Chapter 144

Chapter 144: Becoming Tom's Pendant (Crossed out) Master

It was not easy for Adrian to explain to Wadatsumi why they had abandoned the bad guy, Vander Daken. They could help him find a good person who would provide food and shelter.

In truth, Wadatsumi couldn't distinguish between good and bad people very well, and he didn't care much about it. In this aspect, he was somewhat like Tom. Despite having immense power, they both feared living without someone to look after them.

So when he heard the keywords "provide food and shelter," Wadatsumi slowly stopped crying. On one side was the bad guy who had abandoned him, and on the other side were the good people willing to take him in. The choice wasn't difficult.

But clever Wadatsumi wouldn't just believe Adrian's words without some help in treating his wounds.

So, Adrian wrapped himself in bubbles and swam with Tom to the place where Wadatsumi's leg had been pierced. He was concerned about how to bandage such a thick thigh.

Helping Wadatsumi was not only to prove they were good people but also because it would be challenging to carry such a big guy back.

Wadatsumi's leg had a diameter of about four or five meters, and Adrian looked at his small first aid kit, wondering if he should tear up the sail to use as a bandage.

So, in critical moments, they still relied on Tom. Tom watched Adrian's worried expression and expertly took out a roll of bandage from the medical kit he was carrying.

He handed one end of the bandage to Adrian, asking him to hold it. Tom then skillfully wrapped dozens, if not hundreds, of rounds of bandage around Wadatsumi's leg to securely dress the wound.

Finally, Tom took the end of the bandage from Adrian's hand, tied a knot, and stopped, looking at Adrian.

Adrian thought for a moment, reached out to hold the knot, and Tom happily tied another knot on top of it. Adrian cooperated by pulling his hand back as Tom perfectly secured the bandage.

The entire bandaging process, including knotting, took about thirty seconds because Adrian's movements were too slow. Why had Tom swum so fast when he went out? Had he forgotten to bring bubble wrap? How could such a small roll of bandage be enough for all those rounds around that thick leg? Why did Tom's fur stay dry after swimming? These questions crossed Adrian's mind, but he swallowed them all. As Tom's master, he shouldn't be asking such unskilled questions.

Adrian and Tom helped Wadatsumi bandage his palms in the same way, even tying a beautiful butterfly knot on his palms.

Usually, such an undertaking would be considered monumental for an ordinary person, but Adrian made an outstanding contribution to this massive task. Just as he would one day occupy 20% of the world's Berries with Gild Tesoro.

When Adrian and Tom returned to the ship, Wadatsumi looked at the bandages on his hands and legs in amazement. "It's all better, and it doesn't hurt at all!"

"How can it heal so quickly?" Adrian couldn't help but ask. The label on the bandages clearly read: "Bandage: Tom's favorite bandage when injured, but it seems to have no relation to his extraordinary recovery speed."

So how could it heal so fast? Adrian also recalled that Tom had been so focused on bandaging that he hadn't applied any antiseptic or hemostatic agents, had he?

"But it really doesn't hurt anymore. Thank you, little kitty," Wadatsumi's voice sounded innocent. "So, you guys are really good people."

Tom puffed out his chest, accepting gratitude made him feel good. On the other hand, Sharkler felt a sense of guilt when he heard this. He had caused the wound, and with his companions' help in bandaging it, he had suddenly become a good guy. This situation...

Rui Mengmeng said, "Judging good from bad in such a hasty manner."

"It's precisely because of this naive attitude that we could save him," Adrian said, then called out to Wadatsumi, "Can you move now?"

Wadatsumi tried moving his limbs. "Seems like I'm fine now."

"Then come with us."

They would return on Artoria's ship, which had the permanent pointer to Fish-Man Island. Even if they went far, they wouldn't worry about getting lost.

Artoria returned the compass attached to Peace Star to Adrian. "Is it still not expired?" Adrian took the compass and thought, "What if I ask the compass where the final island is?"

It seemed that the compass treated the second part of his question as a command, as the pointer rapidly started spinning.

"Is it really useful?" But after two spins, the compass returned to its original size, and the Peace Star on it turned into a pile of white powder, as if it had been blown away, even though there was no wind.

"Ah," Adrian wasn't too disappointed. He was just curious about what secrets the final island held, and not knowing wouldn't affect him much. When he drew Peace Stars in the future and wanted to go, he could try again.

Wadatsumi swam alongside the ship, asking questions about who his new leader was, whether they would bully him, and other such things. Adrian patiently answered each question. He didn't mention that Wadatsumi had to swim while holding the ship because he was afraid Wadatsumi would accidentally burst the bubbles.

Sharkler took the opportunity to apologize to Wadatsumi. Although he didn't think it was wrong to attack enemies, Wadatsumi was still a child, and they were friends now.

Wadatsumi easily forgave him, with the condition that he would show his transformation next time.

On the way, Adrian used the Den-Den Mushi on the ship to contact Neptune and briefly explained the situation to him.

"Taking in a giant-sized child? No problem, I'll educate him properly," Neptune readily agreed. Encouraging people to do good was a good thing, and as long as Vander Daken didn't cause any other trouble, everything was negotiable.

The soldiers guarding the entrance to Fish-Man Island recognized the ship but were startled when they saw Wadatsumi. "Isn't that the legendary bald sea monster? Isn't it rare for Mr. Adrian and the others to be kidnapped?"

The soldiers hurriedly reconfirmed the orders with the Ryugu Palace—what they had received was only an order like "Mr. Adrian will bring a child back, do not obstruct." However, Wadatsumi's size was far beyond their imagination of a child.

In the end, they were allowed to pass smoothly. Neptune led a contingent of soldiers to the coast to welcome them. He was afraid that Wadatsumi's sudden appearance might cause panic.

Queen Otohime followed closely behind because she had seen how Neptune had prepared the reception, which looked more like he was preparing for a battle.

"Why did the king and queen come here?"

"Is there an enemy coming?"

"No, it looks more like they're here to welcome someone."

The people by the coast were talking in a buzz. Although Queen Otohime was relatively common, King Neptune appeared less frequently, and his presence carried a lot of authority.

Adrian's ship surfaced first,

with Wadatsumi sticking his head out behind. As expected, their appearance immediately caused a wave of gasps.

"What is that? It's so scary!"

"Is it the bald sea monster?"

"Did they bring the bald sea monster here?"