Aboard the main ship of the Tequila Pirates—the Tequila.
Back on Earth, Louis had never been particularly fond of exercise. Partly because he preferred staying indoors, and partly because progress had always felt intangible.
But the pirate world was different.
Ever since awakening his past-life memories, Louis had gained an almost frightening degree of sensitivity toward his own growth. He could feel even the slightest improvement in strength, stamina, and precision.
There had once been a joke on Earth:
If students could see a progress bar for studying, most underachievers would become top scholars.
Louis now felt as though he could see his own training bar.
He didn't know where the limit lay—but he could sense forward movement.
That was enough.
Training became addictive.
Like grinding levels in a game: no matter how repetitive the action, as long as the numbers climbed, motivation followed.
Otherwise, what would drive an ordinary man with average willpower to relentlessly squeeze his own potential every single day?
In Robin's quarters, Louis stood in the outer compartment, slowly practicing sword swings.
Officially, he was attending to Robin.
In reality, he was monitoring her.
Captain Medica had even modified part of the ship to create an inner and outer room. Until Robin fully proved her loyalty, Louis was not allowed to leave her unattended.
"First Mate."
Robin's voice drifted from inside, pulling him from his focused rhythm.
Louis casually opened the partition door and stepped into the inner chamber.
Without ceremony, he pulled the plate of pastries toward himself and grabbed a piece of cod cake.
Since Robin boarded, his quality of life had improved noticeably. If he wanted better food, he simply invoked her name at the galley.
Robin had grown accustomed to his shameless efficiency.
Today, however, she asked something unusual.
"I've noticed your training. Day after day, without interruption. Tell me—what drives you? Ambition?"
Ambition…
If you could feel yourself improving every moment, you'd enjoy it too.
Then a thought struck him.
Wait. She barely leaves this room. How does she know I train outside?
He had never practiced in front of her.
In the outer compartment, he made no unnecessary noise.
His eyes sharpened.
Instead of answering, he asked, "You've been gathering information on me?"
Ordinarily, Robin would never reveal the full scope of her ability.
But today, she had something she wanted.
In her mind, Louis was clever. If she spoke just enough, he would infer the rest.
"I merely see," she replied softly. "The places you believe I cannot observe are not truly unseen."
She closed her eyes.
An eye opened along her collarbone.
Another bloomed upon the desk.
The first vanished.
Louis stared, stunned.
By alternating only two manifested eyes, she eliminated blind spots entirely. Reflections in mirrors and glass concealed nothing from her.
As her eyes opened and closed across surfaces, Louis instinctively followed their path.
Walls.
Candlesticks.
The corridor beyond the door.
Then the deck.
An eye bloomed upon the mast.
It turned upward toward the sky.
A seabird passed overhead—and on its underside, an eye opened briefly.
Only then did Louis grasp how vast "within sight" truly was.
It wasn't confined to a room.
It extended as far as vision could travel.
The versatility was dizzying.
He began walking back toward her—
—and nearly collided with Hill, the newly appointed boatswain, who wore a crooked smirk.
"What's wrong? Not guarding the new lady like a loyal hound today?" Hill sneered. "Neglecting your duties?"
Louis glanced at him once and said nothing.
He walked past.
Hill clicked his tongue but didn't pursue.
Instead, he tilted his head and turned to a subordinate.
"Keep an eye on him. If he spends too long away from that woman, report to me immediately. Understood?"
The nearby pirates exchanged uneasy glances.
They followed Hill.
Louis might be First Mate, but loyalties were divided.
Captain Medica had deliberately appointed Hill as boatswain to prevent Louis from influencing the crew too deeply.
For a man obsessed with authority, Medica would never tolerate shared power.
The First Mate position was critical—if anything happened to the captain, the First Mate assumed command.
To curb any potential ambition, Medica had even hinted to Hill that provoking Louis wouldn't be unwelcome.
Isolation was strategic.
If Louis had no independent base of support, he would remain dependent on Medica—and useful.
Ironically, after all the Marines' elaborate speculation, they had accidentally identified one truth:
Medica did intend to form a pirate alliance.
With Robin's 79 million Berries bounty added to his own, even if her strength proved hollow, it elevated the crew's perceived power.
He absolutely intended to use Louis as an administrative figure within that future coalition.
Which meant Louis's personal prestige could not grow too strong.
Assigning him to watch Robin had deeper layers.
Layers Louis had completely failed to notice.
Something's off.
Hill might resent him, but openly undermining him before the crew violated ship discipline.
Unless—
He feels empowered.
Unless the captain had encouraged it.
Louis's expression darkened.
What if Hill reported even minor deviations to Medica?
He turned and headed straight back toward Robin's quarters.
He entered quickly—
—and was met with words that struck like a cannon blast.
"Just as before," Robin said calmly, "while surveying the surrounding area half an hour ago… I spotted a World Government vessel."