The Next Morning
As the warm morning sun beamed through the windows of Mayor Boodle's house, a ray of light landed directly on the mayor's face, waking him from his slumber. Squinting against the brightness, he slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes and stretching his arms.
All around him, townspeople who had partied hard the night before were beginning to stir. Some groaned and clutched their heads, others blinked in confusion at the chaotic scene of snoring bodies, empty mugs, and leftover food.
But something felt off.
Boodle glanced around, scanning the room. "Where are Zino and the others?" he muttered.
He stood up and began walking around the room, checking corners and stepping over sleeping guests. But none of the pirate hunters were in sight.
"Did they go to the docks early?" he wondered aloud.
Just then, a middle-aged man standing near the door called out, "Mayor, there's something over here for you."
The man pointed toward the entrance. Resting there was a neatly wrapped bundle, with a folded letter tucked under a string. The mayor approached, noticing his name written clearly on the front.
Curious, Boodle opened the letter and began to read:
*~ To Mayor Boodle,*
We decided to leave early, so there's no need to see us off.
Also, one of my *nakama* got a little too excited last night and ended up pickpocketing some of your guests. I feel bad about that, so I've included some gold in the bundle to make up for it.
Thanks again for everything. Give our regards to the townspeople.
— *Monkey D. Zino*
As Boodle finished reading, murmurs began rising around the room.
"Oh no! My money is gone!"
"Wait, mine too!"
"Someone stole my pouch!"
"Did *you* take it? Be honest!"
"What!? No, mine got stolen too!"
The entire room fell into chaos as everyone frantically patted their pockets, checked bags, and turned over cushions. It didn't take long for them to realize they had all been robbed during the night.
"Wait a minute... where are Zino and his crew?"
"They're missing!"
"You don't think… they stole from us!?"
"Mayor Boodle! Mayor! Do something—!"
"Enough!" Boodle's voice boomed through the room, silencing the crowd.
He held up the letter. "If you want to know what happened to your money, read this first."
"Huh? A letter?"
The crowd quieted further, gathering around as the mayor read Zino's words aloud. When he finished, there was a pause—followed by a mixture of reactions.
The moment everyone realized that the pirate hunters hadn't truly stolen from them—and had, in fact, left behind a far more generous compensation—an awkward silence swept over the crowd.
People exchanged sheepish glances, a few scratching their heads, others trying not to make eye contact.
"Well… I guess they weren't trying to rob us after all," someone mumbled.
"Yeah," said another, holding up a handful of gold coins from the bundle, eyes wide. "I mean, just *look* at this! This is way more than what I had in my pouch."
A wiry man at the back scoffed and crossed his arms. "Still… why not just *tell* us they were going to compensate us? Why sneak around and pickpocket everyone?"
"It was probably just a prank," replied another with a shrug. "I mean, Zino even admitted it in the letter. And come on… it *was* kind of funny."
"Funny? My heart almost stopped this morning!"
A woman chimed in, chuckling, "All that panic over a few missing coins, and now we're holding a bundle worth ten times that. I'm not even mad anymore."
"Wait a second…" one man said suspiciously, eyes narrowing. "Who here *actually* lost money?"
The room fell quiet.
A few looked away.
"I, uh… misspoke earlier," said the man who had shouted first. "Turns out, my money was… in my shoe. Ha ha."
"I didn't even bring any money," said another, scratching the back of his neck. "So technically, nothing was stolen from me."
"Then you don't get a share of the gold," someone snapped. "Go stand over there with the non-victims."
"Hold on! I just remembered—I *did* lose a few coins last night. I think they were… gold ones. Yep. Definitely gold."
"…Shameless," muttered someone.
Soon, the room was once again full of noise—not from outrage, but from playful bickering. Everyone wanted a share of the gold, whether they were truly missing money or not.
"I had a full pouch of coins before I got drunk. Gone now!"
"I swear someone took the berry I kept in my sock."
"You mean the sock that hasn't been washed in a month?"
"Still counts!"
Amused and slightly exasperated, Mayor Boodle raised his hands for silence. "Alright, enough!"
