Ji Wen seemed to realise his mistake as he tried to correct himself and calm his little Ya Ya. “Now, Ah-Yao let’s talk it out like adults….. violence is never the answer…. oh god,” said Ji Wen as he took cover behind the fish barrel kicking Big Hei out of his hiding spot.

Ji Yao looked down at the sizzling ball of lightning in his hand and decided to denounce violence for once. He silently leapt off the ship and landed on the shore trying to calm himself down.

He had just been harassed by that Zhang kid to get the sword and now his father wanted him to burglarize that psycho prince’s house undercover as one of the Nocru slaves that man abuses. With a face like his, it wouldn’t end with just harassment. He most definitely would get eaten clean by that monster.

Ji Wen had been expecting lightning sparks creating holes in his sweet Red Bane but he had already waited for a full thirty seconds and nothing happened. He vigilantly peeked his head out only to find his men also peeking out to check the coast.

He turned to Big Hei to ask where his son went only for his expression to change to a look of astonishment. “What tha…..,” he said when he saw Big Hei crouching down with a tiny mop bucket on his head supposedly hiding from Ji Yao. “You do realise that wouldn’t have shielded you in the slightest?”

“Yes captain… but I had no other option,” said Big Hei in a muffled voice from his head being in a bucket.

“Take it off….. I can’t hear shit with you like this,” said Ji Wen fighting off the urge to beat people up.

Big Hei complied but unfortunately, the mop bucket had its own ideas. No matter how hard he pulled that bucket was not coming off. “Uh oh….,” said Big Hei realising the kind of situation he was in.

“Idiots….. I am surrounded by fuckin idiots,” said Ji Wen before getting off the ship to find his son leaving behind a clueless crew on how to get that bucket off Big Hei’s head.

It didn’t take long for Ji Wen to find him because he would be either of two places. It’s either he is in a book store or he is at a stall selling craft supplies. His son had a weird thing for drawing silly little stories which was a huge contrast to his character. As to where Ji Yao got that from that remained a mystery.

As expected Ji Yao was eyeing a twenty-piece set of sable paint art brushes like a hungry wolf. This is the only time that he ever shows interest in anything which vexed this pirate king. He had a lot of treasures, gems and jewels looted from god knows where but his son didn’t want that. Instead, he wanted brushes and colours.

Just as Ji Yao wanted to turn and leave a hand was suddenly hovering above his shoulder but before it even touched him he immediately got on the defence and spun around to twist that hand. But because his father was superior to him his attack was blocked as this little conflict ended with Ji Wen draping his arm around Ji Yao’s shoulders.

He patted his son’s head and said, “I will get it for you. You know your daddy is rich… How about this, I will buy you this entire stall if you rob that haughty prick?”

If looks could kill, Ji Wen would have died ages ago because the glare that was being sent his way was sharper than a double-edged sword. He could easily translate all of Ji Yao’s glares and this one seemed to be saying, ‘I am not going into the lion’s den, period.’

“Uh…. you misunderstood me. My sources tell me he won’t be there but his people are bringing in a Nocru girl so all you have to do is replace her and sneak in, get the thing and done,” he explained as he dragged him along down the street.

Ji Yao knew it was never that simple. The last time his father said the very same thing but he ended up paying with his ass literally.

“Nope, not doing it,” he replied resolute in his decision.

“Don’t be quick to refuse… think of it this way. You will be doing something for the greater good plus saving a poor soul from being ruined by that beast. That girl you are replacing would truly appreciate it. Who knows, she might even devote her life to you and become your wife?….. She’s really pretty… like super pretty,” explained Ji Wen trying to persuade him but of course, that didn’t work.

Ji Yao removed his father’s hand from his shoulder and walked away but soon stopped in his tracks when his father said, “She will make the perfect artist’s model. I bet you would love to paint her,” said Ji Wen successfully baiting the fish. As expected, Ji Yao was interested.

“Show me what she looks like first,” he said walking back to his father feeling somewhat stupid. He could have said no but he hadn’t had a great muse in a very long time and couldn’t resist the offer. Ji Wen rubbed his hands together with a victorious smile before dragging his son to a dark alley in the slums of the coastal city.

This trade Prince Rui was involved in was illegal and an underground type of operation so the traders obviously wouldn’t set up shop in the boisterous classy part of the coastal city.

Ji Yao understood that but it’s just that with his issues he couldn’t handle this part of town. As soon as he stepped into this part of the city he couldn’t go further unless under coercion.

He stood in place and shook his head. “Nope….. not going,” he said staging a one-man protest in the middle of the street.

Ji Wen’s lips twitched as he swallowed back the taunting remarks at the tip of his tongue. He had to behave because he still needed him to do this job otherwise his only other option would be Big Hei. Good luck convincing everyone that that big guy is a girl.

He walked back and attempted to coax him. “Can’t you overlook it just this once? I will do anything just name your price,” said Ji Wen seriously damaging his reputation as the fierce pirate king.

If it was him and his father, the former pirate king, telling him to do something it would be more of a command than a suggestion. In fact, he wouldn’t ask a question he would just do it.

This was obviously not the case with Ji Yao.. He began to seriously wonder if he spoilt him too much? Which parent nowadays has to coax their child to eat vegetables? It used to be ‘you won’t leave this table till you eat all your vegetables’ but now it’s like ‘honey please it your vegetables, okay’ and guess which category Ji Wen fell in.