A New Companion and Unexpected Rewards
Hawkeye handed over a permanent Log Pose and a Den Den Mushi.
Though he preferred solitude, he figured it wouldn't make much difference—Bai Yu could find him easily either way.
"Nami, take care of this. You'll need to understand how permanent pointers work when we reach the Grand Line."
"Got it!" Nami replied as she took the Log Pose.
Bai Yu turned his gaze toward Hawkeye once more.
"Wait for me… three minutes."
Conversation with Tashigi
Approaching Tashigi, Bai Yu found her still bound in cloud locks, her figure accentuated by the restraints.
At the sight of him, Tashigi's eyes flared with defiance.
"Let me go! What are you trying to do? I'll never yield to a pirate!"
But when her eyes fell on the sword in Bai Yu's hand, her expression shifted to one of sorrow.
"My sword… in the hands of a pirate like you. It must be crying right now."
Then her eyes burned with determination as she added:
"One day, I'll reclaim every stolen blade—Hawkeye's Yoru, Whitebeard's Murakumogiri, Red-Haired Shanks' Griffin, and even Roger's Ace…"
Bai Yu: …She's bold, I'll give her that.
Roger's Ace?
Good luck with that one.
As for the other swords…
How many power-ups would she need for that?
"If you want to get your sword back—"
Bai Yu's tone was calm but firm:
"There are only two ways:
First: Defeat me.
Second: Join my crew."
"Impossible!"
Tashigi shook her head fiercely, her face set with determination.
"I'd rather die here than betray my duty. You can do whatever you want to me—I'll never join you!"
"Really? I'll think about it then."
Bai Yu fell silent, the air growing still.
Tashigi glanced at Bai Yu, then at her sword.
Her mind seemed to be racing—perhaps imagining how she might take him down.
She stared for a long time…
Then went back to staring at her sword.
"…Oh, right."
Bai Yu's sudden words startled her.
Tashigi straightened her back, her eyes blazing once more.
"Have you finally decided how to humiliate me?!"
Her voice rang out boldly:
"Go ahead! Do your worst! If I scream, I don't deserve to be called a swordsman!"
…Huh?
Bai Yu stared at her, confused.
Did she just… lie down by herself?!
Is she… stupid?
"…No, that's not what I was going to say," Bai Yu replied, shaking his head.
"I made a pact with Hawkeye."
"Within two years, there's a good chance I'll convince him to join my crew."
Tashigi immediately sat up, eyes blazing.
"What did you say to Hawkeye?! No—what exactly are you planning to do?!"
Bai Yu raised a finger to his lips.
"Shh… Don't shout. It's bad for your skin—and bad for your swordsmanship, too."
"Huh? Really? Thanks for the tip," Tashigi replied, momentarily caught off guard.
Bai Yu: …Did I just kidnap the world's cutest idiot?
"Well, here's the thing," Bai Yu continued smoothly.
"I'm a pirate—of course, that means danger and destruction. But if you refuse to join me… you'll die without ever making a difference. Isn't that a waste?"
He stepped closer, voice low and persuasive:
"So why not join me… at least on the surface?"
"Pretend to be one of us—but in secret, you can act as a spy for the Marines. Or, if I ever stray from the right path, you can stop me before it's too late."
"Wouldn't that be the greatest contribution you could make?"
Tashigi froze.
Her mind spun—
Sacrifice myself to save countless civilians?
Why didn't I think of that before?!
Bai Yu smiled as she hesitated.
"So… Welcome aboard, my new crewmate."
"Ah… Hmm."
Before she could stop herself, Tashigi nodded.
Bai Yu handed her sword back with a grin.
"From today onward, we're family. If I ever go too far, I trust you to guide me back. Thanks in advance, dear Ms. Tashigi."
"N-No… You're welcome…"
Tashigi clutched her sword to her chest, still dazed.
She looked up—
And Bai Yu was gone.
