Chapter 281: Baltigo - A Call from the Red-Haired

Enel and Kaku often fought and argued, but when it came down to important matters, Kaku would never throw Enel under the bus.

So, after listening to Kaku, Enel thought for a few seconds, then immediately transformed into lightning, racing ahead of Sabo to reach Takumi's room.

"Takumi, Captain, give me your staff!" Enel yelled as he barged in without knocking.

Takumi closed the book in his hands, casually placing it on the table before standing up. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Enel, delivering a punch. Enel quickly shifted into his elemental form, managing to dodge the blow.

Just then, Sabo arrived and saw the moment when Takumi tried to punch Enel but missed.

"You're pretty fast," Sabo said, smirking at Enel.

Enel ignored him and kept his focus on Takumi. "Sabo said he saw you with a staff of high quality. Is that true? Why haven't I seen you use it on the ship? Did you find it here on the island? But this place is a dump; where could you have found a staff?"

Sabo also looked at Takumi, curious. "Takumi, is the staff you used against me really something you just picked up?"

Takumi's tone was flat. "What does any of my stuff have to do with you? Out. Three, two, one."

When Takumi got to "two," Enel had already bolted.

Sabo was left standing there, confused.

When Takumi reached "one," he unsheathed Sandai Kitetsu. Sensing Takumi's killing intent, Sabo understood why Enel had run away. Sabo laughed awkwardly, quickly backing out of the room before taking off at a sprint.

Takumi sheathed Sandai Kitetsu, losing his desire to continue reading. He thought for a moment, then decided it had been a while since he last went fishing. Without hesitation, he retrieved his fishing gear from his system storage and leisurely headed outside.

As Takumi left the Revolutionary Army base, Kaku noticed him heading toward the coast and called out, "Captain, should I prepare some snacks?"

Takumi replied nonchalantly, "Sure."

"Alright, you go ahead. I'll catch up with you at the shore," Kaku said.

"Okay."

Half an hour later, Kaku arrived at the coast, carrying two large boxes filled with tea, sake, and snacks. He quickly set everything up, then sat next to Takumi, sipping tea as he admired the tranquil sea. He smiled. "Life like this isn't so bad."

Takumi ignored him, taking a bite of a biscuit.

Undeterred by Takumi's cold attitude, Kaku kept talking. Since quiet was needed while fishing, he lowered his voice to avoid annoying Takumi.

"While staying here is fine, I do have to ask, Captain—how much longer are we planning to stay on this island?" Kaku asked softly.

Takumi paused, then answered, "A few more days."

"I see." Kaku nodded thoughtfully. After a moment, he changed the subject. "Captain, next time we go out to buy supplies, why don't you come along?"

Takumi responded flatly, "Depends on my mood."

"That won't do," Kaku insisted. "Getting out and about is good for your health. Besides, we're all shipmates, right? We should spend more time together. But you—all you do is eat, drink, sleep, fish, and occasionally read. You barely talk to us. That needs to change. Oh, and speaking of talking, Captain, don't be so stingy with words. Talk more, smile more—that way, we can all feel closer."

Takumi: "..."

What was with this guy today? Why was he so chatty?

"And this Den Den Mushi." Kaku pulled out the Den Den Mushi that Shanks had given them. "It's been half a year since we parted ways with Red-Haired Shanks, and we haven't used this Den Den Mushi even once. Captain, you're friends with Shanks, right? Friends should stay in touch—even if it's just to say hi. You can't always keep to yourself."

Just as Kaku finished speaking, the Den Den Mushi in his hand rang, startling him so much that he almost dropped it into the sea.

"What timing..." Kaku chuckled awkwardly. He looked over at Takumi. "Captain, should I answer it?"

Takumi nodded, though he looked a bit annoyed.

With Takumi's approval, Kaku answered the call.

Shanks's voice immediately came through. "You finally picked up! That was tough!"

Kaku sighed. "Shanks, you've only called us once..."

"Eh? Really?" Shanks laughed heartily. "Hahaha, sounds like Long Nose. Where's Takumi? Let me talk to him."

Kaku glanced at Takumi and replied, "The captain is fishing. Shanks, if you have anything to say, you can tell me, and I'll pass it on."

"What? Fishing? How boring," Shanks complained. "Come on, put him on."

Takumi reached out, left hand still holding his fishing rod, and Kaku handed him the Den Den Mushi.

Takumi immediately hung up the call.

A few seconds later, Shanks called again. Takumi didn't answer—he just hung up again.

Shanks called back again, and Takumi hung up once more. This back-and-forth continued eight times before Takumi got fed up. When Shanks called for the ninth time, Takumi finally answered.

"What do you want?" Takumi asked impatiently.

Shanks laughed heartily. "Hahaha, you really don't give me any face, huh? After all we've been through together, even though you killed a Celestial Dragon and got hunted by the World Government, I never cut ties with you. And if you ever need anything, I'll be there for you. Tell me, where else are you going to find a friend like me?"

Takumi sighed. "So, why did you call?"

"Nothing much." Shanks's tone was cheerful. "I'm heading to Water 7 soon. Want to guess why I'm going there?"

Takumi didn't bother guessing. "If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."

"Hey, hey, don't be like that," Shanks protested. "You really aren't any fun... Alright, fine, I'll tell you. I'm planning to visit an old friend and look into something."

"Okay," Takumi replied dismissively.

Shanks sighed. "Aren't you curious about what I'm investigating?"

"It has nothing to do with me," Takumi said indifferently.

Shanks didn't know how to respond for a moment. Finally, he sighed again. "You're impossible... Anyway, I've already heard about what you did at Enies Lobby. Impressive stuff—you even dared to destroy the Gates of Justice. The World Government was so embarrassed they covered it all up. But as far as I know, CP9, one of the government's secret units, was stationed there. I'm heading to Water 7 to investigate that unit."

"Oh. And?"

"Uh... I wanted to ask you something. I think I know why you went to Enies Lobby. It wasn't just to destroy the gate and cause chaos, right? If I'm correct, Kaku's still with you, which means he's trustworthy now, right?"

"Yes."

"Great. Then I have some questions for Kaku. Hand him the Den Den Mushi."

Takumi was more than happy to stop talking to Shanks, so he tossed the Den Den Mushi back to Kaku.

Kaku quickly caught it.

As Takumi shifted his attention back to the sea, he noticed a Marine warship approaching in the distance.

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