Night, Foosha Village Tavern.
Kaizer lay sprawled on the table, feeling like a deflated balloon.
Luffy was setting sail tomorrow, yet he had been labeled a weakling, and his request to join the crew had been heartlessly rejected.
Time? He had no time left.
"Mr. Kaizer, please eat something." The proprietress, Makino, walked over carrying a plate of simple food and set it before him. "Luffy is just like that..."
Kaizer looked at the bread and meat broth on the plate, and a "ding" suddenly rang in his head, like a lightbulb turning on.
Her gender had changed, but her basic character setting seemed the same—Luffy was still a foodie.
And her favorite food, of course, was meat.
As the old saying goes, the man who wants to become the Pirate King must first conquer the Pirate King's stomach!
He stood up with a "whoosh," a small flame reigniting in his eyes. "Miss Makino! Please, you must let me use the kitchen!"
Makino blinked in surprise, then smiled and nodded. "Of course, this way please."
In the kitchen, Kaizer rolled up his sleeves. As a single shut-in from another world, if nothing else, he at least had Basic Cooking skills.
He clumsily handled the steaks, feeling a bit unfamiliar with the cookware and spices of the Pirate World. Makino leaned against the doorframe watching for a while before she couldn't help but speak up. "Luffy's tastes are very direct; she likes the pure aroma of meat. You can use less sauce, but you can increase the heat a bit; she prefers the surface to be charred and crispy."
"Understood! Thank you so much!" Kaizer thanked her sincerely; this was invaluable intel.
He adjusted his method according to her guidance. The steaks sizzled in the pan, emitting an even more enticing charred aroma.
"You're very thoughtful." Makino looked at his profile, an auntie-like smile appearing on her face as she said softly, "That child Luffy, though she's always reckless, she's a good kid. I'm very happy she could meet someone who truly wants to help her and accompany her."
[System Prompt]: Makino's Favorability has increased. Current Relationship: Friend. Reward issued: [Basic Cooking].
A stream of information instantly flooded his mind regarding the characteristics of various common ingredients in the Pirate World, spice pairings, and basic culinary techniques. The kitchen knife in his hand, which had felt a bit awkward, instantly became obedient, and his control over the heat became much more precise.
Through the system, Kaizer saw that the green progress bar above Makino's head was full, and then the reward appeared.
So that's how the system works.
Great! Kaizer shouted in his heart.
This way, there's a good chance of securing the chef position. Sorry, Sanji!
But just knowing how to cook wasn't enough; he still needed combat power.
Makino gave him cooking skills because that's what she was good at.
So, who was the best fighter in Foosha Village?
Luffy, of course. Could it be the Village Chief?
If reaching the "Friend" relationship gives a reward, then Luffy's favorability reward must be combat-related!
Carrying this extra-thick, charred, and crispy steak into which he had poured his heart, Kaizer walked out of the tavern and toward the harbor under Makino's encouraging gaze.
The harbor under the Moonlight was very quiet, with only the sound of the waves. Luffy's small boat was moored there.
It was clear she was already impatient to set sail, having even fallen asleep on the small boat.
Luffy was sleeping soundly in an extremely uninhibited posture. One leg was draped directly over the gunwale while the other was curled up. Between her shorts and her small red vest, a section of firm abdomen was exposed. The Moonlight shone on her face; asleep, she looked much quieter than during the day, even a bit... cute?
Kaizer's old face flushed for some reason. He carefully placed the fragrant steak in a prominent position at the bow of the boat.
Just as he was about to wake Luffy up, he saw a scene that left him dumbfounded.
In her sleep, Luffy's nose twitched a few times. Immediately after, her right arm stretched out like rubber with a "swish," tracing an arc to accurately grab the plate of meat at the bow, then "swished" back, stuffing the steak directly into her mouth. She chewed twice, her throat moved, and she swallowed it. Throughout the entire process, she didn't open her eyes once.
Kaizer stood frozen in place, his hand still in the position of having just set down the plate.
"...My culinary stepping stone was just digested by her in her sleep?"
Refusing to give up, he leaned toward the cabin. "Luffy? Luffy? Wake up, do you... think it tasted good?"
He was answered by the sound of steady breathing.
He took a deep breath, reached out, gently grabbed her highly elastic shoulder, and shook her. "Luffy? Time to get up!"
The feel... was soft.
But Luffy's body only wobbled limply with his shaking, like she had no bones; there was no sign of her waking up at all.
"Hey! Luffy!" He raised his voice slightly.
Still no reaction. She was sleeping like a log.
Kaizer was out of options.
"Then don't blame me!"
Kaizer steeled his heart and extended his "evil" hand toward the round thing on Luffy's chest that rose and fell slightly with her breath... the straw hat.
His fingertips had just touched the edge of the straw hat when... *Snap!*
A small hand, fast as lightning, death-gripped his wrist! The strength was staggering; Kaizer felt like his bones were groaning!
Luffy snapped her eyes open, all sleepiness gone. Her gaze was as sharp as a knife as she stared intently at him. "What do you think you're doing to my straw hat?!"
