Bang.
The captain had been in his cabin, sitting at the desk with a cargo manifest in hand, already imagining the profit this run would bring. He'd just lifted his teacup, ready to enjoy a perfect sip, when the door slammed open so violently his hand jolted.
Tea splashed out.
He set the cup down with a sharp clack and glared at the sailor who had barged in.
"Damn it, Shimu. If you don't have something important, I'll dock your pay."
"It is important, Captain. Th there's someone outside… swimming toward us."
"What?" The captain's face hardened. "Pirates?"
He shoved past Shimu and strode straight for the deck.
Shimu scrambled after him, flustered. "N no pirates, Captain. Just… just one person!"
"What?"
"Only one," Shimu repeated weakly, shrinking under the captain's glare.
"Idiot. You interrupted my afternoon tea over something like that?"
"But Captain, he's really fast. He's almost caught up to the ship!"
That made the captain pause. Interest flickered across his face.
"Oh? Someone swimming in open sea and catching my ship? That's a new one."
He raised his binoculars and followed the direction Shimu pointed.
Sure enough, a figure cut through the water like a fish, closing the distance at an absurd speed.
"Stop the ship," the captain ordered.
Roy saw the merchant ship slowing. He stopped sprinting through the water at full speed, and when he drew close, he grabbed the rope ladder they lowered and climbed up.
"Yo, everyone. Good morning!"
Roy swung himself over the railing and landed on deck, grinning at the sailors who immediately gathered around him.
The captain pushed through the crowd, staring at the kid in front of him.
A lean, well built body. A grass skirt around his waist. A face that was still unmistakably young.
"Brat. What's your name, and why are you alone out here?"
Roy nodded seriously. "My name's Roy."
He lifted a hand and pointed toward the distant island. "I've been living there alone for three years. Saw your ship passing by, so I swam after you."
The sailors around him looked stunned.
They ran this route year round. They all knew how dangerous that island was. It was hard to imagine how a child like Roy had survived there by himself.
The captain patted Roy's shoulder, his expression softening with pity.
"You're one lucky kid. Do you know where your hometown is? If we're going the same way, I can drop you off."
"Thanks, Ossan," Roy said, calling him uncle the way kids did, casual and familiar. "But no need. I don't have any family left back home. Just leave me at any island with people."
The captain's eyes dimmed with sympathy.
He turned and barked at Shimu. "Go find him some clothes. And bring food."
"Yes, Captain!" Shimu answered and ran.
Roy stood on deck while the sailors sized him up.
"This kid really lived on that island for three years?"
"Look at him. He's built."
"Hahaha, maybe he got big eating man eating plants!"
Roy didn't care about their chatter. Instead, he looked over the merchant ship.
Not bad. Well maintained. Plenty of crates stacked on deck, packed tight like they were hauling a full load.
Shimu returned quickly with a sailor uniform and a tray of food.
"Here. Might be a bit big, but it'll do."
Roy pulled it on. The sleeves were indeed too long, so he rolled them up a few times.
Then he took a huge bite of bread and spoke around the mouthful.
"Thanks."
The captain leaned on the railing and lit a cigarette. "Kid, your swimming speed is insane. I've never seen anyone chase down a ship before."
Roy swallowed and flashed a grin. "It's alright. On that island, if you don't swim, you die. I trained it."
"Die?" the captain echoed.
"There are a lot of giant carnivorous plants on the island," Roy replied casually. "At the beginning, if you ran slow, you got eaten."
The captain exhaled a smoke ring. "Sounds like you got lucky."
"Yeah." Roy scratched the back of his head. "Lucky as hell. By the way, where's this ship headed?"
"Sabaody Archipelago. The last island in the first half of the Grand Line." The captain flicked ash off his cigarette. "We run cargo, make profit. If you don't mind, you can work with us for a bit. We'll talk again once we reach Sabaody."
Roy's eyes lit up. Sabaody.
"Really? That'd be great!"
"But let me be clear," the captain said, raising one finger. "On my ship, everyone works. I don't feed freeloaders."
"No problem!" Roy thumped his chest. "I'm strong!"
The sailors burst out laughing. A burly man with heavy stubble stepped forward.
"Strong, huh? That's not enough. We test it first."
He pointed at a heavy cargo crate on deck.
"Carry that into the hold. Can you do it?"
Roy glanced at the crate. It had to be at least a couple hundred kilos.
He walked over, gripped the edges with both hands, and lifted it effortlessly.
"This one? Where do you want it?"
The laughter died instantly.
The stubbly man's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
"Y you little monster…"
Roy shifted the crate on his shoulder and shook it slightly. "Well? Tell me where."
"Hold Three! Hurry, hurry!"
Following the directions, Roy carried it down. Then he ran back up, and then down again.
A few trips later, all the cargo that needed moving was already stowed, and Roy still looked like he could keep going.
The sailors stared at him like he wasn't human.
The captain watched, the corner of his mouth lifting.
"Interesting kid. Shimu, get him a bunk."
"Got it!"
By evening, Roy sat by the railing, watching the sunset sink slowly into the sea.
His three years on Boin Archipelago flashed through his mind.
The desperate early days, running for his life.
The later days, when he became the island's top predator.
Even with Peashooter around, that loneliness had never truly gone away.
Now he was back among people again, and a rush of emotion rose in his chest so fierce he couldn't name it.
"Hey, kid."
The stubbly man walked over with two lunch boxes. "Time to eat. This one's yours."
Roy accepted it. "Thanks, Uncle. How long until we reach Sabaody?"
"Call me Jack." The man sat beside him and opened his lunch box. "Sabaody? At this speed, about two days."
Then Jack's tone turned serious.
"But listen. Sabaody is lively, but it's dangerous too. It's the last stop before the New World. Pirates and slave traders crawl all over that place."
"When we get there, don't wander around. You'll get snatched up."
Roy grinned. "Relax, Uncle Jack. I'm strong!"
Jack laughed. "Sure, sure. But you're still a kid."
"Eat, then sleep early. Tomorrow there's more work."
Night fell.
The merchant ship glided across calm waters.
Roy lay in a hammock in the sailors' quarters, listening to the snores around him, yet he couldn't sleep at all.
He turned over and stared at the pitch black ceiling.
With his eyes closed, the images returned.
The struggle.
The hunger.
The blood.
The fear.
Those days had been brutal, but they had also made him stronger.
Maybe… it was time to find something more interesting to do.