"But... it really is sweet-smelling."
Luffy took the towel and brought it closer to his nose.
He was always one to speak the plain truth.
The scent on the towel was identical to Nami's own fragrance.
This direct statement, however, left Nami at a loss for how to react.
"Hmph!"
Nami turned her face away, feigning composure. "Stop talking nonsense. You're soaked to the bone, so hurry up and dry off. I'm just worried you'll pass your cold to me."
Luffy accepted the towel and, without ceremony, rubbed it roughly over his face. He grinned. "I didn't realize you were so concerned about me, Nami."
"Who... who's concerned about you!"
Nami instinctively retorted, but her voice held an inexplicable hint of weakness.
Wait, why was she feeling guilty in front of this rubber-brained idiot?
She cleared her throat, trying to regain her usual forceful demeanor. "This is just a reward for keeping me company shopping today. Just a reward, don't get the wrong idea!"
She emphasized the point again.
Having said that, she practically fled back into the bathroom, slamming the door shut with a bang. Leaning against the door, she took a few light, panting breaths.
Nami couldn't help but cover her flushed face.
It really was hot in this bathroom.
Outside, Luffy shrugged and began removing his soaked red vest.
Was her reaction really that big?
Water droplets fell, leaving dark stains on the carpet in Nami's room. After drying himself off, it only then belatedly occurred to Luffy that this wasn't his own room.
He had no change of clothes.
Scratching his chin in thought for two seconds, he simply wrapped the towel around his waist, sat down on the edge of Nami's bed, and casually picked up a navigational logbook from the bedside table to flip through.
Inside the bathroom, Nami looked at her reflection in the mirror, her fingers unconsciously twirling a strand of orange hair resting on her shoulder.
"That idiot."
Nami seemed to think of something, humming a light, chiding laugh.
Then, just as she was about to dry herself, she suddenly realized a serious problem—the towel she had handed to Luffy was the one she had just used to dry herself.
And even worse, in her rush, she had forgotten to bring her change of clothes inside!
"No way..."
She looked despairingly at the only remaining towel on the rack—a small one for drying hair. It would absolutely not cover much.
Biting her lip, Nami wrestled with her dilemma before finally wrapping the dangerously short towel around herself. She cautiously pushed the bathroom door open.
...
After drying off, Luffy was soon immersed once more in navigating the seas of nautical knowledge.
Compared to learning marksmanship from Usopp or cooking from Sanji—these kinds of skilled trades—
Recently, whenever given a choice between multiple activities, he had opted for reading.
His nautical knowledge was advancing by leaps and bounds, so to speak.
As for why?
Was it because he didn't want to learn a trade, or was it because of Nami?
[Nautical Knowledge Experience +3]
[Nautical Skill Level increased to Lv.1]
[You have activated a passive talent: Temperature Perception.]
[Temperature Perception: Your sensitivity to temperature has significantly increased.]
Temperature Perception?
What use was that?
Luffy's hand twitched. It belatedly dawned on him that this Temperature Perception was, to some degree, a form of Kenbunshoku Haki?
[Kenbunshoku Haki Proficiency +1000]
[Kenbunshoku Haki Lv.1: 1080/10000]
"So that's it. To a certain extent, similar types of power can blend and influence each other. But this one passive talent actually gives 1000 proficiency points?"
Luffy's feelings were complicated. Even when he pushed himself to the limit, his spirit suffering that kind of torment, he only earned 80 proficiency points.
But this also gave him a nice thought.
If he acquired various passive talents, couldn't his Kenbunshoku Haki level just skyrocket?
At that moment, he sensed it.
He turned his head sharply.
The moment Nami stepped out, she saw Luffy's back, and her blood pressure immediately soared. Why was this guy only wearing a towel?!
She had thought, seeing him so absorbed, she could sneak past to get her clothes, but then...
"Hey! Don't turn around!"
"And why did you take your clothes off in my room?!"
Luffy turned at the sound of her voice, catching a pillow she hurled at him squarely.
"Didn't you give me the towel to dry off?" Luffy said, looking utterly innocent.
"I meant for you to..." Nami's cheeks flushed crimson as she glared at him. "...You're not doing this on purpose, are you?"
"That's slander," Luffy said, spreading his hands.
Nami tsked, glaring at Luffy as if he were trash.
Of course, it seemed more like she was trying to hide something.
Suddenly, Luffy grinned, tilting his head. "Nami, you're not actually really bothered by this, are you?"
The question struck a nerve. Nami was instantly speechless.
She stammered for a few seconds before stubbornly retorting, "Hah? As if! What would I possibly be bothered by?"
"Is that so? Then I guess I should just return this to you."
"Wha—what are you doing?!"
Nami yelped, covering her face in fright, but her fingers uncooperatively left gaps between them.
Luffy found it somewhat amusing.
What to do? This feeling was indeed becoming more and more intoxicating.
Just then, a crack of thunder exploded in the distance, causing the entire ship to shudder slightly.
Outside the window, the rain poured down in sheets. Dense raindrops hammered against the deck of the Going Merry with a frantic pitter-patter.
An odd quiet permeated the cabin, with only the trails of rainwater sliding down the porthole glass breaking the stillness.
Luffy's brows subconsciously furrowed. His gaze seemed to pierce through the door to the outside.
"Nami."
"Ah? What is it?"
Nami's heart skipped a beat, thinking he was really about to do something shocking. She watched him nervously through the gaps in her fingers, ready to punch him flying the moment he pulled off the towel.
"Do you feel something?"
"Feel what?" Nami retorted. "Is there anyone else on the ship besides you and me right now?"
"Those Marines shouldn't be able to find this place anytime soon, right?"
Even that formidable Lieutenant Commander Smoker had been beaten by Luffy.
The other Marines were like headless flies.
Watching Luffy's increasingly grave expression, Nami suddenly covered her mouth, her pupils contracting.
Had an enemy arrived?
At that moment, Luffy had already moved to the wardrobe. He reached in and grabbed a handful of clothes—panties and bras of various colors, mixed with a few dresses.
For a split second, Nami thought Luffy was about to do something perverted. But then she saw the utterly serious look on his face as he handed the clothes over to her, his eyes vigilantly fixed on the door.
She immediately understood the situation wasn't right. Her fingers trembled slightly as she took the clothes.
"Hurry up."
How could she possibly hurry up now?
Looking at Luffy's profile, her face flushed crimson. She could no longer act all casual and uninhibited in front of Luffy.
When she was little and Bellemere said she wanted to check on her physical development, Nami had lifted her chin and declared she'd show her for ten thousand Berries.
But now, with Luffy... it felt like a completely different matter.
Was this what it felt like to like someone?
It left her heart feeling like a tangled mess.
Nami quickly discarded the pitifully short towel and began scrambling into her clothes in a fluster.
During the process, she could feel the atmosphere on the ship growing increasingly eerie.
Luffy stood motionless in place, his Kenbunshoku Haki fully deployed.
He could sense a certain presence—elusive, faint, like a drop of oil in water. Impossible to grasp, yet undeniably there.
What was it?
***
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