Elsewhere, in a place beyond time and space, a being of immense, silent light watched the events on the small blue sea.
It observed the soul it had chosen—not out of preference, but out of necessity—as it brutally and efficiently dispatched a crew of thugs. It saw the cold smirk, the pragmatic thoughts, the complete absence of the boundless, innocent joy that should have defined that body.
A ripple of something akin to regret flowed through the celestial consciousness.
This soul was a mistake. A jagged piece forced into a puzzle it did not fit. It was a hardened, cynical thing, forged in a world of concrete and betrayal, now inhabiting a vessel of impossible dreams. It had no knowledge of this world's story, no reverence for its destiny. If left unchecked, its cold ambition would shatter the delicate timeline before it even truly began.
The being had hoped to guide it more subtly, but a summons echoed through the cosmos—an urgent call it could not ignore. Its attention would be drawn away for an indeterminate time. A direct hand was no longer possible.
A leash, then. A crude but necessary guide rail to keep the soul walking the proper path, even if it did so for its own selfish reasons.
As the new Luffy stood over the defeated form of Alvida, the being focused its will. It couldn't give him the original's heart, but it could give him the original's goals, framed as a game. A system of tasks and rewards. A clear path to the power this gangster soul craved, a path that would, by happy coincidence, align with destiny.
With the system in place, the being's presence faded, turning its attention to other, more pressing cosmic matters.
The boy was on his own now, a pawn who thought he was a player.
__________
A deep, rattling groan escaped Alvida's lips as she pushed herself up from the deck, her head throbbing. The world swam back into focus: her whimpering crew scattered like discarded toys, the splintered deck, and the boy himself, standing at the railing with his back to her.
She processed the dizzying sequence of events: the defeat, the offer, the impossible contract. Her colossal ego could only find one explanation. A slow, prideful smile spread across her face.
"Gahahaha! So that's it!" her voice boomed. "You recognized my unparalleled beauty from the moment you laid eyes on me! You knew that only a woman as magnificent as I could possibly serve as the first mate to a man of your caliber! An excellent, truly inspired decision, Captain!"
Luffy didn't turn. He ran a hand along the ship's railing, testing the wood's integrity, his mind turning over the names from the system. Zoro. Coby. Morgan. Nami. Assets and obstacles. He knew the name Coby from the task list but was unsure if it referred to the same boy he'd met in the storeroom.
Without giving Alvida a second glance, his gaze swept across the deck, settling on the small, pink-haired boy cowering near the storeroom. As his focus landed on him, shimmering green text materialized.
[Marine Hopeful Coby]
So that's his role. The task made sense now. He filed the information away. A future project. First, I need intel on other objectives.
"Alvida," he called out. The massive woman flinched and looked up.
"Yes, Captain?"
"I need information," Luffy said, his tone all business. He walked over, his small frame casting a long shadow in the afternoon sun. "Tell me about a pirate hunter, Roronoa Zoro."
Alvida scoffed, a hint of arrogance returning. "Zoro? Everyone's heard of that green-haired demon. They say he fights with three swords and has the eyes of a wolf. A monster. Last I heard, he's rotting in a Marine stockade, a trophy for their captain in the next town over."
"This captain?"
"A real tyrant," Alvida sneered. "'Axe-Hand' Morgan. Rules Shells Town with an iron fist... or rather, an actual iron axe for a hand. A nasty piece of work."
Marine base. Morgan. Zoro. The pieces were connecting. "One more," Luffy continued. "Nami, the 'Cat-Burglar'."
"Her?" Alvida waved a dismissive hand. "A slippery brat who only steals from other pirates. A ghost story. They say she's cunning, but she's never been bold enough to cross my path."
"I see," Luffy said. "Get your men on their feet. Set a course for—"
His command was cut short by a frantic shout from the lookout.
"CAPTAIN! THIEF! A THIEF IS ON OUR SHIP! SHE'S STEALING A LIFEBOAT! SHE'S TAKING THE TREASURE! ALL OF IT!"
The lookout although cower was true to his role.
