One Piece - I Am A Different Luffy! BOOK1!

Chapter 18 - Orange Town 3.

[Chapter Size: 1285 Words]

Third Person POV

Orange Town, East Blue.

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...

"What's your name?" This was the first thing Luffy asked as he greeted the girl in front of the cell.

"Na-Nami," she replied with a hint of nervousness.

"Well, Nami, you're free now," Luffy said as he unlocked her cell and opened the door.

"Hey, why is everyone already defeated?" A frustrated Zoro's voice echoed as he rushed in, ready for a fight, scanning for any standing enemies.

"Hahaha, sorry, it seems we were faster," Luffy said, freeing the girl with an embarrassed smile.

Seconds later, the place was filled with the entire crew, appearing one after another.

"It looks like you took care of everyone without any problems," Kuina grumbled, observing about 30 unconscious bodies on the ground and some damaged buildings.

"So strong...? Luffy-Sama and Yamato-Sama took care of all the bad guys?" Shirahoshi asked in amazement. She hadn't witnessed their battle.

"A mermaid?" Nami noticed Shirahoshi, who had flown in with the group.

She recognized her as a mermaid because Shirahoshi's tail was partially visible beneath her dress at the moment. Nami studied the princess for a moment before she noticed the other peculiar members of the group, such as Bepo, the bear dressed in beach attire, and Megalo, the shark that floated in mid-air, encased in a bubble of air, seemingly breathing oxygen just like any land-dwelling animal. Nami's full attention remained on the timid girl with a tail, as her previous experiences with fish-men had not been positive, and she had heard the stories about the mermaids that Arlong and others had told.

Seeing a hint of anger in Nami's eyes as she glanced at Shirahoshi, Luffy decided to speak up.

"Yes, she's one of our crew members. We are the Straw Hat Pirates," Luffy confidently declared with a smile, expressing his pride.

Nami, now outside the cell, couldn't help but give the peculiar group an odd look before Luffy's words sank in. She realized that, aside from the mermaid, there was a bear walking like a human and a shark floating in the air in a bubble of air. The shark seemed to be breathing oxygen just like a land-dwelling creature. When Luffy's declaration about being pirates finally registered, Nami's gaze turned icy, but the earlier confusion had left her too disoriented to process it properly.

"Wait, where do you think you're going?" Luffy asked as he suddenly interjected with an amused smile, sensing Nami's desire to distance herself from the group.

Nami stopped for a moment, expecting the pirates, including Luffy, to do something to her. With a mischievous smile, Luffy continued, while the others observed the interaction, curious about their captain's intentions.

"Don't worry; you can go, but you have to go in that direction. Everything related to the pirates is now ours," Luffy declared, well aware that Nami had been heading toward the pirate ship to steal their treasures.

"But the pirates have my things!" Nami protested, raising her voice in alarm and dissatisfaction.

"As I said, the pirates' belongings are now ours. You're free to leave, and we'll take their things as our spoils of victory. That's how pirates operate," Luffy stated matter-of-factly.

He didn't seem to care much about what Nami thought. He was convinced that, no matter how noble her cause might be in saving her village and its inhabitants, she would betray him in the end. Luffy thought the original Luffy had been too soft on her.