Chapter 93 Son Inherits Father's Business

The old crocodile was having a meeting with his companions to discuss countermeasures.

Their goal was to lure Gaddon out of his lair, creating an opportunity for Bourbon to meet his companions.

But Bourbon wanted to join the team here: "I want to do what my father did!"

"No way!" Old Crocodile rejected the request without hesitation. "Go back to where you came from! Don't meddle in things here."

Bourbon, feeling quite frustrated at being excluded from the operation, went to Little Rusty for help: "I really want to help you, I'm not willing to leave like this. Little Rusty, please help me!"

"If you stay here to help us, what about your friends?"

“As long as we can lure Geddon out, they can handle the rest themselves.”

Little Rusty hesitated for a moment, then looked troubled and said, "The struggle between Ap and Gadon is escalating, and this river is becoming increasingly unsafe. If you come with us and something happens to you..."

"Don't worry! I'm very strong." Bourbon said, showing off his biceps. "Beating me won't be an easy task!"

Little Rusty laughed loudly, "Innis, muscles alone aren't enough! Can you swim?"

"Huh? Yes, I do. Why are you asking that?"

"Then let me ask you first, where do you think we'll clash with Geddon?"

Bourbon glanced at the lush rainforest in the distance: "Into the jungle, shall we? To ambush them?"

Little Rusty Spot laughed and shook his head, saying, "You're completely wrong! The Crocodile Gang's mission is to ensure the safety of the shipping lanes, so the battlefield must be on the water."

Bourbon imagined the view of the river with its entire surface exposed and asked, "But wouldn't that be too revealing?"

"No! Do you know how crocodiles hunt? They hide at the bottom of the water and wait for their prey to take the bait. We're the same. Gadon's ships have a waterway to travel, and all we have to do is lie in ambush and wait."

"I see…"

So, how long can you hold your breath underwater?

"Well, I'm not too sure... but I'm a really good swimmer! I even won the freestyle championship at school. I'm sure I can help!" Bourbon said eagerly.

"Words are not enough; you need to prove it to me."

Led by Little Rust, Bourbon arrived at a fast-flowing river.

“Come on, Innis, let me see how well you swim.” With that, Little Rusty took off his shirt and shoes, leaving only his shorts, and plunged naked into the water, shouting at the riverbank, “Catch me and you win!” Then he disappeared into the water.

Bourbon had never seen anything like this before. He had only swum in indoor pools and at seaside resorts, and it was his first time swimming in the wild, so he was inevitably a little nervous.

The golden retriever also took off its clothes, tried to wade in the water, and then leaped into the river in a doggy paddle, splashing water high into the air.

As soon as he entered the water, Bourbon realized how reasonable Little Rust's concerns were. Swimming upstream in such rapids was incredibly physically demanding. Moreover, the water was quite murky, and underwater visibility was very low.

Bourbon couldn't see the little rust spot at all, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and swim over, thinking: What Dad can do, I can do too!

After swimming for an unknown amount of time, the exhausted Bourbon finally saw a familiar figure floating on the water.

To his horror, however, the little rust spot floated motionless on the water's surface as if it were dead.

Bourbon swam over hastily, but was stunned by the oncoming waves as he got close to the person.

Little Rust Spot laughed mercilessly, "Hahaha, Innis, why are you so slow? I was falling asleep waiting for you!"

"Please, please give me another chance! I wasn't prepared just now," Bourbon pleaded.

"Hey? Do you still have energy?" Little Rusty asked, glancing at the panting Bourbon. "Take a break first, it wouldn't be good if you got cramps. It's easier for me to do it this way."

Bourbon followed suit and floated on the water for a while. Everywhere he looked was beautiful scenery, quite different from the views on land, offering a unique charm.

“Innis, do you know the secret to holding your breath underwater?” Little Rusty Spot suddenly asked.

"I don't know," the golden retriever answered honestly.

"This is it!" Little Rusty handed the other a hollow leaf tube. "When you can't hold your breath, use this to breathe."

Bourbon gratefully accepted it and then asked, "Shall we continue the competition?"

"I didn't realize you were so competitive! Alright, let's continue the race. Catch up with me!"

Bourbon was determined, secretly vowing to win this game. Jingguang had once said that Zero was a very competitive person, and that was indeed true.

However, just when Bourbon was determined to win, a small incident interrupted the match: a ship was sailing in from a distance.

Little Rusty made a gesture, and Bourbon understood and followed suit, diving to the bottom of the water.

Since it wasn't convenient to speak underwater, the two communicated using sign language. Little Rusty pointed to the boat above them, then to himself and Bourbon, and finally spread his arms wide in a gesture.

