One Piece Space Fruit - Chapter 51
Inside the temporary residence of Evan and his group in Fish-Man District.
A round dining table was laden with over a dozen different dishes, steam rising, and the aroma filling the entire room. The appearance of the food made Evan’s mouth water.
He was grateful that he finally didn’t have to eat Snow’s dark cuisine.
Snow sat silently beside him. She knew her culinary skills were lacking, as she had never needed to cook before. Despite learning, progress was slow, especially with the unfamiliar ingredients on Fish-Man Island. Hence, when the three Boa sisters offered to cook to repay their gratitude, Snow didn’t object. She watched the sisters set the table with dishes far superior to her own attempts, feeling a mix of emotions in her usually cold, silver eyes.
Especially Hancock, the beautiful girl who shyly glanced at their leader while serving the food. This made Snow feel uneasy, perhaps an inherent trait of being a woman.
“Where’s Crow?” Evan asked, scanning the room. It was rare for Crow to miss a meal, especially given his usual excitement at mealtime.
“He’s out gathering information about Fish-Man Island,” Snow replied concisely.
“Oh,” Evan nodded thoughtfully. He suspected Crow had used the information-gathering as an excuse to avoid Snow’s cooking, opting to eat outside instead.
Once all the dishes were served and arranged on the table, the Boa sisters stood respectfully by the table, making Evan, who was about to start eating, raise an eyebrow in discomfort.
“Why aren’t you sitting?” Evan asked.
The Boa sisters exchanged uneasy glances. Hancock, her eyes dim, explained, “We are slaves, we don’t dare sit at the same table as you, Evan-sama…”
“Alright,” Evan waved his hand, cutting her off, “Forget about the slave status. You are free now, no longer bound by your past identity.”
“If you remain trapped in the shadows of your past, how can you live your own life? If so, my effort to free you would be meaningless.”
“I rescued you willingly, risking my life. I don’t want to see the people I saved still living as if in a cage. Living well and fully is the best way to repay me.”
“So…” Evan looked at them seriously, gesturing for them to sit.
The Boa sisters hesitated but, seeing the determination in Evan’s eyes, Hancock led her sisters to the table.
“That’s more like it,” Evan smiled, picking up a spoon, “It’s more lively with more people, and the food tastes better.”
Seeing Evan and Snow start eating, the three sisters hesitantly scooped some soup. The warmth of the broth, as it slid down their throats, brought tears to their eyes, years of suffering and humiliation as slaves bubbling to the surface as silent tears.
Their crying was quiet, and the only sound at the table was Evan’s exaggerated eating noises.
The Boa sisters buried their faces in their bowls, trying to hide their tears.
Snow glanced at them in confusion, wanting to say something, but Evan gently patted her shoulder, signaling her to continue eating.
After they finished the meal, the Boa sisters’ faces were now filled with joy and relief as they cleaned up.
A knock on the wooden door was followed by the entrance of a small Fish-Man. Seeing Evan, he bowed respectfully, “Evan-sama, Brother Tiger wants to see you. He has something to discuss.”
“Oh?” Evan pondered for a moment and nodded, “I’ll go.”
“Leader,” Snow called, hastily putting down the dishes. Evan shook his head, indicating she didn’t need to follow.
Evan understood her concern but trusted Tiger and felt confident in his restored strength. Few on Fish-Man Island could threaten him.
Following the Fish-Man through the streets of Fish-Man District, many Fish-Men cast respectful and friendly glances at Evan, a stark contrast to their usual hostility towards humans.
Tiger had already informed everyone that Evan had helped free the slaves and saved his life, earning Evan respect and goodwill.
Unbothered by the attention, Evan’s mind wandered to the oppressive feeling of being 10,000 meters underwater, exacerbated by his Devil Fruit powers.
Without realizing it, they entered a dark alley. A different, hostile gaze snapped Evan out of his thoughts.
“Are you Evan?” A raspy voice came from the shadows.
Evan turned to see a burly shark Fish-Man with blue skin and a jagged nose, giving him a menacing appearance.
The shark Fish-Man scrutinized Evan, trying to see what made Tiger respect him.
Seeing nothing unusual, he stepped closer, towering over Evan.
Evan remained silent, not even lifting his eyes, which enraged the shark Fish-Man.
“Arlong, this is Evan-sama, and Brother Tiger—” The Fish-Man escorting Evan tried to explain.
“Did I tell you to speak?” Arlong roared, silencing the escort.
Arlong’s fierce gaze locked onto Evan, who remained impassive.
Raising his thick arm, Arlong swung at Evan’s head. The natural strength of a Fish-Man, ten times that of a human, combined with his training, made Arlong’s strike powerful.
As his arm came down, Evan vanished, leaving Arlong’s blow to hit empty air.
The alley fell silent.
Arlong froze, disbelieving that his attack had missed.
Evan, now behind Arlong, waved to the stunned Fish-Man escort, “Let’s go.”
“Yes, sir,” the escort stammered, quickly leading the way.
Evan had only taken a few steps when Arlong roared and charged at him.
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