Chapter 8: My Name is Luffy, Pleased to Meet YouKuina said slowly: "Girls become weaker than boys when they grow up. I will be caught up by you all very soon. Don't you always say that you want to become the world's greatest swordsman! My father said it's impossible for a girl to become the world's greatest. Zoro, I really envy you for being a boy! I want to become the world's greatest too!"As she said this, Zoro could see tear tracks appearing on Kuina's face; it was clear that she truly hated being a girl.While crying, Kuina covered her chest with her hand: "My chest is starting to develop. If only I were a boy...""You won against me and yet you say things like that! That's too despicable! You are my goal!" Zoroshouted at Kuina with an angry face, as if he wanted to vent all his anger from his failure and his dissatisfaction with Kuina.Kuina stopped crying and looked up at him: "Zoro..."Zoro didn't stop. He picked up the two swords that had fallen beside him and shouted angrily: "What does being a boy or a girl have to do with it! That would mean even if I beat you one day, it wouldn't be based on real strength! Stop saying things like that! Otherwise, wouldn't I be like a fool for training so hard every day just to catch up to you! Let's make a promise! One day, either you or I will become the world's greatest swordsman! Let's compete to see who can become the world's greatest!"Hearing Zoro's words, Kuina broke into a smile through her tears: "Idiot—you're clearly the one who lost to me."But Kuina didn't refuse. Instead, she reached out and shook hands with Zoro; this counted as their promise: "I agree!"Under the moonlight, the two shook hands and made their vow, to see who could become—the world's greatest!The next day, "Zoro—something bad has happened to Kuina! She fell down the stairs at home... and died!"Zoro stood frozen in place upon hearing the other person's words; he couldn't believe it was true, nor could he believe everything he was seeing.Kuina, who had been talking about her dreams with Zoro just last night, was now lying on the ground with a white cloth covering her face.Zoro was now both angry and sad: "Damn it! You just promised me yesterday! You aren't allowed to run away!"Zoro ran toward Kuina like a madman, but he was quickly held back by his companions nearby."Hey, Zoro, don't do this! Kuina..." Clearly, these companions were also feeling sad about Kuina's death.After a long time, Zoro finally accepted the fact of Kuina's death and calmed down.After Kuina was laid to rest, Zoro went to his master's room."Humans are truly... fragile, Zoro." Although the master's words were gentle, Zoro could hear the reluctance in his master's tone regarding his daughter.After all, as a father, he couldn't accept this fact, but since the result was such, he could only force himself to admit it."Master, can you give me her sword!" Facing Zoro's request, the master didn't refuse: "Sure."The master walked to the very center of the room, took down Kuina's sword, and handed it to Zoro.Zoro took it into his hands: "I will add her share to mine, and we will work hard together! I must become stronger! I will become the world's greatest swordsman and let my name reach heaven!"The master said nothing, just nodded and turned to leave. He already knew about the promise the two had made last night and understood the meaning of these words. He thought that Kuina's spirit in heaven would also be happy.———End of Flashback———Looking at the firearms in front of him, Zoro's mind was occupied with the thought: "I promised... I absolutely will not die in this place..."Colonel Morgan shouted: "Fire!"Bullets sprayed out, heading toward Zoro and Luffy.Because Luffy's fingers were becoming more and more entangled with the rope, but his body could still stretch, he simply wrapped himself around Zoroto block the attack.Then, he used his Gum-Gum body to block all the bullets and deflected them all back.At this moment, Alex also utilized the Body Flicker Technique to block the space between the soldiers and Luffy.Seeing the person who appeared, Luffy shouted happily: "Alex!"Zoro was also stunned in place; one was a strange person whose body composition was unknown, and the other was a strange existence that had appeared out of nowhere.He couldn't help but question the two: "Who on earth are you people!"Luffy looked at Zoro with a smile on his face and replied earnestly: "I am... the man who will become the Pirate King!"At this moment, Alex also turned his head and said coolly: "As for me, I am a Ninja, but my goal is to become the world's strongest!"Then, Alex brought the swords he had retrieved and placed them in front of Zoro. "These are your swords, right? You're actually a Three Sword Styleuser?""That's right. I didn't expect you to have heard of my name?"Zoro nodded. Although he knew his name was well-known, the fact that someone knew he used the Three Sword Style far exceeded his expectations.Alex nodded, then looked at Luffy, the meaning being whether to save him or not.However, he felt very speechless when he saw Luffy's hands tangled up with the ropes.Luffy looked at Zoro: "Hehe, if you team up with me to deal with the Marines now, you'll become a rebel wanted by the World Government, or you can just die here. You choose."Zoro looked at this idiot who had gotten tied up with him just to save him. After thinking for a moment, he resigned himself to his fate and decided on his path forward.A smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "You're a descendant of the devil, aren't you... It doesn't matter. Instead of being beaten to death here, I might as well join you... and become a pirate!"Luffy became happy: "That's great! You've agreed to become my crewmate!"After saying this, Zoro felt much more relaxed: "Yeah, yeah. Hurry up and tell that guy next to us to help us untie the ropes!"At the same time, the Marine soldiers over there were confused by the situation before them."Who on earth is that guy..." "One of them was actually able to deflect all the bullets, and the other just suddenly appeared on the scene..."Morgan was worthy of being a Colonel; he had some insight into these things: "He is not an ordinary person... Those two brats... must have eaten one of the legendary 'Devil Fruit' series."The soldiers were shocked: "That treasure of the sea! No way? Does that mean their abilities are of the devil..."Before the soldiers could finish discussing, they saw Alex had already drawn his sword and slashed at the ropes.Seeing this, the soldiers immediately shouted: "Colonel, he's untying Zoro's ropes!"Seeing this, Morgan shouted: "Stop him quickly! Firearms are useless against that rubber brat, so use swords to cut him! As for the one in the back, use firearms to shoot at him first! Attack!"By the time they finished shouting, Alex had already cut one rope and freed one of his arms.But soon he heard the sound of something cutting through the air near his ears. He then placed a sword into the other's hand: "Zoro, handle the rest yourself. I'll go buy you some time."Then Alex quickly performed hand seals: Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall.A huge earthen wall appeared in front of Alex, successfully blocking the incoming bullets."De... devil, this person is a devil!"One person in the front couldn't handle the pressure, dropped the gun in his hand, and crouched on the spot, but was quickly shot down by Morgan."All traitors who defy me must die!"On the other side, after getting his sword, Zorolooked at the approaching soldiers. Without a word, he slashed the knotted rope on the other side. At the same time, he quickly picked up the two swords on the ground—one in each hand and one in his mouth—and parried the Marine soldiers' attacks with a cool pose.Seeing this scene, Colonel Morgan appeared quite panicked: "Ro... Roronoa Zoro!"Luffy watched as one used Ninjutsu to block the firearms and the other used his swords to parry the other Marine soldiers' attacks. Standing in place, his eyes sparkled: "Wow! That's so cool!"Zoro, with a gloomy face, looked at the soldiers nearby: "You all better stand still! If anyone dares to move, I'll kill you!"The soldiers were so scared by this threat that they didn't dare to move. While crying, they thought to themselves: "Ah! That's too scary!"Then Zoro looked at Luffy: "I agree to become a pirate! Since I'm opposing the Marines, I'm a bad guy too, but I have my own ambition. To become the world's greatest swordsman! At this point, I don't care if I have fame, whether it's a bad name or a good name, I want the world to know my name! You're the one who dragged me into being a pirate! So, if you ever dare to force me to give up my dream... at that time, I will make you commit seppuku to apologize!"Luffy responded with a smile: "The world's greatest swordsman... That's awesome! A crewmate of the Pirate King... has to be that excellent!""Hmph! You sure talk big."Morgan was furious at this point. He shouted at the soldiers: "What are you all spacing out for? Hurry up and execute that guy!"Zoro didn't take action upon hearing this, remaining standing where he was.But Alex, who was on the side, noticed that those few rice balls were not enough to replenish the stamina Zoro had lost.Seeing this situation, Alex quickly performed hand seals and then shouted: "Luffy, hurry and take Zoroaway from there!" Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!A huge fireball came rushing toward Zoro. Luffy and Zoro heard the voice.Luffy stretched his arm, grabbed Zoro, and jumped to the side.The next second, a huge fireball swept over the position where Zoro had just been.The flames engulfed those soldiers. Fortunately, Alex had lowered the Chakra output. This kept the fireball at a level that could severely injure them but would not be fatal.With a sword in his mouth, Zoro asked Luffy and Alex: "Who are you two?""I am a rubber man, and Alex is a Ninja."The injured soldiers lay on the ground, hearing Luffy's introduction."Ru... rubber man, ni... Ninja! Co... Colonel, we... we are not their match. They are not ordinary people. Furthermore... even Roronoa Zoro has joined them... we... can't win..."At this moment, Alex came to Luffy and Zoro's side, and the three of them each took their respective stances.Luffy stood with his hands on his hips, head bowed, toes pointed inward. To his left, Zoro held one sword in each hand and one in his mouth, while glancing sideways at the soldiers lying on the ground. Alexstood to Luffy's right, performing hand seals with a huge scroll strapped to his back.Morgan walked in front of the fallen soldiers and clenched his left hand: "The Colonel orders! Those who showed weakness just now... shoot yourselves! This Colonel does not need... useless subordinates! That is an order!"Hearing Morgan's words, many soldiers forced their bodies to lift their firearms and put them to their temples, clearly intending to shoot themselves.This scene left Luffy, Alex, and Zoro stunned.Zoro acted first: "There is something wrong with this unit..."Alex also quickly performed hand seals; after all, with so many soldiers about to commit suicide, neither he nor Zoro could stop them alone."Stop talking, Zoro. I'll coordinate with you to knock all these people down!"Luffy rushed directly toward Morgan, and at the same time, he shouted loudly: "I am an enemy of the Marines! If you have the guts, come and kill me!"Luffy's intention was very clear: he wanted to raise the soldiers' fighting spirit so they would attack him. As long as they did that, they wouldn't have to commit suicide.Seeing this, Morgan threw off his cloak, raised his hand-axe, and stared straight at Luffy."Guys with no status or reputation... have no right to resist this Colonel!"Then he brandished his hand-axe: "I am MarineColonel 'Axe-Hand' Morgan!"Luffy also responded with a serious face: "My name is Luffy. Pleased to meet you."
Morgan swung with force: "You're done for!"Luffy jumped up easily, dodging his opponent's attack.Seeing Luffy easily dodge his attack, he looked somewhat shocked.At the same time, his attack sliced the fence nearby in two, which showed that Morgan did have some skill.At this moment, Luffy's body was in the air; he then forcefully kicked both legs toward Morgan's face, sending him flying away in an instant.The other soldiers exclaimed: "The... the Captain..."Morgan quickly steadied himself with his hand axe, staring viciously at Luffy.Then, he raised his hand axe again and ran toward Luffy: "Kid, prepare to die!"Luffy raised his fist and charged toward his opponent as well.It looked like he wanted to go head-to-head with him.Morgan swung his hand axe at Luffy, but Luffyretracted his attack stance, jumped up again, easily dodged the attack once more, and said with a grin: "As if I'd die!"Then, he delivered another kick in mid-air, slamming his sandal hard into his opponent's face.This blow knocked Morgan hard to the ground.The soldiers nearby exclaimed repeatedly: "Captain... Captain Morgan... he's been at a disadvantage this whole time..."After knocking his opponent to the ground, Luffygrabbed his clothes. At that moment, he thought of Coby angrily saying he didn't want to be a Marine, as well as the expressions of fear on the faces of Rika and the residents here."What kind of lousy Marines are you! You ruined Coby's dream! You've made everyone hate you so much!"Just then, a voice called out: "Wait a second!"Alex and Zoro, who had already dealt with the Marines who were looking for a death wish, looked up.Luffy didn't listen and directly swung his fist down, hitting Captain Morgan hard on the head."I told you to stop!"The owner of the voice was clearly very panicked.Only then did the three of them look up.It turned out to be Helmeppo, holding a pistol and stepping with his foot on a person who was already severely injured.The person looked up, and Luffy and Alexrecognized him as Coby."Lu... Luffy, I..."Before he could finish, Helmeppo pressed his gun against the other's head: "If you want him to be okay, don't move! If you dare move an inch, I'll shoot him dead!"The soldiers nearby were shocked to see their young master's behavior: "Young Master Helmeppo..."In other situations, they didn't care for him, but now they were facing vicious pirates, so although his actions were improper, no one said anything.Coby lowered his head, not wanting to look at Luffyand Alex.As for why he was like this, it happened after he separated from Luffy and threw away his Marineuniform.Injured Coby went alone to a place that sold medicine, wanting to apply some to recover.Just then, two shirtless men were stealing clothes from passersby.While stealing, they shouted that they were Helmeppo's subordinates.Indeed, these two were Jabis and Renas, whose clothes had been stripped after being knocked out by Alex.It took a long time for the two to wake up, and then they saw they were stark naked and their heads hurt, immediately realizing they had been robbed.Good grief, daring to rob Marines, did they have a death wish? But the two weren't thinking about revenge right now, but rather getting two sets of clothes to cover themselves.That was why the scene Coby saw happened.Seeing this, Coby ignored his injuries and went up to the two, scuffling with them.Unfortunately, although these two were bullies who picked on the weak, they were two-on-one, and coupled with the fact that Coby hadn't recovered, he could only fight them to a stalemate.It wasn't until Jabis grabbed a passerby to threaten Coby that Coby stopped, and in the end, he was captured and arrested on charges of assaulting a Marine.Afterwards, the two kept beating Coby in the interrogation room for revenge, which was how Coby got all these injuries.As for why Helmeppo came, it was because after Alex left, he wanted to vent his anger and went to the prison, where he saw his two subordinates beating Coby.At the same time, he realized this was Coby, who had hit him, so he joined in to vent his frustrations.Later, upon hearing that Straw Hat, the pretty boy with the scrolls, and Zoro were causing a scene at the execution ground, and remembering that this person was close to Luffy and Alex, he brought him along.That was what led to the scene where Helmepposhouted for Luffy to stop.Looking at the severely injured Coby, Luffy neither stopped nor attacked, but quietly watched Helmeppo, wanting to see what the other had in mind.At this moment, Coby, as if resigned to his fate, shouted: "Luffy, Alex! I... I don't want to be a burden to you! So do it, even if I lose my life!"Luffy had an 'as I thought' expression: "Hehe, I know."But Luffy didn't attack him, continuing to beat Morgan instead.While beating Morgan, Luffy said: "Give it up, stupid son, Coby is serious!"Helmeppo was clearly confused by the two's words.He was still over there threatening Luffy not to move: "Hey! I told you not to move! Otherwise, I'll shoot! I'm really going to shoot!"However, Luffy still didn't waver. At this moment, Helmeppo felt as if his hand had been grabbed by something, and only then did he notice there was still Alex.At this moment, Alex was coolly squatting on a scroll, holding one of Helmeppo's hands with one hand, and pressing his other hand against his head: "Hey, stupid son, don't move."At this moment, Helmeppo, who had just wanted to pull the trigger, felt his finger unable to move a millimeter; this powerful force was gripping his hand tightly.Similarly, on the other side, seeing the major being attacked, a group of Marine soldiers returning from duty fired at Luffy.Afterwards, they were shocked by Luffy's body, and then they drew their swords; since firearms were useless, they would use blades.And those soldiers who wanted to attack Luffy were held off by Zoro with his swords.With Luffy's final punch, Captain Morgan's jaw was shattered along with the ground.Seeing that the enemies were all eliminated, Luffybegan to praise his companions: "Well done, Zoro, and Alex!"Zoro sheathed his sword coolly and responded to Luffy with a cool face: "Piece of cake, Captain!"Alex also returned to Luffy's side: "It's nothing, just basic operations."With this, the entire Marine Base was defeated.The remaining Marines, seeing Captain Morgan and Helmeppo fall to the ground, were first shocked: "Ca... Captain, he actually lost! Captain Morgan has fallen!"Everyone present was checking if this was a dream.Zoro thought they wanted to avenge their superior: "If you still want to catch us, come out and try!"The soldiers looked at each other, none of them speaking again.The next moment, the soldiers cheered. "That's great—We're liberated! Morgan's dictatorship is over! Long live the Marines—"Everyone was cheering with all their might for Captain Morgan's defeat.Luffy was a bit confused: "What's going on? The Captain was defeated, why are they so happy?"Coby, lying on the ground, saw everyone so happy and realized that these people had all been living under Morgan's