The sun had long since bled into the horizon, leaving the Miss Love Duck to sail under a blanket of brilliant, unfamiliar stars.
The sea was calm, the only sounds the gentle lapping of waves against the hull and the creak of the mast.
Nami, utterly drained from her harrowing day, had collapsed into a bunk as soon as the ship was on a steady course. Coby, a bundle of raw nerves, had hidden himself away in the storeroom, seeking the familiar comfort of a space where he was meant to be invisible.
On the main deck, looking for all the world like a normal, harmless boy, Luffy slept, his breathing even, the straw hat tilted over his face.
Alvida was not asleep.
She stood in the deepest shadows of the main mast, her massive form blending into the darkness, her knuckles white where she gripped the cold, familiar iron of her mace. Every humiliation of the past day replayed in her mind. Her swift, brutal defeat. Being forced to serve this brat.
All day she had played the part, acting submitted and loyal. Of course, she had. She was no fool; she knew she was no match for him in a frontal assault. The boy was a monster.
But now... now was different. He was asleep. Vulnerable.
That little monster... she seethed, the thought a venomous whisper in her soul. He's just a boy. Small. Weak when he's sleeping. So damn arrogant.
She looked at his still form, at the gentle rise and fall of his chest. The thought sparked, hot and clear and full of murderous intent. One swing. Just one good swing of my mace. I could crush his skull like a grape. A final, satisfying CRUNCH. End this humiliation. Take my ship back. Be the captain again.
She took a silent, heavy step forward, the deck groaning softly under her weight. She raised the club ever so slightly, positioning it for a devastating downward arc that would obliterate him in an instant.
ZZZZZZAAAAAP!
It wasn't a physical shock. It was infinitely worse. It was not a jolt, but a metaphysical unraveling.
A lightning bolt of pure, white-hot agony erupted behind her eyes, a thousand burning needles piercing every nerve ending from the inside out. A scream was trapped in her throat, turning into a choked, silent gasp. Her mind went white, then black, every nerve in her body screaming in a symphony of torment she had never imagined possible.
She collapsed to her knees with a muffled THUD, the heavy iron mace clattering loudly on the deck. She couldn't breathe. Her vision swam with black spots. She touched her head, expecting to find a wound, but there was nothing.
The attack hadn't come from the outside. It had come from within.
It was the contract.
Panting, trembling, a cold sweat drenching her body, Alvida finally understood. The pain receded, leaving behind a phantom echo and a soul-deep terror. Defiance wasn't just punished; it was agony.
______________________________
The next morning, the ship's atmosphere was thick with unspoken tension. Alvida was a thundercloud of sullen silence, her usual booming voice reduced to clipped, obedient responses. Her crew, seeing their once-feared captain so thoroughly cowed, moved with a nervous energy, stealing glances at the small boy who now held all the power.
Perched on the ship's ridiculous duck-shaped figurehead, sat Luffy. He wasn't enjoying the sea breeze or basking in the sun. He was observing. Analyzing. Planning.
His mind was a chessboard. Nami was secured. Zoro and Morgan were at the destination. That left Coby. [A Marine's Dream: Ensure Coby successfully joins the Marines]. This was a delicate operation, not a simple acquisition. It required finesse, manipulation.
A direct approach was sloppy. This job needed a proper plan.
"Alvida," he called down, his voice carrying easily on the wind.
Her head snapped up, her sulking expression instantly replaced by wary attentiveness. "Yes, Captain?"
"The chore boy," Luffy said, hopping down from the figurehead and landing silently on the deck. "Coby. Tell me his story."
Alvida recounted the pathetic tale of the fishing trip gone wrong, of the two years Coby had spent as her unwilling, sniveling slave. Luffy listened without a word, his expression unreadable.
"I see," he said when she was finished. "Come with me. We have a new contract to sign." He walked towards the ship's hold, and as they went, he revealed the broad strokes of his plan.
Alvida's face cycled through a series of dramatic emotions. First, disbelief. "You want me to let you... turn me in?! To the Marines?!" Then, indignation. "My reputation! My magnificent crew! Handed over like common criminals?!"
And finally, a grudging, fearful understanding. She was a tool in this boy's plan, and the contract binding her soul left no room for refusal.
They descended into the ship's dark, damp wine cellar. Coby was there, alone, stacking crates. He jumped, nearly dropping a heavy box, when he saw them. His eyes went wide with terror as Alvida's massive form blocked the only exit, plunging the cellar into shadow.
"Coby," Luffy began, his voice calm in the echoing silence. "As of today, the Alvida Pirates are no more. Their captain now serves me. Which means," he paused, letting the words sink in, "you are free."
