[27] Occupied for Three More Years?

Chapter 27: Occupied for Three More Years?

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The Clone-rama in Alubarna was sent with 5 days' worth of chakra. It was the third day, so the clone had chakra to waste. 

Following the Queen's request, Hashirama used his remaining chakra to create wooden centipedes that would allow them to move to the capital the fastest. 

Hashirama created three centipedes; one for the royal family, one for himself and Robin, and lastly, one for the guards who would be accompanying them. These centipedes were like a bus, so many people could hop on at once.

However, there was a problem.

"My King, please take Vivi with you. I'll be with Hashirama. I have something to talk to him about." said the Queen, Nefertari Titi.

Like before, Vivi was already grossed out by these insects. Frightened, she jumped into her father's arms. That left King Cobra with no way to reject his Queen's proposal, making her smile gently. 

"As for you," Titi walked to Robin, who was already sitting in front of Hashirama. "Um, it's kind of private. Can you move to one of the other insects?"

"Uh…"

Hashirama sighed and jumped down from the centipede. Moving beside the Queen, he then clasped his hands abruptly. Motioned by his will, the long centipede got cut into half, turning into two smaller ones.

"I hope you wouldn't mind a lone ride, Miss Sunday." Hashirama said with a regretful expression, but in return, Robin's expression just turned dry. 

"I was telling you from the start to make it so that we two can travel separately, but you said you didn't have enough power to make two separate constructs. What happened to that? Now I am thinking…" Robin wanted to say if he just wanted to sit behind her and the lie was just to make that possible, but she paused when she once again noted the Queen's presence. "Oh well. Thanks, I much prefer it this way."

Robin did not wish to brand his image as a pervert here. After all, he was a nice young lad. She was going to leave Alabasta soon anyhow since the Marines were called and they'd be here in a day or two. She didn't want to leave by ruining his reputation.

Hashirama just gave her a smile, still acting innocent, but Robin just turned around to look forward.

"Now," Hashirama turned to Titi and cleared his throat. "I can't possibly have the Queen travel with me on an insect, so let me try to change that a little."

Hashirama looked at the remaining smaller centipede and clasped his hands. After carefully channeling his chakra, Hashirama manipulated the shape of the centipede into a… feline, into a large cat.

"Huh. Isn't that a Sand Cat breed?" Titi was awed by the sight. "It looks cute. Are you sure it can carry us?"

"Well, it's a bit slower than the other ones, but yes, it's good enough," Hashirama said.

"Ugh, oi, Hashirama!" Vivi called from the front of the gathered crowd. She was sitting on top of a centipede in front of her father. "Make one of those for us, too!"

"Sorry, I am out of chakra!" Hashirama replied loudly. "I make one more, and all of you are left with centipedes that won't move."

Vivi growled angrily one last time, earning a chuckle from her parents, and then the group began to move.

* * *

The wooden structure, Sand Cat, was one of the few things that Hashirama could create with just his thoughts. To create these structures fast, he had to train his mind by creating them a lot of times, shaping their form in his mind slowly and accurately, and only then did he manage to form a workable construct.

Unlike the wooden centipede, which fell under the class of [Vehicle] models, this Cat wasn't created with the intention of traveling. Instead, it was classified under his [Combat] model, like the [Attack Titan Prototype]. Except unlike the Titan, this wasn't in its prototype stage. It could tear humans apart in a swift second, though Hashirama couldn't sadly control more than two of them at the same time.

Sadly, even while it moved swiftly and flexibly, it wasn't exactly fast—moreover, when Hashirama lacked chakra like right now. The Sand Cat moved slower than the three centipede armies, and at one point they vanished on the horizon, which left Hashirama and Titi alone in the back.

At the very least, the Cat moved precisely, with practiced footsteps, so sand didn't scatter on them, and the ride was smooth. It felt like they were floating on water, which was a feeling that Hashirama was sure Titi liked.

"Aha," Titi giggled softly, enjoying the floaty feeling. She was sitting in front of him, her hands holding the long ears of the cat, while Hashirama was sitting behind her, his hand holding respectfully to her waist. "You can hold me more comfortably, by the way, I don't mind. You might be a big boy now, but it's fine since it's you."

"Ah-huh…" Hashirama cleared his throat and held her a bit more comfortably, putting both his arms around her waist. "I will be taking the offer, then."

Titi laughed again, as if amused by his hesitant touch. "Anyhow, now that people aren't around. I think it's fine for me to speak."

"Yes…"

"Sir Crocodile was the country's shield." Titi's tone suddenly turned serious. "The Marines were surprised when we reported the news to them earlier, but they will come and arrest him. So yes, he is gone from this country. And that's a good thing, but at the same time it leaves the country vulnerable to the hungry pirates who have been kept on the shore by Sir Crocodile until now."