tyranny.Suddenly, Zoro fell forward, but Alex, who was nearby, was quick-witted and caught him.Luffy hurriedly stepped forward to check the situation: "Zoro! Alex... what's wrong with Zoro?""Hmm, Zoro is fine, just fainted from hunger. After all, just one rice ball and a sip of water aren't enough to replenish the physical energy consumed over these nine days, let alone having gone through a major battle...""Oh! So that's it! Well then, let's go eat!"Seeing that the problem wasn't serious, Luffy went to the severely injured Coby, and then each of them supported one person as they headed toward the restaurant.Ten minutes later. "Haha, I'm so full. Nine days without eating is indeed the limit!" Zoro rubbed his stomach and exclaimed.Just then, Luffy heard the other's words and couldn't help but retort: "So you couldn't even last a month at all!"But he hadn't finished exclaiming for long before he saw Alex and Luffy still eating. "Why are you two eating even more than me...""I don't know about Luffy's situation, but using Ninjutsu consumes Chakra, and refining Chakrarequires physical and mental energy, so I eat a lot..."Alex didn't hide it but explained.Coby, who was bandaged on the side, thanked Rikaand her mother repeatedly: "I'm sorry, I've benefited from this too..."Rika's mother, who was cleaning up the plates, replied: "It's okay, you are the great heroes who saved our town!"Indeed, the news of Captain Morgan's defeat had already spread, and the residents of this town knew that the three of them had defeated Morgan.Rika came to Luffy: "Big brother, you really are amazing!"Luffy responded while eating: "Yeah, yeah, I am very amazing! I'll be even more amazing in the future!"At this moment, Alex ate his last bite of vegetables and helped Rika's mother clean up the kitchenware. Rika's mother wanted to refuse, but Alex forced his way to the sink under the pretext of needing exercise. After all, it was better to use Shadow Clone."Tsk, no matter how I look at it, it feels incredible!" Zoro exclaimed while watching the Shadow Clonewashing the dishes.And Luffy was watching enviously while eating.Seeing that everyone had rested enough, Zoroasked Luffy: "By the way! Where are we going next?""To the 'Grand Line'!"Hearing Luffy's words, everyone present, except for Rika and her mother, showed an expression that took it for granted."So you really are going there, but that's right, after all, you guys are pirates who are going to obtain 'ONE PIECE'!" Coby exclaimed after hearing Luffy's words."The Grand Line, it gathers the most powerful existences in the whole world, and Gol D. Rogeralso said he left 'ONE PIECE' there." Alex shared the intelligence he had gathered.Seeing that Luffy had also finished eating, Alexquickly cleaned the bowls and chopsticks and dispelled the Shadow Clone. Of course, he forgot there was still one inside the Marine Base.That Shadow Clone had been reading the internal documents of the Marine Base. As the technique was dispelled, all that information returned to Alex's mind.Looking at the large amount of information that appeared in his mind, even he had to simply categorize it. During the sorting process, Alex saw a piece of information, and through this information, combined with Morgan's situation, he understood something."Luffy, I have some things to attend to and have to leave for a bit.""Ah, go ahead, we'll wait for you here."
Chapter 10: Setting SailSeeing that Luffy didn't refuse, Alex quickly left the restaurant, then used the Body Flicker Technique a few times to arrive in front of the prison where Morgan was being held.Morgan, who was in the prison, sensed someone approaching. He looked up and discovered it was that kid who claimed to be a Ninja.He didn't speak; after all, his jaw had already been shattered by Luffy, so he couldn't make a sound. He just glared viciously at Alex.Alex didn't say much, just observed Morgan's condition.At first, he thought Morgan was just purely evil, but after checking, he realized that wasn't the case.After all, Morgan's mental state had become even more chaotic after his defeat. As expected, his guess was right; he had been forcibly hypnotized by someone. It seemed the other party had originally been a tough, iron-willed man.Seen in this light, that shattered jaw and broken arm must have been done by Kuro to lower the other party's willpower.Sigh, since he was soft-hearted, he would just help the other party.Thinking of this, Alex channeled Chakra to smooth out Morgan's hypnotized consciousness, while simultaneously completely erasing the hypnotic information.Morgan thought the other party had just snuck in to mock him, but suddenly he felt a pain in his brain, and some things gradually began to surface."Ugh!"Morgan's painful groan attracted the guarding soldiers.Since his business was done, Alex should leave. Saying that, he once again used the Body Flicker Technique to leave the place.At the same time, he went to the vegetable market to buy ingredients for the voyage. As for where the money came from, hehe, young master Helmeppohad quite a bit of money on him.Plus, he had also crafted a few space scrolls and wanted to test their effectiveness.After collecting the supplies, Alex swaggered back to the restaurant, where he found a large number of Marine soldiers gathered.Alex flashed inside and saw someone who looked like an officer inviting Luffy to leave."It is said that you are pirates... Is this true?"Luffy didn't hide it either: "Yeah, we found two good companions, so we count as pirates!"The officer lowered his hat and thanked the three of them solemnly: "Although you are rebels, you saved the Marine Base and the town. These are facts, and we express our heartfelt thanks."Speaking of this, the officer's tone shifted: "But, since we know you are pirates... as Marines, we cannot sit idly by! Please leave here immediately! We have been quite polite by not contacting headquarters."Hearing this, the onlookers were unhappy and began to condemn the Marines."Hey! Marines, what is the meaning of this!""Weren't you too scared by Morgan to even make a sound!""They are our benefactors!"Facing the crowd's shouting, the Marines acted as if they hadn't heard, still standing straight at the entrance looking at Luffy and the others.Luffy didn't care; after all, he had already found Zoroas a companion.He pushed away the chair: "Since Alex is back too, let's go. Thanks for the treat, ma'am!"Rika, on the side, was reluctant: "Big brothers, are you leaving so soon!"Luffy didn't speak, but left with Alex and Zoro.At this time, the officer saw Coby, who was bandaged, on the side: "Aren't you with them?"Luffy didn't speak, but Coby replied faintly: "Ah, we are friends!"Hearing this, the officer continued to ask: "Why aren't you going with them!""I want to be a Marine!"Coby looked at the other party firmly, and no wavering could be detected in his tone.The officer looked at Luffy and asked: "Is what he said true?"Luffy nodded and left. After all, he believed Cobycould accomplish these things.The three of them arrived at the seaside.During this time, the soldiers on the side cleared a path, and Zoro, fearing that the soldiers here would be troubled by the superiors arriving later, asked fiercely."If you want to catch us, bring it on!"Such a baffling sentence left the soldiers on the side full of question marks.Back in the restaurant, Coby begged the other party to accept him again, but the officer didn't speak, instead taking out a soldier's uniform from behind and placing it in front of Coby."Soldier Coby, during the procurement of supplies, you received my order to engage the great pirates Luffy, Alex, and Zoro and were seriously injured. Now, I order you to return to your post immediately!"This sentence was equivalent to covering up Coby's previous actions by saying he fought the pirates alone.After hearing this, Coby immediately saluted: "Yes!"On the other side, the few people heading towards the ship began to communicate."Alex, was there something you hadn't finished earlier?"Zoro was a bit curious about Alex's departure and wanted to ask.Alex didn't hide it either: "Ah, it's like this. When looking for your swords, I let a Shadow Clone go to explore the Marine Base, and by the way, find some information about heading to the Grand Line. But I found something abnormal in the data transmitted back by the clone. I discovered that Morgan's condition looked like he had been hypnotized, because his resume stated he defeated the Black Cat Pirates Captain Kuro, but Kuro had a hypnosis expert named Jango by his side. So I suspect Jangohypnotized Morgan and then found a scapegoat. Morgan also amplified his inner greed because of the hypnosis, which is why he became like this. I went to verify this guess just now. Sure enough, my guess was correct, and I successfully broke that person's hypnosis. Calculating now, he should be awake..."At this moment, on the Marine prison side, Morgansat up from the ground, clutching his head.He began to think about why he was here."I, wasn't I defeated? And this arm and my jaw, why am I in prison?"But just as he was about to open his mouth, he discovered his jaw had been shattered.Apparently, Morgan had been hypnotized for too long, and Alex didn't have the patience, choosing to directly break the hypnosis violently.This resulted in most of Morgan's post-hypnosis memories disappearing, leaving only some scattered memory fragments."Hey, Morgan, what's wrong with you..."The guard on the