Uchiha Puppet Master, Starting from One Piece.

The sound of the ship cutting through the waves had a brisk rhythm. Uchiha Shiraha stood on the deck, his fingertips tracing the smooth, polished hull, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

The newly completed ship is even more to my liking than I had imagined. The hull is sturdy, the cabin layout is ingenious, and even the sails on the masts exude a brand-new resilience.

He turned to look at the two people behind him. Robin was looking through the nautical chart in his hand, his fingertip pointing to a mark on a certain sea area, a faint smile on his lips.

Matsumoto Rangiku leaned against the railing, toying with a sake bottle in his hand, his brows and eyes relaxed, clearly approving of the new ship.

"It seems the craftsmen didn't fool us this time."

Rangiku Matsumoto tilted her head back and took a swig of sake, her tone light and cheerful.

"Now our adventure has a proper home."

Nico Robin closed the nautical chart and nodded in agreement: "The stability and endurance are both impressive, enough to support us to go to more distant places."

Uchiha Shiraha chuckled softly, gazing at the boundless sea and Connor beside him, who was standing on tiptoe to look at the sea. His mood also brightened.

After settling in, the hot spring bath on the ship became a great place for the group to relax.

The steaming heat from the women's bath carried a faint smell of sulfur, and a few petals floated on the surface of the water.

Nico Robin took off her usual light purple dress, her long hair loosely tied back, revealing her slender neck, tall figure, and alluring body, making one marvel at how she was truly a masterpiece of nature.

Matsumoto Rangiku also took off her clothes and leaned lazily against the wall of the hot spring pool, her cheeks flushed as the effects of the alcohol had not completely worn off.

If Nico Robin's figure is God's masterpiece, then Matsumoto Rangiku is God's favoritism; such a massive size could only be achieved with divine favor.

Kanna is not tall; her small stature means she can't even reach the bottom of the pool. She just floats on the surface of the water wearing a swim ring.

"I never expected there to be such a comfortable hot spring on a ship."

Matsumoto Rangiku stretched, water droplets sliding down her shoulder.

"It's much more comfortable than the women's public baths in Rukongai."

Robin reached out and brushed a wet strand of hair from her cheek, her gaze falling on Kanna as she watched the little girl chasing a petal in the water. A gentle smile appeared in her eyes: "It's truly a rare treat. Such moments of rest are especially precious during a long voyage."

As they were talking, Kanna had already taken off her swimming ring, and her small body wobbled as she was about to fall into the water.

Nico Robin reacted quickly, stretching out her slender arm and firmly embracing her waist.

Kanna blinked her round eyes, looked up at Robin with a sweet smile, then broke free and rushed to Rangiku's side, grabbing her hand and asking her to tell her the story of Soul Society.

"Rangiku-neechan, what kind of place is Soul Society?"

Unlike the lively women's bath, the men's bath was very quiet.

Hearing the noise from next door, Uchiha Shiraha soaked alone in the hot spring, leaning against the edge of the pool, closing his eyes to rest. The warm spring water washed over his shoulders.

The men's bathhouse is filled with the warm steam of the hot spring water, which can envelop you in a cozy atmosphere.

Uchiha Shiraha leaned against the blue stone by the pool, half of his body immersed in the warm spring water, his fingertips holding a can of chilled juice, which made a crisp sound when he pulled the tab.

He casually placed a can of snacks on the stone platform beside him, tore open the packaging, and the crisp sound was particularly clear in the tranquil hot spring.

The sweet aroma of fruit mixed with the salty scent of snacks filled the air. Uchiha Shiraha sipped his juice, his gaze fixed on the end of the rising steam, while he could faintly hear the laughter and chatter from the women's bathhouse next door.

Rangiku's cheerful banter, Robin's gentle laughter, and Kanna's childish shouts drifted through the stone walls, making the hot spring pool seem even more peaceful.

Uchiha Shiraha casually munched on his snacks, but what he was thinking about was how inconvenient it was to control this large ship. If it weren't for the fact that the Devil Fruit could create puppets, the four of them really wouldn't be able to operate the ship.

On the deck, several puppets that looked exactly like him were methodically maneuvering the large ship.

This was a creation made by Uchiha Hakuba using his Devil Fruit powers; its movements were precise and swift.

This rather large ship, under the coordinated control of the puppets, steadily cut through the waves and sailed in the predetermined direction, with even the angle of the sails adjusted just right.

"Wow, these dolls are so useful."

To Uchiha Hakuba, these soulless puppets were like robots—without temper, without fatigue, without needing food, and without even respecting the conservation of power; they were, without a doubt, perfect tools.

Meanwhile, the lively atmosphere at the women's bathhouse gradually quieted down.

Robin leaned against the edge of the pool, looking up at the shimmering water, her gentle gaze falling on Kanna's small figure.

The little guy's whole body was flushed from the bath, and he was peeking out.

"What's wrong, Kanna-chan?"

"Isn't Bai Yu going to take a bath with us?"

The laughter and chatter in the women's bath suddenly subsided for a moment, followed by Matsumoto Rangiku's slightly tipsy shout, her voice carrying the dampness of the steam through the thin stone walls: "Shiraha-kun, do you want to come and soak in the hot spring with us? This hot spring is much more comfortable than yours!"

Before she could finish speaking, Nico Robin interrupted her with her voice: "Rangiku, stop fooling around."

