In the ship's cabin, Tom's arms and legs were bound with cleaning equipment, and he was sweating heavily as he scrubbed away water stains on the deck.
Meanwhile, Nami stood on the stairs, gripping her chin, her expression filled with concern.
"Is it really fine to let Tom handle all the work while we just relax here?"
Carina took a bite of the watermelon and responded nonchalantly, "But Tom seems to manage just fine on his own!"
Nami paused for a moment, considering Carina's words.
Recalling their attempt to assist earlier, they had been rebuffed by Tom, who seemed annoyed by their slow pace.
"Hey, wait, where did you get that watermelon from?" Nami exclaimed, surprised.
As Nami processed the situation, she glanced at Carina, who seemed amused, and Spike, who was casually leaning against the wall, tearing into a chicken leg.
Before Carina could respond, Spike smoothly produced a watermelon from behind him and offered it to Nami.
Nami fell silent, conflicted by the sight of Tom toiling away while they enjoyed watermelon.
However!
"This watermelon is incredibly sweet!" Nami exclaimed, momentarily distracted by the delicious taste.
Al, who was on patrol, couldn't help but smirk at the sight before him.
After a deep sigh and a fleeting moment of sympathy for Tom, Al made his way to the kitchen, determined to whip up something delicious as a reward for Tom's hard work.
As Al prepared the dishes, he mentally reviewed the items he had obtained earlier.
He recalled Jerry's invisibility potion, capable of rendering anything transparent when applied, but with the drawback of dissolving upon contact with water.
Regarding this particular ingredient, Al didn't regard it with much seriousness.
After all, when facing a skilled user of Observation Haki, the potion's effect would be minimal.
And if the opponents were weaklings, it would be even more unnecessary. Tom and Spike, both formidable giants, could simply step in and handle them.
What truly caught Al's attention were the bandages that Jerry had used to aid the injured duckling.
No matter how severe the injury, as long as it's not fatal, the wound can be healed instantly!
Such a capability could be described as an extremely valuable lifesaving tool.
However, the more miraculous the props, the more evident their side effects and drawbacks become!
Exactly.
This item is truly unique; it's only sufficient to wrap around one arm at most!
As for Tom's flying wings, while they grant the user the ability to fly for a brief period,
But when Al reminisced about the scene of Tom effortlessly splitting a tree with his iron crotch, he found little interest in this particular prop.
Just as Al was feeling disheartened by the apparent uselessness of these props, Spike's bell suddenly caught his attention!
[Spike's bell: It transcends space; upon ringing the bell, Spike can instantly appear regardless of distance! Durability: 5!]
"Finally, a crucial item has arrived!" Al exclaimed as he examined the bell in his hand.
He pondered, contemplating the possibility that if the bell truly functioned as the system prompt described, he could give this item to Nami.
After all, in terms of combat effectiveness and resilience, Nami still falls slightly short compared to Carina.
With this bell, Nami could be safeguarded during crucial moments.
As for Carina, Al had already identified a prop more suited to her needs in the system store.
Nevertheless, the EP he has is never enough.
Al, resolute in his decision, rang the bell without any hesitation, eager to test its capabilities.
The instant the bell chimed, Spike unexpectedly plummeted from above Al's head!
Fortunately, Al had already mentally braced himself and sidestepped in advance, avoiding being struck by Spike.
Otherwise, getting hit by such a hefty fellow, while not causing serious injury, would undoubtedly be quite painful!
Before Spike could comprehend the situation, the overturned hot soup cascaded directly onto his head, prompting him to let out a howl of agony.
In a panic, Spike leaped into the sea, but seemingly forgot that it was seawater!
Upon immersion, Spike immediately grabbed his head in agony and propelled himself out of the water and into the sky.
The piercing screams startled Nami and the others in an instant.
Tom, holding the mop, couldn't contain his laughter when he caught sight of Spike's flushed face and the large sack atop his head. He gleefully clutched his stomach, unable to contain his amusement.
Al breathed a sigh of relief, covering his face in embarrassment as he apologized.
It became evident that this bell couldn't be used carelessly!
Improper handling could potentially result in unnecessary harm to Spike!
"Captain Al, what's happening here?" Nami inquired, her expression filled with confusion.
"Why did Spike vanish all of a sudden, with injuries all over his body?" Carina, her face adorned with question marks, quickly approached Al, seeking answers.
Tom didn't seem particularly interested in the situation. After chuckling, he retrieved a bandage from his back and proceeded to wrap Spike up like a mummy.
Meanwhile, Al didn't conceal anything and calmly retrieved Spike's bell from behind, proceeding to explain, "This is Spike's bell. Just ring it."
"No matter how far away you are, you can instantly summon Spike to your side," Al elaborated.
Nami's eyes sparkled with excitement as she gazed at the bell in admiration. "That's incredible!" she exclaimed.
On the other hand, Carina, who had never witnessed Al using props before, remained skeptical and said:
"Does something like that actually exist?" Carina questioned skeptically.
Upon hearing Carina's doubts, Nami glanced at the others and chuckled softly. "None of the props Captain Al produces can be comprehended using normal logic. How could someone like you, a simpleton, understand?"
"I don't appreciate being called an idiot by another idiot!" Carina retorted defiantly.
"..."
Observing the second daughter becoming flustered and engaging in another argument, Al hurried forward in an attempt to mediate the situation and prevent any further conflict.
Before Al could utter a word, Tom intervened, halting him in his tracks.
Skillfully, Tom produced a watermelon from behind and handed it over.
Al was momentarily taken aback, watching the scene unfold with a sense of amusement, not quite grasping why everyone was getting so worked up.
Even Spike, wrapped up like a mummy by Tom, appeared behind Al without anyone noticing.
He placed his hands on Tom's shoulders, indulging in watermelon and laughter while observing Nami and Carina's squabble.
The corner of Al's mouth twitched uncontrollably as he inwardly exclaimed, "Why can't any of my crew members be normal!"
It appeared that Nami, feeling the futility of their argument, redirected her frustration towards Al.
"Captain Al, could you please ring the bell once more and prove this fool wrong!" she demanded, her expression shifting from a grin to one of desperation as she looked at Al.
Carina stood off to the side, her expression growing more serious by the moment, seemingly also anticipating Al to demonstrate the bell's ability.
Al hesitated for a moment, not immediately agreeing, but instead, he looked at Nami with a serious expression and said, "I originally intended to give you this as a lifesaving tool."
"However, you mustn't use it carelessly, or it might inadvertently harm Spike," Al cautioned solemnly.
Spike gestured towards the bandages covering his body and nodded vigorously in agreement.
Nami nodded in understanding and accepted the bell from Al with an excited expression. However, in her enthusiasm, she accidentally rang the bell.
Immediately afterward, to Carina's astonishment, Spike suddenly materialized atop Nami.
Straight to the top of Nami's head he went, much to everyone's surprise!
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