White clouds drifted lazily across the bright blue sky as a small wooden boat floated atop the calm azure sea.
At the bow sat Luffy. Zoro leaned back against the railing.
"We still need to find a navigator sooner or later," Reiner said casually as he lay sprawled on the deck, staring up at the sky with boredom.
Luffy tilted his head, confused. "Navigator? What's that?"
Zoro: "..."
"A navigator is the one who guides the ship," Reiner explained patiently. "Out here, if we run into bad weather, it can be deadly. We need someone who understands the sea and navigation."
His tone grew more serious. The Grand Line was infamous for its bizarre weather and unpredictable sea currents.
Even in the East Blue, a sudden massive storm meant near-certain death.
Even someone as strong as the Golden Lion couldn't defy the raw power of nature.
A while later, the three suddenly heard shouting in the distance.
Speak of the devil.
They looked toward the sound and saw a small boat rowing frantically toward them. At its oars was an orange-haired girl, struggling to escape.
Behind her, a pirate ship with a massive black cat figurehead closed in, the deck swarming with men waving weapons and shouting furiously.
"Damn thief! How dare you steal our treasure!"
"Don't let her get away—after her!"
The fleeing girl was none other than Nami. After escaping with the Grand Line map she'd stolen from Buggy, she had run into the Black Cat Pirates at sea.
Being the kind of thief who specialized in robbing pirates, Nami couldn't resist sneaking aboard their ship and making off with some treasure.
Unfortunately, she'd been caught—because she ran headlong into a man walking backwards.
"Who the hell even walks backwards!?" she shouted in frustration.
On the Black Cat ship, Zango smirked smugly at her outburst. "That's my hypnotic dance. Don't tell me you're not already charmed?"
"Charmed my ass!" Nami yelled, rowing harder.
Spotting Reiner's group ahead, her eyes lit up. She raised her voice.
"Help me! Please save me!"
Help? Not exactly—Nami's specialty was dragging others into trouble.
"Should we step in?" Zoro asked Luffy.
Luffy stood tall at the bow, eyeing Nami, then the pirates behind her. A wide grin spread across his face.
"Guys, get ready to fight!"
He grabbed the prow, stretched his arms back like a slingshot, and launched himself straight at the Black Cat Pirates.
Zoro grabbed hold of his ankle mid-flight, using him as a springboard, while Reiner stayed behind to guard the ship. He had already recognized the orange-haired thief.
"BOOM!"
Luffy and Zoro landed like human cannonballs, crashing into the enemy deck and flattening several pirates instantly.
"Who the hell are these guys!?"
"Could they be the thief's accomplices!?"
Swords and guns were raised.
From the crowd emerged a man in stylish clothes, sporting heart-shaped glasses. His tone was cool, but his eyes narrowed sharply.
"Doesn't matter who they are. Take them down!"
"Yes, Captain Zango!"
At his order, the pirates charged with a roar. The battle began.
Since Captain Kuro had faked his death and gone into hiding three years ago, Zango had acted as stand-in captain. Now, with Kuro's grand plan nearing its climax at Syrup Village, losing a shipload of treasure to a random thief was the last thing he needed.
But unfortunately for them, the opponents this time were Luffy and Zoro—two fighters who could already run wild in the East Blue.
The first wave of pirates didn't even see what hit them before they were sent flying.
"What... what just happened!?"
"These two aren't ordinary! Everyone, together!"
But numbers didn't matter. Against overwhelming strength, the mob of pirates was no more than a crashing wave, breaking and retreating again and again.
"...They're so strong!" Nami thought, awestruck.
She had only meant to draw fire away from herself—but now it seemed like these two might actually wipe out the entire crew.
"Whoa, look at all this treasure!"
Reiner had already stepped onto Nami's boat, casually opening a sack that glittered with gold and jewels.
Hearing the voice behind her, Nami jumped in fright, spinning around.
A blond man crouched calmly by the stolen loot. Startled, she rushed forward to snatch it back.
"Ahem—thank you for saving me! I'm Nami. Nice to meet you!" she said quickly, trying to change the subject while clutching the treasure behind her.
"Don't thank us just yet."
Reiner's face was expressionless as he extended his palm toward her.
"I'm a pirate. This is a robbery."
"What!?"
Nami froze. She had only approached because the trio's boat looked harmless—no flag, no Jolly Roger.
And they turned out to be pirates!? She'd walked straight into the wolf's jaws.
With a flick, she snapped together her collapsible three-section staff, glaring at Reiner warily.
Inside, she was calculating: He's alone right now. If I'm careful, I might take him down...
Thud. Thud.
Two figures suddenly dropped onto the boat—a tall, lanky man and a stocky brute, both wearing sharp, clawed gloves.
The Nyaban Brothers, Siam and Buchi.
"Heh heh heh..."
Siam licked his claws, sneering. "So, you thought you could steal from us? Any last words before we kill you?"
Nami panicked, her mind racing. Then her eyes darted to Reiner, and she suddenly cried out:
"Boss! They're the ones chasing me!"
Classic Nami—dragging trouble onto someone else again.
Reiner gave her a look, amused. Pretty face, dirty tricks.
He calmly lit a cigarette, exhaling smoke before glancing lazily at the Nyaban Brothers.
"That laugh of yours... yeah, you won't live long, kid."
"What did you just say!?"
Siam's eyes darkened, rage flickering. Nobody had ever spoken to him like that.
He ran his tongue along his claw, his gaze murderous.
"We're the Nyaban Brothers, with a bounty of seven million Berries! You wanna test us?"
"Tsk tsk... licking blades too? That's even more of a death flag, my friend."
Screeeech—!
A bone-chilling grinding sound cut through the air.
Two monstrous figures stepped from the shadows of the cabin.
One wore a long black coat, his face twisted with jagged fangs, a long blade jutting straight out of his forehead, two more fused into his arms.
The other looked like a teenager in a shirt and tie—but from his hands and head extended three roaring, bloodthirsty chainsaws.
The sound alone was enough to send shivers down the spine.
"What... what the hell are those things!?"
Nami gasped, collapsing back against the railing in terror.
The Nyaban Brothers froze, their bravado gone, sweat streaming down their faces as they stared at the monsters.
This wasn't about whether they could win. The things in front of them looked like demons that could shred them to pieces in seconds.
Reiner took one last drag of his cigarette, dropped the butt, and crushed it under his heel.
Then he smiled warmly and said:
"Allow me to introduce them. This one's Little Blade... and this one's Little Saw."
He glanced at the brothers.
"Seven million, was it? Just about right."
"W-wait! Hold on!"
The Nyaban Brothers trembled violently, stumbling backward as the two horrors drew closer.
Stay away from us! Don't come any closer!!!