"So, this pirate crew is just you, me, and this snake?" Zoro grumbled, eyeing the tiny two-person boat with growing regret for his hasty decision to join Luffy's crew.
"Yep! But we're plenty strong anyway!" Luffy nodded nonchalantly, munching on a massive hunk of bone-in meat.
"What about the ship? This thing can't possibly last long at sea!" Zoro pointed to the small wooden vessel with its single, tattered sail.
"Eh... we'll get a better one eventually!" Luffy swallowed the meat whole, his optimism unwavering.
"But there's barely room for three people on this thing!" Zoro roared, grabbing Luffy by the collar.
"Whoa, whoa, relax!" Luffy rummaged through his bag and pulled out a slightly larger box, complete with a neatly folded blanket.
"Ta-da! Orochimaru's private snake snuggle den!" Luffy solemnly placed the box in a clean corner, even fashioning a makeshift sunshade with a white cloth.
Orochimaru's lips twitched in fury as he hissed, "Do you think I'm some kind of pet?!"
Luffy looked genuinely hurt. "No way! I even put a blanket in it! Besides, Orochimaru used to sleep like this with me all the time!"
"So, pets don't deserve blankets, but Orochimaru does? Is that what you're saying?"
"Look, Luffy, I can conjure up a ship for us. It won't be huge, but it'll easily fit three people."
"No way!" Luffy stared at him earnestly. "I know you can do it, Orochimaru, but this is my ship. I want to earn it myself. I can't just let you handle everything."
Orochimaru sighed. "Fine, fine."
'Turning into a snake is humiliating?' What outdated nonsense! I'll do whatever's most comfortable. I'm not squeezing in with those two—they'll just get stinky.
Orochimaru coiled up in a spiral on his blanket, snake eyes shaded by tiny sunglasses, head propped on a cup, sipping fruit juice through a straw—pure bliss. (Snake-exclusive mini-gadgets!) Meanwhile, Luffy and Zoro huddled together, leaning against the ship's rail and staring blankly at the sea. They had juice too, but the vibe was completely different. Lying flat out is truly the best!
Zoro, sipping his juice, remarked on how convenient Orochimaru's abilities were. He gazed up at the clear blue sky, drifting aimlessly with the wind. As for why they were drifting... none of them had any sense of direction.
"Ah... if only we had some sake. Orochimaru, are you really not allowed to drink?"
"Absolutely not. Your stomach's been empty for over twenty days; it can't handle the shock. Besides, I distinctly remember you telling Rika you don't drink sake." 'Of course, those were just excuses. Who'd want to be crammed into a small boat with a foul-smelling drunkard?'
Orochimaru took another sip of juice, his brow furrowing. Luffy had been suspiciously quiet. *There's an old Earth saying: 'When a child is quiet, they're up to no good.'* He raised his serpentine head to ask, but just then, Luffy launched himself into the air, his head getting stuck in a bird's beak before the creature flew off with him.
"...Idiot... Idiot..." Orochimaru thought he could hear the irritating caw of Uchiha Itachi's crow.
"Zoro! Orochimaru! Help me!"
"Aaaaaaah! That idiot!" Orochimaru and Zoro rowed furiously, their oars practically smoking as they watched the overturned boat streak past them, hurtling toward the shore.
The boat was already moving at top speed when Orochimaru suddenly slapped his forehead, remembering he could fly. He mentioned it to Zoro, then realized Zoro had no sense of direction. A Snake Clone slapped Zoro's face as Orochimaru soared into the air to get his bearings. After confirming their course, he stepped onto the water and began running across its surface at incredible speed.
Zoro stared in bewildered confusion. What was that all about? If Orochimaru could fly, why was he still running? And how could he even run on water? Ninjas were truly astonishing!
Orochimaru muttered to himself, "Seventy years of running habits aren't so easy to break."
Two streaks of water surged across the sea, one following the other. As Orochimaru raced forward, he felt a squishy sensation beneath his feet, heard a few wet *splat* sounds, and ignored it. Soon after, Zoro also felt himself bump into something.
In their wake, three pirates bobbed in the azure sea, their faces imprinted with shoe marks and their heads swollen with matching red welts. Silently weeping, they replayed the day's disastrous events in their minds.
First, a sneaky little cat burglar swiped their treasure and ship, leaving them stranded on a rickety wooden plank. Just as they were waiting for rescue, someone stepped on them and shoved them into the water. They barely surfaced before a ship slammed into them, sending them flying. "Waaah... Lord Buggy, we're having such a terrible day!"
Meanwhile, Luffy miraculously landed right in front of an orange-haired girl.
"Ah... saved! Finally on land! What an adventure! Hahaha, food, food, food!" Luffy looked around at the unfamiliar faces, tilting his head. "Who are you?" Before he could react, the girl had already sold him out. A sudden ambush knocked his Straw Hat flying. Frowning, Luffy quickly took down the attackers, jammed his hat back on his head, and glowered. "Don't you dare touch my treasure!"
The orange-haired girl, who had been watching from the rooftop, jumped down after seeing Luffy defeat the pirates. "Amazing! You're so strong! You beat those sword-wielding guys with just your bare hands!"
Luffy tilted his head again. "You're that girl from earlier... Who are you, anyway?"
The girl introduced herself. "I'm Nami, a thief who specializes in robbing pirates. Hey, wanna team up?"
Luffy stared at Nami for a moment, his lips pressed into a firm line. "No way! I don't want to team up with you."
He staggered a few steps, clutching his stomach, and collapsed to the ground. "I'm so hungry... ugh..."
Nami raised an eyebrow. "Then how about I treat you to a meal?"
"Really?!" Luffy was easily lured away.
"Do you live here alone?" Luffy asked, munching on a stolen burger.
"I'm not from this town. Everyone fled because they're scared of Buggy," Nami replied, bristling at Luffy's comment about her breaking into houses. "That's insulting! I'm a thief who specializes in targeting pirates. Don't compare me to some petty burglar! My goal is to earn 100 million Berry no matter what. With a Grand Line Sea Chart, that dream will become reality."
"A Sea Chart? You're a navigator?" Luffy's eyes lit up.
"I'm far more skilled than any ordinary navigator," Nami declared proudly, flipping her hair.
Luffy leaped to his feet, grinning. "Really? That's awesome! Will you join my crew as our navigator?"
"Seriously?" Nami's face lit up with a hint of pleasure.
"Join our pirate crew!" Luffy grinned.
"No way!" Nami slammed her fist on the table, her expression hardening. "Pirates are the worst! All I care about is oranges and money!"
"Oh, is that how it is? You don't want to join?" Luffy squinted, continuing to munch on his bread.
Nami glanced out at the Buggy Pirates searching for him, then turned back. "But... if you agree to my conditions, I might reconsider."
"Really?! I'll do anything!" Luffy exclaimed, his mouth still full.
He turned his head back to her, not forgetting to take another bite of bread.
"I want you to help me find the Buggy Pirates, but..." Nami deftly tied Luffy up.
"Why'd you have to tie me up? Oh well... I wanted to meet some other pirates anyway!" Luffy shrugged and started walking forward voluntarily.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru, who had reached the shore, leaned against a tree, gasping for breath. "This ocean... I shouldn't have taken it so lightly. It's way too far."
To be continued...