Chapter Seven

Normal POV

…

"Izou calm down! And also don't be too loud, he can hear you." Shouting was heard in the kitchen area of the ship. Even though Shinzou was right outside, he can perfectly hear them but doesn't even care. Right now, he's just watching the sea silently knowing that his father was in the distant place where his sight won't be able to reach.

"Hell yeah he should hear! That kid ruined my kimono that I just bought!"

"He SAVED your ass Izou! The ass that you can't even protect!"

"Stop talking about my ass! Anyway if we weren't surprised then—"

"But we were Izou. And that guy was there to save us! If not then we'd be dog food!"

"He should at least haven't make my kimono a complete wreck!"

"You know what? I'm done with this crap! You wouldn't even understand how freaked out I was thinking that I almost lost you guys!"

"Hey—! T-thatch?! Where the heck are you going?!"

"To the kitchen!"

The noise was now gone, but still Shinzou remained in his position. Never moving like a statue stuck in one position forever. He doesn't even blink, which would be found unsettling by anyone who watches him.

"H-hey, what are you doing?" Ace, who still had his bed head, walked towards Shinzou with two big plates filled with food. It seems that he had just woken up and took a little detour to the kitchen. But despite of his attempt to get the pale teen's attention, Shinzou remained unmoving.

"Looking at the sea... smelling the new environment... getting used to noises and many human presences… nothing much really…" but Ace knew the best that Shinzou wasn't. Well, not really best but he somehow could feel it.

"Are you worried about your Father?" then he nailed it, Shinzou's shoulders twitched in response. This made Ace curve a small smile on his mouth.

"Dad… is stupid… He thinks that I don't know anything and thinks that it's best not to know anything… but little did he know, that his son has been interacting with the Marines who tried to enter the island with force." the little smile turned into a frown as Shinzou revealed something to the freckled man. It looked serious, could it be that the Old Man was hiding something important to his very own son? Who knows really? Shinzou looks like he does.

"M-maybe it's for you—"

"I know that… I didn't say I don't understand… Dad doesn't want me to know the crimes he committed and is still committing but what's the point of hiding it when it's obvious? I live inside a wooden house filled of weapons that comes in different varieties. I may be broken but I'm not stupid… Oh well, I guess he didn't want me to feel uncomfortable…" Ace jumped slightly when Shinzou looked at his way with his hazy blue eyes. It actually startled him even though he doesn't know why.

"…do my eyes disturb you..? Don't worry, I get that all the time… It used to be filled with determination, but now it's left with nothing but distant hope…" he stood up and walked passed at the freckled man who was carrying too much food. But before Ace could say anything, Shinzou collapsed on the floor like a log and slept silently. It scared Ace at first but then he realized that the guy didn't get any rest ever since they arrived and brought chaos to his place.

"He must've been tired, yoi." Marco, who was watching Shinzou since they boarded the ship approached the sleeping figure and carried him in his arms. Ace was going to protest but he remembered he was holding two plateful of food in both of his hands.

"Wouldn't it be interesting if Oyaji meets the son of his undefeatable rival. It would be… entertaining, yoi…" at some point, Ace felt a chill from hearing his brother's words. Somehow… there was something more to it. Marco has been acting strange recently…

"I'll take him to your room yoi. Since you have a vacant on the top bunker." Ace nodded and then sat down on the wooden floor looking at the two plates of food like he abandoned the plan to eat.

"Ah… that's right, I was supposed to share this with him… Oh well!"