"Mm…"
A low groan escaped Zoro's lips.
Slowly, he opened his eyes. The lavish, ornate decor around him, with its carved beams and painted rafters, left him confused.
"Where… is this?"
"A ceiling I don't recognize…"
Zoro tried to sit up, intending to investigate his surroundings.
Just then, a gentle, sweet voice spoke from beside him.
"Zoro-sama, you're awake?"
"Hm? Who's there?"
Zoro turned toward the voice, curious.
A stunning woman was walking toward him, long, flowing golden hair, a flawless face, and a deep red maid outfit that accentuated her voluptuous figure.
Zoro was caught off guard. Even he, usually unfazed, felt a tinge of awkwardness.
But more than that, he was confused, and curious.
He scanned the room again and saw his three Zanpakutō lying safely beside him. That brought him some relief. He then asked the maid calmly:
"Where am I? And who are you?"
The maid smiled gently and approached step by step. Once she reached an appropriate distance, she bowed gracefully, her tone sweet and polite:
"Zoro-sama, you are currently in Luffy-sama's estate."
"We are the maids who serve in this residence."
"If you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to command us."
"Luffy!?"
The familiar name jolted Zoro back to reality, he remembered. He was back in the real world.
He looked at the maid again and asked:
"Where is Luffy now?"
"This morning, after entrusting your care to us, Luffy-sama was summoned by the President. He's already gone to the palace."
"He's likely discussing official matters with the President as we speak."
"As for the details, those are beyond the concern of humble servants like us."
"If it pleases you, Zoro-sama, you may join the others in the lounge."
"Lady Robin and the others are there, they should be able to answer your questions. We maids, I'm afraid, don't know much about such things…"
The blonde maid remained bent at the waist, respectfully explaining to the still-seated Zoro.
"Palace? President?"
Zoro's brows furrowed in confusion.
Weren't they supposed to be pirates?
How did they end up getting involved in palace affairs?
─────────🏴☠️─────────
After tidying up his clothes, Zoro followed the maid through the halls of the grand estate and into an expansive lounge.
"Zoro-sama, please enter."
The blonde maid stepped forward, pushing open a magnificent wooden door, its made clearly from some rare and valuable timber. She bowed deeply, motioning him inside.
As the door opened, the elegant sound of a piano drifted into Zoro's ears.
Stepping inside, Zoro found himself in a lounge that looked more like a sophisticated study than a place to receive guests.
The enormous space was clearly divided into three sections:
One area was filled with musical instruments of all kinds.
Another was lined with rows upon rows of bookshelves.
The last was covered with maps of all shapes and sizes.
Hearing the door open, three people busy with their own tasks looked up.
Robin, wearing her signature round-framed glasses, was the first to raise her head. Seeing the confused look on Zoro's face, she smiled and greeted him warmly:
"Welcome back, Vice Captain of the Starry Sky Pirates, Roronoa Zoro!"
─────────🏴☠️────────
At the same time, inside the royal palace of the Goa Republic,
"Luffy-sama! Naruto wasn't joking, right? Are we really inside the belly of a giant whale!?"
Having just woken up and heard Naruto's brief explanation of what happened, Sabo's father was visibly shaken. He immediately had people summon Luffy to the palace.
"It's called Laboon. Why? Is something wrong?"
Luffy sat leisurely in a gold-trimmed chair, casually sipping milk from the finest cows in the Goa Republic.
"Something happened earlier that you wouldn't understand. It was all to protect you. You'll be released soon."
"N-No! Please wait!!"
Sabo's father frantically shook his head like a rattle drum, then asked cautiously:
"I wouldn't dare question your judgment, Luffy-sama!"
"I just wanted to ask, would it be possible for us… to live here permanently?"
"…Huh?"
Luffy's hand paused mid-sip. He looked at Sabo's father with a puzzled expression.
"You want to live here?"
"But this place is completely isolated from the outside world. You won't have access to any news or updates."
"Besides, without me, it's nearly impossible for you to leave this place…"
He trailed off.
Then a thought struck him.
Come to think of it, this pocket world was entirely under Laboon's control.
As long as a specific command or trigger was set, Laboon could freely manage communication between this world and the outside.
That meant… aside from some restrictions on freedom, everything else could function normally.
And in the pirate world, freedom wasn't always the most important thing.
Look at Totto Land, those people gave up their lifespans for Big Mom's protection, and they still lived quite happily.
In other words…
Luffy could fully control an entire nation, maybe even multiple nations.
He had never had the ambition to rule, but now that he thought about it, it sounded kind of fun.
Like a sandbox simulation game, watching a nation grow stronger under his guidance.
"Luffy-sama? …My lord?"
Sabo's father noticed Luffy suddenly spacing out, unsure what he was thinking.
After a long silence, he finally dared to speak:
"My lord?"
"…Ah."
Snapping back to reality, Luffy looked at the still-groveling man in front of him. After a moment's thought, he replied:
"Staying here forever isn't impossible. But how will you communicate with the outside world?"
"We don't need to, my lord!"
At the mention of this, Sabo's father grew excited again.
His thinking was completely different from Luffy's.
While Luffy worried about limiting others' freedom, Sabo's father was the opposite.
In Luffy's worldview, freedom meant "you don't bother me, I don't bother you."
But to a noble like Sabo's father, freedom was irrelevant.
Here, there was no oppressive World Government.
No Celestial Dragons acting high and mighty.
Luffy and his companions had no interest in politics or power.
From today on, he would be the de facto ruler of this land, second only to Luffy, but above all others.
A supreme ruler of a hidden world.
Luffy glanced sideways at the president of the Goa Republic. He seemed to catch onto his true thoughts.
But Luffy didn't say much.
He didn't like interfering in things that didn't concern him.
So he simply nodded and agreed:
"Then let this island remain in this pocket world."
"But, Mr. President, don't let this country go back to the way it was before."
As he spoke, Luffy picked up his cup and took another sip of rich milk.
A faint pressure radiated from his eyes, directed straight at Sabo's father.
"Y-Yes! Absolutely!"
Under the weight of Luffy's aura, Sabo's father didn't even dare raise his head, nodding frantically in agreement.
He didn't care how the country developed.
What mattered to him… was that position of power.
Seeing his groveling attitude, Luffy said nothing more. He simply stood and walked toward the palace gates.
Just as he was about to leave, Luffy suddenly remembered something. He turned and said:
"One more thing."
"Foosha Village and Mount Colubo are my hometowns. They must be allowed to develop freely."
"Yes, my lord!"
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