"Charge, charge, charge!! Big adventure!"
"Hahahaha! The man worth 200 million is here!"
"Big adven—"
In an instant, Chopper, who had been happily running ashore, collapsed to his knees in tears. 200 berries… barely enough to buy a few cotton candies...
"Lili~"
"Wow! An island that doesn't move~~"
Meanwhile, a little tanuki and a rabbit girl rushed off after Luffy, making Nami sigh as she stepped off the ship.
It used to be just three weird creatures, and now it's five…
"Sanji, you and Pudding handle the food supplies."
"Leave it to me,"
Sanji, looking calm and reliable, lit a cigarette while Pudding stood beside him, holding her hands to her chest with a lovestruck expression.
"Chopper, don't worry about the bounty… Just restock the medicine first. Without you, we wouldn't have made it this far."
"Aww~~ I'm not that important~~"
Hearing Nami's praise, the little reindeer immediately stood up, put his hands on his hips, and said, "Alright, alright, since I'm the doctor."
"Franky, Brook, and Jinbe, I'll leave gathering ship repair materials to you guys."
"Whoa, leave it to me!"
"No problem."
"Yohoho~ Consider it done~~"
The three "old men" nodded. Since Jinbe had taken over Roman's part-time job as the helmsman, he also needed to familiarize himself with the ship's structure and help with repairs. After all, if the ship's bottom got damaged, Jinbe was better suited for underwater work than Franky, who would need ropes to get down there.
"Zoro… Never mind. The moment you step onto the dock, you'll get lost. Just stay here and watch the ship."
"Hey!"
The world's most directionally challenged swordsman was furious. Are you underestimating my sixth sense as a great swordsman? Believe it or not, I might just— *cough*—accidentally wander all the way to Laugh Tale!
"I'll stay and watch the ship too."
Jaguar warrior Pedro leaned against the mast, a cigarette in his mouth. As a serious and disciplined Mink Tribe warrior, aimlessly wandering around town wasn't his style.
"Good, then—"
Nami curled her finger at Roman, who had the look of a man walking to his execution. Any man who's ever had to go shopping with a woman knows just how painful it is—both physically and mentally.
"Robin, let's go shopping!"
Excited, Nami and Robin headed straight for the clothing stores, with a lifeless-looking Roman trailing behind.
Let's see… White doves had already flown ahead toward the town and the entire island, setting up a scouting network. But just as they passed the town—
*Slash!*
A single leaf suddenly sliced through the air, instantly *beheading* one of the doves. And it wasn't just one or two incidents—hundreds, maybe thousands, of leaves simultaneously cut through the sky. In just a second, all of Roman's scouting doves had vanished without a trace.
*Tsk, as expected of a Four Emperors-level fighter.*
Roman's scouting tricks were only useful against those with weak Observation Haki. Against a master like the "Red the Aloof," they were completely useless. Looks like there's no avoiding a direct confrontation…
"Roman, does this outfit look good?"
"It looks good."
"Roman, what about this one…?"
"It looks good."
"Roman, doesn't Robin look great?"
"It looks good."
"...?!"
"Robin, let's just pick for ourselves! Forget about him!"
———
"An interesting little thing."
In the ruins far from the town, a tall, slender old man with white hair tied into two braids looked in the town's direction.
He wore a burgundy shirt and blood-red trousers, along with black leather shoes lined with gold. A long red cape, plaid on the inside and bright crimson on the outside, draped over his shoulders, fastened with a giant blue rose. In his hand, he held a long, thin umbrella with a bat-shaped handle.
Beneath his fiery red eyebrows was a pair of sharp eyes that seemed to see through everything. A golden chain dangled from his lips, connecting to his left ear. His expression carried a confident, almost mischievous smile.
Even though he was no longer young, his charm remained undiminished. With a casual wave of his hand, he sent the leaves from a nearby tree flying, striking down all of Roman's white doves with perfect accuracy. Closing his eyes, the distinguished-looking old man spoke.
"Straw Hat Luffy?"
"Garp's grandson, aiming to become the Pirate King…"
"Fourteen of them in total. A few of them seem pretty strong… Wait!"
"Isn't that Nico Robin, the last survivor of Ohara? The 'Demon Child'?"
The old man opened his eyes again. He had already "seen" the Straw Hat Crew as they landed. A promising group of young people. Even his pet, Pato, was with them.
"You seem happy," he murmured. "Then—"
Let them be.
With a dramatic sweep of his cape, leaves fluttered through the air. The scenery around him rippled like water, suddenly shifting into different landscapes—coastal parks, desert palaces, cloud-covered vines, government buildings, eerie castles, Marine Headquarters…
"A theater is nothing without actors,"
The proud man in red took a single step forward, and in an instant, he appeared a hundred meters away. With his next step, he was already several hundred meters beyond that. His speed was nothing short of supernatural.
