Chapter 6: A Chance Encounter with LuffyRelying on the knowledge of mechanics of materials that he knew by heart, he squatted on the beach for three days drawing blueprints, then slowly shaped the timber, carving out the keel, hull planks, and ribs of the ship, grinding every interface until they fit together seamlessly.Lacking iron nails, he used resin-soaked vines to create mortise and tenon joints for fixation, then used his Fruit ability to concoct a wood-healing agent, drizzling it bit by bit onto the joints of the timber.A miraculous thing happened.Under the effect of the healing agent, those cut and shaped pieces of timber actually grew new, fine wood fibers.Like countless tiny hands, they tightly gripped the seams, fusing the two pieces of wood together firmly, seamless, without even a single drop of water being able to seep through.Every connection on the ship's hull was natural, with not the slightest trace of artificial joining; even if the top shipwrights of Water 7 came, they would widen their eyes and exclaim that it was absurd.Another twenty days passed, and a magnificent single-masted sailboat finally rested steadily on the beach.The ship was twenty meters long, eight meters wide, with a gunwale height of ten meters; standing beside it and looking up, it was like a three-story building, gleaming with the warm luster of raw wood under the sunlight.The entire ship was divided into seven levels, top to bottom. The lowest level was the ballast watertight compartment, filled with polished pebbles to prevent the ship from being too light and rocking in the waves.Three levels down from the top, there was a dedicated strength training room, along with four empty storage compartments.Two levels down, there was his exclusive potion preparation room, equipped with temperature-controlled, light-proof storage compartments, plus five empty rooms.The main deck on the lowest level was divided into six bedrooms, each about twenty square meters.The first-level main cabin contained an open kitchen, a living room, a medical room, and four spare rooms.The second level up was divided into five twenty-square-meter bedrooms.The third level up contained three bedrooms, with a fifty-square-meter master bedroom in the middle, offering a wide view.The top level, level three and a half, occupied only one-quarter of the ship's area and had the best lighting; he had converted it into a small plantation, specifically for transplanting edible plants.The whole ship exhausted all the timber on the island, and the hull was polished to be smooth and sturdy, with a special streamlined design at the bottom to minimize water resistance as much as possible.He even used the healing agent to stimulate a layer of fine wooden protective coating inside the hull.Even if hit by a cannonball, as long as it wasn't completely shattered, the wood fibers could slowly self-heal, repairing the damaged areas."Perfect."Adam stood at the bow, patted the solid hull with his palm, feeling the wooden texture through his hand, stable as if standing on land, and he couldn't stop smiling."I'm a pharmacy graduate student, yet I was forced into becoming a master shipbuilder. With this ship, let alone coastal waters, it would be more than enough to even venture into the Calm Belt of the Grand Line."He gave the ship a simple name—the flying.After all, the dream carved into his bones had always been to soar into the clouds.Next came the final preparations before setting sail.He transplanted the wild fruit plants on the island, along with the fertile soil around their roots, into the plantation on the ship's top deck.Using the healing agent to stimulate root stabilization, he created a small mobile orchard to ensure he wouldn't run out of food sources at sea.He also used high heat to burn the quartz sand on the beach, pulling out high-purity silicon crystals, and blew them into glass test tubes and beakers of various sizes.He extracted and purified all usable plant and biological components on the island, turned them into mother liquors capable of infinite division and proliferation, sorted them into test tubes, and neatly arranged them into the storage compartments of the potion room.He wove dozens of highly resilient fishing rods using plant bark, and used the sturdiest linen mixed with resin to make a huge sail, which he firmly fixed to the thirty-meter-high mast with vines.Besides that, the storage compartments in the cabin were filled with glass bottles of various sizes, containing the various potions he had prepared.Hemostatic and anti-inflammatory agents, stamina supplements, muscle relaxants, seawater desalination agents, insect repellents...There were even a few bottles of high-concentration nerve anesthetic, specifically for dealing with large sea beasts in the deep