"Big brother Reno, are you really going to steal that pretty chef onto the ship?!"
Facing Kaya's probing, Reno replied candidly, "Yep, she's one of my targets."
The girls fell silent.
"Womanizer," Nami muttered, pouting with a hint of jealousy. He already had the four of them, and now he was after another beauty. Only Reno could pull this off. Anyone else would've burned out long ago.
Reno, sharp as ever, noticed the shift in their moods and asked, "Nami, how have I treated you from the start?"
Nami paused, thinking he'd been pretty great. But, still sulking, she turned her head. "Fine, I guess."
Reno pressed on, "And after Makino, Kaya, and Nojiko joined, has my care for you ever lessened?" "That goes for all of you."
The girls exchanged glances, shaking their heads.
"So…" Reno paused, his gaze sweeping over them. "You don't need to worry about others joining the ship stealing my affection." "As long as you're my women, I treat you all equally."
Reno knew Kaya, Makino, and Nojiko shared Nami's concerns, even if their reserved natures kept them from saying it. He had to make his stance clear. This was just the beginning—more beauties would join the ship.
His relentless pursuit of women was partly for system rewards and partly because, well, he was a flirt. He'd never denied it. But he wasn't the type to favor a few and neglect the rest. He'd never do that.
Reno's words were like a soothing balm, calming the four girls' worries. More importantly, his actions backed up his promises—he wasn't just talk.
"Big brother Reno, Kaya believes you," Kaya said, rubbing her cute face against him.
"Hmph, I'm always defeated by your sweet talk," Nami said, her anger melting away.
"Let's keep eating, Captain. This dish is great—try it," Makino said, offering Reno a piece of foie gras on her fork.
Reno savored it, nodding in approval. Baratie lived up to its reputation.
Soon, the table was filled with laughter and chatter again.
…
Outside the Restaurant
"Captain, are you okay?!"
As "Ghostman" Gin touched Creek, a jolt of electricity surged through him. He yanked his hand back, startled.
"Damn it, who did this?!" "Did Hawkeye follow us?!"
The thought barely formed before Gin shook his head. No way it was Hawkeye. Would the world's greatest swordsman chase them from the Grand Line to the East Blue in that rickety coffin boat? Would the top swordsman waste time on something so trivial? Plus, Hawkeye used a blade, not lightning.
Cough, cough!
Creek spat out seawater, his blurry consciousness clearing. "Gin, we're leaving. Now," he rasped.
Too terrifying. That woman was too terrifying.
Who had he pissed off? He'd barely escaped Hawkeye, only to lose—instantly—to some nobody woman. His confidence was shattered.
Gin fumed, "Captain, who did this?! I'll avenge you!"
Creek nearly cursed, frantically shaking Gin's arm. "Just go!"
Avenge him? Creek, worth 16 million, got one-shotted. What could Gin, worth 12 million, do—last one extra hit?
Right now, Creek's only thought was to flee this cursed place.
Unnoticed by him, a mile away, a small coffin boat aglow with ghostly flames glided toward them. On it stood a man, fingers interlaced, eyes sharp as a hawk, a black blade slung across his back.
Hawkeye had arrived.
On the coffin boat, Hawkeye stood expressionless, eyeing the wrecked ship blocking his path. His black blade, Yoru, flashed out.
Buzz!
The air screamed as a massive, emerald-green slash, dozens of meters long, tore through the sky. It crossed a kilometer in a blink, slicing the Dreadnaught Sabre in half.
The giant ship, fragile as tofu, split into two sinking wrecks. The slash carved through the sea, sending towering waves crashing outward.
Baratie rocked violently with the surging waves.
Inside, Carmen, serving the final dessert to table three, stumbled as the ship lurched. With a yelp, she tipped to one side.
Reno, quick on his feet, caught her, preventing an embarrassing fall.
"Th-thank you," Carmen stammered, grateful.
Reno nodded with a smile.
"What's happening outside?!" Makino said, catching a nearly spilled glass of juice. It was calm moments ago—what was this commotion? A storm?
"Hawkeye's here," Reno said, sensing his beastly aura.
"Hawkeye? Never heard of him. Is he famous?" Nami asked, peering outside but seeing no one.
"He's one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the world's greatest swordsman," Reno explained patiently, awaiting Hawkeye's arrival.
"The world's best?! That strong?!" Nojiko's jaw dropped.
Reno nodded, unquestionable. Hawkeye was Oda's confirmed number-one swordsman, no debate.
"Stronger than Arlong, then?"
Reno laughed at Nami's question. Arlong? He was nothing.
"They're not even comparable. Without his Warlord status, Hawkeye's bounty would be around 3.5 billion Berries."
3.5 billion?! A ten-digit bounty with eight zeros?
The girls were stunned. It was their first encounter with a pirate worth billions.
Nami swallowed hard, cautiously asking, "Reno, the guy you came here to find… it's not him, is it?"
"He's here."
…