As Shanks roared, the tavern door was kicked open. Orochimaru looked up, realizing this was the famous scene of the so-called Bandit King's appearance from his memories.
Orochimaru didn't interfere; after all, he was quite looking forward to Red Hair getting his head bashed in. He silently watched the situation unfold, his eyes briefly glancing at Luffy. Seeing Luffy eating the Devil Fruit while watching the show, his lips curved upward. That deliberately opened box, wasn't it specifically prepared for Luffy?
"Bah!" he thought, "Scheming Red Hair." He watched as the wine bottle smashed onto Red Hair's head, the liquid flowing. He quickly took out his picture transponder snail and snapped a photo. He felt as if Red Hair had stiffened for a moment, but it must have been his imagination. He waited for the bandits to leave, then silently cleaned up. "Really, what a nuisance for the shop."
Meanwhile, Luffy was arguing with Shanks because of Red Hair's cowardice. As he angrily stormed off, he found his body stretching, his face filled with horror.
"It's gone! The Gum-Gum Fruit is gone!"
"Luffy, if you eat this Fruit, you'll become a rubber man! And you'll never be able to swim again!" Shanks said solemnly, cupping Luffy's cheeks.
"Eh!!! You're lying!!! What if Orochimaru falls into the sea later on?!"
Orochimaru's hand, cleaning the floor, paused slightly. "He really is an idiot," he thought. "Shouldn't he be wondering if *he* would die if *he* fell into the sea?"
Thinking about the later plot, he felt very conflicted. He didn't want Luffy to be humiliated… but only if Red Hair saved Luffy and gave him the straw hat would Luffy decide to go to sea. He thought and thought… but couldn't come up with a solution (っ - ‸ - ς)… "I'll just follow him and make sure Luffy doesn't get hurt."
The next day, Orochimaru, claiming he hadn't rested well, had Luffy carry him. He transformed into a snake and coiled himself under Luffy's collar, hidden from view. When Luffy and the Bandit King had their confrontation, he poked his head out from under the collar, staring at the man with a cold, sinister gaze. Although there was no process of humiliation, the Bandit King was eventually cornered by Red Hair. Carrying Luffy, he fled to the sea. The rest of the events unfolded just like the original story: Shanks lost an arm saving Luffy. As for Orochimaru, he wasn't on Luffy at this time, but was retrieving the arm bitten off by the Lord of the Coast.
"You want Luffy to owe you a huge favor right in front of me? Dream on!"
On the dock,
"I won't let you take me with you. I've decided to become a Pirate myself," Luffy said, pretending to be nonchalant, with his hands behind his back, kicking at pebbles.
"You can't become a Pirate on your own."
"Yes, I can! I'll gather Companions even stronger than yours, search for the world's greatest treasure, and become the Pirate King!"
"So you want to surpass us, huh? Then… keep this hat. This is a very precious hat to me. You must return it to me someday, when you become an excellent Pirate."
He placed the hat that belonged to the former Pirate King Roger on Luffy's head. The sea sparkled behind them. At this moment, there should have been background music.
At this moving moment, a certain Orochimaru suddenly appeared.
He violently yanked off Red Hair's coat, and with a ripping sound, the shirt tore. He pushed the retrieved arm against the original joint, channeling Chakra through his palm, pressing it onto the severed end to promote cell regeneration, connect nerves, and link bones. Then he grafted some skin. "I won't even leave you a scar."
He then moved it back and forth, lifted it to examine it, and listened to the sounds.
"Raise your hand! Make a fist! Move it!" Shanks mechanically followed the instructions.
"Good… repair successful."
The surrounding Crewmates and Luffy stared down, mouths agape, watching Orochimaru direct Shanks. Luffy's face was still streaked with tears, making for a very comical sight. ο ̬ ̬ ̬ ̬ ̬ ̬ ̬ ̏ ̃ Д ο ̬ ̬ ̬ ̬ ̬ ̬ ̬ ̏ ̃
"Eh!!!!!!!!" A shocked cry echoed through the dock.
"「( ° ヘ ° ) I! Orochimaru! The hardest-to-kill villain in the Naruto World, a crazy enthusiast of eternal life who succeeded! Want to lose an arm or a leg in front of me? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
If I weren't still young, and if I had money for equipment, I could even clone a dozen spare arms for you!
Let's see how you're going to show off in front of Whitebeard this time.
What? I blocked your arm in the New Era? I can let you stay in the New Era with a dozen arms… Bah! •᷄ ࡇ •᷅
You pervert who lures little kids! If it weren't for me not wanting to be a Marine, and Luffy needing a guide, I would have sliced you up long ago.
( * ・ ω ・ ) ✄ ╰ ひ ╯
And you dared to seduce Sister Macchiato? From now on, every beating Garp gives you will be counted against you!!! Every single one!!!!
Looking at everyone's surprised expressions, he felt satisfied… He then directly smeared the remaining fragments of Red Hair's shirt onto Luffy's face, wiping away the tears. "So dirty… Since I'm here, why didn't you let me come a year earlier? Now I can only be a stinky little brother."