#189 - Chapter 189: First Meeting with Yamato
Prolonged unconsciousness and blood loss left Jin feel extremely weak.
His mind was hazy, his strength seemed to be draining away bit by bit, leaving only a trace of consciousness to support him.
The cave was dark and damp, the sound of dripping water incessant, making it even harder for him to find peace.
He tried to get up, but found his limbs heavy, as if bound by chains weighing a thousand pounds.
There was no light in the cave, making it impossible to observe the time of day; he didn't even know what time it was.
The current situation was very unfavorable to him, and Jin felt a sense of powerlessness.
His wrists were tightly bound by cold seastone handcuffs.
When his physical condition was good, he had some resistance to this level of seastone, able to struggle free to some extent.
However, now, due to blood loss and extreme fatigue, he was completely helpless against these seastone handcuffs.
He tried hard to break free, but found it was all in vain, and he could only helplessly lie back on the ground.
Jin licked his dry lips and smiled self-deprecatingly:
"I might starve to death here."
After intense combat and being imprisoned for an unknown amount of time, his stomach was empty, and waves of hunger made his stomach feel like it was being cut with a knife.
Jin curled up, trying to minimize movement to conserve his strength, knowing he had to find a way to survive.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to recall the details and flaws in the battle.
The previous battle surfaced in his mind.
The moment Kaido was pierced by his sword, a moment of pain appeared on his face, followed by a triumphant smile.
At that moment, Kaido suddenly unleashed an astonishing burst of Conqueror's Haki, the powerful aura instantly engulfing the entire battlefield.
Recalling that moment, Jin realized that perhaps that moment of distraction gave Captain John the opportunity to attack.
Captain John's movements were swift and silent, leaving Jin almost no time to react.
He frowned, a doubt arising in his heart: Captain John might also possess the ability to conceal his presence, making him even harder to catch in battle.
"In that case, it's a little difficult to handle."
Jin thought silently in his heart, his brow furrowed.
He couldn't understand how Kaido managed to save Captain John so coincidentally.
Given the situation and timing, was Kaido deliberately paying attention to Captain John, waiting for that opportunity?
What puzzled him even more was how Captain John, with his unruly personality, could settle down under Kaido's command.
That battle-hardened captain, far more famous than Kaido, could not be easily controlled.
There must be more complex secrets between them; was it driven by interests, or were there ulterior motives?
Jin's thoughts churned in his mind, but no matter how he speculated, he still couldn't fully unravel the threads.
"Grumble grumble grumble..."
A loud rumbling sound came.
Jin gently patted his stomach and mocked himself:
"It's no use no matter how loud you call..."
"Rustle rustle rustle..."
Just then, a sound came from outside the cave, as if something was approaching.
Jin's expression became serious, his body tensing slightly, paying attention to the situation in front of him at all times.
His eyes were fixed on the cave entrance, trying to discern the identity of the newcomer through the darkness.
As the footsteps approached, a figure gradually emerged from the shadows of the cave.
When the person got closer, they could be seen clearly.
The person was wearing a white sleeveless close-fitting kimono embroidered with blue patterns, two diamond patterns on the chest, a huge shimenawa rope tied around the waist, and a red long skirt on the lower body, wearing a pair of red-strapped wooden clogs with bare feet.
The person was dressed in strange clothes, wearing a Hannya mask, making it impossible to see their face clearly.
But that gradient white long hair was particularly eye-catching, the long hair gradually changing from white to green and then to blue from the top of the head to the ends, and the middle-parted hairstyle made the whole person's temperament appear cold and mysterious.
The sideburns naturally drooped to the chest, and a pair of scarlet demon horns grew on the top of the head, which looked extremely strange and majestic.
The hair behind the head was tied into a ponytail, and two orange hairpins firmly fixed the end of the hair.
Golden earrings were worn on both ears, and the earrings shimmered with a cold light in the dim light.
She also wore a pair of handcuffs on her hands. The 'rustling' sound that Jin had just heard was the sound of the chains rubbing against the ground.
The person looked at the disheveled man in front of her with a curious expression, her eyes flashing with innate innocence and boldness.
"I heard people say that you came from the outside world?"
Her voice was soft, like a breeze passing by.
Without waiting for Jin to answer, she continued:
"I have always wanted to see the outside world."
She lowered her head and looked at the chains tied to her hands, a trace of helplessness on her face, her mouth pouting slightly.
If it weren't for these chains, she would have run out long ago.
"Let's not talk about these things,"
She suddenly changed the subject, with a hint of joking on the corner of her mouth,
"I clearly heard your stomach growling outside the cave just now."
Saying that, she took out some food from her pocket and handed it to Jin.
Jin was stunned for a moment, took the food, and the girl in front of him made him a little caught off guard and confused.
He asked:
"You should know that I was captured by Kaido and the others."
There was a trace of exploration and probing in his eyes, wanting to see through her intentions.
"You're so close to me, aren't you afraid I'll catch you?"
The girl showed a warm smile, her eyes sparkling:
"I know Kaido and the others are not doing good things."
"The person they caught must not be a bad person."
She said trustingly in her tone.
In her opinion, the worst person in this world is Kaido.
The person who can be treated like this by Kaido must also be a very good person outside!
Jin looked at her smile, his heart was complicated for a while.
He originally thought that in this desperate situation, no one would give him even a little bit of kindness and warmth.
The girl's appearance was like a ray of light in the darkness, allowing him to feel a trace of human brilliance in hunger and fatigue.
"Why help me?"
Jin's voice was a little hoarse, he looked at the girl, his heart filled with questions.
The girl answered seriously:
"Do you still need a reason to help people, and I'm just giving you some food, it doesn't count as helping you, does it?"
"What Kaido and the others are doing is wrong, and one day they will be punished."
"And I, don't want to be their puppet anymore."
Her eyes were frank and firm, and that kind of yearning for freedom and justice deeply moved Jin.
He nodded, silently stuffed the food into his mouth, replenishing his strength.
"Thank you."
Jin finally spoke, his voice with sincerity and gratitude.
The girl smiled slightly, her eyes flashing with hope:
"When you regain your strength, let's find a way to help you escape together."
...
