The salty ocean breeze whistled through the remnants of what used to be Sabaody's slave auction houses. The streets were eerily silent, save for the occasional groan of unconscious criminals and the panicked scurrying of former slaves disappearing into the shadows.
The air reeked of smoke, blood, and burned greed.
At the center of it all stood Monkey D. Luffy, arms crossed, looking immensely satisfied. Beside him, Kuina rested her blade on her shoulder, her expression calm but her blue eyes glinting with amusement.
"Well, that was fun," Kuina remarked, rolling her shoulders.
Luffy grinned. "Told ya Sabaody would be interesting."
Before Kuina could respond, the sound of marching boots and clanking rifles echoed through the street.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
A large battalion of Marines had arrived, forming a tight perimeter around them. Their rifles were locked and loaded, their hands gripping their weapons with a mixture of fear and uncertainty.
At the front, a Rear Admiral stepped forward, his Marine coat billowing dramatically. He was a middle-aged man with graying hair and a scar on his cheek, standing tall despite the visible beads of sweat on his forehead.
"Monkey D. Luffy!" The Rear Admiral's voice boomed, but the slight waver in his tone didn't go unnoticed. "You are to stand down immediately and wait here!"
Luffy raised an eyebrow, then tilted his head playfully. "Eh? Stand down?"
Kuina smirked, whispering, "They're scared."
Luffy let out a small chuckle, turning back to the Rear Admiral. "Oi, you. What's your name?"
The Rear Admiral stiffened, as if debating whether to answer or not. "…Rear Admiral Bryant."
Luffy grinned. "Great, Bryant. I've got a job for you!"
The Marines stiffened. A job?!
Bryant looked confused. "…What?"
Luffy pointed lazily over his shoulder at the wreckage behind him. "Inside all those ruined auction houses are a bunch of pirates and criminals, still knocked out. I locked up the really dangerous ones. Since you guys are just standing here looking all tough, why don't you be useful and take them to Impel Down?"
Bryant's jaw dropped slightly.
Luffy wasn't even requesting—he was ordering.
"I—You—" Bryant blinked rapidly, caught completely off guard. "That's… not your job!"
Luffy's smile faded slightly, his eyes turning sharp and cold.
"Not my job?" He repeated, his voice quiet but firm.
Bryant's gut clenched. That voice. That tone.
Luffy took a step forward, and the Marines instinctively took a step back.
"Your job," Luffy continued, gaze piercing, "is to stop things like this from happening. But you didn't. So I did."
The Marines tensed. Some gulped audibly.
Luffy's voice grew louder.
"Slavery was happening right under your noses. People were getting bought and sold like livestock while you all pretended it wasn't happening."
The pressure in the air thickened.
Luffy's presence alone made the Marines sweat profusely.
"And now that someone actually cleaned up your mess, you wanna act all official?" Luffy tilted his head, cracking his knuckles. "That's funny."
Bryant inhaled sharply, feeling like he was facing a Vice Admiral, not a teenager.
"You—You don't understand, this is—"
"If any of you were involved in this business," Luffy suddenly cut in, his tone deadly serious, "I'll find out. And if I do…"
His grin returned.
"I'll come for your heads next time."
A chill ran through the Marines.
Kuina, watching with amusement, leaned in and whispered, "So bossy. You're getting a little scary, Captain~."
Luffy smirked at her. "Heh, you like it."
Kuina rolled her eyes but didn't deny it.
Meanwhile, Bryant was internally screaming.
What kind of nightmare child is this?!
Despite being a Rear Admiral, he felt like a cadet again.
The Marines—fearing for their lives—suddenly sprang into action, rushing past Luffy and Kuina toward the auction houses to capture the criminals.
Luffy clapped his hands together. "See? That wasn't so hard."
Bryant wiped his forehead, wondering when his blood pressure had become this bad.
Finally, Bryant cleared his throat. "…Monkey D. Luffy. We have orders from Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
Luffy raised an eyebrow, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Oh? What now?"