side was still a bit afraid of him.Subsequently, Morgan relied on his remaining memories to think of his promotion and what he had done after the promotion."Woo woo, woo woo, woo woo woo! Woo..."Apparently, Morgan also knew he couldn't speak. The soldier next to him took paper and pen and placed them in front of Morgan.The meaning was that since he couldn't speak, he should write it out.At the same time, another officer immediately left the place, running to notify the officer who was still outside.How Morgan communicated with others and verified the information is a story for another time.Luffy and the others arrived at the seaside. Zoro also saw their pirate ship, which was just a small sailboat.Looking at the small boat in front of him, Zoro felt his eyelid twitch wildly, and a bad premonition surged in his heart.To relieve the awkwardness, he asked Luffy and Alex."Aren't you worried about Coby?""It's fine, Coby said he could handle it. We have to believe in him.""Yeah, Coby will definitely handle it well."Both Alex and Luffy trusted Coby very much.Seeing that his companions didn't care, Zoro looked up at the sky: "Today is really a good day to set sail! It's only like a pirate if you have no worries!""Hahaha, that makes sense!"Luffy responded while untying the rope.And Alex was checking the supply reserves. After all, both Luffy and he were big eaters, and ordinary food wasn't enough for the two of them.Looking at the food and water packed into two full scrolls, Alex nodded with satisfaction."Hey, Alex, what about the food you bought?""Yeah, Alex, didn't you say you had already bought it? Why don't I see it!"Zoro and Luffy looked at Alex's empty figure, thinking he hadn't bought any food.Alex took out two small scrolls; these were what he had created."Here, I packed the food I bought inside these. This one scroll has a space of thirty square meters, enough to hold our food for this period."Hearing Alex's explanation, Luffy's eyes sparkled: "So cool, Alex! Ninja is so cool, Ninja..."Luffy was dancing with joy, and Zoro on the side was also shocked.After Alex left, he and Luffy had communicated, and he also knew that the other party had not eaten a Devil Fruit, so those things were created by his own abilities."Ninja? That really is a mysterious profession."Seeing that they were fully prepared, the three of them boarded the ship.Setting sail, not long after the ship left the coast, several soldiers arrived at the seaside, and Cobystood at the very front wearing a soldier's uniform."All salute!""First time seeing Marines salute pirates!" Zoroexpressed his curiosity about such a scene.At this time, a large number of people walked towards the shore.And Luffy stood at the stern of the boat, waving goodbye to everyone.Zoro was rowing, while Alex continued to read the scroll.After Luffy and the others left, the officer looked at Coby and said: "Your friends are not bad."Coby also nodded with relief.But the officer's next words made them extremely uncomfortable: "Our salute just now violated military regulations! Therefore, everyone's meals for a week are cancelled!"Hearing this, all the soldiers slumped, and they could imagine their days ahead.Luffy returned to the bow and shouted excitedly: "Ha— Set off! Heading to the 'Grand Line'!"Just like that, Luffy's second companion, 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro, joined.But they didn't realize that they had already made a major mistake...The ship left Shells Town. I don't know how much time passed, but at this moment, Luffy and the others were still sailing on the sea.On the sea, Luffy, Alex, and Zoro were eating food, but since none of the three knew navigation techniques, they could only drift on the sea with the currents.So, to ensure survival, Alex stipulated the minimum daily food intake for each person. After all, they didn't know when they would be able to go ashore, so they had to be frugal."Ugh, I'm starving to death! Alex, you clearly have so much food there, take out some more!""Luffy, you've eaten enough, and we don't know how long we'll be drifting at sea at all. This food has to support us until we reach land!"Hearing Alex's words, Zoro nodded on the side; he felt Alex made perfect sense.But in the end, why did it come to this? It was because everyone present didn't know navigation techniques.Thinking of this, Zoro mocked the two."Seriously, you don't even know any navigation knowledge at all? Isn't that too ridiculous?"Luffy was curious: "What's so strange about that? We've all crossed the ocean."Hearing Luffy's justified tone, Zoro sighed and looked at Alex on the side."You guys really came over like this?"Alex also nodded helplessly, then Zoro patted his shoulder, and everything was left unsaid.Then Luffy asked Zoro in return: "Didn't you always pursue wanted criminals at sea to get bounties?"Zoro immediately denied: "I never said I was a Bounty Hunters. I went to sea to find someone, and as a result, I didn't know how to return to my village. There was no other way, so I attacked nearby pirates to earn some living expenses, that's all
Chapter 11: Ninjutsu MasterAfter hearing this, Alex thought, "Isn't this just being directionally challenged?" He then looked at Zorowith a smug expression in his eyes.Luffy was blunt: "What are you doing? So you were just lost!"Upon seeing Alex's look and hearing Luffy's words, Zoro immediately flushed red and retorted: "No... don't say that!"Then, he looked at Alex and asked why he had set out to sea."Alex, Luffy wants to become the Pirate King, and I have my own dream. What about you? Why did you set out to sea, and why did you agree to Luffy's request?"Hearing this, Alex began to ponder, "That's right, why did I come here, and why did I agree to Luffy's request?"Hearing this question, Luffy also sat up; he was very curious about Alex's dream as well.Suddenly, Alex remembered that inexplicable multiple-choice question and what that mysterious person had said to him.He then looked at Luffy and Zoro with a firm gaze."As for me, I want to fight against all kinds of enemies. No matter what they are, no matter who they are, I will use Ninjutsu to defeat them and prove my strength! Therefore, my dream is to challenge all the experts in the world and defeat them!"At this moment, the corners of Zoro's mouth curled into a smile. Only now did he feel that Alex had truly become one of them.Luffy also said happily: "Haha, challenging all the experts in the world? That's not an easy path, but that's what a partner of the Pirate King should be!"After clarifying his future path, Alex felt his mind clear up; clearly, his mental power had improved further.After confirming that Alex wouldn't leave, Zorobegan to tease Luffy: "Good grief, don't you also lack navigation skills? And you're a pirate on top of that—if others found out, they'd laugh themselves to death. Besides, the way we're going, we'll never find the 'Grand Line'! We need to find a navigator to join our crew as soon as possible!"Hearing this, Luffy immediately chimed in: "We also need to find a cook and a musician..."Zoro retorted: "Forget about that for now!"Seeing the topic end, Luffy, who had been fine just a moment ago, suddenly lay down on the bed, clutching his stomach and crying out in hunger."I'm starving... Alex, can't you really give me something to eat?""No, Luffy, we..."Before Alex could finish, Luffy interrupted: "Stingy, so stingy..."Just as Luffy was making a fuss, he saw a bird flying overhead. Thinking about eating that bird, he shut his mouth.Seeing that Luffy was no longer making a fuss, Alexfocused on studying Ninjutsu knowledge. After all, he felt that a major battle would occur before long.He attributed this feeling to a sixth sense gained after his mental power had improved, so he didn't see Luffy's movements.Zoro was also lying to the side to conserve his energy."Gum-Gum... Rocket!"Luffy reached out and grabbed the mast, then released it, launching his entire body forward rapidly.Seeing this, Alex put away his scroll, and Zoroopened his eyes.They had originally thought Luffy could knock the bird down to get some food, but they never expected him to be carried away by it. And it was flying off into the distance.Seeing this situation, Zoro and Alex began to row faster; otherwise, if Luffy broke free from the bird's beak, he would fall into the sea and drown."Huh?""What's going on!"Both Zoro and Alex were speechless at this guy.So, Zoro began rowing with all his might, while Alexused Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu to speed up the boat's movement.At this moment, Luffy was yelling from the sky: "No! Help! Alex! Zoro! Save me!" Obviously, he also knew the consequences of falling.As for Zoro, with Alex using Ninjutsu to increase the boat's speed, he only needed to watch the direction from the front."What an idiot! What on earth is he doing! That guy Luffy!""Forget it, Zoro, don't you know his personality by now!"Seeing Alex say this, Zoro kept his eyes glued to Luffy, preventing him from leaving his sight."Hey, stop the boat!""Stop the boat in front!"Hearing the cries for help, Zoro was very shocked. He had originally intended to chase after Luffy, but he hadn't expected anyone to be calling for help here."Why did someone have to fall into the water at this exact moment!""Hey, this boat won't stop. If you want to get on, climb up yourselves." Alex said from the back of the boat; after all, he was only barely keeping up with Luffy by using