Several days had passed since Luffy had first embarked on his journey through the galaxy.
Ever since he boarded the Starrail train and set off, he had been wandering across the endless void of the universe.
"Ugh, so boring…"
Luffy lay sprawled out on the bed in his small cabin, staring blankly at the ceiling. The silence pressed down on him like an invisible weight, and with no one else around, the monotony was almost unbearable.
Traveling aboard the Astral Express was far less troublesome than trying to drift alone through space, but the sheer vastness of the cosmos meant the chances of running into anyone else were slim. And since Luffy had left alone, he hadn't exchanged words with another living person for days.
If not for the system's constant chatter, he might already have considered turning around and heading back.
[Instead of lying there complaining, wouldn't it be better to think about how to finish your next task?]
The system's voice broke the silence. Luffy curled his lip.
"And how exactly do you expect me to finish it?"
When he first started his journey, the initial quest simply setting out had been marked complete. In its place, two new tasks had appeared.
[Quest One: As the future Pirate King, make the galaxy recognize your name! (0/1)]
[Quest Two: No pirate crew can sail with just one member. Recruit new companions! (0/∞)]
The first quest was simple enough: do something big, leave a mark, and earn one thousand Stellar Jade in reward.
The second task, however, captured Luffy's attention more. There was no limit to how many companions he could recruit, and each new recruit would earn him another thousand Stellar Jade.
At first, Luffy imagined he'd found a loophole. Recruit people in bulk, rack up infinite rewards, and farm resources. But before he even tried, the system had shot down his idea.
[Only companions who join sincerely count. And each person can only trigger the reward once.]
That completely ruined his plan to exploit the system.
"I'm telling you, system, I haven't seen a single living creature these past few days. Where exactly am I supposed to find crew members for you?"
[Well… when you put it like that…]
The system fell silent.
With a sigh, Luffy rose from his bed and wandered out into the train. If he was going to be bored, he might as well explore.
The train he had claimed had only two cars, excluding the engine. One was set up as his living quarters, while the other served as a lounge and general activity space.
When he had first found the train, it was little more than a derelict shell. Dusty, broken, and stripped of function, it had been nothing but junk. After the system's thorough cleaning, almost everything inside had been tossed out.
Not wanting his future crewmates to think he lived in an empty wreck, Luffy had spent some Stellar Jade to purchase furniture from the pirate world sofas, chairs, tables, and a few other odds and ends. Now the lounge had at least some personality, even if it didn't quite match the style of the Nameless Express.
"It really would've been nice to have a mascot like Pom-Pom around," Luffy muttered as he looked at the bare corridors.
[Mascot? As if! Don't forget, while this train may look like the Astral Express on the outside, I've rebuilt its systems entirely in my image!]
The system sounded smug. The original train's energy source, the so-called Trailblaze Power, had long since burned out. Without modifications, it wouldn't have been able to move at all.
Now, thanks to the system's changes, the train could run on virtually any energy source. It could even perform short-range warps though those required a considerable amount of fuel.
"Figures… which means I need to find a way to earn more credits."
Luffy slumped into one of his new chairs. His resources were dwindling fast, and though the system's store allowed him to exchange Stellar Jade for credits, that option was painfully inefficient.
Stellar Jade was far too valuable to waste.
"System, got any suggestions for making money?"
[You're a pirate, aren't you? Then do what pirates do best plunder!]
The system's response was delivered with irritating confidence.
Luffy rolled his eyes. "That'd be nice, but we haven't seen a single ship out here. What am I supposed to plunder, stardust?"
It was true. For days now, the only thing he'd seen was the cold glitter of distant stars. Not a single vessel had passed through this sector, leaving him with no targets and no opportunities.
Just as he finished complaining, the system's voice suddenly rang out.
[Alert! Incoming distress signal detected. Source requesting immediate assistance!]
"…Huh?"
A distress signal? Directed at him?
Luffy blinked in confusion. As a pirate, wasn't it a little strange for someone to call him for help?
"Who's asking for help?"
[Unclear. From the data received, it appears to be a civilian vessel under attack by space pirates. They're surrounded and unable to break free.]
"Space pirates?"
Luffy sat up straight. His eyes gleamed with sudden interest.
Of all the things he expected to find first in his travels, fellow pirates hadn't even crossed his mind.
[Well, what do you think, Captain? Should we check it out?]
The system's voice carried an edge of curiosity.
"Of course we should go! Why wouldn't we?" Luffy grinned wide, his boredom instantly forgotten. "Finally, some action! And besides… how can I call myself a pirate king if I don't see what my rivals are up to?"
With that, he hurried toward the engine room.
For short distances, warping wouldn't drain too much energy, and if he tried to cruise there normally, the battle would probably be long over. Whoever had sent that distress call would be little more than space debris by the time he arrived.
Settling into the driver's seat, Luffy placed his hands on the controls. The train shuddered as energy surged through its frame, then in a burst of light, the Astral Express warped out of its current sector.
When the stars reformed around them, a new battlefield awaited.
Before the train loomed four pirate vessels, their jagged hulls circling like predators around a lone civilian ship. Cannons blazed, bombarding the vessel's fragile energy shield.
The protective barrier flickered, sparks dancing across its surface, and it was clear it wouldn't last much longer. The pirates, relentless, continued their assault, intent on draining every ounce of power until the ship was defenseless.
[So, Captain, what's the plan? Are we just going to sit here and watch?]
Luffy's grin widened, his eyes flashing with mischief.
"No," he said. "This is the perfect setup. We'll be the mantis stalking the cicada waiting for the moment to snatch the prize while they're distracted."