"Hah, I thought you—never mind."
Ren stretched out his sore legs, resting them on Nami's knees as her fair, delicate fingers pressed and kneaded with careful strength.
If only, at this moment, his head was resting on Nojiko's lap instead of lying at the foot of the bed—that would've been perfect.
"Hmph."
Nami huffed lightly but continued massaging him—legs, waist, and back, each motion deliberate and practiced.
Ren could tell her technique had improved a lot.
Looks like Nojiko had been a good teacher.
Half an hour later—
"All right, that's enough for today."
Nami shook her slightly sore hands and rose from Ren's back.
But when she didn't hear a response, she leaned closer—Ren had already fallen asleep.
He really had been pushing himself.
Nami poked his cheek with a fingertip. Seeing he didn't stir, she smiled softly, pulled up his blanket, and quietly left the room.
It was getting late anyway. She should sleep too.
And sure enough—
Bonney's title of "Gluttonous Girl" wasn't just for show.
She alone could eat enough for a hundred people.
Since the Enlightenment hadn't resupplied back at Loguetown, their stores were already running low.
So, after only a few days of sailing,Ren had to order the ship to dock at an uninhabited island for supplies.
He could've used the Dimensional Roulette to restock,but his chips were nearly gone—too much spent, too little earned.
And since the island was deserted, it was basically "finders keepers."
He decided they might as well harvest fruit and hunt for meat.
To be honest—Bonney should've faced some internal tension. She was once their enemy, and her current situation wasn't far from that of a captive.
But when Ren confirmed she was, in fact, only nine years old, and Bonney herself, realizing something, reverted to her nine-year-old form…
The atmosphere shifted entirely once she started acting cute.
At the very least,Ren no longer heard Nami complaining. Instead, he often saw her eyes shining as she smothered Bonney in her arms, ruthlessly pinching the poor girl's cheeks.
The sudden change left everyone speechless—
But every time Bonney tried to resist, only to be "educated with love," her expression of righteous indignation mixed with helplessness always made Ren laugh.
Still, Bonney herself eventually had enough.
When they stopped at this island, she was the first to leap ashore,claiming she was going hunting.
Her crew from the Bonney Pirates followed right behind—they were low on food too.
Now—
From the Enlightenment's deck, Nami leaned over the railing and shouted toward the shore,
"All right, everyone! Go find whatever food you can! Remember—no rats or frogs this time!
Especially you, Zoro! Don't you dare suggest adding rats and frogs to our supply list again!"
On the shore,
Ren walked beside Nojiko,while several steps behind, Zoro grumbled, "I don't get these fussy women. Food's food once it's in your stomach!
We've got a glutton aboard, don't we? If we don't stock up now, what if we don't find another resource-rich island later?"
Boom!
A black orb shot from the Enlightenment, followed by a deafening thunderclap.
Lightning struck down, obliterating a tree right next to Zoro into charred remains.
"What the hell are you doing?!" he shouted.
"I can hear you just fine! Just don't bring back weird stuff like that!"
"Argh! You—!"
Their bickering faded into the distance as they split up to forage.
Ren didn't intervene. The friction between crewmates was normal—part of bonding.
Nami's boldness ran deep in her bones.
Sure, she acted obedient and even a bit flattering in front of Ren,but that was mostly because of the intimidating image he'd projected early on—and partly due to circumstance back then.
Her submissiveness had been instinctual—a survival reflex to make herself seem less threatening.
Zoro hadn't clashed with her at first either,because he hadn't planned on joining Ren's crew permanently.
He'd been an outsider—until the Loguetown incident.
After that, Zoro truly joined them,while Nami and Nojiko accepted that they'd be staying aboard long-term.
Naturally, a hierarchy began to form.
Nami wanted the vice-captain position—to secure a larger share in future adventures.
It was only logical. Every crew had its inner order, no matter how close they were.
Zoro, on the other hand, didn't care about shares—but he did believe that if he wasn't captain, he should at least be vice-captain.
Normally, Ren would've picked one of them as his right-hand.But he had no intention of interfering.
He knew that once Zoro experienced Nami's ferocity firsthand,the man who "doesn't hit women" would eventually yield—as always.
After passing through a patch of dense forest,Ren and Nojiko reached a wide, rugged mountain grove.
A large feline beast prowled in the shadows ahead, muscles coiled as it crept forward.
Its vertical pupils locked onto the unfamiliar prey—only to meet a pair of cold, unflinching human eyes.
