One Piece: The sky is azure, I just time-traveled today.

Page 4

Liu Jiu looked down at the suspiciously colored, pasty substance in the bowl.

He picked up a small wooden spoon from the side of the bowl, scooped up a spoonful, and put it in his mouth.

The taste... is still just as awful.

He ate slowly.

Until the bottom of the bowl is empty.

He placed the empty bowl and wooden spoon on the wooden box next to him and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

The wind picked up, making his hair fly wildly.

He leaned back and closed his eyes.

This time, it doesn't seem so boring.

Chapter 3 Two Interns

As dawn broke on the horizon, two small, wobbly black dots appeared on the other side of the sea.

It was a small boat that was almost falling apart.

As they got closer, they could see that it was two soaking wet and disheveled teenagers. One had red hair, and the other had a red nose; they were Shanks and Bucky, who had been "exploring" for three days and three nights.

The small boat struck the hull of the Oro Jackson with a dull thud.

Shanks managed to lift his head, his face covered in white streaks of seawater, and forced a weak smile, revealing a set of white teeth. Bucky, on the other hand, lay sprawled on the bottom of the boat, groaning and moaning, even his signature red nose looking somewhat dull.

Several crew members lowered the rope ladder and, cursing, dragged the two of them up like dead dogs.

"You two little brats! You still know how to come back?"

"Damn it, I thought you guys were fed to the sea kings!"

Shanks plopped down on the deck, panting heavily, his hair plastered to his forehead, still laughing: "Ha...haha...I almost, almost didn't make it back..."

Bucky immediately started gagging, vomiting seawater, his face covered in tears and snot: "Ugh... Damn Shanks... It's all your fault... You had to row towards that whirlpool... Ugh..."

The veteran sailors gathered around, but no one offered to help. They simply watched the spectacle with their arms crossed, their faces showing amusement and indifference.

"Hey, Bucky, your precious nose's still there?"

"Shanks, what great treasure have you found? Take it out and let us see!"

Mocking voices rose and fell.

Shanks wasn't annoyed, chuckling as he wiped the water from his face. Bucky, on the other hand, was furious, jumping up and down, ignoring his discomfort, waving his thin arms and retorting, "Shut up! You bastards! Just wait until I find Captain John's treasure..."

"And then buy your nose with the treasure?" someone asked, eliciting a burst of laughter.

Liu Jiu leaned against the mast in the distance, watching the farce unfold.

The sunlight gradually brightened, shining on the wet deck and the two boys.

Shanks struggled to his feet, his legs still a little weak. He tossed his red hair, splashing water everywhere. He spotted Roger at the bow of the ship, his eyes lighting up instantly with a hint of smugness, despite their appalling appearance.

Roger merely glanced at them, snorted, and said nothing, continuing to fiddle with the small wooden carving in his hand, which was already taking shape.

Rayleigh, however, came over and handed Shanks and Bucky a dry towel each.

"Clean it up and check the anchor chain." The tone was flat, as if he were just giving an order for a routine chore.

Bucky cried out, "Mr. Rayleigh! We just got back..."

Rayleigh adjusted his glasses but didn't say anything.

Shanks had already taken the towel, rubbing it haphazardly on his head, and nodded vigorously: "Understood, Mr. Rayleigh!"

He tugged at Bucky, who was still complaining, and the two stumbled toward the anchor. As they passed Liu Jiu, Shanks glanced curiously at the unfamiliar face but didn't stop.

Bucky, completely oblivious to Liu Jiu, was still muttering curses about Shanks and damn luck.

Liu Jiu watched their retreating figures.

Young and energetic, he can bounce back to life in the blink of an eye after being scolded.

He looked away and glanced down at his palm.

The area that was chafed yesterday has already formed a thin scab.

The sea breeze carries the unique coolness and dampness of the early morning.

He heard Roger whisper something to Rayleigh from the bow of the ship, with a hint of a smile in his voice.

"...two troublesome brats..."

Liu Jiu turned around and faced the sea.

the weather is nice today.

It's a good place to sunbathe.

If you don't need to wipe the deck.

In the afternoon, the sun shone brightly.

