Days at sea could be dull — but not aboard the Going Merry.
With five beautiful crewmates constantly bustling about, there was always life, chatter, and laughter filling the deck.
Nami stood near the stern, watering her orange trees with a small spray bottle, humming softly. Makino was busy near the galley, bottling a fresh batch of her homemade wine. From the kitchen came the rhythmic sounds of Carmen chopping ingredients, while Nojiko assisted her like a cheerful sous chef. Kaya sat cross-legged under the shade of the mast, flipping carefully through a thick medical text, completely immersed.
Even with Leo's healing powers, Kaya still worked hard to improve her medical knowledge. It was her dream to become a real doctor, and she treated that dream seriously.
As for Leo?
He was stretched out in a deck chair with his sunglasses on, rocking lazily back and forth. The warm sun hit his skin, the salty breeze ruffled his hair, and he grinned lazily.
This was the life.
Every day, after finishing navigation lessons with the girls, he would lie here and enjoy the sound of them moving around — cooking, studying, tending the trees — their voices and footsteps mixing with the sound of the waves. It made his heart strangely content.
Especially since they were all stunning.
Ever since he'd obtained the Hand of the Tide, every single navigation lesson had been… much more intense.
At first, Nami, Kaya, Nojiko, and Makino had been completely unprepared — their reactions were priceless, blushing and squealing as if splashed with cold water. Now, they were slowly learning to handle it, though Carmen, Nami, and Nojiko could even stir up real waves with their practice.
Each lesson left the deck soaked, and cleaning up afterwards had become a routine.
But none of them could deny the results — their progress had been incredible.
…
"Alright, everyone take a break! Lunch is ready!" Carmen's lively voice floated from the kitchen.
Nami set down her watering can, Kaya folded the corner of her page as a bookmark, and the others quickly finished up their tasks.
Soon everyone was seated at the large dining table on deck.
The sight made Leo sit up a little in interest.
This wasn't just any lunch. Carmen had laid out a full feast — the most formal meal she had prepared since joining the crew.
No wonder.
They were almost at their final stop in the East Blue — Loguetown.
Once they resupplied there, they would set sail for the Grand Line.
"Wow… look at all this!" Kaya's eyes widened as she held her fork and knife like a proper lady, but her mouth watered anyway.
"The smell is amazing," Nami said, nose twitching as she breathed in the delicious aromas.
Nojiko and Makino exchanged a glance and smiled helplessly. Neither of them could compare to Carmen's cooking. She had naturally become the Merry's official head chef.
Carmen, dressed neatly in her chef uniform, began introducing the dishes one by one with a professional flourish:
"This is rainbow salmon sashimi."
"This one's Dukkadin crab cake."
"This is kabura mantis shrimp tempura."
"And this is grilled dorado a la Chiana…"
She went on until everyone was practically drooling, unable to look away from the colorful spread in front of them.
Even Leo nodded approvingly.
Professional work was simply on another level.
Every dish looked like a work of art — perfectly plated, giving off an aroma that made their stomachs growl before they even picked up their forks.
Seeing their eager faces, Carmen clapped her hands lightly.
"Alright, that's everything. Dig in, everyone!"
The table erupted in motion instantly.
"This is the best autumn mackerel I've ever tasted," Kaya said, savoring her first bite.
"These crab cakes taste just like the ones from Baratie!" Nojiko added with a grin.
"Mmm… I could get addicted to this…" Nami practically melted as she chewed.
Even Leo felt like his taste buds were celebrating.
He leaned back, satisfied. "Not bad at all. Looks like we've got ourselves an amazing chef."
The praise made Carmen's face light up. She sat down with the others, finally joining them in enjoying the meal she'd made.
…
As the meal neared its end, Leo wiped his mouth and glanced around the table.
"Once we reach Loguetown, stock up on more supplies," he said casually.
With all the training sessions, their daily consumption was higher than normal — food, soap, bandages, even spare clothes — they went through everything fast. And now with Carmen on board, the old supply list wouldn't last nearly as long.
"I want to buy some new skirts!" Nami said immediately, her eyes sparkling.
"And I'd like to pick up a few new medical texts," Kaya added quickly.
Once Nami started, the floodgates opened.
Makino mentioned wine ingredients, Nojiko wanted tools for repairs, Carmen even requested some rare spices she'd been searching for.
Leo could only laugh and shake his head.
"Is shopping a universal law for women?" he muttered.
He'd only been talking about necessities. Somehow it had turned into an entire shopping spree.
Still, he didn't stop them.
"Fine. Get whatever you want," he said with a smirk. "Happy crew, happy ship."
But shopping wasn't the only thing on his mind.
Loguetown was special.
It wasn't just their last stop before the Grand Line — it was also where he planned to recruit one more beauty.
The glasses-wearing Marine girl, Tashigi.
A slightly clumsy, earnest swordswoman with a passion for collecting rare blades.
If things went according to plan, she was currently stationed at the Loguetown Marine base.
Leo smirked at the thought.
Back in his old world, there was a saying: every girl with glasses has a hidden side.
He couldn't wait to find out if that was true here.
And when she finally joined his crew, he would personally confirm it.
…
The East Blue arc was drawing to a close.
Three characters still hadn't appeared: Apis from the millennial dragon story, the beautiful Queen of Clockwork Island, and of course, Kuina.
The first two were short arcs, barely more than side stories, so they might be covered later.
But Carmen had been a perfect fit — her meeting with Sanji, her duel, and joining the crew flowed naturally with Leo's journey.
As for Kuina… well, that was still to come.
And Leo's crew wasn't done growing just yet.
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T/N :
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