On the rooftop of a building in Orange Town.
Pirates were gathered there, and one among them spat out a question toward another,
"Have you still not caught that thief?!"
"My apologies, Captain Buggy!"
A man with blue hair tied in two ponytails—poking out from a hole in the center of his captain's hat—roared at his subordinate.
He wore heavy makeup on his face, and his red nose was larger and rounder than any normal person's.
"F-first, we have properly punished the ones who failed to guard the charts!"
"We all teamed up and beat them until their faces turned into red beetroots...!"
"Beetroots? Are you saying my nose looks like a beetroot right now?!"
"N-no, that's not what I meant...!"
In that instant, Buggy's hand detached from his body.
The severed section of his wrist was pitch black, and that hand flew out to seize the subordinate's neck, hoisting him into the air.
"Gah... C-Captain Buggy...!"
—CRASH!
The floating hand hurled the subordinate aside, smashing him into a wall.
The pirate was buried under the rubble. As tension crackled among the other crewmates, Buggy stood up and spoke.
"On the very day my fame is set to reach new heights, allowing a thief to strike... Is that how the subordinates of the Great Buggy the Clown behave?!"
"WE ARE DEEPLY SORRY!!!"
Buggy stepped to the edge of the rooftop and peered down.
In the center of the wide plaza below, a man was bound to a wooden cross. His hands were tied securely, and his back was turned to the sun.
Buggy looked down at him and muttered,
"You're worth more than ten of those idiots combined."
"Still haven't surrendered, eh? Do you have no intention of becoming my subordinate?"
"Roronoa Zoro."
******
"By the way, you said you ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi?"
"That's right."
"Then what was that thing you made in your hand earlier?"
"That's called 'Haki.' It's the power of willpower that lies hidden within all humans."
'But only I can manifest Haki into a spherical shape. It's likely because of the nature of the Fruit I ate.'
Luffy and Nami were inside a small house in the village, sitting at a table across from each other.
Hearing Nami's question, Luffy recalled a memory from his childhood.
A young Luffy, wearing his straw hat, held a golden sphere in his palm. Standing before him was a middle-aged man over two meters tall with a thick beard.
The man was kneeling on one knee, his large hands hovering over the golden sphere.
"I can feel it by just touching it, Luffy. This is Haki."
"Haki? What's that, Grandpa?"
"It is the power of will hidden inside every living soul."
The man Luffy called grandfather was none other than the Hero of the Marines, Monkey D. Garp.
"There are three types of Haki. However, most people who aren't born with innate strength never realize it's there."
"It is so difficult to awaken that some people can't use it even once before they die, no matter how hard they train."
"I've heard of cases where someone awakens one of the three types due to a specific trauma, or another type when their physical strength reaches an abnormal level."
"Judging by the latter, you aren't that strong yet. But the power you're cloaking yourself in now is called 'Busoshoku Haki'—Armament Haki—the kind usually awakened through the latter method."
"Yet, I've never heard of someone awakening Haki just by eating a Devil Fruit..."
"Then I've become super strong, right Grandpa? That's why I can use this Haki thing!"
"Luffy..."
Garp watched Luffy, who was cheering with both hands raised while still shrouded in Haki, and thought to himself:
'That aura belongs to an advanced tier of Armament Haki that only a tiny handful of users—myself included—can achieve.'
'But the aura of Luffy's Armament is faint, like smoke, whereas the aura of high-tier Armament is usually much more vivid.'
'And yet, even I cannot condense Armament Haki into a sphere like that. Is it a power related to the Devil Fruit he ate?'
'Furthermore, it's not the usual white of Armament; it's golden... Is it possible that isn't just Armament Haki inside that sphere?'
'I hope this power proves to be a boon for the boy...'
Garp then reached out toward the excited, arm-waving Luffy.
—POW!
"Ow! Why did you hit me in the head?!"
"Who told you to eat a Devil Fruit! Why would a future Marine eat something that makes him unable to swim?!"
"I'm not gonna be a Marine! I'm gonna be a Pirate!"
"There you go again! That redhead has filled your head with nonsense...!"
"I told you, Shanks saved my life!"
"That's separate from becoming a pirate!"
