The second pirate lunged, swinging a rusted cutlass. Makoto sidestepped—almost lazily—before driving his elbow into the man's ribs. A choked gasp, then the pirate crumpled like wet paper.
"You guys talk big," Makoto said, rolling his neck.
Luffy, meanwhile, had already stretched his arm back, fist coiled like a spring. "Gomu Gomu no—"
The remaining pirates paled. "W-What the hell is that?!"
"—PISTOL!"
BOOM!
The punch sent the last two pirates crashing through the wall, their screams fading into the distance.
Silence.
Makoto dusted off his hands. "Well. That was easy."
Luffy scratched his head. "Hey, you're pretty strong!"
Makoto shrugged, flashing a sharp grin. "Nah, they were just weak." He paused, then added with a smirk, "But yeah. I am."
Coby stood frozen, his wide eyes darting between them like they were monsters. "T-They just took out Alvida's crew like it was nothing…!" His voice trembled before he suddenly pointed at Luffy. "W-Wait! How did you do that?! Your arm stretched! That's not normal!"
Luffy blinked, looking at his own arm like it was the most normal thing in the world. "Oh, this?" He grabbed his wrist and stretched his arm out several feet, letting it snap back with a boing sound. "Shishishi! I ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi! I'm a rubber man!"
Coby's jaw hit the floor, his glasses nearly sliding off his face. "A Devil Fruit?! Those are real?!" His voice cracked with disbelief.
Makoto struck a dramatic pose, nose in the air. "Yes they are... and I ate one too." He paused for effect, then smirked. "But I won't tell you what it is."
Luffy immediately got in Makoto's face, stretching his neck comically. "Eh?! Why not?! That's no fun!"
"Because it makes me sound cooler," Makoto said, flipping his hair with one hand while pushing Luffy's stretched face away with the other. The rubbery resistance made him frown before he suddenly changed topics. "Anyways... you said you want to become King of the Pirates?"
"Yeah!" Luffy beamed, his neck snapping back to normal length with a boing sound.
"I want to be in the future Pirate King's crew," Makoto declared, hands on his hips. "So can I join you? You seem... adequately confident."
Coby's eye twitched. This guy wants to join just because Luffy said he'll be King? How ridiculous is he?!
Luffy scratched his nose thoughtfully. "Hmm... do you like meat?"
"Love it."
"What can you do? Can you sing? Navigate? Cook? Fix ships?" Luffy fired off rapidly, suddenly displaying unexpected captain-like scrutiny.
Makoto counted on his fingers. "Let's see... no, no, definitely no, and hell no." Then brightened. "But I know where to find islands with mountains of meat and crazy adventures!"
Luffy's eyes sparkled at 'mountains of meat,' but then narrowed slightly.
"What's your dream?"
For the first time, there was real weight behind his question.
Makoto stroked his chin dramatically. "My dream..." He paused, then struck a pose. "Is to sleep with all the most beautiful women on the sea!"
Luffy tilted his head like a confused puppy. "Sleep? That doesn't sound fun." His pure, innocent expression betrayed complete ignorance of the implication.
Makoto opened his mouth, glanced at Coby's horrified face, then shrugged. "A pirate's free to do whatever he likes, right?"
"Shishishi! You're right!" Luffy beamed, his simple worldview perfectly accepting this logic.
"So... am I in the crew now?" Makoto asked, hands behind his head.
"You already were when you said you love meat," Luffy replied casually, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.
Makoto blinked. "...Huh." Even for him, this was surprisingly easy.
Coby's face met his palms with a loud slap.
"These might be the two dumbest pirates alive..." he thought.
WHAM!
Without warning, Makoto's foot connected with Coby's backside, sending the pink-haired boy flying across the room like a ragdoll. He crashed into a stack of barrels with a comical "OOF!"
Luffy's jaw dropped. "Whoa! Why'd you kick him?"
Makoto crossed his arms, putting on his most serious detective face. "Simple. First," he held up a finger, "he's got that shifty 'I'll-betray-you-later' face."
A second finger joined the first. "Second, he's technically part of Alvida's crew - enemy combatant."
A third finger popped up. "And most importantly..." He leaned in conspiratorially. "Didn't you notice how he kept asking all those loud questions? Classic stalling tactic while waiting for backup!"
From the barrel pile, Coby's muffled voice protested, "Th-that's not true at all!"
Luffy scratched his head, looking back and forth between them. "Hmm... But he seems nice."
"Exactly what a master spy would want you to think!" Makoto declared, pointing dramatically. "I bet he's got hidden weapons! Check his pants!"
"NO I DON'T!" Coby shrieked, his face now matching his pink hair perfectly.
Luffy suddenly gasped. "Wait... if he's a spy..." His face darkened ominously as shadows seemed to gather around him.
Coby trembled violently, his knees knocking together like coconuts in a storm.
"...does that mean he knows where they keep ALL the meat?" Luffy finished, his eyes instantly transforming into sparkling stars.
Makoto slapped his forehead with an audible smack. "You're right... why didn't I think of that?" He dropped to one knee in exaggerated awe. "You're a genius, Captain! This changes everything!"
Coby made a strangled noise that sounded like a dying seagull. "That's NOT what being a spy means!"