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"Logan, are you seriously planning to kidnap that pretty chef and bring her aboard?!" Kaya's tone carried both disbelief and a hint of jealousy.
Logan didn't even flinch. "That's right. She's one of my targets."
The girls all fell silent.
"You're such a womanizer." Nami pouted, clearly a bit jealous herself.
They already had four women on the ship, and yet he was still out there chasing others.
Then again—it was Logan.
If it were anyone else, it'd be pure fantasy.
Logan immediately picked up on the shift in their moods. "Nami," he said, his voice calm, "tell me something—how have I treated you since the start?"
Nami froze. Honestly speaking, he'd treated her really well.
But pride made her turn her head away and mutter, "Not bad."
Logan continued, unfazed. "And after Makino and Kaya joined us, have I treated you any worse?"
He glanced at the others. "Same goes for you too."
The girls exchanged looks, then shook their heads one by one.
"So," Logan said after a pause, sweeping his gaze across them, "you don't need to worry about anyone stealing my affection. As long as she's my woman, I treat everyone equally."
He knew that Kaya, Makino, and Nojiko all had the same quiet worry as Nami.They were just too reserved to say it out loud.
But Logan believed in clearing things up before they grew into problems.
After all, this was only the beginning. There would be more women joining the crew in the future.
And the truth was simple—he had two reasons for pursuing so many beauties. First, the system rewarded him for winning them over. Second… he really was a bit of a pervert.
He'd never tried to deny that.
But he wasn't the kind of man who'd favor a few women and ignore the rest once he got what he wanted.
That just wasn't his style.
Logan's words hit like a reassuring charm, and the four women finally relaxed.
Most importantly—they knew from experience that he meant what he said.
"Logan, I believe you," Kaya murmured, rubbing her soft cheek against his shoulder like a kitten.
"Hmph, you always beat me with your sweet talk," Nami grumbled, though the irritation had already melted from her face.
"Alright, everyone, let's eat." Makino smiled, spearing a piece of foie gras and holding it up to Logan's lips. "Captain, try this one—it's amazing."
Logan tasted it slowly, then nodded in approval.
"The Baratie really lives up to its reputation."
Laughter and chatter filled the table again.
Meanwhile, outside the restaurant—
"Captain, are you alright?!"
As soon as Gin touched Krieg's arm, a surge of electricity jolted through him. He yelped and pulled his hand back instantly.
"Damn it, what the hell happened?!"
"Could it be… Mihawk chased us here?!"
But Gin shook his head right away.
No way. Not even Mihawk would sail all the way from the Grand Line to the East Blue in that creepy coffin boat just to chase them.
The world's greatest swordsman had better things to do.
Besides—Mihawk used a sword, not lightning.
Just then, Krieg coughed violently, spitting out mouthfuls of seawater as he slowly regained consciousness.
"Gin… leave this place. Now…" he rasped.
His face was pale, his body trembling.
That woman… she was terrifying.
He didn't even know what nerve he'd touched. He'd barely escaped Mihawk's pursuit, only to be crushed by some no-name woman in an instant.
Instantly!
Krieg's confidence had completely shattered.
"Who was it, Captain? Tell me! I'll avenge you!" Gin growled.
Krieg almost cursed out loud. He shook Gin's arm desperately. "Just go! Get out of here!"
Avenge what?!
If a guy with a 16-million bounty like him got wiped out in one hit, what chance did a 12-million nobody like Gin have?!
Right now, Krieg had only one thought—get as far away from here as possible.
But neither of them noticed the eerie sight behind them—
Out on the sea, not far away, a small coffin-shaped boat glided silently through the mist, lit by ghostly green flames.
A man sat aboard, fingers interlocked, eyes sharp as a hawk's, a long black sword strapped to his back.
Dracule Mihawk had arrived.
He stood slowly, his expression unreadable, as the tattered warship blocked his path.
The Black Sword—Yoru—flashed from its sheath.
The air howled.
A brilliant green slash burst forth, slicing across the ocean like lightning, covering hundreds of meters in a blink.
It struck the massive warship, cleaving it in two like a knife through tofu.
The wreckage split apart, collapsing into the waves.
The sea itself roared in protest, waves surging violently in all directions.
Back at the Baratie, the restaurant rocked violently as the shockwave hit.
Inside, a waitress named Karumen was just about to leave after serving dessert to Table 3 when the floor lurched beneath her feet.
With a startled cry, she lost her balance—
Logan reacted instantly, catching her before she fell, saving her from a very awkward "accident."
"Th-thank you!" Karumen stammered.
Logan just smiled and nodded.
"What's happening outside?!" Makino cried, catching a glass of juice before it spilled.
The sea had been calm just a second ago—how could it suddenly go wild like this?
A storm?
Logan shook his head slightly. His eyes narrowed. "Mihawk's here."
That aura—like a wild beast closing in.
"Mihawk? Never heard of him. Is he famous?" Nami asked, peering out the window.
"He's one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea," Logan explained, "and the world's greatest swordsman."
"The world's greatest?!" Nojiko gasped, eyes wide.
Logan nodded. "No exaggeration."
Mihawk wasn't just strong—he was the definition of swordsmanship.
"So he's way stronger than Arlong then?" Nami asked.
That made Logan laugh out loud.
"Arlong? He's nothing compared to Mihawk. If Mihawk weren't a Warlord, his bounty would easily be around 3.5 billion Berries."
"Three point five… billion?!"
The girls all froze, stunned.
They'd never even met a pirate whose bounty had more than a few zeroes, let alone that many.
Nami swallowed hard. "Logan… the person you came here to find… it's him, isn't it?"
Logan smiled faintly. "He's here."
"....."