Nojiko's cheeks felt as if they were burning, yet she tried to maintain her composure: "You must have misheard, I didn't say anything."
"No, I distinctly heard you say it!"
Nojiko's heart tightened, realizing she had revealed that she had heard those embarrassing sounds. This was incredibly awkward! To be found out by her own sister that she had...
She hardened her resolve. Since Ron wasn't present, she decided not to conceal it anymore. Moreover, Nami was her sister; what couldn't she be honest about?
So, she simply came clean, dropping the pretense: "Alright, I did hear it, but I absolutely didn't mean to."
"It's all your fault..."
"Stop it!" Nami covered her face in embarrassment.
Looking at Nami's appearance, a strange feeling inexplicably arose in Nojiko's heart. Instead, she became more curious, leaning close to Nami's ear and asking, "Was Ron too rough?"
"Look at you today..."
"No, he wasn't," Nami quickly interrupted. "He was very gentle. After all, he is..."
"What kind of feeling was it?" Nojiko pressed on.
Nami pondered for a moment, then whispered, "It was a feeling I've never had before, incredibly wonderful..."
"And, I have a feeling he didn't even go all out!"
—--------------------
The town was far livelier than anywhere they had been before.
Wide cobblestone streets stretched through rows of busy shops.
Voices mingled — merchants shouting, children laughing, the metallic clink of Marines patrolling.
"Guess this is the famous Loguetown," Ron murmured with a grin.
"The place where every pirate's story begins... and ends."
He adjusted his coat and strolled into the heart of town.
Weapons shops, taverns, and market stalls filled every corner.
He glanced around, eyeing the countless blades hanging in display windows.
"Let's see," he muttered. "Might as well get some new swords before heading for the Grand Line."
As he walked, his mind wandered briefly.
"I wonder how that straw-hat kid and his crew are doing," he said with a smirk.
"Though, I did steal their navigator, didn't I?"
He chuckled at the thought and kept walking.
Soon, a modest weapons shop caught his eye.
He stepped inside — and froze.
Standing there, chatting with the shopkeeper, was none other than Roronoa Zoro.
And beside him stood a young woman in a Marine uniform — short hair, glasses, and a sharp yet gentle face.
"Tashigi, huh…" Ron murmured.
He smiled faintly. "Well, speak of the devil."
Zoro turned and blinked in surprise.
"Ron! Hah! Didn't think I'd run into you here."
"Small world," Ron said, walking in casually.
His eyes drifted to the swords in Zoro's hands — two gleaming blades that practically hummed with power.
"Looks like you've had a bit of luck," Ron said with an approving nod.
"Found yourself some good steel, I see."
Zoro grinned proudly.
"Yeah. Got these two beauties here for free. The shopkeeper said they suited me."
"Did she, now?" Ron asked, glancing at Tashigi with a faint smile.
Zoro tilted his head. "You here for new weapons too?"
"Exactly," Ron replied. "Can't enter the Grand Line unarmed, can I?"
Zoro nodded in agreement. "Well, lucky for you — this girl knows her stuff."
He pointed at Tashigi. "She's got an eye for blades sharper than most swordsmiths I've met."
Tashigi blinked, a little taken aback.
"Me?" she said, adjusting her glasses.
Her gaze swept over Ron — his relaxed stance, his empty hands, not a sword in sight.
"You don't look like a swordsman," she said honestly.
Zoro sighed. "You really don't get it, huh?"
He folded his arms and smirked. "This guy? He's already fought Mihawk — and won."
Tashigi's jaw dropped. "Wh-what? That's impossible!"
Ron chuckled softly. "Easy there. Don't take him too literally."
But Zoro just grinned wider. "Hey, don't be modest. I saw it. The sky-splitting slash. The real deal."
Tashigi's disbelief slowly turned into awe.
"Extreme swordsmanship…" she whispered.
"When are you two going to finish that duel?" Zoro asked, his eyes gleaming.
Ron smiled faintly. "When the time comes. When he masters the true meaning of his blade… and when I find the Seven-Star Sword."
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "That sword again. You've mentioned it before."
"One of a kind," Ron said quietly. "Hidden somewhere across the seas."
Tashigi tilted her head. "And what's this… 'Extreme Swordsmanship' you mentioned?"
Zoro looked at her, eyes burning with admiration.
"It's a level of mastery beyond Mihawk himself," he said. "The peak of the blade."
Tashigi's eyes widened behind her glasses.
Her heart pounded as she looked between them.
These two men — talking so casually about powers and legends she'd only ever read about — made her feel small, yet strangely inspired.
"So… everything you said… it's true?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Zoro laughed. "Of course it's true, Glasses Girl."
Ron couldn't help but chuckle too.
This girl — earnest, skeptical, a little clumsy — was the complete opposite of Nami and Nojiko.
But there was something refreshing about her straightforwardness.
"This glasses girl," he thought with a smile, "is actually kind of interesting."
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