Luffy had always been supremely confident. It was only these last two days, constantly pushing his limits, that his thresholds had kept changing.
Having successfully devoured a book, the sense of accomplishment was undeniably immense. Most importantly, he had definitely won the bet!
Nami's mind was in turmoil.
Really? Could it be true?
It certainly didn't seem like an act.
Holding onto a sliver of hope, Nami asked a few questions, and Luffy answered them fluently.
He really wasn't faking it!
Nami felt as if the sky had fallen.
"Hey, it was easy. You could do it too," Luffy said, waving a hand dismissively at Nami, his face full of a smug grin.
Clenching her fists, barely resisting the urge to punch him in the face, Nami slammed the pot down with a clang. She forced a smile. "Fine, you win, okay."
"So I won the bet!"
"Let me make this clear first: I have no money, you can have my life!" Nami said through gritted teeth.
No one was going to make her cough up money already in her pocket!
"Eh? What about my ten million Berries?"
"Then... then I'll just give you one more request. One of my requests is worth far more than ten million Berries," Nami said, somewhat guiltily.
"Then... alright then... Let me sleep first."
As he spoke, Luffy had already inhaled the entire pot of stew and rice, then his eyes closed and he fell asleep.
[Prompt. It is now rest time...]
Unknowingly, it was already midnight.
Another day had passed.
"Let you sleep?"
Nami's voice gradually rose in pitch. She crossed her arms over her chest. She knew Luffy was up to no good!
Snore...
Snore...
The sound of Luffy snoring reached her. Nami looked down and realized he was already asleep.
He literally meant just sleeping?
The expression on Nami's face shifted unpredictably. So she had misunderstood after all.
Wait, why is he asleep in my room?
Get up!
Despite saying that, Nami ended up making a bed on the floor in her room and dumping Luffy onto it.
...
Early the next morning.
Zoro sat cross-legged at the top of the crow's nest, meditating with a furrowed brow.
The morning sea breeze, carrying its salty dampness, should have been refreshing, but he felt strangely uncomfortable all over.
Because it was too quiet!
The quiet wasn't the absence of wave sounds, but the lack of noise from a certain rubber idiot on the deck.
Having gotten used to Luffy training noisily early in the morning for two consecutive days, this sudden silence felt unsettling to Zoro, who was accustomed to high-intensity training.
Did that guy only last two days?
Zoro muttered to himself, still continuously lifting a large dumbbell up and down. This should be the normal state of affairs. The Luffy from the past two days had been acting like his life depended on it.
Speaking of which, Luffy hadn't returned to the shared dorm with Usopp last night. That guy wouldn't have...
Zoro's gaze drifted inexplicably towards the closed door of the navigator's room.
Sigh. Women truly are like wolves and tigers.
Just then, a small green dot on the horizon, growing increasingly clear, caught the corner of Zoro's eye.
He immediately pushed aside his random thoughts, rubbed his eyes vigorously, and looked carefully. The unique fish-like outline of the ship was now faintly distinguishable.
"Hey, everyone below!"
Zoro leaned out and shouted towards the deck, "Wake up! I see a ship! The sea restaurant Baratie is ahead!"
Zoro's shout roused everyone.
The deck door was flung open with a bang as Usopp ran out excitedly, followed by a groggy Johnny and Yosaku.
"Finally, we can have a proper meal."
"About time. Let's find a cook quickly."
Their shouts and exclamations were particularly piercing in the quiet morning.
"What's all the noise?!"
"Who's making such a racket so early in the morning? Let people sleep!"
Two voices, thick with sleep and clear annoyance at being disturbed, sounded almost simultaneously.
The door to Nami's room was pulled open forcefully, and Nami, her hair a bird's nest, walked out, rubbing her eyes.
That was nothing unusual.
But then Luffy also walked out, rubbing his eyes, yawning, and looking completely dazed!
While not as exaggerated as being dishevelled, their perfectly synchronized movements and bleary-eyed state clearly indicated they had just woken up in the same private space.
"Ooh~"
"Sorry about that, Big Sis Nami!"
Nami was instantly wide awake.
Seeing the unmistakable "I get it" expressions on Usopp and the others' faces, her cheeks flushed bright red.
"Wait, what are you all thinking?!"
"It's a misunderstanding! A complete misunderstanding!"
"This idiot was just so tired he fell asleep in my room."
The more she explained, the messier it got.
Luffy, meanwhile, looked completely at ease.
[Prompt. The Pirate King cannot form an army alone. Powerful companions are essential. Today's half-day is designated as 'Companion Day'. Please engage in activities to recruit companions.]
Luffy stretched with a big yawn, his bones cracking. His face radiated the joy of being reborn, completely ignoring the awkward atmosphere around him.
He had woken up at 1:00 AM.
Habit was a terrifying thing.
He'd seen the new characters for less than three seconds before falling back asleep.
He loved this 'Companion Day'!
Usopp, barely containing his laughter, sidled up to Luffy, who was happily cracking his neck. Just as he was about to say something, he waved a hand in front of his nose. "Hey, hey, Luffy, do you smell a bit... funky?"
[A good appearance is an important factor in recruiting companions. Please wash up immediately. Allocation made based on real-time physical condition. Countdown: five minutes...]
"I'm going to take a shower first!" Luffy muttered about the trouble. His body moved faster than his brain, and he whooshed towards the washroom.
Everyone: "..."
Freshly showered and full of energy, Luffy bounced back onto the deck.
Zoro was already directing Usopp and Johnny to adjust the sails, preparing to approach the sea restaurant Baratie.
Just then, Usopp pointed towards a massive object floating in the sea near the restaurant and exclaimed, "What's that?!"
Everyone looked.
They saw the wreckage of a ship, far larger than any ordinary vessel, half-submerged in the water. Its hull, split into two huge sections, told of the destructive force it had encountered. The enormous holes and torn marks on the ship's body were horrifying.
"The flagship of the Krieg Pirates!"
Johnny, a bounty hunter born and raised in the East Blue, recognized the famous insignia immediately. "The largest pirate fleet in the East Blue! The whole fleet has 50 ships and 5000 men. How did it end up like this?"
"How did such a big ship sink?"
"It wasn't sunk by cannon fire. Those cuts look like they were sliced apart by a single sword stroke."
"Don't be ridiculous! How could anyone cut a ship like that in half with one swing? You think it's made of paper?!"
Usopp waved his hands dismissively.
As everyone was stunned by the wreckage of the Krieg flagship, a Marine warship, flying the seagull flag, also came into view, heading straight for Baratie.
On the warship's deck stood a burly Marine officer with a very impatient expression.
"Huh? Remnants of the Krieg Pirates? Disturbing my meal at a time like this!"
Marine Headquarters Captain "Iron Fist" Fullbody watched the approaching Going Merry with clear displeasure. "Baratie is my reserved restaurant. Don't think you can crash the party."
He commanded his subordinates.
"Get my cannon ready!"