17 Chapter 17

"Wait, Merry. Let's hear them out. Why do you want me to be on your crew? I mean won't I just drag you down?" Kaya asked.

"You won't drag us down. You'll be the doctor of the ship and as the doctor, we'll go to you any time we're hurt," Hakai explained.

Kaya was surprised. She was studying to be a doctor, but she didn't know how Hakai knew she was planning to be a doctor. "Well, I'm not a doctor yet. I've only started studying and I only know the basics."

"Who cares. Just come join our crew. I'm sure we'll get hurt eventually and you can practice on us. Isn't that right, Makino?"

"I don't know how I feel about being experimented on, but if Hakai trusts you then I will too," she replied.

"Miss Kaya, surely you're not considering their offer. To be a pirate? I don't know what your parents would think of that. I'm ok with you being a doctor, but please. Think this through logically," Merry told her.

Kaya smiled. "I think my parents would want me to do whatever I wanted and I'm thinking of joining these two. Didn't we say that we would do our best to do anything they asked for? Well, they asked for me, so if you'll have me, can I join your crew?"

"Well, I did ask you, right?" Hakai let out a loud laugh as she officially joined the crew.

Usopp looked at her, surprised that she was going to be a pirate. "Kaya, you're really going to be a pirate? In that case, can I join you guys too?"

Usopp obviously had feelings for Kaya, but for Hakai, he didn't care much. After all, this was his story, not Luffy's or Usopp's.

Hakai shook his head. "Sorry, but you can't. Wait a bit though and someone with a straw hat should arrive here. Why don't you ask him?"

He smiled as he patted Usopp's shoulder.

Makino smiled too. "You really think Luffy is coming here?"

"Well, he probably will."

"I hope he's fine..."

"He will be. Don't worry about him. He's tougher than you think."

Makino giggled. "I've probably known Luffy longer than you, but why does it feel like you've known him for a while?"

"Who knows?" Hakai chuckled.

Merry let out a sigh as he approached Hakai. "Well, I can't stop Miss Kaya from doing what she wants, and I obviously can't stop you from taking her with your strength. Can I ask for one favor though?"

He nodded. "Go for it."

"Take care of her. I know you two are strong, but I can't help but be worried."

"I will. Also, can I ask for just one more thing for our journey? It shouldn't be too hard to get."

Merry raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Can I have 100 lbs. of iron, an anvil, and maybe a portable forge if it's possible."

"Hmm? What do you need this for?" Makino asked.

"You'll see."

Merry wrote down the stuff he wanted on a notepad and looked at them one by one. "The iron will be easy, same with the anvil, but I don't know about a portable forge. I can definitely get all of these, but you'll have to wait around 3 days at most. Is that fine with you?"

"That's great. We'll just need a place to stay," Hakai said.

Kaya's face lit up. "Oh! I know! We have some spare rooms in the mansion. You guys can stay there. Here, I'll show you guys the rooms. We also have baths if you guys want to freshen up."

Kaya led the way into the mansion as Merry went into the mansion to order the stuff Hakai wanted.

"Oh yeah, wait a second. Usopp?" Kaya looked around but found that he was nowhere to be seen. He probably left when Hakai rejected him from joining the crew.

"Don't worry about him," Hakai said, following Kaya into the mansion.

Kaya led them to the second floor into a master bedroom with 1 big bed. "This is where you guys can stay."

Hakai looked around the room as he sat on the bed which was way better than the bed he usually slept on, on the ship. "This is a big room."

Makino nodded, but she wasn't interested in the room. She was interested in what Kaya mentioned before, the baths. "Kaya, can you show me to the bath? We can take a bath together if you want, after all, it must be a long day for you and you need to relax."

Kaya smiled. "Sure! Follow me!"

Makino looked back at Hakai, sticking her tongue out. "No peeping! Girls only!"

She giggled as they made their way to the women's bath.

"Umm... M-Makino, is it?"

"Yes?" Makino undressed in the bath as she grabbed a towel and slowly went into the hot tub, letting out a sigh. "Ahhh~"

Kaya also undressed, blushing when she saw Makino's naked figure as she too slowly lowered herself in the hot tub. "A-Are you and Mister Hakai dating?"

Makino giggled as she inched closer to Kaya. "Why? Do you like him perhaps?"

Kaya got flustered from Makino's question. "N-No... I was just wondering."

"It's fine if you like him. I mean he is handsome and strong. Also, I wouldn't say we're dating, but I am his woman," Makino explained to her.

"S-So you two have done that?" Kaya asked as her cheeks became even redder.

"Of course. Lots of times actually and I'm sure he's also trying to make you his woman." Makino laid her head in the hot water as she closed her eyes.

"H-He is?" Kaya asked.

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