Pirate: My Piltover technology is far ahead!

Chapter 73 Riddlers Are Everywhere

"Doctor, do you know something?"

Zephyr sensed an ulterior motive in Oran's words, and his brow furrowed. The military required concise and clear communication; this kind of cryptic talk was Zephyr's least favorite.

"No, I was just talking nonsense when I was drunk. Finding patterns is actually quite a fun game."

Seeing the wine in the Oran glass had sunk to a depth that was almost spilling as he swirled it, Zefa didn't say anything more. Instead, he selectively skipped the topic and casually started talking about things like ideals.

However, this cryptic rhetoric left a thorn in his heart, constantly arousing Zephyr's curiosity. At this moment, Zephyr had not figured out what connection could there be between the patterns of naval mobilization and what justice is.

"Sometimes, you have to figure out the difference between justice and order. Maybe one day you'll hear the newspapers call me the world's number one evil party."

Oran used a rather outrageous adjective in a joking tone, which Zephyr didn't take seriously at the time. It was only much later that he realized what Oran's words really meant.

"The things in the newspapers aren't very reliable either. Recently, there's a new newspaper called World Economic News Agency, and the president's name is Morgans, I think."

He trained a new type of newsbird to deliver newspapers. Their reach was so wide that they could be seen all over the sea. It was that guy's newspaper often exaggerated the outcomes of events, and many in the navy disliked him.

Before they knew it, Zephyr and Oran had changed the subject to a new topic, moving on to the part where middle-aged men, after a few drinks, would rant about social and political issues.

"That kid's got some nerve. He even poached people from the Navy's photography department, and he actually managed to steal a few photographers away."

The Navy also has many special departments, and the photography department is one of them. Although it is classified as a civilian department, the people in it are very special. Sometimes, these photographers are even more capable than intelligence agents.

They always manage to sneak into all sorts of strange places and take the photos needed for the bounty from all sorts of unexpected angles.

The island's environment restricts the flow of information. Research conducted on an island means receiving limited information from the outside world. Even Oran's understanding of the current situation is not as good as that of former Admiral Zephyr.

Morgans established his own news agency, Wang Zhi occupied Beehive Island, the John Pirates disbanded for unknown reasons, and Zephyr revealed a lot of recent news, which was not a secret and would not have any impact if he said it.

As he spoke, Zephyr suddenly became hesitant, and at that moment, a bell rang from Oran's pocket.

Blue blue blue~

"Wait a moment, I need to take this call."

The buzzing of the Den Den Mushi interrupted Zephyr and Oran's chatter. As Oran answered the phone, the dead fish eyes of his Den Den Mushi suddenly transformed into large, bright eyes.

"Dad, when are you coming back? You've been gone for so long."

"Wait a little longer, Riley. Some things have been delayed, but they'll be taken care of in a few more days."

"Oh, right, Dad, I've learned that boxing technique manual you gave me before! I'll show it to you when I get back; that punch is amazing!"

The so-called martial arts manual is just Sett's deliberate punch, except that the training progress is...

That's something Sett learned after years of fighting in underground boxing rings. Even with a systematic teaching method, this seems a bit too fast.

"Great! Daddy will bring you a present when you go back. Be a good boy/girl. Is Kate next to you? If so, give her the Den Den Mushi. Daddy has something to ask her."

"Okay, just a moment."

Thump. Thump. Thump.

After a series of footsteps, the Den Den Mushi changed its appearance. Its body tissues formed feline features around its mouth, and a shower cap-like feature appeared on its head.

As a peculiar mimicry creature, Den Den Mushi always lets you know who's on the other end.

If two people who have never met before frequently talk on the phone, they can recognize each other's most prominent facial features when they meet for the first time.

"Orlan? What's wrong?"

Kate was taking a bath at that moment. Although she was a cat, she didn't dislike water; on the contrary, she really enjoyed the feeling of soaking in warm water.

"Riley told me before that she had mastered the intentional punch, but I don't know the specifics."

Sett himself is a Vastaya hybrid, and his moves are also applicable to the Mink race. The manual is not a consumable item; it disappears after one use. Therefore, he is not the only one who has tried to learn it; Kite is an example.

It's not that Oran doesn't trust Leliana, but children this age sometimes express things incorrectly. If you ask them some guiding questions, they'll admit to even the most outrageous things.

"Well, I guess you could say she's at the beginner level. She can already unleash a gust of wind with her punches."

It could simply be because she's become stronger again. I don't know what's going on. You'll have to see for yourself when you get back.

"Okay, I understand. You should get some rest too. I'll be done with my work soon."

"Mr. Zephyr, what were you about to say?"

"It's nothing, it's not a big deal."

Zefa had wanted to ask where Oran got that transforming toy from, and if he had a bigger one, but this interruption made him hold back.

Even if he still has childhood hobbies, he can't bring himself to talk about them like he did when he was a child.

At least now, Zeff can no longer strike a special pose in front of a group of people and shout, "I am the hero of justice, Z!" like he did decades ago.

"It seems your family is quite happy; you have more than one daughter?"

"Hmm, speaking of which, Riley and Yerkes are the same age this year. They might have a chance to get to know each other."

It's getting late, so I won't disturb your rest any longer, Fran. Let's go.

"I won't see you off. It's inconvenient for me to leave right now. I'm sorry."

Zephyr simply escorted Oran and the others to the door. Oran didn't seem to mind, but before he left, Zephyr asked another question:

"Speaking of which, Dr. Oran, how old are you exactly this year?"

Frankenstein looked at least sixteen or fifteen years old, and Oran said that his other daughter was the same age as Jerkick, yet his face looked remarkably young.

During their previous conversation, he felt that Oran possessed both composure and the unique exuberance of youth, which piqued Zefa's curiosity.

"Mr. Zephyr, a man's age is a secret, but I think that if you can stay true to yourself, you won't grow old."

Zefa didn't get an answer in the end, but just watched them leave, muttering the words "stay true to yourself."

"Yekrik, it's time for you to rest. Starting tomorrow, I will begin strict training for you. You must be able to protect yourself! You can't sleep with your toys. Dad will keep them for you and give them back tomorrow."

(End of this chapter)