Robin's tone was serious. She reached out and pulled Kanna, who was reaching for the floating petals, closer to her, and gently tapped the little girl's head with her fingertips.

“There are children here, and they are all women. How can we let Bai Yu come in to take a bath with them?”

"Oh, what's there to be afraid of?"

Rangiku waved her hand dismissively, and warm spring water slid down her shoulder.

"He's the captain, so why not make an exception..."

“Even the captain cannot disregard the distinction between men and women, especially with Kanna here. We must consider the child’s feelings.”

Kanna tilted her head, seemingly understanding but not quite, and nodded while holding Robin's small hand, saying, "You can't come in, this is a girls' area."

Rangiku pouted, reluctantly took a swig of sake, and muttered, "Fine, fine, whatever you say."

On the men's side, Uchiha Shiraha paused in his snacking, then chuckled softly.

He raised his hand, took a sip of juice, and replied loudly, "No need, I'm quite comfortable here!"

After refusing Matsumoto Rangiku's invitation to bathe together, Uchiha Hakuba began researching Devil Fruits.

He discovered that with the use and development of the Devil Fruit, he could even observe everything that was happening through the doll's perspective.

This ability reminded Uchiha Hakuba of Im.

Because of this ability, Uchiha Hakuba felt that if it was further developed, he should be able to possess puppets from a distance.

This is quite similar to Im's ability.

Chapter 30 Hide and Seek

The warm sunlight streamed onto the deck of the new ship, and the sea breeze, carrying a salty and damp scent, swept across the hull, causing the edges of the sails to sway slightly.

Uchiha Hakuha leaned back in a recliner beside the mast, twirling a kunai casually between his fingers.

"As long as you have the ability, sailing in pursuit of freedom is truly a delightful thing."

Uchiha Hakuba sighed, then turned his gaze to the other side.

At this moment, Matsumoto Rangiku was sitting cross-legged on the deck covered with soft cushions, with a sake bottle casually placed aside, and was playing with a bunch of colorful seashells with Kanna.

The little one, wearing a loose cotton dress, squatted on the ground, picked up a spiral-patterned seashell with her chubby little hands, tiptoed and held it out to Rangiku, saying in a childish voice, "Rangiku-neechan, this seashell is like a little conch's home, just like this Starfield ship."

Rangiku bent down and gently stroked Kanna's nose with her fingertips, her eyes full of laughter: "Of course, this is our home."

As Matsumoto Rangiku spoke, she deliberately reached out to tease Kanna's chin, making the little one giggle and roll around on the deck with the seashell in her arms.

Nico Robin sat on a bench nearby, a thick ancient book spread out on her lap—a book she had bought on the island.

Although she cultivates every day, reading is still an essential part of her life.

Nico Robin's gaze would occasionally drift from the pages of her book to the two playful figures, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Her hands turned the pages of the book, and listening to Kanna's cheerful laughter, she couldn't help but feel relaxed. How long could these days last...?

Suddenly, Kanna seemed to have thought of something fun. Her eyes darted around, and she secretly glanced at Shiraha, who was leaning back on the deck chair, and then at Rangiku, who was searching for seashells. She tiptoed to the side of the ship, grabbed a handful of dried seaweed, and quietly went around to Rangiku's back.

Rangiku Matsumoto was focused on picking out a pink-patterned seashell for Connor, completely unaware of the little commotion behind her.

Kanna tiptoed and gently scratched Ranju's neck with seaweed.

"Hmm..." Rangiku froze for a moment, then burst into a hearty laugh. She turned around abruptly, pulled Kanna into her arms, and tickled her.

"You little rascal, how dare you ambush your sister!"

Kanna laughed until tears streamed down her face as she was tickled. She slapped Rangiku's arm wildly with her little hands, crying out, "Ooh...it tickles so much!"

Bai Yu couldn't help but chuckle. He sat up from the recliner, picked up a piece of fruit candy from beside him, and waved it at Kanna: "Kanna, want to come over here? I have some yummy food here."

Kanna's eyes lit up, and she immediately broke free from Rangiku's embrace, toddling over to Shiraha with her short legs, looking up at the candy in his hand with longing eyes.

Bai Yu smiled as she unwrapped the candy and flicked it casually.

Connor lunged forward, and the candy went straight into her mouth.

Seeing this, Uchiha Hakuha flicked several candies in a row.

Similarly, Connor reacted quickly and ate it all.

"Bai Yu, I want to play with you too."

Kanna spoke indistinctly, her mouth full of candy.

"Okay, what do you want to play?"

Uchiha Shiraha reached out and ruffled her soft hair. Kids are just so much fun.

Kanna tilted her head and thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up again.

She grabbed Shiraha's sleeve and pulled him to the bench where Robin was sitting, then ran to Rangiku and pulled them both over.

Let's play hide-and-seek!

She spread her arms wide and announced loudly, "I'll hide, you come and find me!"

“Okay.” Rangiku was the first to agree, and she ruffled Kanna’s hair.

"Then you'd better hide well, or we'll find you very soon."

Robin closed his book, stood up, and nodded with a smile: "Okay, Connor, go hide."

Bai Yu looked at the three people in front of him, and the smile on his lips deepened.

The sun was shining brightly, and the sea breeze was cool; such a pleasant moment was one that one didn't want to break.

"However, if we find you, you'll be punished."

Kanna giggled, nodded vigorously, and then, like a nimble little rabbit, turned and ran towards the cabin.

"Remember to count to one hundred before you look!"