Chapter Text
"This thing's pretty damn heavy. Maybe it's got some pretty good booze inside."
"B-But if the captain finds out-"
Luffy's mind was in a daze, and being rolled around disoriented him further, making things worse. He could barely hear the voices outside. He swore one of them sounded really familiar. He tries to collect himself and find his bearings before his body suddenly feels warm. He was nearly overwhelmed by the influx of stimuli. His sensitivity seems to heighten as time slows, and auras flicker around him full of life. His senses were bombarded from all directions, and he felt a slight headache. It was almost too much, but he was able to settle down before he let his mind wander.
Countless images flooded his mind, giving him the sensation of falling inside a dream that jolts him awake. All of them are foreign, yet everything felt familiar. Memories that seemed to be his, and the emotions they evoked. From the elation of triumph to the sting of defeat. All of it merged into one. After a while, his mind calmed, and he began to filter the sensations of everything around him.
He was in a barrel, wasn't he? He remembers this. This was right after the whirlpool.
He was back where his journey all started. Blinking multiple times in the darkness, only one thought crossed his mind.
'Oh wow, that magical thingy really worked! I'm back. But if I'm here, then…'
If it really worked, then they're here too. He can start all over again with his friends.
But as much as he was thankful for the opportunity, he wished he were sent somewhere else. Outside the barrel, perhaps. It's probably his fault, after all. Maybe he shouldn't have sailed through the whirlpool. Thinking about it, he was surprised that no one had heard him. He was moving around quite a bit earlier. Perhaps the men outside were preoccupied with something else. That's good, he thought.
His thoughts were interrupted when the barrel was placed upright, the loud thud masking the little grunt he let out. He barely resisted the urge to cuss these people out loudly.
"Tell you what, Koby. If you don't tell the good captain, then we'll put in a good word for you. Say that you scrubbed the kitchen floors really well." A faint voice says before letting out a chuckle. Followed by the laughter of another. Based on how loud their voices were, despite being inside a barrel, they were pretty close. After a while, Luffy hears someone tapping the wood hard. It seems like they're trying to open it.
"Anyways, we'd better check this out. If it's shit, we'll send it as a gift to Captain Alvida." The group, minus Koby, starts laughing once again.
Luffy could see a bit of light now that the lid was slightly ajar. Then, the top pops open. The sudden barrage of light, combined with his heightened senses, flooded his sight, causing him to shield his eyes.
"What the-" The pirate was greeted by a strange-looking boy wearing a straw hat lying on his back.- He was too stunned to react to the sight in front of him.
Luffy takes a quick peek after adjusting to the light, seeing the pirate's baffled look. The other pirate and a small kid, whom he recognizes as a young Koby, peeks to see what's inside. Luffy lets out a small laugh upon seeing the shocked look on the boy's face before slowly getting up and out of the barrel. The pirates, too stunned to digest the series of events properly, casually make way for the boy.
"That was a nice nap. Thanks for opening this thing for me." Luffy pats the dust off his clothes before looking at the group. "Is anything on my face?"
The pirates regained their composure before shouting in anger. "Who the hell are you?!"
"I'm Luffy, and I'm hungry. Do you have any food here?" He asks innocently.
The man with the straw hat confounded Koby. It should be evident to him that he was dealing with pirates. The swords on their hips were a dead giveaway. Despite that, the man casually addresses them, whereas Koby expected someone in their position to flee in fear or at least take the situation seriously.
"Who do you think we are, kid?" One of them says, motioning to the sword strapped to his hip.
The men grinned murderously upon noticing that the strange-looking boy took a glance at their weapons, thinking he would grovel after realizing his mistake. They didn't expect him to shrug and turn to Koby. "Do you know where I can get some food? These people won't give me a straight answer." The man says before pointing at the pirates.
Koby started to worry about this stranger's well-being when he saw the pirates pulling their weapons out and pointing them at the straw-hatted boy. The man with the straw hat nonchalantly looks back at the pirates, now brandishing their weapons. "We're the Alvida Pirates. Does that ring a bell? We don't like your tone, you dumb brat. Maybe if we bleed you dry, you'll learn your lesson." One of them says.