"Wait—what just happened?!"
It hit her like a brick:
How did I end up joining a pirate crew?!
Her face turned red, then white, then red again.
"Ahhh! What have I done?!"
Rubbing her head in distress, Tashigi muttered:
"Well… since there's no way out, I'll just have to do my best. I'll guide him onto the path of justice…"
Her mother's words echoed in her mind:
"If you ever have a headache, just take a nap."
"…Yeah, sleep sounds good."
…And she promptly fell asleep.
In three seconds.
Ding!
System Notification:
"Congratulations, Host! You have successfully recruited Tashigi as a crew member/subordinate."
"Reward: 1x Lottery Draw!"
"Let's roll!" Bai Yu replied without hesitation.
Ding!
"Congratulations, Host! You have obtained: Advanced Storage Rings x100!"
Storage Rings?
The familiar term stirred memories of another world filled with flames and cultivation.
Ding!
"Optimization mechanism triggered. Optimize item?"
"Optimize it."
Ding! Optimization Complete!
[Advanced Storage Ring]
• Space: 100,000 cubic meters.
• Durability: Indestructible (resistant to spatial cuts).
• Collection: Consumes a small amount of stamina. Each collection cannot exceed the user's physical strength.
• Range: Based on user strength (minimum 1 meter).
• Remote Retrieval: Items can be reclaimed across space remotely.
Bai Yu nodded, satisfied.
One hundred rings—
More than enough to share with the girls in the future.
Especially Nami—
She's going to love having unlimited space for her money.
"Now I just need a Time Chamber and some Physique Pills…"
Bai Yu's thoughts shifted to the girls' strength.
He couldn't always be there to protect them.
Even with spatial coordinates for emergency teleportation, danger could strike without warning.
Back on Deck
When Bai Yu stepped out of his cabin—
Tashigi appeared moments later, having only slept for a few dozen seconds.
Bai Yu grinned and produced a book, handing it to Hawkeye.
"Consider this a parting gift."
Hawkeye accepted it with mild curiosity.
The cover read: "Haki: The True Understanding."
"…A Haki manual?"
"I know you've seen plenty of Haki training methods—but this one's different."
Bai Yu's grin widened.
"It'll help you get stronger, faster."
After all, Bai Yu thought to himself, the stronger my crew, the better they can work for me.
As for the Storage Rings—
Those were strictly for the girls.
"Don't let anyone else see that book," Bai Yu added.
"…Noted."
Hawkeye's pace quickened slightly as he approached the edge of the ship.
He wouldn't read it now—
But when he was out at sea, rowing across the waves…
Heh. That's when he'd take a good, long look.
Bai Yu raised a hand and commanded the Island Cloud to descend, gently lowering Hawkeye and his coffin boat onto the ocean's surface.
As Hawkeye settled onto his boat, he called back:
"I haven't joined yet, but… to help you grow faster—"
"…Keep an eye on the newspapers."
Bai Yu: …What's that supposed to mean?
Is he going to pull a Sengoku and spread rumors about me or something?
Bai Yu shook his head.
Hawkeye didn't seem like the type to hold a grudge…
But still—better to be cautious.
"…Or maybe he's planning to help me?"
Thoughts of the Future
As Hawkeye's boat drifted farther away, Bai Yu's mind wandered to other potential recruits:
Doflamingo:
"Brother Ming… I have a feeling your family's lovely sisters are destined to join my crew. Let's be friends, shall we?"
Boa Hancock:
"Big sister, Amazon Lily will be our shared home one day. We'll protect it together."
Kaido:
"Ah… my future mentor. The greatest combat instructor in the world of pirates. Just wait—I'll come to you when I'm ready to level up."
Watching Hawkeye row into the distance, Bai Yu couldn't help but chuckle to himself:
"Hawkeye… the sixth brother of my future crew."
He looks like the serious, dependable type…
But I bet right now, he's thinking about how to train me into a monster.
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