"Let's see just how strong this so-called 'Worst Generation' really is."
——————
In the town of Suigu,
"Hehehe! Roman, Nami, Robin—over here!"
After picking out some clothes, Nami and Robin followed Roman to the town's inn. When they arrived, they found Luffy already sitting in the dining area, stuffing his face with food. A cute girl in a chef's uniform, wearing glasses and with her hair tied up in a bun, was frantically bringing out more dishes.
"Luffy… if we hadn't shown up, were you planning to dine and dash?"
Money? The future Pirate King doesn't need to worry about that…
"Hehehe, Yaya's treating me!"
While Luffy spoke with his mouth full, the girl in glasses set down a plate and bowed politely to Roman and the others.
"Yes, Luffy helped drive away some troublesome pirates, so I offered him a meal as thanks."
"And… um, my name is Yadoya…"
Looking at the pale-faced innkeeper girl, Nami couldn't help but sympathize. With Luffy's monstrous appetite, it wasn't uncommon for him to eat an entire restaurant into bankruptcy.
"So, how many rooms do you have? We'll take them all. And the food—whatever you've got, bring it all out."
"Eh? Huh? Wait—"
Before Yadoya could even react, a stack of Berries was pressed into her hands.
"My crewmates are all big eaters. It's going to be a busy night for you."
"N-No problem at all…"
Guided by Roman's white doves, the rest of the Straw Hat Crew soon gathered at the inn. With Sanji and Pudding joining the kitchen, it took three chefs working non-stop to finally satisfy the bottomless appetites of the crew.
Even the meals for Zoro and Pedro, who were staying behind on the ship, were delivered via a few white doves.
After everyone had eaten their fill—
"Pato, weren't you going to look for your 'boss'?"
Nami crouched down and patted the little tanuki on the head. "Go on, don't keep your friend waiting. If you need anything, just come back to the inn and find us."
"Mm! Riri~!"
Even though Pato looked like an adorable little mascot, he was still a Devil Fruit user. Not just some small-time thug—he could easily handle ordinary pirates, so no one was too worried about letting him go alone.
Now then—
"We've still got some time. Chopper, let's go fishing!"
Usopp was already dragging Chopper along to gather some fresh ingredients.
"We'll help clean up,"
Sanji and Pudding stayed behind to tidy up the kitchen, since they had borrowed Yadoya's space to cook.
"Hee hee hee, I'm heading out for another stroll~~"
Never one to sit still, Luffy shot out of the inn with a "Rubber Rocket," off to continue his "adventure."
"Well, I should—"
"Roman, come here for a second."
Nami glanced back with a smile as she headed upstairs. Roman nodded and got up.
"Alright."
"...Ah, youth is such a wonderful thing, yohohoho~~"
"Yeah, watching them warms even my cold, lifeless body."
Jinbe sighed. "The future of this world is in their hands, no doubt about it."
"You three,"
Sanji walked over and placed a tray with oak beer mugs on the table.
"Want a drink? It's just regular ale, but I added some extra flavoring—"
"Yohohoho, alcohol is a pirate's lifeblood!"
The three of them raised their mugs and took big gulps. Then—
"Yohoho… Why is everything starting to spin…?"
"I… I feel really off…!"
"Of course you do,"
Sanji calmly flicked the ash from his cigarette.
"I laced the drinks with sleeping herbs."
?!
"Oh, and I mixed in a bit of spice to cover up the taste—"
"Fish-Man Karate: Water Shot!"
Swish—
Sanji tilted his head slightly, dodging the high-speed water droplet that Jinbe had launched from his palm. Even as Jinbe fought to stay upright, confusion all over his face, Sanji remained cold. He spun in place, and his black leather shoe filled Jinbe's vision.
"Time to sleep."
"Finishing Touch Shot!"
Thud—
Behind the inn—
"Sanji, come here for a sec."
?
Sanji, in the middle of taking out the trash, looked at Pudding in confusion. She was sneaking around like a thief—what was she up to?
Suddenly, she grabbed his tie and pulled him toward a small grove.
"Wait… Hold on! It's not even dark yet—"
The next second, her soft lips pressed against his, cutting him off completely.
Just as Sanji's eyes turned into hearts, a delicate hand suddenly "sank" into his temple.
What started as a love story instantly turned into a horror scene!
"Memory Edit!"
Thud—
———
"I'm telling you, before we even reached the Grand Line, we once sailed into the Calm Belt."
