One Piece: Voyager of the Sea

"Jialai, your lunch." Jebalu held a massive tray, laden with large cuts of meat. In an inconspicuous corner, there was a bowl of rice and a small bowl of soup.

"Jebalu, thank you." Jialai, nestled in the corner, looked up at the tray he was holding and immediately frowned. "It's too much. I can't eat it all."

"Eat more meat, and you'll feel better," Jebalu said casually.

The first time Jialai heard Jebalu comfort her like this, she was so stunned that she could've fit an ostrich egg in her mouth. She thought to herself, Why does everyone here love to eat so much meat?

But now, she had grown accustomed to it. It felt warm and comforting to be consoled in this way.

Suppressing a faint sense of loss, she forced a smile, took the tray, and used a knife to cut the huge piece of sea king meat into three parts. She managed to eat two smaller pieces, but when she touched her already stretched stomach, she looked pitifully at Jebalu. "I really can't eat anymore."

"Only this little bit? No wonder you'll topple over with a gust of wind," Jebalu remarked, using two fingers to pick up the remaining piece of meat and tossing it into his mouth. For him, it wasn't even enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.

Jialai chuckled, finishing the last bit of soup, and with her large eyes—like crystals of tea-colored glass—she looked up at the towering giant beside her, her gaze full of pleading. "Jebalu, teach me how to get stronger."

Hearing this, Jebalu tilted his head, sizing her up with a sideways glance. "What can you do?"

"Cook, clean, wash clothes..." Jialai thought hard and recalled all the things she used to be good at. But here, the only ones that seemed useful were these three. Jebalu looked at her in disbelief and shook his head. Jialai forced a wry smile. She knew exactly why he shook his head—it was a pirate ship, not a luxury cruise.

Her body was small, with thin arms and legs, and aside from being somewhat agile, she was of no use.

She had once thought about becoming a navigator like the pirate cat or an archaeologist like that beautiful woman. Unfortunately, her knowledge of the written language in this world was so limited that she could barely recognize the characters, let alone learn to read navigation charts or decode ancient texts.

Why is it that I didn't come to this world with some powerful skills, something strong enough to take down sea kings with my bare hands? Jialai lowered her head, wrapping her arms around her knees, staring at the floor in dismay.

"Jialai, get off the ship and live like a normal person," Jebalu said, running his large hands through her short, chestnut-colored hair with such force that it almost pressed her head to the ground. Jialai took the opportunity to dip her head lower, tears welling in her eyes.

Although Jialai had managed to board the Red Heart Pirate Crew's ship, truthfully, Law hadn't acknowledged her as part of the crew. He had merely taken her in temporarily, after she nearly became a slave.

Perhaps she should really listen to Jebalu's advice because life on the pirate ship didn't seem to suit her. She was the only woman on board, weak, and the brief time she had spent on the ship had made her seasickness unbearable. Not to mention, there had been countless times when she almost got eaten by sea kings or fell into the sea.

Jialai hid in a small room in the cabin, a space that had been specially cleared out for her by Bepo since she boarded.

A small single bed, with nothing else.

"Jialai, are you there?" Bepo's strange voice came from outside. Jialai quickly looked up, hastily wiping her face, and got up to open the door. Her legs were stiff from crouching too long, and she accidentally bumped into the door, causing a loud thud.

"Jialai?" Bepo knocked again, hearing the noise.

"What's up, Bepo?" Jialai rubbed her forehead and opened the door.

"Dinner's ready." Bepo's eyes fixed on her forehead. "Your head..."

"It's nothing," Jialai said with an awkward smile, her steps stiff.

"Jialai, we'll soon be at the next small island. We'll stop there for two days to replenish supplies." Bepo suddenly brought it up.

"Really? That's great!" Jialai's face lit up, though her emotions were mixed.

"Jialai, you don't like life at sea," Bepo's words sounded more like a statement than a question, leaving Jialai unsure how to respond.

Since arriving in this world, Jialai's main interactions had been with Jebalu and Bepo.

Jebalu had once been the captain of a pirate ship before being sold as a slave to the Celestial Dragons. During the Sabaody Archipelago incident, Jialai was among the many rescued. With nowhere else to go, she chose to follow him, or rather, follow Trafalgar D. Law, the pirate known as the "Surgeon of Death." At that time, she couldn't help but feel blessed by the gods for bringing her to this man. Jebalu had the generosity typical of pirates, and he would occasionally show his care by bringing her food or expressing it in odd ways. Jialai had never felt any fear of him, so Jebalu liked to chat with her, telling her about all the fascinating things in this world, helping her gradually integrate her memories with reality.

Bepo, like the ship's animal doctor, could talk. He was easily embarrassed and always had "sorry" on his lips. Though he often liked to remind Jialai of his senior status, Jialai loved to act spoiled with him, rubbing against his soft, furry body. Bepo quickly found himself unable to resist. Jialai adored this shy, cute white bear, as well as the man she once secretly liked, whom she thought was just an illusion.