Sunlight burned through my eyelids, and the first thing I noticed was the chaos on the horizon.
Whiskey Peak. Gone.
Not gone in some slow, tragic erosion way. Gone in a burned-to-the-ground, shouting-survivors-and-scorching-smoke kind of way. Townsfolk ran between collapsed buildings, and smoke curled lazily into the sky. The port was a wreck.
"Emma?" I croaked, hopping over what remained of a crate.
She appeared, brushing dust off her clothes, hair messier than usual. "Yeah, I'm here. You awake already? Good. Sit down — I've got news."
I followed her to what was left of a half-standing tavern. "This… what happened?"
She sighed. "Pirates. And not just any pirates. The ones who passed through town recently… I heard that pirate hunter zoro, cut down over a hundred men."
My jaw dropped. "Zoro? One hundred?"
Emma nodded. "Yeah. Crazy, right? And when the smoke cleared, they were gone. Didn't leave a trace."
I leaned against a broken wall, staring at the horizon. The thought hit me slowly… the newspaper, the bounty, the episode I'd seen…
"They're heading to Alabasta," I muttered under my breath. "Right… right. That's their next stop."
Emma tilted her head. "Alabasta? What are you talking about?"
I shook my head, pretending it was nothing. "Nothing. Just… a place I want to go."
She eyed me suspiciously but didn't press. "Okay… so what does that mean for us?"
I can't stay with the merchant crew anymore. They're really nice people but I need to set out on my own… explore this world, see where it takes me."
Emma blinked, then a faint smile crossed her face. "You're serious?"
"Completely," I said. "And… I want you to come with me. You're smart, resourceful… and I could use a navigator."
She hesitated a moment, thinking it over. Then she nodded. "Alright. I'll join you — but I need to speak with my captain first."
A few minutes later, she returned. "Captain says it's fine. Told me to follow my instincts — whatever that means."
"Perfect," I said, trying not to look too excited. "So… what's next?"
She crossed her arms and smirked. "You're asking me?"
"Nope. You go first," I said.
"First," she said, "we need food. You can't sail across the Grand Line on an empty stomach."
I groaned, but smiled. "Fair enough. Then… to Alabasta?"
"To Alabasta," she said.
After agreeing to set out together, Emma and I wandered through what remained of Whiskey Peak. The streets were littered with debris, overturned carts, and the occasional bewildered villager staring after us. The destruction made it clear just how strong the Straw Hats are— just one person cutting down a hundred men. Terrifying, yet somehow exhilarating.
"We need a ship," I said, stopping in the middle of the ruined pier.
Emma shrugged. "Yeah… problem is, most of the good ones are gone or heavily guarded."
I scratched my head. "So… steal one?"
Emma arched an eyebrow. "I like your enthusiasm… but you do realize we're not talking about a rowboat here, right?"
We spent a few minutes tiptoeing along the docks, peeking behind wrecked crates and smoking barrels. Then, tucked behind what looked like a pile of abandoned fishing nets, we spotted it.
A tiny, miserable little dinghy. Barely big enough to fit one person — let alone two — and it had a mast that looked like it was held together by chewing gum and hope.
I pointed. "That one. It's perfect!"
Emma looked at me like I had three heads. "Perfect? Noah… that thing is a coffin on water."
"Exactly," I said. "Coffin on water, full of adventure."
She groaned. "You're impossible."
We dragged the dinghy to the edge of the dock. I tried to climb in first, promptly tipping it sideways and almost dumping both of us into the water.
Emma grabbed the side. "Careful! You're going to sink us before we even leave the harbor!"
I managed to balance myself, grumbling. "I'm fine. Totally fine."
Emma rolled her eyes and stepped in behind me. The little boat groaned under our weight, creaking like an old man trying to stand up after a marathon.
"Good news," she said. "We fit. Bad news, I'm pretty sure it's going to leak."
I nodded. "Nothing like a little high-stakes adventure to kick off the journey, right?"
"Nothing like it at all," she muttered, pushing off the dock with a tiny oar. The boat wobbled dangerously with each stroke. I clutched the sides, trying not to scream.
Halfway across the harbor, a seagull landed on the dinghy, clearly judging our efforts. I yelped as the boat tilted. "Uh… Emma… do we have a plan if this sinks?"
She smirked. "Yeah. Swim."
"Swim?! I can't swim!" I yelled, flailing like a fish in a blender.
Emma just laughed, using the oar to steady the boat. "Then row better!"
Despite the absurdity of the situation, we finally made it past the broken piers and into the open water. The waves slapped the sides of our "vessel," the mast wobbled like jelly, and the dinghy creaked ominously, but somehow, against all odds, we were moving.
I took a deep breath, letting the sea breeze hit my face. "This is… terrifyingly perfect."
Emma grinned. "Welcome to the Grand Line, rookie. Now try not to drown before we reach Alabasta."
I swallowed nervously. "Yeah… yeah, sure. Totally got this."