Clear skies stretched endlessly, and gentle waves rippled across the sea. A small pirate ship sailed smoothly on the calm waters.
Reno, now a temporary shiphand, listened irritably to Nami's relentless commands.
"Reno, you idiot, steer a bit to the left!" "Too far, too far! A little to the right!" "Are you a blockhead?! Can't you handle something as simple as steering?!"
Nami's barrage of insults was like a verbal cannon, her words relentless, making Reno's face twitch.
Revenge!This is definitely revenge!
Especially since Nami kept sneaking glances at his expression before unleashing another round of verbal attacks. All because their "intimate time" had gone from four hours to five. All because they'd unlocked a few new "moves." Did she really need to retaliate this blatantly?!
"How much longer until we reach the Goa Kingdom?!" Reno grumbled, gripping the ship's helm, thoroughly annoyed. He was the captain, yet here he was, personally handling trivial tasks like steering. And getting scolded for it, no less.
"About half a day," Nami replied, her mood noticeably brighter now that she'd regained her confidence. Wearing a bikini, she lounged on a deck chair, sipping delicious juice and basking in the sun.
Nami's curvaceous figure caught Reno's eye, and combined with the sweltering heat, a spark of desire flared within him. In the next moment, he drew his sword.
Nami jumped, standing up from her chair, cautiously saying, "W-What are you doing?! I'm your navigator!"
Reno ignored her, thrusting the sword into the helm to lock it in place.
Nami sighed in relief but shook her head. "That won't work. If the wind shifts, the ship will veer off course immediately."
"We'll deal with that when it happens," Reno said with a mischievous grin, advancing toward her.
Oh no.
"Reno, you jerk! Wasn't last night enough?!" Nami huffed, stomping her foot in frustration. "You're not getting your way!"
She shot him a glare and bolted toward the cabin.
"Trying to run?!" Reno chuckled. "Shave!"
In a flash, he vanished and reappeared, his arm already wrapped around Nami's slender waist.
"You… big jerk!!" Nami glared at him, cheeks puffed with indignation.
God, someone save me!
Ignoring her protests, Reno carried her into the cabin.
…
Goa Kingdom, Windmill Village.Makino's Tavern.
"I wonder how Luffy's doing. I'm a bit worried," Makino, the tavern's owner, said, propping her chin on her hands with a concerned expression. Having watched Luffy grow up, she knew all too well his knack for getting into trouble.
"Hahaha! Makino, don't worry. That kid Luffy will be fine," Dadan said, downing a glass of rum with a hearty laugh. "If he gets into real danger, Ace won't just stand by." "And there's that guy Karp, too."
Dadan's crew nodded enthusiastically in agreement: "Hahaha! Luffy's the grandson of the Navy hero Karp. How could he be in danger?! He's probably having the time of his life out there."
Their words offered Makino some comfort. They had a point. With a grandfather like the legendary hero Karp, a Navy icon, and a brother like Ace, a division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, not to mention Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, as his mentor—Luffy couldn't possibly be in trouble, right?
If they knew Luffy's father was Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, and that Sabo was alive and the second-in-command of the Revolutionaries, they'd be even more shocked. With such a stacked background, Luffy wasn't just adventuring—he was living the life of a privileged second-generation heir.
As the tavern's conversation revolved around Luffy, the door suddenly swung open. Two figures stepped inside.
Makino looked at Reno and Nami, greeting them warmly. "How can I help you?"
Reno's lips curled into a smile as he replied, "I heard the tavern owner here is a master brewer. I came to taste your work."
Nami shot him a sidelong glance. Keep pretending.Go on, act all innocent.
Now she was certain: the tavern's owner was Reno's target. Traveling all this way to recruit a "female crew member"? Reno definitely had some kind of fetish. In her mind, Nami had already labeled him.
At Reno's compliment, Makino's cheeks flushed slightly, and she smiled shyly. "You're too kind." She handed Reno and Nami each a glass of wine with a gentle smile.
"Hahaha! Makino, don't be so modest. Your wine's famous for miles around!" Dadan, a bit tipsy, slurred with enthusiasm. "Kid, you've got good taste."
Reno sipped the wine while discreetly observing the others in the tavern. After a moment, he smiled and said, "The wine's excellent. I love it."
He meant it. The praise for Makino's brewing wasn't exaggerated—it was genuinely delicious.
"I'm glad you like it," Makino replied, her gentle and elegant demeanor unchanged, a faint smile on her face.
"Oh, by the way—"
Here it comes.He's making his move.
Nami, who'd been waiting for something to happen, rolled her eyes inwardly.
Reno shifted the conversation abruptly. "My pirate crew happens to need a brewer, and I think you'd be perfect."
"Huh?!"
The sudden invitation caught Makino and Dadan's crew off guard. After a moment, Makino shook her head with a polite smile. "I'm sorry, but I don't plan to go out to sea. I just want to run my tavern here in Windmill Village."
Reno wasn't surprised by her refusal. But there were always ways to persuade. Sometimes, people just needed a little push.
"I overheard you talking about Luffy earlier. Funny thing—I know him, too."
…