Hero Jentaka
Chp.17 Devil's claw tree

Xernathan, Sanji and Theodorus stood on one of the trees whose trunk was like a pole soaring upward.

There are dozens of branches that have many leaves like a long comb at the end of the stem.

"Hey you both know this name is the devil's claw tree, if you say dirty words and bad words under this tree, you will forever find the damn curse of life." Theodorus said that with a serious face and also unblinkingly looked at Xernathan and Sanji alternately.

"Whaa really? Theodorus you have a very broad insight." Sanji was aghast looking very curious about the tree in front of him. He looked far up.

The tree is indeed seen to have branches that have rare straight leaves, to look like a comb or long claw nails.

Xernathan smiled at Theodore's bragging this time. Along the way Theodore continued to make up stories on anything the stranger saw.

"This tree is called a coconut tree!" Xernathan finally opened his voice.

Sanji stared intently at the child who had a body bigger than him. "Hey Theo shit, you're trying to trick me again huh?"

Theodore showed his teeth. "I'm just kidding Sanji you don't have to be like that."

Xernathan looked up, looking at the leaves of the tree. "You guys get a little bit away from this tree, I'm gonna climb up"

"Don't you touch my sword." Xernathan started climbing trees.

"Hey Xernathan you're looking out for a fall." Sanji looked up and shouted to commemorate his friend who had climbed a coconut tree in front of him which had a height of approximately thirty meters.

"Hey you two get away from there.." Xernathan shouted and began to drop some fruits onto the ground.

With the strength of his bones and internal organs, Xernathan can easily go up and down a coconut tree that has a thousand meters high though.

Xernathan did not feel tired nor was he seen the trouble of going up a tree without the stamp of a tall pole.

Arriving below, Xernathan slashed the tip of the green fruit with his sword Charybdis.

"Whaa this fruit water is very sweet.." Theodore had the same facial expression when drinking this third coconut.

"Woii Theo you're not afraid of being cursed when you drink fruit water from this cursed tree of demon's claws?" Sanji put on an annoyed face looking at Theodorus.

"I promised you I was just kidding." The boy named Theodorus scratched his head that was not itchy. Her intentions were good to make their travel atmosphere pleasant. But because it has been deceived repeatedly Sanji so annoyed.

Xernathan laughed loudly at this moment. Even as long as the journey because there was only the behavior of Theodorus that made him laugh.

"There really isn't a tree like this where you come from?" Xernathan asked.

Theodorus and Sanji were from different places but answering Xernathan's questions they both shook their heads.

"We are all gardening and our staple food is potatoes. If the harvest fails we usually expect help from the Central government of Centuri. Rarely do I taste good food or drink from nature as in this place." Theodorus explained as he poked the white part inside the coconut shell.

"Well then wait another ten years then your face will be filled with a beard." Xernathan laughed broadly saying that.

Sanji did not understand why Xernathan said Theodore's face would be as he had said. But Sanji laughed at the face of the child before him years later with a full beard on his face.

"Xernathan, don't you mock me" Theodorus' face flushed. But he did not deny Xernathan's statement.

"The adult males in my home region do all have a bushy beard. These blue eyes are also the descendants of the inhabitants of our region who have become a characteristic." Theodore explained.

Xernathan had no idea what Theodore looked like when he was an adult. Because this little boy in Xernathan's first life died without feeling grown up.

But Xernathan said the statement was not without reason. He knew because if one lived in a very hot or cold snowy place, then his body would evolve to form as needed where they came from. Beards are needed in cold areas and barren deserts to help maintain body temperature and protect the skin.

"If you're alone? Sanji." Theodore could not bear to continue being laughed at like this. So he throws a question at Sanji so that the two children before him do not imagine what his face will be like someday.

A smile disappeared from Sanji's face. Replacing with a swipe. "I.. I live in the southwestern direction of Centuri Island. The territory I live in is an ordinary countryside whose majority of the population is a farmer."

Xernathan let out a long sigh looking at Sanji's current condition, looking at the child's facial expression as the tribulation answered Theodorus's question.

"Why is your face like that what's wrong with my question?" Theodorus with his innocent nature kept asking urgent answers because he was not good at understanding the situation.

Sanji was seen exhaling a long breath before continuing his explanation. "Either Theo, I can still call it a place to go home or not.."

"But the countryside I maxed out was in a very small land area. We know each other close to the residents of the place even the majority of the population is Nayara tribe. Now I'm just left." Sanji clenched his fists. The thought seemed to carry a wound that had only occurred three years ago, when Sanji was four years old.

Sanji was crying in that place. Xernathan and Theodorus looked at each other and patted Sanji on the shoulder. That afternoon was the first time they had known each other a few things about their lives.

-

As the day grew more and more afternoon they continued their journey towards the top of the hill which had a giant fir tree on it.

"Hey Xernathan, you're not going the wrong way, are you? we've been through the woods all day but why don't we go." Theodore scolded Xernathan furiously, as it was getting darker towards midnight but there was no sign of anything saying they were heading in the right direction.

"You keep your strength and keep going. I can no longer see the giant evergreen tree because of the trees around us, but this is the right path." Xernathan answered casually while walking and playing a sword swing. Xernathan's energy was not drained at all. The two children next to him were exhausted as if they were dying.

"YOU SAID YOU COULDN'T SEE WHERE THE SPRUCE TREE WAS.." Theodore stopped his steps shouting at Xernathan who looked like he was playing around.

Theodorus' anger culminated in following the unpleasant face of Sanji. The two put on an angry face fixed on Xernathan until their eyes bulged like they wanted to come out and their eyebrows both bent until they almost met.