The deck was scorching hot; it felt almost burning to walk on barefoot. The sea was as calm as a giant, gently swaying piece of blue silk.

Having eaten and drunk their fill, and having just survived a escape, the crew relaxed. They gathered in twos and threes in the shade, dozing off, chatting, or playing simple dice games.

Liu Jiu sat on a pile of ropes, leaning against the ship's side, feeling a little drowsy.

Shanks and Bucky were also in the shadows not far away.

After checking the anchor chain, the two seemed to regain their energy. Bucky mysteriously pulled a small cloth bag from his pocket, carefully opening it layer by layer with an almost reverent solemnity.

Inside was a yellowed piece of paper with torn edges.

"See that!" Bucky whispered, but his voice trembled with excitement. "A treasure map! I found it on that island over there! Captain John's treasure must be there..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shanks leaned over to look, and the red-haired man's head almost bumped into Bucky's face.

"Where? Let me see!"

"Get away! Don't touch my treasure with your stinky hair!" Bucky shoved him away, clutching the treasure map to his chest and glaring warily.

Shanks wasn't angry. He scratched his head and chuckled, "Look, Bucky, it won't hurt you."

“Who knows if you bastard secretly memorized it!” Bucky snorted, then took out the treasure map again, studying it carefully, tracing the marks with his fingers, and muttering to himself, “This mark… should be Skull Rock… this is…”

Shanks squatted down beside him, craning his neck and watching longingly.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the canvas, forming a beam that shone directly between the two boys, and dust motes danced in the light.

Liu Jiu squinted as he looked at them.

It's like watching a silent shadow puppet show.

Bucky was so engrossed in his study that his nose almost touched the blueprints. Shanks watched for a while, then seemed to get bored. He looked around, picked up a small piece of wood from the side, and started flicking it with his finger.

The piece of wood bounced a few times on the deck and rolled to Liu Jiu's feet.

Shanks looked up at Liu Jiu and gave him a slightly embarrassed smile.

Liu Jiu didn't move or say anything.

Shanks ran over, picked up the piece of wood, looked at Liu Jiu, and asked curiously, "Hey, are you new here? I've never seen you before."

Liu Jiu nodded.

"Oh." Shanks didn't seem to expect him to say anything more, and ran back to Bucky's side with the wooden piece, continuing to squat there.

Bucky was still lost in his treasure dream, oblivious to his surroundings.

“This is it! This is the place! When we dock next time, we’ll…” Buggy suddenly looked up, his eyes shining, and met Shanks’ bored face.

He instantly flew into a rage: "Shanks! You bastard, you weren't listening at all!"

"Huh? I'm listening." Shanks looked completely innocent.

"You're clearly playing with wood!"

"I'm looking at the picture..."

The two started arguing again, their voices not loud, but they sounded particularly clear in the quiet afternoon.

Liu Jiu shifted his gaze to the line where the sea and sky met in the distance.

Azure, calm, unchanging.

He heard Bucky angrily rewrap the treasure map, tuck it back into the closest part of his body, and then stomp away, grumbling. Shanks followed behind him, still trying to explain.

The footsteps faded away.

The deck returned to its previous tranquility, with only the sound of waves and the occasional snore.

Liu Jiu adjusted his posture to keep the sun out of his face.

He closed his eyes.

Chapter 4 King vs. Hero

On the horizon, that damn dog head appeared again.

This time, they came even more silently, like ghosts, taking advantage of the morning mist to suddenly approach within the artillery's range.

The shouts from the watchtower were piercing: "Karp—!! Port! That damn ghost won't leave you alone!"

Chaos erupted on the deck. It was even more panicked than last time, because it was so close.

"Turn the rudder! Quickly!"

"Full sails! Hurry!"

"Damn! How did this old madman find us?!"

There was chaos everywhere.

Liu Jiu was gnawing on a piece of bread left over from yesterday, bread that was as hard as a rock. Hearing the shout, he paused for a moment, then continued chewing slowly. The bread was too hard, a bit tough on his teeth.

He looked up.

The familiar warship was almost upon them, its prow bearing a menacing dog-head statue, its cannons pointed menacingly in their direction.