sea.Everything was ready, just waiting for a high tide.One morning, after staying on the island for three full months, the astronomical high tide arrived as scheduled.The surging seawater roared and flooded onto the beach, slowly lifting the heavy the flying; the hull swayed gently in the waves and then floated steadily.Adam tore off the ropes securing the hull, leaped onto the bow, and raised his hand to unfurl the huge sail.The salty, fishy sea breeze instantly filled the sail, making a loud flapping sound. The hull jolted, broke through the waves, and sailed out into the vast ocean.Standing at the bow, he looked back at the increasingly smaller deserted island, suddenly laughed out loud, and shouted at the sea, facing the sea breeze."Goodbye to you! My adventure at sea has officially begun!"The sea breeze ruffled his hair; beneath his feet was the surging sea, and before his eyes was the boundless blue.He had finally escaped that tiny deserted island, heading toward this ocean full of infinite possibilities.But the days at sea were much more boring than Adam had imagined.For over ten days, everywhere he looked, it was the same sea. The sky was blue, the sea was blue, and except for the occasional flying fish jumping out of the water, he couldn't even see the shadow of an island.What was even worse was that he was completely lost at sea.There were no road signs here, no reference points, and even the geomagnetism was different from his original world. He had fashioned countless compasses, but the needles all spun wildly, unable to point in the right direction at all.The only fortunate thing was that his food reserves were sufficient.His daily routine was to squat by the gunwale fishing and practice the Five-Animal Exercises on the deck before dawn.He would hole up in the potion room concocting stamina recovery agents and energy supplements, and the rest of the time, he would lean against the gunwale, muttering to the boundless sea."Damn it, this ocean is just too absurd. I've been traveling for over ten days and haven't seen a single living thing, just fish, nothing but fish.""I'm not going to end up drifting to my death at sea, am I? If I had known, I should have studied navigation. This ghost of a place doesn't even have any reference points. I hope I don't drift back to that deserted island.""I'm hungry. The fish I caught today isn't enough to eat; I guess I'll have to gnaw on some fruit..."Just as he was complaining to the sea for the Nth time, feeling like he was about to grow mushrooms from boredom, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of a huge wooden barrel floating on the distant horizon.It was bobbing up and down with the waves, standing out strikingly against the blue.Adam instantly perked up, his eyes lighting up."Holy crap! A barrel?! A barrel floating at sea is either a distress signal or gold and silver treasure hidden by pirates. My luck has arrived!"He immediately rushed back to the helm, jerked the ship's wheel, and steered the flying toward the barrel.When the hull was within three meters of the barrel, he immediately threw out the large net made of thick rope he had woven, flicked his wrist, and the net accurately caught the barrel. With a burst of strength in his arms, he hauled it and the net onto the deck.This barrel was taller than him, tightly secured with iron hoops, and very solid. It felt heavy when he hugged it; he didn't know what was inside.Adam circled the barrel twice, pulled out a sharpened stone knife, and muttered to himself."Could it be gold and silver treasure hidden by some pirate crew? If it really is, then my money for buying materials and upgrading the ship will all be set."He took a deep breath, inserted the stone knife into the barrel lid's latch, exerted force with his wrist, pried open the latch, and then suddenly flipped open the lid.The moment the lid was opened, a boy wearing a red vest, blue shorts, and a straw hat suddenly popped out of the barrel. While still in mid-air, he shouted that deafening line."I am Monkey D. Luffy!"
AlvidaAdam froze in place, the sharp stone knife he had been honing clattering against the wooden deck and rolling far away.His mind went blank instantly, like a seabird stunned by a giant wave, he even forgot how to breathe.Luffy? Monkey D. Luffy?The man who shouted that he would become the Pirate King? The absolute protagonist of this manga?He had only been at sea for ten days, and he ran directly into the main storyline? This coincidence was as absurd as the dozen times he messed up a potion formula.He didn't appear early, he didn't appear late, but chose the exact moment when he had moved all his belongings onto the ship and was drifting at sea so long he was practically growing mushrooms, to pop out of a barrel.Before Adam