Ding! Guiding Sanji and earning his admiration has increased your sign-in progress by 20%. Current total: 40%. Reward: Shunpo Level +1. Current Shunpo Level: Lv2.
Lucas Moore had barely walked off when the familiar chime of the system echoed in his mind.
A wave of knowledge about Shunpo flooded his consciousness, and his entire body instantly felt lighter, as if his limbs had been unshackled.
"Looks like Sanji's perception isn't half bad," Lucas mused, sounding rather satisfied.
But… admiration? What's that about?
Why would that count toward mission progress?
He genuinely didn't get it.
Still, a good outcome was a good outcome.
Stretching his limbs, Lucas arrived at the back deck on the second level of the Baratie.
The warm sunlight draped over him like a soft blanket, lulling him into drowsiness.
"Nap time," he muttered.
He pulled a lounge chair from his system space, settled comfortably into it, and closed his eyes for a quick nap.
He had just dozed off for a few minutes when
Not far off in the distance, a pirate ship flying an unfamiliar jolly roger was slowly approaching.
As the Baratie drifted into its firing range, someone on the pirate ship lit the fuses on the cannons mounted on the deck.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several cannonballs roared through the air, heading straight for the Baratie.
These pirates were clearly aiming for a sneak attack from behind.
The sound of the explosions jolted Lucas awake.
He opened his eyes, frowning slightly, and the first thing he saw were black cannonballs hurtling toward him.
Without a moment's hesitation, he sprang from the chair and launched himself into the air. Using Night Kai, he kicked every last cannonball into the sea.
Landing softly back on the deck, Lucas fixed his gaze on the pirate ship a few hundred meters away the one that had just dared to interrupt his nap.
Without so much as a word, he drew Tōyako from his waist and swung it once in a clean, fluid arc.
Then he sheathed it, turned around, and returned to his lounge chair.
The moment his eyes closed
The pirate ship split cleanly down the middle, a perfect diagonal slice appearing out of nowhere.
In seconds, the entire vessel began to sink, slowly descending into the sea.
Screams and cries echoed over the water for a brief moment.
Then, silence.
"…You've got to be kidding me." Sanji had come looking for Lucas, intending to thank him. Lucas' earlier words had somehow lifted the weight that had long been pressing down on his heart.
But as he followed in the direction Lucas had gone, he happened to witness the entire scene Lucas kicking cannonballs into the sea and then slicing a pirate ship in half with a wooden sword.
He was so stunned that he didn't dare go up and talk to him.
Swallowing hard, Sanji began slowly backing away.
Then he turned and ran.
His mind kept replaying the sight of Lucas' kick.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he got.
He couldn't help throwing a few kicks into the air himself.
"Lucas is incredible! He's around the same age as me… I can't waste any more time!"
With that, he rushed straight to Zeff's quarters.
Zeff glared at him. "You done washing the dishes in the kitchen?"
Sanji grinned. "Old man, I've made up my mind. I want you to teach me how to fight with my legs!"
Zeff was stunned for a second, then burst out laughing. "Ha! You? You want to learn my kicks? Don't make me laugh. Do your chores first."
"I will do them," Sanji replied earnestly. "And I'll study cooking seriously too. But in my free time, I want to learn your leg techniques."
Zeff stared at him, confused.
This kid… didn't seem like the same person he'd talked to half an hour ago.
Had something clicked?
Frowning slightly, Zeff said, "I never said I'd teach you how to cook."
Sanji grinned cheekily. "Doesn't matter. I work in the kitchen every day anyway. If you won't teach me, I'll just learn on my own. I'm not the same Sanji I was before. You'll see, old man. I'm going to surpass you one day both in cooking and in kicks."
"Hah! You? Surpass me? Keep dreaming. Just focus on scrubbing those pots."
"Say whatever you want. But I've made up my mind and when I decide something, nobody can change it!"
And with that, Sanji bolted off like the wind.
The grin that had been on Zeff's face moments ago slowly faded.
That brat… did someone say something to him?
It sure wasn't those meatheads like Patty.
And the only other person with permission to enter the kitchen besides him and the crew was the newcomer he'd just granted special access to.
Zeff narrowed his eyes.
Could it really have been that kid...?
Meanwhile, Lucas had just woken from a nap that lasted over an hour. The first thing he did was reach for his wine gourd.
Empty.
He'd stocked up back when he left Shimotsuki Village, stopping by the tavern to buy a large stash.
But after eight days at sea drinking, napping, and occasionally fending off the sea kings foolish enough to attack him he was down to just two jars of special-aged brew from Kōshirō.
He hesitated.
But in the end, decided not to crack open those precious bottles just yet.
Stretching and yawning, Lucas packed up his lounge chair into the system space.
Catching the faint scent of alcohol in the air, he followed it to a storage room on the second floor where the Baratie kept its liquor.
Just as he reached the door, it opened, and out walked Sanji holding a bottle of wine.
The two of them froze upon seeing each other.
"Uh… what are you doing here?" Sanji asked nervously.
Lucas's eyes were already fixed on the wine bottle. "How much is that?"
"This? Five Berries a glass. Wait you're not planning to drink, are you?"
Lucas gave a calm nod. "Mm."
"Then here, take this one. I'll just grab another," Sanji said with a smile, shoving the bottle into Lucas' hands.
Lucas blinked. "?"
"It's fine," Sanji waved it off. "Anytime you want a drink, just let me know. We'll sneak in here together. I'll keep watch, and you can help yourself."
Lucas smiled.
The kid knew how to play his cards right.
He appreciated the gesture.
But Lucas wasn't the type to drink for free.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a pouch containing a hundred Berries, and tossed it to Sanji.
Sanji fumbled to catch it. "Huh? What's this?"
"Payment."
With that, Lucas uncorked the bottle, took a hearty swig, and nodded to himself.
Not bad.
Then he poured the rest of the wine into his gourd, handed the empty bottle back to Sanji, and turned to leave.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Sanji asked quickly.
"Hunting," Lucas replied casually.
Sanji froze, recalling once again the scene from earlier the kicks, the sword slash, the sinking ship. His eyes lit up with excitement and he hurried after Lucas, trailing him down the stairs.
As they walked, Sanji fired off questions like rapid-fire: "Are you going after pirates again? I saw everything earlier when you kicked those cannonballs and cut the ship in half with a wooden sword! That was amazing! Lucas, can you tell me… when did you start training in leg techniques?"
Lucas: "…"
That question… sounded very familiar.