Chapter 134: Don’t Worry, I’m a Decent Man [Please Vote with Monthly Tickets]

The life of one’s dreams should be a house facing the sea, with flowers blooming in the warmth of spring—having a maid take care of everything when there was work to be done, and taking care of the maid when there was nothing to do.

How wonderful!

And somehow, he had obtained exactly such a life.

“Ma—Master… Your breakfast is ready.”

Dressed in a black-and-white maid uniform, Nami’s cheeks flushed crimson. Her lowered head was almost buried in the pale, exposed cleavage before her. Wearing white stockings and black high heels, she displayed her perfect figure without reserve.

By the window in the distance, sunlight spilled over Tang Shen.

His upper body was bare. His physique was as lithe and powerful as a cheetah’s, with not an ounce of excess flesh. Countless glistening beads of sweat covered his muscles. He had already completed one hundred thousand sword swings, having begun at four in the morning.

He could just barely perform five overlapping strikes with his stacked-blade technique, each blow carrying half his full strength.

Even aboard the Swan, Tang Shen had not forgotten his daily training. After vaguely discovering that training in the game world could even strengthen his body in the real world at the same time, he had begun paying even closer attention to it.

Hearing Nami’s voice, he let out a long breath. The exhalation emerged through his closed lips like a tiny white dragon, then circulated through his body before returning within him. Every cell seemed to have been refilled with energy.

Tang Shen casually tossed his shirt and long sword onto Nami and strode toward the bathroom.

If this had happened a day earlier, Nami swore she would never have agreed, even if it meant death. But after experiencing death yesterday…

She had been forced to put on the maid uniform in humiliation and care for her master according to his preferences. The despair and anguish she felt were beyond words.

For some reason, Nami felt that she ought to hate this man to the depths of her soul. Yet whenever she saw him, her heart began pounding uncontrollably. He was an utter bastard, and yet, inexplicably, his presence made her feel safe.

Yes. Such a vicious bastard—so long as he was there, Nami did not have to worry in the slightest about other bastards coming to bother her.

Was this… a sense of security?

Inside the bathroom, steam swirled through the air.

Nami stood stiffly at the side, so nervous that she kept her beautiful eyes tightly shut. Her long eyelashes trembled faintly, and the fingers of both hands had turned slightly white from clenching them too hard.

In the enormous bath, Tang Shen soaked comfortably in the water as its splashing echoed around him.

Taking a hot bath after finishing his training was certainly one of the most wonderful things in life. Tang Shen was surprised to discover that bathing could slightly restore his stamina and mental strength. This world truly was almost indistinguishable from reality!

“Nami.”

Tang Shen suddenly spoke.

Nami instinctively opened her eyes. When she saw Tang Shen sitting naked in the transparent bath, she hurriedly shut them again, her cheeks burning red. She nearly cursed him as a lecher, but the words died at her lips and became a timid murmur instead.

“Yes, Master.”

“You’ve become prettier.”

The remark came out of nowhere—and from the mouth of this demon, no less. Nami froze for a moment, then realized that Tang Shen was examining her with great interest. His shameless gaze made her writhe with fury inside.

“The Slip-Slip Fruit truly is one of the finest beauty fruits in this world. Your skin has become even more delicate and radiant, and you seem more pleasing to the eye as well,” Tang Shen said seriously.

“…”

Nami’s face was so red it looked ready to bleed. If she could kill Tang Shen right then, she would not have hesitated for even a moment. Could it be that, in this bastard’s eyes, she was nothing more than a toy?

Despair, resentment, and anguish filled her heart. Nami bit her lip tightly, her delicate body trembling. Yet she did not want to die like this. There were still so many things she had not accomplished: the debt owed by Cocoyasi Village, Bellemere’s wish, and her dream of charting a map of the entire world…

Crystal tears slid down her exquisitely smooth, delicate cheeks, soft enough to break at a touch. She was like a radiant flower trembling in the wind, stirring the heart with pity.

“You look pretty when you cry, too.”

Tang Shen’s voice rang out.

“…”

Was this man truly heartless?

Nami was utterly consumed by despair. She dared swear that if she could defeat this bastard, she would make him her slave and torment him, humiliating him as thoroughly as possible!

“Do you want to become stronger?”

The sudden question came as Tang Shen approached in a clean change of clothes. Without another word, he lifted her into his arms like a princess.

Nami resisted the position with all her strength. But after he had forcibly carried her yesterday with a blade pressed against her throat, she could only resign herself to it.

His arms were strong and powerful, his broad chest radiating a manly sense of strength. Nami’s heart pounded wildly, and she did not dare move an inch. In Tang Shen’s words, the life he wanted was one in which he could embrace his maid whenever he pleased. He ought to thank Nami for helping him fulfill one of his dreams.

“Didn’t you hear me? Do you want to become stronger?”

Tang Shen lowered his head and glanced at Nami in his arms. After eating the Slip-Slip Fruit, Nami’s body felt exceptionally smooth and supple.

As he spoke, he walked steadily toward the dining room.

Nami was stunned. Then she reacted, a glimmer flashing through her beautiful eyes before fading again. She had already witnessed how impossible Tang Shen’s personality was to predict. Could he be making fun of her?

But having already suffered at his hands, she did not dare pretend she had not heard him. In a voice as faint as a mosquito’s, she answered, “Yes.”

“So you agree. Starting today, I’ll teach you basic swordsmanship and martial arts.”

“What?!”

Nami stared at Tang Shen in astonishment. He looked completely serious. Had she heard him wrong?

This man… wanted to teach her? Combat?!

How was that possible? Who would have nothing better to do than teach their slave how to fight? Did he want her to learn so that she could take revenge on him someday?

Moreover, in the world of pirates, there were very few people willing to teach such things. Unless someone was exceptionally gifted and passed the Marines’ selection, they could only go to the Marine Academy for systematic training. Yet even among those who became Marines, many were merely cannon fodder who died after letting out a single cry, let alone learning any true combat techniques.

As for pirates—if they could study and train, why would they become pirates? The vast majority were the sort who could be blown apart by cannon fire without even getting the chance to cry out.

The Cat Burglar Nami already knew a few tricks. She could handle one or two ordinary people, but she had never received systematic training. To Tang Shen, her technique was riddled with openings.

Besides, Nami had now eaten the Slip-Slip Fruit, which counted as a degree of combat power. Even at worst, she could probably pass for an online game pet. Having her help him defeat monsters and gain experience should not be a problem.

If Nami knew what Tang Shen was thinking, who knew what she would make of it? She had only just become a slave, and now she was already being treated as a monster-farming pet.

“Oh, right. As the price of the exchange, you’ll need to remain my slave for twenty years to repay your debt. From now on, you’ll also cooperate with me in robbing people. Don’t worry, I’m very fair—the spoils will be divided equally. Half goes to me, and the other half… I’ll keep safe for you. It’s settled, then, my dear Nami.”

“…”

Nami’s eyes widened. She fainted in Tang Shen’s arms, one of her beautiful legs twitching faintly.