Ninjutsu to accelerate. If he really stopped, Luffy would have disappeared long ago.The three people in the sea were also quite surprised; they hadn't expected the other party to say that."Huh? You've got to be kidding!"Seeing that Alex and the others had no intention of stopping, they knew it was for real. Helplessly, they had to obediently comply. The three of them used all their strength to finally climb onto the boat."Heh, you actually managed to climb up.""Not bad, it seems you have very good physiques to be able to catch up after soaking in the water for so long."Zoro was surprised by this; one had to know that this boat was moving very fast. It seemed that people had great energy when in life-or-death situations. Alex, for his part, was impressed by their physical strength."So you wanted us to die!"The three people who boarded the boat included one wearing a hat, one with a strange hairstyle, and a fat man on the edge. Clearly, Alex and Zoro's words made them realize that the previous comment was just talk—they hadn't really intended for them to get on."Huff, huff, what a rough bunch of people."These people lay beside Alex, panting; they were clearly recovering their strength.Seeing that their strength had recovered enough, they held knives to Alex's neck and shouted at Zoro."Hey! Stop the boat. We are subordinates of 'Buggy the Clown'! And if you don't stop, we'll kill this pretty boy!"Zoro looked at them and said indifferently: "Oh?!"The next second, the three of them were covered in bumps, rowing the boat to help."Hahaha, so you are the legendary 'Pirate Hunter' Mr. Zoro... We are sorry, we didn't recognize your greatness. We accidentally hit your partner's hand with our heads; it's our fault." The one wearing the hat in the middle said with a fawning smile.Alex came to the front of the boat and started eating food with Zoro. Because of the time spent beating those guys up, they had lost track of Luffy. Alex and Zoro decided to just let these three act as manual labor to row the boat, while they took the opportunity to eat something and recover their strength."You made us lose our friend! You keep rowing forward. If that kid sees land, he'll definitely fall down on his own!" After saying this, Zoro continued to eat his large piece of meat on the bone.Alex, on the other hand, was curious about why they were here. According to the information he had seen in the Marine Base earlier, Buggy the Clown's strength was considered top-tier in the East Blue. As his subordinates, although he didn't know how strong they were, ordinary people were definitely no match for them."Speak! Why did you pirates end up falling into the sea?"Seeing the pretty boy ask this, the one wearing the hat replied."Good question! Please listen to us! It's all because of that woman! That's right! It was that woman who harmed us! And she was very cute, too!"Seeing the three of them with lecherous expressions, Alex was speechless. He helplessly clenched his fists. Seeing that Alex's killing intent had risen, they put away their lecherous looks and continued their story."Oh, oh, the story goes like this... It happened after we successfully looted a merchant ship."Then, the three of them recounted their recent experience.Originally, the three of them were riding in a small boat, with a treasure chest full of riches on board."Hee hee hee hee! Now we're rich!"The three gathered around the treasure chest and took out the piles of jewelry inside to look at them."Who would have thought such a small merchant ship would have so many treasures. Captain Buggywill definitely reward us!"Suddenly, the pirate wearing the hat saw a lone boat drifting on the sea."Hmm? That boat is a bit strange."He observed carefully and discovered a person lying on the side of the boat, who had obviously passed out."There's someone collapsed inside."Seeing this, the three quickly steered their boat over and discovered that the person on the boat was a young girl with orange hair who looked very pretty. She was lying pale on the side of the boat, motionless."Huh? It's a woman!""Hey, what's wrong with you? Are you still alive?"Upon hearing the voice, the girl slowly raised her head and looked at them weakly."Ah... I'm not dreaming. To actually meet people in the middle of the ocean..."It looked like this girl had encountered a shipwreck or was fleeing.Then she continued: "No... no matter who you are, please... please give me a glass of water... water... if possible... please also give me... a piece of bread... I... I'm in distress... Money... I'll give you as much as you want... Please... please save me."The girl finished her request intermittently; it turned out she really had been in distress and drifted here.The three pirates' eyes widened even more when they saw the treasure chest; if they handed both chests over to Captain Buggy, wouldn't their status be able to rise even further?"Help you! No problem! But you have to let us see that treasure chest first!""Please... please take it, it's... it's all here. I... I want water!"Obviously, they weren't stupid enough not to check first, but unfortunately, their intelligence was limited, and all three of them went onto the girl's small boat."Hey, wait, we need to confirm the treasure chest first! Little girl!""That's right, anyway, we are the only ones who can save you!"Just as the three pirates were checking the treasure chest, the girl's voice came from behind them. But this time, unlike her previous weak tone, her voice was much more energetic and even carried a hint of playfulness."Hee hee, if you like it! That boat is yours too!"Only then did the three pirates realize they had been tricked. They turned back and discovered that their boat had already been sailed far away. Even more crucially, this treasure chest was empty!Just as the three pirates wanted to give chase, the girl stopped and began to observe the weather."There are black clouds hovering at low altitude in the southern sky, and cold air is appearing ahead. It will start pouring rain soon."After the girl finished speaking, a dark cloud really did appear above the three's boat.The girl wasn't finished: "And there's a gale coming, small boat please be careful, don't get blown over by the gale!"A few seconds later, a torrential rain began to fall from beneath the dark cloud, and a gale blew up, completely capsizing the three's boat."As I expected."Then she raised the sails and took advantage of the wind to quickly leave the area."I'll take the treasure, bye-bye!"The three, drenched like drowned rats, could only shout in place as they watched the sailboat sail away."You... you bastard! How dare you plot against us! You female thief, don't you dare run!"
Chapter 12: Nami"That's how it happened. Isn't it outrageous!"After hearing the three men's story, Roronoa Zoromarveled at the girl's ability: "She can actually predict the weather? It seems that woman has extensive navigational knowledge. I wonder if we can recruit her as our navigator.""Yeah, being able to infer the upcoming weather just by observation, that woman's navigational skills are truly strong."Alex and Roronoa Zoro were marveling at the girl's impressive navigational skills, while the three men were discussing how to catch that woman and retrieve their treasures."We must find her and kill her!""The most important thing right now is the treasure!""That's right! If we go back empty-handed... we'll be finished by Captain Buggy..."The last person didn't finish his sentence; clearly, all three of them were terrified of their Captain.Alex, on the other hand, became interested in the Captain Buggy they mentioned, so he asked them, hoping to extract some useful information."Who is this Buggy you speak of?"Alex thought they would be vague about it, but to his surprise, they actually spilled the beans."He is the leader of our pirate crew. You don't know 'Buggy the Clown'? He ate one of the 'Devil Fruit' series, and he is absolutely terrifying."Alex and Roronoa Zoro caught a certain piece of information: "Ate a 'Devil Fruit'..."Alex then began to recall the information he had gathered from the Marine to deduce which fruit the other party had eaten.Meanwhile, a luxurious pirate ship, decorated with circus motifs, was docked in the harbor of a small town.There wasn't a soul on the streets; it was eerily quiet.Just then, footsteps could be heard.A group of burly men with weapons were chasing a girl.As they chased her, they shouted: "Stop! You thief woman, hand over the nautical chart!"The girl being chased had orange hair. She clutched a map tightly and ran forward with all her might."Huff... huff... I finally got it... The nautical chart for the 'Grand Line'..."Seeing that they couldn't catch her, the pirates began to panic."Damn it! If we don't get the chart back quickly, our lives are as good as over!""I don't want to die under the Captain's cannonballs."Just then, something flew over their heads. Upon closer inspection, it was the strange bird that had been carrying Luffy.At that moment, on the roof of a tavern—the resting place of the Buggy Pirates—"Captain Buggy, it seems like there's something over the harbor?"Hearing his subordinate's voice, Captain Buggydidn't move, but simply replied indifferently."Shoot it down with the cannon!"The subordinate obeyed, and a cannonball hit the strange bird with precision.The strange bird was knocked away, and in its pain, it opened its beak and dropped Luffy.Meanwhile, the girl and the pirates were also startled