The tower guard had been dragging me through her matchmaking nonsense for way too long. My mood was hitting rock bottom, and at this point, all I wanted was for that merchant ship to arrive already. Please, any ship—save me.
Thankfully, the universe heard my prayers.
Under the glow of the lighthouse at night, a merchant vessel slowly approached from the distance. It followed the beam of light and pulled in toward the shore, anchoring with a soft thud. A climbing rope was tossed overboard, and a couple of sturdy-looking men descended with heavy crates in hand.
"Miss Ross! The supplies for this month have arrived. The total cost is—whoa!"
The man carrying the box froze the moment he saw me standing beside the tower guard. His eyes widened, he fumbled—and boom—the crate slipped right out of his hands and slammed onto the ground.
"M-Miss Ross… Who is this lady? Please—introduce us! I beg you!"
"Get lost! This girl is already promised to my nephew!"Before he could even take a step forward, the tower guardian smacked him on the head with a wooden stick that appeared out of nowhere.
"Ow—ow—Come on now, Miss Ross… You can't blame me for asking! I mean… just look at her. She's nothing like your nephew, you know?"
The man scratched his head sheepishly. Honestly? He had a point. Even I had to silently agree—your nephew and me? Really?
"This young lady's name is Kiana," Aunt Ross finally said, pushing the man away. "She'll be taking your ship to the East Blue."
"Oh? Kiana-chan is heading to the East Blue?"
Chan? Seriously? Whatever. I decided to let it slide—better not anger the guy who's about to give me a ride across the sea.
"Yeah," I nodded. "I've got business there."
"Hoho! That's great news then! It gets pretty dull traveling with nothing but men onboard. Having a beautiful lady along the way—"His voice dropped. His nose twitched. "Uh oh. Nose… bleeding…!"
He clutched his nose with both hands as he burst out laughing. Despite his big frame, he had the vibe of an outgoing uncle—and somehow, that made me relax a little. He didn't seem like a creep. At least, not totally.
"Kuka, here's the payment for this month." Miss Ross handed over her money—ten thousand Berries.
Kuka counted through it, then shrugged. "Fifty short? Forget it. No need for change."
He waved it off like it was nothing. Well, I guess being the lighthouse guardian near the entrance to the Grand Line had its perks. Merchant ships needed her directions during dark nights and foggy days—no one wanted to get lost near the Reverse Mountain.
Once the deal was done, Kuka's men began hauling the supplies into the tower guard's home. While doing so, they kept sneaking glances my way—one of them got so distracted, he walked straight into a wall.
"See, Kiana-chan? Your beauty causes trouble everywhere you go."Miss Ross chuckled beside me. "These boys aren't even working properly anymore."
"…Haha." What else could I say? I swear I want to be a man again.But nope. I'm stuck like this. Thanks, fate.
When they finished unloading, Kuka waved me over and invited me onto his ship. It wasn't very big—maybe about twice the size of Luffy's Going Merry—but it looked sturdy enough. Several crates were stacked on the deck, and a handful of young sailors lingered nearby.
"Welcome aboard, Kiana-chan!"
They greeted me one after another, cheerful and lively as puppies.
"Thank you for the ride," I said politely. "Is there… a fee I need to pay?"
"You? Pay?" Kuka laughed. "No way! Just having Kiana-chan onboard is payment enough! Traveling with a bunch of guys gets boring, you know?"
"Right, right! Kiana-chan, hang out with me after dinner!"
"Get lost! She'll hang out with me, not with your ugly face!"
Everyone burst out laughing, and the atmosphere lightened even more. Then Kuka snapped his fingers as if he'd just remembered something.
"By the way—Kiana-chan, we haven't arranged your room yet. I can give you mine and bunk with the boys for a few days."
"Huh? You'd do that for me?"I blinked. So… this is what "female privilege" feels like.
As expected, we'd be spending the night here. Visibility was too low to cross the Reverse Mountain in the dark—it'd be suicide. We'd wait until tomorrow morning before making the climb.
Kuka led me to the ship's galley, where we were treated to a warm dinner. As we sat around the table, he pointed at the Pulsating Tachi resting at my waist.
"I meant to ask earlier… Kiana-chan, are you a swordsman?"
"…You could say that." Or a sniper. Or a Valkyrie. Depending on the day. Hard to explain when your power comes from other worlds.
"Really? I thought it was just for show."
"…."
Ah yes—society. Strike one.
"So, Kiana-chan—what's your business in the East Blue? We're heading to Moss Island first. If Rogue Town isn't on the way, you might need another ship after we drop the cargo."
"No worries. I actually am heading to Rogue Town first." I tried not to sound too hopeful. "Is that route good?"
"Rogue Town?" Kuka grinned. "Then you're in luck. That's exactly where we're doing business."
Perfect. First stop: naval branch. Exchange Siegel's bounty. Then — buy my own ship. Living in this world without one is torture.
Of course… there is one pervert who can swim through the Calm Belt, but let's not talk about him. Not only am I nowhere near Rayleigh's level, I'm also a Devil Fruit user. In the face of Sea Kings… I'm fish food.
After dinner, Kuka showed me to his cabin. He asked me to wait outside for a minute while he cleaned up.
When I finally stepped inside, a faint musty smell lingered—but to be honest? I've slept in worse places in my past life. A room to myself was more than enough.
"Sorry it's messy," Kuka said bashfully. "It's just me living here."
"It's fine. I appreciate it."
"Then, good night, Kiana-chan!"
"Good night, Uncle Kuka!"
I closed the door, leaned my Pulsating Tachi against the wall, and lay down on the creaky bed. Exhaustion quickly overwhelmed me—and I fell asleep instantly.
The Next Morning
I woke up naturally, stretched, and headed for the deck.
"Oh? Kiana-chan's awake? Breakfast is ready!"
"Thank you."
As I stepped onto the deck, something felt… off.
Wait. Where's the Red Line?
I scanned left—right—behind—
There it was. The Red Earth Continent… already behind us. Fading farther away with each second.
"We've already crossed the Reverse Mountain," Kuka said with a grin, watching my stunned reaction.
"W–We already…? Then… this is… the East Blue?!"
"Yep. Though I gotta say—Kiana-chan must sleep really deep. You didn't even wake up when the ship was shaking like crazy."
I nearly collapsed on the spot.
…The epic climb up the Reverse Mountain—the legendary crossing—the thrill of entering the East Blue through the Grand Line…And I slept through the whole thing.
Damn it. I wanted to see it with my own eyes!