Chapter 140: Ren, Need a Navigator? (Patreon)

Cocoyasi Village.

A celebration banquet was in full swing.

Wine flowed freely as toasts were exchanged and laughter filled the air.

Ren was undoubtedly the center of attention. Almost every villager came to express their gratitude.

A drunken Nami stumbled over to Ren. Overcome with emotion, she flung herself into his arms, sobbing as she poured out her years of suffering.

Genzo, the village sheriff, Nojiko, and other villagers tried to pull her away, but all failed.

Before anyone knew it, Nami had fallen asleep in Ren's arms.

…

A night passed.

Nami awoke and slowly opened her eyes.

Because of last night's drinking, her head felt fuzzy and her mind was slow to clear.

But she noticed her pillow was incredibly comfortable, and it smelled wonderful. She nuzzled against it.

Just then, an amused voice asked, "Awake?"

Nami instinctively looked up and saw Ren looking down at her with a teasing expression.

Though Ren was handsome, why was he looking at her like that?

Suddenly, realization struck. She sat up with a jolt; her pretty face flushed with panic. She stammered, "I... I... why..."

"You... you..."

Nojiko walked over, smirking. "What else? You were clinging to Ren all night and wouldn't let go. No one could pry you off. In the end, there was no choice but to let you sleep in his arms."

As the memories of her drunken antics flooded back, Nami's face turned bright red. Steam rose from the top of her head as embarrassment consumed her.

Then, under the amused gazes of Ren and Nojiko, she fled in a panic.

After Nami left, Nojiko said to Ren, "Sorry about that. She's always been a bit of a klutz."

Ren shrugged. "It's fine."

Nojiko then invited him, "I've made breakfast. Why don't you come back to the house and eat something?"

Ren nodded and followed her home.

On the way, they ran into Genzo.

He greeted Ren cheerfully, then said, "We've sorted out the ship. The neighboring village had an unused sailboat. It should be delivered soon."

Since Ren would later switch to the Yamamoto Character Template and couldn't continue using Vimana, he needed a regular ship to sail on.

Ren nodded. "How much? I'll pay you."

Genzo waved his hand. "No need. The neighbors heard you were the one who wiped out the Arlong Pirates, so they gave it to you as a token of thanks."

Ren didn't refuse.

During breakfast, Nami, who had washed up and changed into a fresh outfit, sat down across from him and began eating.

Though she tried to act casual, Nojiko, who knew her best, could still see her awkwardness and shyness.

Nojiko found it amusing. Then, as if an idea struck her, she asked, "By the way, Ren, need a navigator?"

Without waiting for his answer, she immediately started recommending her sister. "Let me tell you, Nami is a natural-born navigator. If it hadn't been for all those troubles dragging her down, she'd have been a great navigator by now."

"If you need a navigator, Nami is the perfect choice."

Nami listened silently, giving her sister a mental thumbs-up.

Nojiko paused, glanced at Nami, who was eavesdropping, and suddenly felt mischievous. She continued, "Not only that, Nami can make money, do housework, and even bear children."

"And with a figure like hers, she's built for childbearing..."

SLAM!

Nami shot up, panicking. Without thinking, she reached over to cover Nojiko's mouth, her ears burning red. "Nojiko! What are you even saying!?"

Then she instinctively turned to Ren, flustered. "That's not what she meant! Ren, don't listen to her. I..."

She trailed off, not knowing what to say next. She could only grow more flustered.

Nojiko burst out laughing at her sister's flustered state.

Nami finally realized her sister was just teasing her, and the two began playfully fooling around.

Ren smiled at the scene. He opened Gate of Babylon and placed Nami's treasure chest on the table.

The sudden appearance of the chest caught Nami and Nojiko's attention.

They recognized the chest immediately and looked confused.

Ren rose slowly, looking at Nami seriously. "This is my bride price. From now on, you are my exclusive navigator!"

Nami's face instantly turned crimson. She was at a loss for words.

Even Nojiko was stunned.

She had only been teasing her sister.

Ren walked toward the door, then suddenly burst out laughing.

Nojiko immediately understood. Ren had been teasing Nami just like she had.

That guy really was...

Totally her type!

Nami finally caught on. She shouted after him, "Ren! I'll take the money, but it's not a bride price. It's my salary! And I won't be your exclusive anything!"

Then she did a double-take, staring at the chest. "Wait a second. This was my money to begin with!"

"You sneaky bastard! You're using my own money as a bride price..."

Nojiko interrupted, "Technically, it's already Ren's. Using it as a bride price is perfectly fine."

"And you just said it was your salary, not a bride price..."

"Shut up!" Nami lunged at Nojiko, trying to scratch her. "Are you even my sister? Why are you always taking an outsider's side?"

Nojiko found it hilarious. She dodged Nami's attacks and called after Ren, "Ren, where are you going?"

Without turning back, Ren replied, "I'm going to get a little exercise. Walk off breakfast."

Through Sha Naqba Imuru, Ren knew that Captain Nezumi would be arriving around this time.

Perfect. They would become his first batch of Exp toward leveling up.

In his mind, he silently intoned, Loading Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto Character Template.

The next moment, Ren's aura underwent a dramatic shift. A plain Asauchi appeared in his hand.

After briefly assessing his current strength, Ren murmured, "I really haven't felt this weak in a long time..."