It didn't take long for Sanji and Choba to return, their arms loaded with clothes and supplies.
"What kind of clothes are these?" Nami asked, lifting a piece of fabric with suspicion. "Didn't you say you were buying normal civilian outfits?"
"This is civilian clothing," Sanji declared proudly.
Nami held it up higher. "Sanji… this is a dancer's costume."
"The dancer's costume," he corrected, "is also a type of civilian clothing."
…
Well, Sanji's taste was impressive, that much was undeniable. And the two sets he chose were stunning—bright, flowing, and dangerously eye-catching.
Because the heat was unbearable, the women wore only the built-in hair-armor that Ha Shiro had crafted for them underneath.
"Come on, let's go explore," Nami said, tugging down the brim of her oversized visor hat. The hat covered most of her face. Vivi wore a matching one—Shiro's idea—so neither would be recognized while traveling.
They had barely stepped into town when Shiro spotted a familiar silhouette. Zoro vanished instantly.
"Dasuki? What are you doing here?"Shiro ignored Zoro's escape and walked up with a cheerful grin.
"Ha Shiro? It is you!"Dasuki—who had been scolding a shop owner—covered her small mouth in surprise. "It's been so long. Your hair has grown so much!"
Naturally, Shiro's hand went straight to her head, ruffling her hair as if it were the most normal greeting in the world.
Ever since he had styled her once before, Dasuki had become much more polished. Even her clothing choices had improved noticeably.
"Come on," Shiro said. "I'll take you to some shade and give you a proper trim."
Before anyone could react, he pulled her along, leaving the rest of the crew blinking in confusion.
"This guy's hairdressing obsession is acting up again," Nami sighed. "Forget him—let's go look around."
Everyone exchanged glances, shrugged, and followed her.
"Damn it," Zoro muttered, watching Shiro drag Dasuki away. "When the hell did he get to know her? Whatever. I'm buying booze."Given the choice between women or alcohol, Zoro always picked alcohol.
Away from the bustling streets, Dasuki asked shyly,"Ha Shiro, why are you here?"
"Nothing much. I'm a pirate. Of course I travel around."Shiro's reply was casual.
"What? You're… a pirate?"Dasuki shot to her feet and reached for her sword.
"Hm? You're going to arrest me?"Shiro's smile deepened as he slowly stepped toward her.
"I—I'm a Marine. Catching pirates is my duty!"She backed up instinctively, only to find herself cornered by Shiro's presence alone.
"Oh yeah?" he murmured. "Then catch me after I finish trimming your hair, okay?"
Without giving her time to object, he gently pushed her back into the salon chair.
"Why did you become a pirate?" she asked, torn between duty and her own hesitation.
"Why become a pirate? Hm…" Shiro pretended to ponder. "Probably because I love giving people good haircuts."
He said it without an ounce of shame.
[Stamina +1314.Hair Hardness—Slight Increase.]
"How's that?"Shiro handed her the mirror and leaned lightly against her shoulder.
Dasuki examined the result, cheeks pink. "Shiro… could you not be a pirate? Pirates are terrible people—murderers, criminals… I don't want you to—"
Her words cut off abruptly as Shiro pressed her back into the chair and kissed her deeply.
When he finally let her go, he flashed a wicked smile."I'm a scoundrel too. Want to arrest me?"
Before she could respond, he slipped away like smoke.
"Ha Shiro—! You—you stop right there!!!"Even timid Dasuki snapped, grabbing her sword and chasing after him.
But Shiro's shadow had already vanished.
"Dasuki is really cute," Shiro chuckled to himself, touching the corner of his mouth. "Perfect for grinding experience. Heh."
Having tasted the thrill once, Shiro had grown far bolder.He was ready to start stealing hearts outright.
Suddenly, flames erupted into the sky. A massive tornado of fire rose above the town, smoke curling around it.
"That's Ace and the Smoker fighting already?"Shiro stood atop a roof and watched the blaze from afar.The power of a Logia fruit user was overwhelming—especially the flame user.
Fire… is a terrible matchup for me. Unless I fully master Armament Haki, I won't be able to resist it.
"Good thing Ace is on our side. But… what about Akainu in the future?"
Shiro compared himself to the magma fruit monster.
He wasn't even close.
"Damn. I need to farm experience… a lot more of it. Otherwise, I won't even be able to protect myself later."
He clenched his fists, silently making up his mind.
By then, the rest of the Straw Hats were already heading back to the ship—except, of course, for Luffy.
"Did he get lost again?" Nami groaned."How about I go get him?" Shiro asked.
"Start the ship first. If he's not back soon, then go fetch him," Nami replied. She trusted Shiro completely; he always brought her unexpected solutions.
Just then—a long rubber arm shot across the deck.Luffy slingshotted aboard… bringing someone else with him.
A freckled young man landed beside him.
"Haha! Hey there!""Thanks for looking after my little brother. I'm his older brother—Ace."
As soon as he finished speaking, a fleet of bounty hunters approached.
"Fire Fist!"Ace punched once.
Every ship exploded into flames.
Even Shiro couldn't help but stare.His current strength wasn't anywhere near the level of wiping out several ships with a single strike.
It wasn't that Shiro couldn't one day defeat Ace—just that Logia fruit users were unbelievably strong early on.
"That's amazing!"The Straw Hats were stunned.
Ace stayed aboard for a bit, planning to travel with them part of the way.
Shiro saw his opportunity.
"Ace—hello! I'm Ha Shiro, the crew's barber. And, you know, in this heat, long hair must be unbearable. How about a trim?"
Ace blinked, then laughed. "All right. Thanks."
Shiro pulled out his full set of equipment.
Snip. Snip. Snip.His hands danced with dazzling speed.
Ace's eyes widened. "Whoa…"
[First time serving Ace.Stamina +6999.Hair Fire Resistance increased.]
Shiro nearly jumped.Fire resistance? Even Devil Fruit users give special bonuses? That's incredible!
This meant he could gradually eliminate his weaknesses just by cutting the right hair.
"Wow! That looks great! I look way more handsome now!"Ace admired himself in the mirror, thrilled.
Shiro, already satisfied, moved on immediately to his next targets.
He grabbed Luffy and gave him a full cut.
[Stamina +3666.Hair Toughness increased.]
Just as expected—another special reward.
"Huh?"Luffy touched his newly tidy hair, still confused.
"Sanji! Your turn!"Shiro announced.
"Give me slightly longer bangs," Sanji requested, unable to escape his fate.
[Stamina +1999]
"Okay! Now it's my favorite Nami's turn," Shiro said, voice dropping into a warm, teasing tone.
He found her in the cabin, sketching a map.
"Mm? Shiro, stop messing around—I need to finish this chart…"
"It's fine, I'll be quick. I'm just trimming a bit."
Shiro worked intimately—soft, careful touches, leaning close, brushing against her gently. He dropped light kisses whenever he had the chance.
[Stamina +3009.Hair Toughness increased.]