**Chapter 7: The First Companions**
**1520, Haiyuan Calendar. Windmill Village Harbor.**
The small, sleek cutter bobbed gently in the calm waters of the harbor. It was a far cry from a mighty warship or a grand pirate vessel, but to the two young men on its deck, it was a vessel of limitless potential.
"Okay, everyone, no need to see us off," Luffy's voice carried across the dock to the small crowd of villagers, including a tearful but smiling Makino. He stood at the helm, not with the boisterous energy of the boy they'd known, but with the calm authority of a captain who had been waiting a lifetime for this moment. His gaze, sharp and focused, settled on his first mate. "Roronoa Zoro. Let me ask you one final time. Are you certain you wish to cruise these seas with me? The path will not be easy. It will bring us into conflict with the world itself."
Zoro, leaning against the mast with his three katana secured at his hip, didn't even look up from polishing Wado Ichimonji. A faint, confident smirk touched his lips. "You've asked me three times now, Luffy. We've trained together for over a decade. You are the man who aims to surpass the Pirate King and reshape the very fabric of this world. Refusing that call would be an insult to my own ambition." He finally looked up, his single eye glinting with fierce determination. "I will become the World's Greatest Swordsman. Our goals are both to stand at the absolute peak. There's no need for lengthy speeches between men. Is my goal worthy of you, the future 'World-Changer'?"
Luffy's answering smile was a rare, genuine thing that reached his eyes. "Heh. It is."
The absence of a third member was a silent presence between them. Kuina's prodigious talent with both sword and Haki had not gone unnoticed. In 1515, a Marine scout attached to Garp's unit had seen her sparring and reported her potential directly to Headquarters. An offer was made, one that came with the promise of training under the legendary swordsman, Vice Admiral Issho (Fujitora). It was an opportunity to infiltrate the highest echelons of the World Government's military arm, a strategic move too valuable to pass up. Before she left with Garp, she had entrusted her father's sword, Wado Ichimonji, to Zoro.
"Carry my will with you," she had said, her own eyes gleaming with a new ambition. "I'll conquer the Marines from within. When the time comes, we'll meet again at the top."
Luffy knew her path would lead her to become a formidable Admiral, a powerful, secret ally within the system they sought to change. The System had approved, rewarding him with another +500 Alteration Points for this masterstroke. His current reserve sat at a healthy 2000, a war chest for the future.
He had spent the years since his sixteenth birthday wisely. The 95x banked progress on his Haki had integrated in a torrent of power, catapulting him to a level of mastery that would take others a lifetime. Another 500 points had been funneled into accelerating his synchronization with the Nika fruit, pushing him to the brink of its legendary awakening.
He mentally reviewed their panels, a habit before any engagement.
---
**[Status Panel]**
**Designation: Monkey D. Luffy**
**Age:** 17
**Haki:**
* **Kenbunshoku:** Advanced (Foresight - 85%) - *Can perceive actions 5 seconds into the future.*
* **Busoshoku:** Advanced (Emission / Internal Destruction - 95%) - *Ryuo mastery. Can destroy from within.*
* **Haoshoku:** Advanced (Infusion - 80%) - *Can concentrate and direct Conqueror's will for targeted strikes.*
**Rokushiki Mastery:** Perfected (100% all disciplines)
**Advanced Techniques:**
* **Rokuogan (Six King Gun):** 75%
* **Life Return:** 70%
* **Collapse Fist (Self-Created):** 10% - *A strike that vibrates to bypass external durability.*
* **Instant Step (Self-Created):** 35% - *A near-teleportation fusion of Soru and Geppo.*
**Devil Fruit:** Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika (Awakening Progress: 80%)
**Notable Techniques:** Gear Second, Gear Third, Gear Fourth (Boundman, Snakeman), et al.
**Designation: Roronoa Zoro**
**Age:** 19
**Haki:**
* **Kenbunshoku:** Advanced (77%) - *Exceptional combat precognition.*
* **Busoshoku:** Advanced (Emission - 90%) - *Can project Haki; full-body hardening.*
* **Haoshoku:** Dormant
**Swordsmanship:** Supreme Grade Swordsman (99%)
**Rokushiki Proficiency:** Expert (50% all disciplines)
**Devil Fruit:** None
---
"Captain, which heading?" Zoro asked, sheathing Wado Ichimonji. "Straight for the Grand Line?"
Luffy's smile turned razor-edged. "Not yet. First, we make a small detour. We're going to liberate a captive from a certain 'iron mace,' deliver him to the Marines, and in the process… remove a stain on their uniform."
Zoro grunted, a bloodthirsty grin spreading across his face. "Hunting Marines already? Fine by me."
Their small cutter cut through the waves with surprising speed. It wasn't long before a slovenly pirate sloop drifted into view. The sound of a furious roar carried over the water. "Coby! You useless maggot! I told you to scrub the deck until you could see your own pathetic reflection!"
On the deck, a small, pink-haired boy flinched, desperately dragging a mop.
A lookout on the pirate ship spotted their approach. "Captain Alvida! A small craft approaching! Should we plunder it?"
From below deck, an irate voice bellowed back, "Why are you bothering me with this?! Just sink it and take their lunch money!"
Zoro's eye narrowed. "That's the kid? The one who dreams of being a Marine? He looks like a strong breeze would knock him over."
