"It's nothing really, I just couldn't sleep, so I came out for some fresh air."
Reiju rested her delicate hands on the railing, raised her fair face, and gazed at the vast night sky, murmuring, "The moonlight is so beautiful tonight, truly mesmerizing."
Chris took a drag from his cigarette, using a retreating strategy to advance, shrugging casually, "Yeah, you're not one of my subordinates, so I can't really control you."
"We're partners after all, and it's only natural to keep some secrets."
Reiju's flustered reaction earlier definitely didn't escape Chris's sharp eyes.
That made him curious—Reiju was clearly troubled by something, which was likely the reason she couldn't sleep.
If it had been any other woman, Chris would've just turned and walked away. No big deal.
But with Reiju, he was more patient. He was willing to listen to her troubles.
Hearing Chris say that, Reiju panicked a little and quickly explained.
"It's not like that! I'm part of this crew too, not how you're making it sound!"
She rolled her eyes at him and complained playfully, "You! I thought you only cared about training and had zero emotional intelligence."
"But now, you're playing this smooth-talking game. You're really something—I almost feel guilty not saying anything now."
Chris exhaled a puff of smoke, glanced at the beauty beside him, and showed a rare smile. "Go on. I'm all ears."
Reiju tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and lowered her head slightly, slowly beginning her story.
"It all starts with Orif."
"After we wiped out the White Ghost Pirates, I reported it back home."
She raised her eyes slightly to peek at Chris, then quickly looked back at the sea. A little embarrassed, she continued, "After that, my father went on and on…"
"He said once you become a Shichibukai, the Vinsmoke family should form a marriage alliance with you."
"That's the gist of it. No need to go into the rest."
Chris fell silent. He finally understood what was troubling her.
To him, it wasn't surprising.
Judge was cold and ruthless. To achieve his lifelong goal—conquering the North Blue—he was willing to sacrifice anything.
Even his own children.
So Reiju being treated as a bargaining chip wasn't unusual. Still, it was unfair to her.
But what could she do?
Fwooo—
Chris exhaled smoke again, looked at Reiju seriously, and said, "Your father has gone mad."
"To conquer the North Blue, he's willing to give up everything."
"Now that he sees potential in me, he's betting everything on this partnership."
"So he'll definitely listen to me and support me unconditionally."
Chris took another drag, trying to ease her mood, "Honestly, you don't have to stress about it. Once I become a Shichibukai, I'll talk to him—he'll definitely listen."
"Truth is, I think you're doing great right now. Compared to Germa, here you have people who care, new experiences…"
"Why overthink it? Just stay here, enjoy life."
He flicked the cigarette into the sea and shrugged, "As long as Judge wants to conquer the North Blue, he'll want you here—he won't let you go back to that cold place."
"Everything's pretty ideal. I don't get why you're upset."
It was clear—Chris genuinely cared about Reiju.
He'd never spoken this much to anyone before.
Not for any other reason—just because Reiju was truly special.
She got it.
Listening to Chris's long speech, Reiju's eyes lit up.
Suddenly, everything made sense to her.
Her worries disappeared, replaced with surprise and warmth.
She looked at the man beside her with a special kind of emotion—hard to describe, but deep and meaningful.
Finally, it turned into a sweet smile. Her eyes curved as she said, "Chris, I suddenly feel a bit sleepy. I'll head in now."
"You should rest too. Don't stay up training so late, okay?"
Hearing the cheerful tone in her voice, Chris knew her worries were gone—her mood had lifted.
"Too early for me to sleep—I'll train a bit more before turning in."
"Now go. Staying up late is a woman's worst enemy. Go rest!"
Reiju glanced at Chris, blinked her beautiful eyes, and smiled brightly.
"Then I'm off. Good night~"
With that, she turned and headed back to her room, her steps light and carefree—clearly in a very good mood.
Chris watched her figure quietly for a moment before heading to the training room…
Four Days Later.
"Report—!!"
"Everyone, great news! We've officially entered the East Blue! I repeat—East Blue!!"
The lookout's excited voice boomed out. He was clearly thrilled.
No doubt about it—they had now reached the final sea.
Once they finished sailing through the East Blue, they'd enter the most mysterious sea of all:
The Grand Line!!
Hearing the good news, the entire crew erupted into cheers. They yelled at the top of their lungs, completely ecstatic.
"Woooo! We're finally in the last sea!!"
"This is amazing—I'm so hyped I could punch someone! Who wants a punch?!"
"Get lost! Just punch yourself in the face!"
"Yooo this is nuts, I'm so happy I need to go take a leak!"
"Enough talk—jump around, people! Dance for me!!"
"Hey! Can you stop pushing me?! Damn it!!"
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T/N:
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