"That… that's Hawkeye?!"
A sharp-eyed patron, recognizing Hawkeye, was dumbfounded. Wasn't Hawkeye the world's greatest swordsman?! How was he being overwhelmed by Reno?! Is this the true weight of a 30-million-Berry pirate?!
The onlookers crowding the restaurant's entrance gaped in shock.
Inside, Kaya propped her cheeks in her hands, eyes sparkling with stars. "Big brother Reno is amazing. No matter where he goes, he's the center of attention."
"Exactly. Even against the world's greatest swordsman, the Captain's brilliance can't be dimmed," Makino said proudly, her gaze dreamy. She felt even more grateful for leaving Windmill Village with Reno, getting to witness the vast world and the grandeur of the top swordsman.
Nami, though impressed by Reno's strength, wasn't too interested in the fight itself. Suddenly, a mischievous idea struck her. She grinned slyly at the girls. "Say, should we give Reno a hand?"
The others looked puzzled, casting questioning glances her way.
Nami nodded toward the door. "Didn't Reno want that pretty chef to join the ship? While he's busy fighting, let's reel her in for him."
Nojiko blinked, hesitating. "Nami, is that okay?"
"What's wrong with it? Any woman Reno sets his sights on ends up the same," Nami said, thinking of herself.
Kaya, Nojiko, and Makino flushed inexplicably.
"But… how do we do it?" Kaya asked, changing the subject. As a refined young lady, she was clueless about such things.
Nami rubbed her chin, recalling how Reno recruited each of them. She was lured with benefits. Makino was intimidated. Kaya joined out of gratitude. Nojiko was nudged along by Nami's scheming.
Nami ruled out luring with benefits—nobody was touching her money. The other methods wouldn't work either, so that left…
Smack! Nami's fist hit her palm. "Intimidation. We scare her!"
"Huh?!" Makino looked uneasy. "Nami, that doesn't seem right." Why make things hard for another woman?
Nami shook her head, righteous. "It's just a way to get her on board. We're not actually going to hurt her."
The girls exchanged glances, finally nodding in agreement.
"Let's go scare her," Nami said, oddly excited, grabbing the bounty poster from the table and heading for the door.
Like most patrons, Carmen was captivated by Reno and Hawkeye's battle. She'd come for Hawkeye—who wouldn't want to see the world's greatest swordsman, even as a non-pirate? He was a titan of the seas.
But as she watched, something felt off. How was Reno stronger than Hawkeye?! He had Hawkeye sparking like a forge!
"It's him," Carmen murmured, recognizing Reno. He was the one who'd caught her earlier, saving her from an embarrassing fall.
The thought of being held by a man stronger than Hawkeye made her cheeks flush red. Though she pursued culinary arts, admiring strength was a woman's instinct. In the strength-driven pirate world, she wasn't immune.
Lost in thought, Carmen felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned, puzzled, to see four women standing before her.
"Table three's guests? What's up?"
Carmen knew they were Reno's crew. A man with four women—especially four beauties—was hard to miss.
Nami's face darkened, her tone menacing. "Pretty chef, our Captain's got his eye on you. He wants you to join our pirate crew. What do you say?!" "You'd better agree, or else…"
Carmen blinked, caught off guard. She nearly laughed. Such a sweet-looking girl trying to act all fierce—and failing miserably.
But was she serious? Reno really wanted her to join?
Recalling her earlier thoughts, Carmen's blush returned, her D-cup figure trembling slightly.
"What's wrong with her?!" Nami was baffled.
"Nami, did you scare her too much?" Nojiko panicked. Carmen was just a chef, after all.
"I… I didn't even say anything!" Nami stammered, tucking the bounty poster back away.
"Don't be scared, miss. We mean no harm," Kaya said quickly, stepping forward to comfort her. "Big brother Reno is recruiting crewmates and hopes you'll join our pirate crew."
Snapping out of it, Carmen asked skeptically, "He really said that?"
The four girls nodded in unison. It was true.
"Alright, I'm in," Carmen said.
Kaya: ??? Nojiko: ??? Makino: ??? Nami: Wait… she agreed just like that?!
She'd prepared a whole intimidation speech and hadn't even started!
"Can you tell us why?" Makino asked gently, speaking as the group's big sister, voicing their shared curiosity. They were strangers, after all.
Carmen glanced at Reno, her face breaking into a bold, carefree smile. "Because he's strong." "Only the strong deserve my loyalty."
To surpass Sanji and become the East Blue's greatest chef, Carmen had wandered the seas for a decade, searching for him. Her drive to improve fueled her. And those she followed had to be strong too.
Reno's fight with Hawkeye proved it all. Cooking for a man like him would be an honor. Plus, the four girls were quite the eye candy.
The girls were stunned. Planting flowers with effort yields none, but an idle twig blooms?! Reno's battle with Hawkeye indirectly secured Carmen's recruitment?!
Fine. Reno, you win again!
…