could recover from his shock, the boy who had just popped out of the barrel slipped, fell flat on his face with a solid thud, and then bounced back up like a spring.His entire Rubber face had been flattened by the impact, but it instantly snapped back to its original shape, leaving not even a red mark.Luffy didn't care where he was, nor did he pay attention to the stranger in front of him. He sniffed hard twice, his bright black eyes instantly shining like two stars. With a sway of his body, he shot like an arrow, leaving an afterimage as he dashed to the small orchard at the stern of the ship."Wow! Such fragrant fruit!"He reached out and snatched the largest golden sweet fruit, took a crunchy bite, and the clear, sweet juice instantly exploded in his mouth.His face scrunched up into a bun in pure bliss, and with bulging cheeks, he finished one in a few bites, not even spitting out the pit, before reaching back to pick a second one.He shouted incoherently with his mouth full."So delicious! This is the best fruit I've ever eaten! It's even better than the meat in the mountains!"By the time Adam finally reacted and rushed over, Luffy had already devoured the fruit from three trees like a gust of wind. His belly was bulging like a ball stuffed with watermelons, and he leaned against a fruit tree, letting out a satisfied burp."Finally full."Adam's face turned pitch black instantly, his mouth twitching so hard he could hang an oil bottle from it, and his temples throbbed uncontrollably.That was his carefully calculated ration for an entire week.On this vast ocean where not even a shadow of an island could be seen, these fruit trees that he could infinitely ripen were his lifeline.He gritted his teeth and shouted at the Straw Hatboy who was still rubbing his stomach."Hey, Straw Hat, that was my food supply, and you finished it all in one meal?"Only then did Luffy seem to notice him. He scratched the back of his head, grinned, and revealed a big, carefree smile, showing not a shred of embarrassment."Ah, sorry, sorry! Your fruit was too delicious, I couldn't help myself!""By the way, who are you? Your ship is amazing! You actually grow fruit trees on it!""My name is Adam."Adam held his forehead, forcibly suppressing the urge to throw this kid back into the sea, his internal complaints overflowing.Just as in the manga, a glutton, a natural airhead, and so thick-headed he could walk right through the teeth of a Sea King.But now was not the time to think about that. His food supply was gone; it looked like he would have to concoct a batch of high-concentration nutrient solution for emergencies.He had been drifting at sea for over ten days without any source of supplies, and he didn't want to experience the taste of starvation again.Next time he reached land, the first thing he would do was stock up an entire ship's hold with ingredients and materials, to avoid running into another glutton who could finish half a tree in one sitting."Adam? What a strange name."Luffy blinked, suddenly lunged forward, and brought his face right up to his, his nose tip only ten centimeters away from his own. His bright black eyes were full of curiosity, sparkling."But how do you make the fruit grow so well? And so sweet? Is it magic?""I've never eaten fruit this delicious before.""It's not magic, it's a potion."Adam raised an eyebrow, a faint green light glowing at his fingertips. Aiming at the remaining half of the bare fruit tree, he flicked a drop of ripening agent onto it.In the blink of an eye, the fruit tree that had been stripped down to its branches instantly sprouted new buds, blossomed, and bore fruit. Golden fruit hung heavy on the branches, and a sweet fragrance instantly filled the entire deck.This was a little trick he had figured out while researching the Yaku Yaku no Mi: he could store a portion of refined medicinal liquid within his body.The storage capacity wasn't large, only about a hundred catties, but as his fruit ability improved, the storage capacity was growing as well.When he needed it, he could condense it directly at his fingertips, which was much more convenient than mixing medicine in a laboratory.Luffy was dumbfounded, his mouth open wide enough to fit a fist. The next second, he jumped high into the air, spinning around Adam, shouting excitedly."Wow! That's amazing! You're super amazing! Even better than the mayor of Foosha Village!"Just then, a loud cannon blast suddenly echoed across the distant sea.A piercing whistle cut through the air, and a cannonball smashed hard against the side of the flying, exploding a water spray a dozen meters high. Icy seawater drenched them, soaking their clothes.Adam and Luffy looked up simultaneously.A large pink ship flying a pirate flag was breaking through the waves and sailing towards them