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"Look, Captain Buggy! Something is flying in the air!!"
At the same moment Clark saw the "plot bird," one of Buggy's subordinates also spotted it and reported.
"Shoot it," Buggy ordered coldly.
"Yes, Captain Buggy!"
The subordinate aimed his cannon at the bird.
___
Meanwhile, Luffy sighed, trapped in the bird's beak. Boom! The bird was hit by cannon fire. Luckily, it wasn't struck, but the impact caused it to release Luffy, and flying in panic in the opposite direction.
Luffy fell screaming.
Clark, watching from the roof of a house in the town, saw the scene unfold.
He followed Luffy with his eyes until the boy landed near Nami and three of Buggy's pirates chasing her.
___
"Someone fell from the sky!!" Buggy's followers were shocked.
"What!?" Nami was equally stunned.
"Why did they shoot at me! Damn it!" Luffy roared in anger, emerging from the dust.
"What!? He's still alive!!"
"Finally… I landed safely! Shishishi!!" Luffy's mood instantly turned joyful when he realized he had survived the giant bird's beak.
"Finally, Captain, you're here!! I've been waiting for you to save me!!"
Nami said before turning and running, leaving Luffy tilting his head in confusion.
All this happened under Clark's gaze, who watched with a faint smile. He remembered this scene from the anime—never expecting to see it firsthand, so close.
'What should I do? Should I join these fun companions? I always dreamed of this as a child, imagining it before sleep.'
Clark felt a little excitement. It was no longer just a childhood dream—it was now a choice. The One Piece story was still at the beginning. At this moment, Luffy had only restrained Zoro, even Nami; this was the first real interaction he witnessed.
Clark watched as Luffy punched the bald pirate after the man touched his straw hat.
He wasn't surprised—the Straw Hat was extremely precious to Luffy, given to him by Shanks with the request to return it when he became a great pirate.
___
"You defeated them so easily. You seem really strong…" Nami said, looking at Luffy while sitting on a low surface.
"Who are you?" Luffy asked.
"I'm a thief who only steals pirate treasures. My name is Nami. Do you want to be my partner?"
Nami asked, but Luffy ignored her and looked slightly upward—exactly where Clark was sitting on the roof.
"And who are you?" Luffy asked Clark this time.
Clark looked calmly at him. Their eyes met for the first time. Nami also noticed him, realizing his presence for the first time—he was sitting on the second roof of the same building.
Clark looked at both of them calmly. This time, the first interaction with Nami didn't happen like in his previous life; in a way, this was her first real interaction with him.
"I live here. My name is Clark. Buggy's pirates control this place by force."
He borrowed the background of his former self and gave a flawless answer.
"I see…" Nami understood. After all, she was aware that Orange Town was currently under Buggy's control while the original residents had been driven from their homes.
Clark leapt gracefully and stood before Luffy, extending his hand with a smile.
"You seem to value that Straw Hat. Is it important?"
Luffy returned the handshake with a smile, took the hat from his head, and stared at it:
"Yes, it's my treasure. Shanks wants me to return it when I become a great pirate…"
"But I won't just become a great pirate; I'll become the Pirate King before I can return it… Ah, I'm hungry."
Luffy rubbed his rumbling stomach.
Clark wasn't surprised. This was the Luffy he knew.
"Pirate King, huh? Alright, come with me. I'll give you some food to eat."
Clark spoke the magic words that Luffy couldn't resist.
"Really!! Thank you! Let's go!" Luffy cheered immediately.
Nami was speechless.
'Pirate King? Is he sane? So he really is a pirate…'
She clenched her teeth but still chose to follow the two.
___
Back at Buggy's pirate camp:
"Can't you catch that thief yet?" Buggy shouted angrily.
"We're looking for her, Captain Buggy!"
"By the heavens, how could she steal so easily!?"
"You're talking about the Grand Line map, right? The key to the safe was stolen too, Captain…"
In the end, the man who had captured Clark in the previous life was thrown in front of Buggy, suffering the same fate as before—strangled by Buggy's hand. He was also hit by a cannon and completely blown up. He had died.
If Clark had known, he probably wouldn't have felt regret.
___
"You said you separated from your crew… how many are there?" Clark asked, though he already knew.
"Um… one… only… um," Luffy said, his mouth full of food.
"Alright, eat first, then speak. Your mouth is full…"
Clark brought Luffy to his home—the residence of his former self, rented. Here, the original owner of this body lived alone.
Of course, Clark knew this from memories. Since his previous self was a fisherman, there was plenty of seafood. Luffy enjoyed many skillfully prepared fish dishes: fried fish, grilled fish, steamed fish, roasted fish balls… Clark was a skilled cook in both his past life and through the skills of his pirate-world counterpart.
"You! Join me! Be my cook!" Luffy said excitedly, banging his knife and fork on the table. He was happy to find a qualified chef.
Nami watched the scene, speechless. The appetite of this Straw Hat man was incredible! But more striking was the peaceful aura of the man serving the food.
Clark appeared to her as a respectable man—why would he have to deal with a pirate?
"You won't join him, right?" Nami asked, warningly. She didn't want to see a respectable young man become a pirate. She hated pirates. Luffy didn't appear like a pirate to her; he seemed more like a kind-hearted adventurer.
But when he said earlier he wanted to become the Pirate King, something inside her stirred. A distant dream, like hers… this man had a far-reaching dream too… so she didn't mock him.
But Pirate King? That man was the pinnacle of evil in this world… To be like him, one must someday become like Gold Roger, whether he wanted it or not.
Clark smiled at Nami but didn't respond. Instead, he took a plate of fish and handed it to her:
"Eat some too. Thieving from pirates is a dangerous job—you'll need nutrients to move agilely."
Nami took the plate in astonishment… he skillfully shifted the subject!
Clark looked at Luffy and said something that left both Luffy and Nami completely bewildered:
"I agree, but on one condition…"
"Kill me." Clark said with a faint smile.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 6: Joining the Crew.
Chapter 7: Paying Back Buggy.
Chapter 8: Sailing with the Crew.
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