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The sky was bright and clear, and the sea shimmered under the sunlight.
A small pirate ship cruised smoothly across the calm blue waves.
Logan, who had somehow been demoted to a temporary deckhand, looked extremely annoyed as he followed Nami's endless stream of instructions.
"Logan, you idiot! A bit more to the left!"
"Too much! Now back to the right!"
"Are you brain-dead?! How hard is it to steer in a straight line?!"
"…"
Nami's voice was like a machine gun — loud, fast, and relentless — and every shout made Logan's face twitch harder.
This was revenge.
Absolutely revenge.
Especially since Nami always glanced at his expression before she started yelling again, clearly enjoying herself.
What, just because their "sessions" had gone from four hours to five?
And he tried a few new moves?
Did she really have to hold that kind of grudge?!
"How much longer until we reach the Goa Kingdom?!" Logan grumbled, gripping the wheel with growing irritation.
He was the captain, yet he had to do this menial work himself—and still got yelled at for it.
"About half a day," Nami said lazily, reclining on a deck chair in her bikini, sipping a fruity drink while basking in the sun.
Logan's eyes couldn't help drifting toward her. The sunlight outlined her perfect curves, and the heat in the air only made the fire in him burn stronger.
The next second, he drew his sword.
Nami flinched and jumped up from her chair, wary."Wh-what are you doing? I'm your navigator!"
Ignoring her panic, Logan shoved the sword into the ship's wheel to keep it in place.
Nami let out a relieved sigh, then frowned. "That's not gonna work. The wind changes, and we'll drift off course in no time."
"Then we'll fix it when it does." Logan smirked and started walking toward her.
Oh no.
"Logan, you bastard! Weren't you satisfied with what you did last night?!" Nami stomped her foot, cheeks flushing red. "Don't you dare!"
She glared at him, then spun around and bolted toward the cabin.
"Running away?" Logan chuckled softly. "Soru!"
In a flash, his figure vanished and reappeared behind her. His arm wrapped around her slim waist before she could take another step.
"You big jerk!" Nami puffed up in frustration, glaring at him with teary eyes.
Oh, someone please save her!
Logan ignored her protests, hoisted her up, and carried her straight into the cabin.
Goa Kingdom — Windmill Village.
Inside Makino's tavern, the air smelled faintly of wood and wine.
"I wonder how Luffy's doing these days… I can't help but worry about that kid."
Makino, resting her chin on her hands, looked a little anxious.
She had watched Luffy grow up, so she knew better than anyone how much trouble he could get into.
"Hahaha! Don't worry so much, Makino," Dadan said with a loud laugh, slamming back a mug of rum in one gulp. "That brat's tougher than he looks. And if he does get into trouble, Ace won't just sit around doing nothing."
"Yeah, and don't forget Garp," another added.
The others all nodded and burst into laughter.
"Right! Luffy's the grandson of the Navy Hero, Garp! What could possibly happen to him? He's probably having the time of his life out there!"
Their laughter and optimism eased Makino's heart a little.
Maybe they were right.
After all, Luffy's grandfather was the legendary Garp, his brother Ace was a division commander under Whitebeard, and his mentor was Red-Haired Shanks himself.
How could anything go wrong with that kind of background?
If only they knew that Luffy's father was none other than the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon — and that Sabo wasn't dead, but alive and second-in-command of the Revolutionaries.
They'd all be stunned speechless.
With that kind of family tree, Luffy wasn't just adventuring—he was basically living a rich kid's fantasy trip.
As the laughter continued, the tavern door suddenly creaked open.
Two figures stepped inside.
Makino looked up with her usual gentle smile. "Welcome. What can I get for you?"
Logan smiled back. "I heard the owner here brews some of the best wine around. I just had to stop by and try it for myself."
Nami shot him a sideways glance.
Yeah, sure. You just had to stop by.
She could already tell that this tavern owner was exactly the kind of woman Logan had come here for.
He'd sailed all this way just to recruit another beautiful woman for his crew — no doubt about it.
In Nami's mind, Logan now officially had a label: shameless pervert.
Makino's cheeks flushed slightly at Logan's compliment. "You're too kind," she said softly, handing two glasses of wine to them.
"Hahaha! Don't be modest, Makino!" Dadan chimed in, half-drunk and grinning. "Your wine's famous all around here! Kid's got good taste, I'll give him that."
Logan took a sip, savoring the flavor as his eyes swept around the room. After a moment, he smiled. "It's really good. I mean it."
And he wasn't lying — the praise everyone gave Makino's wine was well-deserved.
"I'm glad you like it." Makino's gentle, graceful smile never wavered.
Then Logan suddenly said, "By the way…"
Nami's heart skipped a beat.
Here it comes.
He's doing it again.
Logan leaned forward slightly, smiling. "My crew happens to be short a brewer. I think you'd be perfect for the job."
"Huh?"
The sudden invitation caught everyone off guard — Makino included.
After a brief pause, she smiled politely and shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I have no plans to go out to sea. I just want to keep running my little tavern here in Windmill Village."
Logan didn't seem disappointed by her answer.
After all, there's always a way.
People only make choices when they're pushed to.
"I actually overheard you all talking about Luffy earlier," he said casually. "Funny thing — I know him too."
"....."