One Piece - I Am A Different Luffy! BOOK1!

Chapter 34 - Trip to Baratie 04.

[Chapter Size: 2281 Words.]
Third Person POV
Somewhere at sea, East Blue.

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"Hmmm, I see..." Luffy was the first to break the silence, even without fully comprehending the woman's mysterious words.

'Clearly, you don't understand!' Everyone exclaimed, looking at the captain with astonished expressions.

"As my wife Marta said, this map and this key only brought trouble. We don't want to be involved with it anymore. I was just a trader who lived well in the South Blue. I doubt we can go back to our old life now..." The man expressed with regret.

Luffy could understand him. He also doubted that the world government would let them go unscathed. If they knew the operation failed and the couple still held these valuable items, they would be continuously hunted.

"Hae kirimvose, kostā emagon zirȳ, nyke don't jaelagon naejot involve ñuha valzȳrys se nyke isse bisa dombo!" The woman resumed her words, and Luffy just stared at her, not knowing how to respond.

"You're right, my love. It's better not to get involved anymore! So, as a token of gratitude, you can keep the items..." The man beside her affirmed.

"Wait, you're just giving them to me like this?" Luffy raised an eyebrow, showing surprise. Of course, he was curious about what was in that chest, but receiving the items so easily was unexpected... Not that he was going to leave with nothing; he already intended to have some possessions from here.

"We can't have these anymore. Our friends are among the dead bodies on this ship. So many deaths... Look around, many of them were our acquaintances, and they died like slaughtered animals, without a chance to fight back! Do you think we can live with these items that will make us targets on our backs? I won't even be able to go back home now..." The man named Kyrti vented, expressing the tragedy that had befallen them.

Luffy remained silent for a moment, absorbing the man's words. Then, he sighed and said, "If you're determined not to be involved with this anymore, I accept the items. But before that, explain to me what exactly these maps and keys are, better than before, and why the World Government is so interested in them."

The couple exchanged glances, and seeing that Luffy was genuinely interested, they began to explain the story behind their family's belongings. They detailed how these objects passed from generation to generation, recounting the history of an ancient lineage of explorers and hidden treasures. As they spoke, the couple revealed the peculiarities and mysteries behind these artifacts.

Luffy listened attentively, understanding the importance of these items to their family and how they ended up becoming targets of the World Government. When the explanation came to an end, Luffy nodded and said, "Got it. If you're willing to hand over these items to me, I accept. But know that I'll do what's in my power to ensure you can move forward without further worries."

"You're right; I don't think the government will let this slide. It would be better for you to disappear from everyone's sight with your old name and get a new identity," Luffy spoke bluntly, sure that the World Government wouldn't let this go either way.

The couple looked at Luffy with gratitude in their eyes. The man then pulled out a small, intricately decorated wooden chest with a kind of amulet attached, along with the map taken by Sky. "This is the real key, and these are my wife's family belongings. May they bring you what you desire."
Luffy took and looked at them.
"Can we give you a ride to our next stop, do you have any money?" Luffy asked again.
"We do, at least we had 300 million Berries since I knew this trip was dangerous, I took my savings to bring along, just don't know if they're still intact with the explosion..." The man warned, and Nami practically jumped with this information.
"300 MILLION?!!!" She couldn't believe this information... While only Kuina, Usopp, and Chouchou seemed stunned by this amount, the rest of the crew didn't seem very interested in money, no matter how much gold.
"Anyway, I'll first see what's in the chest... Nami, do you want to grab the gold?" Luffy said approaching the mysterious red chest, while the maid-dressed woman with a mop in hand jumped with bright and passionate eyes at these words.