When Luffy returned to the hotel, he found both Zoro and Nami fast asleep in their respective rooms. Not wanting to disturb them after their intense training sessions, he simply headed down to the dining hall, ordered a massive breakfast, and waited.
An hour later, Zoro staggered down the stairs, rubbing his temples and groaning. When he spotted Luffy casually demolishing a small mountain of meat, he pulled out a chair and slumped into it.
"Yo," Zoro grumbled, his voice rough. "Why are you eating alone so early? Tell the waiter to bring me some sake. I have a massive hangover."
Luffy didn't even pause his chewing. He swallowed a massive bite and spoke with absolute nonchalance. "Yo. I woke up early and went to the coast to check on something. Our ship was stolen. Shishishishishi. We'll need to tell Nami when she wakes up."
Zoro, still fighting a pounding headache, barely registered the words. "Oh. That's bad."
A solid five seconds passed in total silence.
Then, realization hit Zoro like a physical blow. His eyes snapped open, all traces of his hangover vanishing instantly. He slammed his hands onto the table, making the plates rattle.
"WHAAAAATTT?!!!" Zoro roared, his voice echoing through the small hotel. "What the hell do you mean stolen?! Are you saying we don't have a ship anymore?! You absolute idiot of a captain, how did you let someone steal our ship?!"
Zoro was completely furious. Before he could unleash a string of curses, the door to the dining hall slammed open. Nami stood in the doorway, her hands planted firmly on her hips, looking incredibly annoyed.
"Why are you shouting so early in the morning?!" she scolded, glaring at the swordsman. "Can't you learn some proper manners? Tch."
Zoro pointed an accusing finger at Luffy, still fuming. "This idiot captain of ours just said our ship got stolen! How the hell are we supposed to sail without a ship?! You should be yelling at him, not me! How is that even my fault?!"
Luffy picked his ear lazily, completely unfazed by the shouting match. "Yeah, our ship was stolen. We'll just have to get another one to set sail. Shishishishishi."
Nami stared at him, absolutely dumbfounded. "Stolen? How do you even know that? You've been sitting here in the hotel eating." She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Besides, I just came back from the ship. I woke up early and took her out on the water by myself to test the wind currents. What do you mean stolen, you idiot? I was the one sailing our ship!"
Luffy stopped chewing. The piece of meat fell from his chopsticks.
"Eeeeeeeee?!" Luffy exclaimed, his eyes bugging out in genuine surprise. "I went to the cliff when I woke up, and there was no sign of our ship! So I just assumed Vegapunk... I mean, I thought someone stole it! So you're saying it wasn't stolen at all? You just took it out for a spin?!"
Nami's eye twitched violently. "You absolute idiot! I just told you that!"
Zoro glared at Luffy, his headache returning with a vengeance. "You damn idiot captain. Don't just make things up without any proof! You completely ruined my mood. I'm going to need two bottles of booze to calm down now."
Luffy let out a massive sigh of relief, slumping back in his chair.. Hearing that his magnificent ship was perfectly safe lifted a huge weight off his shoulders.
Completely ignoring the glares from his first mate and navigator, Luffy simply flashed his signature grin. "Oh, so that's what happened! I really thought someone stole it! Shishishishishi."
"Idiot," Nami and Zoro muttered in perfect, exhausted unison.
While Luffy was busy laughing at their miserable expressions, the front door of the hotel swung open. Usopp strutted in, puffing out his chest.
"Yo!" Usopp greeted them loudly. "Why are you guys shouting so early in the morning? Do you have any plans for the day?"
Nami crossed her arms. "I don't know. Ask Luffy."
All three of them turned their attention to the captain.
Seeing that he had the floor, Luffy wiped his mouth and adopted a slightly more focused expression. "Hmmm. Well, apart from restocking our food supplies, there's actually a certain pirate hiding on this island. I want to catch him. He's the kind of evil pirate who schemes against innocent people and hurts them for his own gain, so I'm going to take him out before we leave the East Blue."
Hearing this, Usopp's confident facade immediately cracked. He took a step back, visibly startled. "I-Is that really true? Is there a dangerous pirate hiding in our village? If so, why haven't we heard anything about it?!"
Luffy spoke calmly, treating the situation like a minor errand. "He's known as 'Kuro of the Hundred Plans'. He used to be the captain of the Black Cat Pirates. A few years ago, he staged his own capture and execution to get the Marines off his back. But you don't have to worry about a thing, Usopp. He's not even that strong. I'll take care of him soon. Shishishishishi."
Usopp was immensely relieved hearing Luffy's confident guarantee, and a wave of gratitude washed over him. Naturally, he refused to show it, instantly reverting to his fabricated bravado.
"A-Ahahaha!" Usopp laughed loudly, his knees still shaking slightly. "You don't have to worry about anything! If there are any evil pirates lurking in this village, I, the great Captain Usopp, will surely take care of them with my legendary marksmanship!"
Nami rolled her eyes. "Stop bluffing. Just let Luffy handle it. You don't even know how strong he is."
