One Piece: My Crew Members Are Legendary 3D Heroines

Whenever 2B stepped out, she wore tactical goggles that concealed her eyes. Yet even with her gaze hidden, her quiet surveillance of the tavern made every patron feel a chill run down their spine, as though they'd been dropped into an icy lake.

To her, they might as well have been walking piles of Berries.

"Let's go," Ethan Chen said as he dragged the unconscious pirate out of the tavern like a sack of trash. "We'll turn him in to the Navy."

When they arrived earlier, Ethan had noticed a naval warship docked at the pier. It made sense this culinary competition was no small event. With a large prize pool, the risk of pirates attempting to sabotage the tournament or steal the prize money was high. Security needed to be tight.

Dragging a pirate through the streets attracted attention, unsurprisingly. Some passersby recognized the infamous criminal, while others speculated about Ethan's group.

There were all kinds of looks curiosity, fear, derision. Ethan ignored them all and kept walking toward the pier.

Mona, unused to being the center of attention, instinctively clutched at the hem of Ethan's coat.

Tifa, too, inched closer to 2B without realizing it.

Once they reached the relatively quiet docks, Tifa couldn't hold her thoughts in anymore.

"Isn't this a little too much?" she asked. "Beating someone up and turning them in without saying a word... What if he became a pirate because he had no choice?"

In her previous world, Tifa had been part of AVALANCHE a group fighting against the Shinra Corporation. To put it bluntly, they were rebels. Much like pirates here, they were branded as criminals and hunted down by the authorities.

Tifa had joined the organization because of her belief in the Planetology movement, opposing Shinra's relentless extraction of Mako essentially the planet's lifeblood.

Not knowing how brutal this world could be yet, it was only natural that she'd project her own past onto the current situation.

Ethan understood. He knew Tifa was a kindhearted girl. He also knew that, from the outside, his swift violence might have seemed excessive.

So instead of defending himself, he asked her a question.

"If you were wanted, would you brag about how high your bounty is?"

Tifa blinked. "Of course not. What's there to brag about?"

"Exactly," Ethan replied, glancing at the pirate he was dragging like a ragdoll. "Unless... your bounty is something you're proud of something you want others to fear."

"Oh..." Tifa's eyes widened with realization. "I hadn't thought of it that way. I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize," Ethan shook his head. "You came from a place that's relatively safe, and you've got the strength to protect yourself. It's perfectly normal not to understand how dangerous this world can be."

"The village where 2B and I first landed was attacked by pirates. More than a dozen villagers were killed. Who knows how many were injured. I almost got shot myself."

"And it's not like the Navy's any better," Mona added. "I was targeted by the son of a Navy colonel. If Ethan hadn't stepped in, I'd probably have been framed as a pirate myself by now."

"I had no idea you'd been through that," Tifa said, her face full of remorse. "I was too quick to judge."

"It's fine," Ethan reassured her. "This is a different world, and it's got its own rules. It takes time to adjust."

"Of course, there are people who become pirates because they truly have no other choice. But those kinds of people... they don't flaunt their bounties like trophies."

"In general, if someone's bragging about how much their head is worth, you're usually better off knocking them out first and asking questions later."

"Right," Tifa nodded, clenching her fists. "I understand now."

When they reached the warship docked nearby, a few Navy soldiers approached and asked for identification and purpose.

Ethan showed them his bounty hunter license.

"He said his head is worth five million Berries. Goes by something like Golden Mane. I'm here to claim the reward."

The soldier examined the license and glanced at the unconscious man still bleeding on the ground. He gave Ethan a respectful nod.

"Understood. Please wait here a moment."

He left and returned shortly with an officer in administrative uniform. After cross-checking the bounty poster and verifying the pirate's identity, they had several soldiers drag the man aboard to be locked up, and processed the reward on the spot.

After taxes, Ethan was handed just two million Berries.

Sixty percent gone.

Ethan clicked his tongue. "No wonder people keep turning to piracy. The taxes alone are robbery."

"Keep your voice down," Mona whispered, tugging his sleeve. "That's not something you want the Navy overhearing."

"I know," Ethan replied. "There aren't any around, though."

He took a wad of bills from the stack and handed two hundred thousand Berries to Tifa.

"Here consider it an advance on your salary. It's hard to do anything without some cash on hand."

"Are you sure?" Tifa hesitated. "You haven't even seen what I can do. What if I'm not cut out for the job?"

"Then you'll just help out with chores on the ship instead," Ethan replied casually. "Though the pay will be half."

"Thank you..." Tifa finally accepted the Berries.

After skimming through the tavern's menu earlier, she now had a rough idea of how much Berries were worth in this world.

Two hundred thousand was no small amount. It was far more than she'd ever earned selling buns back home and this time, she didn't have to put it toward paying off any debts.

"It's no big deal. It's not like I'm giving it to you for free. You'll be paying me back with your body."

The phrasing was... suggestive.

Tifa gave him a look, uncertain. "You mean... work, right?"

"What else?" Ethan replied. "You'll have to get up early to make breakfast for everyone, and sometimes you'll be on duty for afternoon tea or even late-night snacks. It's not exactly an easy job."

"And there's mixing drinks," 2B added, still hung up on the idea. For her, alcohol being calorie-dense and energy-efficient was far more appealing than food.

"Oh, right cocktails! I almost forgot." Tifa's eyes lit up. This was something she could do. She was eager to prove that Ethan's fifty-thousand-Berry monthly offer was worth every coin.

"We'll hit the shops later," Ethan said. "We need to get tools for mixing, the liquors you'll need, and other ingredients for the ship. But before that, we've got to register for the culinary tournament."

Now that they had their 'Jerusalem,' there was no turning back.

They had to win.

Even if Tifa had agreed to join the crew, his system still hadn't marked the chef recruitment mission as complete. It was probably because she wasn't officially considered a permanent member yet.

Whatever the case, victory in this tournament was the key.

Whether for the 'Jerusalem' or for that precious bit of mastery point progress he had to win.