CH38: Fluorescent Adolescent

For 48 hours straight I train in deception, infiltration, and stealth.

... I confuse beasts by my looks, like turning to a fierce animals.

... I enter their hideouts, steal from their stuff they have, without them noticing.

... I change my look to one of their pack and hang out with them, till they understand there's 2 of the same creature, and become crazy.

... just pure-messing-around, for more than 2 days.

-

As I *teleport* to West-city to visit Lazuli, I find a massage from her, saying that she will be free tomorrow evening, so I decide to go for a short shopping-spree, buying technologies who looks interesting, and store everything, thinking 'I need a scientist, who can use all of those things for me somehow', till I get tired and *Teleport*.

-

At Paradise, wishing to meet Robin, Mia, and Alison, I find Robin alone in the tree-house balcony, and sit next to her, spraying kisses upon her face.

"Hi dear" Robin says, "The girls went to enjoy some sea activities, but I got to tell you a few things".

"Sure", I answer while I lay down on her lap, "I'm all yours".

"First, each wooden-box can get around 1 million dollar in gold, but jewelry need auctions, so it's on pause for the moment"

... "Second, tomorrow new construction will begin, as we got another 20 million to spend, and it will take around a month"

..."Third, tell me about yesterday" Robin tell me all she had to, and end with a question.

I narrate all that happened, from the trip to the mysterious island, stealing a devil-fruit, gold, to the cute girl who control ghosts, then the slavery in holy-land, the sleazy casino, and up to my new invisibility-powers, plus training.

"That's... wow. It's more and more like a legendary thief ... And ... But ... Slaves will wait until we analyze how to make sure the slave's collars are safely removed, and not by a fluke-shot ... plus if you can keep living-things in space, it means we can help, and you can teleport them safely" Robin keep telling me all her thoughts and ideas.

"...AND DON'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL THEN!" Robin keep nagging me like that for 20 minutes, while I massage her feet, till I decide to say "let's go to Mia and Alison".

I take her in a princess-carry, and jump down from the tree-house.

At the lake shore, we see Mia and Alison water-skiing, one driving on the river to the sea, and back, while the other wear water-ski or water-board.

We sit on the shore, eat and drink lazily, while waiting for them to return.

After less than an hour they get tired and join us.

Alison tells me her plans to live with us for the next few months, and how she'll create a music-studio here, making me happy.

"Mia, what about animals in the island?" I ask her, and she tells me "by the end of the next month, finishing all the preparation needed for it, I think we can release them freely, without any worry, in an inner-zone, as it will be protected, but for safety reasons, I doubt we can construct adequate facilities, like, let's say safe-passageways, caves, security, etc".

"IF YOU CAN, then think about it, here's the map" Mia tell me as she show a huge map of the island, on Robin's tablet-screen, and I see how much troubles can be in it, especially if there's dangerous creatures, understanding how Eco-system in an island is a true headache.

While we enjoy the afternoon glow, I 'kidnap' Mia aside, having 'fun' for an hour, before returning her back, taking Alison away, and then do the same with Robin, returning in sunset, and we enjoy the minutes left till it settle-down.

"Ayn, what about your step-brother? heard anything? got a lead?" Mia asks me.

"Nothing, and it's obvious, I don't even know his name. Robin?" I answer Mia, directing it to Robin, who look at me, saying "go home, talk to your father about it. You don't need to tell him anything, just a small-talk, and by the way, he's home now. Byebye" Robin tell me with a smile.

I prepare to leave, and after 20 minutes I go alone to the deck, and *teleport*.

.

"FATHER?" I yell when I enter the house from the outside gate.

"ouch, ouch, why're ya yelling?" I hear him from the garage, and entering inside I see a weird vehicle, but ignore it.

"Hey, how are you?" I ask him out of courtesy, but he laugh, not answering, and after a minute of total silence leave his tools, grab my shoulder, and say "let's go train a bit", taking me away.

In the backyard, on the lawn, between the house and the small-forest, we stand face-to-face, when suddenly *Fwooosh*, a punch almost hit my face, and I dodge it.

From there, a barrage of attacks from all direction come toward me, and they keep getting faster, till it start hitting me no matter how fast I move.

I start defending, but now it get stronger and fiercer in each hit, raising my pain.

