Apis Secret

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　　Half an hour later...

　　Seeing Rei returned from the well outside and looks all refreshed. Apis couldn't help but to take a second look at him, yet it doesn't take long as Apis pouted slightly and scolded Rei because he took a long time for washing up.

　　Looking at how Apis behave, Rei finaly noticed how strong Apis mentality realy are. If its another children experienced something like yesterday, there was no doubts they would fell ill right now.

　　However, Apis seems like doing just fine. Her colorful expressions creating a funny scene in the morning.

Bokuden was nowhere to be seen, when Rei asked about him, Apis shrugged her tiny shoulders and said don't worry about him.

Apis dragged a stool towards the dining table and gestured Rei to sat on it while she herself sitting besides him.

Apis then took several food and put it on Rei's plate, the food actually looks alright at the first glance. However Rei was curious, the anime mentioned how Apis food tasted so bad, making the Strawhats but Luffy traumatized because of it.

　Seeing Apis took the food for herself in cheerful manner, Rei realy didn't want to let her down by refusing her meal.

　"Please eat! You must be starving!" Exclaimed the little girl with gleaming eyes.

　Rei sighed a little, he took a spoon and scoop some food from his plate,

　'nom*...'

　The first thing Rei tasted was sweet! It was so sweet that the bacteria inside Rei's mouth were dancing in fervor!

　'nom*...'

　When Rei chewed for the second time, the taste suddenly change! It become spicy! so spicy that Rei felt he brought an atomic bomb on his butt!

　The food was so bizzare its funny, Rei only chewed the same spoonful of food and yet the taste could change randomly! Until Rei finaly swallowed the food with difficulty. He noticed Apis expressions were so bright it almost blinded him.

　"How is it? How is it? Its taste good right?!" Asked the little girl feeling hopeful.

　'Oh my god! She could become magician with her meal!' Rei thought wryly.

　His heart screamed at him at the moment, telling him to stop eating and leave! However seeing her bright expressions Rei couldn't mustered up his courage.

　"its not bad...." he said trying to hide his pain. Apis smile grew even larger as she ate her portions with little hum.

　Resigned to his fate, Rei began to eat quickly! when Apis began to eat as well, Rei wondered why her face didn't change ever so slightly? Rei began to wonder if its only his tongue that didn't worked well?

　both of them finished their meal as quick as possible, Apis was starving so she enjoyed her meal greatly, as for Rei? he must finished the food quickly as to not let his tongue to taste anything! which obviously failed greatly.

　Rei tasted all kind of possible combination of how meal could possibly taste! sweet, sour, salty, spicy so on and so on.

　"uwaah! i'm full! hiccup*." said Apis feeling satisfied, she stroke her bulging little tummy and slumped back on her chair.

　she fail to noticed that Rei had already drank 8 cups of water to washed away his palate!

　Apis turned her attention towards Rei, and asked cheerfully,

　"how was it? my food tastes awesome right? tehehe..."

　finishing his water Rei coughed back,

　"cough*, it was not bad..." contrary to his screaming thought.

　"tehehe, i like cooking you know? i'll make more in the future okay!"

　trying to change the topic, Rei asked another question,

　"i think we haven't officially know each other?"

　Apis goggled as she realized that, she stood up in hurry and bowed towards Rei gratefuly,

　"about yesterday, thank you very much! my name is Apis!" she grinned toward Rei showing her pearly white teeth.

　amused by her act, Rei said gently,

　"i'm Rei, nice to meet you Apis."

　both of them giggled for a while, and finaly Rei asked about the serious topic,

　"so, you know about dragon nest Apis?"

　Apis could be seen jolted slightly, and answered giddily,

　"what? what dragon nest? i don't know something like that? i'm only little girl you know, how can i know something like that?"

　 her eyes began to wondered around while she tried to whistle without producing any sound, which obviously so fake in Rei's eyes, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry seeing her fidgetting like this.

　"then? why the marines captured you yesterday?"

　"uhm, uhm, i don't know?" Apis fidgetting around while twirling her thumb.

　"is that soo~...? i heard that weirdo with purple hair called you 'Dragon girl' you know, hmm?" Rei squinted his eyes slowly.

　'Daaaaash...!'

　suddenly Apis ran away outside leaving the stupefied Rei, however she didn't forget to reminds him.

