One Piece: In Search of Freedom [Book 1]

CH 2: WE MEET AGAIN! THE MARINES ARE HERE?!!

Wealth, fame, power...

Gold Roger, the King of the Pirates, attained everything this world has to offer.

The words he uttered just before his death drove people to the seas.

"My treasure? If you want it, you can have it! Find it! I left everything this world has to offer there!"

And so men head for the Grand Line in pursuit of their dreams!

The world has truly entered a Great Pirate Era!

The soft breeze blew around [Name] and Luffy as they stared at each other. The girl had a saddened frown, trying to swallow all the emotions she was feeling right then and there to keep an expressionless face. While the boy was just beaming happily, glad he was finally able to find his friend after all this long.

Luffy's smile grew wider, jumping around like usual, "It's been so long, [Name]! But I finally found you so-"

"I'm not going with you." she interrupted, making the boy stop in confusion. [Name] looked back at him, no hint of emotion on her, "I am not going to join your crew."

"What are you saying?! We made a deal, didn't we?!" yelled the captain just as his crew came from around the street, stopping midway as they heard the ending of the conversation.

The tactician bit her lips, closing her eyes and turned to walk away, "We are not kids anymore. We should have never made such a foolish promise in the first place."

The rest of the pirates stared at the scene in confusion, mostly not understanding how their idiotic captain knew someone like Umi as Nami had called her.

"If you leave, then... YOU HAVE TO EAT A THOUSAND NEEDLES!"

[Name] stopped dead on her tracks with a tick mark on her head and snapped back around, "Why is it that you remember the weirdest things?!!"

Luffy looking directly back at her unflinching, "I remember everything."

Her hands tightened into fists and [Name] yelled back, pointing at him, "Fine! I'll eat them so leave me alone!"

"Eh?!! You are?! You'll die you know!" screamed Luffy, the girl laughing at him smugly, "Too bad for you but I'm stronger than I was when we were kids. Unlike eight years ago, I won't be defeated by something like that."

The others immediately seeing her shaking form and deadpanned.

"Tch."

His four crewmates looked at their captain after he clicked his tongue and punched him over the head, "Do you actually want her to die, you idiot?!!!"

[Name]'s eyes widened slightly as she finally noted them, looking over them, "Your crew...?"

"Aa! That's right! Aren't they great?!" Luffy stood up from the ground as if nothing happened and sprinted to her side, jumping around in front of her.

"Nanda? So he's just trying to bring her into the crew." yawned Zoro, looking away in disinterest.

Hearts replaced Sanji's eyes and he danced to her side in a tornado, "Mellorine~! Mellorine~!" he kneeled in front of her and took her hand in his, a rose appearing out of nowhere in his other hand, "Ask anything you desire from me, my lady."