at full speed. An ugly skull was painted on the sail, and the ship's hull crashed through the waves with a loud splashing sound.Standing on the bow was a tall, sturdy woman holding a giant spiked club taller than a person. Her face was covered in rolls of fat, and her eyes were fierce. It was Alvida.Behind her cowered a small, pink-haired boy wearing round glasses. He was shivering like a leaf in the autumn wind, his face as white as paper. It was Koby.Alvida's roar carried over the sea breeze, her gravelly voice loud enough to make one's eardrums ache."You two bastards, hand over the barrel you fished out just now!""And all the food and treasure on your ship, leave it all for me! Otherwise, I'll smash your pathetic ship into pieces!"Adam raised an eyebrow and leaned against the railing, slowly twirling a bottle of light green potion, the liquid inside swirling with tiny bubbles.He knew full well that this was the future owner of the Sube Sube no Mi, the Captain of the AlvidaPirates.Right now, she was just a pirate relying on brute force to run rampant in the coastal waters, and the thing she cared about most was being called ugly.Sure enough, the moment the thought crossed his mind, Luffy leaned out and shouted at the top of his lungs toward Alvida's ship."Hey! Who are you? You look so ugly!"That one sentence instantly lit the powder keg.Alvida's face instantly turned the color of liver, fire seeming to spew from her eyes as she raised her spiked club and roared furiously."What the hell did you say?! I am the most beautiful woman in this sea! Kill them! Tear that brat into pieces!"The pirates behind her howled and carried wooden planks to bridge over to the flying. Waving swords and guns, looking fierce and menacing, they charged onto the deck across the planks.Just as Adam was about to raise his hand to throw the muscle relaxant in his hand, Luffy had already moved a step ahead.
Chapter 8: Luffy's InvitationHe took a step forward, and his arm suddenly stretched backward.His Rubber arm pulled taut, and he threw a fierce punch at the few pirates charging at the front, shouting loudly."Rubber Rubber — Pistol!"His stretched arm snapped back instantly, the immense force sending the pirates flying as they fell into the sea with screams, splashing up huge waves.Adam raised an eyebrow, sighing inwardly.As expected of the Gum-Gum Fruit; this ability was practically tailor-made for fighting. As long as it wasn't a sharp weapon, he could basically avoid injury.And most importantly, it could even be immune to lightning?The remaining pirates froze for a moment, then, eyes reddening, they yelled and charged up the gangplank, swarming like sharks fighting for food.Adam chuckled and casually tossed the serum bottle in his hand.The glass bottle shattered in the center of the gangplank, and a pale green mist instantly dispersed, covering the entire gangplank like an invisible web.The charging pirates inhaled the mist and froze instantly. It was as if their bones had been sucked out; their eyes unfocused, and they collapsed like mud, their weapons clattering onto the deck and rolling everywhere.They lay paralyzed on the gangplank, unable to even lift a finger, screaming in terror."My strength... what's going on? I can't muster any strength!""Dirty tricks! What kind of dirty tricks are you using, kid!"Alvida saw her subordinates all taken down in the blink of an eye, her eyes turning bloodshot. She raised her giant spiked club and charged straight across the gangplank, her heavy footsteps making it thud loudly.She swung the club fiercely at Adam's head, the spikes whistling through the air, about to make contact.Adam stood still, even having the leisure to shake another bottle of dark purple serum in his hand at her, raising an eyebrow as he spoke."Sorry, I'm a pharmacist; I never rely on brute force to fight."Just as the spikes of the club were about to touch the top of his head, Luffy's figure suddenly flashed in front of him, blocking the way.Luffy's arm stretched out violently once more, and he landed a solid punch right on Alvida's ferocious face."Rubber Rubber — Pistol!"With a loud "bang," Alvida didn't even have time to scream before she was sent flying by the punch, tracing a long arc like a cannonball before crashing heavily into the distant sea, splashing up huge waves.The entire sea surface instantly fell into a deathly silence following the commotion.Cowering at the stern of the other ship, Kobywatched this scene with wide, round eyes and an open mouth, unable to close it for a long time, his glasses sliding down to the tip of his nose.Luffy clapped his hands, turned around, and grinned at Adam with a brilliant smile."Done!"Adam chuckled helplessly and shook his head."You beat me to it.""Because they were going to bully my