by the sound of the cannon.Then they saw something falling from above."Someone... fell from the sky..."The pirates shouted.The girl exclaimed: "What!"Before either side could react, they heard a thud!Indeed, it was the sound of Luffy falling straight down.He landed heavily between the girl and the pirates, kicking up a cloud of dust.In the smoke, Luffy muttered unhappily: "Why did a cannonball hit me... Damn it..."As the smoke cleared, Luffy held his straw hat with one hand and sighed: "Ah—saved!"The pirates looked at Luffy in astonishment, shocked that he could survive both a cannon blast and the impact of the fall."My god! He's still alive!"Just then, the girl seemed to think of something. She looked at Luffy with an excited expression."Bo... Boss! You've come to save me!"After saying this, the girl turned and ran, calling out as she fled: "I'll leave the rest to you!"Seeing the girl leave, one of the pirates alerted the others: "Hey! That woman is getting away." He then tried to chase after her.But he was stopped by someone beside him: "No need to chase her." As they said this, they surrounded Luffy: "The boss is still here!""You're right, this saves us a lot of trouble. Right, boss!"However, Luffy was still very confused; he didn't understand what was happening.One of them quickly swung his sword at Luffy. Seeing the attack, Luffy hurriedly dodged, but his straw hat flew into the air due to his quick movement.Fortunately, because the straw hat was light, it also successfully avoided the attack.Seeing that Luffy was still so clueless, he kindly explained: "That nautical chart belongs to the pirate feared by both gods and men, Lord 'Buggy the Clown'!"Luffy looked at his straw hat flying in the sky, and only then did he seem to come to his senses. He then punched the pirate who had just attacked him."Don't touch... Don't touch my treasure!" After saying this, the straw hat landed securely back in Luffy's hand.The remaining men were furious to see their companion defeated, and they raised their swords to attack. "How... how dare you!"Bang! Bam! Pow! Luffy knocked down the remaining pirates one by one with a single punch each.At this moment, a voice came from the building nearby: "Amazing!"Luffy put on his hat and looked up to see that it was the girl who had run away earlier. She was sitting on the balcony of the second floor, praising Luffy's strength."You're really strong! You actually beat guys with swords with your bare hands."Luffy asked her with a puzzled look: "Hey, who are you?"The girl remained sitting where she was, gestured with a money sign, and replied: "I'm a thief who specializes in stealing from pirates. My name is Nami. Shall we team up?"Luffy didn't answer, but instead questioned her identity: "Specializing in stealing from pirates!"Nami continued to explain: "That's right. I'm a thief who specializes in stealing pirate treasure. Team up with me, and you'll definitely make a fortune."Luffy didn't agree, and didn't even look at her directly: "No, I don't want to team up with you."Seeing that he refused so quickly, Nami jumped down from the second floor and called out to Luffy: "Hey... wait."She came up to Luffy and grabbed him. Seeing that he still had the same expression, she wanted to change the subject to build a rapport, so she asked about his hat."By the way, what kind of hat is that? You got angry just because it got a little damaged earlier. Is the hat very expensive?"Luffy looked around and replied indifferently: "This is my treasure!"Hearing the word treasure, Nami became even more excited: "Yo, it's a treasure! Are there gems inside? Ah, could it be that there's a treasure map inside!"Luffy was getting annoyed by her chatter: "So annoying, I'm very busy." He then looked around, trying to find the seaside to see if he could spot Alexand Roronoa Zoro.Meanwhile, Alex and Roronoa Zoro were still drifting on the sea. After eating his fill, Alex sat there extracting Chakra to increase his strength, while Roronoa Zoro continued to sleep.The three pirates over there were still acting as laborers, rowing the boat with all their might.Back in the town, on the roof of the tavern, a man with a skeleton painted on his face and a large nose was asking his subordinates with a gloomy face: "Haven't you caught the thief yet?"At this moment, the subordinate replied tremblingly: "We are... we are in the middle of chasing her, Captain Buggy." Clearly, this was the Captain of the Buggy Pirates, 'Buggy the Clown'."Why on earth... how could the nautical chart for the 'Grand Line'... be stolen so easily!" Apparently, hearing the subordinate's report, Buggy was furious.Then, with a gloomy face, he spoke of his original plan: "Now is the time to enter the 'Grand Line' and do whatever we want!"Hearing the boss's words, the man explained: "Because of a momentary lapse, the key to the room where the chart was kept... was left in the hole and we forgot to take it out..."Buggy heard this: "Say that again!"The subordinate thought he was going to be hit by the Captain because of this, so he said in a low voice: "I said... I forgot to take the key out..."Buggy was immediately enraged: "Bastard! Who are you calling a fake nose!" Unexpectedly, the other party had misheard him as mocking his own nose.Buggy kicked the table flying, came up to the henchman, and stared at him viciously: "Do you think my nose, which I am so proud of, is ridiculous? You actually said it looks like a fake nose?"The henchman was so nervous that he couldn't speak: "I... I didn't say that... This... this is all a misunderstanding..."Hearing this, Buggy became even angrier: "How dare you say my nose is big and red?!"The subordinate was confused at this point; isn't the boss hard of hearing? I didn't say that."Die beautifully for me!"Hearing this, the henchman had to muster up the courage to explain again: "No... don't, Captain! I... I never said such things..."But Buggy seemed not to hear him, his eyes bloodshot as he continued to ask him: "Who am I?!"The subordinate suddenly floated into the air, and he was clutching his throat with his hands, obviously being choked by someone, but Buggy was too far away from him.The henchman, while being choked, responded: "Wuwah! Cap... Captain Buggy..."By this time, he was a meter off the ground, and his face had turned blue: "It... it hurts..."The subordinates nearby were shocked to see this scene: "It appeared... that... that power of the 'Devil Fruit'..."Buggy was sitting on a chair, and beside him stood two members who were clearly officers.One of them was wearing a hat with animal ears, a sleeveless sweater, and was leaning against a giant lion.On the other side was someone wearing a grid-patterned scarf, with bangs covering half of their face.Buggy was wearing a hat with a skull image on it. He himself had clown makeup painted on his face, and he was leaning back in his chair just like that.Of course, the cannon was pushed out and placed in front of the henchman who was still floating in the air.Looking at the cannon in front of him, the henchman was obviously terrified. "I didn't say anything..." He wanted to explain, but it was too late, so he had to beg Buggy to let him go: "Help... help me!""Bomb him nicely for me!"As Buggy gave the order, the cannon's fuse was lit. The henchman could only watch helplessly as the fuse burned. In the end, he could only scream in terror: "Ahhhhh! Ahhhhh!"Boom! The sound of the cannon rang out, and the man was reduced to ashes.At this moment, Buggy swung his cloak and left his seat, while also issuing a new order: "You must find the nautical chart for me! And hurry up and rob all the gold and silver treasure in the town."Hearing the Captain's order, plus the scene that had just occurred, the other pirate henchmen responded loudly: "Ye... Yes! Captain Buggy!"
Chapter 13: ByakuganAt this moment, in the town, Luffy and Nami were resting in an empty house.Through their conversation, Nami also learned what Luffy was looking for."Sigh~ You got separated from your companions at sea, huh? How many of them?"Luffy looked around the room. Because he had seen Nami open it in just a few seconds, he assumed it was her home.Hearing the question, Luffy quickly replied: "Two. Also, is this your home?"Hearing that the other party only had two companions, Nami didn't say anything more.She turned her head and began to correct Luffy's mistake."No, I'm just a drifter and a thief. This is someone else's house.Everyone in town has gone to the outskirts to take refuge, to avoid that group of people in the bar called Buggy's crew.""Oh, are they that scary? That pirate named Nami."Luffy must have been dizzy from hunger, so he hadn't heard what she said clearly."Nami is me, the pirate is named Buggy!Don't confuse us!"Veins popped out on Nami's forehead.But for the sake of their future cooperation, she had to endure it and continue explaining."This guy Buggy is famous for loving to use cannons.As for the reason, I heard that because a child in some town made fun of his nose, he used a cannon to destroy the entire town.And rumor has it he also knows some strange magic!"Apparently, this information didn't interest Luffy; at this moment, he was still concerned about the people in the town.Hearing this, Nami completely lost her patience: "Didn't I tell you they are at the shelter! Are you even listening to me at all!"Hearing this, Luffy looked at Nami with an "I get it now" expression: "Oh! So that's why you came here to steal