipping through the devil fruits illustrated book. They had confirmed one of the devil fruit as the Insect-Insect Fruit•Bombardier Beetle, while the other was also from the Insect-Insect Fruit category, but detailed information about it was missing. They often encountered this problem because the illustrated book obtained by Queen is only an incomplete copy.
“Shayna, bring Little White over here.”
“Understood, please wait a moment.”
Shayna, who had just brought Yamato back to her quarters, was waiting outside the door. Upon hearing Arceus’ command, she stood up and headed towards the deck. Little White wasn’t a person, but a cat.
Unless it’s a small boat where thorough cleaning is possible, it’s quite common to have a few cats on large ships. They aren’t there for pampering, but rather to have them catch mice.
They might excel at dealing with people, but when it comes to rats, it’s best to leave it to the professionals. Having rats on a long voyage can be a fatal problem, so many large ships keep a few cats.
Even if there is no rat around, feeding the cats doesn’t require much food, and having a few cats can also lighten the mood of the crew as many people enjoy the activity of petting cats.
A light beige kitten was brought over by Shayna. The cats on the Genesis ship live the most leisurely life, since the competition among the crew made sure there were no rats aboard, and only during resupplying could rats possibly sneak aboard.
Before Little White could react, Arceus’ energy poured into its body. Its size visibly expanded, and a red gem appeared on its forehead.
It was still light beige in color, but it now looked more like a lion. Siamese Cat Pokémon—Persian.
Originally a Pokémon with a proud and difficult-to-raise nature, the Persian that Arceus transformed was different. With its tail curled into a ball, it was currently playfully snuggling against Arceus’s leg.
You could determine Persian’s mood by its tail. If its tail was curled normally, it indicated that their mood was normal, but when its tail straightened, it was a sign of them about to attack. Conversely, if the tail was curled into a ball, it meant they had completely let down their guard.
Persian’s body was supple, just like most cats. After all, cats are essentially liquid creatures. However, beneath Persian’s seemingly soft body lay immense strength.
“Lord Sacred beast, this cat….”
“Hand it over to Tesoro tomorrow. Some matters are better discussed with a Pokémon to put one’s mind at ease.”
After all, Tesoro is an adult who has been temporarily recruited. Whether he could take over as the CEO of Beasts Fruits needed evaluation. Having a Persian by his side could also prevent some unexpected situations.
The next day, Tesoro heard about his arrangement.
“Beasts Fruits?”
“That’s right, it’s a legitimate corporation, even holding a business license from the World Government.”
“You don’t need to care about the trade between pirate islands. There is a shop in this location which will be handed over to you. How much the turnover changes within three months will determine your future arrangements.”
“As long as you have the capability, you can be the CEO of the entire corporation. If your abilities fall short, you’ll just be an ordinary store employee. As long as you have ability, wealth, power, and status, you can have all of those.”
“Even if you want to package yourself as a big star, it’s no problem.”
He was painting a picture for Tesoro, but this picture was particularly real. As long as he has the capability, he could achieve it.
Tesoro confidently agreed. He had initially thought that his future job would be a musician on the ship, but he didn’t expect this entirely new arrangement. Frankly, this aligns better with his preference than being a pirate.
“But for now, the island where you will be working will be within our territory. You’ll need to undergo special training for a while. You want to protect her, right?”
“I understand. I’ll show you the results in three months.”
“By the way, do you like raising cats?”
“Um, I guess so.”
“Then this is an employee benefit. It’s well-behaved. You can treat it as a pet from now on. Little White!”
“Meow~”
Upon hearing it being called out, Persian walked over and arrived by Tesoro’s side. Its sleek fur and proud demeanor matched Tesoro’s tastes. When Tesoro caressed Persian, it didn’t resist.
And Stella seemed to also like the cat. So, Tesoro happily accepted the Persian.
“Let me be clear – Since you guys were recruited by Yamato, don’t do anything to disappoint her.”
After giving hope for the future, providing the employee benefit, and planting the mole, Arceus left after leaving Tesoro with a final warning.
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