"Captain!"
Sure enough, the moment Ryuuto emerged, Nami pounced on him like a puppy and started sniffing.
"Hmph! You reek of Hancock!"
Nami's lips immediately formed a pout. She shot Ryuuto an unhappy look and declared her findings.
"Nami, you know Hancock is leaving soon! So... I just spent a little extra time with her!"
Ryuuto's repertoire of player lines was growing by the day.
"Hmph!"
Nami made it clear she wasn't buying it. She turned away in a huff and stalked off, leaving Ryuuto standing there alone.
Ryuuto awkwardly ran a hand through his hair. Under the sunlight, the Eternal Diamond Ring on his finger reflected a dazzling glint of light.
Thankfully, Nami had already walked away and didn't see it.
Otherwise, she would have definitely given him a thorough interrogation.
"Buggy, your Log Pose is working, right?" Finding himself ignored, Ryuuto decided to pester Buggy instead.
"No problem, Captain! We should be arriving at the Sabaody Archipelago very soon!" Buggy replied, swallowing a large piece of grilled meat.
The party on deck had already moved on to the next stage.
The fish they had caught were now sizzling on grills, destined to become food for Buggy and the others.
It turned out that Foxy had cheated earlier using his Slow-Slow Beam, resulting in them catching far more fish than they could possibly store in the ship's hold.
So, everyone had to help consume some of the massive catch.
The pirate grunts gathered in small groups around the grills, eating roasted fish, while others weaved through the crowd carrying large barrels of beer.
"You know, this is what the real pirate life is like," Ryuuto couldn't help but think as he took in the scene.
Cheers echoed from every corner. Seeing such a lively atmosphere, Ryuuto felt compelled to join in.
Ryuuto stood on the giant fox figurehead at the bow of the ship, raising his mug to the crew. "Now that you're all part of the Soaring Dragon Pirates, I believe that wealth and women will both be yours for the taking! That day isn't far off!"
"Well said!" Buggy couldn't help but applaud.
This declaration was perfectly aligned with Buggy's tastes; finding Captain John's treasure was his lifelong ambition.
"Yeah! To wealth! To women!"
Foxy also raised his mug high, echoing Ryuuto's sentiment.
Seeing Buggy and Foxy leading the cheer, the rest of the crew began shouting their own approvals, and a wave of thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.
"This must be the romance of being a pirate," Ryuuto thought to himself, watching the celebrating crew.
After downing his entire mug of beer in one go, Ryuuto made his way through the crowd to Nami's side.
Nami had gotten a mug of beer from somewhere and was already flushed red from drinking.
"Captain, what's your dream?"
Suddenly, Nami leaned against Ryuuto, her gaze hazy as she spoke.
Ryuuto's heart skipped a beat.
"Yeah, what is my dream?"
He shifted his body slightly to let Nami lean more comfortably against him, murmuring the question softly to himself.
"Is my dream wealth? Is it women?"
Ryuuto looked out at the cheering crowd, his eyes downcast in thought.
His mind drifted back...
He remembered that winter, waking from a high fever. His dream back then was so simple: he just wanted to do something for the people around him.
But now?
What was his dream now?
Ryuuto didn't know how to answer. Perhaps he just wanted to live more freely, to see a world with a little less suffering.
Somehow, along the way, his dream had become not so simple anymore.
Ryuuto looked at Nami's rosy face and couldn't resist leaning in to kiss her.
"To hell with dreams. I only live once, so I'll do whatever I want!"
"Whether it's the Marines or other pirates, anyone who dares to stand in my way will meet the same end: death!"
As his thoughts cleared, a sharp light returned to Ryuuto's eyes.
He stared out at the sea. Under the sun, the white-crested waves glittered, and a gentle breeze blew in from afar. Everything seemed perfect.
After carrying the drunken Nami back to her room, Ryuuto brought some food and placed it beside Hancock, so she would have something to comfort her hungry stomach the moment she woke up.
"Mmm?" Perhaps Ryuuto's movements were too loud, because Hancock's lips parted with a soft moan.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes.
"Ryuuto!"
The very first thing Hancock saw upon opening her eyes was Ryuuto.
This put her in an exceptionally good mood.
True to her nature, the uninhibited Hancock immediately became a koala, clinging tightly to Ryuuto's body.
It was clear she was thoroughly satisfied.
Her joy was especially hard to conceal when she saw the diamond ring on Ryuuto's hand, a radiant smile gracing her exquisite face.
The two of them ate their meal together, nestled close.
As night fell, the deck was littered with drunken pirates. Some were hugging barrels and snoring loudly, some were embracing each other while talking in their sleep, and others were passed out with their feet in the air.
In the cabin, Ryuuto and Hancock, having eaten their fill, began chatting about the interesting things they had encountered.
Perhaps it was the vigor of youth...
Their eyes met, and the night dissolved into a dance of wild passion.
Knowing they were about to part ways, Hancock pulled out all the stops.
Her attitude...
It was as if she wanted Ryuuto to finish several months' worth of "homework" all at once.
Ryuuto nearly buckled under the pressure.
It made him remember that his system had quite a few useful items.
So, during a halftime break, Ryuuto secretly began searching through the system.
"Found it! This is the one!"
Looking at the blue syringe before him, Ryuuto couldn't help but shout in his mind.
[Stamina Potion: 2000 Reputation Value]
[A masterpiece from a great scientist. Has no side effects and can drastically restore physical strength. Perfect for use after a battle!]
[I heard someone used it for less than noble purposes. Was that you?]
Ryuuto nodded in satisfaction at the description. For use after a battle. It couldn't be more appropriate for his current situation.
Without a doubt, he had to get one and try it out.
"Redeem!" he thought, and the Stamina Potion appeared in his inventory.
A quick glance revealed Hancock, already poised for another round. "Oh no," he thought, immediately retrieving the potion.
With a flash of white light, a blue syringe the size of his index finger appeared in his hand. With no time to examine it, Ryuuto injected the contents into his body with lightning speed.
A strange energy coursed through him, sweeping away every trace of fatigue.
"Wipe out fatigue, be yourself again!"
Now was the perfect time to get back to his "homework"!
In the blackness of the night sea, as the crew of The Sexy Foxy slept soundly, a faint whisper could be heard from below deck.
"If we manage to escape this time, join us!"