Chapter 34 – [34] : [BONUS] – A Promise with Kaya!

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After entering Rowen’s room, Kaya was visibly nervous and fidgety.

Rowen smiled gently at her discomfort and softly pushed the door partially closed, leaving it slightly ajar.

This small gesture seemed to help Kaya relax considerably.

“So, Kaya, was there something you needed?” Rowen asked kindly, sitting down opposite her.

“Um… Rowen, aren’t you going to eat?” Kaya, though less tense, still used the food as a way to ease her awkwardness.

“Of course, I’ll eat,” Rowen replied, feeling both amused and touched.

Although Rowen wasn’t actually hungry right now, he couldn’t disregard Kaya’s thoughtful gesture. With his Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple), eating an extra meal wasn’t a problem; it would just take a bit longer to digest.

Seeing Rowen begin to eat the food she brought, Kaya’s eyes curved into smiling crescents.

“Thanks for the food,” Rowen said, letting out a breath after finishing everything.

While his Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple) had incredible digestive power, digestion still took time.

Counting the meal Usopp treated them to earlier, Rowen had eaten three large meals today. The last one, in particular, had already provided enough sustenance for his body to absorb overnight.

Even Rowen’s stomach capacity had its limits; after this late-night snack, he felt quite full.

“Rowen… you’re leaving tomorrow, aren’t you?” Kaya, having composed herself while Rowen ate, asked softly.

“Yes. We need to continue on towards the Grand Line,” Rowen replied with a smile.

“The Grand Line… What’s it like there?” Kaya asked, her eyes filled with longing.

Frail since childhood, she struggled even with normal walking, let alone venturing out onto the sea.

“There? Well… the magnetism, weather patterns, ocean currents, and air currents are all chaotic. It’s difficult even to determine your own location. There are islands perpetually covered in ice and snow, others constantly wracked by thunderstorms. And high above the clouds… there are even Sky Islands…” Rowen explained gently, seeing the yearning in Kaya’s eyes, vividly describing the wonders and perils of the Grand Line.

In the East Blue, few knew more about the Grand Line than Rowen, who possessed knowledge of the future plot.

Of course, Rowen hadn’t personally experienced these things yet; he too eagerly anticipated the upcoming journey.

Kaya gasped in amazement from time to time as Rowen painted a picture with his words.

Unlike Usopp’s obvious tall tales, Kaya instinctively felt that everything Rowen said was true—a girl’s intuition.

“It’s incredible… The sea is truly vast,” Kaya murmured, gazing out the window. Though night had fallen, she could faintly see the distant ocean waves shimmering under the moonlight, her face full of longing.

“Unfortunately… I can never go out onto the sea,” Kaya sighed, her expression filled with regret.

Her frailness, combined with the wistful look on her face, made her appear exceptionally delicate and pitiable.

“That’s not necessarily true,” Rowen said softly, looking at Kaya’s forlorn expression.

“Eh?!” Kaya looked up at Rowen, her eyes widening in surprise.

“But… forget going out to sea, I have trouble even walking long distances,” Kaya murmured, looking down at her own delicate frame, biting her lip.

“The sea’s secret treasures… Devil Fruits. Have you heard of them, Kaya?” Rowen asked gently.

“Devil Fruits? Aren’t those just things from legends?” Kaya blinked curiously.

“Luffy ate a Devil Fruit. If you were to eat a Zoan-type Devil Fruit, your body could recover its health,” Rowen explained with a smile.

Kaya’s condition stemmed from innate physical weakness, making her prone to illness. This was different from Trafalgar Law’s Amber Lead Syndrome, which required the Op-Op Fruit‘s specific surgical abilities to cure.

A Zoan-type Devil Fruit, which enhances the user’s physical body, would be sufficient to grant Kaya good health.

While even Zoan fruits were extremely rare in the East Blue, they were relatively common and less valuable on the Grand Line.

And for Rowen, obtaining a Zoan fruit was simple.

With the Strongest Trait System

, he could convert Devil Fruit powers into Traits and plunder them. Furthermore, these plundered Devil Fruit Traits could be given to others.

Just as Blackbeard could hunt down ability users to form his own army of Devil Fruit users,

Rowen, with his superior System, could naturally do the same.

However, since others lacked the Trait System, if Rowen gave a plundered Devil Fruit Trait to someone else, they would become a true Devil Fruit user—gaining the power but also suffering the side effects, like being rejected by the sea and becoming unable to swim.

Pros and cons—that was the nature of Devil Fruits.

Unlike Rowen, who could use the powers via his System without any of the drawbacks.

“Devil Fruits… those legendary treasures… Even if they truly exist, I’d never have the chance to eat one,” Kaya murmured, her eyes brightening for a moment before dimming again with disappointment.

“When we meet again… how about I give you a Devil Fruit as a gift?” Rowen offered with a smile.

“!!!” Kaya stared at Rowen, wide-eyed, completely unable to believe what she was hearing as she looked at his gentle smile.

“Rowen… How could I accept…? Something so precious…” Kaya stammered, unsure of what to say.

“A Devil Fruit isn’t a big deal to me. Besides, haven’t you already paid me? A young lady’s kindness… is far more precious to me than any Devil Fruit,” Rowen replied, gesturing towards the now-empty serving cart with a smile.

“…” Kaya bit her lip, gazing intently at Rowen.

Frail since childhood and often confined to her room, Kaya spent many boring days reading books for amusement.

As a young woman, she naturally enjoyed reading romance novels, often daydreaming about the love stories within them.

She was particularly drawn to tales where the Heroine’s destined Hero descended from Heaven to save her.

For Kaya, who couldn’t even take a leisurely walk outside, such stories held immense appeal.

But Kaya knew such things were virtually impossible in reality.

Yet… it had happened. Rowen, quite literally, had suddenly fallen from the sky, defeated Kuro, and saved her and everyone else.

When they first met, she hadn’t believed Rowen’s claim that Klahadore was a pirate and had even yelled at him.

But Rowen hadn’t gotten angry; instead, he offered her a gentle smile, and then proceeded to save them all.

That warm smile… Kaya found herself thinking about Rowen constantly during her rest, his image filling her mind.

Having never experienced romance before, Kaya didn’t know if this feeling was the ‘love’ described in her books.

But this feeling… it was completely different from how she felt listening to Usopp’s tall tales.

Usopp… they were good friends. Kaya knew how she felt around friends.

But her feelings towards Rowen, despite having only just met him, were entirely different from friendship.

Wanting to know everything about Rowen, wanting to talk with him more, wanting to bring him more food when he seemed insatiable at the dinner table…

Even just watching Rowen eat made Kaya smile unconsciously.

This feeling… it truly resembled the ‘love’ she had read about.

Kaya remembered a line from one of her books: Whether two people are destined to be lovers or just friends is often decided the very moment they first meet.

This feeling, combined with the knowledge that Rowen was leaving tomorrow, made Kaya desperately want to talk with him more tonight.

Added to that was her concern after witnessing Rowen’s incredible appetite and frequent eating; she worried he might be hungry again. And so, tonight, she had come.

“Let’s make a promise,” Rowen said softly, looking at Kaya and extending his pinky finger with a warm smile.

“Mm…” Seeing Rowen’s gentle smile, Kaya blushed faintly.

She shyly hooked her pinky finger around Rowen’s. The strange sensation where their fingers touched sent a flutter through Kaya’s heart, making her lower her head shyly.

In that moment, Kaya knew for sure.

This… is love.

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