While the crew steered the Silent Orca toward a more remote and concealed docking point, Sanji continued flipping through the newspaper they'd just found. As he turned another page, a handful of bounty posters slipped out and scattered across the deck, carried slightly by the sea breeze.
"Oh, what's this?" Sanji muttered, kneeling to pick them up.
The moment he looked at the first one, his eyes widened. "Guys… these are our bounty posters!"
Everyone froze.
Sanji held up the top one and read aloud, "Monkey D. Zino – 45 million berries!"
The entire crew turned toward their captain. Zino, standing at the helm, showed no sign of anger or concern. Instead, a slow smirk crept across his face.
"Finally," he said, crossing his arms. "A bounty. A proper start."
Sanji flipped to the next one. "Roronoa Zoro – 15 million berries!"
Zoro chuckled as he adjusted the swords on his hip. "Not bad," he said. "Looks like the world's starting to notice."
Then came the third. "Iron Beauty, Alvida – 12 million berries."
"Tch," Alvida snorted, flipping her hair back. "Still lower than I deserve, but at least they didn't forget me."
Sanji moved on. "Gin the Demon – 10 million berries."
Gin took the poster and studied it quietly. "They gave me a better-looking face than I expected…" he muttered, almost amused.
"And last," Sanji said, pulling out the final one. "Cat Burglar, Nami – 5 million berries."
Nami gasped and snatched the poster from his hand. "Five million?! I'm not even a real pirate!" she shouted.
"You're on a pirate ship now," Zoro pointed out, grinning.
"This is insane!" Nami said, pacing. "I'm a navigator! I haven't done anything that bad!"
"Didn't you steal from several pirate crews?" Zino reminded her casually.
Nami glared at him, then at her poster again. "I can't believe I have a bounty…"
Sanji peeked at the last of the papers, but there were no more. His smile faltered. "Oi… Where's mine?"
He checked the back of the pages. Nothing.
"No bounty?" he asked, frowning. "What about me?! I've done stuff!"
"Guess they didn't see your cooking as a threat," Zoro teased.
Sanji growled. "This is outrageous! I fought Krieg's men too!"
"You mean, you fought me." Gin stated.
Zino chuckled. "Don't worry, Sanji. Your time will come. Besides, it's not always a good thing to be recognized."
"Easy for you to say. You've got the highest bounty out of all!"
The mood was mixed—Nami still looked unsettled, clutching her poster like it was a curse. Zoro and Gin appeared unfazed. Alvida took hers with pride, while Sanji moped about being left out.
Zino stood tall, holding his bounty poster in his hand. "Let them call us pirates," he said. "We know who we are—and what we stand for. This doesn't change who we are."
"But it changes how the world sees us," Nojiko said quietly.
Zino nodded. "Exactly. So from here on out… we act like a crew worthy of these bounties. Keep your heads low. Loguetown isn't going to be as welcoming anymore."
After safely docking the Silent Orca in a hidden cove outside Loguetown, the crew disembarked and stepped out onto the land.
Zino glanced at everyone, saying, "It would be too conspicuous for us to go inland altogether. So, let's split up. Later we will meet up again here."
Everyone nodded.
Sanji then said, "Alright, I'll head out to get some supplies. We're running low on fresh ingredients."
Zoro cracked his neck and adjusted his swords. "I'm going to look for a decent blade. My current ones are barely holding up."
"I want to check out some binoculars," Usopp chimed in, eyes already scanning the city skyline. "A sniper's got to see clearly, right?"
Kaya smiled softly. "I think I'll look for medicinal books and herbs. It'll help us treat injuries more effectively on the ship."
Nami pulled out a pouch from her bag and began counting the coins inside. "Alright, listen up. We're tight on funds, so I'm splitting the budget. Stick to what you need—no extra spending."
The crew gathered around as she distributed small purses of money to each group. Then they organized themselves into four teams for the outing.
"Kaya, you'll go with me," Zino said, nodding to her.
