NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: 4. Cozy House
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Just as Ikki finished his lottery, the sky darkened ominously, and the once-calm sea began to churn violently.
The sudden change caught both Luffy and Ikki off guard. Being their first time out to sea, neither had any sailing experience to handle the situation.
Then Ikki noticed a massive vortex forming in the distance, its pull rapidly drawing their small boat toward it.
"Quick! Grab an oar!" Ikki shouted, handing one to Luffy. "We need to paddle back immediately!"
Luffy, understanding the danger of being caught in the whirlpool, rowed with all his strength.
Despite their combined efforts, the boat was steadily pulled closer to the vortex's center. It became clear they wouldn't escape.
Realizing there was no other option, Ikki tossed his oar aside. Grabbing Luffy with one hand, he swiped the other through the air, creating a shimmering space door. Without hesitation, the two of them stepped through.
On the other side of the door was the cozy cabin of the TX Penguin, the silver-tier item Ikki had just drawn.
...
Inside, the room was fully furnished, complete with a two-meter-wide bed, a desk, bookshelves, air conditioning, a water dispenser, and even a computer.
"It's cozy all right…" Ikki muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Why is everything so… pink?!!"
Luffy, equally baffled, looked around the bright pink room. "So you're a Devil Fruit user too!" he exclaimed, his curiosity piqued. "Ikki, are you sure you want to be my crewmate and not a Marine?"
To Luffy, it seemed Ikki's persistent attempts to convince him to join the Marines must have been because Ikki himself wanted to be one.
Ikki shook his head. "Since I'm on your ship, I'm your crewmate. Simple as that."
Although his tone was flat, Luffy beamed with satisfaction.
Luffy didn't dislike Ikki for trying to dissuade him from being a pirate; on the contrary, he found Ikki interesting . For Luffy, anyone he found interesting was a potential friend and crewmate—whether human or otherwise.
No hesitation, no overthinking. That was Luffy's way.
...
Ikki removed his soaked clothes, tossing them into the pink drying box. "Luffy, take off your clothes too, or they won't dry."
"Got it!" Luffy replied, stripping off his clothes without hesitation. "Man, this room's so pink! It reminds me of Dadan's place!"
Ikki rubbed his temples in exasperation.
"So, Ikki, do you have a girl's heart too?" Luffy asked with genuine curiosity. "Dadan always said pink means you have a girl's heart!"
Ikki sighed. "Luffy, I need to rest. Can we not talk about 'girl's hearts' right now?"
Ignoring Luffy's continued musings, Ikki retrieved the Sky Dragon-Slaying Magic Crystal. He planned to use this time to absorb its power.
The process was straightforward: place the crystal against your forehead and concentrate on absorbing it.
In ten minutes, the process was complete.
Ikki immediately felt a surge of strength coursing through his body. His physical fitness had improved dramatically, and he realized that using the dragon-slaying magic wouldn't require a reservoir of stored energy like traditional magic. Instead, it relied on his physical endurance, similar to how many Devil Fruits worked.
In essence, it was like gaining the benefits of a Devil Fruit without the accompanying weakness to water.
As Ikki marveled at the transformation, Luffy's voice broke his concentration.
"Oi, Ikki! When can we leave this place?"
Ikki considered the question and replied, "Not until the storm outside settles down."
To check on their surroundings, Ikki opened another space door, peering out into the raging sea. The waves crashed violently, and the storm showed no signs of relenting.
Finding that rough waves and howling typhoons still dominated the sea outside, Ikki sighed and closed the space door.
"Let's take a nap first! By the time we wake up, the weather should clear up," he said, taking the lead by lying down on the spacious bed to rest.
Before settling in, Ikki pulled out the Endless Candy Box and poured out a single candy. Examining the pinky-sized treat, he noticed two words etched onto its surface: "Avoid Water."
"So... this candy lets you avoid water, huh?" he muttered, turning it over in his fingers. Judging by its size, it looked like it would last at least ten minutes if held in the mouth. "So you could swim or survive in water for fifteen minutes with this candy... I wonder if it works on Devil Fruit users?"
Ikki stowed the candy away for later and decided to get some much-needed rest. Since his arrival in this world, he hadn't had a proper break in over two days.
Glancing over at Luffy, he found the ever-carefree captain already sprawled out on the floor, snoring loudly. Ikki shook his head with a faint smile before drifting off.
…
More than ten hours passed.
The East Blue had returned to its calm state, and a space door reappeared where Ikki and Luffy had vanished. Poking his head out to check, Ikki surveyed the sea.
"Looks good out here. Let's head out!" he called back.
Hearing Ikki's words, Luffy cheered and charged through the space door—only to fall straight into the sea with a loud plop.
Ikki stared blankly. "...Seriously?"
Without wasting time, Ikki retrieved the water-proof candy he had poured from the candy box earlier and popped it into Luffy's mouth.
"Luffy, don't swallow this candy! If you swallow it, it won't work!" Ikki warned sharply.
Luffy, however, didn't seem to hear him. A thin, transparent film suddenly enveloped Luffy's body, allowing him to float and breathe underwater.
"Whoa! This is amazing!" Luffy exclaimed, experimenting with his newfound ability to swim freely.
Before Luffy could get any bright ideas about diving deeper, Ikki jumped into the water and stopped him. "This candy's effects only last ten minutes, Luffy. Don't get carried away!"
Luffy nodded in understanding, albeit reluctantly. With the candy's effect, Luffy swam as fast as he could—just as if he were running on land. Together, the duo scanned the horizon for an island or ship.
…
Ten minutes later, just as the candy's effect was about to wear off, they spotted a passenger ship. Relief swept over them. But as they approached, they noticed another ship closing in—a pirate ship flying a skull and crossbones flag with a red heart at its center.
Ikki recognized the flag instantly. "That's Alvida's crew—the first pirate Luffy encounters in the story!"
Seeing this as an opportunity, Ikki thought, 'I can use Alvida to test whether my private Marine status is valid for the system.'
"Luffy, speed up! Let's—" Ikki began, but before he could finish, Luffy suddenly floundered in the water. The candy's effect had worn off.
"Figures," Ikki sighed, grabbing Luffy and swimming toward the passenger ship. They managed to climb aboard using a rope ladder hanging from the side.
As soon as they reached the deck, Luffy's first thought was food. "I'm starving!" he declared, wandering off to find something to eat.
Ikki, meanwhile, turned his focus to the scene unfolding nearby. Several pirates were threatening a group of wealthy passengers, demanding their gold and jewelry. The passengers cowered in fear as the pirates brandished weapons and laughed menacingly.
"Perfect. Time to act."
Summoning his courage, Ikki rushed forward without hesitation. With a swirl of air gathering around his fist, he invoked the power of Sky Dragon-Slaying Magic.
The pirates turned at the sound of his approach.