The tiger froze instantly, body flattening to the ground as if crushed by invisible weight.
Ren withdrew his gaze and looked at Nojiko.
"Looks like we've found it. You sure this is the one?"
"Of course. I really want to try it."
Nojiko held a crimson talisman in her palm, excitement gleaming in her eyes.
"Then show me."
Ren didn't stop her—he simply watched as she walked toward the beast, a feline the size of a small truck.
The Grand Line's extreme climate didn't just spawn violent weather.
It birthed oversized, powerful creatures—and this tiger was clearly one of the island's apex predators.
If it were a pirate, its bounty would easily reach a few million Beli.
"Let's see how you handle fire, kitty."
Nojiko gripped the Dragon Talisman, feeling her blood surge hot through her veins.
It felt like her first time planting an orange tree with her mother…and also like her first voyage with Genzo—a rush of excitement, nervousness, and anticipation.
As her will stirred, tiny flames danced across her palm,igniting the air and swelling into a brilliant spark.
When the blaze subsided, a crimson silhouette took form.
Flame-forged armor enveloped Nojiko from head to toe.
A sharp, angular helm concealed her delicate face,save for two burning red glints brighter than the fire itself.
Below her neck, interlocking layers of polygonal flame-armor shimmered,while at her waist, fiery strands weaved into a flowing crimson skirt of embers.
The moment her armor fully formed,a ring of scorching heat rippled outward—nearby trees bent under the pressure,their leaves catching fire in an instant.
The power of fire…
Nojiko raised her gauntleted hand; a flame flickered atop her claw-like fingers.
In an instant, it elongated—becoming a blazing spear of flame,nearly two meters long.
She advanced, leaving a trail of scorched footprints,flames swirling in her wake—
like a Goddess of Fire descended to earth.
ROAR!
The tiger bellowed, dust and ash dancing around like fireflies.
It crouched low, eyes wide with primal fear—its instincts screamed danger.
Still, it lunged.
Its powerful hind legs tore up the earth,charging forward like a living tank,smashing trees to splinters as it closed the distance.
That's close enough.
Nojiko didn't stop walking.
She thrust her palm outward—
Flame Burst!
A jet of fire shot forth,slamming into the beast with explosive force.
The tiger shrieked in agony. In the same instant, Nojiko lunged,her spear piercing straight through its chest.
The violent blaze consumed its flesh,melting fat and muscle into molten ruin.
ROAR!
Through its pain, the tiger turned one burning eye toward her,and with a final surge of defiance, lunged to bite her—
But Nojiko was already ready.
Her fiery skirt spread across the ground like liquid flame,forming a three-meter-wide circle of fire centered on her.
In the next heartbeat—the fire erupted upward in a towering pillar,engulfing the tiger completely.
When the blaze faded,the forest was silent and blackened.
Every tree bore burn marks; the ground sank into a circular crater of ash.
At the center stood Nojiko.
She retracted her spear—and the tiger collapsed, half its body reduced to charred bone,the other half still sizzling with the smell of cooked meat.
"Not bad,"
Ren said, appearing nearby and applauding softly.
"Not all my credit," Nojiko replied. "This thing… it told me how to use it."
She raised her hand. The flames flickered,then streamed back into the crimson dragon-shaped mark on her palm.
When the light dimmed, the Dragon Talisman reappeared, glowing faintly warm.
"No difference to me," Ren said with a small smile. "You handled it well—and didn't freeze up."
He glanced at the remains of the tiger and shook his head.
Being burned alive was one of the worst ways to go…
But then again—it had picked the wrong target.
As he mused, warmth pressed against him.
Ren looked down—Nojiko had wrapped her arms around him,her soft chest flattening against his torso.
"What are you doing?"
"Showing my thanks," she said simply.
"...?"
"Nami said you'd like that."
Her eyes sparkled with playful mischief as she stepped back, smiling sweetly. "Or was she wrong?"
"Well…"
Ren thought for a moment, then gave her a thumbs-up. "She read me perfectly. But… is this okay?"
His tone hinted at something more.
Nojiko blinked, then pondered.
A moment later, she nodded firmly."It's fine. We're sisters. I think for her, she thinks for me."
"I see."
Ren didn't push further. He simply turned, motioning for her to follow.
Soon after, Ren's group—and the Bonney Pirates—had stripped the island bare of fruit and game.
(End of Chapter)