"You’re going to visit Old Man Chinjao in a bit, right?"
Having devoured most of the food on the table, Holisa picked at her teeth with a chicken bone as she asked.
Since the remaining dishes had all been given to the two Felynes, Sherwin barely had a chance to eat anything himself.
Still hungry, he shot a speechless glance at the bold big sister, then waved to the restaurant owner to bring out another round of dishes.
Only after that did he nod and reply, "That right. Didn’t you say Old Man Chinjao loves the wine from Drunken Moon House the most?"
"Perfect! I’ve got nothing to do today anyway, so I’ll tag along with you," Holisa said enthusiastically as she tossed aside the chicken bone.
Sherwin eyed her suspiciously and reminded her, "Even if you put in a good word for with Old Man Chinjao, I’m still not handing over Klee ow or Sanji ow... and marriage is out of the question."
"Pfft! You think I actually like a brat like you?!" Holisa slamd the table hard.
"The guys chasing after in the Flower Country could wrap around it three tis!"
Wow... there sure are a lot of blind people in this world...
Sherwin curled his lips and couldn’t help but silently marvel at both the aesthetic tastes of those three circles of suitors and Holisa many husbands.
But he knew full well that her identity as the "Second Division Heiress of the Happo Navy" was definitely a major—if not the primary—reason behind it all.
The carefree Holisa didn’t notice Sherwin weird gaze. She explained, "Relax, I’m doing this for Klee and Sanji sake. I’m helping of my own will—don’t need anything in return."
"Then thank you," Sherwin cupped his hands toward her in a rare, sincere gesture of gratitude.
In the manga, Chinjao was known to have a fiery temper. With Holisa—his "future granddaughter-in-law"—helping out, Sherwin chances of getting guidance would improve greatly. And even if they accidentally ticked Chinjao off, at least he wouldn’t hurt the cats.
After eating and drinking their fill, Sherwin, with Holisa connections, managed to purchase two barrels of the finest wine from Drunken Moon House. Then, he followed Holisa on the way to visit Chinjao.
Wine in the Flower Country doesn’t co in clay jars... minus points!
...
The place where Chinjao had retired wasn’t far—it was actually near the base of the Happo Navy.
But unlike most of the Happo Navy families who lived in specially designated residential blocks, he had built a small courtyard just outside the district... Calling it "retirent" was really just describing an old officer enjoying his pension life.
"Old Man Chinjao! I ca to see you!"
Before they even got close to the courtyard, Holisa loud voice rang out. Then she walked right up to the gate and gave it a powerful slap.
With a loud crack, the latch inside broke clean off. Sherwin and the others were left dumbfounded as she barged in, dragging them along.
As soon as they entered, Sherwin saw a kind-faced old man sitting in the yard, enjoying the shade.
He didn’t get angry at all when his front gate was forcibly kicked open. Instead, he greeted them cheerfully, "Ah, it Lisa! What brings you here today?"
His temper was so gentle, it was hard to believe this was the sa short-fused old man from the manga who used to explode with rage.
As Chinjao walked over to them, he suddenly sniffed hard, and his eyes—which had been squinting—snapped wide open (though they didn’t actually open much).
His gaze locked excitedly onto the two wine barrels Sherwin was carrying over his shoulder. "Is that the good stuff from Drunken Moon House?!"
"Wow—! Sherwin-nii, this grandpa is about as big as that bad rock guy you beat up, ow!" Klee ow voice rang out at the sa ti as Chinjao enthusiastic question.
Since Sherwin had to carry the wine barrels on his shoulders, Klee ow had climbed up onto his head this ti. Even so, she still had to tilt her little head back as far as she could just to get a full view of Chinjao face.
Sherwin set the barrels down and also took a closer look at Chinjao.
Chinjao had a very distinctive appearance—a bald, shiny head, a round, stocky body, a thick white beard, and the tattooed number 12 above his left eyebrow, marking him as the 12th pillar of the Happo Navy.
