Makino smiled encouragingly before pointing farther into the village.
"And after that, come by the tavern. Everyone gathers there sooner or later. It'll be the easiest place to find people looking for a carpenter."
I smiled and bowed once more.
"Thank you."
It seemed my first real job in the world of One Piece would officially begin soon.
----
The next few days passed far more peacefully than I had expected. Word of a young carpenter living with Dadan's group had slowly begun spreading throughout Foosha Village, though most people remained skeptical until they actually saw my work.
My first proper commission came from Makino herself. Several window frames had begun rotting from years of salty sea air, a few tables wobbled whenever someone leaned against them, and the front door stubbornly refused to close properly unless someone kicked it. None of the jobs were particularly difficult, but they were enough to let people judge my craftsmanship.
Armed with a hammer, nails, and freshly cut timber, I spent the better half of the afternoon carefully repairing the tavern while customers came and went around me. Timburr's instincts made every measurement feel almost effortless. A loose table became perfectly level after only a few adjustments, damaged hinges were replaced with sturdier ones, and cracked window frames received entirely new supports.
Unfortunately, no matter how careful I tried to be, the rhythmic sounds of hammer striking nail echoed throughout the tavern.
"Oi!"
A rough voice suddenly interrupted my work.
"Are you trying to split everyone's ears open with that hammer?"
I looked over my shoulder to find a broad-shouldered man sitting near the counter with several empty mugs already scattered around him. Judging by his unshaven face, flashy clothes, and the dagger hanging from his belt, he looked less like a fisherman and more like one of the local troublemakers who spent their days intimidating ordinary villagers.
"...My apologies." I offered a polite bow before setting my tools aside. "I didn't consider that the noise might disturb your meal. I'll finish the repairs after closing time instead."
Makino looked as though she wanted to object, but I simply smiled reassuringly before beginning to gather my tools. There was no point creating unnecessary conflict over something so trivial. If waiting a few hours avoided trouble for her business, then it was an easy compromise.
"...Tch." The man snorted loudly before draining the last of his drink. "This place is getting worse every year."
He slammed the mug onto the counter hard enough to make several nearby customers flinch.
"You call this service? First all that damn hammering, and now my drink's empty."
Makino maintained her gentle smile despite the obvious hostility.
"I'm sorry about that. I'll pour you another right away."
As she reached for the bottle behind the counter, the man's expression twisted into an unpleasant grin. Instead of taking the drink, he suddenly reached across the counter and grabbed Makino's wrist.
"Forget the drink."
"How about you come sit with me instead?"
Several conversations inside the tavern immediately stopped. Makino's smile stiffened.
"Sir... please let go."
Before she could pull her hand free, I quietly stepped between them.
"You've had enough." My voice remained calm. "Let go of her hand and leave."
The man slowly turned toward me before bursting into laughter.
"You? The carpenter?" He gave me an exaggerated once-over before smirking. "What're you gonna do? Hit me with a hammer?"
Makino quickly stepped forward.
"Kekoa, it's alright. Please don't make this worse."
"I'm not trying to." I never took my eyes off the man. "I'm asking him to leave."
The man's grin vanished.
"You've got some guts for a brat."
He shoved his chair backward before standing to his full height and cracking his knuckles.
"Let's see if you've got the strength to match."
The instant his fist came flying toward my face, my body reacted before my thoughts did. Timburr's instincts took over.
Leer. [Reduces the foe's DEFENSE.]
I met his eyes without blinking.
For just a heartbeat, his movement faltered. The confidence in his face wavered ever so slightly as an instinctive chill ran down his spine. It wasn't some supernatural paralysis, but the sudden pressure was enough to throw off his rhythm.
That single hesitation was all I needed.
Low Kick!
I shifted my weight and drove my shin directly into the outside of his knee. His balance disappeared instantly, sending the much larger man crashing forward with a startled yell.
Before he could recover, I stepped in.
Pound! [A physical attack delivered with a long tail or a foreleg, etc.]
My foreleg slammed squarely into his stomach with far more force than any ordinary teenager should have possessed. The enhanced physique granted by my Pokémon cards combined with Timburr's natural power folded him over, forcing every ounce of air from his lungs.
"Gah!"
He staggered backward several steps, clutching his abdomen.
"...You little—!"
His hand darted toward the dagger at his waist.
"...Bad idea."
Without hesitation, I grabbed one of the broken pieces of timber lying beside my workbench and hurled it.
Rock Throw!
The chunk of hardwood spun through the air before striking his wrist with a loud crack.
"AAGH!"
The dagger slipped from his fingers and clattered harmlessly across the floor.
Before he could regain his footing, I closed the remaining distance, grabbed him firmly by the front of his shirt, and with every ounce of Timburr-enhanced strength surging through my body, I lifted the fully grown man clear off the ground.
The entire tavern fell silent. Without waiting for an answer, I marched straight toward the entrance before throwing him clean through the open doorway. The rowdy customer tumbled across the dirt road outside, rolling several times before finally coming to a stop in a dazed heap.
I simply dusted off my hands, turned back toward Makino with an apologetic smile, and scratched the back of my head.
"...Sorry. I think I may have interrupted business again."
The silence inside the tavern lingered for several long seconds. Nobody seemed quite sure what to say after watching a teenager casually throw a fully grown man through the front door. Even the drunkards who had been loudly chatting only moments earlier stared at me with wide eyes.
Did this teenager just take care of a known gangster around and throw him out of the bar? What had the world come to?
I didn't care for the reaction of others. I was rather looking at the experience gained in the blue screen.
Experience gained : +256
Level : 23(+1)
Defeating humans had more experience that defeating strong animals? What was this favoritism? It was as if this system was forcing me to go after humans. But was I complaining? Not exactly.
But going after humans wasn't possible every time. This system was really forcing me to go be a pirate. Whatever!
Then the front door burst open once again.
"MAKINO! KEKOA!"
Luffy's cheerful voice echoed throughout the tavern long before anyone actually saw him. He came running inside with the biggest grin imaginable, dragging behind him the severed tail of an enormous alligator that looked nearly as large as he was.
"I caught a huge alligator today!" he announced proudly, throwing both arms into the air. "You should've seen it! It tried to bite me first, then I punched it, then..." His excited rambling abruptly came to a halt. "...Huh?"
For the first time since arriving, he noticed the unusual atmosphere. Every customer was looking either at me or toward the open doorway where the unfortunate troublemaker was still sprawled outside, groaning miserably.
"...What happened?" Luffy asked, tilting his head.
I shrugged as though it had all been completely ordinary.
"Some drunk customer grabbed Makino's hand and refused to leave."
"So I threw him out."
"...Oh."
Luffy looked toward the man lying outside, then back at Makino, who simply smiled awkwardly before nodding once. A huge grin immediately spread across Luffy's face.
"Yosh! He deserved it!"
Luffy declared happily, pumping a fist into the air before completely losing interest in the matter.
"Good job, Kekoa!"
Not a single question about whether the man was badly hurt, whether the fight had been fair, or whether there would be consequences. As far as Luffy was concerned, someone had bothered his friend, his other friend had dealt with it, and the story was finished.
Besides, he never cared what others felt or thought.
"So!" Luffy continued as though nothing unusual had happened. "Can Makino cook the alligator? I wanna know what it tastes like!"
The tense atmosphere inside the tavern instantly broke. Several customers burst into laughter, while Makino covered her mouth with an amused giggle before shaking her head.
"I suppose I can try."
"YES!"
Luffy cheered loud enough for the entire village to hear, already celebrating his next meal while the unfortunate troublemaker outside quietly decided that perhaps Makino's tavern wasn't worth visiting again.