"ATTACK BACK", he demand aloud, so I do so, but without revealing any of my powers, except interfering with his Haki each hit, moving it aside to hit his real body, but it's like hitting an iron-wall anyway, feeling like it doesn't effect him in anyway.

"More power, youngling", my father says as I punch him, but each time I try to add force, he dodge, so I understand he want to push my balance between speed and power.

After almost an hour I finally see an opening, when he already hit me like a rented-punching-bag, so when he go for another punch to my shoulder, I let him hit me, while gathering all my power to the other side of my body, and as I get hit, propelling that force, I rotate and punch his upper chest full-force, *BOOM*, he sent flying 100 meters back.

"Damn, that was something" he happily says, rubbing his chest like there's a hole in there, but it seems negligent.

"Say, father, please tell me about my step-brother?" I try change the subject as the fight in a short-pause, and he answers "Ah, your mother's letter, so you wonder about Ace? I left him with a trustworthy police general, no worries there, unless he's got our family trait, and he's probably going to some wacky adventures.." he tells me with a wide-smile.

"Father, why is families in that land are so broken apart?" I try asking another question.

He burst laughing like crazy for 10 seconds, before he *SWISHHH*, run like the wind and *BOOM*, punch my stomach, saying "if you got time to talk, let's talk with our fists", and like that we keep going for another hour, but 1 thing for sure, I saw his sad-laugh, knowingly ignoring some huge misfortune.

...

After I *Teleport* to Soul-land, wishing to find Zhuqing, I instead find Grandmaster.

"Hi" I wave at him, and he smiles back, asking "Ayn, how are you? May I ask, what level you are now?".

I look at him and ponder about it, but just answer truthfully, saying "all good, just got my 5th ring few days ago".

"Ah. Impressive! You see, a tough battle await us in the arena, and I wondered if you could join for it. They're all really strong, and above level 35, but we have 3 who aren't even level 30... but your level is too high to join us..." he think out loud for a minute before smiling awkwardly.

"Never mind, it's a good challenge, they're in the bar, you can find them there" he tell me after he stop mumbling, and I say goodbye and leave to the bar.

Inside, I see the grey-hair-boy hugging a pole, talking to it about love, and I understand he's fantasizing it's the Rongrong, the pink-hair-girl, making me look at him with disgust.

The blond-guy try to hit on Zhuqing, telling her "...You're my 111th girlfriend!...", and she *PUNCH* him, but somehow they both get knocked down, as she fall asleep on the table, while he collapse on the floor.

Rongrong is trying to drink with Tang-San, but Wu take the glass from him, as he also lose conscious, falling asleep on a table, and Wu and Rongrong drink together.

"Hi" I call them, and they look happily at me.

"AYN, YOU BUSTARD" Wu yell at me, jumping on me for a hug, but pass-out on me while drooling-asleep.

I carry her to Rongrong, put her to lie-down on a table, and sit next to her.

"Hi RongRong, how are you?" I ask, and she laugh and give me a huge beer cup.

I take it, and we both "cheers", and drink.

She's wearing a simple white-dress, gold-head-bow on her pink hair, and pink high-heels, plus pink accessories all-over her, looking cutely mesmerizing, like a princess in a farm-market.

"They're so weak!!! and it's the first time I drink!!! yet only I'm awake now!!!" she grumble, as every drunken do, and I *chuckle*, drink some more, and look at her red-face.

"Pinky, your boyfriend seems to go a bit crazy" I tell her and point at the grey-kid french-kissing the pole.

*punch,punch,punch,punch*, she weakly, cutely, hit my chest, while spitting "he's not my boyfriend, I don't got a boyfriend", and instead of dodging her, I pull her to a hug, brushing her hair.

"Okay, Okay" I tell her, and as she keep leaning on me, she poutingly-says "and I'm not Pinky! I'm Rongrong!".

I *chuckle*, and say "okay, Pinky, you're Rongrong", but she *BITE* my hand.

I use haki to protect myself, and she screams "OUCH", looking up to my face, stretch her hands, and *pinch* my cheeks, so now I'm pouting at her, and she laugh happily.

"Say, Ayn, Wu said you're 14? Is it true..? You look... Adulty" Rongrong asks me.

