NOVEL WEB Chapter 587: Reiju's Rookie Career
Reiju blinked slowly, taking in the unfamiliar yet somehow comforting surroundings. She spent several moments analyzing her current situation before fully remembering where she was.
Early morning sunlight filtered through the clouds and streamed into the room. The space was predominantly white—perhaps a bit too monotonous—but exquisitely decorated and surprisingly warm. Everything about it conveyed a sense of peace that she hadn't experienced in the Germa Kingdom.
The pretty young woman with short, light pink hair and fair skin was deep in a sweet dream, a faint smile playing across her lips. This was none other than Vinsmoke Reiju, eldest princess of the Germa Kingdom, who had followed Admiral Luffy aboard his ship and finally escaped her father's controlling grasp.
Having only boarded yesterday, there hadn't been time to personalize the room according to her preferences. Besides the standard furnishings, nothing particularly special adorned the space. Even so, Reiju, away from home for the first time in her life, had fallen into a deep, contented sleep, savoring every moment of her newfound freedom.
It should have been a beautiful, peaceful morning. Unfortunately, someone seemed determined to shatter this tranquility by knocking forcefully on her door at what felt like an unreasonable hour.
"Wake up, Reiju! This is no time for sleeping in!" a familiar voice called through the door.
When no response came, the voice grew more insistent. "Did you hear me?! Get up now, or I'm coming in!"
The persistent noise eventually disturbed Reiju's peaceful slumber. Years of combat training and living in constant alertness had conditioned her body to respond to potential threats. Her eyes snapped open as she bolted upright, immediately scanning her surroundings with a wary expression.
"I'm... on a ship?" she murmured to herself, momentarily disoriented. Then realization dawned. "Yes, I followed Luffy aboard yesterday. I'm free now."
As these words left her lips, Reiju visibly relaxed, the tension melting from her shoulders. She leaned back and allowed herself to sink into the mattress once more.
"A free life begins with sleeping as long as I want," she muttered contentedly, closing her eyes again.
The room fell into silence once more, and soon the gentle rhythm of her breathing filled the space.
Outside, Sanji frowned as he listened at the door. The two Marines standing nearby suddenly stepped back, sensing trouble. Without further hesitation, Sanji kicked the door open and rushed inside.
Under normal circumstances, Sanji would never dream of invading a woman's private quarters—such behavior would violate his code of chivalry. But for some inexplicable reason, when it came to his sister, his principles became surprisingly flexible.
Upon entering, Sanji quickly surveyed the room, assessing the living conditions. Due to the constraints of shipboard living, the space was naturally not as luxurious as the palace chambers Reiju had occupied in the Germa Kingdom. However, thanks to Luffy's willingness to spare no expense, Reiju had been fortunate enough to secure a private room on the fourth deck, complete with its own bathroom and toilet facilities.
Sanji barely acknowledged these details, his gaze quickly locking onto the bed where Reiju was now sitting up, blinking in confusion at the sudden intrusion. As the situation registered in her mind, years of composure training kicked in, allowing her to regain her poise almost instantly.
Wrapping herself tightly in the quilt, she couldn't resist teasing her brother. "My, my, Sanji has grown into quite the man, developing such inappropriate interest in his own sister? I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there can never be anything between us—your sister would never consent to such a thing."
Facing Reiju's nonsensical taunting, Sanji maintained his stern expression. He circled the bed with a darkened countenance and threw open the curtains, allowing the morning sunlight to flood the room at full intensity.
The sudden brightness caused Reiju to let out a pained cry. She quickly pulled the quilt over her head and wailed miserably from beneath it: "What are you doing?! Close those curtains immediately! I want to sleep!"
Sanji leaned against the windowsill, arms folded across his chest, watching the quilt-covered lump writhing like some strange creature on the bed. He struggled to reconcile this behavior with the composed, elegant sister he had known.
After taking a moment to suppress his urge to lecture her, Sanji addressed the situation with a cold, professional tone.
"Reiju—no, 'new recruit' would be more appropriate—according to Admiral Luffy's orders, you are now officially a member of the G66. However, since you have no prior experience serving in the Marines, you are automatically classified as a Chore Boy according to regulations. Now, immediately get up, put on your uniform, and report for duty!"
The moment he finished speaking, the writhing mass beneath the quilt went completely still. A heavy silence filled the room.
Finally, Reiju threw back the covers, sat bolt upright, and pointed at herself in absolute disbelief.
"Me? Chore Boy? You must be joking!" Her voice rose with each word, her expression a mix of shock and indignation that perfectly captured the dramatic shift from her dreams of freedom to this unexpected reality.