The crowd quieted again, eyes turning toward the mayor.
"Since no one can seem to remember *exactly* what they lost, I'll take responsibility for dividing the gold fairly among everyone here," he said firmly. "No more arguing."
"But Mayor—"
"No buts! You want to fight over gold or go home with something in your pocket?"
That shut them up.
With the help of a few trusted villagers, Boodle began dividing the gold evenly, making sure every person received a fair share. While some still grumbled under their breath, most were satisfied—and a few even smiled, thankful for the unexpected gift.
As the morning wore on, and breakfast fires were lit, the chaotic party from the night before slowly gave way to a calm, sunny day. And even though Zino and his crew had vanished quietly before dawn, the people of Orange Town would not forget them—or their wild, generous departure—anytime soon.
...
Out on the open sea, beneath a clear blue sky, the *Silent Orca* sliced smoothly through the calm waves. Its glossy black hull shimmered in the sunlight, making it look like a sleek predator gliding across the ocean.
On the main deck, the crew was already busy with their morning routines. Two figures were deep in training, while another sat cross-legged, calmly focused on an entirely different kind of activity.
Zoro was engaged in his usual intense workout, lifting heavy weights with ease, his muscles rippling with each repetition. Alvida, on the other hand, was following a structured training regimen designed by Zino himself. Her movements were disciplined and sharp—clearly showing improvement since joining the crew.
After a while, Zoro set his weights down and grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat from his brow. As he cooled off, his eyes drifted toward Zino, who was sitting calmly on a crate near the mast, repeatedly popping something into his mouth and swallowing without pause.
Zoro squinted. "Oi, Zino. What are you eating over there?"
Without looking up, Zino casually replied, "Medicine."
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Medicine? Are you sick?"
"Nope," Zino said, still calmly swallowing another pill. "Healthy as ever."
Zoro tilted his head in confusion. "Then why are you taking medicine like candy? You're not even chewing, just gulping them down."
"I'm training," Zino answered, finally glancing up. "This is part of how I level up my ability."
Zoro crossed his arms. "Your ability… has something to do with medicine?"
"Yes… and no," said Zino, setting the bottle aside briefly. "My Devil Fruit is the *Nomu Nomu no Mi*—the Swallow Swallow Fruit. I can swallow elements or substances and convert them into usable powers. But I have to keep swallowing the same element repeatedly to get better at controlling it. That's why I'm taking all this medicine—I'm building up my proficiency."
Zoro stared at him for a moment. "So… the more you swallow something, the stronger your ability with it becomes?"
"Exactly," Zino nodded. "And once I've leveled one element high enough, I can unlock another. Right now, I've added 'Medicine' as my second elemental power."
Zoro scratched his head, both impressed and baffled. "That's… honestly a weird ability. But kinda broken too, if used right. Could you, like, swallow a sword and gain sword powers?"
Zino chuckled. "No idea. I haven't tried swallowing anything like that yet."
Zoro smirked. "If you ever manage to master swords that way, we'll have to spar for real."
"Deal," Zino replied with a grin, popping another pill into his mouth. "But be warned—I might just start swallowing weights and turn into a muscle monster next."
"Let's hope you don't start swallowing *booze*," Zoro added dryly. "Otherwise you'll be more drunk than useful."
Zino shook his head. "I don't like drinking alcohol. So, that won't happen anytime soon."
Alvida, who had paused her training to catch her breath, overheard Zino's explanation of his Devil Fruit ability. Her eyes widened in shock, curiosity flashing across her face.
"Wait… are you saying you can control wind just by inhaling it?" she asked eagerly.
In response, Zino raised his hand calmly and concentrated. A small cyclone of wind formed above his open palm, swirling gently like a miniature tornado.
Alvida gasped. "You really can control it?"
Zino nodded with a grin. "Yup. This was actually the first element I gained after eating the *Nomu Nomu no Mi*. Since we breathe air constantly, it made sense that this would be the easiest to obtain and level up."
Alvida leaned closer, fascinated. "So how strong is your control over it now?"
"I'd say it's getting pretty good. I've reached a decent level of manipulation." He pointed toward the sea. "Here, I'll show you."