partner!"Luffy said it as a matter of course, his eyes sparkling, completely unaware that the two of them had known each other for less than half an hour.The serum bottle in Adam's fingertips paused slightly; it felt as if something had gently bumped his heart, and he said nothing more.Just then, Koby stumbled over from Alvida's ship, rushing across the gangplank onto the deck of the flying.He bowed deeply to Luffy and Adam, bending his waist at a ninety-degree angle, his voice trembling uncontrollably with a sob."Thank you... thank you for saving me... thank you so much."Adam looked at the pink-haired boy.His clothes were tattered, he was covered in injuries, and he was so thin he was nothing but skin and bones, yet the eyes behind his round glasses held a stubborn resilience.This was the future Marine hero Koby, the boy who dared to shout for a ceasefire to the Admiral during the Marineford War.He reached out and handed over a bottle of light blue stamina supplement, smiling lightly at Koby."I'm Adam. Drink this; you look pale."Koby froze for a moment, then quickly took the serum bottle with both hands and took a cautious sip.A warm current slid down his throat into his stomach, instantly surging through his limbs and bones; his exhaustion and weakness dissipated as if washed away by a tide.He bowed deeply to Adam again, bending his waist at a ninety-degree angle."Thank you, Mr. Adam. You are truly a good person."Adam waved his hand, his fingertips gently twirling the empty small medicine bottle."Don't mention it."He looked up at the sea, his tone indifferent."I just can't stand it when people bully others by abusing their power."Luffy had already hopped onto Alvida's pirate ship, rummaging through the cabin and kicking wooden crates with a clatter.After a while, he ran back with a round, bulging belly, dried meat crumbs still on the corner of his mouth, and pouted in disappointment."Adam, let's tow this ship with us."Luffy swung his arms, his tone full of expectation."We can take it to town to exchange for money and buy tons of food."Adam's mouth twitched slightly.As expected, this guy's head was filled with nothing but meat and sweets. Judging by the extent of his bulging belly, the food supplies on this ship had probably been devoured by him.It seems I'll need to prepare a few more bottles of energy supplement serum in the future.Otherwise, with such a top-tier eater on the ship, no one's savings could withstand it.He shook his head, suppressing this absurd thought.But he didn't object.He was indeed short on Berries right now; the materials needed for developing the genetic serumwere all astronomically expensive.Adam bent down, grabbed a thick vine, and tied Alvida's pirate ship firmly to the stern of the flying, wrapping it round and round and tying it tight.The sails were suddenly filled by the sea breeze, flapping loudly as the ships slowly sailed toward Shells Town, as Luffy called it.As for those pirates who were sent flying, they had long since disappeared into the vast sea, not even a shadow remaining.Adam's mind at the moment was entirely focused on the materials for the genetic serum; he hadn't even thought about Devil Fruit extraction.If he had paid a little more attention, he would have chased after those people and intercepted the Sube Sube no Mi.The sea surface was as smooth as dark blue silk, and the flying cut through the waves, moving steadily forward.Luffy sat at the bow, his short legs dangling, chewing on dried meat with a crunching sound, the salty sea breeze carrying the aroma of meat into the air.He suddenly turned his head and gave Adam a huge smile, his eyes as bright as the morning sun breaking through the clouds.A thought popped into his head.There was a ready-made big ship and such a capable person.Wouldn't that be perfect..."Oi, Adam."Adam leaned against the ship's railing, twirling a bottle of pale green serum with his fingertips, and looked up at him."Hmm? What is it?"Luffy leaned forward, squatting on the deck, his tone incomparably serious."You're super amazing; you can make super sweet fruit, use awesome serums to defeat bad guys, and build such an amazing ship."He clenched his small fists, his eyes burning bright."Join my pirate crew! I'm going to be the Pirate King, and I need a partner like you."
