The Queen's Grace glided smoothly across the open sea, its sails catching the steady winds as the blue horizon stretched endlessly before them.
For the first time since they left the dojo, there was no immediate danger.
No looming marine ships.
No desperate escape.
Just the peaceful rhythm of sailing.
It was in this calm, this precious window of quiet, that the true growth of the crew began.
Kaito knew that surviving battles was important—but what came after was just as essential.
Building trust. Sharpening skills. Living together as a crew.
And so, the next phase of their journey unfolded—not in grand battles, but in the quiet hours of the day.
The bonds they forged now would decide the battles ahead.
"Hold it steady!" Nojiko called from the bow, the wind whipping her hair.
Kaito gripped the wheel, adjusting the sails under her guidance.
Kuina scrambled up the mast, tying off a rope with increasing confidence.
Carmen leaned against the galley door, her arms crossed, observing the coordination with a faint smirk.
It had become a routine.
Morning drills were for sailing.
Afternoon was for combat training.
Evenings were for crew bonding, shared meals, and simple conversations beneath the stars.
There were no shortcuts.
The system's private training ground accelerated time, but Kaito insisted that part of their growth needed to happen in the real world—where the mistakes mattered.
And so, they practiced under the blazing sun, the lashing rain, and the quiet hum of the waves.
"You're improving," Nojiko said, watching Kaito's grip on the wheel. "You're not overcompensating for the wind anymore."
"Because you keep yelling at me every time I do," Kaito shot back, grinning.
She rolled her eyes, but there was a softness in her gaze.
Kuina slid down the mast, brushing stray strands of hair from her face. "I tied that knot properly this time."
"You tied it backwards," Carmen called out, her sharp voice carrying across the deck. "If we get caught in a storm, that rope's snapping."
Kuina grumbled, stomping toward the knot to redo it.
Kaito laughed quietly to himself.
They had come a long way from the awkward, chaotic first days on this ship.
The combat training was less forgiving.
Kaito spared no one during their afternoon sessions.
His wooden sword clashed against Kuina's with sharp echoes, their footwork rapid, each parry and strike forcing them to adapt in real time.
"You're overextending," Kaito warned, ducking under a wide arc.
"Only because you're holding back," Kuina retorted, her blade snapping forward in a feint before switching to a low sweep.
Kaito blocked it, but barely.
"You're both too aggressive," Nojiko commented from the side, spinning her practice staff with calm precision. "Sometimes you need to pull back and read the opponent."
"Easy for you to say," Kuina muttered, stepping back to adjust her grip.
Nojiko's staff flicked out, catching Kaito's shoulder lightly. "You leave your left side open when you parry."
Kaito shook his head, smiling. "I thought you said you were a navigator, not a fighter."
"Turns out I'm both."
Carmen joined later in the training ground, but her weapons of choice were unusual.
She wielded cooking knives with startling speed, her throws precise enough to cut ropes and split apples mid-air.
Kaito quickly learned that underestimating her was a mistake.
"You'll see," Carmen said one afternoon as she pinned three targets in rapid succession. "When the real fights come, I'll be the first one to surprise you."
Kaya, though less involved in direct combat, insisted on participating in endurance training.
"I need to keep up," she said firmly. "If I can't fight, I can at least carry the wounded. I can be strong in my own way."
She trained her body slowly but surely, building stamina, learning to dodge, and sharpening her hands for battlefield medicine.
Kaito supported her every step.
"You don't have to fight," he told her one evening as they cooled down. "But if you want to grow, I'll train with you as much as you need."
Kaya's smile was soft but determined. "Thank you, Captain."
It wasn't just about battles anymore.
It was about becoming people who could carry each other forward.
Evenings aboard the Queen's Grace became their quiet sanctuary.
Carmen's cooking improved dramatically, thanks to the system's unlocked cooking mentor spirit. Her meals now had layers of flavor, perfectly balanced, with creative use of limited sea ingredients.
"Where did you even find this spice?" Kuina asked one night, savoring a grilled sea king steak.
Carmen smirked. "Trade secrets. Let's just say I make friends at ports you don't notice."
Nojiko sipped her soup, her expression relaxed. "I've never eaten this well on a ship before."
Kaya joined in, her laughter more frequent now, her hands steady as she passed around more bread.
Kaito often sat back during these moments, simply watching.
This was what he wanted.
Not fame.
Not treasure.
Not a throne.
Just this—a life shared with people he trusted.
As the moon hung high, they would gather near the helm, sharing stories of their past.
Kuina spoke of the dojo days, of the bitter rivalry with the boys, and her regret about the path she was once denied.
Nojiko shared memories of growing up with Nami, her fierce little sister, and the quiet guilt of letting her go alone.
Carmen told tales of her days chasing Sanji across the East Blue, always one step behind, until she realized she wanted her own story.
And Kaya, in a soft, hesitant voice, shared her lonely years in the mansion, watching the sea from her window, dreaming of a freedom she thought she would never touch.
Kaito rarely spoke of his own past.
Not because he wanted to hide it, but because he no longer felt trapped by it.
The life before this—his original world, his old regrets—it was fading, like a distant shore.
What mattered was now.
Here.
With them.
The system occasionally provided updates.
[Daily Progress: Crew Bond Strengthening – Excellent.]
[Ship Handling Skill: Intermediate.]
[Combat Readiness: Acceptable.]
[Next Key Location: Shells Town – Estimated Arrival: 4 Days.]
Shells Town.
The place where Luffy first met Zoro.
In this timeline, the Straw Hats would be arriving soon.
Kaito knew their paths would cross again.
But he had no intention of derailing the original story.
He would sail alongside them, intersecting, influencing—but never stealing their fate.
His story was his own.
And yet, he couldn't deny the quiet excitement building within him.
He wanted to see how far Luffy's crew would grow.
He wanted to challenge them someday—not to win, but to push each other higher.
Kuina often caught him staring at the maps, lost in thought.
"You think about them a lot," she said one evening, sitting beside him as the others cleaned up after dinner.
"I think about the story they're building," Kaito admitted. "And I think about ours."
Kuina's gaze drifted toward the horizon. "You know, even if we never surpass them, I'm fine with that."
Kaito smiled. "Me too."
They didn't need to be the strongest.
They just needed to be themselves.
The Queen's Grace sailed onward, steady and sure.
Each day brought new challenges—storms that tested their coordination, sea beasts that forced quick maneuvers, moments of frustration that sparked arguments and laughter alike.
But always, always, they moved forward.
Not just as a crew.
As a family.
One quiet morning, Carmen served them a special dish—something she had worked on secretly.
"What's this?" Kaito asked, inspecting the unfamiliar bowl.
"Call it a 'family stew,'" Carmen said, looking oddly serious for once. "It's something I've been thinking about since I joined. A dish that tastes better the more you share it."
The others dug in, the flavors rich and warm.
Kaito couldn't describe it exactly—but the taste lingered, comforting and deep.
It felt like home.
Carmen shrugged off the praise, but the faint blush on her cheeks gave her away.
As they sailed, Kaya grew more comfortable taking charge of ship health checks.
Nojiko drilled everyone on emergency sail repairs.
Kuina developed new sword techniques with Kaito, pushing each other to new heights.
And Kaito? He found peace.
For the first time in this life—perhaps in any life—he wasn't chasing something out of desperation.
He was simply living.
The Grand Line still called to them.
The Straw Hats would soon cross their path again.
But for now, Kaito was content.
His crew was growing.
His family was strong.
His journey was his own.
And when the next challenge came, they would face it—together.