things while no one was around!""That's too much! Didn't I say I'm a thief who only steals from pirates!""Don't you dare confuse me with those low-life thieves who take advantage of others!Sigh~ Talking to you is so tiring."After saying this, Nami felt her head buzzing. She covered her head with one hand and sat on the seat, sighing.Meanwhile, Luffy laughed heartily: "Oops! Don't be so excited."Having regained her composure, Nami stated her goal: "My goal is to earn one hundred million, and then buy a certain village!"Hearing about the dream, Luffy became serious: "Buy a village? What kind of ordinary pirate has one hundred million..."Before he could finish, Nami interrupted him and began to explain her plan."I already have a plan, look!This is the chart for the 'Grand Line' that I just stole!First, we steal 'Buggy the Clown's' treasure here.Then we go to the 'Grand Line' to steal more treasure from big-name pirates.How about it? Do you want to get rich with me?Your strength is so great that it can come in handy, and your share of the reward won't be small either!"However, when the other party mentioned possessing a 'Grand Line' chart, Luffy's brain began to work rapidly.If Alex and Zoro were here, they would discover that Luffy's intelligence could be this high."Are you... someone with extensive navigation experience!"Luffy had analyzed that this person named Namipossessed very rich navigation experience just from her few words earlier.Clearly, she was also taken aback by this remark. Why would the other party know she had extensive navigation experience? Forget it, never mind that.To recruit Luffy as a hired hand, Nami directly admitted it and spoke generously."Of course, don't you underestimate me! No one can beat me when it comes to navigation knowledge.That's because I love the sea to death."Hearing her admit it, Luffy was overjoyed: "Oh! Is that so! That's great! It just so happens that we're also planning to go to the 'Grand Line'!"Upon hearing this, Nami realized it looked like she could not only get Luffy as a hired hand but that his two companions would join as well.She couldn't help but feel happy. To ensure she hadn't misheard, Nami asked again: "Really?""Yeah! Just be our navigator!Become a part of the pirate crew!"Hearing the other party's words, Nami's eyes instantly turned gloomy."No way!"Luffy was clearly confused by this sudden change.But Nami didn't stop; she continued to lament: "Ah... so you're a pirate...No, no, no! Everything we just talked about is void! I'd better not work with you after all."Then Nami wondered if the other party might have a treasure map, and the destination of the map was in the 'Grand Line,' which was why he was looking for an experienced navigator.Seeing that he didn't look very smart, Nami asked him directly: "Oh, I see... So you intend to rely on that map to hunt for treasure..."Luffy looked at Nami, speechless: "Didn't I already say that the hat isn't a treasure map?"Nami felt he was lying, so she planned to provoke him to see if she could get the truth."Liar! Then why do you say this hat is a treasure?"Luffy took off his hat and said with a smile: "It was given to me by a friend a long time ago; it's my most important treasure!I swore to it that I would find a group of companions and become an outstanding pirate!"A trace of longing appeared in Nami's eyes, but it quickly disappeared and was replaced by mockery."Hmph, pirates, pirates, what a bizarre era this is!"I don't know why Nami got angry; maybe it was because of Luffy earlier, or maybe it was some other issue.In any case, she slammed the table and shouted: "In this world, the thing I hate the most is... pirates!What I like the most is money and tangerines!"After saying this, Nami had basically managed to extract enough information from Luffy.At the same time, she thought to herself, "It seems this guy named Luffy is just an incompetent plunderer.Besides, he doesn't have anything valuable on him to steal, so acting directly wouldn't be cost-effective."Luffy didn't notice that she was scheming against him and continued to ask Nami: "Hey, be our navigator!"Hearing the other party say this, Nami could no longer hold back: "No, just no!"Suddenly, she seemed to think of something, then looked at Luffy with a strange smile.A good plan came to mind.Meanwhile, Alex and the other person, who were still drifting on the sea, could already vaguely see the island.To ensure that the subsequent battle would go more smoothly, he had also looked at the content at the back of the scroll.In the latter part of the content, it recorded the manufacturing method for the Bloodline Limit.It even contained the manufacturing method for Tailed Beasts.But these were all too far from him. To be able to increase his combat power, it was better to first create a Byakugan.Then, Alex mobilized his Chakra to change the Chakra meridians and cells around his eyes.This method generally needs to be carried out bit by bit in a quiet place.After all, any slight carelessness could cause his eyes to explode, leading to blindness.But at this moment, Alex's body was far from what could be compared to those in the Hokage world.If one were to compare it, the physical strength of an ordinary person on Earth is like toilet paper, the physical strength in the Hokage world is like ordinary steel, and this body is a piece of high-strength alloy.Whether it is physical strength or the toughness of his meridians, it far exceeds that of an average person, not to mention that he also felt a type of energy inside his body.This energy allowed him to clearly perceive everything inside his body, though he didn't know what it was.With the assistance of this power in his brain, coupled with such a powerful physique and that massive amount of Chakra, this was the reason why he dared to directly modify his own eyes.Moreover, he had told Zoro that if the pupils turned light purple and bulges appeared around the corners of the eyes, it was normal and didn't need to be worried about, but if other situations occurred, such as red blood vessels or the pupils dissipating, he should wake him up immediately.Zoro nodded; although he didn't know what Alexwas going to do, he still agreed."Zoro, I'm going to start, and you three, stay away from me.""Yeah!"After securing the sails, those three pirate lackeys went to the stern and huddled together for warmth.After confirming that all potential hazards had been eliminated, Alex began his operation.As for why Alex didn't choose to perform this surgery on the shore, it was because of a strange feeling Alex had.He always felt that once he landed on the island, he would lose a stable environment, thereby truly dying during the eye modification surgery.That was why he chose to perform it here, in a relatively stable place.As the surgery began, Alex first sensed the mysterious energy that could see clearly inside his own body, using it to see the Chakra meridians and blood vessels around his left eye.Subsequently, he used his consciousness to mobilize Chakra to flow to the area near his eye, and then proceeded to modify the Chakra meridians.All of this was happening inside Alex's body.What Zoro, who was on the boat, could see was just Alex keeping his eyes open, and then the pupil of his left eye disappearing bit by bit.At the same time, bulges of veins appeared around the left eye; everything was exactly as Alex had described."Hmm, just like Alex said, it seems his experiment was a success."Zoro saw the pupil of Alex's left eye slowly change from black to light purple.There were bulging veins around the corners of the eye, and at the same time, Zoro felt as if this eye was looking at his internal organs; that feeling of being seen through was truly uncomfortable.As for those three lackeys, they had no idea what had happened.But they could sense the terrifying pressure suddenly emanating from the person named Alex.Within his mental world, Alex was performing the final step, which was opening the eye.That's right, this Byakugan he made himself could be opened directly after it was finished.Although the risk of modifying the eyeball was great, the benefits gained were extremely high.As the bulges around Alex's eye gradually subsided and the pupil began to move, Zoro, who was on the side, knew that the other party had finished."How is it, did it succeed!"Alex nodded, closed his eyes, and thought to himself, "Byakugan, activate!"He saw the veins around his left eye bulge."This is the Ninjutsu I just obtained, Byakugan!"Zoro nodded and then observed carefully; even when he turned away, he still had the feeling of being watched.He could consider himself to know the function of this eye."That really is quite a good ability."Zoro didn't say it out loud; after all, there were outsiders here, and he couldn't let them know this information.Subsequently, he called over those three people in the back and started rowing again, moving towards the land ahead.
