After pouring herself another glass of wine, Gion glanced at Luffy, who was still focused solely on eating, showing little interest in anything else. Annoyed, she reached out and gave him a push.
But Luffy, unbothered, simply kept eating, savoring the meal in front of him.
Gion's patience snapped. With a sharp motion, she slapped the chopsticks away from his mouth, forcing him to acknowledge her presence. She then turned her head towards the three women laughing at the table and let out a loud, frustrated huff.
"Stop laughing and pay attention to what I'm saying!" she demanded, glaring at them.
Luffy finally decided to stop provoking her and picked up another piece of sashimi, dipping it into the sauce before taking a bite. He then gestured casually for her to continue.
"You were saying?" he said between bites.
"Hmph!"
Gion rolled her eyes in exasperation, but she took a deep breath and recounted her recent experiences.
"According to the information you gave me, I spent two whole months searching the waters around Dressrosa, where the lantern fish were supposedly likely to appear.
Two months, Luffy!
Forget about finding a giant lantern fish big enough to swallow half an island in one bite—I didn't even see a single large Sea King!"
Luffy raised an eyebrow but let her continue.
"On the bright side, I did manage to capture quite a few pirates who tried to raid Dressrosa," she admitted. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku even called to commend me for my efforts.
King Riku, on the other hand, wouldn't stop thanking me. He keeps inviting me to the palace for a banquet, but honestly, I can't be bothered to go."
Her voice carried a hint of resentment—because while catching pirates was her job, finding the lantern fish had been her true goal.
Hearing this, Violet—who had been listening quietly—couldn't help but smile. She raised her small wine cup, the clear liquid shimmering under the light, and said with both gratitude and amusement:
"Miss Gion, you've worked so hard for our country. I must toast to you."
Without hesitation, she downed the entire cup in one go, not even flinching at the burn of the alcohol.
Gion, though still irritated, waved a hand dismissively before picking up her own glass and gulping it down in one motion.
"Hiss~ Now that hits the spot. Still, Amazon Lily's liquor is better."
The warm buzz of alcohol eased some of her frustrations. Her tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and the exhaustion of the past months seemed to fade, if only for a moment.
But soon, her irritation flared up again, and she shot a sharp look at Luffy.
"Why aren't you saying anything?! You gave me the location, you need the damn thing!
Meanwhile, I'm out there busting my ass every day, and you're just lounging around—playing with women and counting money at home!
Even the Celestial Dragons don't enjoy life as much as you do!"
She slammed her cup down on the table for emphasis.
Luffy, unfazed, slowly put down his chopsticks and held up a single finger.
"First," he said, his tone calm yet teasing, "I told you the lantern fish would appear in that location five years from now.
If you ran off looking for it five years too early, you can't be surprised you didn't find anything."
Then, he raised a second finger.
"Second, I don't actually need pure gold right now.
I can afford to wait five years until it shows up naturally."
A smirk tugged at his lips as he raised a third finger.
"Finally, you need to watch your attitude. Is that really how you talk to your lover?
Don't forget who's the one working hard at night."
His playful smirk and suggestive tone made Gion's face turn an interesting shade of green.
Her rage boiled over, and she suddenly leaned forward, unbuttoning the top two buttons of her uniform and arching towards him with a sly look.
"Alright, alright, I was wrong," she purred, her tone suddenly sultry.
"Forgive me, dear… do you want me to serve you now?"
Luffy narrowed his eyes, assessing her mocking expression before clicking his tongue.
"Well, at least your attitude has improved," he said lazily.
"But you don't have to serve me. That wouldn't be a punishment—it'd be a reward."
The other girls at the table rolled their eyes simultaneously, silently cursing Luffy for being so shameless—right in front of them.
Gion, her face slightly flushed, quickly adjusted her uniform after realizing how public their interaction was.
This time, when she spoke, her tone was softer, carrying a mix of flattery and urgency.
"My dear," she murmured, "you might not care about pure gold, but I do.
I'm almost 40, Luffy. A few more years, and I'll really start looking old and ugly."
She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping as she teased:
"You don't want next to your pillow to be an old woman with wrinkles all over her face and no teeth, do you?"
Luffy's eyebrow twitched.
"That's… a weird way to put it," he said, shaking his head.
"And it's only five years, not fifty. You're exaggerating."
Still, he could understand her concerns, so he finally let out a sigh and softened his tone.
"Look, I get it. You, Olivia, Hina, and the others aren't exactly young anymore.
But personally?" He smirked slightly. "I think women are at their most attractive in their 30s."
Gion blinked, caught slightly off guard by the unexpected compliment.
Luffy shrugged and added, "But since you want it so badly, fine.
Even if I have to search the entire ocean, I'll find that damn fish for you."
For a moment, Gion just stared at him, her eyes flickering with something unreadable.
Then, she tilted her head, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed at him.
"Why the hell does he look so damn handsome right now?" she thought to herself.
Ahem—off-topic.
Luffy then continue "After this mission, stop running around so much," she suggested.
"Just bring with Violet and use my Stormbreaker.
In one month, you would cover a lot.
If you two team up, you might actually get lucky enough to find it."
"That… might not be a bad idea," she admitted.
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