Guts lowered his head, his eyes dull and unreadable.
Nami's cheeks were tinged with pink as she stood on tiptoes, pressing close enough to leave a faint bite mark on his side.
From the way the two of them looked together, the age difference was clear. On the streets, it often drew jealous stares from other men who could only envy Guts.
Recently, he'd also heard an interesting piece of news—Smoker, the Marine officer in charge of this town, had been transferred from headquarters just a few days ago.
That little shift in the timeline made Guts uneasy. The plot was starting to change again.
But what about Luffy?
Would Garp really try to turn that kid into a Marine?
No… Luffy's character was already set in stone. That wasn't something anyone could change.
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Guts? Vice Admiral Garp asked us to deliver something to you."
Two Marines stepped up, saluting as they handed over a small item.
"Guts! What were you talking about with the Marines just now?" Nami called, stepping out of a dress shop with her arms full of expensive clothes she'd just "liberated."
Guts tossed her the item. "This."
She shoved the bags into his hands without a thought and snatched it from him.
It looked like a wristband with a semi-circular glass orb attached, inside which a pointer spun lazily.
"The Marines said it's called a Log Pose. Essential for sailing the Grand Line. The old man Garp left it to me."
Nami's eyes lit up. "Seriously?! That's amazing!"
Their journey toward the Grand Line continued. Nami's dream was to draw a complete map of the world, while Guts wanted to explore a realm far larger than the shinobi lands he once knew.
On some level, their goals overlapped. Both of them were traveling to discover the world in their own way.
At last, they reached the first gateway to the Grand Line—the Reverse Mountain.
The ocean surged upward along its slopes, crashing down like a roaring roller coaster, only countless times more intense.
"Uwaaahhh!!!"
With Nami's strength, holding the rudder steady was impossible, so Guts quickly took the helm. Nami clung to his arm for dear life, trembling as the ship shot upward with terrifying speed.
Before long, the massive shadow of a whale would loom before them... Laboon. The creature always slammed its head again and again against the Red Line, as though trying to break through the continent itself.
But luck was with them. Laboon was calm today. The old ship's doctor of Roger's crew had been giving the whale sedatives every so often, and it seemed Guts had arrived during one of those rare quiet moments.
He didn't mind either way. Things like this didn't interest him much.
Their warship roared down the other side of Reverse Mountain, splashing into the open sea.
The Grand Line had officially begun.
"Guts… is it safe now?"
Feeling the violent shaking finally subside, Nami slowly opened her eyes and looked around.
There was more than one route into the Grand Line from East Blue.
Guts wasn't sure if this was the same path Luffy once took.
But with Nami by his side, at least they wouldn't end up circling the seas endlessly. With her skill, it was inevitable they'd one day reach Sabaody Archipelago.
"Oi, Nami."
Near noon, Guts reclined lazily on a deck chair, basking in the sunlight. He raised a hand, beckoning her over.
Nami, busy tending to the orange trees she had brought from Cocoyasi Village, tilted her head at him and walked over. "What is it?"
Without warning, Guts pulled her straight into his arms. Their noses nearly brushed against each other.
"I feel like kissing you," he said flatly, in the same tone one might use to say, I feel like eating lunch.
"Eh—?!"
Before Nami could react, his lips pressed against hers.
Her eyes widened. He wasn't just kissing, he was devouring. Every nibble of her soft lips felt like he was really tasting them.
By the time he finally let her breathe, her shield of composure had already cracked.
Brushing aside her bangs, Guts murmured, almost like savoring a flavor:
"Yeah… Nami's lips really are the most delicious I've ever tasted."
Though she was certainly beautiful, Guts wouldn't claim she was the most stunning woman he'd ever laid eyes on.
But the taste of her lips? The sensation was unmatched.
Sweet, soft... like jelly melting on his tongue.
Ever since that first kiss they shared the night they left Cocoyasi Village, he had been hooked.
And now he was already plotting how to taste the next one.
"Hmph!"
Snapping out of her daze, Nami smacked his shoulder with both hands, her face flushed crimson. "What was that supposed to mean?! Just how many women have you 'eaten' already?!"
Guts only chuckled in response.
It was then that he noticed their course. The first island waiting ahead was Whisky Peak.
He remembered it well...the territory of Crocodile's subordinates. A nest of bounty hunters masquerading as friendly townsfolk, only to stab pirates in the back the moment they let down their guard.
"Troublesome bunch…" Guts muttered.
"Ah! Look at this!"
Nami's sudden exclamation snapped him out of his thoughts. She held up a fresh newspaper, bought from a passing News Coo.
Her wide eyes locked on the headline, and Guts leaned forward, curious about what had shocked her so much.
Guts leaned over Nami's shoulder and glanced at the paper.
Printed in bold letters was a fresh bounty poster:
Monkey D. Luffy — Bounty: 18,000,000 Berry
Crimes: Defeated the East Blue overlord, Don Krieg.
"That idiot… he actually escaped from Garp?" Nami gasped, her eyes wide.
She could clearly remember Luffy being captured by Garp himself.
"It was probably the old man's doing," Guts said casually. "He knows his grandson's not cut out to be a Marine. Either he released him on purpose… or someone else intervened."
Nami tilted her head. "Someone else?"
"His father," Guts muttered.
'In the story I remember, Dragon once saved him from Smoker in Loguetown. Could be something like that again.' He thought while remembering the bits and pieces of the plot.
Either way, this confirmed something...Luffy was still roaming East Blue.
"Well… whatever," Guts shrugged. "Forget about him. Get ready to land on the island."
Technically, they didn't need to stock up; they had already bought enough supplies back in Loguetown. But there was another issue.
The Log Pose they carried needed time to adjust its magnetism to the next island. Which meant every time they landed, they were forced to stay at least a few days before sailing again.
"Ugh! That means two whole days here...?" Nami pouted, puffing her cheeks as she jabbed a finger into Guts's chest.
Guts only spread his arms in mock helplessness and moved to the ship's rail, gazing ahead at the looming island.
Whisky Peak.
To him, it was nothing but a den of bounty hunters dressed as friendly villagers. He remembered the farce clearly.
But this time, things were different.
Unlike in the anime, there was no warm welcome awaiting them. No banquets, no fake cheer.
After all, neither Guts nor Nami were infamous pirates with huge bounties on their heads. To these so-called "civilians," the two newcomers weren't worth the trouble.
Still, Guts felt the weight of their stares.
Hungry eyes trailed after Nami, lingering far too long on her figure. Some glanced toward the supplies on their ship, clearly calculating food and money.
Nami folded her arms and frowned, uneasy. "Guts… this really doesn't feel like an ordinary town."
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