Jin had always been the type to take the initiative when it came to love, because:
—The brave enjoy first.
And so…
He hugged Nami tightly, spouting complete nonsense in the most serious tone imaginable.
Things like: "I fell for you the first time I saw you, that's why I joined the Straw Hat crew."
Or: "Other pirates only care about treasure, but my eyes are only on you—because you are my most priceless treasure!"
These sickeningly sweet lines left Nami completely dazed.
Leaning dazedly against Jin's chest, it felt like she was soaking in a jar of honey, her eyes misting over.
She was just an eighteen-year-old girl—how strong could her defenses be?
One poke and they shattered.
Beside them…
Though Kaya couldn't hear what was being said, she clearly saw that Nami had stopped crying—yet her face was turning redder and redder, almost purple with embarrassment!
"St... Stop lying, you idiot!!"
Nami didn't want Jin to take advantage of the moment. She hurriedly wiped her tears, pushed against his chest with her slender hand, and feigned anger. "You don't really like me! You're just saying that!"
Damn it! Damn it!
Nojiko and the villagers were still suffering!
How could she possibly have the right to like a man? How could she even think about romance now?
Shameless!!!
Nami was screaming inside, but for some reason… she still wanted to hear more sweet words.
But instead of continuing his flirtation, Jin suddenly pinched her butt—hard.
"If you're feeling better, get up. You still have to lead the way to Cocoyasi Village. Don't pretend to be shy!"
Aaaghh!!
The next moment, Nami's furious fist came crashing down. "You bastard! Give me back my feelings!!"
"Pfft~"
Kaya laughed beautifully.
That punch seriously hurt—Jin winced and gritted his teeth.
Seeing Nami returning to her usual feisty self, Jin smiled and left her to whisper with Kaya.
He knew Nami was a smart girl. She'd pull herself together quickly.
Looked like there'd be a guest in his room tonight.
Jin smirked and walked toward the cabin.
...
"Whew~ Nothing like a summer bath to soothe the soul."
After a short rest and a hot soak, Jin sprawled on his bed and stretched lazily.
"Open status panel."
At his mental command, a golden interface appeared before his eyes—only visible to him.
[Host: Jin]
[Strength: Tier 5]
[Haki:]
Armament Haki (Not yet initiated)
Observation Haki (Initiated)
Conqueror's Haki (Beginner)
[Combat Skills:]
Navy Six Styles (Intermediate)
Reverse Scale Judgment (Beginner)
Thousand Streams Return to the Sea (Beginner)
[Tags:]
Courage Legacy (Blue)
Hypnosis (Blue · Ecchi Variant)
Freeloader Supreme (Red)
Poetry Master (Red)
Super Magic Physique (Pseudo-Gold · Ecchi Variant)
Conqueror's Haki (Gold)
Turn Foes into Friends (Gold)
Speed Burst (Gold · Ecchi Variant)
Sit-Up Mastery (Gold · Ecchi Variant)
Max Affection (Gold · Ecchi Variant)
Voice of All Things (Pseudo-Rainbow · Unawakened)
[Devil Fruit Entry:]
Nika Form (Pseudo-Rainbow · Unawakened)
Dragon-Dragon Fruit · Mythical Zoan · Yinglong Form (Pseudo-Rainbow · Ecchi Variant)
[Overall Evaluation:]
Still a noob with full buffs!
From musket to cannon! Conceptual divinity!
Jin roughly divided his tags into two types: combat and conceptual.
It was clear that most of his current tags were conceptual buffs—like Turn Foes into Friends, Sit-Up Mastery, and Voice of All Things.
The tags he could actually use in battle were few and some weren't even awakened yet.
That said, he was quite satisfied with his Haki progress.
His Conqueror's Haki had only just awakened, but he was advancing rapidly.
And after five years of isolated living deep in the mountains, his sense for danger had been sharpened. His Observation Haki was already initiated.
The only one left was Armament Haki. He could accelerate his blood flow and harden his body like iron, but that was just the prototype.
In this ocean, there were countless masters of Armament Haki—hell, even Black Arm Zephyr could reach admiral-level strength with it alone.
Naturally, Jin longed for Armament Haki too. But the beasts he encountered in the mountains just weren't enough for real training.
To learn Armament Haki properly, the best option… was to find a teacher!
But who would be a good fit...
Knock, knock, knock~
Just as Jin was lost in thought, someone knocked on the door.
With Observation Haki, he could easily sense the figure outside.
Creak—
Opening the door, he saw a girl with orange hair standing quietly, head bowed.
Jin smiled gently.
"Come in, Nami."
His voice was warm and soothing, like a spring breeze.
"You're not surprised? You knew I'd come?"
Seeing his calm expression, Nami bit her lip.
"I had a feeling. I just didn't expect you to come this late."
Jin's smile was soft—almost doting.
He'd helped her work through her emotional walls yesterday. By all rights, she should've come that night.
The delay meant she'd been agonizing over it.
"Jin…"
Nami bit her lip. Her beautiful eyes were full of emotion.
So Jin had waited all night. She wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep.
"Nami, if you—"
Before he could finish, she threw herself into his chest.
He could feel the quiet, trembling sobs in her breath.
Jin let out a sigh and wrapped his arms around her delicate body.
"Have you made up your mind, Nami?"
"…"
Nami raised her tear-streaked face.
That fragile, heartbreaking expression was exactly the same as the one she wore in the original timeline.
So helpless. So moving.
"I've made up my mind. The Conomi Islands are just ahead…"
Tears spilled from her eyes as she bit her lip, her voice hoarse:
"Jin… help me..."
[End of Chapter]