Number One was someone who had to see before he fully believes something but the moment Nami pulled out her own tools, he knew she was the real deal. He couldn't help but sit by her side and just watched as her hands carved the wood skillfully.
"You are doing amazing," Number One complimented as the mask slowly took shape. "I will focus on making the dye then. I have a few Soul Herbs I can use to get a golden color."
It was okay to be bad at something and Number One admitted defeat without any shame. He was a person who would always prefer to do everything on his own but he already accepted Nami as part of his life. Her supporting skills were part of his strength and his abilities were available to her too.
The two of them were already the team before but working side by side finally showed it clearly. Number One would rarely admit it but Nami was indeed someone who helped him get to where he was. Even if he could possibly make it without her, it would be a complete struggle with his life on the line.
"You should add a bit of water so I can use it as paint," Nami suggested without lifting her eyes from the mask.
"I know baby," Number One replied causally which caused Nami to freeze completely. She slowly turned to look at him and her lips curved in a beautiful smile.
"Did you just call me baby? You never call me baby," Nami pointed out sweetly.
"I don't know what you are talking about," Number One muttered with feigned innocence and leaned over to silence her with a kiss. "Go on, we don't have a lot of time left."
Nami only pursed her lips happily and continued to work with a bright smile on her face. "Even if you said it by accident, it made me happy so I hope you call me that more often. I am fine if it's only when we are alone. I don't care about other people."
"It wasn't by accident," Number One assured while grinding the Soul Herbs in his mortar. "I just thought I can try a bit more to show I care. You have been nothing but good to me and I want to appreciate you."
"That makes me even happier," Nami revealed as if her expression wasn't enough and promised, "I will work hard to be strong enough to stand by your side. I won't just sit in your shadow and be a burden to you. I know I can support you more."
"You are already doing more than enough," Number One corrected but Nami only shook her head.
"No, that's barely enough. I can do better and I will work even harder to catch up on the years I missed," Nami replied stubbornly. "I have been training with Luna and I already realized how much am I lacking. The current me only used my sister's influence to get where I am but that will change in the future. I will reach the point where I can proudly say I'm yours without feeling like I don't deserve it."
Number One paused, not realizing that was how Nami felt this whole time. He was also thinking that he should try harder to at least pay back for her help. Their attitude was similar which was probably the reason why they got along so well.
"You are being too hard on yourself," Number One commented with a sigh but he didn't stop her. "Let's both work hard then and watch each other grow. I don't regret letting you stay by my side."
Nami only nodded and they both resumed their work with new motivation fueling their bodies. Number One already wanted to be the best for himself but having someone he could work hard for didn't feel that bad at all.
The image of the original golden mask was actually blurry in Number One's mind but he was satisfied with how it turned out in the end. Even if someone knew the Legendary Alchemist personally, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
"Alright, it's done," Nami announced as she presented the mask into Number One's hands. "Just leave it to dry for some time before you try it and it will be perfect."
"Thank you," Number One acknowledged with a smile and kept the mask in his heavenly space. Nami seemed to expect him to work more right away as she turned around to clean but Number One hugged her from behind.
"Huh? Are you trying to reward me?" Nami questioned in surprise as she leaned away from his kiss. "I like when you take the initiative but aren't you busy now?"
"I can free a few minutes for you. The world is not going to collapse," Number One pointed out while trying to kiss her again but Nami stopped him for the second time.
"I love you dearly but we shouldn't do it now. You know that you last much longer than that and we both won't be satisfied with just a few minutes," Nami explained softly and pulled away from his embrace. "I am already trying my best to resist my urges and I won't stop once you start teasing me. Let's focus on our tasks for now and enjoy once we are done."
Number One raised his eyebrows as he scanned her up and down. "That makes sense but even then, you would usually just settle on kisses and cuddles. Is something wrong?"
Nami only pouted at his question and grabbed his wrist to place it under her shirt. Number One thought for a second that she changed her mind but she instead held his palm underneath his breast where her heart was. Only a small touch was needed for him to realize what she meant.
"Can you feel my heartbeat? It has been going crazy since you hugged me. Can you imagine how much effort it costs me to resist you?" Nami questioned while pushing his hand back. "The moment you called me baby, I was ready to jump on you but I held back. I knew the moment we start, we wouldn't be able to finish anything. I would simply ride you until my legs can't move."
Nami took a deep breath and finally stood up from the bed to get away from temptation. "I hope you understand me. I will just clean first and then go train with Luna to distract myself. I will be here the moment you are done and I won't spare you after."
"I understand, don't worry," Number One assured with a smile. "I will just try to finish earlier to help you relax afterward."
Nami's sex drive has only been increasing for the past three weeks and it peaked the moment they created four Heavenly Feathers. When she said she wouldn't be able to stop, he recalled the many times he couldn't get her off his body until she was satisfied.
"Enjoy baby," Nami wished as she watched him lay back down on his usual spot and waited at least thirty seconds before her face slammed against the soft pillow.
"Aaaaaaaaaaahhh!" Nami screamed into the pillow to vent her frustration away. "This is torture! How can you be this hot?! I just want to bite you and— ugh!"
Nami had no idea Number One took his time to leave and enjoyed listening to her secret confessions. Usually, she would say how much she loves him while leaving a thousand kisses on his neck but this time it was the most excessive ever. He finally left after hearing a few more praises targeting his crotch as he couldn't hold back his laughter anymore.
"I guess we won't be sleeping tonight," Number One commented as he appeared in the heavenly space and made a mental note to give Nami lots of love later. He couldn't even count how many times she was holding back for his sake.
The air inside the heavenly space actually helped improve the quality of his Soul Herbs so Number One made sure to empty all his Storage Rings. He had so many Soul Herbs around him that he was getting lost so it was time to turn them into something more useful.
ƥαṇdα- ηθνε|·ƈθm "I guess I will start with the Common Pills," Number One wondered out loud as he walked to the common Soul Herbs section but he paused right away. "Huh? What happened?"
The common Soul Herbs would usually give out a white or yellow glow but for some reason, he couldn't see any white or yellow. All herbs gave out a faint orange or green glow as if they advanced into the Earth Rank.
Number One would think he mixed up the shelves but when he checked the earth rank Soul Herbs, he discovered that many of them has advanced into the Heaven Rank instead. They were still the same herbs but the Soul Energy within them improved in quality.
"I thought you could only recover your strength but to think you even improved your potency? Whoa…" Number One muttered in amazement as he talked to one of the previously damaged Soul Herbs. Not every herb bought in the market was of the best quality and that helped him discover the effects of the heavenly space.
Number One couldn't help but grow excited and rushed to the newly advanced Soul Herbs. The recipe for the pills stayed the same and the only difference was the potency of the Soul Herb. It could only mean the effects of the common pills could possibly be comparable to those at the Earth Rank.
"If this really works…"
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