Chapter 9: Shells TownAdam's fingertips suddenly froze, the genetic serumbottle in his hand stopping in mid-air, swaying slightly.Join the Straw Hat Pirates.In the future, he would have to face the Shichibukai, the Four Emperors, and the Admirals. He would have to face the World Government, the Gorosei, and Imu, and confront the most violent storms at the pinnacle of this vast ocean.But thinking about it from another perspective.In this perilous pirate world, there is no place safer than the ship of the main characters.Luffy's companions have always been existence he would risk his life to protect.More importantly, following the Straw Hat Pirateswould allow him to traverse the Grand Line, set foot on countless magical islands, and encounter ancient dinosaurs, deep-sea Sea Kings, and countless rare plants and strange creatures.All of these were the rarest, top-tier materials for him to develop his genetic serum.This was simply a top-tier opportunity dropped from the heavens.Adam looked at Luffy, who was laughing heartlessly in front of him, then looked out at the boundless ocean, surging with shimmering light. The corners of his mouth slowly lifted, revealing a clean and brilliant smile.He put away the genetic serum bottle in his hand and reached out to Luffy."Alright, Luffy. I'll join."Luffy's eyes instantly shone with a dazzling light. He sprang up from the deck, lunged over to hug Adam, and squeezed him so hard he almost couldn't breathe.He jumped excitedly on the deck, his shouts causing ripples on the sea surface."Great! We have a new companion! Wow! From now on, I'll have endless sweet fruits to eat!"Adam's shoulders ached from the hug, so he helplessly patted Luffy's back and added with a smile."But let's get this straight, I'm the ship's pharmacist. From now on, all physical enhancements on the ship will be under my management."He paused, his tone becoming a bit serious."But you all have to accompany me when looking for rare materials, catching Sea Kings, or exploring strange islands."Luffy let go of him, gave him a crooked salute, and grinned broadly."No problem!"He patted his chest, his voice loud."We are companions, after all!""I'm going to find ten companions, head to the Grand Line together, and become the Pirate King."Koby, watching this scene from the side, felt his tense face slowly relax. He couldn't help but laugh out loud, his eyes behind his glasses full of longing. Deep down, he also harbored his own dream: to become a Marine.The sea breeze filled the sails fiercely, carrying a salty, warm scent.the flying towed the pirate ship, heading straight toward Shells Town at full speed, guided by Koby, while facing the morning sun.Luffy stood at the bow, arms spread wide, facing the wind and the entire ocean, shouting the declaration engraved in his bones and blood."Pirate King! I'm going to be the one!"Adam leaned against the ship's rail, watching the high-spirited youth beside him, his fingers twirling a light green serum bottle.His eyes were filled with anticipation for the future.The genetic serum, the Grand Line, and all the miracles and adventures on this vast ocean.He was coming.The morning sun climbed into the sky, dyeing the sea surface a golden red.the flying, towing Alvida's broken ship, docked steadily at the pier of Shells Town.The rough stone pier was scorched by the sun. As soon as the ship stopped, Luffy, as if equipped with powerful springs, leaped onto the shore with a 'whoosh'.He sniffed hard with his nose, and his eyes instantly shone like two little suns.Luffy grabbed Adam's arm and rushed into the town, his shouts audible to the entire street."Meat, I smell the scent of meat! Adam, Koby, hurry up! I'm going to eat twenty plates of grilled meat."Luffy's nose was comparable to the most sensitive radar; he could precisely lock onto the aroma of grilled meat from hundreds of meters away."Slow down, what's the rush?"Adam was dragged into a stumble, his footsteps faltering.He reached back to press down Luffy's straw hat, which had slid to the tip of his nose, and rolled his eyes helplessly.Just from that tug, he clearly perceived that the muscles in his arm had already suffered slight damage."You just gnawed on half a roasted sea pig three hours ago. Is your stomach a bottomless pit?"Adam frowned, his tone carrying a hint of sarcasm."Also, lock the ship's anchor first. Don't let the ships get stolen."He pointed to the two ships on the sea, his tone serious."One is our ship for continuing our voyage; if it's lost, you'll be swimming in the ocean by yourself. The other one needs to be exchanged for Berries; we'll sell it once we find a buyer."Luffy scratched his head. Hearing that he would have to swim in the ocean, he immediately wilted. He was a landlubber, and he feared falling into the sea most of all.He nimbly ran back and slammed the anchor of Alvida's ship hard into the crevices of the pier.He also used vines to tie the two ships together securely, muttering to himself."Can't let the ships run away, otherwise I won't be able to ride the flying to the Grand Line."Adam had named this ship he built with his own hands with a name that hid his original intention: the flying.After all, his original dream was to soar into the clouds and become a pilot.Now this ship would carry him