I nod 'yes'.

"I get Wu... You both are cute... all I get is weirdos who fantasize I'm a pole.. am I really that flat?" Rongrong blubber to herself, while she keep leaning on me, drinking her beer.

"I guess your spoiled-princess-vibe push people away? If people get near you, when you're like that, they're too stupid or too cunning" I tell her my thoughts.

"Yeah! Exactly! So what type you're in?" She agrees, while asking.

I answer right away "Definitely the stupid one!", making her burst laughing.

"We better carry them back before we're also drunk" Rongrong mumble, so I stand, carry all 4 of the guys, and run to the hotel, drop them near an academy-teacher I recognize, and go back.

I carry Wu on my right hand, Zhuqing on my left, but just then Rongrong jumps on my back, shouting "ME TOO!", and like that, I carry all 3 of them to their hotel's room.

From all the movement on the way, I feel Wu wakes up, and as she sees she sit on my hand, she put her lips on my cheek, and start kissing it with affection, before resting her head on my chest, going back to sleep.

Moment later, Zhuqing wakes-up, also seeing she sit on my hand, and hug my body, kiss my neck, and go back to sleep.

Behind me, Rongrong laugh, as she cling to my back, and sarcastically asks "Really? Both of them?".

"You mean 3 of you!" I answer, jokingly, but she doesn't laugh, instead give me a soft kiss on the cheek, and whispers "Keep dreaming, stupid ... go kiss a pole ... There's more chance he will return the kiss to you", and I think 'but you just kissed me?', and laugh in my head.

Arriving at the room, Rongrong go down and open the door, point to their beds, but when I try lay them down, they hug me so hard I can't remove them from me.

*Sigh*.

I sit on a bed, with my back to the wall, as Wu and Zhuqing sit on my hands and legs, acting asleep.

"Uhm", I try grab their attention, but "shut up" whisper comes from both my sides, and Rongrong start laughing, jumping to the middle of my body, and nest her head on my chest, and act asleep.

'They're drunk or doing themselves?' I wonder about their act, as I move a bit to find the best position for them to sleep, close my eyes, and whispers "good night princesses", and cover us with a huge blanket.

Waking-up to the sound of soft *giggles*, I open my eyes, and see the blanket got 3 figures under it, so I look under.

I see all 3 of them stopped talking, and 6 eyes stare at me shyly, but Wu change the vibe quickly, shouting "HEY! What are you looking at? Perv! Close your eyes!".

I do so, and a burst of *giggles* return, so I just lay back, and let them do whatever.

I see them move, but they don't talk, probably writing, but just as I try my 6th sense, interested about what, they raise their body, popping their head from the blanket, and demand "Food to bed!", "Hungry!", "Coffee and Pancakes!".

I *chuckle*, pull from my space-pocket a small-table near the bed, and pull to it coffee, juices, bakeries, jams, cheeses, and much more.

They returned under the blanket, but the smells make them raise their head again, looking like 3 Meerkats, or maybe squirrels, with that shock-expressions and tensed body.

"How?", "WHAT?", "Cool", the 3 girls symphony speaks together again, as they stare at the food.

Removing the blanket, I discover the 3 changed to a nightgown-dress, looking appetizing, but amazed to also notice I'm in my underwear and basic shirt on.

'Ahh, whatever' I think as I sit with my back to the wall, noticing we were lying-down on the bed, and before me the 3 sit on the edge of the bed, nibbling food, drinking.

Soon enough I get a juice glass from Zhuqing.

Moment later, Wu shove pancake piece to me, saying "Ahhhh" poking her loaded fork into my mouth.

From there, they just keep shoving food to me, laughing happily, doing weird stuff, like mixing-food-combinations and making me eat it.

Our morning party continue for an hour before we hear *Knock, Knock* on the door, so I quickly grab the 3, kiss them on the cheek, saying "Love my time with you, it was awesome", and jump off the window, and before landing, I *Teleport*.

-

'It feels like the red-energy seeps out me, without me controlling it, as I continue cultivating it. Should I be more careful? stop? enjoy?' I think in my mind as I continue to fly above the endless ocean, starting from my training island, Rusukaina, to the east.

