More than two hours later, Alex and the chubby man beamed at their impressive catch—ten baskets packed to the brim with fish. Enough to last for days.
Just as they were about to head back, a massive wave surged across the sea, nearly capsizing their tiny fishing boat.
"Crap—it's a Sea King!"
The chubby man's face turned pale as he watched the giant creature rise from the ocean. He was so terrified, he almost wet himself.
Holy crap, that's a real Sea King?!
Alex stared up at the monster in disbelief. It had a horse-like face, lantern-sized eyes, and a massive body resembling a tentacled octopus. Compared to their small fishing boat, it looked at least twenty times larger—like some freakish cross between an octopus and Ultraman.
"There shouldn't be any Sea Kings in these waters—why is it here?!" the chubby man shouted, panicking.
"Who cares why?! Row! Get us out of here!"
Drenched in seawater, Alex didn't hesitate. He grabbed the oars and started rowing as if his life depended on it—because it did.
In that moment, Alex truly missed Earth's motorboats. No endless rowing. No arm cramps. No near-death sea monsters.
"RAWWWR!!"
The Sea King roared, opening its enormous, foul-smelling jaws as it lunged toward the boat, clearly intending to swallow it—and them—whole.
The beast's breath hit Alex like a rotten wave. As the gaping mouth got closer, a cold despair gripped his heart.
Is this really how I die?
"Gum-Gum Pistol!"
Just as Alex closed his eyes and prepared for the end, a clear, energetic voice rang out—one that sounded oddly familiar.
Alex snapped his eyes open just in time to see a long, stretching arm fly over his head. With a loud BANG, the Sea King was punched sky-high and sent flying.
"Whoa! That thing looks tasty!"
A boy wearing a straw hat, with a small scar beneath his left eye, landed on their fishing boat. He grabbed the front of the ship and swung himself over, eyes gleaming as he stared at the knocked-out Sea King.
"A-A monster! His arm stretched!" the chubby man stammered, completely freaked out.
"Whoa! You guys caught a lot of fish! They all look delicious!"
The straw hat boy's eyes lit up again when he saw the baskets of fish. He immediately began drooling.
"Monkey D. Luffy!"
Alex didn't even know how to process what was happening. Excitement and disbelief flooded his heart. This was someone he'd only seen in manga and anime—and now he was standing right in front of him… and had just saved his life.
"How do you know my name? Have we met before?" Luffy turned around, tilting his head curiously.
"Well, I guess it's not that weird. I am the guy who's gonna be King of the Pirates! Hahaha!"
Before Alex could even explain, Luffy burst into a loud, hearty laugh. It was infectious—completely genuine and full of raw, untamed confidence.
Hearing Luffy's bold declaration, the chubby man—already overwhelmed—passed out on the spot.
Alex was speechless. Luffy kept glancing hungrily at the baskets of fish, his stomach growling so loud it could've echoed off the waves. Thinking for a moment, Alex said:
"Why don't you come back to the village with us? Let us treat you to a feast to thank you for saving our lives."
"Really?! That'd be awesome! I'm starving!"
Luffy's face lit up with joy. But then he suddenly froze, his expression turning to shock. He bolted to the edge of the boat.
"Wait—my boat! Where's my boat?!"
Alex pointed to a tiny speck drifting far out in the ocean.
"That one? It's already floated pretty far."
"Yeah! That's mine!" Luffy's face twisted in dismay as he stared at his beloved vessel disappearing into the distance.
Back when he'd jumped off to save Alex, he hadn't anchored it. Now it was long gone, drifting away with the current.
"Come back! You're supposed to be the boat of the future Pirate King!" Luffy shouted at it with conviction, standing dramatically on the edge of the fishing boat.
Alex stared at him, completely dumbfounded. This guy really is a walking cartoon character.
"This is bad… Without my boat, I can't go to sea."
Luffy looked genuinely troubled.
"If you don't mind… you can borrow this fishing boat." Alex offered. He grinned to himself. The future Pirate King setting sail in my fishing boat? Now that's wild.
"You're a great guy!" Luffy beamed, overjoyed. Then he turned to Alex, his eyes shining with energy.
"So, what do you say? You're a man, right? Come with me! Set sail and become a pirate, free and wild on the seas!"