Noah walked up beside Emma as she guided the Scarlet Horizon across the calm sea.
"When will we see land?" Noah asked, leaning over her shoulder.
Emma took out a map and pointed at an island.
"We're about an hour away from this place."
"Okay, set sail!" Noah said with a huge grin.
Emma sighed. "We're already sailing…"
About an hour and a half later, the ship gently touched the shore of a quiet island. Noah jumped off the ship the second it hit land
"Land! Sweet, sweet land!" Noah yelled, hugging the ground.
Emma laughed softly as she stepped off the ship.
"Let's go!" Noah said, already running toward the forest.
They entered the forest, walking along a narrow trail. Tall trees arched over them, leaves rustling softly in the breeze. The sunlight slipped through the branches, making tiny golden spots dance on the ground.
After thirty minutes of walking, they stepped onto a wider concrete paved road.
"Wow," Noah said with a grin. "Let's go."
They followed the main road for another ten minutes until they reach a town area.
Simple stone buildings lined the streets. People moved everywhere—carrying baskets, selling fruit, chatting loudly, laughing, arguing, living.
Noah's eyes widened.
"this place looks wonderful."
A man walked up to Noah and Emma.
"Welcome to the Riverside District," he said with a warm smile as he handed Noah a shiny red apple.
Noah blinked, a little surprised, then took a bite. "Sweet… thanks."
The man nodded and walked off down the street.
"These people are great," Noah said.
Emma's stomach growled loudly.
Noah looked at her. She looked right back at him, cheeks slightly pink.
Noah chuckled. "Alright, let's find somewhere to eat. By the way… how much money do we have left?"
"Three hundred million," Emma replied. "Remember, we gave a hundred million to Nami since they were broke."
Noah and Emma continued to walked around Riverside District, taking in everything around them. Villagers moved from stall to stall, the air filled with the smell of cooked fish, warm bread, and something sweet Noah couldn't quite name.
A few kids ran past them holding wooden swords, laughing as they chased each other.
"Feels peaceful," Emma said, looking around.
"This place is great," Noah replied. "
Emma's stomach growled again.
"Let's just find a restaurant before you pass out." Noah said.
They followed the scent of food until they found a sign hanging above a wooden door.
Noah pushed the doors open. Inside the restaurant looked beautiful. The floor was made of black-and-gold marble tiles that shimmered under the warm lights. Tall glass lamps lined the walls, giving the room a soft glow. Clean tables were set neatly with silver plates and folded napkins.
The restaurant wasn't big, but it was full of customers talking and eating happily. A family sat near the window, laughing over a giant plates of roasted chicken.
"This place looks popular," Emma said.
"Perfect," Noah replied, already stepping inside.
The moment they entered, a young girl rushed past them with three plates balanced in her hands. She had tall pink hair and bright green eyes that sparkled even though she looked exhausted.
"Welcome!" she said quickly before hurrying to another table.
Noah blinked. "She moves fast."
"She looks about our age," Emma said.
Before Noah could say anything, a tall man with messy blond hair stepped out of the kitchen. He wiped sweat from his forehead with a cloth, smiling warmly when he saw them.
"New faces! Welcome to Heaven's Kitchen. I'm Harris," he said. "Sit anywhere you like."
They chose a small table near the corner. Harris walked over with cups of water.
"Menu?" he offered.
Noah leaned forward. "What's the best thing you've got?"
Harris grinned. "Everything. But most folks love our spicy sea-pepper stew."
"I want that," Noah said instantly.
"I'll have the same," Emma added.
Harris nodded and rushed back to the kitchen.
The girl from earlier approached their table again, breathing a little heavily. She wiped her hands on her apron.
"Sorry if service is slow today," she said. "We're short on staff."
"It's fine," Emma said gently. "You doing all this alone with your dad?"
"Oh, no, he's not my dad. He's my uncle, my dad's sick, so he's helping me run the restaurant."
"That's sweet of him," Emma replied.
The girl nodded. "I know. My cousin helps sometimes but…" She paused, forcing a small smile. "Anyway! I'm Amy. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Noah," Noah said with a grin. "This is Emma."
Amy bowed her head slightly. "Thanks for coming to our restaurant."
She turned to leave.
Noah's eyes lingered on her for sometime before he shifted his attention back to emma.
"Emma," Noah whispered, "she seems nervous."
Emma glanced at Amy as she rushed back to another table. "I noticed."
Before they could talk further, Harris returned with two large bowls of stew. The aroma hit Noah in the face...spicy, warm, and rich.
"Eat up," Harris said proudly.
Noah took his spoon and swallowed a giant scoop.
His eyes went wide.
"This… this is amazing!"
Harris laughed, patting his shoulder. "Glad you like it!"
Emma taste the food and nodded. "This is really good."
As they ate, the restaurant buzzed with noise.
Before they could finish their meal, the buzz inside broke with a sudden scream.
Amy dropped the dish in her hands, her eyes going wide with fear. Harris rushed out of the kitchen, his face pale.
Noah and Emma jumped to their feet and ran outside.
In the middle of the street, a woman fell to her knees, sobbing.
Beside her, a basket of apples rolling across the ground.
"My daughter—my daughter—someone took her!"
Noah's chest tightened. Emma stepped forward quickly.
"What happened?" she asked.
The woman cried harder. "She was walking with me… then those men came… they grabbed her and—"
Noah's eyes narrowed.
"Which way did they go?" he asked.
She pointed toward the upper road.
Harris clenched his fists. "Not again…"
Amy grabbed her uncle's arm.
Noah stared at them. "What do you mean 'not again'?"
Harris took a shaky breath. "Girls have been vanishing from Riverside for months now.
Teenagers mostly. People tried to report it."
"Did the mayor do anything?" Emma asked.
Harris's expression turned hard.
"He's done nothing. He says the girls ran away. He says there's no proof." Harris shook his head. "But we know. Everyone knows."
Amy lowered her gaze. "Two weeks ago… my cousin vanished. She went to deliver food in the High District. She never came back."
"What's the High District?" Noah asked.
"It's a place for the wealthy," Amy replied. "It's also known as the Imperial City."
Emma leaned forward. "What's the name of this island we're on?"
"We're on Azure," Amy replied.
Emma placed a hand gently on Amy's shoulder. "I'm sorry."
Amy bit her lip, trembling. "Everyone knows it's the mayor's men… but we can't fight them. He runs everything. And the pirates"
"What pirates?" Noah asked.
Harris's voice dropped to a whisper.
"The Smilessless Pirates. They arrived a few months ago. They… they work with the mayor. They take the girls off the island."
"So if you guys know all of this, why don't you do something about it?" Noah asked.
"We did… well, my dad did," amy said softly. "And he almost died. That's why my uncle is here. My dad's wounds are really bad."
"And the people let this happen?" Emma muttered.
"What choice do we have?" Amy whispered. "The Smilessless Pirates are led by a monster—Captain Grudge. He has a 150 million bounty. And the mayor protects him."
Noah stood still for a moment.
Then he smiled.
A cold, dangerous smile.
Emma saw it and knew what it meant.
"Looks like we're getting involved."
Amy looked at him uncertainly. "You… you're not scared?"
"The only person I'm scared of is God… and I already defeated Him," Noah said with a small smile.
"You guys defeated God?!" Amy shouted.
"Keep your voice down," Noah replied. "Well… the guy said he was a god, so I guess we did defeat a god."
Noah grinned. "And this Captain Grudge guy? His luck just ran out."
"By the way, Amy… join my crew and become my chef." Noah said.