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...
Hearing Ain's words, Tashigi's face flushed red on the spot. She knew her photos and videos would be seen by other diary holders, but having Ain say it out loud still made her shy—especially the blunt "are you Arton's woman?" question.
"Ain, isn't that a little… direct?"
"What's wrong with being direct? Right now I really, really want to become Arton's woman! Even if it means a sexual relationship, it's nothing to be coy about."
"Well… when you put it that way…" Tashigi murmured, feeling more and more for Ain's situation. The "original" Ain wasn't like this—probably shy like her. But for Zephyr's sake, Ain seemed to have discarded embarrassment entirely. If it could change Zephyr's fate, she looked ready to do anything.
And wasn't I the same? Tashigi sighed inwardly.
She'd joined Arton not only because innocents died at the hands of Celestial Dragons; she also saw a justice worth pursuing in him. Because of that, she finally offered herself to Arton.
"Fine—telling you is okay," she said at last. "Just… don't let the others on board hear. Otherwise it could get messy."
"Messy?" Ain blinked.
"You don't know? Nami and Carina are always competing. Both want to be Arton's woman first, and they're constantly tripping each other up. If they learn I already snuck ahead…" Tashigi shivered.
Ain was speechless—she hadn't expected that dynamic.
"So you have ended up with Arton."
"Tashigi, can you give me some pointers? I want power from Arton as soon as possible—ideally to sneak ahead of Nami and the others, too."
"It's not that hard," Tashigi said after thinking a moment. "Arton likes all of us heroines. As long as she isn't firmly in the Marines or World Government camp, he's willing to be with her. You know the kind of man he is."
Ain nodded earnestly, ears perked.
"Besides that, you have to genuinely fall for Arton," Tashigi continued. "Don't please him just for power. It has to come from the heart. Arton thinks forcing someone into a relationship is joyless."
"I see," Ain's eyes lit up. "So I need to like him. Tashigi, do you have a way to make me like him?"
Tashigi froze, scratching her hair helplessly. "That I don't know—Ain, you're not me."
"Then tell me how you fell for Arton."
"I… don't think I have to answer that."
"Please, Tashigi. I want more experience. I've never dated—I don't know how to like someone."
"Even if you say that, I can't explain it clearly."
"Please… Tashigi…"
"I… I…" She gave a sheepish smile. She'd never imagined she'd play romance coach—she'd only ever loved one person. Hardly enough to be "qualified." But seeing Ain's pleading eyes, she couldn't refuse. She couldn't bear to watch a just Marine like Zephyr march toward that tragic future.
…
Meanwhile, in Kaya's room.
Arton was still recording video of Kaya's sleeping face, studying her as she dozed.
"Kaya asleep is just like when she's awake—so serene," he whispered. "Being able to invite you aboard is my luck, Kaya."
He brushed a hand over her cheek. Arton's face was full of quiet happiness.
Chapter 304 — Armament Haki!
Doll: "It's been a whole night and Arton still hasn't stopped the live recording."
Ain: "The sun will be up soon. Arton didn't make a move on Kaya—Tashigi was right: using beauty traps on him doesn't help much."
Whitey Bay: "That girl Kaya is lucky—getting filmed this long. In points, she'll rake in a lot."
Makino: "More precious is Arton's care for Kaya! He's still recording, which means he hasn't rested. And even though he's quite lecherous, he didn't disturb her rest."
Baccarat: "So gentle, Arton-sama. If it were me, even if I fainted, you could use me however you like—as long as you feel good."
Kujaku: "He's a pirate, but I'm a little envious. If only I had a man who cared for me like that."
Gion: "Is Arton going to film Kaya all night? If he keeps this up, that Kaya will grow fast."
Charlotte Smoothie: "If so, she might soon be able to stand against me."
Boa Hancock: "Even if her Tsunade template isn't as outstanding as Nami's or Tashigi's…"
Time sped by; half the night passed.
Arton quietly watched the beauty before him. Kaya, too, was perfectly quiet—calm face, graceful sleeping posture—no worry she'd toss off the blanket.
Suddenly, a chime sounded in Arton's head:
[Ding! Today's diary logging has concluded.]
[Congrats: +112 points. Current total: 256 points.]
"So the system prompt already? Right, it's a new day—time to re-count points. Two hundred fifty-six—enough for two basic pulls."
No doubt, saving for high-tier pulls yields the best rewards—maybe even another Blank Template Challenge to push the Emiya Shirou template to max. But after a moment, Arton shook his head.
"Even high-tier pulls don't guarantee something that fits me. What matters most now is raising the crew's baseline combat power. That way, even if I'm tied down by a powerhouse, everyone else can handle the rest."
Decision made, he rolled the gacha.
[Ding! Congrats: "Basic Armament Haki Potion," "Basic Observation Haki Potion."]
[Remaining points: 56.]
"Basic Armament and basic Observation?!" Arton's heart leapt—then burst into joy.
A moment later, diary holders who hadn't slept—or had just woken up—saw the new entry:
[Hahaha, didn't expect this! Two basic pulls and I hit potions that awaken basic Armament Haki and basic Observation Haki.]
[I can already use high-grade Conqueror's Haki, but I still can't coat attacks with it. In other words, I can't reliably hit Logia users with Haki yet.]
[Sure, certain energies can hurt Logias, but unless you counter their element, it's worse than just punching with Haki.]
[Even basic Armament, combined with my own kits, will make dealing with Logia enemies much easier.]
[If the Navy sends those three Logia Admirals after me, I'll handle them more economically—save a lot of stamina.]
[Speaking of which—if I meet that Rumble-Rumble guy, Enel, who has Admiral-tier output but zero idea what Haki is, I might not even need a template. One Haki-coated punch could drop him.]
[Maybe I should go see Enel early—and check the Poneglyph up there while I'm at it.]
...
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