After wrestling with Koala for several minutes, Luffy finally managed to calm her down, convincing her—through a combination of promises and mild deception—to return to her task of memorizing the intelligence reports.

Having enjoyed the entertaining spectacle, Ain and Nami shared amused glances before turning to discuss the practical arrangements for their upcoming journey with Luffy.

The primary responsibility fell to Nami, who, as the navigator of their group, would determine the optimal route to North Blue, whether they would travel by air or sea, and all other logistical details of their journey.

Nami's proposal was straightforward. Patrolling North Blue was a long-term assignment—it would take several months at minimum to complete the required by Marine protocol.

"Since this is going to be a lengthy mission anyway," she suggested, "there's no need for us to rush. We might as well treat it as a voyage of exploration and enjoy the journey."

Logically speaking, with their current resources and Luffy's status, they could simply fly over the Red Line continent where Mariejois was located, heading directly to North Blue. After entering the New World, they could cross the Calm Belt and arrive at their destination relatively quickly.

This would undoubtedly be the most efficient route, but unfortunately, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had expanded the scope of Luffy's mission. He wasn't only tasked with patrolling North Blue—many World Government member nations in the first half of the Grand Line were also included in his assigned territory.

This was a tradition dating back to an era when the Marines didn't possess the capabilities to easily cross the Calm Belt. Newly promoted Admirals traditionally traveled around the world via the longer route, visiting key allied nations along the way.

The numerous member states along the first half of the Grand Line were naturally part of this ceremonial tour and were automatically included in Luffy's mission parameters.

Since these member nations were widely dispersed across the Grand Line, visiting them all would require traversing much of the first half of that treacherous sea route.

After carefully analyzing their situation, Nami immediately began plotting the optimal sailing course on the massive world map spread across Luffy's study table.

For Nami, who dreamed of creating the most comprehensive sea chart of the entire world, this assignment was actually a wonderful opportunity. She hummed happily while marking waypoints and calculating distances, completely absorbed in her work.

Observing her enthusiasm, Luffy and Ain tactfully stepped aside to avoid disturbing her concentration. Only when they were certain their conversation wouldn't interrupt either Nami's planning or Koala's studying did Ain speak softly:

"Speaking of World Government member states," she said thoughtfully, "we'll need to visit Alabasta Kingdom. And in that country, you still have a certain... little fiancée waiting."

She raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Perhaps we should bring her along? After all, the rest of us are together now—it seems unfair to leave her behind all alone."

Ain was referring to Princess Vivi of Alabasta, of course. Although Luffy hadn't seen the young royal in quite some time, he had maintained regular contact with her. The two frequently communicated via Den Den Mushi, sharing stories about interesting developments in their respective lives, discussing new discoveries, and supporting each other's growth and ambitions.

Luffy thought about the lively young woman with her long, sea-blue hair, recalling her numerous complaints about being left behind and the longing in her voice whenever they spoke. He hesitated only briefly before making his decision.

"You're right," he said with a nod. "If we don't bring her along, she'll never stop pestering me about visiting Wano Country. Let's take her aboard this time and let her experience life at sea properly."

His expression softened slightly as he continued, "When we return to headquarters after the mission, I'll make arrangements to bring her to Marine officially."

As he contemplated their upcoming reunion, Luffy couldn't suppress a faint smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. It had been too long since he'd seen Vivi in person...

Ain, catching sight of her beloved thinking about another woman right in front of her—despite already having numerous partners—couldn't help but let out a cold snort of disapproval.

"Fine, keep daydreaming about your princess," she said, turning away with a hint of jealousy in her voice. "I need to leave now—I have actual work to do. I'll inform Hina and the others about our plans."

Hearing her tone, Luffy immediately snapped back to reality. Watching as Ain turned to leave, her long legs carrying her gracefully toward the door, her slender waist swaying slightly with each step, he quickly reached out and wrapped an arm around her midsection.

"Why the rush?" he asked, pulling her closer. "I have something important to discuss with you. Let's find somewhere private where we won't disturb the others and talk... in detail."

Ain, who had already stopped walking when he mentioned having more to discuss, immediately tensed when she heard the suggestive tone in the second half of his sentence.

"No, I—I still need to process those recruitment applications," she protested, attempting to pry open Luffy's strong hands from around her waist. "We can talk about it tonight at my quarters."

But when Luffy was determined, he was impossible to dissuade. Even without using his full strength, there was absolutely no chance for Ain to escape his grip through her own power.

Once he realized she was genuinely trying to leave, Luffy dropped all pretense. With casual ease, he simply lifted her by the waist with one hand, tucked her under his arm like a package, and strolled out of the room without a care in the world.

Behind them, Nami glanced up from her maps just long enough to shake her head with a knowing smile before returning to her work.