One Piece: Adopting Sakazuki and Taking Douglas Bullet as My Godson

Chapter 27: Jinbei, Be My Companion!

"The Adventures of the Great Liar Noland?"

Having finished his meal, Jinbei didn't bother looking at the medical report. He was already well aware of how badly injured he was.

After carefully placing the now-empty bento box aside, he turned his gaze to Alisan, who was sitting nearby, completely absorbed in a book.

Jinbei recognized the title—"The Adventures of the Great Liar Noland."

He had once secretly left Fishman District and wandered into more civilized areas. During one of those rare excursions, he'd seen a young mermaid girl reading that very same book.

He'd snuck a few glances. Though he only caught a few lines, the fantastical places described within had deeply captivated him.

After all, what child doesn't have dreams of wonder and adventure? He was no exception.

"Yeah! That one! Wanna read it together?"

Noticing the eager gleam in Jinbei's eyes, Alisan didn't hesitate to invite his new fishman friend to read along.

Just like how Mona always stuck to Sakazuki and dragged him into her games, Alisan longed for a friend who could share his passions.

Within the sprawling Nasdaq family, only his father and birth mother ever took the time to read with him at night.

Though he had a brother and sister, their interests were wildly different, and the older adopted siblings never understood his fascination with exploration.

To them, a stable home and burning revenge were all that mattered. Only a rare few among them harbored dreams outside that scope.

"Can I?" Jinbei asked with anticipation.

"Of course!"

Grinning from ear to ear, Alisan plopped himself onto the hospital bed beside Jinbei, placed the book between them, and opened to the first page.

Just in case Jinbei couldn't read, Alisan began narrating aloud.

"Chapter One: The Dwarven Kingdom of Tontatta!"

He excitedly shared one of his favorite stories.

"The Adventures of the Great Liar Noland" told of Noland's travels to several supposedly "fictional" lands—like the Golden City, the Kingdom of Dwarves, Beasts' Island, and Little Garden.

Each chapter ended with a disclaimer: "This is a fantastical story," or "Lying is bad." But Alisan knew the truth. His father had told him so.

And they had really been to Sky Island together. Alisan had seen the golden land of Shandora with his own eyes—though, sadly, they didn't find any gold.

Still, that adventure had been enough to make him believe everything his father told him.

To others, the book might just be Mollal fiction for children. But to Alisan, it was a true record of grand adventures.

He dreamed of becoming a great explorer like Noland—traveling the sea, uncovering hidden wonders, and eventually spreading his own tales far and wide.

He'd be a legendary adventurer.

Time passed quietly.

Ross had stopped by once, but seeing how well the two boys were getting along, he silently left and told a kitchen helper to deliver dinner later.

He knew Alisan's longing for adventure. As a father, since he had the means to support his child, he wouldn't hold him back.

Besides, after listening to their conversations, Ross had already confirmed Jinbei's identity.

If Alisan was going to explore the world, having a fishman companion would be a tremendous asset—especially one known as Sea Knight Jinbei, a man of justice and honor.

"Sigh… better start training a few new heirs. All my 'main characters' are either wasted or uncooperative. Girls really are less troublesome,"

Ross muttered as he left.

He had considered passing the family business to his eldest daughter, Mona, with his eldest son Ator as her right-hand.

But on second thought, he gave up. Mona was too emotional and mischievous. If left in charge, she might burn the house down every other week.

So, in recent days, people in the Nasdaq family often saw Ross looking worn out, as if he hadn't slept in days.

Only his pregnant third wife, Molla, seemed cheerful all the time—though no one quite knew what had her in such a good mood.

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Several Days Later

Jinbei, now fully bonded with Alisan, was finally discharged from the hospital.

Though his bones were still fragile, he could now walk on his own. He and Alisan began exploring the wondrous cloud island together.

The members of the Nasdaq family and curious tourists alike looked on with fascination.

Some still viewed Jinbei as a monster—but that didn't matter. As long as Alisan treated him as a friend, that was enough.

After all, Jinbei had seen the worst of humanity—those slave traders who looked at him like merchandise. These looks of suspicion were nothing compared to that.

"No wonder you love Noland's adventures so much... those stories were all real!"

Jinbei was stunned.

Just moments ago, after touring the cloud island, Alisan had shared the tale of his own magical adventure to Sky Island—

the very one rumored to hold Shandora, the legendary golden city. He and his brother had even gone exploring there—though, sadly, they came back empty-handed.

Still, Jinbei was amazed. The world above the sea was more beautiful and wondrous than he'd ever imagined.

No wonder so many fishfolk longed to return to the surface. Even the current prince's consort actively promoted it, though the Fishman District folks scoffed at such ideals.

"Mr. Ross… he created all of this? This entire cloud island? Is that really something one person can do?!"

Hearing that the island they stood on wasn't transported from Sky Island but created from scratch by Alisan's father left Jinbei in shock.

He couldn't fathom such power.

"Of course! My dad's amazing!"

Seeing Jinbei's awe, Alisan puffed up proudly. If his dad was strong, didn't that mean he was awesome too?

His young heart swelled with pride.

"So what do you think? Want to stay here? I'll ask my dad to train you to become stronger! Then you can come with me on adventures!"

"We'll explore all those incredible places that no one believes in—together! Doesn't that sound awesome?!"

Seizing the moment while Jinbei was still stunned, Alisan eagerly invited him.

He had seen glimpses of his father's incredible strength and knew that adventuring required power.

He could beat up a grown man if needed, but that wouldn't cut it on the vast, dangerous seas.

Jinbei, though only a year older, was something else entirely. Alisan had seen it—Jinbei could manipulate seawater, slamming it hard enough to dent cloudstone!

With someone like that by his side, Alisan was sure—together, they could become the greatest adventurers the world had ever seen!

Even if it meant begging his dad or crying to his mom, Alisan swore—

he'd help Jinbei grow stronger.

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