Usopp sat by the shore, fishing, while bragging to Chopper.
"Back then, we faced a whole group of massive Sea Kings! Everyone was shaking in fear, but I stepped forward and shouted: 'Monsters, you won't—?!'"
He paused and turned his head, then let out a sigh of relief.
"Oh, it's just you, Robin. We'll be done fishing soon—"
"You don't need to fish anymore."
?
"Twelve-Floral Sleeper Hold!"
In an instant, six arms sprouted from both Usopp and Chopper. Before they could react, the arms grabbed them and slammed their heads together!
Bam!!
With a twist, their heads knocked hard against each other. In that moment, they were completely "defeated."
Thud—
———
"Yo, Zoro~~"
"Usopp? What are you doing here?"
Zoro, leaning against the ship's railing and casually chatting with Pedro, opened one eye and looked at the long-nosed sniper who had just jumped onto the deck.
"I'm here to grab some materials—I just had a new idea! This time, I'll make a gadget that will really blow your minds!"
Unlike Franky, who had formal engineering skills, Usopp's inventions were often the result of random inspiration. Some were truly brilliant, while others…
"Fine, just don't blow yourself up."
"Come on, have a little faith—"
As they talked, Usopp had already palmed three plant-based ammo rounds. He pulled back his slingshot, aimed, and fired—all in one smooth motion!
His target—
"Usopp, what the hell are you doing?!"
Caught off guard by the sudden close-range attack, Zoro instantly drew his sword!
With a flash of steel, the three plant bullets were sliced into six pieces mid-air.
But then—
Puff! Puff! Puff!
*Cough* "What… is this…?"
Thick brownish-yellow gas burst out from the sliced-open plant seeds, completely engulfing Zoro and Pedro before they could react! At the same time, several more plant-based projectiles flew in, turning into thick vines that tightly wrapped around Zoro and Pedro, trapping them inside the gas cloud.
"…Don't underestimate me."
Usopp pulled down his hat in a cool manner, lowering his head with a smirk.
"Killer Move: Hypnosis Star!"
"Killer Move: Green Star Demon!"
Boom! ——————
"Hey, Roman?"
"It's getting late. What are you doing up there like a monkey? Get down already!"
"Coming~~"
With Roman looking up at him in exasperation, Luffy jumped down from the tallest building in town and casually walked past him.
"Let's head ba—"
Whoosh—
In a flash, Luffy suddenly disappeared from where he stood. When he reappeared, he was already speeding to the opposite side. He turned, pressing his hat down and looking seriously at the person in front of him.
"Who are you?"
"I am Roman… No, I should say I believe I am 'Roman,' but at the same time, I know very clearly that I'm not 'Roman.'"
?
"You're not Roman, but why do you talk just like him—saying a bunch of stuff I don't understand?"
Seeing Luffy's puzzled face, "Roman" shrugged.
"Alright, to put it simply, I'm a fake 'Roman.' …Man, denying my own existence really doesn't feel great. But wow, your Observation Haki is insane. I didn't even attack yet, and you already 'saw' the future."
"Hehehe, since you're praising me like that, I guess I'll humbly accept it~~"
Are you Diamante or something? "Roman" rubbed his temples in frustration.
Even though he was "fake," his habits and fighting style were exactly the same as the real Roman.
"So then—Momo: Fifty Times Quake Blade!"
A sword suddenly appeared in his hand, glowing intensely white—the effect of the Quake-Quake Fruit! At the same time, "Roman" shot forward like a streak of light, his sword tracing a deadly arc as it slashed toward Luffy!
*Pshh—*
With a soft sound, "Roman's" sword came to a stop right in front of Luffy's forehead. But in return, a fist had already punched straight through his chest.
"Huh? This isn't the future I saw…"
Seeing Luffy's shocked and confused face, "Roman" grinned.
"But this is the 'future' I wanted."
?!
"After all, being a 'puppet' like this is a pretty miserable experience. I can't go against that guy's orders, and I can't even hold back on purpose. But what if I truly fight with all my strength?"
"Roman" answered his own question.
"Just now, I was preparing a big move. If I pulled it off, I might've actually captured you. But obviously, while using that ability, my defense would've dropped so low that even a single hit could take me out…"
"Roman, what are you talking about?!"
Seeing Luffy's "just speak normal words" expression, "Roman" smirked.
"Nothing… Just have fun."
*Poof!*
Like a shadow clone reaching its limit, the overburdened "Roman" exploded into nothing, leaving behind only a single leaf that drifted slowly to the ground.
"…Forget it,"
"I'll just go ask Roman myself what's going on."
Not bothering to think too hard about it, Luffy turned and leaped toward the inn!
----
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