Chapter 147: Making the Whole World Kneel at Your Feet

"Me? My body... feels so hot..."

Miss Kaya, whose complexion had originally been rather pale, now had her pretty face suffused with a deep crimson flush. To her astonishment, after eating this Devil Fruit, her weak body had begun to surge with abundant strength and boundless energy.

"Mr. Roger, what kind of fruit did you just give me?" Kaya asked with delighted surprise.

"It's a Devil Fruit worth one hundred million Berries," Nami answered for Tang Shen.

"One hundred million Berries?!"

Kaya covered her small mouth in shock, her beautiful eyes widening in disbelief. "How could you give me such a precious fruit? Mr. Roger, I've been far too presumptuous..."

Upon realizing the truth, Kaya became flustered. No wonder her body had undergone such a drastic transformation in an instant—it was a Devil Fruit worth a hundred million Berries.

Even for someone like her, the mistress of a grand estate, one hundred million Berries was an absolute fortune. Kaya had never imagined that Tang Shen would be so generous, having originally thought it was just an ordinary fruit.

"Don't worry, Kaya. Consider this a welcoming gift from me. From now on, you won't have to worry about your body falling ill anymore. You can travel the world and fulfill your dreams," Tang Shen said.

Tears of emotion welled up in Kaya's eyes, while Nami, standing nearby, found the sight almost too much to bear.

What kind of welcoming gift was this? It was the sort of welcoming gift she definitely didn't want.

The villagers' celebratory feast soon came to an end. Having decided to join Tang Shen's crew, Kaya packed her belongings, entrusted the entire estate to the care of the villagers, and was finally able to set off unburdened to pursue her dreams.

Aboard the Swan.

Everyone stood by the ship's rail.

Down below, a large crowd of villagers waved goodbye from the shore, one after another handing over their stores of fine wine and provisions to Tang Shen.

"Mr. Roger, you must come back and visit us again!"

"Lord Roger, the people of Syrup Village will always remember you!"

"Miss Kaya, we will miss you! Have a safe journey!"

"Captain Roger, I, Usopp, will definitely catch up to you! Kaya, I'll definitely sail out to find you too!"

...

Amidst the crowd, Usopp shouted at the top of his lungs. Over the past few days, he had witnessed firsthand what a true powerhouse was. The name "Roger" was deeply etched into his heart, becoming the goal he would pursue for the rest of his life.

The crew on board waved farewell to the villagers of Syrup Village as everyone watched the Swan slowly pull away from the shore, vanishing beyond the horizon. Only then did the reluctant crowd return to their village, though for a long time to come, the legendary tale of a young man named Monkey D. Roger would continue to be passed down here.

Aboard the Swan.

Riding on a ship for the very first time, Kaya was clearly ecstatic, leaning against the railing with boundless excitement.

She watched the splashing sea spray below and the distant seagulls soaring through the air. Breathing in the salty scent of the ocean, her field of vision had never felt so vast and boundless.

The sea breeze ruffled Kaya's hair. After eating the Warm-Warm Fruit, her pale skin and lovely face had grown noticeably rosier, giving her a charming and vibrant glow.

"Mr. Roger, thank you so much for bringing me out to sea."

She expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Tang Shen beside her.

"You've already told me that at least ten times since you came aboard, Kaya. Are you planning to pledge your heart and life to me in return?" Tang Shen asked with a bright, warm smile.

Hearing this, Kaya's face flushed an even deeper shade of crimson, her beautiful eyes shimmering with complex emotions.

As Kaya grew shy, Tang Shen chuckled. "From now on, you should call me Captain. No matter where we go, as long as you remember that you are a crew member of mine—that you belong to me—I will keep you safe."

Kaya's face, which had merely been blushing red, now heated up so intensely it looked as though it might drip with blood. Nonetheless, she nodded almost imperceptibly, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

Having eaten the Warm-Warm Fruit, Kaya now possessed some rudimentary medical abilities. Tang Shen discovered that she had a certain capacity for restoring physical stamina, making it entirely feasible for her to serve as the ship's doctor in the future.

After exchanging a few casual remarks with Kaya, Tang Shen headed straight into the ship's cabin, knowing there was still someone else waiting for him to deal with.

Inside the dimly lit cabin.

Kuro had never felt so lost and bewildered in his entire life.

He stared blankly at the unfamiliar cabin, his mind still replaying the scene of his defeat. Glancing down at his chest, the grim wound had been stitched up, though the stitching looked somewhat haphazard. At the very least, however, he was not going to die right now.

"Still alive?"

Suddenly, a voice rang out as a figure walked inside.

Kuro immediately looked over. His pupils abruptly constricted and his entire body instinctively tensed up, before he suddenly remembered something and relaxed like a deflated balloon.

"Captain."

He forced the two words out through his teeth, as though he had already lived through a thousand lifetimes.

Kuro had never imagined that one day he would address a teenager in his teens as his captain, let alone submit to him wholeheartedly. Tang Shen smiled as he looked at Kuro. This fellow at least knew how to keep his word.

"From now on, you are the steward of my ship," Tang Shen said with a smile.

Kuro froze for a moment. He had expected Tang Shen to test him repeatedly, but instead, the other party had simply given him the reins—completely unexpected.

"Aren't you worried about me betraying you?"

"Betrayal?"

Tang Shen curved his lips into a smile. "If you want to, you can try at any time. But I don't think you'll ever have the chance to defeat me."

Absolute confidence!

Kuro saw absolute confidence in Tang Shen's eyes—a forward-charging decisiveness devoid of the slightest trace of hesitation or fear. How sharp that gaze was! How youthful!! How it pierced straight through a person's heart!!!

Kuro felt the cold blood in his body begin to boil once more.

Once upon a time, he, too, had wanted to stand at the pinnacle of countless pirates.

Once upon a time, he, too, had dreamed of galloping across the vast seas.

It was only later, the more he learned and the more he realized that the world was filled with powerhouses like a dense forest, that his hope for the future grew increasingly dim until he finally had no choice but to give up.

Yet now! In Tang Shen's eyes, he saw something called hope. With Tang Shen's current strength, coupled with that astonishing talent, Kuro vaguely felt that this might well be the turning point that would alter the destiny of his entire life.

"Kuro. Stand by my side! Join me in trampling the entire ocean beneath our feet. Let all the pirates in the world, and all the marines in the world, tremble and grovel at our feet."

The light in Tang Shen's eyes grew even brighter, shining with the intense glare of a high-energy titanium-alloy rechargeable lightbulb—a brilliance capable of blinding anyone looking at him—as he stared fixedly at Kuro.

Kuro's mind was shaken to its core. His dimmed gaze grew bright once again. For a future that had long since left him disappointed, Kuro had once more found a reason to risk his life. The dreams and ambitions buried in the deepest recesses of his heart were blooming with light anew, except this time, he would not be fighting alone. Slowly, he lowered his proud head.

"Captain Kuro—ah, Captain Roger! Kuro is willing to follow you and become the sharpest sword in your hand!"