Chapter 237. Tobba
"Charles! Long time no see! You've changed so much, I almost didn't recognize you! Woaaahhhh, your house is soooooo huge! Can I sleep here from now on?" Tobba greeted Charles in his usual carefree manner. He was covered in grime as if he had just crawled out of a garbage heap and clutched a dirty sack riddled with holes.
Peeking through the gaps, Charles could faintly make out the old man's so-called treasures.
Suddenly, Tobba's expression shifted, and he began shouting frantically. "Oh no! They are looking at me again! So many people! They're here! Lie down."
With that, Tobba then pulled out a half-rotten rat, dripping with putrescence, and placed it atop his head.
"They can't stand the disgust. They won't dare to look at me now," Tobba commented and flashed Charles a radiant smile.
Meanwhile, Charles was baffled at Tobba's presence. As one of the kings of Sottom, shouldn't he have remained on that moving island of sin?
Charles voiced out his doubts, in which Tobba clutched his stomach, and a pitiful expression painted his countenance.
"Do you have any food? I'm starving. I haven't eaten in a long time," Tobba said, and his stomach growled on cue as if rehearsed.
Charles glanced at the clock on the wall and turned toward the silver-haired steward. "That's all for today. Get everyone else to go and come back tomorrow."
"As you command, Governor," the steward responded and cast a disdainful glance at Tobba before leaving the room.
"Follow me. I'll get you something to eat," Charles said as he rose to his feet.
Seated at the long rectangular table, Lily and Charles watched as Tobba devoured the food. The green mouse had her mouth agape and eyes wide in disbelief as she stared in astonishment.
"Mr. Charles, does he know magic or something? He's so.... amazing! He eats even more than my friends!"
True to Lily's words, Tobba was eating as though he hadn't had a meal in days. His eyes almost glowed green at the sight of the food spread before him.
He grabbed at any food his hands could reach and shoved them incessantly into his mouth. He placed an apple the size of a fist into his mouth and had barely taken two chews before he forcefully washed it down with cream soup.
A roast chicken, steaming and slathered in brown sauce, didn't last more than thirty seconds in his hands.
"I don't know if he knows any magic, but I doubt even a real magician could eat like him," Charles whispered to Lily.
Charles had originally intended to have lunch as well, but watching Tobba devour his meal was already filling enough.
Just as Tobba was hugging an empty plate and licking it clean, Charles broke the silence. "How did you end up here? What about your friends?"
He had never thought he would encounter Tobba again.
Hearing Charles' question, Tobba's weathered face dropped, and he lowered his head. "They scolded me and said it was my fault that the island vanished. I didn't want to stay with them, so I left."
The corners of Charles' lips lifted into a slight smirk. Indeed, without Tobba's assistance, it wouldn't have been that easy for him to acquire fuel and fresh water on Skywater Island.
"Where are they now? Did they switch to another location and continue their pirate way?"
"I don't know. They have been bullied very badly by those people with a white triangle on their foreheads. Little Mithila was even injured, very, very badly."
"Who is Mithila?"
"You've met her, don't you remember? The little girl you gave the photo to."
Charles understood immediately. Tobba was referring to 134, the living relic who could sing.
As Tobba resumed licking the plate again, Charles pondered for a brief moment before he offered, "Alright, in that case, you can stay on Hope Island. I won't let you starve when I'm still around. Take this as repayment for your help before."
Charles felt that taking care of an eccentric old man wouldn't be too much trouble, and it was totally within his means.
Just as Charles stood to leave, Tobba reached out a hand covered with grease and sauce and grabbed the former. A hint of disgust rose in Charles; he felt as though a lump of oily fat had surrounded his wrist.
"Wait!" Tobba said. "I came to apply for a job. You can hire me."
"Quit fooling around."
"I'm not fooling around! I can be your captain. Really. I've steered ships before."
Charles ignored Tobba's absurd claims and effortlessly slid his right hand out of Tobba's grasp. Grabbing the old man by the collar and hauling him like a cat, Charles headed out of the room.
"I really can be useful to you. Didn't you get lost at sea recently? I can find the way to an island anywhere at sea."
Tobba's words had Charles halting in his tracks. Charles eyed the old man with a raised eyebrow; his gaze was a mix of skepticism and curiosity.
"How did you know I was lost at sea recently?"
Previously, Charles had also been equally puzzled. How did Tobba know with such accuracy that he would arrive at Skywater Island and have even prepared gifts for them in advance?
This guy is a living relic like 134. Could it be that his special ability is to foresee the future?
"I just know. Whenever I want to know something, images just pop up in my head. Sometimes they appear very clear, but they can also be blurry at times."
This was the first time Charles gained an insight into Tobba's abilities. If he harnessed it correctly, the old man's power could prove to be invaluable for his voyage.
However, the problem lay with Tobba's state of mind. The last thing Charles wanted was to be distracted by a madman while exploring uncharted islands.
"I'm not mad! If I were, how would I remember you? Just let me join your crew. I'll help you as the captain."
Charles hesitated for a couple of seconds before he turned his gaze on Tobba again. "Can you really find islands in the sea without coordinates?"
He didn't really care if Tobba's prophesying abilities were reliable or not, but the old man's claimed navigational skills were exactly what he needed at this point in time. If Tobba truly possessed this unique ability, it would be immensely beneficial in his sea voyages.
No longer would the Narwhale ever be stranded in the dark sea, devoid of fresh water and fuel.
"Yeah, of course! I can find my way back to the island even with my eyes closed."
Of course, there was no way Charles would take Tobba's words at face value. Previously, the old man had also claimed to have the ability to turn invisible, but it had turned out to be a figment of his imagination.
Charles immediately called for Feuerbach and instructed the latter to take Tobba out for a spin at sea to verify the authenticity of his claim.
As for whether Tobba harbored malicious intent, Charles deemed it highly unlikely. Back at Skywater Island, Tobba had been so lost in his madness that he was leading the way for enemies. The idea of being a scheming figure seemed too far-fetched for someone like Tobba.
Soon enough, Feuerbach returned with Tobba behind him. Astonishment painted the visage of the green-haired youth.
"Captain, this old guy really has the ability that he claims. No matter how many turns we took at sea, he could accurately pinpoint the direction back to Hope Island. Where did you find a guy like him?" Feuerbach reported.
Hearing Feuerbach's words, Charles approached Tobba and extended his right hand. "Welcome aboard the Narwhale."
Tobba took a fleeting glance at Charles' right hand before he rummaged through his sack. He retrieved a dead rat and placed it in Charles' open palm.
With that, Tobba became a member of the Narwhale. His position was not any of the five Charles was recruiting for, but a new role was created just for him—a Navigator.
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