...
Lucas's shout had an immediate effect. Zoro flashed in front of him, deflecting Buggy's flying knives with his swords.
"Zoro, get me out of here!" Luffy whined, rattling the iron cage trapping him.
Zoro examined the sturdy bars and sighed. "Not sure I can break this."
"Hold on." He glanced at Lucas, who instantly understood.
The two sprinted toward the loaded cannon nearby.
Lucas grabbed a match and struck it, while Zoro—still uninjured—shifted the cannon's aim toward the Buggy Pirates.
"Hey, hey, hey! There's a Buggy Balls in there!" Buggy paled, waving his hands frantically. He knew better than anyone the destructive power of his own ammunition.
His crew panicked, scrambling away as the fuse burned down.
"Fire!" Zoro commanded.
BOOM!
The explosion shattered buildings, engulfing the area in smoke.
"Damn…" Lucas muttered, watching the devastation. "If that hit me, I'd be paste."
The smoke provided cover. Zoro hoisted Luffy's cage effortlessly and bolted toward town.
"When will I be that strong?" Lucas thought, jogging behind. "But I'm on the right team. With them, I'll get there."
Teamwork mattered. Crocodile's Baroque Works agents were weak alone but dangerous together. Lucas? He just had to survive long enough to grow.
Nami sidled up to him, studying the trio. The swordsman was terrifying, the captain an idiot, but Lucas? He seemed… approachable.
"Hey, what's your name?" she asked.
"Lucas. Vice-captain of this crew." He tried to sound cool, but excitement bled into his voice.
[Ding! Emotional spike detected. Mood +6.]
Nami's eyes narrowed. 'Why's he looking at me like that? Ugh, another weirdo.'
"How'd you know my name?" she pressed.
"Uh… Luffy mentioned it earlier."
She shrugged, buying the flimsy excuse.
Zoro trudged ahead, cage in tow.
"Zoro!" Lucas called. "Luffy's a rubber man. Normal attacks don't hurt him. Just smash the cage!"
"Eh?" Zoro blinked.
Luffy grinned. "Oh, right! That works!"
"You forgot?!" Zoro roared, heaving the cage skyward.
"Wait! Don't throw it my way—!" Lucas yelped, shielding his face.
[Ding! Mood +1.]
Zoro adjusted his aim and launched it upward.
CRASH!
The cage shattered on impact, freeing Luffy.
"Finally!" He stretched his limbs, then noticed a small dog staring at him. "Huh? What's this?" He poked its nose.
"Woof!"
The group sighed in relief—until an armored old man stormed over.
"Stop bullying Chouchou!" he bellowed.
Lucas stepped forward, smiling. "Sir, we mean no harm. We're just escaping the Buggy Pirates."
The mayor's anger faded. "I'm the town mayor. Come inside."
As they entered, he fed Chouchou and explained: "His owner was…"
SLAM!
Luffy suddenly punched the table. "I've decided! We're taking down Buggy!"
"What?!" Nami facepalmed.
Lucas subtly retreated, raising his hands. "I'll just… cheer from here."
Luffy beamed. "Yeah! Right, Lucas?"
"Why drag me into this?!" Lucas sweated.
"Uh, y-yeah. Go get 'em, Captain."
Nami deadpanned. "This guy's useless."
THUD!
The ground shook. Outside, a monstrous lion loomed—Richie, Buggy's pet.
Lucas gulped. 'In the anime, he was a joke. In person? Terrifying.'
[Ding! Mood +5.]
Chouchou bravely faced the beast, but Luffy stepped in.
The air in the ruined town was thick with dust and the scent of gunpowder. The Buggy Pirates had left their mark—shattered storefronts, terrified civilians, and the lingering stench of arrogance.
Luffy stepped forward, his sandals crunching on broken glass as he faced Mohji, Buggy's right-hand man and self-proclaimed "Beast Tamer." The lion, Richie, loomed behind Mohji, saliva dripping from its fangs.
Luffy grinned, stretching his arms lazily.
"Hey, you guys invaded this town," he said, cracking his knuckles. "I've decided to beat you up!"
Mohji blinked, then burst into laughter, his shoulders shaking.
"Hahahahaha! Are you kidding me?" he wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye. "We're the Buggy Pirates! You're just some snot-nosed rookie who barely set sail! Richie—rip his head off!"
Lucas, who had been observing from the sidelines, quietly retreated behind Nami and Zoro.
"Luffy, go on, wreck him!" he called out, offering a thumbs-up.
"Ah! Okay!" Luffy adjusted his straw hat, flashing his signature grin before turning back to Mohji.
Nami shot Lucas an incredulous look. "Seriously? You're hiding behind me?"
Lucas shrugged. "I'm not officially part of this crew yet. Why should I fight?"
Before Nami could retort, Richie lunged, his massive jaws snapping toward Luffy's skull.
"ROAR!"
"Gum-Gum…!" Luffy's arm coiled like a spring.
"PISTOL!"
BOOM!
The punch connected with Richie's face so fast that Lucas barely saw it—just a blur of motion before the lion was sent crashing into a pile of crates, out cold.
Lucas's eyes widened. "Holy—"
In the anime, everything was slowed down for dramatic effect. But in reality? Luffy's attacks were brutally fast. If he hadn't been holding back, that lion's skull would've been paste.
'This world is terrifying.'
Mohji's jaw dropped. His legs trembled.
"H-How…? Richie…!" He staggered back, pointing a shaking finger. "W-Who the hell are you?!"
Luffy tilted his head. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy. Ate the Gum-Gum Fruit—I'm a rubber man." He grinned wider. "And I'm gonna be King of the Pirates."
Mohji's face paled. "D-Devil Fruit?! Like Captain Buggy?!"
No more words. Luffy's fist slammed into Mohji's gut before the man could finish his sentence. The Beast Tamer folded like a ragdoll, collapsing into the dirt.
Zoro, who had been leaning against a wall with his arms crossed, smirked. "Tch. Over already?"
Nami and Lucas were the only ones left near the house now.
Nami scowled at Lucas. "Why aren't you helping?"
Lucas blinked. "Uh… because they don't need help? Look at them." He gestured to Luffy, already bouncing toward the next fight, and Zoro, lazily following. "They're monsters."
Nami's glare darkened. "You pirates are all the same. You waltz in, destroy everything, and act like it's some big adventure." Her voice dripped with venom. "People like you are why this town's in ruins. And sooner or later, you'll be just like Buggy's crew. I hate pirates."
Lucas raised his hands defensively. "Whoa, whoa—I just got here! I didn't do anything!"
Nami wasn't listening. Her fingers twitched toward her staff. "Maybe I should take care of you now."
Lucas backpedaled. "Uh. Bad idea."
Nami advanced. "Why? Scared?"
Lucas swallowed. "Very."
.....