"Jerk, always bullying girls," Nami muttered under her breath, her eyes occasionally darting toward the room as she steered the ship.
After leaving Windmill Village, Reno had immediately taken Makino to a room. The task of helmsman naturally fell to Nami. She was supposed to be a navigator, yet here she was, doubling as a helmsman. Was there no justice in this world?! In her mind, Nami had already cursed Reno a thousand times over as a jerk.
He was having all the fun. His words sounded nice—Makino was new and unfamiliar with ship duties, so he needed to teach her some basic navigation skills. The innocent Makino believed him, even preparing a notebook to take notes. But that "lesson" lasted four hours.
"Damn it, can't he show a little tenderness?!"
…
Inside the Room
[Congratulations, Host, for successfully conquering crew member Makino. Would you like to claim your reward?]
The system's prompt came as expected. Reno ignored it for the moment.
Makino lay quietly on the three-meter-wide bed, her cheeks slightly flushed. She stared at Reno in silence, her eyes filled with resentment. Jerk! He said he'd teach her navigation skills. How did it turn into this?!
"Joining my pirate crew means you're mine now. Don't worry, I'll treat you well," Reno said softly, reassuring her.
These weren't empty sweet words. He wasn't the type to love 'em and leave 'em. Once Makino spent more time with him, she'd see his good side.
In truth, although teaching Makino "navigation skills" had taken a full four hours, Reno knew her physical condition was far weaker than Nami's. So, he'd adjusted his approach accordingly. With Nami, he could keep up a relentless pace with little rest. But with Makino, he deliberately slowed down, keeping it within her limits.
"Mmm," Makino responded softly, her voice tinged with exhaustion.
Reno gently closed the door and headed to Nami's room. Why? To claim his reward, of course!
[Congratulations, Host, for obtaining the skill—Teleportation!]
Teleportation?! Reno's heart leaped with joy. In the fantasy novels he'd read in his past life, teleportation was a basic ability. But in the One Piece world, it was an absolute game-changer.
He opened the skill description:
Instant Teleportation: Within the Host's perception range, they can bypass obstacles and arrive at any desired location. Spatial Transfer: The Host can leave coordinates at a location and instantly return to it from anywhere.
In simple terms: Close range? Flash wherever he wants. Long range? Teleport to marked coordinates.
Reno nodded with satisfaction. In the One Piece world, many strong fighters were described as "teleporting" in battle, but that was just an exaggeration of their speed. While their movements might be hard to track with the naked eye, Observation Haki could still catch them. But Reno's teleportation was the real deal.
What was true teleportation? As fast as his thoughts. Even if Observation Haki could pinpoint his location, the body still needed time to react. In that split second, Reno could already be in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
And that wasn't all—pairing the Teleportation skill with the Healing Fruit made him nearly impossible to kill. Reno grew more excited, wondering just how strong he'd become after conquering all the plot-relevant beauties. By then, he could probably crush Im with ease, right?!
Wait, Im was a woman, wasn't she? No killing then—just conquering.
…
Night fell.
At the dining table, Reno, Nami, and Makino sat together. Nami was devouring her food with no regard for manners.
"Slow down, no one's stealing your food," Reno teased.
"So good! It's so good!" "Makino-nee, your cooking is way better than Reno's," Nami mumbled through a mouthful, not missing a chance to throw shade at him.
"No need for the second part," Reno said, rolling his eyes and giving her a light tap on the forehead.
Nami rubbed her head, shot him a glare, and went back to scarfing down her food.
The scene made Makino smile softly. Though she hadn't known Reno long, he didn't seem like the menacing figure she'd seen in the tavern. Was it her imagination?
"Makino, from now on, you're the Reno Pirates' brewer and chef," Reno said.
He was genuinely surprised—Makino, known for her brewing, turned out to be an incredible cook, too. Her dishes were a feast for the senses.
"No problem," Makino replied with a gentle smile, agreeing readily.
In truth, from the moment she joined the Reno Pirates, she had no choice. Since she was here, she might as well make the best of it. Besides, she'd already given Reno her most precious thing, and in her heart, she'd accepted him. If he enjoyed her cooking, she was happy to oblige.
"Captain, are we going to recruit more crew members next?" Makino asked casually, starting to settle into the group. Right now, the ship only had three people—far from a proper pirate crew.
"Absolutely," Reno nodded firmly. "For the next while, we'll be traveling to lots of places to recruit new members."
Hearing this, Nami suddenly sighed dramatically. "Great, who knows how many innocent, kind girls you're going to ruin next."
Reno's face darkened, and he said sternly, "Nami, what was that?!"
"Just kidding, Captain! I'm joking!" Nami backpedaled quickly, seeing his raised hand.
All female crew members?!
Makino froze, her mind flashing back to Reno's "navigation lesson" earlier that day. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Why is our captain so… lecherous?
…