　"BAD REI! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! ah! please clean up the table for me!"

　seeing her silhouette getting smaller and smaller, Rei shook his head while smiling helplessly, then he proceed to clean up the cuttleries and used plates from the table.

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　at midday Bokuden returns with Apis in tow, Apis still felt quite awkward around Rei after this morning, Rei didn't mind her as he finished washing up his clothes.

　seeing Apis handiwork, Rei could only shook his head, his white hakama was indeed had been washed by Apis, yet obviously she couldn't completely removed the dirt stain on it.

　seeing his white clothes which now has turned to brown, Rei began to wonder if the system stuff were not so omnipotent after all?

　no automatic cleaning, no dirt free clothes. what the heck?

　Rei jolted awake from his thought when Bokuden approached with his walking cane,

　"Rei." greeted the old man, he leaned to his cane slightly.

　Rei was still squating besides the well when he answered his greeting,

　"yes? anything i can help you with Bokuden?"

　"i wonder if you want to try my special pork bun?"

　hearing his offer out of nowhere, Rei stood up and tilts his head,

　"pork bun? for lunch?"

　Bokuden noded and he added, "how is it?"

　Rei nodded back, "sure..."

　Bokuden smiled lightly, then he returns inside.

　Rei then proceed to dry his hakama, pants and rope belt under the sun. after finished with it he proceed to take a look at the surrounding village, seeing how the villagers seems avoids him, Rei didn't mind about it at all, occasionally several children would come close to him only to giggle and run away.

　he had great understanding of the village which Apis lived in after traveling for a while, he only returns after the sun begun to set.

　when Rei steped inside the house, he witnessed Apis slumped on the table while pouting, Rei couldn't resist to pinch her cheek gently.

　"Hyaaa!" surprised by Rei action, she glared at Rei

　"why are you lazying around like this? hmm?"

　Rei pulled a stool for him to sit on while he asked.

　"i'm hungry! did you just agreed to grandpa pork bun?" replied Apis squinted her eyes.

　"yes, why?"

　Apis throw her face away in opposite direction and harrumphed, " no wonder..."

　Rei kept his smile waiting for her to continue,

　"...you must not agreed to it! grandpa pork buns wasting 5 hours to make!"

　Apis then faced Rei back, while she keep talking,

　"....because of it, i can't cook you know! hmph!"

　Rei could felt cold sweat trickling down on his back, he thought back about the 'wonder dish' Apis made this morning, seems like she couldn't cook because Bokuden was still using the kitchen until now.

　 secretly letting sigh of relief, Rei giggled slightly which was not quite appreciated by Apis in the slightest bit, both of them began to fooling around and teasing each other, until finaly Bokuden came out from the kitchen bringing his special pork bun.

　that evening, the trio ate the pork buns with relish, Bokuden's pork bun was surprisingly tasty, and Rei ate a lot of it which gave Bokuden a hearthy laugh.

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　at night...

　Rei was outside leaning against the wooden fence, his eyes lost its focus at the beautiful clear stary sky, he lost in his own reverie accompanied by gentle night wind.

　just a few moments later, Rei awaken from his reverie after he noticed someone steped outside the house's back door, feeling curious Rei followed the suspicious voice from the house's back garden, only to see a small silhouette dragging a big sack with the smell of pork buns which he ate earlier, she seems wanted to went towards somewhere.

　'Apis..?' he thought simply, who else in this house that has small figure other than her?

　seeing Apis went further and further away towards the hillside, Rei followed silently in the middle of the night.

　Apis dragged the big sack and went around the woods, climbing a cliff and sometimes stopped to adjust her breath, often times she would jolted in surprise when hearing something from somewhere.

　with great interest, Rei followed the hard working Apis. until finaly they reached the other side of the Warship Island, Apis tried to picked up the pace after she saw a huge cave right above the cliffside, she went to the cliff's only footpath with her big sack and went inside the dark cave.

　when Rei followed inside the cave, he could hear Apis voice murmured about something not far from the entrance, he walk ever so silently until finaly he witnessed something amazing!

　Rei could see Apis talking with great interests towards the mythical creature only found in legend, a dragon! a full fledged adult dragon!

　thanks to his superior vision, Rei could barely make out the shape of the dragon, it has humongous grey body with green feather covered his back and wings.

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