Bryant hesitated, then said, "We've been instructed to keep you here until Vice Admiral Gion arrives."
Silence.
"…PFFT."
Luffy burst out laughing.
Kuina snickered. "Oh no~ We're being 'detained' again... Whatever shall we do?"
Luffy waved a hand lazily. "Yeah, no thanks."
Bryant's eyebrow twitched. "This isn't a request."
Luffy grinned at him, tilting his head mockingly. "And what are you gonna do if I say no?"
Bryant froze.
What am I gonna do? What can I even do?
The Marines behind him looked equally lost.
Luffy grinned wider. "Thought so."
Bryant rubbed his temples.
Luffy suddenly clapped his hands together. "Anyway, I still have time before Gion gets here. So…"
He turned to Bryant, eyes glinting with mischief.
"Give me a list of all the wanted pirates still on Sabaody."
Bryant stared at him. "What?"
Luffy grinned wider. "Well, since I'm waiting, I might as well clean up the place some more. And hey—bounties mean money."
Bryant was dumbfounded.
This madman wasn't just stopping at the slave traders—he wanted to hunt pirates for cash while waiting for his own arrest.
Kuina sighed dramatically. "Always thinking about work. Don't you wanna take me shopping or something first, Captain?"
Luffy grinned at her. "I'll buy you a new sword after we're done."
Kuina blinked, then smiled. "Tempting."
Bryant, having long given up on fighting fate, handed over a list.
Luffy glanced over it and whistled. "Not bad. Guess we'll be busy for a while."
Bryant, watching them walk off, felt like he had just survived a hurricane.
As Luffy and Kuina disappeared into the streets, he sighed.
"…Fleet Admiral Sengoku's gonna lose his mind."
After Kuina and Luffy had walked away from the prying eyes, Luffy hugged her waist, not wanting to waste more time.
The air shifted abruptly, a sudden distortion in space swallowing Luffy and Kuina as they vanished from sight.
A heartbeat later...
FWAP!
They reappeared outside a dimly lit bar, its wooden sign swaying slightly with the salty breeze.
Luffy's arm was still wrapped around Kuina's waist, holding her close against him.
"Still not used to that," Kuina murmured, leaning against him slightly before stepping away.
Luffy grinned. "You'll get there."
Without hesitation, he raised a fist.
Knock! Knock!
Then, he pushed the door open.
Inside, a soft haze of cigarette smoke lingered in the air. The dim light cast long shadows across the room, where a lone figure sat behind the counter, a cigarette dangling lazily between her fingers.
As they stepped in, Shakky's sharp gaze lifted, locking onto Luffy.
"Well, well," Shakky exhaled smoke slowly, a smirk curling her lips. "If it isn't Luffy~"
Her sultry voice carried amusement, but something in her gaze flickered—a strange, almost subconscious attraction stirring in her chest.
What is this… odd pull?
She couldn't quite place it.
But Luffy's presence alone felt intoxicatingly irresistible.
Luffy grinned back. "Been a while, Shakky."
Shakky chuckled, resting her chin on her hand. "More than six years, if I recall correctly. Last time you came here, you had three scared little girls clinging to you."
Luffy laughed. "Yeah. Thanks again for helping Hancock and her sisters back then."
Shakky waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, don't mention it. Though, I have to say…"
Her gaze flickered over his frame, her smirk deepening.
"You've grown quite a lot since then."
Her tone was playful—but there was a subtle heat behind her teasing words.
Kuina, standing beside Luffy, finally spoke, her voice calm but firm.
"I'm Kuina," She introduced herself, giving a polite nod before adding dryly, "And I already know what you're thinking."
Shakky's brows lifted, her smirk growing mischievous.
"Oh? And what's that, sweetheart?"
Kuina crossed her arms. "That I must be a handful to keep in check."
Shakky laughed lightly, exhaling another puff of smoke.
"Something like that," She mused. "But knowing Luffy…"
Her eyes gleamed knowingly.
"He's the kind of man who enjoys the challenge."
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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