Coby stared, his mouth agape. "Fr-free?" he stammered.
"Free," Luffy confirmed. "Of course, I could always use more crew members. I am offering you a position. A man of your... talents... could be useful. You can join me."
The offer hung in the air, thick with unspoken menace. Coby looked from Luffy's dead-serious eyes to Alvida, who was cracking her knuckles with a sound like rocks grinding together. Joining another pirate crew was the last thing he ever wanted, but how could he possibly say no? He began to tremble, a cold sweat breaking out on his brow.
"Or," Luffy continued smoothly, seeing the boy's terror, "there is a third option. I know you want to be a Marine. It's a foolish, idealistic dream, but it's yours. I can make it happen. I will personally see to it that you are accepted into their ranks."
A tiny, fragile spark of hope ignited in Coby's eyes. "You... you would do that for me?"
"I would," Luffy said. "But my help is not free. In return, you will sign a contract with me."
Coby's hope faltered instantly. "What... what kind of contract?"
Alvida took a heavy step forward, her shadow engulfing him. "Gahahaha! Does it matter, you little worm?!" she snarled. "The captain is offering you your dream on a silver platter! Are you going to be an ungrateful brat and question him?!"
"S-Sign it," Coby stammered, his eyes screwed shut. "I'll sign it! Please!"
Luffy smiled, a cold, thin expression. A shimmering golden scroll materialized in the dim light.
"Sign it fast before I change my mind!" Alvida warned, raising her mace slightly.
Without hesitation, without reading a single word, Coby reached out a shaking finger and touched the scroll. It flared and vanished. He had just signed a Favor contract, different from the one signed by Alvida and Nami. All because luffy say no value in coby.
[Contracts Remaining: 12]
Luffy's smile widened. "Good. Now that that's settled, Coby, there's something you should know. As my subordinate, you have my absolute protection. You no longer need to fear Alvida." He paused, a cruel glint in his eyes. "In fact, you can say whatever you want to her. Vent all that anger you've held in for two long years. Go on. Call her a fat, ugly hag. She won't, and can't, lay a single finger on you." after all, all favors must be repaid.
Coby shuddered violently, looking at Alvida as if Luffy had just asked him to pet a Sea King. Alvida's face twisted into a mask of pure, murderous fury, a vein throbbing in her temple. Luffy had warned her this was part of the plan—a test of her obedience. Only the contract held her back. or so she thought.
Later, on deck, Luffy explained the full plan. "You have a history with Alvida's crew. The Marines will never accept you. So, we will change your history. We will disguise ourselves as bounty hunters. You and I. We will arrive at Shells Town and hand over the 'dreaded' Alvida Pirates for the bounty."
Coby stared, aghast. "But... I can't! I'm not strong! I can't lie! I'm a coward!"
"You're right," Luffy said flatly. "Which is why you have two days to change."
For the next forty-eight hours, the Miss Love Duck was transformed into a chaotic training ground. Nami, bound by contract and promised a cut of the bounty, took Coby under her wing with ruthless efficiency.
"Chin up! Shoulders back! Stop sniveling!" she'd snap. "Now, lie to me. Tell me this ship is made of gold and the sea is made of soup! Say it like you mean it, or you'll get no dinner!"
Meanwhile, Luffy used the time to master his new body, facing off against Alvida from sunup to sundown. Alvida, who would never have undertaken such training on her own, had no choice. These were her captain's orders, and defiance was not an option.
THWACK!
"GOMU GOMU NO PISTOL!"
His fist would shoot out. At first, Alvida would simply tank the blow. But under Luffy's relentless assault, she was forced to learn.
"Too slow!" Luffy would bark, sidestepping her clumsy swing as his own rubbery leg extended to trip her, forcing her to focus on balance, not just brute force.
She started to move, to dodge, to evade. The woman who had only ever relied on her size and weapon was learning how to actually fight. And Luffy, with every punch, every kick, every impossible stretch, was turning the boy's reckless power into a honed, deadly weapon.
By the time the sun began to dip low on the second day, Coby was walking with a sliver of feigned confidence, and Alvida could almost stand after a five-minute bout. They were ready.
And then a shout echoed from the crow's nest.
"ISLAND, HO! DEAD AHEAD!"
All activity on the deck ceased. Nami squinted at the horizon, where the silhouette of a formidable island fortress was growing steadily larger. Shells Town. The stage was set.
The first act of Luffy's grand, manipulative play was about to begin.
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Author Here :-
Hope you are doing fine. Leave a Comment if you read till here. Just wanna know how you liked it so far.
Don't worry after chapter 7 it will spice up more. Until then..