"Don't think about coming back to Foosha Village for a while! You'll stay with the bandits of Mount Colbo until you agree to become a Marine!"
"I hate bandits! I almost died because of one!"
"Then say you'll be a Marine!"
"I hate that even more!"
Recalling those memories, Luffy looked back at Nami and continued his train of thought.
"A fruit that turns your body into rubber somehow allows you to manipulate Haki in a special way... I don't get it. Devil Fruit powers are weird."
"Do you know about a man named Vegapunk? He's a very famous scientist."
"I know the name. He's on the front page of the newspapers all the time."
"He once proposed a famous hypothesis regarding Devil Fruits."
"He suggested that Devil Fruits are manifestations of human dreams—people wishing 'I wish I could be like this' or 'I wish I could do that.' These fruits are the vessels for the realization of those desired forms."
"However, because these abilities are so abnormal and supernatural that they defy the laws of the physical world, they are loathed by 'Mother Nature,' which is the sea."
"That is why users are cursed to lose their strength and drown when they fall into the ocean—that's Vegapunk's claim."
"I've wanted to become stronger ever since I was a kid."
"If that hypothesis is correct, then it's right to assume that the Gomu Gomu no Mi I ate possesses the power embodied by my desire to be strong."
"That's a pretty unrealistic hypothesis for a famous scientist."
"So, do other Devil Fruits give powers based on what the person who eats them wants?"
"No. Other fruits provide a set ability. They don't give a power tailored to the eater."
"The Gomu Gomu no Mi is... special."
"It sounds like an incredible fruit from what you're saying."
'Based on what I know from the later parts of the manga, Vegapunk's hypothesis was basically the author using a character's mouth to explain the setting of the fruits.'
'In fact, it's only recently, after recalling my past life and the manga's contents, that I've begun to understand.'
'Unlike the original Luffy, whose body simply stretched like rubber to match the name of the Gomu Gomu no Mi, I have the ability to manipulate Haki.'
'The first reason is likely my previous life. Haki is the power of will, encompassing not just physical strength but mental strength as well.'
'Even if I ate it as a child, there's a high probability that my life from my previous world influenced it. From that perspective, one could even guess that recalling my past life was an inevitability.'
'The second reason, just like in the original story, must be related to the fact that the fruit's true name... isn't actually the Gomu Gomu no Mi.'
'The ability of that fruit isn't just turning the body into rubber. It was about granting the body even greater physical strength and absolute freedom.'
'The real name of that fruit is...'
"What are you thinking so hard about, Luffy?"
"Huh?"
Nami leaned her face closer toward Luffy, who had been lost in thought for quite a while.
'I've been overthinking way too much lately because of these past life memories. For now, let's focus on what's important.'
"Ah... I was just thinking about what you said earlier. About taking down Buggy."
"Who said anything about taking him down?! I said while you draw their attention, I'll steal their treasure!"
"It'd be faster to just beat them up rather than just drawing their attention."
"Drawing their attention for a moment is enough. Those guys are focused on killing Roronoa Zoro, the famous Pirate Hunter, today."
"If they caught him, they should have just killed him. Why is he still alive when he doesn't even have a bounty?"
"Roronoa has been getting quite famous lately as a Pirate Hunter."
"Knowing he killed a guy like that would boost Buggy's own infamy. They're probably taking photos and preparing to notify the newspapers once the deed is done."
"I suppose... the pirate world really does revolve around eating or being eaten."
"Killing a strong opponent prevents other pirates from underestimating you. That's why pirates fight each other so often."
"You know a lot about pirates, don't you?"
"That's because... I'm a pirate, too?"
"L-L-Luffy! You were a pirate?!"
Nami jumped up from her chair and shouted at his revelation. Luffy looked at her and replied calmly,
"Ah, let me clarify so you don't misunderstand."
"My first goal is to return this straw hat to the person who saved my life."
"The second is to find the One Piece and become the Pirate King."
"Beyond that, if I can just live freely, that's enough. So, I don't plunder."
"That... that's just being an adventurer, not a pirate."
"The man who saved my life didn't plunder either. But I made a promise when I was a kid that I'd become the Pirate King and meet him again."
"So, that's why I go around calling myself a pirate."