Luffy's head snapped around. On the deck of the Miss Love Duck, a small figure with vibrant orange hair was heaving treasure chests into a lifeboat. She'd used the chaos as the perfect cover. His eyes locked onto her as the system identified the target.
[Cat Burglar Nami]
A cold, predatory laugh escaped his lips, the strange "Shishishi" feeling more natural. The system delivers. How convenient.
"Alvida!" he barked, his eyes fixed on the girl rowing with desperate strength. "Your treasure is being stolen. I'll get it back. Ready the ship to sail."
He didn't wait for a response. Leaping onto the railing, he stretched his arms far back, his hands gripping the main mast.
"GOMU GOMU NO... ROCKET!"
Watching him soar through the air, Alvida hefted her iron mace and slammed its handle against the main mast with a deafening clang. "GET UP, YOU MAGGOTS!" she roared at her groaning crew, kicking the nearest unconscious pirate in the ribs. "Our glorious new Captain is on the move! The first man who isn't on his feet in ten seconds gets to taste this! MOVE!"
His body shot through the air like a cannonball.
CRACK-KRRRUNCH!
He landed with bone-jarring force, his feet splintering the lifeboat's hull. Spiderweb cracks radiated from the point of impact.
"AAAAAH!" Nami screamed, stumbling back. Her survival instincts screamed, and she scrambled to the edge of the sinking boat, ready to dive.
"Not so fast," Luffy said flatly.
His arm stretched, snaking through the air and coiling around her waist.
"KYAAAA! LET ME GO, YOU CREEP!" she shrieked.
The Miss Love Duck lumbered closer. With a simple tug, Luffy retracted his arm, pulling the screaming navigator through the air with him. They landed on the deck with a soft thud. "Get that treasure!" he yelled to Alvida's crew, before immediately grabbing Nami by the arm, his grip like an iron manacle.
"We need to discuss something," he said, his voice low. "In private."
He began dragging her toward the captain's cabin, kicking the door open and shoving her inside. He stepped in behind her, shutting the door firmly and plunging the pink, gaudy room into shadow.
Nami backed away. "You'd better let me go!" she threatened, playing her last card. "I'm with the Arlong Pirates! The Fish-Man Pirates! If their captain, Arlong, finds out you laid a hand on me, he'll hunt you to the ends of the sea!"
Luffy remained unfazed, pulling the flintlock pistol from his sash, same one he took from alvida. The metallic click of the hammer being cocked was deafening.
"I don't care if you know a Sea King," he said, aiming the weapon at her forehead. Five contracts for this one. A valuable asset. "I heard you are a navigator who knows how to acquire resources. Talents like that are wasted on some fish-men. From this moment on, they belong to me."
"JOIN MY CREW."
A shimmering golden scroll materialized between them.
Nami's breath hitched. Join his crew? That was it?
This idiot, she thought, her cunning returning, he scared me half to death just for a recruitment?
A shudder still ran through her. "A... a navigator?" she asked, her voice quiet. "That's all you want?"
Luffy's finger remained on the trigger. The silence was his answer.
"Fine," she said, raising her hands slightly. "You need a navigator? You won't find one better. I'll join."
With a deep breath, she turned towards contract, a golden scroll hovering in air. Subordinate contract bold Heading.
Just as she leaned in to read more. "I don't have time", an impatient voice spoke. Nami scared directly touched the contract, Signing it.
[Task Complete: Recruit the Navigator]
[Reward: 5 Contracts]
[Contracts Remaining: 13]
He opened the door and stepped out. A pale but composed Nami followed. Alvida stood there, glaring at the girl who had tried to steal her treasure.
Luffy pointed a thumb back at the new recruit. "Our navigator." He then gestured to the horizon. "Set a course for Shells Town."
Nami, now bound by an unbreakable contract, swallowed hard and stepped forward. Her professional instincts overrode her fear. "Shells Town..." she murmured, scanning the sun and the waves. "Based on the currents and wind, we should arrive in just under two days."
Luffy gave a sharp, satisfied nod. The ship turned, catching the wind under new command.
The voyage to Shells Town, and the hunt for Roronoa Zoro, had begun.
__________
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