"Listen," Luffy then raises his hands and flashes them a wide smile. "I'm starving right now. So, is it alright if I grab a bite?"
At this, the pirates took a few steps back in alarm. They didn't know why, but this guy was different. For them, it's as if an oppressive shadow looms behind this man, causing their heart to beat rapidly. He wasn't openly threatening them, nor was he trying to hurt them. Yet their instincts were screaming at them to flee, which they gladly followed.
After the pirates ran away, the mood shifted into a lighter one as Luffy laughed before turning back to Koby. "Now that that's over, do you know where I can get some food? I'm really starving."
Koby remained silent. Despite the man's relatively lighthearted demeanor at the moment, he felt something that made him tense. Alvida will punish Koby once she hears him slacking off and talking with this guy, but appeasing the man with the straw hat seems to be the wisest decision right now.
"R-Right this way." Despite his shaky legs, Koby then motions for the man to follow him.
"Y-You orange-haired wench!" One of the pirates, lying with his face on the ground, tried reaching out before getting smacked on the back of the head with a wooden staff, rendering him unconscious. The lady looks back at her loot before grinning widely. "This was a pretty good haul. I'm glad I was sent right here." She says in a sing-song manner as she ties the bag filled to the brim with treasure.
Nami then picks it up before slinging it behind her back. Hearing the commotion around dying down, she looks up at the ceiling with an excited smile. "Can't wait to see you again, Luffy. You'd better catch up." Her smile gets wider when she feels Luffy's aura briefly flaring up as if waking up and greeting her upon their return. Carefully moving around the unconscious group of pirates scattered on the floor, she walks out of the room.
"Oh wow, thank you so much for the food!" Luffy exclaims. However, Koby couldn't understand him due to all the food he was shoving down his throat, but he seemed content, at least. It's surprising to see how the same man who terrified the pirates earlier is now punching his chest to try to swallow all the food he's eating, which almost made Koby laugh. This man no longer seemed dangerous, but Koby couldn't be sure, so he kept watching him while occasionally peeking through the small window on the door.
"I'm Luffy, by the way," the man with the straw hat says as he grabs another fruit from the wooden box.
"O-Oh. Uhm, I'm Koby." He says in a more subdued voice. "You, uh, mentioned your name earlier, so I kinda know…"
"I see," Luffy said before returning to his meal. The room fell silent except for the sounds of Luffy's loud eating. After a good minute or two, Luffy lets out a huge huff of air as he finishes. "You don't look like a pirate."
Koby shyly looks down at the floor. "Well, I kinda got forced into being one by accident." He laughs awkwardly before continuing. "I didn't know then, but I boarded a boat bound for a pirate ship. I've been here ever since."
"That's kinda dumb, not gonna lie," Luffy says before he slowly starts eating again. "So why not leave if you don't want to be a pirate?"
"It's not so simple," Koby says in defense, his tone a bit firmer. "Even if I want to, I can't. Just thinking what the captain will do to me if she finds out terrifies me."
"Your captain? The Alovida person they mentioned?"
"Alvida." Koby corrected. "She'd probably kill me if I even thought of leaving her crew." Koby was surprised and confused when he saw Luffy's blank stare, and the lack of recognition was evident on his face. "You don't know her? She's one of the most feared pirates in East Blue. That iron mace of hers sends to even the most hardened sailor in East Blue."
"Well, whatever. It's kinda wimpy, but I guess I do understand." Luffy meant that. During his journey, he learned that sometimes retreat is the only option, particularly when you're risking the lives of people who are important to you. He still believes that people should never give in to fear. But at the same time, you also need to take a step back when you're not prepared, especially when the risk of death for you and your friends is involved. But he also knows that wallowing in despair would lead nowhere, especially after Ace's death.
The thought suddenly sends a pang of pain through Luffy's heart. That was another thing for which he was fortunate. The death of his brother was a significant turning point in his life. And while it made him stronger and taught him how to handle adversity, it was an unnecessary loss of life. He learned his lesson in a previous life, and now, he'll fight to save everyone he loves.
