One Piece: Check-in System

After leaving Crocus, Reno saw the crew officers gathered on the deck, drinking and chatting. Even Roger was mingling with them.

Only Rayleigh sat apart, seemingly preoccupied, drinking alone from a wine gourd.

Reno went straight back to his room and pulled out a pen and notebook, items he had gotten from other crew members.

He hadn't asked for them to write a diary or keep a log of their voyage; instead, he intended to record insights about training in Haki and other techniques.

Although he was too young to practice these things now, he knew they'd be useful in the future. His future "little wives" would also find them handy someday.

"My dear future wives, your future husband is so thoughtful, always planning ahead for you. You'd better make it up to me properly someday!" muttered Reno shamelessly.

Clink... Clink... Clink...

Holding the pen and notebook, Reno left his room and jogged over with his little legs to Rayleigh, who sat on the deck railing. Struggling a bit, he climbed up beside him and sat down.

Rayleigh glanced at the tiny figure next to him and then at the notebook and pen in his hands. With a puzzled expression, he asked, "What's with the pen and paper? At your age, I doubt you even know how to write."

Although children in this world matured early, knowledge still required time to learn. For someone Reno's age, he probably hadn't even started formal education yet.

Rayleigh could never have guessed that the little body beside him housed the soul of an adult. Forget literacy; apart from physical strength and experience, Reno could surpass Rayleigh in many ways.

Having prepared a convincing story in advance, Reno puffed out his chest and replied smugly, "I've been a famous prodigy since I was little. I pick up anything in no time, so learning to read is a piece of cake."

Rayleigh, having roamed the seas with Roger and seen all sorts of people, didn't doubt Reno's words. After all, even in their short time together, he found the boy quite extraordinary.

Seeing that Rayleigh seemed to believe him, Reno quickly put on an adoring expression and asked, "Rayleigh, since your captain is the Pirate King, you all must be really strong, right?"

Rayleigh wasn't used to being idolized by the cheeky Reno and awkwardly responded, "Uh... yeah, we're okay, I guess."

Reno, usually mischievous and combative with everyone except Crocus, rarely displayed such admiration.

Rayleigh thought to himself, This kid is up to something. He's never this well-behaved. What's he scheming now?

Unaware of Rayleigh's suspicions, Reno continued with his admiring facade. "The Pirate King is the strongest pirate. Since your captain is the Pirate King, does that make you the strongest crew?"

Rayleigh didn't answer and simply gave Reno a knowing, teasing look, as if saying, Go on, keep pretending.

Realizing that Rayleigh had seen through his act, Reno cursed internally, Damn it! How could he figure it out? Wasn't I convincing enough?

In truth, Reno's performance was flawless—Oscar-worthy even. However, after spending a few days together, the crew had come to understand his character. Reno was the kind of person who'd rather mock them than idolize them. Rayleigh instantly knew something was off.

If someone claimed Reno wanted to harm them, they might believe it. But if someone said Reno admired them? No way—they'd laugh themselves to death before believing that.

Ahem... Ahem...

To avoid further embarrassment, Reno coughed strategically and dropped the pretense. "So, um... I noticed how strong you all are, and I'd like to learn how to become stronger too!"

Hearing that Reno simply wanted to be taught, Rayleigh sighed and asked exasperatedly, "Is that all? Why didn't you just say so? Isn't it tiring to beat around the bush?"

Reno scratched his head sheepishly and tried to defend himself. "I figured these techniques are your core skills, so you wouldn't teach me easily. That's why I tried a different approach."

Rayleigh rolled his eyes and scolded, "Core skills, my foot! Training methods at sea are mostly the same. The difference in strength comes down to personal effort and life experiences."

After a brief pause, Rayleigh added, "That said, having an experienced mentor does help you avoid a lot of pitfalls."

Hearing this explanation, Reno finally understood.

In his past life, seeing how Rayleigh trained Luffy in two years to surpass his peers, Reno had assumed some special method was involved.

Turns out, it's just protagonist privilege!

Feeling a bit disappointed, Reno didn't give up. Instead, he looked at Rayleigh with a flattering grin. "Uncle Rayleigh, even if there's no shortcut, avoiding detours is good enough. Please teach me everything you can!"

Although it wasn't the special training he had hoped for, the experience of these old hands was just as valuable as any manual.

In this world, most training methods relied on self-discovery. Only organizations like the Marines had structured systems. Pirates typically learned through constant battles and self-taught strategies.

Rayleigh pushed Reno's head away and snapped, "You only call me Uncle when you want something. Otherwise, it's just 'old scoundrel.' Where'd you pick up these bad habits?"

Grinning smugly, Reno retorted, "I'm a natural genius back in my village! Who needs to learn something this simple?"

Having worked in sales in his past life, Reno was no stranger to the art of flattery and adapting to his audience. It came as naturally to him as breathing.

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T/N:

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