Volume 4: The Undead Chapter 177: Cooperation Begins (Part 2)
"Okay." Ogata shrugged and responded in the same joking tone, "If there is a chance in the future, I don't mind being the new leader of your Shiranui."
"I am becoming more and more interested in you." Atachi, who was sitting cross-legged opposite Ogata, put the cannon in his hand aside, rested his right elbow on his right knee, and supported his chin with his right palm.
"Yishi, are you really not going to cooperate with me? Your swordsmanship plus my iron cannon and various other skills - if the two of us work together, we will definitely be able to live comfortably on this island."
"…Why are you so determined to partner with me?" Ogata sighed softly, "You don't know anything about me at all, right? Aren't you afraid that when you partner with me, I will suddenly stab you in the back?"
"You are wrong." A-Ting said softly, "I am not completely ignorant of you."
"I think you are the most trustworthy among all the prisoners on this island."
"Because - you are not wanted by the shogunate for committing a crime, but for killing a brutal daimyo."
"I don't think that in this world, people who have the courage and determination to wield a sword to kill a tyrant are bad people with bad character."
"If you were to choose between a person who wields a sword to kill a tyrant and a person who slaughtered a large number of civilians, I believe most people would be like me and decide to bet on the former, right?"
"Besides, choosing a partner is also a matter of rapport."
"Besides being the most trustworthy one, you also have a good eye for me - so I decided to stick with you and make you my partner."
As she said this, A-machi's eyes subconsciously glanced at the light green haori on Ogata.
However, because Atachi's movement was very subtle, Ogata did not notice this tiny movement of Atachi.
"...I'll be frank with you," Ogata said. "I - from the beginning, I never intended to obey the government's orders. I have no interest in the so-called amnesty. My goal from the beginning to the end was only one: to find a tool like a boat and leave the island by my own power. Even so, will you cooperate with me?"
"That's a coincidence." Ating raised her beautiful eyebrows, "I never thought of listening to the government from the beginning. I also planned to escape from this island with my own hands."
…
…
After Atachi finished speaking, Ogata did not rush to respond.
Instead, he lowered his head slightly and looked at the water in the wooden barrel in his hand.
The water in the wooden barrel reflected Ogata's face.
Ogata just stared at his reflection in the water, lost in thought.
A-machi did not disturb Ogata, but looked at him quietly, waiting for him to speak.
Hual ...
The only sound left in the surrounding space was the sound of rain.
But just like before - neither Ogata nor Atachi felt that the silent atmosphere was awkward.
The two of them remained silent in an indescribable and harmonious atmosphere.
After a long while, Ogata finally let out a long sigh:
"...Okay. You succeeded in convincing me."
"We both have the same goal. Your cannon and your various skills are indeed quite useful. If I cooperate with you, I will be able to live more comfortably on this island."
Hearing Ogata's words, a look of joy appeared on Atachi's face.
"So what do you mean?" Ating asked cautiously.
"Isn't the meaning of what I just said clear enough?"
Ogata sighed helplessly and raised the wooden barrel in his hand which still contained some rainwater towards the direction where Atachi was.
"Partner." Ogata smiled at A-Machi, "I wish you a happy cooperation."
"Yes!" Atachi nodded vigorously, then raised his own wooden barrel, which still had some rainwater left because he had just filled it with rainwater, and bumped it heavily with Ogata's wooden barrel in mid-air, "Happy cooperation! Partner!"
After the two of them drank all the water in their wooden barrels at the same time, A-machi suddenly said to Ogata:
"By the way, Yi Shi. Can I call you something else?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Whether it's Ogata or Issei, it doesn't sound right to me. I want to change to a more catchy name."
"For example?"
"What do you think of Ayi? It sounds much more natural to call him that."
"Does it sound natural to you? Never mind. Just call me whatever you want."
"Then it's decided!" Ah Ting clapped his hands, "Let's spend the night in this cave! If the rain stops tomorrow morning, we'll try to go deeper into the island. Ah Yi, what do you think?"
"You are worthy of being my partner." Ogata said in a half-joking tone, "Our plans are exactly the same."
…
…
While Ogata and Omachi were drinking water and chatting in the safe cave—
Somewhere on the island.
“Damn it…”
Hiding under the shade of a tree, Ping Yimaru wiped the raindrops from his face and cursed loudly at the rain outside the shade.
"When will this rain stop?"
Ping Yimaru - due to his addiction to stealing, he stole countless properties. He was finally caught by government officials at the beginning of this year and then taken all the way to this Butterfly Island.
His only skill is stealing, and he doesn't know how to fight.
So in order to give himself a sense of security, Heiichimaru not only put on the armor provided by the government, but also wore the katana and wakizashi provided by the government.
Unable to find a suitable place to shelter from the rain, he could only temporarily hide under the shade of a big tree.
Just as he was cursing madly at the rain in front of him, he suddenly heard the sound of a large number of bushes being pushed aside and the rustling sound of footsteps coming from his side.
“Who is it?!”
While shouting, Hei Ichimaru clumsily drew the katana from his waist and pointed the blade at the source of the sounds.
After a while, the owners of these footsteps appeared under the rain.
“You are...?!” Hei Ichimaru’s eyes widened.
Without exception, all the people who appeared in his field of vision were wearing armor issued by the government, which was usually only worn by soldiers, just like him.
It was also because of this that Hei Ichimaru recognized the identities of these people at a glance - prisoners like him.
There were more than twenty prisoners within Heiichimaru's field of vision.
Looking at the twenty or so prisoners who kept coming towards him, Heiichimaru said in a trembling voice:
"You, you, you, what do you want to do?!"
The katana in Ping Yimaru's hand was "jumping wildly" like a live fish, as if it would jump out of Ping Yimaru's hand at any time.
"Brother! Don't be nervous! Don't be nervous! We don't mean any harm!"
At this moment, one of the prisoners who surrounded Chaoping Ichimaru said this to Chaoping Ichimaru.
The person who spoke was an extremely short man with a funny pigtail on his head.
"My name is Shichiemon." The short man with pigtails smiled at Heiichimaru, "We didn't come to you to harm you."
"We just happened to pass by here and ran into you."
"The reason I came to you is to invite you."
"Invitation?" Ping Yimaru asked doubtfully.
"That's right." The man nodded, then stretched out his hand to Ping Yimaru, "Brother, do you want to join us and work together to survive on this island?"