Koby, not noticing Luffy's internal turmoil, awkwardly laughs before letting out a sigh of irritation. He knows Luffy was right. He was a wimp. He's always been a coward. He was ashamed because deep inside, he dreamt of being a marine and capturing people like Alvida. But here he is, serving the same criminal he wanted to bring to justice. The thought deeply frustrated him. Koby's change in demeanor didn't go unnoticed by Luffy. "You alright?"
"Oh. Uh, sorry?"
"Something's pissing you off."
"Is it that obvious?" Koby asks, to which Luffy nods in response. He was unsure why he had been tempted to share his troubles with a stranger he had just met. Maybe it's because he's the first friendly face in a long time. Still, he continued. "Well, I want to do something. But I don't think I have the courage to do it. And I'm not sure if—"
"You can do it."
"Huh?" Luffy's response took Koby aback. "You don't even know what I was about to ask or what I wanted to do."
"Well, you don't look like someone who wants to do bad stuff. You're too wimpy to do that." Luffy says in jest before laughing loudly.
"Hey," Koby says jokingly. Luffy was a strange man indeed, calling him a wimp one moment and encouraging him the next. "I guess you're right. I wanted to join the Marines. Protect people from people like Alvida. I've experienced firsthand what pirates do to people, and I just wanted to help. It's just… I don't know whether I can do it."
"You'll never know 'till you try," Luffy says as he nods in approval. "That's not a bad dream, but you have to start somewhere. As a marine, you'll encounter powerful enemies. You must be brave and strong enough to deal with them, especially when others are relying on you. But whatever happens, at least you tried."
All these years, he never felt courageous because of someone's encouragement. Maybe because he's been busy licking Alvida's boots in fear of punishment, but for some reason, this man's words seem infectious and have given him strength. With a defiant look in his eyes, he returned Luffy's stare. "I will."
"Captain Alvida!"
A large woman, annoyed at the sudden interruption, turns to her foolish henchmen brave enough to bother her. "You idiots better have a damn good reason you're not doing your jobs."
"T-There's a guy below deck! I-I think he's a bounty hunter. We dunno!"
"So, what did you two do then?" Alvida asks.
The two pirates mumbled incoherently, which annoyed Alvida. She could barely hold herself back from hitting the two, but someone as beautiful and elegant as her must remain composed. "What did you two idiots say?"
"I, uh, we kinda ran," one of them says. The last thing he saw was a giant mace slamming his face before being sent crashing away, stopping only once he hit a wall. Alvida then glares at the remaining pirate.
"There were two of you against one man, and you ran?!"
"B-But Captain Alvida, he looks very—" He couldn't finish before being crushed by Alvida's mace, knocking him unconscious. She then addresses the pirates on deck, who are too terrified to move after seeing the violent display from their captain. "This is what happens to you lowlifes when you don't do your damn jobs!" She then turns to a group of pirates, who are moving their haul. "You lot!"
"Y-Yes, captain?"
"Come with me below deck. We'll have a chat with the guy these buffoons were too afraid to kill." She says before heading below deck with the men right on her trail.
"Enough about me. What about you, Luffy? Why were you in a barrel in the first place?"
Luffy laughs at the absurdity of the answer. Putting it that way, deciding to hide in a barrel to weather the storm was a terrible idea. "Ah, that. There was a huge whirlpool that wrecked my boat. You could say I panicked and went into what I thought was the safest place. Barrels are pretty strong, after all."
Over the past few minutes, Koby adapted well to Luffy's strange behavior, where the massive leap in logic was something he expected. "Well, I guess it beats drowning."
"Yeah. And besides, I can't swim anyway."
Koby tilts his head, mildly confused. For someone who couldn't swim, sailing was a death sentence. Ignoring that Luffy ended up in a barrel in the first place. "You can't swim, but decided to sail anyway?" Koby asks casually before noticing his error, inwardly cursing himself, thinking he offended Luffy in some way. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you or anything!" He exclaims, trying to apologize. Koby let his guard down, forgetting that this man was a stranger who could easily turn on him.
Luffy waves him off, unbothered by Koby's question. "It's fine, I get that a lot. The reason I can't swim is 'cause I ate a Devil Fruit."
