The morning sun painted the ocean gold.
The air was calm, the waves gentle — a perfect start to what would, of course, turn into another mess.
Kai was fixing the sail ropes when Luffy pointed toward the horizon. "Look! Another island!"
Zoro grunted. "Didn't we just leave one?"
"Adventure doesn't wait," Luffy said proudly.
Kai muttered, "Neither does trouble."
Nami leaned against the mast, scanning the map. "That's Shells Town's neighboring port. The Marines probably sent warnings there already. We should avoid it."
Luffy pouted. "But I want meat."
Kai sighed. "Of course you do."
They docked anyway.
The town looked normal at first — markets, fishermen, kids running around. But something about the people's faces felt off: nervous, cautious.
Kai lowered his hood. "Something's wrong."
A shopkeeper glanced at them and quickly turned away. "Don't want any trouble. Marines said pirates are around."
"Pirates?" Luffy said, grinning. "That's us!"
The shopkeeper fainted.
Kai pinched the bridge of his nose. "Smooth."
They found a small diner tucked away at the edge of town.
Zoro ordered sake, Nami got tea, and Luffy somehow convinced the cook to bring three full plates of meat.
Kai checked his snail camera — it blinked silently. The stream was live again.
[Viewers: 460,000]
[Chat: Did he just say they're pirates??]
[Chat: Nami looks mad lol]
[Chat: Bro's streaming history in 1080p.]
He smiled faintly and turned the camera toward the window, showing the quiet street.
That's when a familiar voice echoed outside.
"Well, well… look who it is."
Helmeppo.
Still sore from his father's defeat, dressed in clean Marine clothes that didn't fit his attitude. He strutted in with two guards, trying to look brave.
"You're the ones who humiliated my father!" he shouted, pointing at Luffy.
Luffy just grinned. "Oh, the crybaby."
Kai snorted. "You again. Didn't learn your lesson?"
Helmeppo's face turned red. "I'll have you all arrested!"
Nami whispered, "We're not doing this again, right?"
Kai sighed. "We're definitely doing this again."
The fight was short and chaotic.
Luffy launched Helmeppo through a wall with one punch. Zoro cut down the rifles pointed their way, and Kai used his Focus Boost to trip the last Marine before he could call backup.
[Viewers: 520,000]
[Tips: 150,000 berries]
[System Message: Mini Quest Complete — "Clown's Revenge"]
[Reward: 1 Mystery Spin Ticket]
Kai blinked. "Mystery spin?"
A small wheel appeared in his vision, spinning rapidly before landing on a glowing symbol.
[Reward obtained: "Voice Mod — Hidden Streamer" (disguises your voice completely)]
"Nice," he muttered. "Now I can talk without blowing my cover."
After the chaos, the crew escaped back to the boat before Marines could regroup.
Luffy was laughing as they sailed off. "That was fun!"
Zoro shook his head. "You're hopeless."
Nami glared at both of them. "You just made every Marine in this sea hate us!"
Kai smiled. "They already did."
She turned to him. "You're too calm about this."
He shrugged. "Maybe I'm getting used to the madness."
She stared at him for a second, then looked away. "You're weird."
"Yeah," he said softly. "But I make a good team, right?"
She didn't answer, but the corner of her mouth curved slightly upward.
That night, Kai sat alone on deck while the others slept. The moon reflected off the calm water, and the snail camera rested beside him.
[Viewers: 600,000]
[Tips: 220,000 berries]
[Reward unlocked: Stream Upgrade — HD Broadcast + Chat Overlay]
The comments scrolled faster than ever.
[Chat: This world's crazy!]
[Chat: When will he reveal his face??]
[Chat: Luffy's laugh is wild.]
Kai smiled quietly. "Not yet, guys."
He leaned back, eyes on the stars.
The system pulsed faintly — the world was watching.
He wasn't just a stowaway anymore.
He was the hidden storyteller of the seas.
And his next destination was already waiting beyond the waves.