We have hit 50 powerstones, and as promised.... A Bonus Chapter.
Guys, I got a massive migraine. It's like my head will split apart. I won't be writing any chapters for two days. So, there may be some delay in uploading next chapter. Just give me some time to rest and recover.
Thanks for supporting me.
Attendance Please:
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As the group left the plaza, Luffy led the way, his straw hat bouncing with every step as he enthusiastically explained to Nami why meat was the perfect food group. Behind them, Yuji and Zoro trudged along, large sacks of treasure slung over their shoulders—spoils from the Buggy Pirates' fallen stronghold.
The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the cracked stone plaza when hurried footsteps echoed nearby. A crowd of townspeople rounded the corner, stopping abruptly as they took in the destruction. Makeshift weapons, pitchforks, clubs, kitchen knives, trembled in uncertain hands. Eyes darted from the collapsed buildings to the four strangers standing amid the rubble.
For a moment, the only sound was the creaking of damaged structures settling. Then, the weapons swung toward Luffy and the others.
But before anyone could speak, the old Mayor Boodle stepped through the crowd, with little ChouChou padding faithfully at his side. The dog's tail began wagging the moment he spotted Yuji.
"Put your weapons down," Boodle commanded, raising a weathered hand. "It's this pink-haired boy who saved ChouChou and me from one of Buggy's pirates."
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Slowly and hesitantly, the weapons were lowered.
Zoro shifted his sack to one shoulder and glanced toward the pair. "Is this the old man and dog you saved before?"
"Yeah." Yuji stepped forward, his expression calm. "I'll handle it."
Boodle studied Yuji for a long moment, then let his gaze drift across the destruction—the crater left by Buggy's cannon, the shattered storefronts, and the scattered debris. His eyes finally settled on the four of them.
"Kid, what happened here? Where's Buggy and his crew?"
Yuji met his gaze evenly. "We took care of them. You don't have to worry about it anymore."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Then—
"Did he say they defeated the Buggy Pirates?" a man whispered.
"How could they possibly defeat so many pirates?" another asked, disbelief thick in his voice.
The crowd erupted into murmurs, their eyes wide with a mix of awe and doubt.
But Boodle simply closed his eyes and let out a long, weary breath. When he opened them again, they glistened.
"I don't know how you accomplished the impossible," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "But I sincerely thank you all for freeing our town from the Buggy Pirates."
He bowed deeply.
Behind him, the crowd followed suit—rows of bowed heads, a wave of gratitude washing over the plaza. Farmers who had been unable to tend their fields. Shopkeepers who had seen their livelihoods threatened. Parents who had hidden their children in closets and prayed.
Nami stood frozen, her lips slightly parted. She had seen towns fear pirates. She had seen them curse pirates. But this—this gratitude directed toward pirates—was completely foreign.
Luffy's face broke into a wide, genuine smile.
Then someone from the crowd called out, "Hey, are you guys Marines?"
Luffy shook his head cheerfully. "Nope. We're pirates."
The world stopped.
Behind him, Zoro's shoulders began to shake. Yuji bit his lip, struggling to suppress the grin threatening to break free.
"P-Pirates?" a woman whispered.
"Yeah." Luffy's tone as casual as if he were talking about the weather. "I have my first mate Yuji, my second mate Zoro, and now I even have a navigator, Nami. Isn't that awesome?"
That was the breaking point. Yuji doubled over, laughter bursting forth. Zoro wasn't far behind, his deep chuckles rumbling across the suddenly silent plaza.
Nami stood frozen, her soul seemingly leaving her body before she lunged at Luffy, shaking him furiously. "You idiot! They didn't need to know that!"
Luffy's head wobbled like a bobblehead. "Huh? What did I do?"
"DAMN YOU PIRATES! YOU TRICKED US!"
"YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"
The crowd surged forward a step—then stopped.
"B-but... how are we supposed to fight them?" a man stammered. "They defeated Buggy and his entire crew!"
The crowd froze mid-surge, reality crashing into their outrage like a wave against rocks.
Boodle raised his hand again, silencing the crowd. "Stand down, all of you." His voice carried the weight of decades of leadership. "These kids saved our town. Even if they are pirates, I don't see them trying to enslave us like Buggy did."
He turned back to Luffy. "You, boy—what's your name?"
