Faced with Luffy's invitation, Tom froze on the spot. Judging from the situation, Luffy was still alone. He hadn't even met Zoro yet. If Tom really accepted, what kind of impact would that have on the future of Luffy's crew? When he first heard Luffy's words, Tom was thrilled. But he quickly calmed himself. The truth was simple—he was just an ordinary person. To put it bluntly, Tom's combat ability was pathetic. Aside from fishing, he had no real skills. If he ran into any random small-time pirate, even if he had the courage to fight, he would still be beaten easily. He'd come from a normal family, become a normal student, and then a normal office worker. Someone like him, tossed into the world of One Piece… against ruthless pirates, what could he possibly do? If joining Luffy's crew only meant becoming dead weight, then no matter what, Tom wouldn't accept. It was better to stay in this peaceful village for the rest of his life. After thinking for a while, he made his decision. "No. I like this village, and I'm used to fishing. Becoming a pirate would trouble me." The words were half a lie. Of course he wanted to sail with Luffy, to experience those incredible adventures. Back when he watched One Piece, he had imagined being part of Luffy's crew—supporting each other, charging forward, that mutual trust… who wouldn't yearn for that? But fantasy was fantasy. Faced with reality, Tom could only choose the sensible path. Who wanted to be the burden of a team? "Fishing?" Luffy seemed to misunderstand entirely. His eyes lit up as he pointed at the baskets. "So all these fish were caught by you?" "…More or less," Tom replied. Fatty only helped put fish into baskets anyway. "I knew it! You're reliable! From now on, we're crewmates. I'm counting on you!" Luffy gave him a big smile. Count on your sister. Can you listen to what I'm saying for once? Tom suddenly felt dread. He remembered something: when Luffy invited someone, he never cared whether they agreed or not. To be blunt—Luffy would shamelessly drag you onto his ship. Tom opened his mouth to refuse again, but before he could speak, a loud growling echoed. Unbelievable. Even his stomach noises have personality. Tom stared speechlessly at the hungry Luffy. "Didn't you say you'd treat me to a feast? Let's go! After I eat, we'll set sail." Luffy urged, then added, "What's your village's specialty? It has to be meat!" You answered your own question. Why ask me? Tom rolled his eyes and told him the village specialized in fish. Then he prepared to head back. He looked at the unconscious Fatty, slapped him more than ten times until his face swelled… yet Fatty didn't react at all. With Luffy urging nonstop, Tom helplessly began rowing back. But something felt wrong. He'd been rowing for over a minute, yet the boat wasn't moving forward—if anything, it was drifting backward. The sea was calm, so this made no sense. Tom turned around—and saw Luffy on the other side of the boat, stretching one arm to hold the giant Sea King floating on the surface, while rowing with the other hand. Great. Shouldn't have let him help. He's making it worse! "Hey! What are you doing?" Tom snapped. "I want to bring it back! It'll be great for a feast," Luffy said, drooling as he looked at the Sea King. "With something that heavy, how are we supposed to move the boat at all!?" Tom nearly broke down. The Sea King was twenty times larger than their boat. "Really? I thought you were slacking off. Guess I was wrong! Hahaha!" Luffy didn't realize his mistake at all. The carefree way he said it made Tom's heart tremble. If I went to sea with him, before even meeting Zoro, I might get killed by him. No… I definitely would. That thought flashed through Tom's mind. "Guess I'll just do this then." Luffy dropped the oar. He stretched both arms and grabbed the Sea King's body. Tom opened his mouth to tell him to stop, but before he could speak, Luffy lifted the Sea King high over his head and hurled it forward. The boat shook violently under the weight and force. It nearly capsized. "What are you trying to do!?" Tom shouted. As a normal human being, he truly couldn't understand this single-cell organism. "Bring it back and eat it," Luffy said matter-of-factly. "Wasting food isn't good, you know?" Don't act righteous. You just want to eat it! Seeing Luffy drooling again, Tom knew exactly what was going on. Unable to change Luffy's mind, Tom could only row desperately, hoping to get back, feed Luffy, and send this walking disaster away. Seeing Luffy in person was enough. Going to sea with him would cost Tom a thousand lives. "Why did you invite me anyway?" Tom asked out of curiosity. "I think you're a good guy! And since you can catch fish, I won't have to worry about meat in the future." Tom wasn't surprised. With Luffy's mindset, seeing someone who could provide food was reason enough. "I also want a cook and a musician! Then I can eat meat while listening to music every day! That'd be amazing!" Luffy tossed the Sea King again. Tom had gotten used to the boat rocking violently. "With a cook, you won't need me. A cook can handle your meat problem," Tom said. He knew Sanji would join later. It made Tom even more certain—refusing was the smart choice. But just as he thought so, Luffy said while rowing, "I've thought about it! If the cook focuses on making meat, then you can focus on getting the meat! Like Sea Kings!" Luffy's eyes shined with excitement. "I ate a Sea King once—it was delicious. If you catch them often, that'd be great!" Tom's hands trembled. He nearly fell into the ocean. If I could catch Sea Kings, would I have needed you to save me!? Imagining himself hunting Sea Kings daily made him break out in cold sweat. "Ah! Land! Is that your village?" Luffy shouted excitedly, tossing the oar aside and stretching himself up the mast. "Yeah, we're almost there." Tom let out a breath of relief. "Great! I'll throw it straight into the village! I'm starving after tossing it so many times!" Luffy leapt down, stretched his arms, grabbed the Sea King again, spun in place, and hurled it as far as he could. The force shook the boat violently. Fatty finally woke up, only to immediately run to the edge and vomit. Then, before Tom could even react to the Sea King flying over a hundred meters and crashing onto land, he heard a sharp cracking noise. "Huh? What's that?" Luffy looked around. Tom followed the sound—and saw the planks beneath Luffy crack. "Oh no. The boat's sinking!" Tom shouted. The bottom split open completely, and seawater poured in. "What happened to the boat!?" Luffy asked, shocked. "Because you kept throwing the Sea King! The boat couldn't handle it!" Tom said urgently. He was right—after being stomped on and stressed by Luffy's throws, the small boat finally gave out. "Then why didn't you say so earlier?" Luffy said. Tom was speechless. I DID tell you to give up on the Sea King. You just didn't listen! He opened his mouth to scold Luffy, but then— "I can't swim!" Luffy shouted. Tom instantly remembered—Devil Fruit users were helpless in water. Luffy sank immediately. Seeing Fatty floating on a broken plank, unharmed, Tom sighed, shook his head, and jumped into the sea…
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