"That... That person is Hawkeye?!" A sharp-eyed guest recognized Hawkeye's identity and was instantly dumbfounded.
Isn't Hawkeye the World's Strongest Swordsman?!
How could he be beaten by Reno with no way to fight back?!
Is this the true worth of a pirate with a mere 30 million Beri bounty?!
The guests hiding at the restaurant entrance, watching the spectacle, were utterly stunned.
Inside the restaurant, Kaya rested her chin on her hands, her eyes sparkling.
"Brother Reno is so amazing. No matter where he goes, he becomes the center of attention."
"Ah, even when facing the World's Strongest Swordsman, the captain's brilliance cannot be overshadowed," Makino added proudly, her gaze growing hazy.
She was increasingly glad she had followed Reno and left Windmill Village, giving her the chance to see the vast world and witness the prowess of the World's Strongest Swordsman.
Nami was also surprised by Reno's strength, but she wasn't particularly interested in their fight.
Losing interest, Nami suddenly had a flash of inspiration. She looked at the other women with a mischievous smile and said, "Hey, should I give Reno a hand?"
The women were confused and looked at Nami questioningly.
Nami gestured towards the entrance with her chin. "Didn't Reno want that beautiful chef to join the crew? While he's busy fighting, I'll help him recruit her."
Nojiko was taken aback and subconsciously asked, "Nami, is that a good idea?!"
"What's not to like? For any woman Reno sets his sights on, the result is always the same," Nami said as she got up.
Kaya, Nojiko, and Makino all blushed inexplicably.
"But... what are you going to do?!" Kaya asked, changing the subject.
As a well-bred lady, she was clueless about such matters.
Nami stroked her chin, carefully recalling the various methods Reno had used to win over each of them.
Luring her.
Intimidating Makino.
Kaya repaying a debt of gratitude.
Her sister Nojiko joined because she helped push things along.
Nami decisively ruled out luring.
All the money on the ship was hers, and no one else was taking any of it.
The latter two methods wouldn't work either, which left only one...
Smack! Nami slammed her fist into her palm. "Intimidation! I'll intimidate her!"
"Huh?!" Makino looked troubled. "Nami, that's not very nice."
Why must women make things difficult for other women?
Nami shook her head and said righteously, "It's just a method to get her on the ship. It's not like I'm really going to do anything to her."
The women looked at each other and finally nodded in agreement.
"Let's go, I'm going to go intimidate her." Feeling strangely excited, Nami grabbed the bounty poster from the table and walked towards the entrance.
Carmen, like most of the guests, was completely captivated by the fight between Reno and Hawkeye.
At first, she was rooting for Hawkeye.
Even if he wasn't a pirate, who wouldn't want to witness the heroic figure of the World's Strongest Swordsman?!
He was a powerhouse standing at the very top of the seas.
But as she watched, she realized something was wrong.
Reno was stronger than Hawkeye?!
Sparks flew every time he struck Hawkeye.
"It's him," Carmen murmured, recognizing Reno at a glance.
Just a moment ago, Reno had acted quickly, steadying her and preventing a wardrobe malfunction.
Being held by a man even stronger than Hawkeye, Carmen's face instantly turned bright red.
Although her path was cooking, the instinct to admire the strong was in her nature as a woman.
In this pirate world where strength is everything, she was no exception.
As her mind wandered, Carmen felt someone tap her on the shoulder.
She turned to see four women standing before her.
"The guests from table three?! Can I help you?!"
Carmen knew that these four women were Reno's companions.
After all, a group of one man and four women was extremely rare.
Especially four beautiful women.
A shadow fell over Nami's face as she said fiercely, "Hey, beautiful chef, my captain has taken a liking to you. He wants you to join our pirate crew. What do you say?!!"
"I advise you to agree, or else..."
Carmen blinked. Was this a zero-frame start-up move?!
She almost burst out laughing.
Such a sweet-looking little girl, trying to act all fierce and evil.
Most importantly, her act wasn't convincing at all.
But was it true?!
Reno was inviting her to join the crew?!
Recalling her earlier thoughts, the blush that had faded from Carmen's face returned in a new wave.
Her large chest swayed slightly.
"What's wrong?!" Nami was stunned.
"Nami, did you scare her?!" Nojiko panicked.
After all, Carmen was just a young female cook.
"I... I didn't do much, did I?!"
Nami was also at a loss, putting away the bounty poster she was about to take out.
"Miss, please don't be afraid. We don't mean any harm," Kaya immediately stepped forward to comfort her.
"Brother Reno is recruiting crew members, and he hopes you'll join our pirate crew."
Coming back to her senses, Carmen asked suspiciously, "Is that really true?!"
The four women nodded in unison.
It was the truth.
"Alright, I'll join."
Kaya: ???
Nojiko: ???
Makino: ???
Nami: Wait... she agreed?!
She had been building up to it for so long and hadn't even gotten to say a single threatening word.
"Can you tell us why?!" Makino, taking on the role of the big sister, asked with a gentle smile, voicing the question on everyone's mind.
They had only just met.
Carmen glanced at Reno, a bold and unconventional smile spreading across her face. "Because he's strong."
"Only the strong are worthy of my allegiance."
To defeat Sanji and become the best chef in the East Blue, Carmen had traveled all over the sea without a fixed home, searching for Sanji for a full ten years.
This was a testament to her belief in becoming stronger.
The person she followed also had to be strong!
Reno's battle with Hawkeye proved everything.
It would be an honor to cook for a man like Reno.
And one more thing, these four girls were certainly easy on the eyes.
The four women were dumbfounded.
Was this a case of "a watched flower never blooms, while an untended willow grows"?
Reno's fight with Hawkeye had indirectly led to Carmen joining the crew?!
Alright then.
Reno had won again