Luffy grinned, adjusting his straw hat. The sun caught its edge, casting a shadow across his eyes—but the fire within them was unmistakable. "Name's Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm going to be King of the Pirates."
Boodle's eyes widened in surprise.
The crowd's collective jaws dropped.
"D-did he say 'King of the Pirates'?"
"Crazy! This Straw Hat Kid is absolutely insane!"
"What nonsense is this kid spouting? There's no way someone like him could be a real pirate!"
"Yeah, they must be lying—just a bunch of wanderers playing pretend."
Laughter erupted. Fingers pointed. Heads shook with amused condescension.
Luffy's eye twitched.
"Hey." His voice dropped, losing its usual cheerfulness. "What's the big idea? If I say I'm going to be King of the Pirates, that means I'm going to be King of the Pirates. That's a straight fact."
A woman in the crowd smiled indulgently, the way someone might smile at a child claiming they will fly to the moon. "Yeah, yeah, kid. It's nice to dream big, but you should dream realistically."
Luffy's fist clenched so tightly that his knuckles popped. His shadow seemed to grow, stretching across the plaza as he took a step forward—
Yuji's hand grasped his shoulder.
"Okay, okay, everyone," Yuji said smoothly, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife through butter. "We understand. Now, we need to leave—we're in a hurry." His eyes met Luffy's, a silent conversation passing between them: not worth it.
Luffy huffed, crossing his arms but halting his advance. "Yeah. Fine."
Yuji smiled and turned to Boodle. "Oi, old man. Here—"
Heaved the massive sack of treasure and tossed it. Boodle caught it with a grunt, stumbling backward under the unexpected weight. The bag hit the ground with a heavy thump and the clink of gold.
"That's a little sorry for destroying your plaza."
Boodle stared at the bag, then knelt down and pulled it open. Gold coins gleamed in the afternoon sun, jewelry, precious metals, enough wealth to rebuild every building twice over.
The crowd fell completely silent.
"K-Kid... this is..." Boodle's voice faltered.
Yuji gave him a thumbs-up, then turned and walked away without another word. Luffy followed, then Zoro. After a moment's hesitation, Nami hurried after them.
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For several minutes, they walked in silence through the outskirts of Orange Town, the only sound being their footsteps on the dirt path.
Finally, Nami burst out, "Why did you give them the bag? We could have just let them assume that Buggy destroyed the plaza!"
Yuji shrugged, hands in his pockets. "Hmm... well, they needed the money. With all the property damage from Buggy's cannon, the food he stole, and the goods he took, that money will help them restart and repair everything." He glanced back toward the town. "No big deal."
"Shishishishishi," Luffy laughed. "Yeah. They needed it more than we did."
Zoro added, "And we can always get more from other pirates."
Nami stared at them as if they had grown second heads. "Just what kind of pirates do that?"
Luffy's smile widened, genuine and warm. "Shishishishi... a good pirate."
Nami looked at his face, at the simple, absolute certainty in his eyes, then turned away.
'What did I get myself into?'
Beneath the frustration, something else stirred—something she hadn't felt in a very long time.
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Half an hour later, at sea.
"Yo hohoho, yo hohoho
Yo hohoho, yo hohoho"
The small boat glided through calm waters, propelled by a gentle breeze. Yuji sat at the bow, guitar in hand, fingers dancing across the strings as his voice carried over the waves. Beside him, Luffy drummed on the boat's edge with wild enthusiasm—completely off rhythm but utterly undeterred.
"Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew
Sea wind blows, to where, who knows? The waves will be our guide"
Behind them, on a slightly larger boat stolen from Buggy's fleet, Nami hunched over a map of the Grand Line. Her finger traced possible routes, her lips moved in silent calculation, and her eye twitched with every offbeat drumbeat and cheerful lyric.
"O'er across the ocean's tide, rays of sunshine far and wide
Birds they sing, of cheerful things, in circles passing by"
"Oi, Zoro!" Luffy abandoned his drumming to shake the sleeping swordsman. "Sing with us! Sing with us!"
Zoro didn't open his eyes. "Don't you ever get tired?"
"Shishishishishi... nope."
On her boat, Nami's pencil broke.
"CAN'T YOU SHUT UP? I'M TRYING TO CONCENTRATE!" She whirled on Yuji. "And you! Don't you have any other song besides that one?"
