The sea was calm.
A rare moment of peace stretched across the glistening waters of the East Blue, the morning sun casting long glimmers off the ocean surface. A single, tiny boat bobbed along—barely more than a raft with a sail—creaking under the weight of its three very different passengers.
At the helm, Nami gripped the rudder with a mix of determination and growing exasperation. Her tangerine hair whipped lightly in the breeze, and her sharp eyes scanned the horizon. She was the navigator—the navigator—and without her, the two idiots she'd temporarily allied herself with would already be fish food.
"Can you not sit like that?" she snapped over her shoulder. "You're throwing off the balance of the boat!"
"Eh? I'm just sitting!" came the indignant voice of one Monkey D. Luffy, who was perched on the bow like a scarecrow, arms lazily draped over his knees. His trademark straw hat tipped forward to block the sun, and a wide grin stretched across his face as he watched seagulls fly by.
Zoro—Roronoa Zoro, the infamous bounty hunter—didn't even bother to look up from where he sat near the mast, arms crossed, back against the base. "He's not gonna fall off. If he does, he'll just bounce back."
"I heard that!" Luffy shouted, still grinning.
"I wanted you to," Zoro grunted.
Nami sighed, louder this time, her fingers tightening around the rudder. "Why did I agree to this again…"
It had been just days since she'd teamed up with these two—for her own reasons, of course. It wasn't like she trusted them. Especially not that Luffy guy. Who just declares themselves Captain and drags people along like it's normal? And Zoro? A bounty hunter with no sense of direction who sleeps like he's on vacation?
No. They were ridiculous.
She was only with them because they were her best shot at getting what she needed.
But that didn't mean she had to enjoy it.
"We'll be approaching land soon," Nami said, glancing at the crude map she'd sketched. "There's a small island up ahead. Should be part of the Gecko Islands."
Luffy tilted his head. "Oooh! Do you think they have meat?"
"Meat isn't a navigational marker, Luffy!" she snapped.
Zoro cracked one eye open. "He's got a point though."
Nami rounded on them. "No, he doesn't! You two are impossible!"
A gust of wind pulled at the sail and nudged the boat forward. In the distance, green hills rose from the ocean like gentle waves themselves, crowned with a few scattered windmills. A sleepy little village nestled on the edge of the shore, just barely visible in the morning light.
"There it is," Nami said, quieter now. "Syrup Village."
She didn't know what they'd find there, or if it would bring her any closer to her goal. But the sea was calling. And for now, this mismatched trio would have to do.
Luffy leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "Let's go see what's there!"
Zoro stretched with a yawn. "As long as there's food."
Nami just shook her head. "I swear, if one of you gets us chased by villagers again."
And with the wind at their backs, the dingy boat carried the three toward their next adventure.
The boat scraped gently against the sandy shoreline of the island, rocking softly as the waves behind it quieted. A salty breeze rolled inland, brushing through the trees that lined the edge of Syrup Village like watchful sentinels. Seagulls cried in the distance. It was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Nami was the first to move, her sharp eyes scanning the forest beyond the beach.
"Well, here we are," she muttered, stepping lightly onto the sand. "Let's hope this village isn't crawling with more clowns."
She meant that literally. Buggy had been more than enough. One pirate circus per lifetime was too much.
She took a confident step forward—and froze when a hand shot out to block her path.
Luffy.
He stood next to her now, his eyes unusually focused. No grin. No giggles. Just calm awareness. Nami blinked in surprise.
"Wait," Luffy said.
"Wha—? Why?" she started, but he didn't answer right away. Instead, he stepped ahead of her, his sandal crunching softly against the sand.
Then he stopped.
With one sudden, swift motion, he bent down and pulled on what looked like a stray vine near the treeline. A snap rang out, and a makeshift net launched from the underbrush, swinging wide over the spot Nami had been about to walk into. Weighted ropes lashed out like striking snakes, clearly designed to wrap around and immobilize whoever had triggered the trap.
Nami gasped, stumbling back instinctively. "Wh-What—!?"
The net flew past her harmlessly and hit…
Luffy.
The Captain had stepped right into it.
"Oi—LUFFY!" Zoro barked, leaping to his feet.
Nami's eye twitched. "You knew it was there and STILL got caught?!"
Luffy hung upside down from the tree now, wrapped head to toe in vines and netting, swaying gently like a very dumb piñata. He offered a contemplative expression. "Huh… fast trap."
"YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT!"
Nami grabbed the nearest stick she could find and began poking at him—no, beating him with it. Zoro sighed and rubbed his temples.
But then, something strange happened.
Laughter.
It started faintly—an echo, almost. Then it grew. Loud. Unrestrained. Genuine.
A voice howled with laughter from deep within the woods, absolutely losing it. Whoever it was, they weren't trying to intimidate or scare anyone—no, they were laughing like they'd just seen the funniest thing in their life.
And maybe, in a way, they had.
"Pffff—BWAHAHAHAAAA—!! Oh man—oh wow! I didn't think anyone would actually trip that trap! I only set that one for rabbits!!"
Zoro's hand instinctively went to his sword hilt.
The laughter faded slowly, dropping down to occasional giggles before the voice returned—still amused, but steadier now. "I needed that. It's been a long week."
A pause.
Then the tone shifted, low and pointed.
"But now that we've had our fun—what the hell are you doing on my island?"