The salty wind carried the cries of gulls as the small boat sailed into view of land.
"Land ho!" Luffy shouted, standing on the ship's railing with arms wide, hat flapping in the breeze.
Vihaan peered forward, narrowing his eyes at the coastline. "That… must be Orange Town."
Buildings clustered together near a crumbling dock. Palm trees framed the skyline, but something felt… off.
Zoro squinted. "Why is it so quiet?"
As they drew closer, a sharp whistle pierced the air.
BOOM!
A cannonball exploded just meters from their ship, geysering seawater high into the air. The boat rocked violently.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Vihaan yelled, grabbing the mast.
BOOM!
Another blast, this one closer. Splinters from the edge of the boat flew past Zoro's shoulder.
Luffy's face lit up like a kid on a carnival ride. "We're under attack! This is awesome!"
"Do you have a death wish?!" Vihaan shouted.
Through the smoke, they spotted the attackers—a garish pirate ship anchored nearby, with circus-like red and yellow stripes. A massive jolly roger flapped in the wind. And on the deck…
A man with wild orange hair, white face paint, and a ridiculously large red nose laughed maniacally, waving a bottle of rum.
"Fire again!" he bellowed. "Blow those pests out of the sea!"
"Buggy," Zoro muttered.
"You know him?" Luffy asked.
"No. But I already hate him."
Vihaan grimaced, then drew a knife from his boot and cut the rope securing the small rowboat at the side. "We make for shore. Now. That ship's got too much firepower for this junk."
"Zoro, take the oars," Luffy grinned.
"Why me?!"
"Because I believe in you!"
"Dumbass…"
They barely reached the shore before another explosion rocked the sea behind them. The trio scrambled up the beach, panting, soaked from head to toe.
Vihaan spat sand. "Next time we're the ones with a cannon."
Luffy just laughed.
Behind them, the pirate ship continued to rain fire—not directly at them anymore, but into the nearby town.
Zoro glanced up at the smoke curling from Orange Town's center. "Why attack a town?"
Vihaan's eyes narrowed. "Because someone there has something he wants."
Elsewhere, a young woman with short orange hair crouched in the shadows between buildings. Her eyes glinted with sharp intelligence as she watched two drunken pirates fumble with a bag of gold.
"Idiots," she whispered.
Her clothes were modest—just a white blouse and brown pants—but they gave her the mobility she needed. A small satchel hung at her side, full of maps and compasses.
She waited, timing her move. The taller pirate set down the bag and staggered toward a fountain, laughing.
Now.
She crept up, quiet as a breeze, fingers nimble. With a practiced twist of her wrist, she untied the knot on the sack and slid it into her bag, careful not to make a sound.
"Hey!" one of them yelled, turning too late.
The woman grinned. "Thanks for the donation."
She sprinted toward the harbor, boots light on the cobblestones.
Two more pirates tried to block her, but she vaulted over a crate and knocked one down with a well-placed kick.
"I said I don't like clowns," she muttered, ducking behind a supply cart.
Moments later, she reached the dock. A small, unattended dinghy was moored at the edge.
"Perfect."
She jumped in, untied it, and started paddling—just as another cannonball from Buggy's ship struck the beach behind her.
Back near the edge of town, Luffy, Zoro, and Vihaan were crouched behind a collapsed wall.
"Okay," Vihaan said, "here's what we know. That Buggy guy's got cannons, territory, and goons. This town is probably under siege. And we're broke, wet, and stranded."
Zoro cracked his knuckles. "We beat the clowns, take their food, and steal their map."
"I like that plan," Luffy said cheerfully.
"I expected no less," Vihaan muttered. "But we need to be smart."
That's when he saw her.
A girl. Orange hair. Sharp eyes. Smirking while navigating through alleyways with the grace of a fox.
She was carrying a familiar-looking bag.
That's Buggy's treasure, Vihaan realized.
The girl vanished behind a building.
Vihaan stood.
"Where are you going?" Zoro asked.
"To follow the most interesting woman in this town."
Nami ducked into an abandoned store to catch her breath. She pulled open the bag and smiled at the sight of glittering coins and stolen jewels.
"Jackpot."
Then—
"Not bad."
She froze. The voice came from the shadows.
Vihaan stepped out, hands raised in mock surrender. "Don't worry. Not here to steal. Just impressed."
Nami's eyes darted to the window. No reinforcements.
"Who are you?" she asked, voice sharp.
"Name's Vihaan. And you are… very good at lying."
She narrowed her eyes. "Is that a compliment or an insult?"
Vihaan grinned. "Depends. Are you gonna keep running or talk?"
Nami hesitated, reading him. He didn't look like a threat—lean build, confident posture, a mischievous glint in his eyes. But also… calm. Watchful.
"Talk," she decided. "For now."
"You stole from Buggy?"
"I liberated treasure from violent idiots," she corrected.
Vihaan chuckled. "Semantics."
"You one of his men?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like a clown?"
Nami smirked. "Not yet."
He leaned casually against the wall. "What's your angle? Stealing from pirates isn't a long-term plan. And Buggy doesn't forgive."
"I've got a goal," she said simply. "And I need every coin to reach it."
Vihaan tilted his head. "Interesting."
She didn't elaborate.
Before he could press further, a crash outside shattered their focus. A group of Buggy's pirates ran past, shouting.
"They spotted her!"
"Red-haired thief!"
"Fan out!"
Nami tensed.
Vihaan didn't miss a beat. "Come with me. Safer in numbers."
"I don't do partnerships."
"You will if you want to live."
A beat of silence.
Then Nami nodded. "Fine. But no touching the treasure."
"No promises."
Meanwhile, Luffy and Zoro were fending off three pirates near a bakery, wooden beams flying as Zoro smashed them back with flat sides of his blades.
Luffy, of course, was laughing the whole time. "Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"
A pirate flew through the air and crashed into a fruit stand.
Vihaan and Nami arrived moments later, just as Luffy started chewing on a pineapple.
"Hey!" he said cheerfully. "You brought a friend!"
"Sort of," Vihaan said.
Nami's eyes widened as she took in the scene. "He's a rubber man?"
Vihaan gestured to Luffy. "My brother. Captain."
"And swordsman," Zoro grunted.
"Pirate crew?" she asked.
Vihaan nodded. "We're just getting started."
She folded her arms. "I'm not interested in joining."
"Didn't ask you to," he replied smoothly. "But stick around. We've got a clown to unseat."
Nami stared at him, unsure whether to be annoyed or intrigued.
"I work alone," she repeated.
Vihaan stepped closer, just enough to tilt his head toward hers. "Even foxes need a den sometimes."
She blinked, caught off guard by his tone.
Luffy grinned. "She's joining. I like her!"
Nami rolled her eyes. "You're all insane."
Vihaan smiled. "You'll get used to it."