"Eh?!" Koby shouts before immediately covering his mouth. He looks around the hallway to make sure no one heard him before returning to Luffy. "You're saying you ate a Devil Fruit?! Those things are legends, nothing more than tales! They're true?"
Luffy puts his arms up to tell Koby to quiet down. He was so accustomed to being in the Grand Line that he had forgotten it was extremely rare in the Blue Seas. Luffy then grabs the corner of his mouth and stretches it. "Yeah. I'm a rubber man." As he lets go, his skin snaps back with a rubbery sound.
"A rubber man. Luffy is a rubber man…" Koby repeatedly mumbles to try to reassure himself. Luffy has completely turned his world upside down. At this point, he wouldn't be surprised if Luffy could quite literally do that. "A-Anyway. Where were you sailing to?"
"To the Grand Line."
"Huh?"
"I'm a pirate."
It's worse. It's much worse than Koby thought. He was a pirate, the same lot he was trying to flee from. He ate a Devil Fruit and plans on sailing to the most treacherous stretch of water in the world on a small boat. And to top it all off, he's a pirate trying to encourage someone to become a marine.
"But you said that being a marine is a great dream! If you're a pirate, then that would make us enemies."
"Well, I don't have a bounty, so no one's gonna be after me," Luffy responds with a hint of disappointment, Koby notes. "And besides, just because I'm a pirate doesn't mean I'm a bad guy. I'm not hurting anyone. Well, unless they try to hurt my friends or take my meat. Then I'm gonna kick their asses." Luffy smacks his right fist onto his hand to emphasize his point.
"But all pirates are bad guys!"
"Not all," he protests before pointing at the straw hat on his head. "The man who gave me this hat saved my life. And he's a pirate." Luffy then let out a sigh after seeing that Koby wasn't convinced. "Look, I know many pirates do a lot of bad stuff. But simply being one doesn't make you a bad guy. Do you think I'm a bad guy?"
Koby stared at Luffy for a while before slowly shaking his head. They might have met recently, but he could tell that Luffy isn't the type who will hurt people without any reason. It's just that Alvida's crew had such an influence on him that, combined with his dream of becoming a marine, he just couldn't believe the rubber man. If you're a pirate, you're a criminal. Being a criminal isn't just some label the government brands you with.
Suddenly, without warning, the ceiling collapses in front of them, enveloping the room in a plume of smoke and debris. As the dust settles, a large woman holding a spiked club appears in the middle of the room. The lady's presence seemed to have terrified Koby, who stepped back and hid behind Luffy, his legs shaking. Pirates on the top deck surrounded the hole while a few entered through the door.
The large woman glared at Luffy, studying the man before her. "You don't look all that impressive. And you don't look like a bounty hunter. I can't believe those cowards were terrified by a skinny brat," the woman says in disbelief. "Do you know who I am?"
The man tilts his head before turning to Koby, pointing at the rotund woman. "Is this the Alvida person you're talking about? No wonder you're scared. She's huge."
Everyone's mouths were agape from shock, including Alvida. The pirates have never heard such disrespect aimed at their captain. Alvida's shock quickly turns to rage as she clenches her mace, her knuckles turning white. Still, a beautiful and elegant woman like her should never lose their cool. "I'm going to deal with you later, brat." She then turns to Koby with a sadistic grin. "What're you doing here, Koby? Weren't you supposed to keep watch for marine ships? Or did you find spending time with this kid more important than your job?"
Koby looks down at the floor in shame, unable to meet Alvida's stare. "S-Sorry, Captain Alvida. I…It won't happen again."
Alvida nods in approval. "Good. But you're gonna get punished for this, Koby. Come here, you brat."
"Yes, Captain Alvida…" Koby resigned to his fate as he hesitantly stepped away from Luffy to stand by Alvida's side. It's always going to be like this, trying to appease Alvida by any means necessary and losing more and more of himself and his dream.
"Well, that was boring."
