Tina's cheeks burned as she turned her face away from Makino's teasing gaze. She bit her lip, refusing to respond, but her silence betrayed her more than words could.
Makino tilted her head, moonlit eyes sparkling. "What's the matter, Tina? Does your backside still sting?"
Tina's blush deepened violently. Memories flashed through her mind—the first time she had dared to call Jin a "little man," only for him to haul her over his knee and deliver a punishment she hadn't expected. The humiliation had been sharp, but so had the heat that lingered long after. Even now, just remembering it made her thighs tense and her heartbeat stumble.
"Y-You!" she snapped, glaring at Makino. "Don't tease me like that! You've changed—you're supposed to be the gentle one, not joining in on his bullying."
Makino covered her lips with one slender hand, giggling softly. "I only say what I see. Besides, I think you enjoyed it more than you admit."
"Ridiculous!" Tina huffed, crossing her arms under her chest, her eyes darting away. "Absolutely ridiculous."
Makino rose gracefully, her playful smile lingering. "Alright, I won't press you. I'll check on Kuina. You can stay here and… reflect on that 'ridiculous' feeling as much as you like."
Before Tina could retort, Makino glided away, leaving Tina alone with her flustered thoughts.
"Damn him," Tina muttered under her breath, pacing. "Damn him, damn him, damn him! Always making me feel like this… that infuriating little man!"
Her muttering carried into the night air, half-anger, half-embarrassment, her heart thudding far too fast.
…
Meanwhile, out on the moonlit training grounds, Kuma let out a thunderous roar.
"Bear Seal!"
His massive frame blurred forward, every muscle coiled and unleashed in a single explosive charge. The ground shook under his weight, sand spraying up as his colossal paw—more weapon than hand—smashed toward Jin with the force of a falling boulder.
But Jin didn't flinch. His violet eyes glittered with calm amusement. At the last instant, he raised one hand, palm open, and caught the strike as if it were no more than a gust of wind. The impact thundered through the air, shockwaves screaming outward, slicing the night with invisible blades.
Yet Jin's stance didn't waver.
Kuma snarled, pouring more strength into his blow, veins bulging across his beastly arms. His fangs bared, his breath came in savage growls. Still, Jin's palm held him, an unyielding wall against the storm.
"Break!" Jin's voice snapped like a whip.
In that moment, his hand pulsed with compressed force. A sharp, unseen wave of dark energy erupted, cracking through Kuma's paw. The beast staggered back, the recoil forcing him several paces away before he dropped heavily to the ground.
Kuma sat there, chest heaving, eyes blazing with both frustration and admiration. "Still… not enough. Damn it, boss—you're more beast than I'll ever be."
Jin dusted his hands, shaking his head with a smile. "Your Bear Seal has power, but your execution is flawed. You're letting your size and raw strength do all the work, instead of marrying it with proper technique."
He stepped closer, eyes sharp but encouraging. "Think of your body as four engines. First, the legs—your launch. Second, the hips—your axis of force. Third, the arms—the channel. And fourth, your inner feral Ki. Right now, you're only using two at most. Bring all four together, and your strike won't just hit like a bear—it'll hit like nature itself."
Kuma scratched his head, frowning. "Sounds simple when you say it. But boss, you know my biggest problem. Even without Starmoss, I still lose control when my fury rises. I can't cage that explosion inside me."
Jin's expression softened, just slightly. "Then don't. Not yet. Forget control for now. Focus on refinement. Hone the Bear Seal, train your legs until you master Soru, and make yourself a flexible beast. Control will come later."
Kuma let out a heavy sigh, but nodded. "Understood. A bear that moves like lightning, huh? Alright, boss."
…
Later, Jin returned to the bar. The warm light and low murmur of patrons contrasted sharply with the cold night outside. Makino was waiting, a glass of juice in her hand. She passed it to him with her usual soft smile.
He accepted it, downing half in one swallow before leaning back against the counter. "Makino… if I asked you to leave this village with me, would you regret it?"
Her eyes widened faintly, but then softened with warmth. "Leaving is always bittersweet. But leaving you… that would be unbearable. Without you, Jin, I wouldn't just be sad—I'd die of sorrow. So no. The only way I'll ever be unhappy is if I lose you."
Something inside me twisted at that, sharp and fierce. I masked it with a chuckle, but my hand tightened around the glass. "In less than half a year, we'll set sail. I don't know what waits for us out there, but I know this—I'm grateful I found your love in this cursed world."
Makino's cheeks warmed, though she rolled her eyes playfully. "We don't need pretty words anymore, Jin. You've already proven yourself." She flicked her slender finger against his forehead, teasing.
But I caught her hand before she could pull away. My fingers closed around hers, savoring the warmth, the delicacy. "I disagree. Love needs reminding, Makino. Besides… when we sail, I'll show you every sea, every island, every horizon. The Grand Line, the New World—I'll take you everywhere."
Her lips curved in a tender smile. "Then I'll brew the finest wine the world has ever tasted, for every new horizon we claim."
I laughed, genuine and full. "That's a promise. You'll be the greatest brewmaster this age has seen. And I'll drink every drop."
Her laughter joined mine, the sound like soft bells in the night.
As I looked around, I felt it—the threads pulling together. Kuina sharpening herself into the world's strongest blade. Makino rising as a master whose craft could unite seas. Tina, fierce and unyielding, burning for revenge. Kuma, the beast who could one day roar against the heavens themselves.
And me—the mercenary who would witness, guide, and play them all like pieces on the board.
This was no mere life.
This was the most beautiful game.
I tilted back my head, staring into the dark sky beyond the lanterns of Windmill Village, and I laughed. A long, wild laugh that shook with the thrill of it all.
The sea was waiting.
And I intended to flip its table upside down.
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T/N :
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