BallMeanwhile, things weren't going so well for Luffy.Nami looked at the dejected Luffy and said in a comforting tone, "Alright, alright. I see you're in a tough spot. How about this? If you agree to one condition, I'll consider it."Luffy clearly believed her. "Really? Yeah, it'll be a real hassle without a navigator for the road ahead.""Fine, what's the condition?""I want you to come with me to see Buggy. You don't have to worry about anything else. That's it."Seeing how simple the condition was, Luffy smiled and walked away from the gate. "Haha, okay! Let's go! Where is Buggy?"Nami hadn't expected him to be so compliant and quickly pulled him back. "Wait, we need to make some preparations."She then took out a bundle of rope from the side and slung it over her back.Luffy was curious. "What are you doing with that rope?"Nami gave a perfunctory explanation. "Nothing, it's just an ordinary bundle of rope."She had already thought of a perfect plan to kill several birds with one stone, while thinking to herself, 'As if I'd ever actually become a pirate!'The two of them then left the house, and Namipointed out Buggy's location."At the end of this road. That's the pub where the pirates gather.""What are we going there for?"Luffy asked about the plan, as it was better to know what they were doing.Nami quietly grabbed an end of the rope and then tied Luffy up with lightning speed.She kept talking as she tied him to lower Luffy's guard."That... you'll find out once we get there, Mr. Pirate!"Luffy saw that he was tied up again. Wait, why did he say 'again'?"Good grief! What are you doing?"Nami didn't say a word. She just kept her head down and dragged Luffy toward the pub.In the pub not far ahead, Buggy was glaring angrily at several men on the floor."What! You let the thief who stole the Sea Chart get away!""You bastards! What are you grown men even good for?"The lackeys on the floor explained in a panic."We... we deserve to die, Captain Buggy.""But... she had a very powerful boss... wearing a straw hat."Buggy didn't care about that. He roared at them, "Die flashily!"The subordinates below screamed in terror. "Waaaaah!"Just then, another pirate lackey ran over. "Captain Buggy!""What is it!"He pointed toward the entrance and said, "The thief from before, she's delivered herself to our door."Hearing this, Buggy's mouth moved faster than his brain. He waved his hand and ordered, "Good! Bring her here!"Once he processed it, he looked at the lackey. "What? She delivered herself? What's going on!"The lackey was a bit speechless. "I'm not sure... but she's definitely here."Hearing this, Buggy didn't think any further and continued shouting for her to be brought up.Upon seeing the newcomer, the subordinates who had just been scolded were too shocked to speak.Then they pointed at Luffy and shouted, "Ah! It's this guy! Captain Buggy.""He's that thief's boss who fell from the sky."Nami walked into the center with a serious expression and threw the bound Luffy onto the ground."I've captured the thief and brought him to you, Captain Buggy the Clown."She then produced the Sea Chart. "And I'm returning the Sea Chart."Luffy finally realized he had been tricked. He looked up at Nami. "You bastard, you lied to me!"Nami playfully stuck out her tongue.Buggy, sitting in his high seat, watched the scene and praised her. "Well done!"Then he asked Nami, "But... what's this all about...""I had a fight with my boss and I've had enough. Please let me follow you!"Buggy was stunned for a moment upon hearing Nami's words, then he burst into laughter. "Hahahahaha!""Had enough, have you? Hahaha, what an interesting woman! Fine, I'll take you in!"When she heard him agree to take her in, Namithought to herself, 'Infiltration successful. This way, I can get both Buggy's treasure and the Sea Chart for the Grand Line.''Once I have them, I'll escape from this town.'Meanwhile, Luffy was being locked in a cage by the subordinates.Luffy muttered crossly, "I don't want her as my crewmate anymore!"At the town's coast, a small boat docked at the pier."We're here, Master Zoro, Master Alex!"Zoro tucked his three swords into his sash and sighed as he stepped ashore."What a quiet town."Alex also gathered his gear and stepped onto the shore. At that moment, the veins around his left eye socket bulged, and his pupil turned white.He had clearly activated his Byakugan to scout the surroundings. After confirming the situation, he said, "Rather than quiet, it's more like there's no human presence at all."At this, the three lackeys nearby clutched their heads and replied sheepishly."That... that's because our Buggy Pirates are currently raiding this town."The fat one was responding to Alex and Zoro's inquiry.The other two were whispering among themselves about how they should face Buggy later."How are we supposed to face Captain Buggynow?""After all, we're returning empty-handed!"The other one had resigned himself to it—or rather, he had no other choice. "What else can we do but tell the truth? That woman should be out at sea by now.""Well, I don't care about your situation. Just take us to see this Buggy person first!""Maybe we can get some news about Luffy.""True, if Luffy landed, this would be the most likely place."Zoro and Alex quickly confirmed their goal, and then the two of them, led by the three lackeys, headed toward the pub where the Buggy Pirates were located.Inside the pub."Men! The Sea Chart for the Grand Line has been recovered!""And we have a new crewmate! Our journey is going incredibly smoothly!""Come! Drink your fill! Enjoy yourselves! We'll give it our all in the next battle!"The pirate lackeys below were drinking and performing stunts. Looking at them, they truly lived up to the name Clown Pirates; they were just like a clown circus.Buggy was also drinking heartily. With a slightly flushed face, he looked at Nami nearby."Nami, are you drinking too?"Nami raised her glass and shouted, "Yes, I am, Captain Buggy!"At that moment, a pirate lackey came up to Nami, also raising his glass."Hey, newcomer, let's have a drinking contest!""Bring it on!"Nami's boldness made the entire pirate crew like her even more.The two kept drinking until the lackey collapsed, finally ending the contest."I win!"Nami listened to the cheers around her, thinking to herself, 'Hehe, my tolerance for alcohol is no joke! If we keep drinking like this, they'll all be drunk soon...''It looks like I'll be able to get the Sea Chart easily... Pirates really are simple-minded!'Luffy, locked in the cage nearby, gnawed on the iron bars while looking on enviously."Man, they're having so much fun. That's exactly how pirates should be..."After muttering, he went back to gnawing on the bars."Hmm?"Luffy looked up and saw Nami standing in front of him.Nami crouched down. "Boss, how are you feeling!"Luffy shouted impatiently, "Shut up! Let me out of here!"Then Luffy started making all sorts of demands. "I'm hungry too. Get me something to eat!"Nami couldn't take it and handed the food in her hand to Luffy."Delicious!""You're actually a good person. I'll still take you as my crewmate!"Nami immediately snapped, "I don't want to!"Nami then explained to Luffy, "Do you even know what kind of situation you're in?""They're definitely going to sell you off.""But if everything goes smoothly, I'll get the key for you and let you out.""Besides, I have no grudge against you, right?"Hearing this, Luffy said directly, "Then let me out right now.""Puhahahaha!""That subordinate of yours is really something!"It turned out Buggy the Clown had come over to see Luffy."Don't talk nonsense, she's not my subordinate."Luffy was just stating a fact, but in Buggy's ears, it sounded like a spat between crewmates.He followed Luffy's lead and said provocatively, "Yeah, yeah, no wonder you'd say that, since she betrayed you!""The price for stealing my treasure is severe. I've already decided to execute you."What Luffy heard, however, was that he was being let go. "You're letting me go?"Buggy didn't react and followed along. "Yeah, letting you go..."Suddenly realizing, he immediately shouted, "Who said I was letting you go!"He then drained the wine in his hand and shouted to his subordinates, "Boys, bring out the Special Buggy Ball!"The crowd of subordinates cheered with raised arms. "Oooooh!"Clearly, this activity made them even more excited.As the cannon was brought over, a cannonball painted with a clown-skull emblem was placed inside."Buggy Ball ready."Buggy shouted excitedly, "Let me show you... its power!"As the cannon was aimed at the buildings ahead, the Buggy Ball was fired.As the smoke cleared, Nami looked at the scene in shock.That row of buildings had been completely leveled by a single Buggy Ball.Buggy shouted happily at the sight, "A beautiful blast! I can blow away a flimsy town like this with a single shot!""With this and the power of my Devil Fruit, I can dominate the Grand Line!"On the other side, Alex and Zoro, walking down the street, witnessed the explosion of the Buggy Ball."Zoro, you know what I'm going to say."Alex looked at the row of destroyed houses and asked Zoro calmly."Yeah, I know. So, are we heading over?"Although Zoro was asking Alex, his tone didn't sound like a simple question, but rather like someone who had already found Luffy."Oh, before that, I have something to do."Alex looked at Zoro, and then activated his Byakugan once again in front of Zoro and the three pirate lackeys.This time, Alex saw the internal organs and, most importantly, the chakra pathways within Zoro and the three lackeys."Hmph, let's see if this works. Zoro, you go find Luffyfirst. I'll head over as soon as I'm done here!"Zoro glanced at Alex and immediately ran toward the direction the cannonball was fired from. He trusted Alex and knew Alex wouldn't have any problems.The cannonball just now must have been some kind of threat. As for who it was meant for, he didn't even have to think to know it was that idiot Captain.Meanwhile, Luffy, sitting in the cage, sneezed for no apparent reason.