Everyone turns to the man with the straw hat. Everybody, including Alvida, was unsure what the man was talking about. But Koby understood what Luffy meant after their entire conversation earlier. He can practically feel the disappointment coming from Luffy directed at him. It was as if their talk about taking the first step was meaningless. Koby sharing his dream with Luffy? Worthless. Luffy gave him confidence and encouragement, and he even acknowledged his dreams. Yet here he was, licking the feet of the evil he promised to conquer. He stops in his tracks, clenches his fists, and grits his teeth in frustration.
Alvida notices his hesitation, her patience running thin. "Oi Koby, are you tryin' to piss me off?"
"No."
"Good. Now come here before I—"
"N-No!" Koby shouts defiantly. Alvida was stunned into silence, unsure how to react. Luffy, meanwhile, was smiling. Finally, Koby found his courage, he thought.
"I-I'm done taking orders from you! I-I've never even wanted to become a pirate in the first place! You-!" For the first time in Koby's life, his fear was overwhelmed by the frustration he felt for his situation. He shouted at Alvida, disregarding the consequences. "I know it was my fault for accidentally boarding that stupid boat, but you kidnapped me and forced me to be in your crew. I don't want any of this."
Alvida can only take so much disrespect. First, it was the sheer incompetence of her crew. And now, this puny little kid decided that defying her was a good idea. She raises her club, intending to remove this pissant boy in front of him. "Anyone who disobeys me can go to hell!" She yells in frustration.
Koby closes his eyes and covers his face in preparation for being hit. He's finally done it. He's probably going to die, but he's done taking orders from her. As he braced for the hit with tears flowing down his face, Luffy's words kept repeating inside his head.
'That's not a bad dream.'
'You must be strong enough to deal with them.'
'You can do it.'
Koby braces for impact. Instead of Alvida's mace making contact, however, he feels someone tugging on his collar before being pulled into the air. Opening his eyes, he sees that Luffy jumped through the hole in the ceiling and dragged him up. The two sailed in the air before landing behind the pirates surrounding the hole. Disoriented from the jump, Koby falls to his knees, dry heaving.
"That was great. Keep that up, and you'll become a great marine."
He looks up to see Luffy staring at him with a big smile, which Koby returns in kind. Feeling good after hearing a pirate's compliment was strange, but it meant a lot to him.
"You'd better duck, though."
The order takes Koby aback, but he follows nonetheless. He then watches in awe as Luffy's elongated leg sails over him, hitting the pirates running toward them. He was too distracted to notice that some pirates who had surrounded them earlier began attacking the pair.
"W-What was that?!" Asked one of the pirates.
"So, you've eaten a Devil Fruit, huh?" Alvida asks with a hint of caution, finally walking out of the hole she created.
"Yep. I'm a rubber man." Luffy says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"If the legends are true, then I will send you to hell down at the bottom of the sea!" Alvida swings her club down at Luffy. Koby shouts at him, warning the man of Alvida's famed mace. Devil fruit or not, he's never seen anyone come out of a fight with Alvida unharmed. Seeing the rubber man fail to dodge Alvida's attack, the mace hitting Luffy's head causes Koby to wince. To his surprise, however, Luffy was unscathed.
"L-Luffy..."
"I'm rubber. Blunt objects don't affect me," he says with a playful smirk.
Alvida drops her mace as she takes a step back, shocked and terrified that her powerful attack didn't do anything. The same attack that made pirates tremble at her name. For the first time in a long while, she felt fear and was unsure what to do. "Just who the hell are you…"
"I'm Luffy, and I'm going to be the Pirate King. Gomu Gomu no… Bazooka!"
Alvida was sent flying off the ship. The men, eager to attack Luffy just earlier, seemingly lost all their drive after seeing their captain being defeated easily. Koby felt a mixture of relief and shock. Finally, the menace that hovered above him for all these years is no more. He turns to Luffy, his expression one of sheer joy and gratitude.
'Maybe someday, I might be able to be like that…' Koby wishes wordlessly.
Out of nowhere, the ship was rocked by a massive blast as the sound of cannon fire rang from the distance. Looking far out into the sea, Koby can see a few marine ships firing at them. It shouldn't be a surprise. The Jolly Roger was pretty obvious. He feels someone tap his shoulder and sees Luffy looking at him with concern.
