By noon the day after their encounter with the Blue Wolf Pirates, Eust and his crew finally arrived at Syrup Island.
Eust planned to stay here for about a week, which coincidentally was the cooldown period for Lilith’s small sailboat transformation ability. Once Lilith’s boat transformation ability was ready again, Eust would set off from Syrup Island for further adventures.
There were many rocky areas near Syrup Island’s coastline. Eust found a suitable spot to dock and disembark. This time, he left Lilith and the other small boat there, believing there was little risk of them being stolen.
Eust trusted Lilith’s capabilities, as she was essentially a ship’s crew member capable of guarding the vessel. He had full faith in Lilith.
Leaving Lilith to guard the boats, Eust, Lyra, and Sunny headed towards a nearby inn.
An inn was the best place to eat and gather information. They ordered a table full of food and started eating first; gathering information would come after filling their stomachs, as was their usual practice.
Since Lilith’s small sailboat form didn’t have a kitchen, Eust thought asking Merry to add a kitchen when modifying the boat would be a good idea. Being able to cook at sea sounded delightful. Eust decided to request it, though he wasn’t sure if there would be enough space.
After lunch, Eust inquired about Miss Kaya and Merry from the innkeeper. He “shamelessly” claimed that they were friends of Miss Kaya, visiting her specially.
Eust’s logic was straightforward: he considered himself friends with Coby, who was friends with Luffy, and Luffy was friends with Kaya. Therefore, Eust concluded he was friends with Kaya as well. Friends of friends are friends, he thought.
The innkeeper didn’t doubt Eust’s words. Eust’s group was quite convincing: a young man, a teenage girl, and an adorable cat. They didn’t look like bad people, and together they seemed even less likely to be up to no good.
Having received the necessary information, Eust and his companions thanked the innkeeper and headed towards Kaya’s estate.
When they reached Kaya’s mansion, they were impressed by its grandeur. Clearly, Kaya came from a wealthy family. The two black-clad guards at the gate looked impressive, though they were just strong ordinary people.
After announcing their visit, the person who came to check was exactly who Eust wanted to see: Kaya’s new butler, Merry. His lamb-like hairstyle and headgear were unmistakable.
Previously, the butler had been Captain Kuro, a cunning pirate with great acting skills. After Kuro was defeated by Luffy, Merry took over as the new butler, which was well known.
Eust didn’t mention his convoluted friend-of-a-friend logic. Instead, he said he was a friend of Straw Hat Luffy, who had visited here and become friends with Kaya. They had come to thank Kaya for her hospitality towards Luffy and his crew and had a gift for her.
The so-called gift was a set of medical books that Eust had acquired by chance. Lyra had copied them, and Eust intended to present the copies to Kaya as a token of appreciation.
Eust admired Kaya’s courage. Despite her frailty, she was gentle and brave. Since she aspired to be a doctor, a set of medical books seemed a fitting gift.
Merry was delighted. Not long ago, Miss Kaya might have faced a disaster without the help of Usopp and Luffy’s crew. Merry, who deeply cared for Kaya, was very grateful to Usopp and Luffy’s crew.
Now, with Luffy’s friends visiting, Merry happily led Eust and his companions into the mansion.
In the living room, Merry had the servants serve tea to Eust while he went to inform Miss Kaya.
Soon, Kaya appeared. With her golden hair and fair skin, she looked delicate but in good spirits, likely having grown stronger since the incident with Captain Kuro. Her unique charm made her approachable.
“Hello, I’m Kaya. I heard you are friends of Luffy. Have you seen Usopp recently, the long-nosed boy who joined Luffy?” Kaya asked as she greeted them.
“Hello, Miss Kaya. I’m Eust, this is Lyra, and this cute cat is Sunny. It’s a pleasure to meet you. We haven’t seen Luffy recently,” Eust replied.
“I’m sorry for my rudeness. Usopp is my friend, and I care about his well-being. Please, have a seat, and let’s talk,” Kaya said.
“Thank you. We consider ourselves bounty hunters, setting out on our adventures. Although we are friends with Luffy and may cross paths, we won’t necessarily travel together. They left earlier than us, so we haven’t encountered them lately,” Eust explained.
“Ah, I understand. I just wanted to know how Usopp is doing. Also, can bounty hunters and pirates be friends?” Kaya asked curiously.
“Of course. Luffy is more of an adventurer than a pirate. Though I dislike pirates and make a living hunting bountied ones, I share a love for adventure with Luffy. We both seek freedom on the seas and the joy of adventure,” Eust said.
“I see. I know Luffy’s crew isn’t bad; they saved us and Syrup Village. We’re very grateful to them,” Kaya acknowledged.
“By the way, we brought a small gift for you, Miss Kaya. It’s not much, just some medical books Lyra copied. We hope they will be helpful,” Eust said, presenting the books.
“Thank you so much! How did you know I’ve been studying medicine?” Kaya asked, surprised.
“Although we haven’t met Luffy recently, we’ve kept up with their journey. They tend to cause quite a stir wherever they go. We heard about the incidents involving Captain Kuro, who was quite notorious. After Luffy’s crew defeated him, the Navy took advantage of the situation. We also learned that you were studying medicine and thought these books might be useful,” Eust explained.
“Oh, thank you. I do need to learn more about medicine to recover fully and to help Usopp if he gets injured. I’m grateful for your kindness. In return, I’d like to offer you some of my books. Maybe they will be helpful to you too,” Kaya offered.
“That sounds great. While we don’t have a ship doctor yet, having medical books on hand is always useful. When we do get a doctor, they will be thrilled. Sharing knowledge benefits us all,” Eust agreed.
“Don’t worry about it, Eust. As friends of Luffy, you are my friends too. Isn’t that right, Merry?” Kaya said warmly.
“Yes, Miss Kaya is absolutely right. You are most welcome here,” Merry added.
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