The sun cast a golden glow over the waves as the Storm Pirates sailed smoothly across the open sea. With the sails full and the wind on their side, they had already crossed the first leg toward the Grand Line.
There was no need to stop at Loguetown. Raizen had been there once before—alone—where he had already claimed Yubashiri from a weapons merchant and handed it to Tashigi without ceremony. The cursed sword, Sandai Kitetsu, was deliberately left untouched.
"It's not for me to interfere," Raizen had said. "Some blades belong to others. Zoro will find it… when it's time."
The deck was alive in its own quiet rhythm.
Nojiko stood near the stern, humming softly as she watered the orange trees she'd replanted in large barrels. Her hands were gentle, but her eyes often wandered toward the bow, watching.
There, sprawled under a parasol, Nami was basking in the sun—legs crossed, sunglasses resting on her forehead. Beside her, half-asleep and shirtless, was Raizen. Nami's arm was lazily draped over his chest, and her head leaned lightly against his shoulder.
"Mmm… this is nice," she whispered. "Don't go turning this ship into a war zone too soon, Captain."
Raizen chuckled, eyes still closed. "Even a storm needs rest."
Nami smiled, fingers idly tracing the scar near his collarbone. She paused, noticing three faint slits just above it.
Her eyes narrowed. "Arashi… what are these?"
He slowly opened his eyes, following her gaze. "Gills," he said simply.
"Gills?" Nami sat up. "Are you a Fishman?"
"Not exactly," he said, sitting up too. "My mother… was a World Government experiment. They fused different bloodlines—Fishman, Lunarian, Mink, and more. After giving birth to me, she didn't survive."
Just then, Nojiko walked up, a shadow of worry on her face. "You're part Fishman?"
"Part everything," Raizen replied. "But mostly human. I joined the Navy young, rose through the ranks. But the moment I saw what they really did behind closed doors…" he shook his head, "I wanted freedom more than anything."
"So you became a pirate," Nojiko finished.
"I became myself," he said.
There was a pause. Then suddenly—
"Arashi!"
The voice came from across the deck. Tashigi stormed toward them, her cheeks slightly red.
"Come here," she snapped. "You said you'd teach me that breathing technique—Total Concentration Breathing, or whatever it was."
"Now?" Raizen asked, amused.
"Yes," Tashigi huffed. She pulled off her overcoat, revealing a sleeveless training top that clung tightly to her toned frame. She sat down, cross-legged.
Nami arched a brow. "Oh? Suddenly interested in my boyfriend's breathing now?"
Tashigi shot her a look. "I didn't know he was your boyfriend."
"We're close," Nami replied with a sly smirk, leaning against Raizen again. "Aren't we, Captain?"
"I'm not a trophy," Raizen said with a sigh.
"That's debatable," Nojiko added, stepping in and sitting beside him, gently brushing his hair aside. "With a face like that and a backstory full of pain? You're asking for attention."
"Enough," Raizen muttered under his breath.
But it was too late—the three women had already locked metaphorical claws.
A few minutes later, all three were seated on the deck—cross-legged in a triangle—facing Raizen, who stood in front of them, arms crossed and half-smirking.
"Alright, cats," he said. "Let's breathe."
"Who are you calling a cat?" Tashigi muttered.
"All of you. Hissing over one bowl of milk," Raizen chuckled.
Nami folded her arms under her chest. "Don't flatter yourself."
"That's hard when three beautiful women keep sitting around me," Raizen said dryly. "Now shut your eyes."
They obeyed, albeit with some grumbling.
"Deep inhale," he instructed. "From the diaphragm. Fill your body with air like a balloon. Focus on the blood flowing through your limbs. Push it faster. Stronger."
The girls followed. The deck was silent except for the rhythm of their breathing.
Raizen walked behind them, correcting their posture gently. His fingers brushed against shoulders, necks, and backs—professional, but unintentionally intimate. Every touch caused small reactions.
Nami opened one eye when Raizen placed a hand on Tashigi's lower back.Nojiko leaned slightly more into his guidance when he adjusted her shoulders.Tashigi blushed furiously but didn't pull away.
By the end of it, their breathing had slowed. Sweat beaded their foreheads. Their bodies felt warm, charged.
"That's it for now," Raizen said, standing. "Keep practicing. This is how you control your strength… and emotions."
"You really are full of secrets, aren't you?" Nami asked, standing up and stretching.
"And some of them…" Nojiko added, walking past him slowly, "are pretty attractive."
Tashigi, now back in her coat, gave Raizen a sideways glance. "I'll surpass you one day."
Raizen laughed. "I look forward to it."
As the sun dipped into the sea, casting gold across the ship's deck, the Storm Pirates gathered near the bow.
The wind shifted. The Grand Line lay ahead.
And behind them, the first bonds—some soft, some sharp—were already being woven.
A captain.Three strong women.And the storm on the horizon.