"Over a childhood promise... wouldn't it be easier just to call yourself an adventurer?"
"You said he saved your young self. If he's such a good person, you don't necessarily have to go around calling yourself a pirate..."
"That man... lost an arm saving me."
"It was a promise made in my youth, yes. But no matter what hardships I face, I will keep it."
"It's not just for his sake anymore. It's because I promised myself that I would live this way."
"This is my conviction. I have no intention of changing it."
"...I see."
'He's a complete idiot.'
'Calling yourself a pirate on these seas is incredibly dangerous.'
'Merchant ships will flee from you, and the Marines will start firing cannons the moment they spot you from afar.'
'That's common sense... and yet you don't look like an idiot who wouldn't know that.'
'Why go that far, Luffy?'
'Is that conviction truly as important as your life?'
After a brief silence as Nami pondered this, Luffy spoke up again.
"Anyway, since I am a pirate, I plan to form a crew. The stronger the companions, the better."
"So, I'm going to meet this Zoro guy and ask him to join me. While I'm at it, I'll catch Buggy and turn him in to the Marines for the bounty."
"Luffy... are you just going to take anyone as a companion as long as they're strong? Even someone who kills and steals indiscriminately, unlike you?"
"Life on a ship is tough, Nami."
"Unless you have a strict hierarchy like the Marines, conflicts are bound to arise due to differing natures."
"But I have no intention of becoming a captain of a crew with such rigid hierarchy. I want to make people I resonate with into my companions."
"Therefore, I have no intention of recruiting people who just kill and steal."
"Then give up on Roronoa Zoro. It's better to just leave him as a distraction while we steal the Buggy Pirates' treasure."
"Why? Did he do something bad?"
"Rumors call him a bloodthirsty beast."
"He isn't the only bounty hunter in the East Blue, but to be called that? He must be a madman who loves killing!"
"I don't know. Judging someone based solely on rumors..."
—SLAM!
Just as Luffy was answering Nami, a middle-aged man with curly white hair burst through the door with a loud bang.
He wore glasses, a leather breastplate, and carried a spear across his back.
"I simply couldn't sit by and listen to this anymore!"
"And who might you be, old man?"
"I am the Mayor of this village! And the owner of this house!"
"Nami, what were you thinking, breaking and entering?!"
"I-I'm so sorry, Mayor! I thought it was an empty house and just wanted to rest... Hey, wait! You came in here too!"
"My apologies, Mr. Mayor. I just heard from the girl next to me that the villagers had fled to the outskirts because of the pirates, so I came right in."
"I don't care about that! It's what this girl said that's the problem!"
"Roronoa Zoro... that young man is not a bad person! On the contrary, he saved us!"
As the Mayor spoke, he recalled what happened in the past.
"Roronoa! You need to escape too!"
"I feel like I should pay for the food and a place to sleep."
"I-It's the Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro!"
It was a scene where a man, gripping swords in both hands and one in his mouth, stood his ground against pirates while he and the villagers fled.
"While the villagers and I were fleeing from the pirates who arrived two days ago, Roronoa fought them to buy us time."
"Ah, so that's how it was..."
"See, Nami? It's not good to judge a person based on rumors."
"Take today as a lesson and from now on..."
"I get it! I get it, so stop siding with the Mayor!"
"Okay."
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you! You're trying to piss me off!"
"...Maybe a little?"
"Why?! Wasn't that flick to the forehead enough for you?!"
"No, I just think your reactions are funny."
"You really have a terrible personality!"
'Teasing Nami really is fun. Is this why Shanks enjoyed teasing me so much when I was a kid?'
"Anyway, Mr. Mayor, why did you come back to the village?"
"I came to save Roronoa."
The Mayor replied firmly to Luffy's question, prompting Nami to ask,
"Did you come alone?"
"Yes. I told the villagers I was coming to keep an eye on the pirates from a distance."
"But I have no intention of just going back. I have to save Roronoa, who helped our people."
"It's too dangerous! You should report it to the Marines and wait...!"
"I've already made the report. But I can't just wait for the Marines to show up."
"I overheard those pirate bastards talking while I was hiding—they said they're going to kill Roronoa today!"
"Even so, by yourself, Mayor..."
