Carlmand, standing nearby, was happy too. With another crewmate aboard, he would no longer have to worry about food and drink himself.
Now that Makino had made her decision, she hesitated no further and returned to her room to pack.
Kazu and Carlmand stayed there drinking as they waited for Makino.
"That's so nice. Even Makino gets to go to sea. I'm so jealous."
Luffy took huge bites of meat, wanting to vent all his frustration on the meat in his hands.
"Hahaha, Luffy, once you set sail someday, you might run into Makino out on the sea. I'll have her make you a glass of juice then."
"Ah, yeah, yeah! Thanks!"
"Ahahahaha! You really are a little kid. You're nowhere near ready to set sail if a glass of juice is all it takes to fool you."
"You're so underhanded, Kazu!!!"
Amid the laughter, Makino finished packing, and Kazu used his separate space to carry her luggage away.
Luffy and the village chief came to the shore to see the three-person pirate crew off.
"I'm looking forward to sailing with you, Captain."
Makino was still very excited. Learning about the customs and interesting stories of places around the world was something she enjoyed.
"Hahaha, Makino, we don't have that many rules here. Just relax. We're leaving our stomachs in your hands."
"Leave it all to me!"
Makino was brimming with enthusiasm. With Kazu serving as a mobile warehouse, they would never run short of ingredients.
Kazu had even thoughtfully given her some cookbooks, all of which he had picked up when he was bored and had nothing to do.
The waters of the East Blue were relatively easy to navigate, unlike the Grand Line, where conditions could change several times in a single day.
"Kazu, your Devil Fruit ability really is absurd. No matter how many times I see it, I still feel that way."
Carlmand trained his martial arts on deck, while Kazu practiced his fruit ability nearby.
The Space-Space Fruit's attacks were almost impossible to guard against. Only those with powerful Observation Haki could confidently say they could dodge them.
Ordinary people would be hit before they even saw the attack coming. It was sneaky as hell.
"Hahaha, I'm your captain. Shouldn't that make you feel safer?"
Kazu's words were like a sudden revelation to Carlmand.
"That's true."
Sure enough, looking at it another way led to a completely different conclusion, and he felt much better.
"Ding! Today's idle reward triggered a minor month-end critical hit. Your understanding of your fruit ability has increased a small step."
"A small step?"
"Finally, it's not just 'slightly' anymore. This minor month-end critical hit really does have something going for it."
Today did not mark a full month since Kazu had obtained the system. It was the end of the month on the Sea Circle Calendar.
As soon as Kazu claimed his idle reward, memories of how to use the Space-Space Fruit flooded straight into his mind.
"Like this, then like that, and finally, do this."
"Space Mark!"
A transparent mark merged into the deck. Kazu ran to the stern, activated the mark, and teleported straight to its location.
"This is good stuff."
"If I run into someone I can't beat, I can just teleport away."
"It's a god-tier skill for hunting someone down, too."
Kazu also gave his crewmates a brief explanation of his newly developed skill, and it met with great approval.
"You really outdid yourself. Now we'll have even less to worry about on our journey. We can always run away, after all."
Carlmand felt that Kazu was doing a very good job of making them feel safe.
"Hehehe, what a reliable captain."
Makino covered her mouth as she praised Kazu too.
In her view, Kazu had worked so hard to develop this new lifesaving skill most likely because she had little fighting ability. His thoughtful, gentlemanly conduct moved her deeply.
"Hahaha, from now on, I'm leaving a Space Mark on every island we visit."
"All right, all right. To celebrate your success, Captain, I'll make a feast and give you a proper treat."
Makino walked into the kitchen with a smile, and before long, delicious aromas began wafting out.
After another two days of sailing, Kazu and the others finally spotted a group of islands.
"Kazu, that should be the Conomi Islands up ahead. There are quite a few villages and towns around here. Should we go..."
Carlmand had not forgotten what Kazu had said about enjoying the local specialties.
During all his wandering at sea, aside from drawing nautical charts, this was what motivated him most.
But now that they had a beautiful lady crewmate aboard, he was much more careful about what he said.
Of course, Kazu understood instantly. This was a wonderful opportunity to experience the local customs.
However, Makino could not even truss a chicken. It would be bad if something unexpected happened.
"Carlmand, I'll leave the establishment-scouting mission to you this time. You're already an outstanding warrior. You should learn to be independent."
"Makino can't fight, and I'm worried something might happen to her. I'll stay with her and have a look around."
Carlmand thought of that too. He nodded seriously and said, "Fair enough. You're the one who brought her aboard, after all. You're the best fit for the bodyguard role."
Before Kazu and the others' ship even reached shore, dozens of civilians selling fruit were already waiting there.
They usually waited at the harbor, and most passing ships would buy fruit.
After all, fruit was essential when sailing. Meat alone was not enough; people would get sick.
Kazu's ship was fairly large, and the villagers had spotted it from far away.
They hurried over, each pushing a cart of fruit. This was a big sale. A ship that large surely had plenty of crew aboard.
"Wait, that's a pirate flag!!"
"What? It's not a merchant ship? Everyone, run!"
They had been too far away for the civilians to see the pirate flag. Once the ship drew closer, they all hid, without even having time to take the fruit they had brought.
After docking, Kazu stepped off the ship, saw the abandoned apples on the shore, and casually picked one up and started eating.
Crunch, crunch!
"The fruit here is pretty sweet."
Kazu finished one in a few bites, then picked up another and started wolfing it down.
"Come on, let's have a look around too."
They passed through a patch of woods and soon saw a cluster of houses.
"Damned pirates. Are there only three of them?"
"Stop right there! Leave, or we won't hold back!"
Seeing how agitated the villagers were, Kazu was about to calm them down when Makino hurried over and said, "Everyone, please calm down. We may be pirates, but we don't burn, kill, or plunder."
"We're here to buy supplies. Please don't worry."
"Pah! You pirates want to trick us into letting you in so you can wreak havoc in the village!"
"There's nothing here for sale to pirates. Leave!"
Makino's attempts at negotiation were clearly useless. How could the reputation pirates had built over so long change because of a few words from her?
"Stand behind me, Makino."
Kazu patted Makino on the shoulder and took a few steps forward, looking at the dozens of villagers before him.
"Hey, hey, don't get so worked up. Let me show you my sincerity."