East Blue
The boat rocked gently now, the sea calmer after the storm. The sun peeked shyly through scattered clouds, casting golden light across the water. Zac leaned against the edge of the hull, watching the two he had just rescued. It was time to break the silence.
"So… you two," Zac began, smiling lightly to ease the tension, "tell me—what do you do for a living? And… where do you want to go?"
Coby swallowed hard, gripping the side of the boat tightly, eyes fixed nervously on the horizon."I-I… I just want to stay as far away from people like… Alvida as possible," he muttered, averting his gaze, as if saying it out loud were a sin. "Working for people like that… I just can't."
Zac nodded, understanding perfectly. He knew what it was like to fear relying on others, especially in such an unpredictable world.
Meanwhile, Luffy just furrowed his brow, curious. Without realizing it, a drop of salty water slid from his forehead straight onto Zac's. Zac blinked, trying not to laugh, but Luffy soon noticed and did the same back on Zac's forehead, sparking a playful scene that lasted a few seconds, with both of them laughing. Coby watched, wide-eyed and completely exasperated.
Suddenly, Luffy straightened up in the boat, raised his arms to the sky, and declared in his clear, confident voice:"I'm going to become the Pirate King! The freest man in the world!"
Luffy's signature grin stretched wide and bright, radiating all his energy and determination. Zac felt something stir inside him at that smile—it was contagious, impossible to ignore. His gaze lit up, captivated by the young pirate's pure conviction. Coby sensed the intensity of the moment too, feeling that something extraordinary was unfolding before him.
"That… is an incredible dream!" Zac exclaimed, genuinely awed, his voice full of admiration.
Coby shivered, panicked:"I-I… impossible! No way… This can't… You can't… It's not real…" he stammered repeatedly, as if saying it aloud would shatter the world.
Luffy turned to Coby with a carefree laugh and, in a quick motion, playfully punched him on the shoulder.
Coby trembled, startled. "W-why did you do that?"
"Just felt like it!" Luffy said simply, flashing a mischievous grin.
Zac couldn't help but laugh. Luffy always acted without thinking, and Coby reacted exactly as he should: alarmed, nervous, and utterly adorable.
Then Luffy turned to Zac, eyes sparkling, and asked eagerly:"Hey! And you, Zac? What do you do? What's your dream?"
Zac took a deep breath, gazing at the horizon as the sun began breaking through the clouds, golden rays lighting his face. The wind touched his blond hair, the salt in the air, and the vastness of the ocean before him. His answer came with calm certainty:"What I want… is the freedom the sea offers," Zac said, his voice firm but full of emotion. "I want to see everything this world has to offer: floating islands, underwater islands, sea terrors, huge and bizarre sea monsters… and maybe even the Emperors of the Sea."
Luffy's eyes widened with excitement, and he clapped his hands."That's it! That's the spirit of a true pirate!"
Coby, on the other hand, stared at Zac in disbelief, muttering almost involuntarily:"I-impossible… this isn't possible…"
Zac chuckled softly, noticing that Coby was still processing everything.
Luffy then moved closer to Zac, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes and a wide grin on his face:"You know, you seem like someone who should come with me! We could form a crew, explore the seas together, fight bad pirates…" he started, growing more excited.
Before Zac could answer, a sharp scream echoed from the shore, interrupting the conversation and making all three turn instantly. A citizen was running frantically toward the dock, waving and shouting to grab everyone's attention. Zac's heart raced: Shells Town was about to become more dangerous than he expected.
"What's happening over there?" Luffy asked, furrowing his brow but still smiling determinedly.
Zac gripped the rudder tighter, realizing the calm of the morning was gone. The shout had drawn everyone's attention, and now they would need to act fast."Shells Town…" Zac muttered, clenching his fists. "Looks like observing from the sidelines is over. It's time to step into the story."
The wind blew stronger, the waves lapped gently against the hull, and the sun continued breaking through the clouds, lighting the three young adventurers as they prepared for what was to come.