Ten minutes later.
Zoro and Sanji, their ears red from being pulled and each with a slap mark on their faces, were squatting at the entrance of the courtyard, tears in their eyes, using glue to repair the nameplate.
"There's so much debris, how are we supposed to finish this?!"
"It's your fault for insisting on cutting it with a sword."
"Well, you didn't mention that you were the one who kicked it to pieces first!"
Just as they were about to start arguing again, Zeff inside the house glanced their way, instantly scaring the two brats out of their wits, making them bury their heads in their work.
"They seem to listen to you quite well now, Uncle Zeff," Xiano, sitting across from him, chuckled.
"Just a bit of a laugh."
Koshiro brought over a tea tray, pouring a cup for everyone, and apologized, "I'm not a strict person, and these two kids are too mischievous. Most of the time, we can only rely on Mr. Zeff to discipline them."
Zeff didn't respond, his attention completely captivated by the mechanical leg Xiano had just pulled out. After examining it for a while, he marveled, "What a miraculous piece of craftsmanship, I can't even begin to understand how it was made... Lord Xiano, can this really cure my leg?"
"Why not try it now?"
Xiano picked up his teacup with interest.
He was also quite curious to see if this mechanical leg, once belonging to a funded warrior, could help Zeff regain his peak condition.
"Alright!"
Zeff had been waiting for this moment, eagerly grabbing the mechanical leg with one hand and twisting off his wooden leg with the other!
Xiano quickly covered his sisters' eyes, and with a splatter—blood gushed from the stump, only to be roughly shoved back by Zeff, who gritted his teeth and forced the mechanical leg into place...
"Uh..." Koshiro watched in horror, "Mr. Zeff, you could have asked Granny Zilan to perform a leg replacement surgery for you..."
"No need, I'm just an impatient man, can't wait, haha!"
Zeff laughed heartily, while Nami and Nojiko struggled to pry Xiano's hands away, peeking curiously through his fingers.
They saw the titanium-silver mechanical limb undergo a bizarre transformation, the metal interface suddenly sprouting dozens of silver threads that rapidly extended on both sides.
In just a few seconds, the knee cross-section was completely repaired, making the entire mechanical leg seamlessly integrate with the upper thigh.
"Wow!!" Nami and Nojiko exclaimed in unison, "That's amazing!!"
Koshiro was also startled, instinctively glancing at Xiano.
This technology was too exaggerated, unheard of... or perhaps there was someone in this world who could achieve it.
Could it be that Lord Xiano had met that mysterious sage during his travels?
"Oh oh oh!!!"
Zeff's eyes widened as he felt the long-lost strength returning to his leg. He ran back and forth on the tatami, from one end to the other, growing more and more excited with each lap.
Suddenly, he couldn't help but let out a roar, turning around and kicking the wooden stake at the entrance with all his might!
Boom!
The deeply buried stake was suddenly uprooted, shooting out like a cannonball with tremendous force, directly hitting the two brats squatting at the entrance, sending them flying with a scream—
Thud!
The two of them flew out like kites with broken strings, landing seven or eight meters away before finally crashing into the same cypress tree. Their heads tilted, and they leaned on each other's shoulders, unconscious.
"...Uh."
Feeling the strange gazes of everyone around, Zeff's old face turned red, and he awkwardly scratched his head. "I really didn't mean to target these two brats. It's just that I haven't moved my legs in a while, and I didn't control my strength properly."
Zoro and Sanji didn't protest, silently accepting the old man's explanation.
"It seems it'll take some time to get used to it," Xiano said with a smile, sipping his tea.
"Yeah."
Zeff bent down and gently caressed his alloy mechanical leg as if it were a treasure. "It's back. I can feel it—that familiar sense of control has returned, even stronger than before... Huh, what's this button for?"
"Don't!" Xiano's pupils contracted as he hurriedly tried to stop him.
But it was too late. Like a curious child who had just gotten a new toy, Zeff pressed the button before Xiano could finish speaking.
Boom!
In the next instant, a large amount of steam erupted from Zeff's leg, propelling him into the air like a rocket. He instantly broke through the ceiling and shot toward the sky—
The remaining people in the room looked up in confusion, staring at the tiny black dot that had already become almost invisible in the vast sky.
After a long while.
The black dot began to grow larger in their vision, and faintly, they could hear Zeff's heart-wrenching wails—
Xiano sighed deeply and put down his teacup.
He stood up and disappeared from his seat in an instant, stepping onto the roof through the hole. After glancing upward to confirm the direction, he used Moon Walk to meet Zeff in the air.
...
A few minutes later.
Zeff sat dazedly on the tatami, his clothes disheveled, his hair and braided beard still defying gravity and standing upright.
"Fun, huh?"
Zeff nodded vigorously.
"Never tried it before?"
Zeff shook his head repeatedly.
"Then at least wait for me to explain before you start pressing buttons randomly, you old geezer!"
Xiano slammed the table, glaring at Zeff before pointing to the two buttons near the Achilles tendon.
"Here, you've already tried the first one. It releases a burst of gas, allowing you to dash hundreds of meters in an instant. I don't know the exact limit, but it consumes a lot of stamina, so use it carefully."
"As for the second one, you can adjust it yourself to release fierce electric currents or Flames, enveloping your leg to enhance destructive power. It also consumes stamina."
"Oh?" Zeff's eyes lit up. "So I could use it to light the stove and cook? No more worrying about fire sources?"
"...I guess you could."
Xiano was momentarily stunned before snapping back to reality, baring his teeth in anger. "Stop using your chef's instincts for this! This thing is meant to boost combat power, not to light fires for cooking. That's such a waste!"
"Hahaha, just kidding!"
Zeff laughed heartily, but as his laughter subsided, he gradually straightened his posture, looking at Xiano with a serious expression.
"Lord Xiano, you not only saved my life but also went to great lengths to completely heal my leg... Such a remarkable feat must be worth hundreds of millions of Berries, right? It's not even a matter of money—I doubt there's anything like it in the entire sea."
"This debt of gratitude, I will carry it deep in my heart!"
The old man took a deep breath, then suddenly bowed low, his forehead touching the tatami mat, and said solemnly, "You can rest assured, the agreement we made a year ago is now fulfilled and officially in effect. From this moment on, I am your crew member!"
"In the coming years, I will do my best to quickly adapt to this leg, train hard, and improve my strength to ensure that when we set sail together, I won't become a burden!"
Xiano was caught off guard by this gesture and was stunned for a while before he regained his composure.
Looking at the old man before him, he suddenly grinned and reached out to help Zeff up.
"It seems I finally have an official crew member, and a proud one at that! Not only do you possess incredible leg techniques, but you also have extraordinary culinary skills! I look forward to learning from you in the future."
"Your praise is truly flattering, but it's I who should be learning from you—"
Zeff raised his head, meeting Xiano's gaze, and also grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, "Captain."
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