The mansion sat above Gecko Island like a silent observer.
From a distance it looked peaceful—white walls, tall windows, manicured hedges—but the closer they came, the more the air itself seemed to thin. Even the cicadas were quieter here, their chorus dulled as if the estate demanded silence.
The walk uphill took only a few minutes, but Usopp slowed with every step.
"Uh… just so you know," he muttered, "this isn't exactly a front-door kind of place for me."
Nami eyed the tall iron fence, then the carefully trimmed grass beyond it.
"Why do I get the feeling," she said flatly, "that you're trespassing?"
Usopp laughed far too loudly. "Haha—what? No! I just… prefer alternative entrances."
Zoro snorted.
Luffy didn't laugh. His eyes lingered on the mansion, tracing the lines of the roof, the angles of the windows. Everything was orderly. Too orderly. He felt it faintly—like a blade hidden beneath silk.
Usopp reached the side of the fence and tugged at a loose iron bar. With a soft groan, it shifted just enough to squeeze through.
Nami stared. "You do this often, don't you?"
"…Sometimes."
Zoro stepped through first, unconcerned. Luffy followed, then Nami, who made a face as her skirt brushed the iron.
The courtyard was wide and clean. A massive oak tree stood near the house, its branches stretching outward like arms frozen mid-embrace. Beneath it, the grass was worn thin—as if someone spent a lot of time standing there, looking up.
Usopp bent down, picked up a pebble, and climbed the tree with practiced ease.
"He does this every day," Nami muttered.
Usopp tossed the pebble.
Tap.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the window opened.
"Usopp!"
The voice was bright—warm in a way that cut through the stillness like sunlight through fog.
A blonde girl leaned out, smiling genuinely.
"You came again!"
"Of course I did!" Usopp puffed out his chest. "And this time I brought friends! Strong ones! Famous ones! They want to meet you and join the Usopp Pirates!"
He pointed downward dramatically.
"Kaya! This is Luffy, Nami, and Zoro! And guys—this is Kaya!"
Kaya's eyes widened slightly as she took them in. She smiled and waved.
"It's nice to meet you all."
Her voice was gentle. Too gentle for someone who lived alone in a mansion this large.
Luffy stepped forward a half-step and raised a hand.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Kaya."
His tone was… different.
Zoro noticed. Nami noticed. Even Usopp paused.
Luffy's voice was calm, polite—almost soft. Not cold. Not playful. Something closer to careful.
"Sorry to say this so directly," Luffy continued, "but I'm here more for business than social reasons."
Kaya blinked. "Business?"
"We heard you might be willing to sell a ship."
The smile on her face didn't fade—but something behind her eyes shifted.
She turned back inside.
"Merry?" she called. "Could you come here, please?"
Footsteps approached. A door opened.
A tall, thin man stepped into view.
His hair was neatly combed back. His posture was straight. His glasses caught the light as he adjusted them with a practiced motion.
"You called, Miss Kaya?"
His eyes flicked downward—briefly, efficiently—taking in Luffy, Zoro, and Nami in less than a second.
Luffy felt it immediately.
Not killing intent.
Not hostility.
Something worse.
Control.
"Yes," Kaya said kindly. "These are Usopp's friends. They're interested in buying a ship."
The man nodded. "I see."
His gaze lingered on Luffy a fraction of a second longer than necessary.
"Please follow me," he said. "I'll show you."
---
The Going Merry
The private dock behind the mansion was immaculate.
The ship resting there looked almost out of place—too alive for how quiet everything else felt.
Luffy stopped walking.
The Going Merry sat proudly against the pier, her hull clean, her mast tall, her sheep figurehead staring forward with simple optimism.
Merry watched Luffy closely.
"She's a caravel," he said. "Built for long voyages. Balanced. Loyal."
Luffy walked slowly along the dock, eyes tracing every beam, every rope, every joint.
He placed his palm against the hull.
The wood was old—but loved.
"She's beautiful," Luffy said honestly.
Merry straightened slightly. "How much?"
"Eighty million."
Luffy turned. "That's cheap."
"She's been sitting idle," Merry replied. "Ships aren't meant to stay still."
Luffy nodded.
"I plan to go to the Grand Line."
Merry's expression hardened—not in fear, but respect.
"She won't survive long as she is."
"I know."
Luffy stepped back, considering.
"I'll pay one hundred million," he said, "if you upgrade her."
Merry's eyes widened. "What upgrades?"
"A captain's room. Reinforced rudder. New cannons. Stronger wood where needed."
Merry nodded slowly, already planning.
"It won't make her invincible," he said. "But it'll buy you time."
"That's all I need."
"How long?"
"Two weeks."
Luffy smiled. "Then we have a deal."
---
The Butler
They returned to the courtyard.
The atmosphere had changed.
Voices were raised.
"…just like his father," a sharp voice said.
Usopp stood frozen. Kaya looked uncomfortable. The man with the glasses stood between them, arms folded, expression polite—and cutting.
Luffy's smile vanished.
He stepped forward.
"You know," Luffy said calmly, "some people might think you're tired of living, talking like that about a Yonko crew member."
Silence fell like a blade.
The man turned.
"I don't believe I said anything of the sort."
Luffy met his eyes.
"Usopp's father is a sniper under Red-Hair Shanks."
Kaya gasped softly.
Usopp's world tilted.
"So let me ask you something," Luffy continued quietly, "do you really want to provoke a Yonko… butler?"
For the briefest moment—
Fear flashed behind those glasses.
Then it vanished.
"So what?" the man replied smoothly. "A Yonko won't come to East Blue for something so trivial."
Luffy laughed softly.
"Why would Shanks come," he said, lifting his coat, "when I'm already here?"
The tattoo told the rest.
The man stiffened.
Luffy dropped his shirt and turned away.
"I'll take the ship, Miss Kaya. Merry will explain everything."
As he walked past the butler, Luffy paused.
"If I ever hear you insult the Red Hair Pirates again," he said without looking back, "I'll kill you myself."
---
Unease
They left the estate in silence.
As they descended the hill, Luffy slowed.
Zoro noticed.
"You alright, Captain?"
Luffy blinked. "Huh?"
"You looked somewhere else."
"There's something about that man," Luffy muttered. "Feels… familiar."
Zoro frowned. Nami exhaled.
"Get some sleep. You think too much when you're tired."
That night, lying in the inn, Luffy stared at the ceiling.
The glasses.
The posture.
The stillness.
Why does he feel like someone I've already killed…?
Sleep eventually came.
And with it—
The calm before the knife.