Sanji grinned as he turned to Alvida. "Looks like it's you and me, my lady."
"Hmph. Just don't slow me down," Alvida replied, folding her arms.
Gin, meanwhile, quietly aligned himself with Nami and Nojiko, who want to go shopping. "I'll come along with you two," he said. "Might help to have backup."
That left Zoro and Usopp together. "Just don't wander off," Zoro muttered.
"You mean don't follow you!" Usopp shot back.
With the groups formed, they each slipped into the town from different directions, doing their best to stay inconspicuous. Despite the unease, there was a buzz of excitement—Loguetown was a place of legend, the last stop before the Grand Line.
...
Elsewhere in the town, within the local Marine base, a tall man with a large cigar clenched between his teeth stood by the window. Captain Smoker, recently transferred to Loguetown, was flipping through a fresh stack of wanted posters.
He barely glanced at the first few before huffing in disinterest. "So many rookies with inflated bounties these days…"
One of the posters caught his eye for a split second—Monkey D. Zino—but he let it slide into the pile on his desk without another look.
"Tashigi!" he barked.
A bespectacled woman quickly entered, saluting. "Yes, sir?"
"Go out and patrol the marketplace. Keep an eye out for trouble—but don't start any unless you have to."
"Yes, Captain," she replied, already turning to leave.
Smoker, on the other hand, grabbed his white overcoat and marine-issued jitte. He didn't like paperwork or staying cooped up. Action was what he lived for. Without a word, he stepped outside, smoke trailing behind him as he began his own solo patrol.
...
On the opposite side of Loguetown's bustling harbor, a peculiar ship just arrived, bearing a jolly skull—grinning wide with a round red nose. The unmistakable flag of the *Straw Clown Pirates*.
At the helm stood none other than *Buggy the Clown*, his signature nose twitching with irritation. His sharp eyes scanned the busy docks.
"Alright, crew!" he barked. "Quick in, quick out. We're only here to restock supplies. I don't want any of you idiots causing a scene, got it!?"
"Aye, Captain!" his crew shouted back in chorus.
But before Buggy could even step off the ship, a rubbery figure launched itself off the deck.
"Yahoooo!" *Monkey D. Luffy* stretched down to the pier, landing with a bounce and a wide grin plastered on his face. "I'm gonna go check out the execution platform!"
Buggy's eye twitched violently. "Oi, Straw Hat! This is no time for sightseeing!" he shouted, waving a fist.
But Luffy was already weaving through the crowd, laughter echoing behind him.
"Damn it…" Buggy muttered, stomping after him. "That idiot doesn't understand the weight of that place."
His boots clacked hard against the wooden planks of the dock as he hurried to catch up. Yet something gnawed at his insides—a strange unease he hadn't felt in years.
*Loguetown.*
The town where it all began... and ended.
The last stop of the *King of the Pirates*, *Gol D. Roger*—his *captain*.
Buggy's pace slowed as memories came flooding back. He could still see Roger's back, proud and tall even in chains, smiling fearlessly as the executioner's blades rose. He remembered the cheers, the jeers, the chaos, the dawn of the Great Pirate Era.
Buggy's fists clenched at his sides. "Damn this place…"
As he reached the edge of the plaza, Buggy glanced around—but Luffy was gone.
"What the—?! Straw Hat?!" Buggy called, spinning in place. "Luffy!"
No response.
Buggy's face contorted into panic and irritation. "You rubber-brained idiot! Don't just run off in a town full of Marines!"
He shoved past startled pedestrians, searching frantically.
Still no sign.
"Tch. Can he really run that fast?" Buggy grumbled under his breath, dashing through the crowded streets of Loguetown. His long coat flapped behind him as he scanned the bustling marketplace. "Hopefully, he doesn't do anything *stupid* on that platform… that would be *really* troublesome."
Buggy pressed on, his red nose twitching with stress, disappearing around a corner.
