The meal started the way most Straw Hat meals did.
With yelling.
"WHY IS THERE SO MUCH MEAT?!" Nami shouted, slamming her hands on the table.
"Because meat is important!" Luffy shouted back, already stuffing his face.
Sanji spun between pans with dangerous grace. "It's balanced cuisine, Nami-swan! Protein for strength! Vegetables for health! And extra portions for idiots!"
"HEY!"
Ren sat among them, shoulder to shoulder this time, not at the edge of the table. He watched the chaos unfold like a familiar storm—loud, directionless, but never truly out of control.
Franky slammed a drink down in front of him. "You good with cola?"
Ren blinked. "I—sure?"
"SUPER," Franky declared.
Usopp leaned across the table, eyes bright. "So, Ren, you ever fight a Sea King barehanded?"
Ren glanced at Luffy, who paused mid-chew to listen.
"No," Ren said honestly.
Usopp sagged. "Aw—"
"But," Ren continued, "I did out-sail one once."
Usopp snapped upright. "TELL ME EVERYTHING."
Ren smiled and began—briefly. No embellishment. No heroics. Just a story about bad weather, a damaged sail, and surviving by knowing when not to fight.
The table listened.
That was new.
Zoro drank quietly, eye flicking toward Ren now and then. Robin rested her chin in her hand, eyes thoughtful. Nami counted berries between bites, pretending not to listen while catching every word.
When Ren finished, Luffy laughed loudest of all. "That's awesome!"
"It was stressful," Ren replied.
"Still awesome!"
Dinner stretched long into the evening, plates piling high, voices overlapping. At some point, Sanji lit a cigarette and leaned against the counter, watching the crew with quiet satisfaction.
"Oi," he said suddenly, nodding toward Ren. "You're not half bad."
Ren looked up. "High praise."
Sanji scoffed. "Don't get used to it."
Later, as the table cleared and the stars emerged overhead, the crew drifted naturally into smaller clusters. Usopp and Franky argued about ship modifications. Zoro passed out where he sat. Robin read aloud a strange historical footnote that only half of them followed.
Ren found himself leaning against the rail beside Nami.
She didn't look at him right away.
"You know," she said eventually, "you've stopped moving like you're temporary."
Ren considered that. "Guess I ran out of places to go."
She glanced at him then, studying his expression. "Good. Because this ship doesn't do temporary."
He met her gaze. "I figured."
A comfortable silence followed.
On the opposite side of the deck, Luffy lay flat on his back, staring at the sky.
"Hey," he called suddenly. "Ren."
Ren turned. "Yeah?"
Luffy grinned. "You hungry tomorrow?"
Ren blinked. "…Probably?"
"Cool. We'll eat more."
That was it.
No speeches. No declarations.
Just tomorrow.
As the night deepened, Ren felt something settle fully into place. Not relief. Not triumph.
Belonging.
The System stirred faintly within him—quiet, observant.
Stability achieved.
No reward followed.
No push.
Just confirmation.
Ren smiled softly.
For years, he'd measured progress by distance traveled, enemies survived, strength gained. Sitting here now, surrounded by laughter and warmth and noise, he realized how incomplete that measure had been.
This mattered.
When he finally turned in for the night, Ren paused at the doorway of his cabin. He looked back once—at the deck, the stars, the crew scattered in familiar disarray.
He didn't feel the need to memorize the scene.
He'd see it again.
End of Chapter Ten
The Thousand Sunny sailed onward, carrying stories, scars, and something harder to earn than strength.
Ren D. Vale ate at the table.
And that made him a Straw Hat.
Author's Note:
This chapter closes the slice-of-life integration arc. From here on, Ren isn't joining the Straw Hats — he is one. Action and plot will ramp back up next, but these moments matter. Thank you for reading, and if you're enjoying the journey, please leave a comment and drop some Power Stones for daily or more frequent updates.