Hashirama just nodded, though he suddenly realized he was behind her and so she couldn't see his movement. Rolling his eyes for himself, he affirmed with a hum. A part of him could see what was coming.

"If you're seeing it coming—then you're wrong," Titi said as if she could read his mind, making him blink. "I will not be tasking a boy, more so you who I so adore, with the protection of the country… not yet. I am sure you have the ability, but the pressure may be too much for you. You can do that after things develop with Vivi," Titi said, which made Hashirama pause. As if she didn't need to explain her last line, she just continued.

"What I want you to do is—train my soldiers, my knights, for the next few years. Next three, precisely, until Vivi is sixteen." Titi said. "I and your uncle Cobra will also send a draft to instill more soldiers in our armory. We need those numbers, and you will train those numbers, along with the old, into strong forces. I know you know how to do that. So that my country can defend against any future threats like Sir Crocodile without having to depend on my nephew."

Midway through the conversation, Titi let go of the royal honorifics and just addressed him as her nephew, just like she usually did when people weren't around. It wasn't anything new between them.

"So, can you do that?"

"I… Well, actually I was thinking of leaving for a long trip around the seas recently," Hashirama told her truthfully, hiding the part that he was planning to be a pirate. "But since you of all people asked me this way, I can't refuse."

Hashirama was actually planning to leave for the seas and start a Pirate-Marine drama with his older sister, just for the sake of it. It sounded fun in his head to mess with her that way since he was admittedly a little mad that she left for the Marines suddenly, with so many excuses.

However, this request had a legitimate basis behind it. He couldn't leave the country as it was at the moment. It might get attacked and greatly damaged in the time he would be gone. Hashirama had built emotions for the country, in the time when he traveled all around it and filled it with his baby trees. There was also this triplet of the Royal Family. With all that, he couldn't just let it get destroyed. So he accepted the offer.

Titi smiled. "My King would never have asked you this way, you know, he has his own pride as a King. He wouldn't accept a teen to train his soldiers. Thankfully, as a girl, or woman I guess, I don't have such pride. I am grateful to hear that you'll help."

"Hey, why did you correct yourself? You still look like a girl, you know. You look young enough for people to mistake Vivi as the mother and you as the daughter." Hashirama pointed out something irrelevant instead of the main point of her words. There was no need to focus on that anyhow, since he had agreed already.

Titi laughed aloud. "Boy, are you flirting with me now?"

"No? How could I flirt with you while sitting behind you, with my arms wrapped around you?" Hashirama was oblivious. "But seriously, how are you 38? Sometimes I think you may be some witch sacrificing children to stay young." Suddenly, he gasped. "Oh my- is that why you wanted to be alone with me? A-are you going to suck my blood while nobody is looking?"

Breaking into a peal of very unlady-like laughter, Titi put her hands to hold her stomach, which consequently made her hands rest over his own, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Alright, first thing first," Titi finally stopped and tilted her head upwards to look at his smiling face. "Nothing about you speaks 'child'….so even if I am a witch, I wouldn't target you for that reason. If I indeed target you, it'd be for something else entirely~"

Hashirama cleared his throat, not saying anything. He could continue the flirt, but he knew she was just joking—she loved her husband a lot—so continuing would just make things awkward later.

"Anyhow," Titi looked back at the front. "I am sure it's just that I am hydrated more than ever because my country isn't as dry as it was before. That's my secret~ Don't tell anyone. I am trusting you to keep it to yourself."

Hashirama nodded and said seriously, "Thank you for letting me know. I will keep it safe, close to my chest, I promise."

"Aww, if you really want to keep something by me close to your chest, don't keep those words." Titi looked back up at him, smiling. "Take care of this girl I made 13 years ago. Keep her close to your heart. Alright?"

Nefertari Titi, the Queen of Alabasta, just low-key dropped her daughter in his arms. Hashirama stared silently for a moment before nodding. "She is a close friend, so of course I will."

"Boy, don't play games with me. I know you understood what I meant," Titi scoffed. "Just don't you touch her before she is sixteen, and I am happy. You got what I said?"

"Yes, mom." Hashirama replied in a deadpan tone

Titi was about to speak again, but Hashirama pushed his luck and pinched her stomach, making her flinch before she started laughing when he tickled her.

"W-what?!" Titi laughed aloud and asked. "The audacity- ahaha! No, s-stop~! I will complain to T-Tsunade!"

The wooden cat ran through the desert, leaving a gentle trail of sand behind, while a peal of sweet laughter faded in the horizon.

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[*Fix] Hashirama didn't call Miss Sunday by her real name, in the last chapter, in front of the two royals.

Question: Is Auntie Best girl?

An auntie picture in this Paragraph:

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