Night had fallen over Windmill Town, and in a small tavern, little Luffy sat quietly in a corner.
"Hi there, little brother."
A short-haired girl with deep green hair placed a steaming bowl of porridge in front of him.
Luffy looked up, staring at the girl before him. Her large eyes, delicate features, and gentle smile were like a cool breeze on a sweltering day.
This young girl was Makino, the tavern owner's daughter.
"Thank you, sister."
Luffy hadn't eaten a single bite since arriving in this world. Ignoring whether the porridge was too hot, he slurped it down greedily.
"Hahaha, little brother, what's your name?"
Makino laughed softly at Luffy's ravenous eating.
"Uh… uh… I'm Luffy. Sister, is there any meat?" Luffy asked after swallowing the last spoonful.
"Luffy, I'm Makino. Wait a moment—I'll prepare some roasted meat for you."
Even at her young age, she had the wisdom and social skills of someone who would later run the tavern.
At the mention of meat, Makino immediately thought to cook some for Luffy.
But this time, she misjudged his intentions.
"Wait, Makino! I don't want meat just yet!" Luffy called out as she headed to the kitchen.
"I want to ask you something first, sister. Where does this tavern usually get its meat?"
Exactly—Luffy's real purpose was to check whether Windmill Town had any slaughterhouses or safe hunting grounds so he could gain experience safely.
Though Luffy would become incredibly strong in the future, at age three, he was only slightly more robust than ordinary children. Attributes were what they were, and no matter how high his Spirit was, it couldn't be used as an attack.
If he got serious, he probably couldn't even overpower Makino.
"Ah? Meat? Usually the town hunters go to the forest to hunt, and every morning they deliver it to the tavern," Makino replied with a hint of puzzlement.
"I see… okay…" Luffy rested his head on the table, feeling drained of energy.
"Hm… Luffy, from now on you can live at my house. My father has prepared a room for you to use as your bedroom," Makino said curiously.
"Okay, thank you, Makino!"
Following her, Luffy arrived at his new bedroom, said goodnight, and collapsed onto the bed.
Though his body was now data-formatted, some innate habits remained. Within ten seconds of lying down, Luffy was asleep.
The next morning, the sun had just risen halfway, and the moon still hung faintly in the sky.
"Village Chief! Village Chief! Something's wrong! Something's wrong!" Makino knocked frantically at the village chief's door.
"I'm coming, I'm coming. What happened?" The early-rising village chief opened the door, leaning on his cane.
"What's the matter, Makino?"
"Village Chief, Luffy… Luffy is gone!" Makino panted, clearly anxious.
"This morning I wanted to check on Luffy. I quietly opened his bedroom door and… the bed was empty! I searched around the tavern, but I couldn't find him anywhere." Makino shook the chief's arm frantically.
"Calm down, calm down, Makino," the chief said, steadying her.
Makino gradually stopped.
"Don't worry, Makino. Luffy may be small, but he's clever. He'll be fine. Trust me," the chief reassured, though worry still flickered in his eyes.
An hour later, the sun had fully risen, and the sky was cloudless.
Outside the town, a small figure struggled, dragging something toward the village.
As soon as Luffy entered, several townsfolk noticed him immediately.
"Hey! Little Luffy's back!"
"Quick, quick! He's over here!"
A crowd surrounded him, obscuring his tiny figure completely.
"Step aside, step aside." Makino, along with the chief, pushed through to reach him.
At Luffy's waist hung a bone-cutting knife, and his right hand clutched the leg of a dead rabbit. The rabbit's belly bore a large slash, blood long dried.
"Luffy, what have you been doing?" Makino asked, checking him over. Seeing that he was only dirty and unharmed, she relaxed.
"Sorry, Makino, for worrying everyone," Luffy said, surprised at how big the commotion had become.
"What were you doing?" the village chief asked shakily.
"I wanted some meat, but there wasn't much at Makino's house, so I went hunting myself," Luffy replied carefully, not revealing his true intentions.
"Sorry, Makino, I borrowed some vegetables from the kitchen and this knife," Luffy said, handing over the knife by its handle.
"It's fine, little Luffy. As long as you're okay," Makino said, taking the bone-cutting knife and standing.
"Sorry for the trouble, everyone. Thanks for your help. I'll take Luffy back to tidy up," she said, taking Luffy's small hand. With her other hand, she picked up the rabbit and waved goodbye to the chief and townsfolk, heading back to the tavern.
As they entered the tavern, Luffy spoke first. "Makino, can I keep this bone-cutting knife?"
Makino paused. "What do you want it for?"
"I want to go back to the forest and hunt more beasts," Luffy replied.
Makino crouched down to speak, but Luffy quickly continued:
"I want to grow strong enough to beat my grandfather. Then he won't have to work and can eat senbei at home every day. Later, I'll become the strongest person in the world. No one will dare do what I dislike!"
Makino looked into Luffy's eyes. Despite his small size, his gaze shone with courage and confidence.
She remained silent for a moment, then slowly stood, walked to the back of the tavern, and returned to Luffy's side.
"Here, Luffy. This is my father's old hunting gear," she said, handing him a cross-body pouch containing a dagger. "The kitchen knife is a bit dull. This one is better for you."
"But!" Makino suddenly crouched, placing her hands on Luffy's cheeks, gently massaging them. "You're smarter than other kids your age. You have to promise me, Luffy!"
"Absolutely! Absolutely! Don't hurt yourself, okay?" Makino slowed her hands but didn't remove them, still gently squeezing his cheeks.
"Uh… I understand… Makino," Luffy said, once again feeling bullied due to his small frame.
"Good. I'll go make you some food. You wait here."
"Okay!"