Xia Yu wasn't quite at the point of starving, but he truly hadn't eaten anything all day!
So when little Kaya—braver than the adults—brought him food, he simply said "thank you" and began devouring it without hesitation.
Watching Xia Yu eat so heartily, little Kaya finally relaxed. Blinking her big eyes, she pushed aside everything that had just happened and said with a hint of excitement, "X-Xia Yu… sir, m-my name is Kaya."
Xia Yu smiled and nodded. With his mouth still full of food, he replied somewhat unclearly, "Nice to meet you, little Kaya."
Seeing Xia Yu smile, Kaya's parents and the butler standing nearby gradually relaxed as well.
They were still wary of this stranger. After all, the scene of Xia Yu slaughtering the marines like chopping vegetables had been far too shocking.
So even though he said he wasn't a bad person, they couldn't help but feel uneasy and afraid.
"Delicious."
At that moment, Xia Yu finished every last bite in the bowl, let out a satisfied burp, and handed the empty bowl back to Kaya with a smile. "Of all things in this world, only good food and love must not be betrayed. Thank you for the meal, brave little Kaya!"
Seeing that Xia Yu had eaten everything without leaving a single drop, little Kaya was overjoyed. After hearing his praise, her cheeks flushed red as she quickly shook her head. "N-no need to thank me, Mr. Xia Yu. We should be the ones thanking you! If you hadn't arrived in time, my father and I might have…"
Xia Yu turned around and sat facing her, speaking gently, "Something like that must've been really frightening. You weren't too scared, were you, little Kaya?"
For Kaya, Xia Yu genuinely felt a fondness from the bottom of his heart.
Although she didn't appear much in the original story, the moment he saw her frail and gentle figure, he felt an inexplicable urge to protect her. It wasn't just because of her fragile health that made people pity her—but because she perfectly embodied beauty, kindness, gentleness, courage, and all the best qualities.
She was, quite simply, a nearly perfect girl.
All beautiful things deserved to be protected.
Xia Yu's gentle concern instantly made Kaya's eyes turn red.
Of course she had been scared when those marines appeared—she was still just a child! But she had held it in, afraid that showing fear would only make her parents worry more.
"She must've been frightened."
Seeing her reddened eyes, Xia Yu gently pulled her closer and said softly, "But it's all over now. You're safe. If you feel like crying, then cry. No one will laugh at you."
"Waaah…!"
The moment he finished speaking, Kaya could no longer hold back. She threw herself into Xia Yu's arms and burst into tears.
Kaya's father, standing nearby, was completely stunned.
At a time like this… shouldn't she be running into his arms as her father?
But hearing his daughter cry, his heart shattered. As a father, being unable to protect his child… that was a painful failure.
"That's right."
Looking at the tearful Kaya in his arms, Xia Yu gently patted her head. "Let it all out. Once you're done crying, you'll still be the same strong and brave little Kaya."
Outside the mansion, the villagers of Syrup Village had finished burying all the marine corpses.
Some, still shaken, had already returned home. Others remained outside the mansion, occasionally peeking inside.
Although Xia Yu's ruthless slaughter of the marines had shocked them deeply, they had come to believe that this unexpected stranger—who dared to strike down the marines—was a good person, a benefactor of Syrup Village.
......
On the vast, endless sea—
Garp, who had originally been heading back to Marine Headquarters, immediately ordered a change of course toward Syrup Village upon receiving news of the marine unit's attack.
"Damn it!"
"This is outrageous!"
Standing on the deck, now dressed in his marine uniform with the Vice Admiral's coat draped over his shoulders, Garp stared ahead with blazing eyes. "Pirates in the East Blue have been getting more and more rampant. This needs to be dealt with seriously!"
"Vice Admiral Garp, we have entered Syrup Village waters! Shall we dock immediately?!"
A marine soldier hurried over and reported loudly, "Awaiting your orders!"
"Idiot! Do you even need to ask?! Hurry up and accelerate toward the shore!"
Before Garp could respond, Swick—standing beside him—swung his hand and smacked the soldier.
Smack!
With a crisp sound, the soldier was sent flying, tracing a perfect arc through the air before plunging straight into the sea.
"..."
"..."
Garp and Bot, along with the others, all developed black lines on their faces upon seeing this.
Swick himself was equally dumbfounded.
He hadn't even used much strength—so how did that guy get sent flying?!
"Swick! Don't forget—you're now an Ant Zoan user! If you don't control your strength properly, you'll kill someone with a single slap!"
After a brief moment of shock, Garp rushed over and roared at him, finishing off with a punch to Swick's head that instantly raised a massive lump.
"Yes, sir!"
Although tears of pain nearly welled up in his eyes, Swick stood straight and responded loudly.
As a subordinate of Vice Admiral Garp, the first thing one had to learn wasn't how to hit others—but how to endure getting hit… by their Vice Admiral!
It was no exaggeration to say that everyone on this warship—from colonels to privates—had been punched by Garp's Iron Fist at some point, each of them having grown quite a few "mushrooms" on their heads.
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