From noon until evening, Kazu finally emerged from the room, thoroughly satisfied.
As soon as he reached the first floor, he saw Carlmand happily drinking juice in the lounge.
"Kazu, you're finally out."
Carlmand waved happily, and Kazu walked straight over.
"Finally?"
"When did you come out?"
Kazu plopped down beside Carlmand.
"Huh?"
"As soon as the package was over, of course."
Kazu glanced at the clock on the wall. It seemed this beginner had been waiting for him for more than two hours.
Well, it was normal for the first time to be a little short. He didn't make fun of Carlmand for it.
"Hey, hey, Kazu, which place are we going to next?"
Carlmand was extremely excited, already itching to explore the next establishment.
Kazu understood. It was normal to get a little hooked on this sort of thing at first.
"Not bad, young man. You've got plenty of energy."
"We'll spend tonight in town and leave tomorrow."
"Let's find a bigger place to spend the night."
"Yes, yes!"
Carlmand nodded repeatedly, wholeheartedly supporting Kazu's decision.
He now had complete faith in the captain who had guided him into becoming a warrior.
The two found a restaurant and enjoyed a lavish meal. Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, they embarked on a new round of adventures.
The next morning, Kazu and Carlmand returned to Foosha Village, planning to greet the village chief, Makino, and Luffy and say their goodbyes.
After all, they had gotten acquainted over several days of banquets. Leaving without saying goodbye wouldn't be very nice.
Besides, their ship was here too, so it was on the way.
"Uncle Kazu, Uncle Carlmand, are you heading off on an adventure already too?"
"That's so nice."
Luffy's face was full of envy. He wanted to grow up quickly so he could go adventuring at sea, but Shanks had turned him down earlier, and he had made a promise, so he could only wait for now.
"Uncle?"
Carlmand and Kazu pointed at themselves. They hadn't expected to have become uncles already. This was the first time anyone had called them that.
"Hey, hey, Luffy, calling Carlmand uncle is one thing, but do I look that old?"
Kazu pointed at himself, then at Carlmand, hoping Luffy would switch to something that made him sound younger.
But Luffy just looked blank, not understanding what Kazu meant at all.
"Hey, Kazu, what's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm young too, you know."
Carlmand immediately took offense. Why was it fine for him to be called uncle?
"Hahaha, Luffy, you should call him big brother. Kazu is only in his teens."
Makino hurriedly reminded Luffy.
"But..."
Luffy clearly couldn't bring himself to say something he didn't mean. He genuinely thought he should call them uncle.
"Well, never mind that."
"Miss Makino, would you be interested in setting sail with us?"
"As you can see, there are only two of us aboard. I'm the captain, and this guy Carlmand is our navigator. We still haven't found a cook."
"Since fate brought us here to meet you, I'm sure you'd be perfect for the job."
"The feast you made a couple of days ago was so delicious I still remember it vividly."
As a tavern owner, Makino was not only an excellent cook but could also brew alcohol. Most importantly, she was pretty, very much Kazu's type.
As for the child Makino had twelve years later in the original story, even the child's father probably hadn't gotten anywhere with her yet. Kazu would get his foot in the door first.
In his previous life, many people online had speculated that it might be Shanks's child.
But in Film Red, Shanks had explicitly said that Uta was his only child.
Although Kazu didn't know whether Shanks was telling the truth, he would take it as such for now.
So Kazu felt that the child Makino had more than a decade later wasn't Shanks's.
Her feelings for Shanks weren't that kind at all. Besides, at this point in time, she had only just met him.
Even if it was Shanks's child, he hadn't gotten anywhere with her yet. Kazu would cut in first and get a taste.
"Ah, well..."
Makino had never considered setting sail, and for a moment, she didn't know how to respond to Kazu.
"Captain Kazu, Makino is just a frail girl. She'd cause you trouble."
The village chief hurried to help Makino decline. After all, he wasn't particularly fond of pirates, and he didn't want Makino to become one.
Of course Kazu understood what he meant, but he acted as though he hadn't caught on at all.
"Hahaha, Chief, it's fine. With me around, you won't need to worry about Miss Makino's safety."
"Don't you know how strong I am?"
"There are very few people on this sea who can threaten us."
"And I swear that as long as I'm alive, I won't let Makino face danger."
Kazu's expression was utterly serious, filling Luffy, who stood nearby, with envy.
"That's so nice, Makino."
"You actually get to go adventuring at sea. I still have to wait years."
Luffy's words were undoubtedly an assist. Kazu silently gave him a thumbs-up and hurried to strike while the iron was hot. "That's right, Miss Makino. We need your help."
"Without you, our pirate crew isn't complete."
"Come adventuring with me. You'll fall in love with the vastness of the sea."
Ignoring the village chief's resentful gaze, Kazu extended his large hand to invite the still-hesitant Makino.
"Can I really do it?"
"I'm just an ordinary girl. I'll hold you back."
Makino had grown up here and had never left her homeland.
She had worked hard to save money when she was young, and now she ran a tavern, welcoming all sorts of guests.
She actually quite liked her current life. It wasn't just about making money; she could also listen to her guests tell interesting stories from all over the world.
Having never left this place since childhood, this was her only way of learning about the outside world.
Now that she had a chance to set sail herself, she felt a little excited, but she couldn't even hurt a fly. Kindhearted as she was, Makino feared becoming a burden to Kazu and his companion.
"Hahaha, Miss Makino, your job would be cooking. Cooks don't necessarily have to fight. Don't take after that fat guy in the Red Hair Pirates. He's just a cook who also happens to be pretty strong."
"Besides, if you want to become stronger, I can teach you myself. Then I'll find you a powerful Devil Fruit, and you'll have no trouble protecting yourself."
"Life is short. Making the most of your youth while you can still get around and fulfilling your dreams is the right way to live."
Kazu not only reassured Makino but also made a promise on the spot, making her feel increasingly eager.
Makino looked at the frustrated village chief beside her and said, "Chief, I..."
"I want to set sail and see the sights of different places for myself too, instead of always listening to guests describe them in the tavern."
Makino was a gentle woman who always greeted people with a smile.
But now, her expression was serious too. It was clear that she had truly made her choice.
The village chief knew he couldn't stop someone with a dream from moving forward. As though resigning himself to his fate, he could only say helplessly, "All right, then go."
"Be extra careful out at sea. If the voyage doesn't go well, come back to Foosha Village."
"I'll have someone look after the tavern. When you return, you can go back to being its owner."
Makino quickly nodded and said with a smile, "I will, Chief. Thank you for always looking after me."