The sea had been calm for three straight days—an almost suspicious calm, the kind that made seasoned sailors keep one eye on the horizon even while laughing.
The Going Merry cut through the blue like a patient blade.
Luffy sat on the figurehead, legs dangling, a half-filled glass in one hand. Beside him sat Chopper, small hooves tucked under his body, staring outward as if the ocean might suddenly blink back at him.
The rest of the crew had scattered across the ship in comfortable disorder.
At the stern, Nami, Nojiko, and Marianne occupied beach chairs that absolutely did not belong on a pirate ship, soaking in the sun as if they'd personally conquered the weather. On the main deck, Zoro, Sanji, Gem, and Usopp were deep into a card game that had long since abandoned rules in favor of shouting. Johnny manned the watchtower with exaggerated seriousness, while Mikita and Yosaku fished off the side, arguing about whose catch would taste better grilled.
Vivi sat near Luffy with Karoo beside her, both of them quiet, eyes fixed on the horizon ahead.
Chopper broke the silence first.
"Luffy…" he said softly. "Does the ocean ever end?"
Luffy tilted his glass, watching the liquid sway. "Not really."
Chopper shaded his eyes. "It just keeps going. Forever."
"That's the good part," Luffy replied. "If it ended, adventures would too."
Chopper's eyes sparkled. "Pirates really get to see all of this?"
Luffy smirked. "Only pirates."
Chopper laughed, almost bouncing in place.
Luffy stood suddenly, landing on the deck beside Vivi with effortless balance, not a drop spilled. He raised his voice.
"Alright. Everyone listen up."
The card game died instantly. Even the fishing lines were reeled in.
"We're getting close to Alabasta," Luffy continued. "So this is where things stop being easy."
Chopper trotted over, ears perked. "What's Alabasta?"
"It's my home," Vivi said quietly.
"A kingdom," Luffy added, "and a battlefield."
Usopp grimaced. "Because of Crocodile."
That name settled over the deck like dust.
"One of the Seven Warlords," Nojiko said.
Chopper blinked. "Seven… what?"
"The Shichibukai," Luffy said, leaning against the rail. "Pirates officially approved by the World Government."
Chopper froze. "The government works with pirates?"
"Uses them," Luffy corrected. "Big difference."
He continued, voice steady. "They let certain monsters roam free as long as those monsters kill other pirates. Keeps the seas quieter."
"That's horrible," Chopper muttered.
"It's efficient," Luffy replied flatly.
Vivi clenched her fists. "Crocodile was praised as a hero. He 'protected' Alabasta. People trusted him."
"Because he's good at lying," Luffy said.
"And because he's strong," Vivi shot back. "You're all acting like this is nothing!"
She stepped forward, voice shaking. "He's a Shichibukai. Chosen by the World Government. Do you even understand what that means?"
Zoro stood, rolling his shoulders. "Means he bleeds."
Luffy chuckled.
Nami sighed. "Vivi, Luffy used to sail under a Yonko."
That stopped her.
"…A Yonko?" Vivi asked slowly.
Chopper tilted his head. "What's that?"
The deck went quiet.
Luffy exhaled. "The Yonko. The Four Emperors of the Sea."
He spoke without drama, which somehow made it heavier.
"They rule the New World. Not with laws—territory. Fleets. Fear. Each one commands enough power to fight the World Government itself."
Chopper's jaw dropped.
"All four of them," Luffy added casually, "have bounties over a billion."
The ship erupted.
"A BILLION!?" "That's insane!" "That's not a number, that's a legend!"
Luffy laughed, enjoying it a little.
Zoro narrowed his eyes. "You mentioned Three Great Powers. That's only two."
Luffy's grin turned sharp.
"The Marines."
Silence fell again.
"The balance of the world," Luffy said, "rests on three pillars: the Marine Headquarters with its Admirals, the Seven Warlords, and the Four Yonko."
He tapped the railing lightly. "If one pillar falls, the others start moving. Territory shifts. Wars start. People die."
Nami nodded slowly. "That's why when a Yonko disappears, everyone rushes in."
"Exactly," Luffy said. "Power hates a vacuum."
Chopper swallowed. "So… Crocodile is part of that balance?"
"For now," Luffy said.
Johnny's voice cut through the air. "CAPTAIN!"
Luffy turned.
"Pirate ship approaching! Port side!"
The horizon shifted—black sails emerging like teeth.
Luffy's smile widened.
"Good timing," he said.
Zoro tied his bandanna. Sanji flicked his lighter. Usopp swallowed hard.
Luffy looked down at Chopper.
"This," he said gently, "is what being a pirate really means."
Lightning crackled faintly around his fingers as he leaned forward, eyes locked on the approaching ship.
"Welcome to the Grand Line, Doctor."