Chapter 337: Getting Married?

Cleaving through the surging waves, the Demon Warder tore across the ocean surface at an unfathomable velocity.

Aboard the vessel, the members of the Dragon Flag Pirates went about their respective tasks. With a hand resting upon his hilt, Kenshin stood by the railing, his gaze fixed sharply on the endless expanse of the sea as though tracking a scent.

Just then, Bell called out cheerfully, "I made some cold drinks for everyone! Kenshin-aniki, here's yours."

With that, he handed a chilled glass to Kenshin.

Locke strolled over, took a drink for himself, and picked up another to bring over to Ain, who was engrossed in a medical tome.

"And this is for Aokiji-aniki," Bell said, holding out a glass before Kuzan.

"Aokiji-aniki, is it?" Kuzan took the cold drink and sat up with a faint smirk.

"Yup!" Bell flashed a shy grin before turning on his heel to head into the inner cabins.

Scratching his unruly hair, Kuzan looked out across the busy crew and couldn't help but sigh softly to himself. "My, my, my..."

To think I'd be treated like one of their own so naturally.

Ever since stepping aboard the Demon Warder, he had been astounded by its capabilities more times than he could count.

The fact that the ship navigated itself was nothing short of miraculous.

How on earth could a vessel cruise the treacherous seas of the New World entirely on its own, without a single soul at the helm?

Inside the captain's quarters, Drake held an unsealed letter in his hands, his expression cycling through disbelief, fluster, and amusement.

Turning his gaze toward the window, an involuntary smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

Knock, knock.

"Drake-aniki, I made some cold drinks for you!" Bell's voice drifted through the door.

Drake's expression stiffened. He scrambled to stash the letter away, but before he could slide it under the desk, Bell had already pushed the door open.

"I'm coming in—"

"Gah!" Drake shoved the letter behind his back in a panic. Seeing his captain's frantic reaction, Bell's face morphed into an intensely suspicious look.

Had he walked in at a bad time?

Did their captain harbor some unspeakable secret?

There's definitely something fishy going on here!

Drawing upon his keen survival instincts, Bell casually walked over, setting the glass of cold juice onto the table with an innocent expression.

"I'll leave the drink right here, Drake-aniki. Don't forget to finish it!"

"Right, thanks. Just leave it there," Drake chuckled nervously.

Suddenly, a blur of motion flickered across his fingers. By the time he registered the draft of wind, the letter in his hands had vanished into thin air!

Drake's face froze solid.

"Oh, so Drake-aniki was reading the letter Weitian-neesan left for you!" Bell recalled the letter Weitian had handed over right before their departure.

They hadn't paid much attention to it at the time.

Yet seeing Drake acting this flustered made it obvious that something monumental was written inside.

Driven by uncontrollable curiosity, Bell's eyes instinctively darted across the open parchment.

"Hey! Don't look!" Drake reached out, warping the surrounding spatial fabric to snatch the letter straight back into his grasp.

"You brat..." Drake let out a breath of relief, but before he could scold him, Bell let out a bloodcurdling shriek.

"DRAKE-ANIKI, YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED?!"

"How could you keep something this huge from us?! Weitian-neesan said she wants to marry you—is this a marriage proposal?!" Bell's eyes rounded to the size of saucers, his face practically glowing with sheer, unadulterated curiosity.

Drake lunged forward and clamped both hands over Bell's mouth. The kid's voice was deafening—what if the rest of the crew overheard?!

"Shh! Quiet down!"

"Mmph, mmph..." Bell nodded frantically, gesturing for Drake to let go.

"You have to swear you won't breathe a word of this to anyone, got it?" Drake glared daggers at him.

This kid couldn't be allowed to drop the ball at a time like this.

Bell nodded vigorously.

Only then did Drake release his grip. Yet before he could catch his breath, a chorus of voices echoed from the doorway:

"WHAT?! Captain, you're getting married?! Is this real?!"

"To whom?!"

"Wait, if the Captain is getting married, should we still be hunting down Im? Maybe..."

"How about we hold the wedding right after we execute Im? Combining the victory feast with the wedding banquet will be double the celebration!" Kenshin offered with absolute seriousness.

Drake petrified into stone, the corners of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

Whatever you fear most will always find a way to happen.

The secret he wanted to hide most had become common knowledge across the ship in the blink of an eye.

This was absolute social ruin!

And what was with holding a wedding right after an assassination mission?!

Where did they come from with these absurd suggestions?!

"Is it with Weitian?" Ain asked, her bright eyes sparkling with uncharacteristic excitement.

Even the usually quiet and composed ship doctor had become overwhelmingly vocal, firing off questions that made Drake's scalp tingle with anxiety.

Just as Drake lifted his head, another face loomed directly into his line of sight, giving him a heart-stopping jolt.

Kuzan!

"You're marrying Weitian? Since when did this happen?"

Drake: "!!!"

Why the hell are you joining in on the gossip too, you lazy bum?!

"None of this is set in stone yet—"

"I think we should wait until the current turmoil settles down. By then, Weitian-neesan should have some free time. When that happens, I'm definitely inviting my sister too!" Bell chirped, his cheeks flushed with excitement.

He had never witnessed a wedding among his close companions before.

I'm going to lose my mind!

Drake's brain went entirely blank, unsure of how to respond anymore.

Every single one of them assumed he was practically at the altar.

"Stop, stop, STOP!" Drake waved his hands frantically to silence the room. "Nothing is decided yet!"

Seeing that the situation was spiraling out of control, Drake quickly summarized the contents of the letter.

If he didn't explain now, he would never clear his name.

The letter had stated: Come back in one piece. Never forget the vengeance owed for your mother, but only by staying alive can you give Auntie peace of mind.

I will find a way to help with Auntie's coma. You... must come back alive!

Lastly... if you achieve your goal and return in one piece... let's get married.

Indeed—it was that staggering.

For a girl like Weitian to take the initiative and bring up marriage was enough to leave him thoroughly embarrassed.

He then briefly explained the childhood engagement between their families, brushing it off as an impulsive promise made by the elders years ago.

"Drake-aniki, what are your thoughts on it?" Bell pressed curiously.

Drake was the captain of the Dragon Flag Pirates. If he married the Fleet Admiral of the Navy, how were they supposed to coexist?

Yet since a girl like Weitian had laid her feelings bare to such an extent, if Drake turned her down, could he even call himself a man?

The crew stared at Drake without blinking, eager to hear his true feelings.

Pinned under their expectant gazes, Drake felt intensely awkward. Shoving his way through the circle, he bolted straight out onto the main deck.

"I'll give her my answer when the time comes! What is our primary mission right now?!"

Bell blinked, his expression turning sharp and solemn in an instant.

"Hunt down Im! Bring absolute peace back to this turbulent era!"

"Exactly!" Drake nodded firmly. "Therefore, until this mission is complete, we cannot afford to be distracted by anything else!"

His voice was resolute, ringing with unyielding authority.

"As for what we just discussed... if I manage to return in one piece, I will seek her out myself."

Drake's tone softened as he walked over to the ship's bow, gazing out across the vast horizon.

Marriage was a first for him across two lifetimes—how could he let a woman finalize it so casually?

That wouldn't do!

As a man, how could he let a woman take the lead in bringing something so monumental to light? Even if they were to wed, the proposal had to come from him!

Weitian!

Just you wait!