The pirates quickly armed themselves and filed out of the ship one by one.
However, the moment they stepped into the sunlight again, they were all stunned by the bizarre sight before them.
It was Captain Alvida, still taking the lead, who reacted first. She scrutinized the strange courtyard that had suddenly appeared atop the sea, then barked at her underlings:
"Move! Follow me, we'll see who's behind this trickery!"
Without hesitation, she leaped from the ship and landed on the ground, her massive weight instantly creating two deep craters.
The rest of the pirates followed closely, clattering behind her until they reached the courtyard gate.
Meanwhile, Koby was the last to climb up from below deck. His jaw dropped in shock the moment he saw the scene before him.
Seeing the group of pirates walking toward the mysterious estate, curiosity got the better of him. He disembarked too and trailed after them.
Boom!
With a loud crash, Alvida smashed the grand gate open with her iron mace and stormed into the estate, completely ignoring the pursuing Marines behind her.
As long as there were no cannons, she wasn't afraid of those Marine dogs.
But just as Alvida led the group of pirates deeper into the mansion grounds the front doors of the manor suddenly opened from the inside.
A girl stepped out.
She had long orange hair and wore a cute blue princess dress. Her delicate features made her look like a living doll.
"So annoying… Luffy's always sending me to deal with this kind of nonsense," Nami muttered softly, standing at the entrance and staring at the pirates ahead.
Her graceful body stretched lazily as she glanced over the crowd with a slightly tired expression.
Ever since they'd moved the mansion onto Laboon's back, this wasn't the first batch of pirates to trespass.
As for those unlucky souls who came before? They were long gone, digested by Laboon, not even scraps remaining.
Looking up at the bright, sunny sky, she thought the weather was unusually pleasant today, as if something good were about to happen.
Nami walked casually to the center of the grassy courtyard. Glancing at the pirates still lingering at the gate, she murmured again:
"So troublesome…"
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Alvida stared at the girl who had come out of the mansion. A wave of fury suddenly surged in her heart.
If there was one thing she hated more than anything, it was pretty girls.
As one of the most notorious pirates in the East Blue, her years of dominance had long taught her to throw caution to the wind.
There weren't many people in this sea she feared.
With a thick arm gripping her massive spiked mace, Alvida clenched her teeth and stormed toward Nami in a rage.
Her crew followed close behind.
If it had been any ordinary young girl, she'd probably be bawling her eyes out by now at the sight of such a terrifying mob.
Koby trailed just behind the group, watching Alvida close in on Nami step by step.
A bad feeling crept into his chest.
Recalling all the cruelty Alvida had inflicted on him, Koby could already guess what was about to happen to Nami.
The thought of such a sweet girl being brutalized by those awful pirates made his heart ache, and tremble.
But timid as he was, he couldn't bring himself to step forward.
All he could do was clench his fists and grit his teeth, tears welling up in his eyes.
No matter how tightly he balled his fists… he still couldn't make them move.
─────────🏴☠️────────
"Hey, little girl! What is this place?"
Alvida towered over Nami, her large frame completely blocking the sunlight, casting Nami into shadow.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
"What are you looking at, Luffy?" Zoro, polishing his sword by the window, turned to ask curiously.
He'd just seen Luffy whisper a few words to Nami before she skipped off in her little shoes.
They were just a bunch of no-name pirates who stumbled in, so why was Luffy so interested?
"Take a look…" Luffy tapped the window glass lightly, pointing at Koby, shaking behind the pirates, eyes wide in terror.
A faint smile played on his lips, as if anticipating something.
"Oh?" Zoro followed Luffy's finger and spotted Koby, completely out of place among the pirate rabble.
At that moment, Robin walked over with a cup of café au lait and gently handed it to Luffy. Hearing their conversation, she stopped beside the window and looked down too.
"Thanks," Luffy said with a warm smile to the kind Robin, then called to Brook nearby.
"Hey Brook, come take a look too!"
"Let's see if he's got what it takes…"
Clang,
Zoro's polishing stopped. Robin blinked in surprise.
The two exchanged glances, then smiled.
They were now watching closely too, eyes filled with quiet expectation.
After all, they'd never doubted Luffy's instincts.
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"Hey! I asked you a question, brat!"
Alvida, annoyed that Nami had ignored her, slammed her mace onto the ground with a thunderous thud, trying to scare her.
"Ugh…" Nami sighed inwardly.
Why do I still have to pretend around weaklings like her…?
Annoyed as she was, her acting remained flawless.
"Wh-who are you? What do you want from me?"
Her big, tear-filled eyes shimmered, her tiny body trembled, and her little nose twitched with a whimper. She looked so delicate and pitiful, her voice soft and scared.
Her acting was on par with any pop idol from Earth.
But seeing Nami's pitifully sweet face only infuriated Alvida more.
Memories of all the men who rejected her in favor of girls like this came rushing back, and a twisted, vengeful rage bubbled up inside her.
"You little brat! Acting all delicate! I asked you, what is this place?!"
But Nami wasn't a professional actress after all.
"Who are you calling a brat, you old hag!? You fat pig! You ugly monster!"
The sudden change caught even Alvida off guard.
In just a few words, she'd triggered Nami's inner diva.
Alvida stood dumbfounded, stunned by Nami's string of insults.
Fat pig? Ugly monster?!
Each word hit like a needle in her heart, reopening old wounds, wounds carved by years of ridicule.
"You damn brat! Die!"
Alvida roared and raised her iron mace high above her head, her face contorted with fury.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
What do I do?! What do I do?!!
Time seemed to freeze.
The terrifying mace hung in the air, still for a heartbeat, but Koby knew what came next.
Alvida wouldn't hesitate. She'd smash that girl into pulp.
He knew her strength. He knew exactly what she was capable of.
But what could he do?
What do I do?! She's going to die! That girl…
What do I do!!!
My… my legs… why are they moving?!
"STOP!!! You wretched witch!!!"
A flash of pink streaked through the crowd, so fast the pirates barely saw a blur.
"You witch! I won't let you bully someone weaker than you!"
Koby suddenly appeared in front of Nami, blocking Alvida's swing.
His eyes squeezed shut, tears and snot running down his face, his legs trembling violently, but his voice rang out with unwavering resolve.
"Oh god!
What am I doing?! How did I get here?!
This is insane!
I'm dead for sure!!!"
Tears streamed down his face as he curled up in the darkness of fear, screaming inwardly.
"He moved before he even had time to think?"
"Impressive…"
Zoro slid his blade back into its sheath, rising to his feet with a serious look as he stared at Koby below.
But he wasn't just praising Koby's courage.
It was also the speed, that sudden burst from a seemingly weak body.
It might not mean much to them, but it was enough to surprise them, if only for a moment.
"Right?" Luffy smiled and continued:
"Wandering this sea for over a month wasn't in vain. I finally found him."
"You knew about this kid for a while, Luffy?" Brook asked, intrigued. Koby looked so young.
"Yeah… I've known about him for a long time," Luffy said, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.
Zoro smiled faintly, as if recalling something.
This feeling reminded him of the day Luffy had found him.
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