Time flew by. In a blink, the three days since Lister and Kaya became lovers had passed.
Today, the Money Pirates were finally setting sail.
During their stay in Syrup Village, they'd spent a lot of money. The villagers had made a killing, so many came to see them off.
Kaya, however, didn't appear.
Because yesterday, Kaya and Lister had made up. She didn't want to watch him leave.
The claim that she was "sleeping in" was for Lister's ears. After fainting last night, Kaya had actually woken up soon after—and never slept again. Only when Lister kissed her cheek, left the room, and walked out of the estate did she open her eyes. Quietly, she had Merry take her to a wooded slope to secretly watch Lister's ship depart.
"Miss Kaya, if you like Captain Lister so much—and he's invited you several times—why not accept and board his ship?" Merry asked, puzzled.
"The sea is never calm. With my health, I'd only be a burden," Kaya said, shaking her head. "If someone brings nothing but trouble, then even the deepest affection wears thin over time, doesn't it? Better to preserve what's beautiful at the start. I'll stay and manage the business my father left me. Maybe, someday, this estate can help him too."
"Miss Kaya… you're almost too rational," Merry murmured, at a loss for words.
"I heard Captain Lister invited Usopp as well," Merry added. "He clearly longs to go to sea, but he still turned Lister down. I can't tell why."
"Maybe he just hasn't found the right ship," Kaya smiled. She understood: the Money Pirates weren't the right fit for Usopp. Talented or not, his temperament clashed with theirs. On board, he'd likely be left out.
…
The Money Pirates' next destination was set: Cocoyasi Village—Nami's home.
Between the gold on the Money, the 30 million Beli Kaya had quietly slipped to Nami, and the savings from past years, they had reached the full 100 million Beli. Nami's long-held plan could finally begin.
At dawn one day, Lister was doing his daily fundamentals when two girls approached him shyly.
He ignored them for the moment and kept going.
"498!"
"499!"
"500!"
Only after finishing five hundred practice swings did he stop. Akatō brought him a towel immediately. Lister wiped his sweat, then looked at the pair.
"What is it?"
"Captain, I want to train," Akatō said, mustering her courage and meeting his gaze.
"Oh?" Lister's interest sparked. "So you want me to teach you?"
"Yes." Akatō nodded.
"Fine. From now on, train with me. But once you start, no quitting halfway."
"Right!" Akatō and Sheele answered at once, faces bright with joy.
"It's early—let's begin with the basics. We start with practice swings."
"Yes!"
"Arms higher."
"Eyes forward."
"Commit to the downward cut."
…
When Nami and the others woke up, they found Akatō and Sheele already training with Lister. Nami clicked her tongue a couple of times but didn't comment.
Yōran and Shizuka, though, watched with a prickle of urgency. Akatō and Sheele already had Lister's favor—and now they were working even harder. If this continued, they'd only get more attention and responsibility. If the others didn't push themselves, they'd be edged out—especially Yōran and Shizuka, who'd been the first to catch Lister's eye, yet lately heard him call on Akatō and Sheele more and more.
So the next morning, besides Akatō and Sheele, Yōran, Shizuka, and several other girls were up early too, asking Lister how to train.
Lister was happy to see it.
With the women on the Money going all-in, the old hands on the Black Gold and the Cat's Eye couldn't sit still either—and they started grinding as well.
Seeing this, Lister wrote up a "Fundamental Training Notes" and distributed it to everyone on the Money. He used Overclock to distill his methods into a clear, step-by-step guide—from shallow to deep—covering body conditioning, speed work, reaction training, strength building, and sword-cut technique. A full spread.
The pirates devoured it like treasure.
On the voyage to Cocoyasi, life aboard the Money could be summed up in one word—grind.
<><><><><><>
Read Advanced Chapters on: patreon.com/Amiii_
~Every 150 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~Push the Story forward with your [Power Stones]