across this vast ocean, as free as a flying bird, heading toward the distance.Koby, on the side, was so nervous that his whole body was tense, like a drawn bowstring.He adjusted his round glasses that had slid to the tip of his nose, his voice as soft as a mosquito's hum."Mr. Adam, Mr. Luffy, this is a town under the jurisdiction of a Marine Base."Koby shrank his neck, his eyes uneasy."We should keep a low profile. If the Marines recognize that we towed a pirate ship, we'll be arrested."Luffy patted his chest, laughing heartlessly, without a shred of fear."What's there to fear?"He tilted his head, his tone matter-of-fact."We can just beat them away. Besides, we are pirates; we're supposed to be caught by the Marines anyway."Luffy even laughed out loud."Moreover, if we aren't chased by the Marines, where would our bounties come from? Hahaha."Koby's face turned white instantly, his eye sockets slightly red, and he almost cried on the spot.His dream was to become a Marine. If the Marines saw him hanging out with pirates, he would never even touch the threshold of the Marines in his life.Adam smiled and patted Koby's shoulder, handing him a bottle of light blue soothing potion."Don't listen to him. We're just here to eat and resupply. We won't go looking for trouble, don't worry."Although he said that, Adam knew the situation clearly.This Shells Town was the first plot node for them as they entered this vast ocean.Here, there were townspeople crushed by tyranny, arrogant bullies throwing their weight around, and that Three Sword Style swordsman, Roronoa Zoro, tied up under the moldy sunlight, full of pride.He didn't say anything more.He just followed the rowdy Luffy into the largest restaurant at the entrance of the town.That was also the only tavern in town that dared to barely stay open for business under Colonel Morgan's nose.He pressed his palm against the rough wooden door and pushed it open forcefully. A crisp "creak" cut through the noise of the street. The rowdy tavern, as if a pause button had been pressed, instantly fell into dead silence.
Chapter 10: ZoroThe clinking of chopsticks against bowls ceased abruptly, the sounds of chewing meat were swallowed back into throats, and even breathing was kept extremely light.Only the flame of the kerosene lamp in the corner flickered in the draft, stretching the shadows of everyone in the room, making them grow and shrink.The reason lay hidden in the corner, where several Marine soldiers were slumped at a table.Their dark blue uniforms were wrinkled, the hilts of the swords at their waists polished until they shone, and their knuckles tapped against the tabletop, the "tap-tap" sound hammering directly into everyone's hearts.Their expressions were so gloomy they could drip water, and their gazes swept across the room with a "keep away" demeanor that made the air turn stiff.Luffy didn't notice this suffocating tension at all; he strode over to the largest round table and plopped down, causing the wooden table to let out a "creak" of protest.He bellowed at the owner behind the counter."Owner, bring out all the meat in the shop, and ten cups of juice, as fast as possible."The owner was a young woman with delicate features; her face instantly drained of color, and she crumpled the rag in her hand.She hurried over, reached out to press down on Luffy's arm, and her voice was suppressed to a mosquito's hum; she didn't even dare to breathe."Keep it down, young man, do you not want to live?"She darted a quick glance at the Marines in the corner, her fingertips icy cold."Making noise here, if heard by the Colonel's men, you'll be arrested."Luffy tilted his head, reached up to scratch the back of his head, looking completely bewildered."Colonel?"He blinked, his tone full of curiosity."What Colonel? Is he very strong? Is he edible?"The female owner's lips trembled slightly, the fear in her eyes impossible to hide, and her voice dropped a few notches."Colonel Morgan, the highest-ranking officer in charge of this Marine Base."She gripped the corner of her apron, her knuckles turning white."He is the law here, his word is final. If he's even slightly displeased, he'll swing his axe and cut people down. Everyone in this town lives under his thumb, not even daring to breathe loudly."Adam picked up the glass on the table, his fingertips touching the cold glass wall, the droplets of condensation making his palm feel damp. He took a sip of lukewarm water, a faint coolness sliding down his throat, and thought to himself:Axe-Hand Colonel Morgan, isn't this just the "local emperor" of Shells Town, the show-off of the dictatorship world?Just then, two Marines at the next table leaned in together, shoulder to shoulder, their voices kept extremely low.Their muffled muttering drifted into their ears with