"I know you wanted to be a marine, but I doubt they'd let you join."
Koby nods. "Yeah, but how do we get out? There aren't any lifeboats around." Looking around, Koby saw pieces of broken lifeboats scattered around. They were either destroyed or were probably taken by civilians trying to flee Alvida's initial attack.
"Don't worry, I got that covered."
Koby didn't have time to question Luffy before the rubber man's arm wrapped around his waist. Remembering what happened earlier, he braces for another nauseating experience by closing his eyes as Luffy jumps high into the air with him in tow.
Now that he's gotten his bearings back, Luffy uses his Color of Observation to scan the area, looking for a familiar presence. If he remembers it correctly, then she should be...
'There!'
With a destination in mind, Luffy adjusts himself midair, slowing down to make the journey easier for Koby, considering what happened last time. He sees the boat close by with a familiar head of orange hair, trying to row away from the chaos. On the boat were a few sacks full of trinkets and jewels, which filled Luffy with a sense of nostalgia. Fully aware that they might damage the boat at the speed they're falling, he opted to land on the water beside. He trusts that she'll rescue him no matter what.
Unlike Luffy, however, Koby was visibly panicking. He was focused only on their landing and was unaware of his surroundings or orientation. At this height, it's going to hurt like hell even if they fall to the sea, so he braces for impact. The pair lands on the waters below moments later, and Koby does not waste any time swimming up. Upon reaching the surface, he looks around, only to find Luffy sinking, his body limp and his eyes lifeless. He quickly dove down to grab the rubber man's hand before swimming back up.
"Hey, come here!"
Koby spots an orange-haired woman waving at him. Desperate for any means of escape, he swims closer to her while slowly dragging Luffy with him. They weren't kidding when they said people who ate Devil Fruits sink like a rock, he thought. Once they got closer, the woman hurriedly pulled Luffy onto the boat before gently helping Koby get on board.
"Luffy, you reckless idiot!" The woman shouts as she continues paddling away, concern evident in her voice. "Good thing you have this kid with you, or you would've drowned."
"Sorry, I didn't wanna damage your boat," Luffy says in between coughs before laughing loudly.
Koby could see the rage evaporate from the woman, replaced by a warm, kind smile. She then turns to Koby with a more serious look. "We need to get out of here before the Marines see us. Help me row, will you?"
"Uh, miss. Can't we just unfurl the sail?"
"The sail is pretty wide. Easier to spot. At least with just the boat, we can blend in with the debris while being covered by the smoke."
Seeing no fault in her logic, Koby acquiesces and begins paddling. Luffy seems to know her, so it's probably wise to trust her. Occasionally sneaking a few glances at the unknown woman, he notices the worried yet elated expression she throws the rubber man's way despite the cautious way she looks around. They spent almost half an hour navigating the area to avoid being spotted. Once they were sure they had escaped, the woman visibly relaxed.
"Glad that was over." The woman says before turning to Luffy. "Are you alright, Luffy?"
"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks, Nami." Upon feeling his energy return, Luffy sits up before stretching his arms.
"Uh, Luffy." The boy interrupts, causing the two to look at him. "Is she your crewmate?" Koby asks while looking back and forth between the two.
"Yeah, she's my Navigator," Luffy says proudly. "This is Koby, by the way. He says he wants to be a marine."
The woman looks at him with a smile of gratitude. "I'm Nami. Thanks for dragging him out of the water. He says I'm his navigator, but it just means I keep him out of trouble most of the time."
"Oh, no. That's fine. Luffy helped me escape from a pirate, so I owe him a lot." Koby says while sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
Nami laughs warmly after hearing this. "He does that from time to time."
After the noise and chaos from earlier had subsided, the group welcomed the silence in their journey. Koby took this time to gaze at the open ocean. Finally, he can appreciate the beauty of the vast sea without the threat of Alvida looming above him. For the first time in a while, he can relax.
As for the captain and the navigator, the two share a glance that conveys a multitude of emotions. Understanding, happiness, determination, and excitement. Without uttering a single word, the two seemed to have one thought in mind.
'We're back!'