The night was deep.
Luffy and the others had gone into the forest to capture South Birds, while Shojo and Ape gathered their crew. Outside, Cricket examined the Going Merry, thinking about how to reinforce its structure.
Sandy lay nearby, hands folded behind his head, lost in thought. Lately, he couldn't shake the feeling that something inside him had changed.
After traveling with the Straw Hat Pirates, Sandy realized they weren't typical Pirates.
They were more like adventurers — drawn together by Luffy's irresistible charm and their own dreams, sailing the seas for freedom rather than greed.
In truth, what was the difference between a Pirate and an adventurer?
Listening to the whisper of the sea breeze and the rhythm of the waves, Sandy asked himself — where should I go from here?
Because lately, he'd changed a lot.
And what troubled him most... was how to be himself.
What is a Pirate?
To Bellamy and his crew, Pirates of the "new era" abandoned dreams and chased only profit.
To Luffy and his crew, Pirates were free — they lived for adventure and exploration.
To the Marines, Pirates were villains — lawless criminals who caused suffering.
To ordinary people, some Pirates were good, some bad... it depended on the story they'd heard.
So what was the truth?
Everyone's idea of a Pirate came from their own experience — their own lens. "Pirate" was just a title; it didn't decide who you were or what you did.
There was no rule that said a Pirate had to plunder and destroy. Not all Pirates were the same.
For a long while, Sandy stared up at the stars and thought of his own journey.
Why did he set sail in the first place?
Did he really need to change just to fit into others' expectations?
Then suddenly — he laughed.
"Hahaha..."
The sound startled Cricket, who was outside working on the ship. He hurried into the house, thinking Sandy had gone crazy.
"What's wrong with you?" Cricket asked. "You laughing at midnight like that?"
Sandy waved a hand lazily. "Uncle, seriously — can you at least wear a shirt? What's with flashing your chest at me like that? You trying to show off your muscles?"
Cricket blinked, then looked down at himself — and scowled. "It's the middle of the night! Instead of sleeping, you're running your mouth?"
As he turned to leave, he added, "Hey, brat, aren't you going to help the others? The forest's dangerous at night."
Sandy yawned. "Go play somewhere else. What time is it? Don't disturb my beauty sleep. I've got to get up early tomorrow."
He didn't know how much time had passed before a sudden commotion woke him.
"Ugh... what now?" Sandy groaned, sitting up — only to see Luffy and Chopper covered in bee stings, their heads swollen with lumps.
Sandy kicked at them. "What kind of monster comes to scare me this late?"
"Waaah!" Chopper cried, "Sandy! Luffy and I went into the forest to catch that... that bird!"
"That amazing bird!" Luffy said proudly — though his face was puffed up. "But then a swarm of bees chased us!"
Sandy sighed. "So you mean... you two couldn't even beat some bugs?"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" both of them roared at once.
Just then, Zoro appeared, holding a strange bird in one hand. "This the bird that guy wanted us to catch?"
Cricket's eyes lit up. "That's it! A South Bird! You actually caught one — well done. They're not easy to find."
Zoro smirked, puffing up his chest. "What were you guys doing in the forest? Getting chased by bees? Useless."
Before Luffy or Chopper could snap back, Sandy clapped Zoro on the shoulder. "You're really something, Roronoa Zoro. But, uh... just to be safe, could you catch one more?"
"Pfft..." Zoro glared. "You bastard, go catch it yourself!"
"Hahaha!"
A little later, Robin asked curiously, "Judging from the area outside, was there a battle here?"
Sandy nodded. "Yeah. Just some small-time Pirates — nothing worth worrying about. Everyone rest up. We're heading to the sky at dawn!"
"All salvaged, all salvaged!"
Shojo and Ape's voices echoed as they worked on the ship.
Sandy looked up and groaned. "I swear, Shojo, Ape — did you intentionally make the figurehead look like this?"
Luffy tilted his head. "I think it looks cool! Really majestic!"
Zoro crossed his arms. "I think it should've been a pigeon head. Pigeons fly better than roosters."
"That's enough!" Sandy grabbed Luffy by the collar and pointed to the ship's bow, sweat forming on his forehead.
"Look carefully. That's a rooster! If other Pirates see this, we'll be the laughingstock of the Grand Line!"
Ape, calling from his own ship, said, "How about we sail it back and build you a new one?"
"Are you kidding me?!" Sandy barked. "You totally did this on purpose! Still mad I scared you last time, huh? Admit it!"
Luffy blinked innocently. "Why's Sandy so mad about the design? I think it's great."
Everyone else just shrugged.
But really — did they even have to ask?
It was a chicken head.
Back in Sandy's homeland, that symbolized something... very unlucky.
No way he could let that slide.
"You scared me half to death," Shojo said, scratching his head. "By the way, those treasures you gave us..."
Sandy waved him off. "You earned them. Refusing would just insult us — and we'd have to beat you up again."
"Ha! That answer made me nervous," Shojo admitted with a laugh. "Alright, we'll take them!"
But beside Sandy, Nami's face darkened.
Because those "treasures" came from her stash — the ones Sandy used to pay for the ship repairs.
Now, hearing Shojo mention it again, she exploded. "What are you nervous about?! Give them back! Those are my treasures!"
Before Sandy could react, Nami grabbed his ear and twisted hard. "Listen, Sandy — if we don't find the Gold Country, I'll throw you off the sky island myself!"
Luffy said innocently, "But Nami, Sandy's right — we had to pay for repairs—"
"Quiet!" Nami snapped. "That's your problem! Those treasures were mine!"
Sandy quickly grabbed Luffy and whispered, "She's your Navigator, Captain. If we don't find the Gold Country, you can be the one she throws off. Not me!"
"Nani?!" Luffy's eyes bulged. "Am I that great?!"
Sanji sighed. "Does this have anything to do with being great?"
"So scary!" Usopp and Chopper huddled together, trembling.
Chopper whimpered, "It's over... the terrifying Nami is back!"
And just like that, amidst laughter and chaos, the Straw Hat Pirates and Sandy set sail once more — toward the Knock Up Stream, and the start of their journey to the sky!
...
Author's Note:
The fanfic One Piece: My Flirtatious System Adventure is now fully completed.
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📚 Category: One Piece (Chapters 1–657)
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