The Gentle Brewer, Makino

The sky was clear, and blue waves rolled under the sun. A small pirate ship sailed over the calm sea. Rafe, temporarily reduced to deckhand, listened to Nami's commands with growing irritation.

"Rafe, you idiot, a little more left."

"Too far, too far. Now a little right."

"Are you steering with your elbows? This is basic!"

"..."

Nami fired off orders nonstop, and every word made Rafe's jaw tighten. Revenge. This was absolutely revenge. Especially because every time Nami yelled at him, she first glanced at his face from the corner of her eye before continuing her attack.

All he had done was keep her in bed for five hours instead of four. And help her discover a few new positions. Did that really deserve such obvious revenge?

"How much longer until we reach the Goa Kingdom?" Rafe asked, annoyed as he handled the helm.

He was the captain, yet he had to personally steer the ship. And if he did it poorly, he got scolded.

"About half a day," Nami said, delighted now that she had regained some confidence.

She lay on a lounge chair in a bikini, drinking sweet juice and enjoying the sun. Her curves drew Rafe's gaze, and the heat of the day quickly sent lust surging through him. The next moment, he drew his sword. Nami jumped, rising from the chair with caution in her eyes.

"You... what are you doing? I'm your navigator, you know."

Rafe ignored her and drove the blade straight into the helm, fixing it in place. Nami let out a breath, then shook her head.

"That won't work. The moment the wind changes, we'll drift off course."

"Then we'll deal with it when we drift."

Rafe walked toward her with a wicked smile. Nami's face fell. It was over.

"Rafe, you bastard. Wasn't last night enough for you?" Nami snapped, stomping her foot. "I'm not letting you have your way."

She glared at him, turned, and ran for the cabin.

"Trying to run?" Rafe chuckled. "Soru."

His figure flashed. When he appeared again, one large hand was already around Nami's narrow waist.

"You... you absolute bastard!"

Nami puffed her cheeks and glared at him.

'Someone save me.'

Ignoring her protest, Rafe carried her into the cabin.

...

Goa Kingdom, Foosha Village. Inside Makino's bar.

"I wonder how Luffy is doing," Makino said, propping her chin in both hands with worry on her face. "I really am a little worried about him."

She had watched Luffy grow up and knew exactly how good he was at causing trouble.

"Ha ha ha! Makino, don't worry so much. That brat Luffy will be fine."

Dadan drained her rum in one go and grinned. "If Luffy really runs into danger, Ace won't sit back and do nothing."

"And there's Garp too."

Dadan's men nodded along, agreeing loudly.

"Ha ha ha! Luffy is the grandson of Marine Hero Garp. What danger could he be in? He's probably having the time of his life out there."

Their words gave Makino a little comfort. They did seem to make sense. His grandfather was the famous Hero Garp, a pillar of the Marines. His brother Ace was one of the Whitebeard Pirates' division commanders. One of the Four Emperors, Shanks, had set Luffy on his path.

Surely nothing would go too wrong. If they knew Luffy's father was Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army, and that Sabo was alive and had even become the Revolutionary Army's chief of staff, they would have been even more shocked.

With that much backing, Luffy was not going on an adventure so much as taking a privileged heir's field trip. While the conversation in the bar continued circling around Luffy, the door suddenly opened. Two figures walked in from outside. Makino looked at Rafe and Nami and spoke gently.

"What can I get for you?"

Rafe's mouth curved into a smile.

"I heard the woman who runs this bar makes excellent liquor, so I came to taste it for myself."

Nami shot him a look.

'Keep pretending.'

She was now certain that the woman behind the bar was Rafe's target. Coming all this way to recruit pretty women onto his crew meant Rafe definitely had a particular habit. In Nami's mind, the label was already firmly attached to him. Makino blushed slightly at the praise, looking a little embarrassed.

"You're too kind."

She smiled gently and handed cups of liquor to Rafe and Nami.

"Ha ha ha! Makino, no need to be modest. Your liquor is famous all over the neighboring villages."

"Kid, you've got good taste."

Dadan had drunk enough that her words came with flecks of spit. Rafe tasted the liquor while looking over the other people in the bar. After a moment, he withdrew his gaze and smiled.

"The liquor is good. I like it."

He meant it. The others had not been exaggerating Makino's skill. It really was good.

"I'm glad you like it," Makino said.

She was always gentle and graceful, with a soft smile on her face.

"By the way..."

'Here it comes.'

Nami, who had been waiting for something to happen, muttered inwardly. Rafe shifted the conversation.

"My pirate crew happens to be missing a brewer and bartender. I think you'd be a good fit."

Hm? The sudden invitation clearly caught Makino, Dadan, and the others off guard. After a pause, Makino smiled and shook her head, refusing with the same gentle expression.

"I'm sorry, but I have no plans to go out to sea. I only want to keep running my bar here in Foosha Village."

Rafe was not surprised by Makino's refusal. Methods could always be invented. People could always be pushed.

"I heard you talking about Luffy outside," Rafe said. "Funny enough, I know him too."

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