After some time I notice I'm followed by a bird, so I fly up, turn invisible, and see it looking for me, confused, but I just continue flying in invisible, till few hours later I arrive to an island.

I see lots of Marines-officers and trainees, so I quickly escape that island, flying away, arriving at another island, bigger and much more lively, pretty soon, and land there.

Lots and lots of food-shops, restaurants, food stalls, and lively markets, are all over the island, making me keep buying delicious-looking food non-stop, in amazingly low-prices, till I feel I bought too much.

Suddenly, I see a train station, first time since coming here, so I go see it, and turn to stone.

'A SEA TRAIN?? IN THIS THIRD COUNTRIES, UNDEVELOPED, WORLD??' I think in amazement.

I go to buy a ticket, only available to an island called 'Water 7', and shortly after boarding the train, it drives, or rather sail, on the sea-train-tracks, feeling rather comfortable and nice, even better then land-trains in Earth.

After less then 2 hours the train arrives to a beautiful island, amazingly beautiful one.

The island looks like a round castle.

Above the island, in the middle, an immense fountain shoot water, and from the sides, there's water-tunnels, spilling the water back to the sea.

I look at a map, walking to the shopping district, and find me a 'water-taxi', so I smile, and ask to board it, having fun in this new experience.

Boarding it, I ask "please take me to a bank, and from there to the shopping district, preferably with a book-store".

The old-man-driver says "sure", as the 2 sea-horses, who looks more like a horse inside the sea, the a sea-horses I know from Earth, swim away in a high speed, even reaching a water-elevator, that takes us to a higher part of the city, shocking me with their sophisticated water-technology.

Arriving at a building, with a sign 'Cashing', I enter to change few gold.

Getting more then 200 million berries from the gold I gave them, I store it in my space-pocket, and return to the taxi, who takes me to a book-store.

I go on a book shopping-spree, buying endless piles.

"Excuse me, what's the best in this city?" I ask the seller while paying.

"Of course shipwright!! Go to the Shipyard!" he answers right away, and I thank him, taking all I bought, and he add me a newspaper for free, saying "thanks for your patronage", and as I exit, my eyes catch the sight of the newspaper.

I put all in my space-storage, throw money to the taxi driver, and *teleport*.

-

"ROBINNN", I yell at the tree-house, but Mia comes, saying "for fuck sake, use a phone", so I laugh awkwardly, thinking 'I'm too used to those undeveloped-lands', call Robin, and walk to meet her, together with Mia, in the campsite.

Getting in, we find a private room, just the 3 of us, and I speak aloud "LOOK!", while showing them the newspaper.

"The most notorious new villain hit the new world: Flying thief robin hood", Robin read the main-headline, in a shocked tone.

She *inhale air*, and continue reading, "In an exclusive interview, the representative of the gang declare war against the government, the underworld, and maybe the whole world, saying he is the true owner of all the world riches, he is the true justice, and he will free all the slaves. Read more about the organization who claim they're the shadow of our world".

Robin open the newspaper, continue reading aloud, and we listen till the end, amazed how many lies, conspiracies, deception, and misinformation, is in there.

"Listen to my idea" I tell them, and we start a discussion about how to react to the newspaper company.

"And that's my 2, or 3, layer plan. You give me a green-light?" I ask after explaining all I had in my mind, and as soon as they agree, I say goodbye, also to Alison who's near-by, and *Teleport*.

-

At West-city, after a shower, I finish putting furniture, food, arts, and much more, in the house.

'Even though Lazuli bought a lot, and I also brought a lot, it still half-empty... this house is huge' I think, As I arrive to the lobby-floor, on the ground-level.

I see Lazuli, who just comes back from work, entering inside, smiling to me.

"Give me 30 minutes" she says after we kiss a bit.

After waiting for an hour, she finally arrive, wearing an alluring short-white-dress, looking shyly at me, and we go out for our date, as I shout in my head 'CUTEEE!'.

After 2 hours of a nice evening, I tell her while walking on the street hand in hand, "You know, I prefer to be a rascal than to be a goody-two-shoes".

"What's a goody-two-shoes?" she asks.

"It's a quote from an old classical book, about acting right and with virtue, but it just mean being fake, like too-good-to-be-real kinda quote" I tell her.

She laugh, saying "don't worry, no way you'll be one".