Kaizer's heart skipped a beat, but he reacted instantly, immediately following her lead with a tone of feigned surprise: "Don't get excited! I just wanted to confirm... is this straw hat the one that Red Hair Shanks left for you?"
"Eh?!!"
The anger on Luffy's face vanished instantly, replaced by massive shock and curiosity. She let go of his hand, her eyes wide as saucers, leaning forward until she was almost touching Kaizer's face. "You know Shanks too?! How do you know about him? Who exactly are you?"
The girl's scent drifted into his nose. Kaizer was secretly delighted, but he put on an air of profound mystery. "Me? I... know many things about the sea. For example, that Red Hair Shanks who lost an arm in Foosha Village back then is quite the big deal now. He is already one of the 'Four Emperors' who rule the 'New World' in the latter half of the Grand Line! He's one of the four great pirates standing at the peak of this world!"
"Wow—!!!"
Luffy jumped up directly, standing on the deck, her face glowing with excitement as she gesticulated wildly. "Really?! Shanks has already... already become that amazing! That's great!! I knew he was super strong!"
[System Prompt: Luffy feels extremely excited and close to you because of the important intel you shared. Favorability has risen by 25%.]
Favorability surged! Encouraged, Kaizer decided to add more fuel to the fire and drop a bombshell. "Furthermore, I heard in an ancient rumor... it's said that Shanks's straw hat is very, very special. Many years ago, the Pirate King of that era—Gol D. Roger—seems to have worn it as well."
"The... The Pirate King?! Roger?!!"
Luffy's voice spiked, so sharp it nearly pierced Kaizer's eardrums. She looked as if she'd been struck by lightning, freezing in place. Her hands trembled as she took the straw hat off her head and held it in her palms, staring solemnly at this seemingly ordinary straw hat.
"Roger... Shanks... Pirate King..." she murmured to herself, her breathing becoming rapid. Her face flushed from extreme excitement; she looked like she might actually faint.
She snapped her head up, and the look in her eyes toward Kaizer had completely changed. She was no longer looking at a "weakling" or a "strange suitor," but at a... friend who had shared her greatest secret and glory?
"You... you actually even know about that!" Her voice trembled.
Kaizer breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the most critical step had been passed. He sat down by the edge of the boat and patted the spot next to him. "Wanna chat?"
Luffy immediately sat down beside him, clutching her straw hat. Her body pressed close to his, and her eyes were burning with the desire to share and talk.
Under the Moonlight, the two leaned against the small boat and talked about the sea. It was mostly Luffy talking—about Shanks, about their promise, about her dream. Kaizer listened, chiming in at the right moments to show he "understood her."
He could clearly "see" in the system interface that the pink progress bar representing Luffy's favorability was steadily and continuously climbing upward.
The conversation inevitably returned to the original dream.
Luffy raised her fist and declared to the sea, "I am definitely going to become the Pirate King!"
Kaizer looked sideways at her profile outlined by the Moonlight; those large eyes sparkled with an incredibly firm light. He was silent for a few seconds, then said in an unprecedentedly serious tone:
"Before I met you, I was probably... someone without a dream."
He paused, his gaze also drifting toward the pitch-black surface of the sea.
"But after meeting you, I found it.
My dream is to become the Pirate King's companion, to stand on the Pirate King's ship, and to watch you with my own eyes, step by step, reach that position and realize your dream."
Luffy turned her head and looked at Kaizer, a very happy smile appearing on her face, her teeth looking very white in the Moonlight. But she shook her head, her mind exceptionally clear:
"Hee-hee, having a dream is great! But," she reached out a finger and unceremoniously poked Kaizer's arm muscles, "with your current strength, you'll really die once you're out on the sea. I'm setting sail tomorrow; the adventure can't stop to wait for you to get stronger!"
Kaizer stood up abruptly, standing before Luffy as the sea breeze made his clothes flutter loudly. He looked down at the girl sitting there, his gaze not wavering in the slightest, filled with a resolve that left no room for retreat.
"Don't underestimate me!" His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a tone of absolute certainty. "If I say I can keep up, I will definitely keep up! I absolutely have the strength to stand by your side!"
As if in response to his firm declaration, that long-awaited prompt finally rang clearly in his mind:
[System Prompt]: Luffy's Favorability has risen to 100%, reaching the Friend stage. Congratulations to the host for achieving the milestone goal. Reward earned; please choose one from the following three options:
[Six Powers - Tekkai (Basic)]: Instantly condense strength into a local part of the body, significantly increasing physical defense, capable of blocking ordinary sword slashes.
[Six Powers - Soru (Basic)]: Realize high-speed short-distance movement by instantly kicking the ground dozens of times to generate explosive reaction force.
[Luffy's Brawling Style (Mimicry)]: Mimics the force-delivery techniques and trajectories of Luffy's rubber taijutsu, allowing your strikes to break through joint limitations and carry certain "extension" and "elasticity" characteristics. (Note: Without a rubber body, power and effect are halved, and it places a significant load on the physical body.)