Usopp panicked, breaking character immediately. "Ahhhh! How did you figure out I was bluffing so easily?!"
Luffy and Zoro burst out laughing at the sniper's terrible acting.
While chuckling, Luffy rested his chin on his hand and looked at the long-nosed teen. "By the way, Usopp. Are you Yasopp's son?"
Usopp froze, completely startled by the sudden question. "H-How do you know my dad?"
"Shishishishi! I've heard a lot about you," Luffy replied warmly. "Your dad used to talk about you so much that my ears would hurt."
Nami raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "So, Luffy, how exactly do you know Usopp's father? It's weird how you seem to have connections everywhere. You really do have a lot of secrets you haven't told us yet."
Luffy grinned. "Shishishishi. It's true that there are a lot of things I haven't told you guys, but don't worry. You'll learn everything eventually. As for Usopp's dad, he's the master sniper for the Red Hair Pirates. Their captain is Shanks, one of the Four Emperors of the Sea. They used to use my hometown as a base when I was a little kid. I'm good friends with all of them."
The entire room fell dead silent.
Zoro, Nami, and Usopp completely forgot about Yasopp. Their minds zeroed in on the absolute bombshell Luffy had casually dropped at the end of his sentence.
"EHHHHH?!!!" all three of them shrieked in unison.
"Emperors of the Sea?!" Nami demanded, grabbing the edge of the table. "When you said Shanks, do you mean 'Red-Haired' Shanks?! One of the Yonko ruling the New World?! You really are completely insane! If you're friends with them, that means they won't attack us in the future, right?! Having a Yonko as an ally is incredible! We're actually going to survive!"
For the next hour, they bombarded Luffy with a relentless barrage of questions. They asked him about the Yonko, about Shanks' crew, and about his own personal life growing up. Luffy answered all of their questions openly and without hesitation. By the time the interrogation ended, their awe and admiration for their seemingly simple-minded captain had reached entirely new heights.
Suddenly, Usopp glanced at the clock on the wall and gasped. "Ahhh! I totally forgot, there's something really important I have to do! I'll meet you guys in the evening! Hahaha!" Without waiting for a response, he sprinted out the front door.
Luffy stood up, stretching his arms over his head. "Alright, let's go. We need to quickly gather our supplies and deal with that hiding pirate. I don't want to spend too much time in this village."
Nami and Zoro stood up to follow him. Before they left the inn, Luffy casually reached his hand into thin air. With a soft chime, he withdrew a heavy sack and tossed it onto the table. It landed with a heavy, metallic clinking sound.
"Ten million Berries," Luffy announced simply.
Nami's eyes practically turned into Berry symbols. She was so incredibly happy she looked like she was about to bow down and worship him.
Luffy wasn't strapped for cash in the slightest. With the System's conversion rate heavily in his favor—one Fate Point translating to a massive 10,000 Berries—his current balance meant he possessed the wealth of a large kingdom.
"Nami," Luffy said, pointing to the sack. "Take this money and buy us as much food as you can. Remember, I eat a lot. If we don't have a massive stockpile, we'll constantly be in trouble. Since you're the ship's official treasurer, I'll be giving you a lot of money to manage in the future. Just spend this first. Don't bother trying to save any of it; I have more wealth than you could ever imagine. Shishishishi."
Nami was so utterly overjoyed that she lunged forward and hugged Luffy tightly. "Yes! Yes! Yes! You are the absolute best captain in the entire world! I am going to be so incredibly rich thanks to you! Hahahaha!"
Zoro smirked, crossing his arms. "Our journey is going to be a hell of a lot easier if we never have to worry about going hungry." He looked at Luffy, feeling entirely satisfied with his choice to follow this chaotic, overpowered teenager.
The trio left the hotel and hit the local markets. Acting as the ultimate sugar daddy of the East Blue, Luffy let Nami buy out nearly every high-quality food stall in the village. The local merchants were weeping with joy at the sudden influx of cash. Despite buying literal tons of supplies, they had barely spent two million Berries.
When Luffy casually told Nami she could keep the remaining eight million for herself, she almost burst into tears of pure joy, mentally swearing eternal loyalty to him right then and there.
By noon, they had finished loading the massive stockpile of goods onto the Flying Raijin.
"Alright," Luffy said, cracking his knuckles as they stood on the deck. "I'm going to go deal with that pirate I mentioned. You guys want to come with me?"
Zoro and Nami shared a look. "Why not?" Zoro shrugged. "There's nothing else to do here. Might as well tag along."
They walked out of the village, heading toward the massive, luxurious mansion situated at the top of a hill.
Instead of knocking on the front gate like normal people, Luffy simply stretched his rubber arms out, grabbing the iron bars of the massive fence. He told Zoro and Nami to hold onto him tightly.
"Gum-Gum Rocket!"
Luffy launched the three of them high into the air, soaring over the gates. As they plummeted toward the manicured lawn, Nami shrieked in terror, bracing for a bone-crushing impact. But right before they hit the ground, Luffy inhaled deeply, inflating his body like a massive balloon. They bounced softly against the grass, landing perfectly unharmed.