Bourbon's understanding of this set of sign language gestures was that the ship above was their target to intercept, and he and Rusty Spot had to split up and take control of the crew.

The river water was murky, and Bourbon vaguely saw a figure on the deck. Without a word, he leaped out of the water and onto the deck. However, upon recognizing the person, he abruptly stopped, stammering an apology: "Ah, no, um... Senior Morrell, I... I was just passing by..."

However, this flawed explanation couldn't fool Old Man Crocodile. Bourbon's posture clearly indicated he was about to deliver a chokehold.

The old man, his beard bristling and eyes bulging with anger, glared at the wet Golden Retriever and asked, "Where's Little Rust Spot?"

Bourbon seemed like a child caught red-handed by his parents, stammering and unable to answer.

"I'm here!" Little Rusty Spot calmly boarded the boat.

"You keep an eye on him, or I'll beat you up!" Old Crocodile turned to Bourbon and said, "You're not part of this operation, don't even think about it!"

Bourbon went to the cabin dejectedly, wrapped himself in a blanket, and slowly drank coffee to warm himself up.

"Little Rust Spot, why is Senior Morley here?"

"It's just routine patrolling! The water brings us news of the enemy."

"So you knew who was on the ship all along, didn't you? You deliberately provoked me to anger Senior Morey, just to prevent me from participating in the operation!"

Little Rusty readily admitted, "Innis, let me be frank with you: Old Man Crocodile will absolutely not allow you to join us! We're going to stay here for the rest of our lives. But you're different. You'll be leaving soon. Old Manu also said your future doesn't lie here. What if something happens to you? How will Old Man Crocodile explain it to your father?"

“Old Manu said I would find a brighter path, so I’m sure I won’t get into trouble this time. Even if something does happen, I’ll definitely be able to turn the situation around.”

"Innis, that's not how the witch doctor's prophecy is interpreted..."

“If I just leave this time, I’ll be letting down the blood that flows in my veins! And I have something very important that I want to confirm with Gardon in person. I have to see him! Little Rustspot, I’m your uncle, so please help me with this.”

"Tsk tsk, now you're starting to talk to me about seniority? Okay, Uncle, but what do you plan to do?" Little Rusty Spot weighed the advantages and disadvantages. "You are indeed a good swimmer, but you're definitely not top-notch here. What reason do you expect me to give to convince everyone that you have to be included in the operation? Just because you're Black Kaimen's son?"

“Isn’t that reason enough? My dad even fought against Gatton’s grandfather,” Bourbon said, holding up his teeth.

Little Rusty Spot had a sudden inspiration and excitedly shouted, "You're right! You're Black Kaimen's son, that's enough! The old folks all say you look just like your father, Gardon definitely won't be able to tell you apart!"

"You mean you want me to pretend to be Dad?"

“That’s right! Black Kaimen killed Geddon’s grandfather before, if this time…”

Bourbon interrupted, "Wait a minute! I heard from Senior Morrell that Dad only knocked out one of Grandpa Gaton's teeth."

“Yes, Black Kaimen didn’t kill that guy, but he died because of this! The Gatorton family are all people who care a lot about their reputation. So this incident was a huge blow to Grandpa Gatorton. He felt he had suffered a great humiliation, which led to him developing a mental illness and dying in depression.”

"So if Black Kaimen reappears, Geddon will definitely come for revenge?"

"That's right, he'll definitely do it himself!"

"But Gaddon shouldn't be so easily fooled, right? His father has been dead for many years."

“Gardon is rather superstitious, and everyone knows about old Manu’s amazing witchcraft, so he’ll definitely take the bait. Even if it’s just to verify the authenticity of Black Kaimen, Gardon has no choice but to come. Because he’s like his grandfather, a man who cares a lot about his reputation. If he doesn’t dare to accept the challenge, everyone will laugh at him for being a coward.”

"Understood, I'll go tell Senior Morley right away!"

The golden retriever excitedly ran up to the deck to find the old crocodile.

He recounted Little Rust's ingenious plan in detail, concluding, "Please, Senior Morey! Trust me, this plan will definitely work!"

The old crocodile remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, "Are you really possessed by Kaimen?"

Bourbon answered with utmost seriousness, “He is him, and I am me. We are different people, and we have chosen different paths. But I am proud of everything my father did. To fulfill his unfinished ambitions in his name is my greatest wish before I leave this world.”

The old man squinted and scrutinized the blond youth: his hair was still wet, and he was loosely wrapped in a blanket, just like Kaimen had often done many years ago.

"Who exactly are you? Innislig doesn't sound like a Japanese name. You've never told me why you're here."

"The path I chose has led me here. As for my name, from today onwards you may call me: Kaimen."