"Forty years ago, this village was a wasteland where not even a blade of grass grew. The parents of the current villagers and I, after losing everything to pirates, built this port city from nothing!"
As he spoke, the Mayor remembered himself as a young man with dark hair and a face without a single wrinkle.
Standing on an island with nothing but grass and no buildings, he had addressed the people.
"Let's forget the village destroyed by pirates."
"We'll build a new one! Our village!"
Tears welled up in the Mayor's eyes as he recalled the past and continued.
"The companions who started with me have all died... but I am still alive. And because of Roronoa, I was able to save the lives of those companions' children."
"Straw Hat youth! You said you don't plunder, but you're still a pirate, right?!"
"...That's right."
"Just as gold and silver are treasures to a pirate, to me, the Mayor, the villagers are my treasure."
"I cannot simply stand by and watch Roronoa, who saved them, be killed!"
With those words, the Mayor knelt before Luffy and pleaded.
"Originally, I was going to wait for a moment when their guard was down to save him. I was prepared for the consequences if I got caught."
"But then you appeared. Based on the conversation I eavesdropped on, you're an eccentric but good man!"
"Please! I beg of you! While I draw those pirate bastards' attention, please save Roronoa!"
"Wait, Mr. Mayor..."
"I'm not saying I won't reward you! I have my entire life savings hidden under the floor of this house!"
"It's only about three million Berries, but if you would just accept that...!"
"Mr. Mayor, you've got the order of things wrong."
"Drawing their attention and the rescue—I'll be doing both."
"W-what do you mean by...?!"
As the Mayor looked up, Luffy continued.
"I was looking for people to join my crew."
"But after hearing what you said, I like Roronoa Zoro even more."
'In the original story, the reason Zoro was captured by Captain Morgan's son was that he killed the man's pet wolf, which was threatening a young girl.'
'But unlike the original, I caught Morgan myself. Since I didn't see Zoro when I stopped by Shells Town before coming here, I figured he was living his life just fine somewhere.'
'But Zoro appeared near me after all. And just like the original, he was captured while trying to save people in danger.'
Thinking this, Luffy stood up and passed by the Mayor toward the door.
'In the original, the Mayor—whom Zoro hadn't saved from Buggy—tried to go fight Buggy alone, telling the original Luffy not to get in the way.'
'But the current Mayor is kneeling and begging me, a youth who could be his grandson. A man who once refused help has now lowered himself for the sake of his village's savior.'
'I like both of them. So, I don't want to leave them to die.'
Luffy opened the door and stepped outside. Nami stared at his back as he looked straight ahead.
"Luffy... why go this far?"
"About what?"
"You said you wanted to live freely. So why..."
"Because I... I thought of someone I want to be like."
"I'm leaving this hat with you."
Remembering Shanks, Luffy turned his head to look at Nami and continued.
"So, I can't just walk away."
"Someone you want... to be like?"
"Yeah... even though I'm probably just chasing his shadow at this point."
"But I think... if I keep chasing it, I might eventually become someone who wouldn't be embarrassed to face him. That's what I think. That's all."
"Luffy..."
Luffy noticed Nami's face turning slightly red and added,
"Ah, of course, that's a separate matter from teasing you being fun."
"That's just because it's fun."
"Oh, seriously! Is it physically impossible for you to stay cool from beginning to end?!"
"Was I a little cool just now?"
"N-no, you weren't! Not at all!"
"I'll take you up on that suggestion you made earlier. About taking Buggy down."
"...I told you I never suggested taking him down."
Nami stared at Luffy for a moment, then stood up with a smile.
"I like money. My goal of getting the Buggy Pirates' treasure hasn't changed."
"But if the situation allows... I'll help you out a bit."
"Thanks, Nami. I mean it."
"I-it's not like I'm doing it for free! I'm saying I'll help if I have time after stealing all of Buggy's treasure!"
"That's good enough. Let's go."
"I am truly grateful to both of you! I shall lend whatever little strength I have as well...!"
"Mr. Mayor, could you just stay here?"
"How can I sit still while you youths go off to fight for Roronoa!"
"I'm sorry to say this, but I'm telling you because you'd only be in the way."
And with that, the three of them left the house and headed toward the place where Buggy and Zoro were.