After Johnny and Joseph were kicked into the sea with one swift blow, Zoro didn't bother checking on them. He'd just gotten his new blade and was still testing its feel, and honestly—those two idiots were asking for it. Letting Kiana sleep beside them? In their dreams.
"Alright then, Kiana, let me introduce myself first. I'm the captain of this ship! The name's Usopp!"
"…Isn't the captain Luffy?"
"He's just my subordinate! I'm the one who actually runs this ship!"
There he goes, lying again. That title "God Usopp" didn't come out of nowhere. Thankfully, I'd already read the original manga back in my past life—I wouldn't believe a single punctuation mark that came out of his mouth.
"I heard from Luffy that you used to be a bounty hunter? So you're just like Zoro and the others. Honestly, it doesn't feel like a pirate ship anymore… more like a bounty hunter ship wearing a pirate flag."
Usopp glanced at Zoro and Johnny—who was currently climbing back aboard.
"Oh? Sister Kiana's a bounty hunter too? Come join us then!"
The moment Johnny climbed up, he immediately rushed over like we were long-lost best friends.
"Well, I haven't been in the business very long… and actually, I haven't received my first bounty yet."
"You haven't received it? Isn't it usually paid on the spot?" Johnny asked curiously. He and Joseph had been bounty hunters for ages, and such a thing had never happened to them before.
"They said the amount was too large and they couldn't pay it right away. Told me to come back in ten days. Only one day's passed so far."
"…Pardon me for asking, but… how much was your first bounty, Miss Kiana?"
"Not much. Just 300 million Berries."
I said it casually.
Zoro nearly dropped his sword. Usopp and Johnny almost popped their eyeballs out of their sockets.
T-Three hundred million Berries?!That kind of bounty in the East Blue? That wasn't just rare—that was impossible. The higher the bounty, the stronger the target. Was there even a pirate worth 300 million out here?
"…"
The way Nami looked at me changed instantly. Not only was this woman beautiful—she was strong. Strong enough to defeat a 300 million Berry pirate? Did that mean she could… defeat Arlong?
Nami's expression grew complicated. The horrifying strength of that fish-man had left a scar on her heart. Was there really someone in this world who could beat Arlong?
Thoughts began flickering inside her.
Should I ask Kiana for help?If she agrees… maybe I could free Cocoyashi Village…But if she fails…If Arlong gets angry—
—then everyone in Cocoyashi Village might die.
Her hands trembled slightly. She'd almost gathered the full amount Arlong demanded. At this crucial moment… could she risk everything?
She couldn't. She didn't dare gamble with the lives of her village.
"That's incredible, Big Sister Kiana! Three hundred million Berries—who was the unlucky pirate?"
Johnny and Joseph, once they got over their shock, immediately rushed to ask.
"Oh—he was Siegel from the Black Horn Pirates of the West Sea. Ever heard of him? Seems to be fairly well-known."
The moment I mentioned the name, Johnny flipped through his stack of bounty posters.
And there it was.
He looked up at me with pure admiration.
"Hmph. Looks like I'll have another powerful subordinate under my wing…"
Usopp declared haughtily—with his most dramatic, chuunibyou expression.
Zoro stopped testing his sword. He sheathed it, sat on the railing, and watched me quietly. He wanted to spar—I could tell. As a swordsman aiming for the title of the world's greatest, he would never ignore someone strong.
But I'd just gifted him two blades. Challenging me now would be awkward, even for him.
Meanwhile, Johnny and Joseph kept crowding me, stroking their beards, glancing at the sea. All they did was ramble loudly about when Don Krieg might show up.
They were so noisy.
I just wanted to deal with Krieg quickly, collect his head, get the bounty—and return to my real mission: finding a way to restore my original appearance. This girl's body still didn't feel like mine.
Time passed. Evening arrived.
Everyone disembarked the Merry and entered the Baratie for dinner.
