Chapter 77: Fenrir Island
This celebration banquet, said to be the grandest since the Beasts Pirates were established, actually didn’t last long.
It wasn’t that the Beasts Pirates’ members didn’t want to get drunk for three days and nights like before; there were simply too many matters waiting for them to handle.
Arrangements for new crew personnel, mobilization of supplies between islands, patrols and defenses at various key strongholds…
The countless troubles brought by the pirate crew’s rapid expansion didn’t allow the members too much time for indulgence.
Thus, this banquet, which could only be called a “dinner,” ended hastily the next morning after Lapp returned from wandering outside and woke the hungover crowd.
Yes, Lapp hadn’t stayed in the banquet hall all night like the others last night; after Aoxi and Obei had eaten their fill, she took the two back to sleep early.
Although sleep was no longer necessary for the three, a full closed-eye rest was itself a pleasure beyond recovering energy and fatigue.
The three of them had always kept the habits from their human days, whether eating, washing up, or sleeping…
Clearly, these behaviors that were once necessary to satisfy certain needs were now completely dispensable for their current bodies.
But perhaps the part of their souls that belonged to “humans” was consciously holding out against the part that belonged to “gods,” or maybe simple behavioral inertia made them unwilling to change…
All in all, this wasn’t a bad thing.
After all, inheriting divine power was certainly wonderful.
But the indifference that came with it, surpassing human emotions, and the erasure of sensibility were things that all intelligent beings instinctively resisted.
For now, maintaining the balance of driving divine power with human thinking was the most ideal.
No one wanted to become a monster without desires.
……
At six-thirty in the morning, the moment the sun fully rose from the horizon, Lapp got up on time.
Aoxi and Obei, still dreaming in the bedding, were completely unaware.
For the two little ones still in their infancy, getting up early was truly an unnecessary arduous challenge.
After a simple wash-up, Lapp changed out of her pajamas on the spot and gently closed the door.
Yesterday, because it was late and they were busy with the welcome, she hadn’t had time to carefully look at this new stronghold that was several times larger than the previous one.
Now, stepping into the early morning sunlight, Lapp planned to personally experience the local customs and human relations of this peculiar island step by step.
Small shoes adorned with golden patterns stepped over the bluestone pavement, with the cries of hawkers from bosses and vendors who had already opened their stalls ringing in her ears.
These sounds were somewhat strange, but the tone used among them was very familiar.
After all, the two islands weren’t far apart, so there weren’t major cultural differences.
Further ahead, past a towering stone gate, the bluestone pavement turned into a dirt road of pebbles and mud.
Weeds lined both sides of the road, with a few inconspicuous small flowers occasionally among them.
Perhaps due to the season, these flowers and grasses looked a bit wilted.
This small road led all the way to the distant forest, which looked colorful.
Red, green, yellow… In early autumn, all sorts of fruits hung from the branches, showcasing the island’s abundance.
Perhaps because the season hadn’t arrived, these fruit trees hadn’t been picked, or maybe these naturally grown fruits weren’t in the townsfolk’s picking plans.
Lapp also sensed the activity of many small animals in the forest, as well as big animals and super-large animals.
It seemed this island was large enough and rich enough in resources to accommodate humans and nature.
Without stopping her steps, continuing along the small path through the woods led to the island’s center—a volcano towering into the clouds.
Even situated on what was traditionally a summer island, the volcano’s summit was still cloaked in a layer of pure white snow, as if in a different world from the colorful forest below.
The volcano’s shape was very peculiar; from afar, it resembled a giant wolf roaring skyward.
It was said that the first pirate to arrive at this island was from the Giant Tribe. After seeing this shocking volcano, he thought of the legend passed down through generations in their clan, thus naming the island “Fenrir.”
Lapp had no intention of climbing to the summit; instead, she circled halfway around the base and arrived at the other side of the island.
The dirt road underfoot turned back into bluestone slabs, and the cries of hawkers rang in her ears again; this time, the sounds were familiar…
Her gaze swept over both sides of the street as Lapp strolled along, pondering what to bring back for Aoxi and the others for breakfast.
『If that “Syracuse” restaurant was still there, it would be great—Aoxi and they really liked their mille-feuille.』
Shops passed by Lapp’s eyes one by one, and finally she chose the few breakfast shops with the longest lines and packed several signature breakfast items.
After paying, Lapp bought some snacks at another shop similar to a convenience store.
Some chocolate sticks similar to “pocky” seemed tasty; at least Miss Nina, who was handling the cash register, was eating them with relish.
Moreover, Lapp sensed a temperament on this long-haired black-haired miss similar to Lapp’s; the two were probably from the same hometown.
『Both have West Sea tastes; Aoxi and Obei should like them too…』
Just like that, Lapp, carrying a few small paper bags, unknowingly reached the end of the town, which was also the edge of the island.
Passing through a not-insubstantial city wall, a beautiful beach unexpectedly appeared before her eyes, and further ahead was the boundless blue sea.
In this world, the ocean seemed to have replaced the land as the main theme of civilization.
On a whim, Lapp took off her shoes, stepped barefoot onto the soft sand, and planned to circle halfway around the island’s outermost edge before returning home.
The morning sea breeze, like a gentle hand, lightly lifted Lapp’s brilliant golden hair.
Colorful seashells dotted the beach like gems on the earth; Lapp closed her eyes and walked quietly, as if merging with her surroundings.
This feeling was novel and comfortable; at least in her original world, she had never experienced it.
The morning unmanned beach was imprinted with a long string of footprints, but they were soon erased by the waves…
“Hm?”
Sensing something, Lapp opened her eyes and waved toward the sky; soon, a newspaper-delivering seagull landed on her outstretched arm.
“Here.”
Lapp handed over a 50 Belly coin while taking a newspaper from the newspaper gull’s saddlebag.
Ever since learning about this newspaper delivery method, Lapp bought a newspaper every day to deepen her understanding of this world.
“Ah~ Ah~”
After placing the Belly in the bag with its beak, the newspaper gull flapped its wings and flew back into the sky.
After seeing it off, Lapp unfolded the newspaper in her hand; the prominent headline instantly caught her attention…
“I didn’t expect something like this to happen after Zephyr Mister and the others left; looks like I need to report it to Captain Kaido.”
The content of the newspaper would undoubtedly influence the Beasts Pirates’ next course of action and required Kaido’s personal decision.
However, Lapp wasn’t in a hurry to rush back; instead, she continued strolling leisurely while reading the newspaper.
Based on her understanding of Kaido, he was probably still dead drunk at this hour; it would be noon at the earliest before he sobered up.
Besides, it wouldn’t be long before Ember and the others got the news too; better to leave this matter to them.
Just like that, by the time Lapp returned home again, it was nearly ten o’clock, and the two little ones had already gotten up and were washing up.
