-----
-----
Sailing was boring.
But with the girls around, the trip was a lot livelier—full of chatter and laughter.
Onboard the Merry, things were as peaceful as ever.
Nami was watering her precious orange trees with care.Makino was busy brewing liquor.Karumen was in the kitchen, preparing lunch, with Nojiko helping out.Kaya sat quietly with her nose buried in a medical book.
Even though the Healing Fruit's power made her an excellent doctor already, Kaya's dream of mastering medicine never faded.
Logan, meanwhile, was lying lazily on his deck chair, sunglasses on, enjoying the sunshine.
After teaching the girls navigation every morning, this was his favorite part of the day—relaxing and listening to their cheerful voices as they worked.
And honestly, having such gorgeous company made everything feel even better.
Since the day he'd received his mysterious reward, Logan had been using his "Wave Hand" technique to teach navigation—much to the girls' "shock."
The unprepared Nami and the others were completely overwhelmed each time, faces red, hearts racing.
When all six of them practiced together, it was like a storm at sea.Especially Nami, Nojiko, and Karumen—they could practically summon small waves with their combined effort.
Every lesson ended with the girls mopping up puddles for ages afterward.
But really, who could blame them? Their captain was that good.
"Alright everyone, take a break—lunch's ready!" Karumen called from the kitchen.
Nami put down her watering can, Kaya folded a corner of her page as a bookmark, and the girls all gathered around the dining table.
The table was already packed with dishes, their aromas filling the air.
This was Karumen's most elaborate meal since she'd joined the crew.
The reason? They were about to reach their last stop in the East Blue—Loguetown.
After restocking supplies there, they'd finally set sail for the Grand Line.
"Whoa, this looks amazing!" Kaya said, fork and knife in hand, her eyes sparkling.
"Guess the title of 'East Blue's Top Chef' isn't just for show," Nami added, her nose twitching as she inhaled the mouthwatering scents.
With Karumen around, every meal felt like a festival—never the same dish twice.
Even Nojiko and Makino had to admit defeat. Karumen naturally became the Merry's head chef.
Once everyone was seated, the chef herself began presenting the feast with pride.
"This first dish is rainbow salmon sashimi.""This one's Duka Crab Meat Pie.""This is Kapora Mantis Shrimp Tempura.""And here we have Longlichia Grilled Mackerel."
She went on, naming each dish like a master showing off her treasures.
Everyone stared wide-eyed, giving Karumen enthusiastic thumbs-ups.
Even Logan had to admit—it was impressive.
Every plate looked incredible, smelled divine, and practically screamed "eat me." The mix of colors and aromas hit them like a tidal wave of temptation.
Seeing everyone drooling, Karumen chuckled and sped up her introductions.
"And finally, my special dessert—coconut jelly. Great for the skin, ladies."
She clapped her hands lightly. "That's all! Now dig in, everyone!"
The words were barely out of her mouth before everyone lunged forward with their forks.
"Mmm! This is the best mackerel I've ever had!""The crab pie tastes just like the one from Baratie!""So good… I can't stop eating!"
Their voices filled the air as they devoured the food, each complimenting the dishes between bites.
"Not bad at all," Logan said with a satisfied grin. "Looks like I've found myself an exceptional chef."
The flavors danced on his tongue—it was pure bliss.
Hearing all the praise, Karumen smiled proudly before sitting down to eat with them.
As the meal wound down, Logan spoke up.
"When we reach Loguetown, we'll stock up properly this time."
Even though most of the crew were girls, their navigation training took a lot out of them each day, so supplies ran out quickly.
And with Karumen's hearty cooking, their old shopping lists just couldn't keep up anymore.
"I want to buy a few dresses!" Nami said immediately, eyes sparkling.
"And I want to pick up some new medical books," Kaya added right after.
Once Nami started, the others jumped in too—chatting about everything they wanted to buy.
Logan just shook his head helplessly.
Was shopping really every woman's universal obsession?!
He only meant to stock up on essentials... but the conversation had completely gone off course.
Oh well. If it makes them happy, so be it.
That was what mattered most.
But in truth, Logan had another reason for heading to Loguetown—something much more important.
He was going to recruit the last beauty of the East Blue: the Navy's bespectacled sword girl, Tashigi.
A cute, clumsy girl with a passion for collecting fine swords.
If things went as planned, she should be stationed at the Loguetown Marine base right now.
Logan grinned to himself. He'd once heard that "girls with glasses always have surprising sides."
Time to see if that held true in the world of pirates.
The East Blue arc was almost at its end.
There were still three girls he hadn't written about yet—Apis from the Millennium Dragon story, the gorgeous Queen of Clockwork Island, and of course, Kuina.
The first two were from shorter or movie arcs, so most readers wouldn't remember them well. That's why he didn't include them in detail.
As for Karumen, it made sense to write her in since Logan had just gone to Baratie to spar with Mihawk—and she tied neatly into Sanji's backstory.
As for Kuina, don't worry—since so many people asked for her, all three of these girls will get their moments later.
And finally—please drop some stats and support! Thanks for reading!
"....."