"Cheers to our new companion!"Luffy raised his glass proudly—
—only to be kicked straight in the head by Sanji.
"Customers are overflowing and you're the only waiter right now! Drinking?? Get to work!"
"…"
Everyone fell silent as Luffy was dragged away by his collar.
Finally, Usopp couldn't help but laugh.
"Heh… looks like we don't need to blast through the roof anymore. We can set sail as planned."
Zoro joked half-heartedly. Everyone knew he was kidding, so they let it slide. After dinner, we quietly returned to the ship.
The night breeze was cool. The scorching heat from the day had vanished—leaving behind a gentle cold that crept into the skin. I put on an extra layer.
Inside the cabin, Zoro's thunderous snoring mixed with Usopp's wailing sleep-talk—pure torture. So I escaped to the bow of the Merry and sat alone, staring at the moon.
The night sky in this world was beautiful. Free of pollution, sprinkled with countless stars, and crowned with a bright, perfectly round moon. Only the soft rhythm of waves brushing against the hull broke the silence.
Suddenly—footsteps behind me.
I glanced back.
Nami.
She held out a coat and tossed it gently my way.
"Put this on. Nights out here get cold—you'll catch a cold."
"…Thanks."
I put on the coat. Warmth wrapped around me.
"Aren't you going to sleep? Staying up late is the enemy of us women. It'll ruin your skin."
Nami leaned against the rudder casually.
"…I can't sleep. I just want to look at the moon. My hometown never had one this beautiful."
"My hometown"—words that made her pause. She frowned slightly. The moon always looks like this, doesn't it?
"What about you? Why aren't you sleeping?" I asked without turning from the moon.
"I…"
She hesitated. Wanted to speak—but didn't dare.
"Say whatever you want to say," I murmured.
She sighed… then shook her head.
"It's nothing. Just wanted to tell you to rest early. I'll turn in first. Lock the door when you come inside."
She forced a smile and walked away.
"…You won't tell me?"
I whispered to the moonlight. I knew her tragic past. I'd read it before. And frankly—I didn't want to interfere.
I'd made my decision long ago:I wouldn't disrupt the natural flow of One Piece's story.As long as events unfolded like the original… I remained in control.
If I changed the course of the world, the future would become unpredictable. That would make my search for the Dragon Balls much more difficult.
I should've left right after finishing my task today. Staying to deal with Krieg was… honestly impulsive.
But I didn't even know where to go next. After the Dragon Ball main quest, the interface said:
"Level insufficient. Quest unavailable."
The quest button was completely grayed out.
So I stayed. To level up.
I needed a strong foe… someone powerful enough to threaten my life. Only then would the system grant experience.
Would Krieg—the so-called overlord of the East Blue—be enough?
Don't disappoint me, Krieg. Give me enough EXP to hit level 20 at least—got it?
I didn't care about his bounty. What I wanted… was EXP.
When I confirmed everyone was asleep, I carefully pulled out my phone—covered in a black cloth—and hunched over like a thief.
Time to begin the daily quest: Favorability Self-Touch Session.
"Heh heh… This isn't weird. It's purely for the mission. Nothing perverted at all. Nope. Totally wholesome. Heh heh heh—"
"Captain… I can feel you doing something shameful again."
Ai-chan's voice suddenly echoed from the phone—making me jolt and instantly pull back, face burning red.
"I-I didn't—! Ai-chan, you're falsely accusing me!"
The phone floated into the air with the black cloth still draped over it—like it was smirking wickedly.
"Whether I'm accusing you or not—it doesn't matter. From now on, Captain, you won't have any excuse to commit indecent acts in the name of tasks. The favorability system has been revised!"
"…What?"
My brain stalled.
"That means you can't use this quest as cover for your disgusting self-comfort sessions anymore! Ohhh, what a tragedy, Captain!"
Ai-chan sounded way too excited.
…THIS AI IS THE WORST!!!