Uchiha Puppet Master, Starting from One Piece.

Her voice came from the corridor, filled with excitement.

Rangiku laughed and called after her retreating figure, "Okay! Good luck hiding!"

"Connor is so funny, it's like raising a little girl..."

When Nico Robin counted to one hundred, the three of them split into three groups and began searching for Kanna on the ship.

In such cases, there's no need to use your abilities; sometimes, companionship is just as important.

Especially for lonely children like Connor.

"We're starting to look for you, Connor-chan."

Rangiku searched around behind the barrels on the deck and then crawled into the storage room, only to find piles of ropes and canvas.

Robin strolled leisurely down the ship's corridor, his gaze sweeping over every possible hiding spot, a faint smile always playing on his lips.

Bai Yu walked towards the stern of the ship. He remembered that there was a small storage compartment there, filled with miscellaneous items, which was a good place to hide people.

"Oh dear, he's so hard to find! Connor is hiding really well."

Immediately after, Uchiha Finance reached the door of the storage compartment and heard a suppressed laugh coming from inside.

Bai Yu deliberately moved lightly, slowly pushed open the door, and then suddenly bent down: "Found you!"

Inside the storage compartment, Kanna was huddled in a pile of old canvas. Hearing Bai Yu's voice, she shuddered in fright, then burst into a cheerful laugh.

She crawled out of the canvas, jumped into Bai Yu's arms, and looked up at him with her little face, saying, "Bai Yu is so amazing."

The emotional value they provide is truly befitting of the ship's adorable creatures...

Uchiha Shiraha hugged her and playfully pinched her nose with a smile: "It was Kanna who suddenly smiled that made me find it."

As they were talking, Rangiku and Robin came over and couldn't help but laugh when they saw Kanna being held in Shiraha's arms.

"Well, you've actually been hiding here."

Rangiku Matsumoto reached out and pinched Kanna's cheek.

"Bai Yu beat me to it."

Robin chuckled as he looked at her smug expression. "So, shouldn't it be our turn to hide now?"

Kanna's eyes lit up, and she immediately jumped down from Bai Yu's arms, nodding vigorously: "Okay! I'll count! You guys go hide!"

She turned her back, covered her eyes with her little hands, and began to count aloud.

Shiraha and Rangiku exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh.

The game continued until sunset, when the sea was dyed a warm orange-red.

When the last game ended, Kanna was so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open. She leaned against Bai Yu's chest, her little head nodding, and she was about to fall asleep.

Rangiku looked at her tired appearance and couldn't help but chuckle, "This little one, she must be tired after playing for so long."

Robin took out a thin blanket and gently covered Conna with it, saying softly, "Let her sleep for a while, and she can have dinner when she wakes up."

A gentle sea breeze blew by, fluttering a corner of the sail, and the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the three people and one child in a warm golden glow.

They really seem like a family...

Chapter 31 The Lonely Dragon

With the help of the puppets, the three-sailed sailboat can sail very fast across Qufu when there is a sea breeze. However, the sails make a rustling sound when the wind blows, just like the off-key tune that Matsumoto Rangiku sometimes hums.

During this time, Nicole Robin always stayed under the canvas canopy at the stern of the ship, looking at the ancient documents obtained from the previous uninhabited island, her gaze calmly sweeping over the lines of obscure text.

Several wooden barrels filled with fresh water and dried fish were piled up beside her. Occasionally, she could look up and see Uchiha Shiraha standing at the bow of the boat.

The Sharingan reflected the boundless blue sea and sky, and he was playing with a kunai in his hand. The kunai's cold light shimmered in the sunlight, startling several seabirds that were trying to land on the ship's side, causing them to flap their wings and fly away.

Overall, the West Blue is relatively peaceful; at least so far, Uchiha Shiraha and his group haven't encountered any particularly powerful pirates.

Matsumoto Rangiku, on the other hand, usually leaned against the ship's railing most of the time, drinking tasteless liquor and watching Connor run around on the deck with nothing to do.

The little guy was incredibly energetic. One minute he was chasing after a sea cockroach that appeared out of nowhere, and the next he was squatting by the boat, reaching out to grab the big flying fish that were skimming the water and jumping very high. As a result, he got splashed with water and stomped his feet in anger, making Matsumoto Rangiku laugh heartily until his eyes turned red.

During a voyage, there are always some unexpected little incidents.

Once, a group of sea kings with round heads suddenly appeared and circled around the ship's side. Connor excitedly shouted that he wanted to catch one to take home as a pet, but he was blown off his bottom by the strong wind brought up when the sea kings crossed the water. He then ran to Robin's arms with a pitiful expression and acted like a spoiled child.

The weather changes very quickly at sea; in the same area, Connor was sunbathing just yesterday.

The next day, fog rolled in at sea, reducing visibility to less than 100 meters, and the ship was like a lost child, spinning around in the fog.

They ended up going around in circles all night. It was only thanks to Robin's knowledge of astrology from the Sheep Book that they were able to adjust their course and narrowly avoid a reef area.

When the fog lifted, a magnificent rainbow appeared in the sky, and Connor, lying on the side of the boat, stared in awe.

"It's so beautiful. I've never seen a scene like this before."

Upon hearing Connor's words, the three members of the Uchiha clan all turned their gazes to Connor beside them.

Connor lowered his head slightly, no longer as lively as before. Sitting on the deck, Connor unconsciously picked at the wood grain of the deck with his fingertips, his voice so soft that it seemed to dissipate with a sea breeze: "The scenery in that world is mostly unchanging. My father is the king who rules the entire Dragon Realm, but he has never cared about me."

