East Blue.
A calm stretch of sea glimmered under the morning sun as a pirate ship cut through the waves. The wind filled its sails, and the faint cry of seagulls echoed above.
On deck, Ross lay comfortably on a rocking chair, a picture of pure leisure. Beside him sat a small wooden table holding a glass of chilled juice filled with ice cubes and several plates of freshly cooked food. The scent of grilled seafood and butter lingered in the air.
Ross leaned back, patting his stomach contentedly after finishing a large plate of seafood fried rice. He let out a satisfied sigh, savoring the aftertaste.
"Gotta hand it to you, Mohawk," Ross said, giving a lazy thumbs-up. "You've got talent in the kitchen."
Tess Omic nicknamed "Mohawk" for his spiky red hair rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Ah, you flatter me, Captain. It's nothing special."
To him, cooking was just another chore aboard the ship. He didn't think much of it, but if his captain was pleased, that was enough.
After tidying up, Tess Omic returned to scanning the horizon while Ross remained stretched out, gently rocking in his chair with the sea breeze brushing against his face. He had even placed a soft blanket on the chair to make it extra comfortable.
If there was a motto Ross lived by, it was: "Enjoy life whenever you can."
Since fate had thrown him into the world of pirates, he had no intention of living dangerously.
Adventure like Luffy? Too risky.
Conquer the seas and rule territories? That sounded like an early death sentence.
Ross knew himself well. He wasn't some overpowered protagonist born to fight monsters and marines. He was just a regular guy who'd somehow gotten lucky. Why risk his neck when he could spend the rest of his days drifting through paradise?
Ten million berries sat safely in his stash the spoils from his last "adventure." To most pirates, that wasn't much, but to Ross, it was more than enough to retire comfortably.
He smiled to himself. "A little house by the coast, good food every day, naps under the sun. That's the dream."
As he was lost in this pleasant fantasy, Tess Omic came running over, a little out of breath. "Captain Ross! There's an island ahead. I think it's inhabited. Should we dock?"
Ross's eyes brightened. "A village, huh? Which one?"
"Cocoyasi Village," Tess replied quickly. "I've been there before. I recognize the coastline."
Ross's expression turned intrigued. Cocoyasi Village Nami's hometown, if he remembered the stories right.
"Prepare to drop anchor," he said without hesitation. "We're going ashore."
Tess blinked, confused. "Uh… yes, Captain."
He'd long grown used to running errands for Ross. His captain was impressively lazy he barely left his chair, spent most of the voyage napping, and only got up when there was food. If Tess hadn't personally seen Ross take down the infamous pirate Dirk, he might've thought the man couldn't fight his way out of a tavern brawl.
As the ship neared the island, the coastline of Cocoyasi Village came into view lush with orange groves and dotted with small, tidy houses.
Meanwhile, onshore, a young man in a village guard's uniform stood at the docks, his eyes widening as he spotted the pirate flag fluttering in the distance. It was the black-and-red insignia of the Dirk Pirates.
His heart skipped a beat. "Pirates!" he shouted, spinning around and sprinting back toward the village. "Everyone! Pirates are coming! They're heading straight for the island!"
He dashed through the orange groves, branches whipping against his face, until he reached a small wooden house near the edge of the village. He banged urgently on the door.
A moment later, it swung open to reveal a red-haired woman in a crisp navy uniform. Her scarlet hair was tied neatly into a ponytail beneath her marine cap, and her sharp eyes immediately fixed on him.
"What's wrong, Genzo? You look like you've seen a ghost," she said calmly.
"Bellemere," the young guard panted, "a pirate ship's about to dock. You need to stay calm, understand? Don't provoke them. If they're only here to loot, we can survive it but if you fight them, they'll kill everyone!"
Bellemere's brows furrowed. "Did you see whose flag it was?"
"I'm sure of it. The Dirk Pirates led by Captain Dirk himself. He's worth eight million berries! Please, promise me you won't try to fight them!"
Bellemere nodded, though her jaw tightened. "All right, I'll take a look. But don't worry I won't act rashly."
Genzo hesitated, then sighed. "Fine, but be careful."
Together, they hurried toward the coast.
By the time they arrived, a small crowd of villagers had gathered at the docks, clutching whatever makeshift weapons they could find kitchen knives, hoes, wooden clubs. The tension was thick enough to taste.
"Everyone, listen up!" Genzo shouted. "Don't do anything stupid! The Dirk Pirates are dangerous. Only fight if you have no choice!"
A man in a white doctor's coat stepped forward, smiling reassuringly. "Relax, Genzo. We've got help this time. Two bounty hunters just arrived in the village. They're eager to meet Dirk themselves."
As if on cue, two black-haired men stepped out from the crowd, each carrying a blade at his hip. The taller one grinned confidently.
"No need to panic, folks," he said. "If Dirk shows his face, he won't be leaving alive. Eight million berries is a good day's work, wouldn't you say, brother?"
His companion nodded, smiling.
Genzo's eyes widened. "The Carlo and Kaff brothers? You're here?"
"That's right," Carlo said proudly. "Dirk might be strong, but compared to us, he's just another unlucky fool."
A ripple of relief passed through the villagers. The Carlo brothers were famous across the East Blue top-five bounty hunters known for taking down pirates with bounties exceeding ten million berries.
Still, the tension lingered as the pirate ship approached the docks.
When Tess Omic peeked over the railing and saw the crowd of armed villagers waiting below, his face turned pale. He dashed behind Ross and whispered nervously, "Uh, Captain, maybe we should… not stop here. They look a little too welcoming."
Ross glanced over lazily, then raised a brow. "What do you mean, too welcoming?"
Tess almost choked. "Sir, that's not welcoming! They're ready to kill us!"
Ross ignored him and stood, stretching his arms with a content sigh. "Come on, let's go greet them."
Before Tess could protest, Ross grabbed him by the collar and leapt over the side of the ship, landing effortlessly on the dock.
He straightened up, brushing the dust from his coat as he looked around at the stunned crowd.
"Wow, everyone's so enthusiastic!" Ross said cheerfully, flashing a grin. "You really didn't have to go through all this trouble just to welcome me. I'm just passing by!"
The villagers blinked, completely bewildered.
Welcome him?
They exchanged confused glances.
Who on earth looks at a mob of armed villagers and thinks that's a warm welcome?
Ross, apparently.
And as he stood there smiling under the bright sun, completely oblivious to the fear and tension around him, even the bounty hunters found themselves momentarily speechless.
The man was either a fool or far more dangerous than he appeared.