the breeze."Have you heard? That Pirate Hunter Zoro is still tied up at the base's execution grounds."Another Marine scoffed, his tone filled with disdain."Hmph, who told him to dare offend Young Master Helmeppo? Serves him right.""In two more days, once the ten-day deadline is up, he's a dead man.""That's true, Young Master Helmeppo is Colonel Morgan's son after all. In this Shells Town, who dares to mess with him?""Pirate Hunter? Zoro?"Luffy instantly perked up, his ears pricked straight, and he lunged over, slapping one of the Marines on the shoulder with enough force to make the Marinealmost choke."Hey! Is the Zoro you're talking about that really strong Three Sword Style swordsman? What happened to him?"The two Marines instantly bristled, springing up from their chairs, their hands "whooshing" onto their sword hilts, their faces turning bright red as they shouted angrily."Who are you, kid? Are you tired of living?!"Just as they were about to draw their swords, the owner rushed over, grabbing the Marines' sleeves, bowing so low her waist was almost touching the ground, smiling apologetically to smooth things over.After much persuasion, she managed to convince the two Marines to return to their seats.The two curled their lips, finished the meat on the table, didn't even pay for the meal, kicked the threshold, and swaggered off, their footsteps sounding particularly harsh in the quiet street.Once Luffy sat back down, the owner crouched beside him, wiping the corners of her eyes with her apron, and whispered the ins and outs of the matter into his ear.It turned out that nine days ago, Helmeppo was running wild in town with a vicious wolf, and that wolf suddenly lunged at her daughter, Rika.Zoro happened to be passing by, and with one swing of his blade, he killed the vicious wolf.Helmeppo was furious and embarrassed, threatening Zoro by holding the entire town hostage.As long as Zoro was willing to be tied to the execution grounds for ten days without food or water, he would spare everyone in town. Zoroagreed.But everyone knew that Helmeppo never intended to let him leave alive."That boy is too pitiful."The female owner's eyes reddened, her voice choked with sobs; Zoro was her benefactor, but she didn't dare oppose Colonel Morgan, so she could only worry in secret."That girl Rika makes rice balls secretly every day, wanting to take them to Mr. Zoro, but the base guards won't let her in at all, and she's scolded and chased away every time."Just as she finished speaking, the tavern door was gently pushed open, and a flurry of light footsteps drifted in.A little girl with twin tails tiptoed in, clutching a cloth bundle tightly to her chest, the corners of the cloth crumpled from her grip.Her face was still streaked with wet tear tracks, her eyelashes damp and stuck to her eyelids, and her nose was red; it was clear she had just been chased back by the guards. It was Rika.After hearing the whole story, Luffy's eyes shone brilliantly, and he already had a plan in mind.He jumped off the table with a "pop," his knees didn't even flinch when they hit the ground, and he crouched in front of Rika, gently patting her head, smiling until a mouthful of white teeth showed."Little sister, you're going to take rice balls to that green-haired swordsman, aren't you?"Rika froze for a moment, looked up at Luffy, and seeing the carefree, silly smile on his face, her tense body finally relaxed slightly.She nodded timidly, holding the lunch box in her arms even tighter, her voice thin and with a hint of a sob."Mr. Zoro was captured because he was protecting us... I want to bring him something to eat, but... the guard uncles won't let me in."She sniffled, and her eyes turned red again."If this goes on, Mr. Zoro will die.""Then we'll take you!"Luffy patted his chest, his tone firm and unquestionable, smiling exceptionally brightly.He had a strong premonition that this green-haired swordsman would definitely become his crewmate."I'll help you deliver the rice balls to him! Whoever tries to stop me, I'll just blast them away!"Rika looked at Luffy's determined eyes, and her eyes instantly lit up, like dusty stars catching the light.But then she remembered the fierce and malicious Marines, her body shrank slightly, she looked timidly outside the tavern door, and whispered."But... there are so many Marines there, and Young Master Helmeppo, it will be very dangerous.""Dangerous?" Luffy scratched his head, waved his hand indifferently, his tone taking it for granted."Just blast the bad guys away! Let's go!"Adam stood up, patted the wrinkles on his clothes, flicked the dust off his fingertips, and gestured with his chin toward Koby."Koby, you come too. It's perfect, we can go and see what kind of tough character this legendary Pirate Hunter really is."