NOVEL NEXT Chapter 71: Chapter 71
"Ugh…"
She sighed softly, her voice carrying a hint of frustration.
"Another mission from HQ," she muttered to herself. "They just won't let me rest, will they?"
She shook her head, droplets of water sliding from her long pink locks.
"Monkey D. Luffy… The so-called Straw Hat kid," she continued, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"They've got us all the way out here keeping an eye out for him? Seriously? What are the odds he's even in this area? The Sabaody Archipelago is a world away from here."
Her complaints spilled out in a steady stream as she leaned back against the tub.
"Ridiculous. Do they think I don't have better things to do? This whole thing is just a waste of time."
She paused, her thoughts turning to the recently appointed Fleet Admiral, Akainu. A slight frown crept onto her face.
"Akainu… That hardliner," she muttered, her tone laced with disapproval.
"He's always handing out unreasonable orders. It's like he doesn't know what the word 'rest' even means. Things were so much better before…"
She sighed again, lamenting the sheer workload that had come with Akainu's aggressive policies. Since taking the helm as Fleet Admiral, Akainu had implemented sweeping changes, dramatically increasing the Marines' operational scope and task load.
While many within the ranks admired his iron-fisted approach, those who valued a more relaxed pace were far from pleased.
"Well, whatever," she muttered, sinking deeper into the warm water.
"Nothing beats a nice bath after a long day. This is the life."
Her moment of peace, however, was abruptly shattered.
A strange sensation prickled at her senses, and she frowned. Something felt off.
"Huh?"
Curious, she reached a hand into the water to investigate.
Her fingers brushed against something unexpected—something solid.
And warm.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"What the—?!"
Her eyes widened in shock as realization dawned.
She wasn't alone.
There was someone else in the tub.
"Who's there?!"
Her voice rang out, trembling with a mix of fear and disbelief.
The idea of another person sharing her bath was too absurd to fathom. How could anyone have gotten in without her noticing?
Yet, here she was—her hand resting on what could only be described as a person.
She had definitely touched something.
A soft chuckle broke the silence.
Then, a figure emerged from the water, rising steadily from the bath.
"Who are you?!"
The pink-haired beauty's voice trembled as panic took hold.
She watched in disbelief as a young man's head popped up from the bathtub, his expression unbothered and oddly cheerful.
"Get out!"
She screamed, her voice sharp with alarm. Instinctively, she tried to move, to call for help, but to her utter horror, her body wouldn't budge.
It was as if some invisible force had locked her in place.
"What… what's happening?"
Her heart raced, her mind spiraling into chaos.
At that moment, the boy spoke.
"Relax, Lieutenant Commander."
"Don't be afraid. I'm not here to kill you."
"At least…"
A grin spread across his face, mischievous and unapologetic.
"…not right now."
The casual yet unnerving statement sent chills down her spine.
"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice trembling.
The boy chuckled softly, his gaze steady.
"Who am I?"
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy."
"The guy you've been warned about."
His tone was light, but the weight of his words hit her like a thunderclap.
For a moment, she was completely stunned.
Of course, she recognized the name.
Her recent orders had revolved entirely around him—the infamous Straw Hat Luffy. But how? How had he managed to infiltrate the base? And why was he here, in her private quarters?
It was utterly surreal.
Luffy leaned back casually, his expression shifting into one of mock sympathy.
"Ah, I get it now," he said with a tone of exaggerated understanding.
"Your useless Fleet Admiral, Akainu, huh? That guy is a real piece of work."
"For the sake of his so-called 'honor,' he's turned your lives into a living hell. Sacrificing your happiness and peace of mind just to boost his own ego—what a guy."
The pink-haired beauty blinked, her thoughts momentarily derailed.
Luffy's words were laced with such a strange, undeniable logic that, against her better judgment, they began to resonate with her.
"That's… true," she murmured, almost involuntarily.
"Akainu… that man is obsessed with his own vanity. Most of us joined the Navy just to make a living, to feed our families. Nobody signed up for this level of insanity."
Her words spilled out like a long-dammed river finally breaking free.
"Risking our lives every day? For what? To chase pirates we'll never fully catch? It's not worth it. We're just trying to survive here."
She couldn't believe what she was saying. These thoughts, buried deep within her for years, had never dared surface until now.
"What's happening to me?"
Her mind reeled with confusion and fear.
This wasn't like her at all.
She had always maintained a professional loyalty to the Navy, her personal grievances never overriding her duty. But now, she was voicing sentiments that felt foreign and unsettling.
As if reading her mind, Luffy laughed lightly.
"You've always known this, haven't you? Deep down?"
"Akainu's policies don't make sense. You're all just tools to him, playing a rigged game that you can't win. The Navy isn't going to succeed, and you know it."
The pink-haired beauty's lips moved almost on their own.
"Yeah… Akainu is such an idiot," she muttered, her tone both bitter and resigned.
"Chasing after pirates like this—it's ridiculous. There are too many of them, and we'll never get them all.
"Wouldn't it be simpler to just put on a show for the Celestial Dragons? Do just enough to keep them happy? That way, we'd get to rest more, and everyone wins."
"Exactly," Luffy replied, his grin widening.
"There's no need for all this chaos. Life is short, after all. Why not spend it doing something meaningful? Something enjoyable?"
His voice took on a teasing edge as he leaned forward, his eyes locked onto hers.
"So… why don't we start now?"
The pink-haired beauty froze, her breath hitching in her throat.
Her body, as though acting on its own, seemed to respond to his unspoken command.
Her mind screamed in protest, but her actions betrayed her.
The room grew heavy with an inexplicable tension, the steam swirling around them like a veil.
In that intimate and surreal moment, the world outside seemed to fade away.
Luffy's grin deepened, and with a mischievous chuckle, he closed the distance between them.
Inside the Lieutenant Commander's quarters, time seemed to stand still as the boundaries between them blurred. The scene dissolved into a haze of forbidden allure, leaving only whispers of laughter and gasps echoing through the mist-filled room.
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