Sitting on the lawn near a large tree were Usopp and a frail, sickly-looking girl with blonde hair. They stared at the intruders with absolute amazement.
Usopp was the first to break the silence. "Ehh?! Luffy? What are you guys doing here?!"
"We finished restocking the ship," Luffy answered casually, dusting off his shorts. "So we came here to capture that pirate I told you about."
Usopp frowned, sensing the tension in the air. "What do you mean? There are no pirates here. This is Kaya, she's my friend. The only other people who live in this mansion are her butlers and staff. Is the pirate hiding somewhere inside the house?"
Zoro and Nami exchanged an awkward glance, not entirely sure how to handle the situation.
Before anyone could say another word, the heavy wooden doors of the mansion creaked open. A tall man stepped out onto the patio. He was dressed in a pristine black suit, complete with round glasses, looking every bit the picture of a refined, perfectly mannered gentleman.
It was Kaya's head butler, Klahadore.
Luffy didn't even blink. He looked at Zoro and spoke with an unnerving calm. "Zoro. That guy right there is the pirate I told you about. He's not particularly strong, so just treat this as a warm-up. Try to take him down within ten minutes."
Nami stepped forward, looking highly skeptical. "Luffy... are you absolutely sure he's the pirate? He doesn't look like a criminal at all. He looks like an accountant. You might be mistaking him for someone else."
Klahadore pushed his glasses up his nose using the base of his palm, maintaining his perfect, polite facade. "Indeed, young sir. As the young lady has astutely pointed out, you must be confusing me with someone else. I am simply Klahadore, a humble butler to the young miss."
The air grew heavy. Everyone's eyes darted between Luffy's unwavering confidence and the butler's polite innocence.
"Oi, oi, oi, Luffy!" Usopp protested, stepping defensively in front of Kaya. "You can't just barge into someone's house, spout nonsense, and accuse an innocent man of being a pirate! Even if you are my friend, I won't forgive you for scaring Kaya like this!"
Luffy completely ignored Usopp's outburst. He kept his cold gaze locked on the butler. "This man is known as Kuro of the Hundred Plans. He was the captain of the Black Cat Pirates. Three years ago, he staged his own death and infiltrated this house under a fake name, waiting for the perfect moment to slaughter Kaya's family and legally inherit their wealth."
A chilling silence descended upon the lawn. Kaya covered her mouth in horror, while Usopp stared at Luffy in disbelief. They didn't know how Luffy could possibly know such specific, horrific details, but the absolute certainty in his voice planted a seed of terrifying doubt.
Seeing that his cover was entirely blown, Klahadore dropped his polite posture. His shoulders slouched slightly, and a dark, malevolent sneer twisted his features.
"Well, well, well," Kuro chuckled, his voice losing all of its former warmth, turning cold and calculated. "You certainly talk a lot, brat. I have no idea how you managed to figure out my true identity... but it hardly matters now. Every single person on this lawn is going to pay for your loose lips. I'm going to slaughter all of you. My crew will arrive on this island within the week, and I'll see to it that this entire village suffers. Hahahaha!"
The sudden, terrifying confirmation of Luffy's story sent a shockwave through the group. Kaya looked like she was about to faint, while Usopp trembled with a mixture of terror and absolute fury at the betrayal.
Zoro, however, just smirked. He reached down and slowly drew the Wado Ichimonji from its sheath.
"So, training it is," Zoro said, his eyes locking onto the former pirate captain. "Just wait there until I cut you to pieces."
"Try to use your Armament Haki as much as possible," Luffy instructed calmly, stepping back to give them room.
"Yeah, yeah," Zoro grunted, before bursting forward, closing the distance toward Kuro in the blink of an eye.
At the exact same moment, on the calm waters of the Grand Line, a massive Marine battleship was cutting through the waves.
Standing on the deck, towering over the Marine soldiers, was Admiral Kuzan, also known as Aokiji. He adjusted the sleep mask resting on his forehead and looked lazily at the broad back of the man standing beside him.
"So, Garp-san," Aokiji drawled, his breath pluming in the cold air he naturally generated. "Do you really, truly believe that I wouldn't be able to defeat your rookie grandson in a one-on-one fight?"
Garp threw his head back and roared with laughter. "Bwahahaha! Defeat him?! Kuzan, you wouldn't even be able to hold a damn candle to him! I told you, that boy is a genuine monster! Bwahahahaha!"
Every single Marine officer on the deck froze in sheer disbelief. Admiral Aokiji was an absolute powerhouse—a man whose Devil Fruit could freeze entire oceans in seconds. His title as a Marine Admiral was the highest echelon of combat power the World Government possessed. If an Admiral of the Navy couldn't even "hold a candle" to a seventeen-year-old rookie from the East Blue... they didn't even want to imagine what kind of apocalyptic encounter was waiting for them.
The Vice Admirals onboard simply exchanged terrified glances, a single, horrifying thought running through all of their minds.
Vice Admiral Garp's bloodline is truly cursed to spawn absolute monsters.