Yuji's fingers stilled on the strings. He raised an eyebrow. "Well... do you have any preferences you'd like to share?"
Nami opened her mouth, then paused, her brow furrowing. "Honestly... I've never really thought about it."
Yuji hummed thoughtfully, then snapped his fingers. "Then let me surprise you with one of my favorites."
"Hey!" Luffy pouted. "That's not fair! You were playing for me!"
"Come on, Luffy, don't be like that." Yuji grinned. "I've been playing for you, haven't I? Nami wants to hear some music too."
Luffy crossed his arms and turned away with an exaggerated huff. "Fine."
Yuji's smile softened. He cleared his throat and adjusted his grip on the guitar.
"Nami." His voice softened. "Here's a song... just for you. I hope you like it."
The first chord rang out—slow, melodic, and achingly tender.
"Remember me
Though I have to say goodbye
Remember me
Don't let it make you cry"
The sea seemed still. Even the wind quieted, as if listening.
"For even if I'm far away
I hold you in my heart
I sing a secret song to you
Each night we are apart"
Nami's pencil slipped from her suddenly numb fingers. The map blurred before her eyes.
"Remember me
Though I have to travel far
Remember me
Each time you hear a sad guitar"
Yuji's voice wrapped around each word like an embrace. His eyes were distant.
"And know that I'm with you
The only way that I can be
Until you're in my arms again
Remember me"
On the other side of the boat, Luffy had stopped pouting. He sat perfectly still. Even Zoro had opened one eye, his usual scowl softening almost imperceptibly.
"If you close your eyes
And let the music play
Keep our love alive
I'll never fade away"
A single tear traced down Nami's cheek. She didn't wipe it away. Her hand pressed against her chest, where something warm, painful, and beautiful had cracked open.
"Remember me
For I will soon be gone
Remember me
And let the love we have live on"
The song built to a gentle peak, Yuji's voice floating across the water like a message in a bottle—carrying words meant for someone, somewhere, who needed to hear them.
"So until you're in my arms again
Remember me"
The final chord lingered in the air before fading into silence.
For a long moment, no one spoke. The waves lapped against the hulls, and seagulls cried in the distance.
Nami sniffled, finally wiping her cheek with the back of her hand. When she looked at Yuji, her smile was soft—vulnerable in a way she rarely allowed herself to be.
"That was... the most beautiful thing I've ever heard." Her voice was barely a whisper. "Thank you."
Yuji smiled back warmly and genuinely. "No... thank you for liking it."
Nami shook her head slowly, exhaling a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Did you... write that song?"
"No." Yuji's gaze dropped to his guitar, his fingers absently brushing the strings. "This song was written by a father for his daughter. They used to sing it together."
"Oh." Nami's voice caught. "That's... wonderful."
"Yeah." Something flickered in Yuji's eyes. "It is."
Nami looked away toward the horizon where the sky met the sea. "You know... if you truly know such beautiful songs, then maybe this journey won't be so boring after all."
Luffy perked up immediately. "Shishishishi! Right? Yuji's the best! He's not just strong—he can sing, cook, and he's a super genius too!"
Zoro smirked and finally sat up. "At this point, he's already an all-in-one package. Any woman would be lucky to have him as husband material."
Yuji's eyebrow twitched. "Haa... look who's talking. Someone who respects food and treats kids with care... aren't you husband material too?"
Zoro's eye twitched. "Oi. I was starving for nine days—that's why I ate those rice balls. And I don't care about kids."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say... tsundere."
Zoro's face twisted. "What did you call me?"
"Oh, nothing." Yuji's grin turned sly. "Just stating facts, tsun tsun dere."
"WHY YOU—"
Zoro launched himself across the boat. Yuji met him halfway, somehow setting his guitar safely aside in the same motion. They collided, grappling and laughing—definitely not fighting like grown men.
Luffy howled with laughter, pounding the edge of the boat. "SHISHISHISHISHI...FIGHT. FIGHT."
On her boat, Nami watched the chaos unfold. She shook her head slowly, a smile tugging at her lips despite herself.
'They're like children...'
She turned back toward the horizon as the sun began its slow descent, painting the sky in shades of gold and rose.
'But... they're not so bad.'
For the first time in years, the weight on her shoulders felt slightly lighter.
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