But what Sherwin was most curious about... was that cone-shaped head that Garp had once smashed flat. Just how did it get caved in like that? Wouldn’t that kind of impact ss up the brain?
Even crazier, in the future, Luffy would sohow punch that sa head back into its original shape—completely defying the laws of physics...
As expected, the laws of physics in the world of pirates were completely different from those on Earth.
While Sherwin was curiously sizing up Chinjao, the old man attention finally shifted from the wine barrels to the visitors themselves.
"Hmm? A Mink?" As a forr great pirate who had once sailed the Grand Line, Chinjao wasn’t as startled as most people in the Flower Country, and he wasn’t clueless about the outside world either.
"I heard there been a weirdo roaming around the Flower Country recently—soone letting their Felynes run around trying to learn how to cook. That’d be you lot, wouldn’t it?"
"Yes, sir. I’m Sherwin," he replied, then gestured to the two Felynes and said, "The one on my head is Klee, and this one here is Sanji—the one learning to cook."
"Oh ho ho..." Don Chinjao chuckled cheerfully as he stroked his beard.
"Back in my day, I t a few of the Mink Tribe... So this is what little cat Minks look like when they’re young? So cute, huh?"
Sherwin didn’t bother explaining much about Klee ow and the others. He just nodded casually and got straight to the point.
"Old man Chinjao, I ca to find you because I have so questions I’d like to ask."
"But... I’m not a chef, and I don’t know how to cook..." Chinjao misunderstood Sherwin intentions. He rubbed his bald head and asked in confusion,
"Did you maybe find the wrong person?"
"I’m not here to ask about cooking..." Sherwin explained, half-laughing and half-exasperated. "I want to ask you for so guidance on training Haki."
"Oh?" Chinjao narrowed eyes opened again in surprise as he looked at Sherwin still sowhat youthful face. "You’re so young, and you’ve already started training in Haki?"
"Well..." Sherwin extended his hand, coating it in black with Armant Haki.
"I’ve already learned Armant Haki, but since I trained it on my own without a teacher, I’m not sure how well I’ve really mastered it. Also, I heard there are different ways to use Armant Haki, and that what I’d like to ask you about."
He paused for a mont, then added, "And as for Observation Haki, I feel like I’ve built up enough foundation, but I’m just one step away from breaking through."
By now, Chinjao tiny eyes were already bulging wide.
He had seen young people who could use Armant Haki before—but they were either guided by renowned masters from an early age or had survived countless life-or-death battles in the New World.
But soone like Sherwin, who had not only figured out Armant Haki on his own but had even brushed up against the threshold of Observation Haki—that kind of "genius" was extrely rare.
Not to ntion, Chinjao could tell that while Sherwin had so combat experience, he clearly hadn’t been through any truly desperate life-and-death struggles. And in the West Blue, where the average strength was relatively low, even if he had fought for his life, it was unlikely he’d have reached the point of awakening Haki.
Even his own grandson, Sai, had only learned Armant Haki after entering the Grand Line.
But just as Chinjao was still reeling from the surprise, he heard the little cat Mink on Sherwin head—Klee ow—speak up:
"Klee knows Observation Haki~ But Klee doesn’t know how she learned it, so she can’t help big brother Sherwin, ow. Grandpa, why don’t you help big brother Sherwin, pretty please, ow?"
"Uh..."
Originally, Chinjao had planned to refuse. After all, no matter how much talent Sherwin and the others had, it had nothing to do with him.
Besides, they didn’t look like they were going to join the Happo Navy. But just as he was about to turn them down, a sudden spark of inspiration flashed in his dented, squashed head...
"I can train you in Haki, sure—but you have to promise one thing."
Chinjao previously kindly expression twisted into sothing fierce and nacing. "If you ever get the chance... beat the crap out of a guy nad Garp for !"
Sherwin: "...Goodbye!"
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