"Even the smallest spark can start a fire, Zoro," Luffy said, his voice low. "He dreams of justice. That makes him valuable. And he may provide us a unique point of contact within the Navy later." The sound of Alvida's shrill voice was like nails on a chalkboard to his enhanced senses.
Suddenly, Coby, displaying a courage that belied his trembling frame, jumped in front of the approaching pirates. "Run! Get away! I'll… I'll hold them off! Alert the Marines!"
Zoro sighed, unimpressed. "He's got spirit, I'll give him that. Your show or mine, Captain?"
Luffy didn't bother with a reply. One moment he was on the cutter, the next he stood amidships on Alvida's sloop. He didn't move, he didn't strike. He simply *glanced* around.
A wave of invisible force—a controlled, concentrated pulse of Conqueror's Haki—washed over the deck. It wasn't meant to obliterate; it was a surgical strike. Every pirate, save for Coby, crumpled to the deck, eyes rolling back into their heads, unconscious before they hit the wood.
Alvida, tougher than her crew, remained on her knees, swaying, her eyes wide with primal terror. "W-What are you? What kind of monster…?"
Luffy ignored her. He focused a minuscule fraction of his will directly at her. Her eyes fluttered, and she joined her crew in unconsciousness.
He turned to the petrified, wide-eyed Coby. "Are you unharmed?" Luffy asked, his signature smile now a calming presence.
"I-I… y-yes… I'm Coby. Who… who are you, sir?"
"Luffy. Monkey D. Luffy. You can just call me Luffy." He gestured to the snoring pile that was Alvida. "She's yours now. Turn her in. Collect the bounty. It's your ticket into the Marines."
Coby's brain short-circuited. "Huh?! My… ticket? But… why?"
Luffy looked at him, his gaze piercing. "Coby, a question. If a man receives an immense gift from a friend who can no longer pursue their dream… should he take up that dream himself?"
Coby, though terrified, found his voice. "M-Mr. Luffy… I can't speak for others. Dreams… they're generous, selfish, and utterly free. But… I know the pain of a dream being out of reach." He looked at his own hands. "I thought I'd never have the chance to chase mine. So… to have a dream, and to honor a friend's dream… I think that's a noble thing."
Luffy gave a slight, approving nod. "Then stop saying 'never.' A person's dream… never truly ends."
He turned and walked towards the captain's cabin. Coby, driven by a mix of fear and fascination, followed. As they entered a storage room, the opposite hatch creaked open.
An orange-haired girl in a striped shirt and blue shorts froze, a sack of loot slung over her shoulder. Her eyes widened like a deer caught in lantern light.
"A thief!" Coby yelped.
The girl shrieked, then quickly composed herself upon seeing it was just two boys. She hugged her bag tightly. "N-Nonsense! I'm not a thief! This is… my stuff!"
"Really? What's in the bag?" Luffy asked, his tone light but his eyes seeing straight through her.
"I… it's… none of your business! Get lost or I'll beat you up!" she blustered, though her eyes darted around for an escape route.
*Right on schedule,* Luffy thought. *Nami. Better to get her on board early, away from Arlong's influence.* He grinned. "Finders keepers, little cat burglar. We split it fifty-fifty."
"No way!" she hissed, clutching her treasure closer.
"Then how about you join us instead? Otherwise, I'll have to take it all as a toll for trespassing on *my* captured ship."
"*Your* ship?!"
Nami backed out of the cabin onto the main deck and her bravado vanished. She stared at the scene: a dozen pirates, including the monstrous Alvida, all unconscious in a heap. She swallowed hard, her throat dry. "D-Did you… do this?"
Luffy just smiled. Before she could react, his arm stretched across the deck, wrapped around her waist, and snapped back, pulling her effortlessly onto their cutter.
Nami stumbled, gaping at his rubbery limb. "Y-Your arm! You… you stretched!"
"I ate a Devil Fruit," Luffy said casually. "I'm a rubber man. Now, about your name, little thief?"
"N-Nami…" she stammered, too stunned to lie. "Just Nami. Can we… can we go back and loot them? Please?"
Luffy's smile turned cunning. "All seized assets will be split. Seventy-thirty. I take seventy."
Nami's eyes immediately glazed over, calculating the potential Berries. She wanted to argue, but the sheer power on display made refusal seem unwise. "...Fine."
"By the way," she asked, eyeing their ship. "Are you pirates? I don't see a Jolly Roger."
Zoro answered from his post. "We're not pirates. We're the Straw Hat Adventure Group. I'm the first mate."
"Adventure Group?" Nami's confusion was genuine.
Luffy looked out to the open sea, his expression turning serious. "We handle the problems the Marines won't. We also handle the problems the Marines *cause*. We eliminate pirates who prey on the weak. Our goal is to deliver our own brand of justice across the stars and seas." He looked back at her, his offer clear and direct. "So, Nami. Join us. There will be more treasure than you can imagine. Become our navigator. Become our third companion."
Nami looked from the unconscious pirates to the impossibly strong duo, then to the vast, promising ocean. They were strange, terrifying, and potentially very profitable. A slow, calculating smile spread across her face. It wasn't a wholehearted yes, but it was a start.
"...Alright. But I'm keeping my thirty percent."