Unbeknownst to him, back at the very spot where he had paused moments ago, *Luffy suddenly reappeared*, scratching the back of his head and looking confused.
"Buggy!?" he called out, eyes darting left and right.
But the street was empty.
"Huh… weird. Thought I heard him." Luffy tilted his head as a series of question marks might as well have floated above him. "Guess not."
Shrugging, he grinned and set off again, following the path he *thought* would lead to the execution platform.
But after several more minutes of wandering through the side alleys and eventually reaching a view of the ocean, Luffy slowed to a halt, blinking at the sparkling waves.
"Eh?" He frowned. "That's the sea… Which means I'm totally going the wrong way!"
He spun in a slow circle, trying to get his bearings. "Man… where *is* that platform anyway?"
Still unfazed, he resumed his walk, casually strolling with his hands behind his head, eyes scanning for any sign of something tall or ominous. As he rounded a corner and turned into a quieter road, a man in a long white coat passed him going the opposite direction. A pair of cigars burned from his mouth, trailing thick smoke behind him.
The man didn't look twice at first—just another pirate in a chaotic town.
But *Captain Smoker*, ever alert, had a sharp instinct for trouble.
As he and Luffy passed within a few meters of each other, something about the boy nagged at the back of Smoker's mind. He slowed, then stopped.
Smoke curled lazily from his mouth as he turned to glance back.
The boy wore a straw hat, looked utterly lost, and was glancing around like a tourist looking for a landmark.
Smoker narrowed his eyes.
"Oi," he called out, his voice calm but firm. "Who are you? What are you looking for?"
Luffy turned around with his usual wide grin. "I'm Luffy!" he said cheerfully. "I'm looking for the execution platform!"
Smoker stood still for a moment, quietly observing the boy in the straw hat. There was no tension in Luffy's posture, no trace of hostility—just the carefree air of a curious traveler. For a moment, Smoker considered detaining him, but something about the boy made him pause.
With a grunt, Smoker finally said, "Just follow the smoke. You'll find it."
As he spoke, the smoke drifting from his twin cigars seemed to thicken and twist, trailing off into a particular direction like a faint, winding path in the air. Luffy blinked at it, mildly impressed but not questioning it.
"Oh! Thanks! I owe you one!" Luffy said with a toothy grin, giving a short bow before setting off.
Smoker watched him go, the boy's figure growing smaller as he followed the trail of smoke. The Captain's eyes narrowed slightly. "Strange kid," he muttered, then turned away, his coat billowing as he resumed his patrol through Loguetown.
Meanwhile, Luffy walked cheerfully through the streets, humming a little tune to himself. The town bustled with life—vendors shouting, marines patrolling, townspeople moving about—but Luffy was focused only on one thing: the legendary execution platform.
After several turns and a short climb up a stone-paved path, it finally came into view: a tall, weathered wooden platform standing in the town square, ominous yet majestic. History seemed to cling to it like a shadow.
"Finally! I'm here!" Luffy said, practically shouting in excitement.
"Here, my foot!" snapped a voice from the side.
Luffy turned to see Buggy hurrying toward him, looking both furious and out of breath. His red nose twitched with barely restrained frustration.
"Where the heck did you run off to? I was searching all over the place!"
"Ah, I got lost," Luffy admitted with a sheepish smile. "But it's fine now. Some guy showed me the way."
Buggy narrowed his eyes. "Some guy? Who?"
Luffy shrugged. "Dunno. Smelled like cigars."
Buggy blinked, then waved it off with a grunt. "Whatever. Just stay put next time. And what are you doing here anyway?"
Luffy's eyes lit up again. "I want to climb the execution platform!"
Buggy started to nod—then froze. "Oh, I see, you want to climb it... WHAAAT?!"
His eyes nearly bulged from their sockets, and he rushed forward, waving his arms. "Are you nuts!? That's the execution platform! The exact place where the Pirate King was executed! It's sacred—or cursed—or both!"