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☠︎︎
YOU STARED AT THE WANTED POSTERS ADORNING THE BRICK WALL in awe, taking in the faces of numerous pirates with bounties. above them, the visage of the marine commander, captain morgan, loomed, whose base was situated in this town called shells town.
marine guards dotted the entire town, their presence overwhelming the local residents. under the watchful eyes of the marines, the townspeople found themselves severely restricted in their actions, with little freedom to move or act. it was evident that power was being abused.
"i didn't know there were so many pirates."
"there are way worse pirates in the grand line."
two boys were standing next to her and also looking at the bounties. one sported black hair, a red vest, and a straw hat, while the other had pink hair and wore black circular glasses.
"it's terrible." the pink-haired boy grimaced.
"yeah, i know right." the straw hat boy enthusiastically agreed with a grin on his face, but it immediately dropped as he stepped forward to take a closer look at the wall. "where's my face?"
you stood there, quietly observing the two.
but despite being as quiet as a mouse, the straw hat boy noticed you, "hello!"
"hi?"
"do you know where the nearest restaurant is? i'm starving!" he exclaimed, giving his stomach a gentle rub to emphasize his hunger.
"no. just like you, i'm new to this place."
"oh, is that so? what're you doing here?"
"why should i tell you?" you asked skeptically.
"lemme guess.. you're here for the grand line map."
your eyes widened in surprise, and you sputtered, "what–" as you choked on your saliva. frantically, you began pounding on your chest, gasping out, "h–how did you know?!"
"nah, just a wild guess." he shrugged.
you glared at him.
he broke into a grin, "so, you are here for the grand line map? i see! so am i–"
"luffy!" the pink-haired boy called out, sweating profusely.
you quickly covered his mouth.
"quit it." you said through gritted teeth. "don't you see how many marines are here? if you get caught, i'll get caught, and none of us will be able to get our hands on it."
"sorry." his apology was muffled due to your hand over his mouth.
you slowly uncovered his mouth.
"we should team up." was the first thing he said.
you couldn't help but laugh. you found it utterly ridiculous.
"we both want the same thing." he reasoned.
"you have to try better than that."
his eyes panned down to your sword, nestled inside a sheath, hanging from your waist, silently admiring the gold color and intricate designs of the handle. "you have a really cool-looking sword with you, so you must be skilled in fighting. and i'm pretty strong too. i can prove it to you–"
"let me stop you right there." you cut him off, holding up your hand. "you don't even know me. we just met like what, five minutes ago? what if i betray you and take the map for myself?"
"yeah, luffy. she's a stranger to us and we're strangers to her." the pink-haired boy agreed, tugging on his arm. "let's just go."
"you won't." luffy shook his head, sounding as if he knew you.
"yeah, right." you folded your arms, moving closer towards the boy. "only one of us can have the map."
"we can go to the grand line together! there's no harm in that, right?" he urged. "come on, we'd make a pretty good team. with your skills and mine, i believe we'll make it to the grand line!"
"sounds too good to be true." you scoffed in disbelief. "how do i know if you won't betray me?"
he tilted his head, wearing the most innocent expression ever. out of all the people you had come across and met, you had never met someone like this boy named luffy. his determination and cheerful demeanor were unparalleled. despite the denials and accusations, he maintained a bright smile, seemingly unaffected. in this fucked up world, he was a beacon of positivity, a refreshing presence like no other.
the boy seemed to be genuine.
"...fine." you gave in.
what the hell are you doing? you asked yourself.
you didn't exactly know why you relented, but you did.
he pumped his fist up into the air. "yes!"
"don't get too excited now. i'm not on your team yet. if you want me to join you so badly, we should discuss this somewhere private." you said in a hush tone, casting a wary glance at the marines patrolling the area.
"alright! let's find a restaurant where we can talk privately!" instead of walking out of the conversation, he bolted out in a frenzy, looking like a madman in search of food.
"wait! luffy!" the pink-haired boy called out once more, but got no response. he ran his fingers through his hair, wondering how he ended up with such an oddball. "what am i going to do with him?"
"tell me about it." you replied with a sympathetic nod.
