One Piece:I am King Luffy!

Luffy, curious about what Bellemere was teaching the girls in private, briefly considered eavesdropping but ultimately lost interest. Instead, he took a fishing net and headed to the shore for training. Now that he'd learned how to swim, he upgraded his training regimen, submerging himself in the water to experience the resistance and pressure from all directions, a way of training that simulated fighting underwater.

He could feel how strange it was to punch through water, getting a hint of why Fishmen were such formidable fighters in the ocean. They likely doubled their power in water, which made sense given they hailed from the Grand Line.

Luffy mulled over the upcoming battle with the Arlong Pirates. With their numbers and strength, it wouldn't be easy. Perhaps he could call in Commander Pudding Pudding for backup.

Around noon, Luffy unleashed a burst of Conqueror's Haki underwater, stunning the surrounding fish. He quickly scooped them up with the net and carried his catch back to supplement Bellemere's cooking.

Back home, he noticed the girls' flushed faces. Bellemere was in the kitchen preparing lunch, having fully embraced her role as the household chef, leaving the orange grove and tangerine fields to Nojiko and Nami.

"What did Bellemere teach you all?" Luffy asked Uta.

"It's a girl's secret," Uta replied, her cheeks still pink. She'd learned so much about grown-up matters, things she was eager to test someday… but she knew she'd have to wait.

"Uta, didn't Bellemere say it was forbidden to share?" Nojiko chided, a bit nervously.

"Oh, right! I forgot…" Uta replied, rubbing her legs together as if mulling over a curious new feeling.

"Would it even matter?" Nami chimed in with a grin. "Luffy's perfect anyway—handsome and rich! What a catch!" she laughed.

Even Bellemere sighed as she set food on the table. She'd intended to teach the girls about respecting their own bodies, yet the lesson seemed to have backfired slightly. But as long as they understood their value, she'd consider it a success.

As the days passed, the girls decided to surprise Luffy with a birthday celebration on May 5th. Uta captured every moment with a camera snail, recording the occasion for posterity. For Nojiko and Nami, it was their first experience with a formal birthday celebration, as such occasions were often too extravagant for poor families. They presented him with heartfelt wishes.

"Honestly, birthdays are a hassle," Luffy said, scratching his head. "Having one every year and trying to figure out gifts… it's way too much effort. I'm happy just to eat with everyone."

Although he found birthdays unimportant, Luffy understood the girls' love for the ceremony. So, he'd always put thought into their gifts to bring smiles to their faces.

Nami's birthday, July 3rd, was marked with a thoughtful gift: a heartwarming drawing of her, Bellemere, and Nojiko, surrounded by the orange grove and the house on the cliff. Along with this, he included an envelope with some belli, knowing that was what Nami would cherish most.

As she felt the envelope's thickness, Nami smiled brightly, "Thank you, Captain! I'll accept this with gratitude!"

Nojiko, with her own birthday on July 25th, awaited her turn with anticipation, using the lessons she'd learned from Bellemere to highlight her more mature charm. Unsure of what to get her, Luffy decided to let his future self handle it, hoping his future self would be more inspired.

In the meantime, Uta diligently recorded everything with the camera snail, keeping the memories preserved.

---

Elsewhere, on the open sea, Pudding Pudding, the 77th Branch's Rear Admiral, listened intently to his subordinate's report.

"Arlong's heading straight for Cocoyasi Village!"

Pudding Pudding's face twisted with anger. "How dare he treat the Marines so contemptuously? Just a pirate… how dare he!"

Since Luffy had been staying in Cocoyasi Village, Pudding Pudding had increased patrols in the area and quickly noticed the threat posed by the Arlong Pirates. Unlike other pirates who raided and fled, Arlong's crew took control of islands, forcing the residents to pay tribute every month as if they were noble overlords.

"Such arrogance from mere pirates!" he declared, summoning the marines at the base. "They won't let this slide, will they? Our sense of justice won't allow it!"

He held up Arlong's wanted poster, showing a bounty of 20 million belli. Although the bounty hadn't increased due to his assumed affiliation with the Warlords, it still made Arlong one of East Blue's most wanted.

Pudding Pudding didn't fully grasp Arlong's strength. As a Rear Admiral stationed in East Blue, he wasn't privy to all the dangers lurking on the Grand Line. But his marines raised their fists high and shouted, prepared to bring justice against any threat.

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