Pioneers of the Stars

Chapter 17: Sands (part 1)

The world was vast, but not infinite, but Mordred did not think she would meet Luffy again so quickly. They had much to discuss after she left the island without even saying goodbye.

"You always said that one day you would take to the sea, but I thought you were shouting empty words," Mordred said, accepting the mug of liquor that Nami, the navigator of the Straw Hat's crew, handed to her.

"Are you saying that when you left without even saying goodbye to Dadan?" Luffy immediately replied.

"Yeah, I should have at least said goodbye," Mordred said, pinching the back of her head. "How is Ace?"

"He left right after you," Luffy replied. "I met him just a few days ago. He joined Whitebeard's fleet."

Mordred smiled slightly. Ace and Luffy were the first friends she had made in her life, and because they were, she was happy that they chose to follow their dreams.

"Let me introduce Mordred. She lived on Dawn Island for a time," Luffy said, addressing his crew. "This is his brother Yuto and Yamato."

"It's a pleasure," Yuto and Yamato returned.

The crew of Luffy was not very numerous. It was probably the smallest they had met so far.

Luffy was the captain, while Nami was the navigator. She was a pretty short, orange-haired girl. She wore a white and blue shirt, a denim miniskirt and sandals.

The others were the ship's cook Sanji, a blond-haired boy dressed in a black jacket and shirt; a reindeer with a large pink hat whose name was named Chopper was the ship's doctor, and the swordsman Zoro, a former pirate hunter who is famous for his three-sword style.

"But changing the subject, what are you doing here?" Luffy asked.

"Robin Hood," Yuto replied. "We plunder the rich to give to the poor."

"We are stealing from gangsters to keep the loot," Mordred added. "For some reason, we were told to come here and wait for new orders in addition to plundering the ships of the Baroque Works."

Hearing that name, the blue-haired girl winced. She tried to hide the surprise, but Yuto noticed it and looked suspiciously at her.

"Why is the princess of Alabasta on a pirate ship?" Yuto smiled slightly seeing everyone's surprise. "It doesn't matter that you answer. It's none of my business after all."

Luffy's crew had already drawn their weapons and stood in front of Bibi to protect her.

"I'm not going to do anything. Kidnapping her wouldn't do me any good," Yuto said, but that wasn't enough to lower the weapons of the Luffy crew. "We're here to do business with the King of Alabasta. We were sent here to be your bodyguard and return you to the capital safely."

"Was that the plan?" Yamato asked, surprised.

"I can only assume since Francis only told us to stay in these waters," Yuto replied with a slightly annoyed voice. "Kidnapping her won't give us any leverage. This place is close to collapse and we can't get anything for Elegia. On the contrary, we will have the opportunity to at least start a dialogue by exposing Baroque Works' wrongdoings and destroying it."

"Negotiation? Said by the "Demon Wolf" is funny," Zoro said with a little sarcasm. "Now I remember you. There's a bounty of 100,000 Jewels on your head."

"Do you know who he is?" Usopp asked.

"Although his business began a few years ago, he gained some fame in the East Blue." Zoro handed him a wanted poster. "He and his captain attack ships and bases, plundering them and leaving a trail of blood in their wake."