Sailing was usually dull.
But with beautiful girls aboard, even monotony became filled with laughter and joy.
On the Going Merry:
Nami tended to her orange trees with a spray bottle in hand, focused and gentle.
Makino was busy brewing a new batch of wine.
Karumen prepared lunch in the kitchen, while Nojiko helped out as her sous-chef.
Kaya sat quietly flipping through a medical manual—despite having the Healing Fruit's restorative power, she remained committed to mastering the art of medicine. It was her dream.
As for Reno?
He lay lazily on a deck chair under the sun, sunglasses perched on his nose, enjoying every second of his peaceful kingdom.
Even doing nothing at all, just hearing the girls work and chat was enough to lift his mood.
Especially when they were all so lovely.
Ever since he acquired the Tidal Hand skill, Reno made sure to use it every time he "taught" navigation.
The girls had no idea what hit them.
Nami, Kaya, Makino, Nojiko, and Karumen were all flooded with knowledge—quite literally. The sea-themed metaphors were no joke.
And when all six were "playing cards" together?
Let's just say the ship practically needed waterproofing.
Karumen, Nami, and Nojiko, in particular, could practically create small-scale tidal waves.
Every session left the group scrambling to mop the floor and dry the deck.
But hey—who could complain when the captain was this good?
"Everyone take a break! Lunch is ready!" Karumen's voice rang out from the galley.
Nami put down her spray bottle.
Kaya folded a page corner to mark her place.
One by one, the girls gathered at the dining table.
Today's meal was a full-course spread—the most elaborate one since Karumen had joined.
The reason?
They were approaching Rogue Town, the final stop in East Blue.
Once they stocked up on supplies, it would be time to leave for the Grand Line.
"Whoa! Everything smells amazing!" Kaya clutched her fork and knife, practically drooling.
"East Blue's top chef title wasn't just for show," Nami said, nostrils flaring as the aroma drifted across the table.
With Karumen handling the meals, every breakfast, lunch, and dinner was a new culinary adventure.
Nojiko and Makino could only admit defeat.
Naturally, Karumen had earned the title of Head Chef of the Reno Pirates.
Once everyone was seated, Karumen stood proudly and began introducing each dish.
"This one is rainbow salmon sashimi."
"That's Duke Kading's crabmeat croquette."
"This is Capora mantis shrimp tempura."
"And this, grilled dorado with Lyana glaze."
"...And finally," she clapped her hands, "my signature coconut jelly dessert—great for your skin!"
"Bon appétit!"
The moment she finished, the girls—long at their limit—picked up their utensils with glowing eyes.
"Mmm… this is the best grilled fish I've ever had."
"This crab dish tastes just like Baratie's!"
"Delicious! I'm melting~!"
Even Reno closed his eyes in bliss, savoring every bite.
With everyone praising her dishes, Karumen beamed, then sat down to join the feast.
As the meal wound down, Reno casually brought up their next destination.
"When we reach Rogue Town, we'll need to restock. Buy more than usual this time."
Though the crew consisted mainly of women, every member trained in navigation daily—burning through a lot of energy and supplies.
And now that Karumen was aboard, their standard shopping list wasn't going to cut it anymore.
"I want to get a few new dresses," Nami piped up instantly.
"I need more medical books," Kaya added.
With those two starting, the rest of the girls quickly chimed in.
Reno sat there, shaking his head.
Is this universal? Do women in every world love shopping this much?
He just wanted to pick up essentials.
But now it was a fashion show and book fair.
Screw it, he thought. Buy whatever you want. If the girls are happy, I'm happy.
Of course, Reno had another objective in Rogue Town.
His final East Blue target: the bespectacled navy cutie—Tashigi.
A clumsy girl obsessed with collecting famous swords.
She should still be stationed at the Marine base in Rogue Town.
Reno remembered a saying from his past life:
"All girls with glasses have hidden depths."
He couldn't wait to see if it applied in the world of One Piece.
And once she was aboard, he'd test that theory personally.
Author's Note:
The East Blue arc is nearly finished.
There are still three girls I haven't covered:
Apis from the Millennium Dragon arc
Honey Queen from the Clockwork Island movie (she's stunning)
And of course, Kuina
Apis and Honey Queen won't get full chapters for now due to limited screentime and lower impact—but they'll be added later as bonus content.
As for why Karumen got a full arc?
It just lined up: the Baratie stop, the clash with Mihawk, and her connection with Sanji—it all fit naturally into the story.
Don't worry—Kuina and the others will get their moment.
I'll make sure to patch it in.