With a subtle flick of his fingers, Zino sent the mini cyclone drifting away from the ship. It hovered over the water for a moment before plunging downward, spinning rapidly as it touched the sea's surface. As it rotated, it stirred up the water, creating a small swirling vortex.
"Incredible…" Alvida whispered, clearly impressed. "Your power could create storms someday—on the sea or even over cities. That's next-level!"
Zino nodded thoughtfully. "That's the goal. But I'm still learning how to control its intensity and stability."
Suddenly, his expression shifted. He frowned and squinted at the cyclone. "Wait… that's odd."
"What's wrong?" Alvida asked, picking up on his unease.
"That cyclone… it's not stopping. In fact…" he narrowed his eyes. "It's getting bigger."
Alvida and Zoro turned their heads toward the cyclone—and sure enough, it had grown nearly double in size. The once-small spiral of wind had expanded, now violently sucking in water and churning the sea beneath it. The waves around it rippled outward as the wind picked up force.
"Oi, Zino…" Zoro said, his voice low with warning. "Stop it. Now."
"I—I can't," Zino admitted, sweat forming on his brow. "I already released control. It's acting on its own."
"WHAT?!" Alvida's voice cracked as she backed up. "You mean you've lost control of that cyclone?!"
Zino grimaced. "Yeah… I thought I'd disbanded it, but for some reason, it's continuing to grow."
"You've gotta be kidding me…" Zoro muttered, watching as the mini-cyclone now looked like a developing waterspout, kicking up mist and wind in all directions.
The three stood tense on the deck, the playful mood completely gone.
"Zino," Zoro said, gripping his swords. "Tell me that thing isn't about to become a full-blown hurricane."
"…I really hope it's not," Zino said, eyes fixed on the rapidly intensifying storm.
The sea had suddenly become much less calm.
Under their watchful gaze, the small cyclone that Zino had created spun out of control. Rather than fading away, the swirling mass of wind grew even more powerful. The sea around it began to churn violently, as waves were drawn toward the developing storm. In the distance, ominous dark clouds started to gather, drifting in like summoned reinforcements to fuel the hurricane's wrath.
"What the—? Why is the ship shaking?" a startled voice rang out.
Nami burst out of the cabin in a panic, stumbling slightly as the ship swayed beneath her feet. She scanned the horizon—and her eyes widened in horror as she spotted the massive storm now dangerously close to their vessel.
"A storm!? Already!? Pull the ship away—NOW!"
Zoro and Alvida snapped out of their daze, alarmed by the sheer power of the swirling winds. Without hesitation, they dashed below deck to operate the *Wave Breaker*, the manual cycling system that could power the ship even without wind.
Zino, meanwhile, stood frozen for a brief moment, watching the chaos he had accidentally unleashed. He gave a dry, sheepish chuckle.
"Well... that escalated fast."
Without wasting any more time, he sprinted to the ship's edge. Gripping the railing tightly, he used *Geppo*, kicking off the air to lift himself high. Then, using the strength of his legs and the momentum of his flight, he began pulling the ship from the outside—using his body like a tug line, hopping across the air while yanking the Silent Orca away from the growing vortex.
With the combined effort of the Wave Breaker below and Zino's aerial tugging, the ship slowly but steadily moved away from the hurricane's pull. After what felt like an eternity, the shaking subsided, and the sky above the ship cleared once more.
"Fuuuh... That was *way* too close," Zino exhaled deeply, wiping the cold sweat from his brow. His heart was still pounding in his chest. "I really need to work on mastering this ability... before it kills us all."
Zoro and Alvida reappeared on the deck moments later, both panting and clearly shaken.
"Oi, Zino," Zoro said seriously, fixing him with a sharp look. "That was way too reckless. Don't go playing with powers you can't control."
Alvida nodded, placing her hands on her hips. "You nearly got us all dragged into that storm. I get that your ability is powerful—but next time, *think* before showing off."
Zino scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Yeah... lesson learned."
Everyone fell silent for a moment, letting the calm sea wind soothe their nerves. The storm still raged far behind them, but the Silent Orca was safe—this time.