“Other little dragons have their fathers who carry them to fetch molten crystals from the volcano. I can only squat on the cliff and watch. When he passes by, he doesn’t even wag the tip of his tail at me.”

The sea breeze suddenly picked up, and Connor's voice lowered, carrying a unique mix of grievance and stubbornness.

She clenched her fists, her eyes reddening slightly, but she held back her tears: "Sometimes I call out to him into the empty cave, and only the echo answers me. I'm not afraid of the dark, nor am I afraid of those roaming monsters, I am just..."

Connor paused, a hint of longing in his voice that he himself was unaware of.

"I'm just a little lonely. All those pranks I played were just hoping he'd glance at me, say something to me, even just one word."

Connor looked up at Bai Yu and the other two, his eyes filled with a blank expectation, as if asking if such a desire was childish.

Uchiha Hakuba lowered his eyes and remained silent for a moment.

He stepped forward and patted Connor on the head.

"From the moment you boarded the ship, you no longer need to chase after anyone's shadow to prove yourself. You should live each day happily, at least we are by your side."

Matsumoto Rangiku put away her cynical smile, put the empty sake bottle back in her pocket, and her curved eyebrows resembled the warm orange sunset: "Kanna-chan, loneliness is never a solitary thing. If you want to eat something, just ask your sister. If you want someone to talk to, the sea breeze on the deck and us are always there for you."

"Family is never defined solely by blood ties. This ship is your safe haven, and we are your family."

Robin smiled slightly and patted Connor's head, adding, "You did a great job, Connor, really. Everyone is happy with you here, and everyone needs you."

"So, you will never be alone again."

"Um!…!"

After drifting for about two or three days, one morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, Nico Robin put down her binoculars, pointed into the distance, and slowly said, "Look, that's the coastline of the Kingdom of Ilycia."

Following her gaze, the group saw a bluish-gray outline gradually becoming clear at the horizon where the sea met the sky. As the ship slowly approached, a majestic port city came into view.

The city wall was built of huge bluestones, and flags painted with crossed swords and ancient books fluttered on it. The dock was crowded with people, and all kinds of boats were moored densely. The shouts, ship whistles and horses' hooves mingled together and could be heard from a distance.

"We've finally arrived."

Matsumoto Rangiku stretched, showing off her beautiful figure to the group, while muttering complaints as if she was annoyed that the drinks on the ship were being consumed too quickly.

Uchiha Shiraha sheathed his weapon and glanced at the hurried people at the port.

He keenly noticed that many people in the crowd had sharp eyes and bulging waists, which made them look like troublemakers. Moreover, they all had a small skull symbol embroidered on their cuffs or collars.

"Something's off here. I wonder if it's pirates or gangsters."

Uchiha Shiraha said in a low voice, "It looks more chaotic than expected."

Robin nodded, his gaze falling on those people, thoughtful: "The Kingdom of Ilycia is actually rumored to be a notorious no-man's-land in the West Sea, with deeply entrenched gang forces. It is said that there are several ruthless gang leaders whose men are spread throughout the entire country."

As they were talking, the ship slowly approached the shore. Connor was the first to jump onto the dock, excitedly pointing to the vendors' stalls not far away, clamoring that he wanted to eat the grilled takoyaki there.

Uchiha Hakuba paid the mooring fee, left behind the puppet, and provided basic security for the ship.

In fact, although there are many gangs in this country, as long as you pay, these gangs may provide better protection than the national guards of Ilya.

Perhaps this is the power of money.

Chapter 32 Auction

Uchiha Hakuba walked at the front, holding Kanna's hand, while Matsumoto Rangiku hugged a sake bag and sniffed the aroma of sake, looking eager to try it out.

It's hard to imagine how a woman could love drinking so much.

As for Nicole Robin, her gaze swept over the auction notices posted along the dock.

"Looks like we've found a place to spend our money."

Connor, who was following Uchiha Shiraha Shinsuke, stood on tiptoe and clung to Shiraha's clothes, his short legs making a loud thumping sound as he ran, muttering to himself, "Do you have any toys that light up! They have to move on their own!"

Bai Yu bent down and ruffled her hair: "If I have any, I'll definitely give you milk!"

"Oh! A toy..."

Rangiku weighed the bottle in her hand, her eyes crinkling into crescents: "Hehe, Binks' fine wine should be available for sale, right?"

At this moment, Robin stepped forward, took Connor's hand, and looked up at Bai Yu: "The auction tickets need to be exchanged for gold coins. I just saw the exchange counter at the dock is around the corner. Let's go exchange some chips first?"

Bai Yu nodded, his gaze falling on the final item on the notice: a Devil Fruit and three fine swords.

Upon seeing the Devil Fruit, Uchiha Shiraha became somewhat curious.

He didn't know if the puppets he could create would be able to bear the power of Devil Fruits.

Nico Robin chuckled at her words and took Connor's hand, who was hopping around, and led him forward.

"Is Connor playing shadow tag?"

"Alright! Let's see who walks the fastest."

As the four reached the entrance of the exchange counter, they heard a commotion behind them. Turning around, they saw several men in black suits surrounding a ragged old man. The bald man at the head of the group kicked over the old man's stall and sneered, "You poor wretch dare to come to an auction? Get lost without our permission! Before you leave, show us the box you're holding."

The old man collapsed to the ground, clutching the wooden box tightly to his chest, and cried out in a hoarse voice, "This is my grandson's life-saving money..."

Connor tugged at Robin's hand, his little face full of confusion: "Why are they bullying the old man?"

Robin's eyes turned cold, and his fingertips curled up slightly inside his sleeve.

She actually really hates these guys who lay a hand on ordinary people.

"Get out of the way! You're blocking the way!"