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East Blue, somewhere on the sea. A pirate ship sailed onward.
It was a caravel with a triangular lateen sail on the mizzenmast and a central rudder, easily identifiable by its sheep figurehead.
Most conspicuously, the main sail proudly displayed a Jolly Roger featuring a skull wearing a straw hat.
After acquiring an official ship, Usopp, with his artistic talent, had designed the Straw Hat Pirates' flag.
Seeing their official Jolly Roger, Luffy was overjoyed. Perched on his special seat—the sheep figurehead at the bow—he frequently turned around just to admire their crew's flag.
Meanwhile, Rowen, leveraging his now enhanced physique, had put Luffy and Zoro through a grueling training regimen for two days. Now, he methodically continued enhancing his Conqueror's Haki and physique using Born of the Sea (Apex Gold) and Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple).
With a proper ship came proper storage facilities, allowing them to stock meat, unlike their previous voyage sustained solely on apples.
Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple) could now continuously function, bolstering Rowen's physical development.
"Hooo... Haaa..." Having just finished swimming, Rowen now reclined on a deck chair inside the second-floor cabin, absorbing the sea's energy from the air.
Even inside the cabin while sailing, the ubiquitous energy of the sea could be felt, allowing him to 'digest' the 'Disposition' gained via Born of the Sea (Apex Gold) and continuously strengthen his Conqueror's Haki.
His body was also digesting food, fueling his physical enhancement through Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple).
Nearby, Nami sat at a table, drawing charts. She occasionally glanced over at Rowen, smiled faintly, then returned her focus to her work.
Rowen, sometimes opening his eyes, would look at Nami, and then at the specially prepared drink she had placed beside him, a slight smile touching his lips.
The drink was perfectly refreshing after a swim.
A beautiful woman nearby, constantly growing stronger... life couldn't get much better than this.
WHOOSH! BOOM! Suddenly, a loud explosion interrupted the peaceful moment.
"What are those two idiots up to now?" Zoro grumbled, waking up on deck and rubbing his head.
These past few days, Zoro's training regimen had been demonic.
He already pushed himself hard, but after sparring with Rowen and Luffy a few days prior, Zoro was shocked to discover Rowen's physique was significantly stronger than his own.
Consequently, Zoro had intensified his already demanding training schedule even further, sleeping only three hours a day and spending nearly every other waking moment training.
He had been resting his eyes just now, recovering from the muscle aches and strains of his workout.
"Shishishi! We were testing the cannon! Usopp's a really good shot! Hit that rock on the first try! From now on, he's our crew's sniper!" Luffy announced cheerfully, entering the cabin with Usopp.
"Oh yeah! We've got a sniper now! But before we enter the Grand Line, there's still one more position we need, right?" Luffy added with a grin.
"True. We do have this nice kitchen now. If you're willing to pay, I could handle it," Nami chimed in, glancing around the galley with a smile.
"Exactly! That position is absolutely essential!" Zoro agreed with a grin.
A cook—a vital role on any pirate ship.
Nutritious food was paramount during long, arduous sea voyages, and delicious meals could soothe the crew's fatigue.
Furthermore, for training purposes, having a cook plan meals could significantly enhance the quality and results of their workouts.
"See? Everyone agrees this role is needed on every pirate ship!" Luffy declared, holding up a finger with a wide grin.
"A musician!" Luffy exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with longing.
"ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!" Even Zoro couldn't help but yell this time.
"What do you think sailing is, you moron?! Rowen, say something to this idiot!" Nami transformed into her sharp-toothed angry mode.
"But pirates are supposed to sing, right?" Luffy argued stubbornly.
"A cook and a musician... why not have both?" Rowen suggested with a smile, seeing everyone looking at him.
After acquiring a ship, what Rowen needed most now was a cook.
Only with a cook—especially a skilled one—could he fully utilize the potential of his Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple) Trait.
The One Piece world definitely had concepts like nutritional enhancement through food.
The Okama recipes from Kamabakka Kingdom, for instance, were known to greatly benefit physical training and development. Combined with Rowen's Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple), the effects would be even greater.
However, Rowen had no desire to visit that island to obtain those recipes. Fortunately, there was a perfect candidate elsewhere...
Sanji—the brave soul who had the audacity to infiltrate Kamabakka Kingdom in the original story.
Most importantly, who didn't love delicious food? Rowen had been curious about Sanji's cooking skills since his time on Earth; now that he was in this world, he naturally wanted to taste them firsthand.
Although Luffy was currently obsessed with finding a musician and hadn't realized the importance of a cook yet... the best thing about being part of the protagonist crew was that often, just when you needed something (like a pillow when sleepy), someone conveniently delivered it.
Soon, someone's firsthand experience would vividly demonstrate to Luffy the importance of a cook while sailing.
Crucially, along with that lesson would come news of that man—one of the absolute pinnacles of combat strength in the One Piece world.
News of the World's Greatest Swordsman, Dracule 'Hawk-Eyes' Mihawk.
A faint smile played on Rowen's lips.
CRASH!
"Get out here, pirates!" A loud shout echoed, accompanied by the sound of the ship's water barrel being smashed.
"Who are you?" As captain, Luffy stepped out of the second-floor cabin first.
"Who cares who I am?! You nameless pirates! Trying to take my partner's life, were ya?!" The newcomer didn't waste time on words, immediately launching an attack at Luffy.
Only to be instantly subdued by Luffy's powers and slammed onto the deck.
"What the heck?" Luffy was still completely bewildered by the situation.
"Hey... aren't you Johnny?" Hearing the familiar voice, Zoro emerged from the cabin. He stared wide-eyed upon recognizing the man lying on the deck.
"B-Big Bro Zoro?!!!" Johnny stared back, equally wide-eyed, then scrambled to his feet.
"Big Bro Zoro! What are you doing on this nameless pirate ship?!" Johnny exclaimed in utter astonishment.
"I stopped being a bounty hunter a while ago. This is Johnny; he used to work with me back when I was hunting bounties," Zoro explained.
"What do you mean, nameless pirate ship?! You jerk!" Luffy immediately took offense.
If Zoro didn't know this guy, Luffy would have definitely given him another beating.
"Looks like our crew's reputation needs some more work," Rowen commented, stepping out of the cabin and looking at Johnny, a slight smirk on his face.
"Sk- 'Sky Sovereign' Rowen?!!!" The moment Johnny saw Rowen, he gasped out loud in shock.
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