.....
The air was thick with tension as the Buggy Pirates faced off against the Straw Hats.
"Captain Buggy, leave the rest to me," Cabaji said with a smirk, twirling his knife effortlessly. He didn't take Luffy or Zoro seriously—after all, in the East Blue, the Buggy Pirates had never met a real challenge.
"These brats are mine!" Cabaji declared, pointing his blade at Luffy and his crew.
Lucas tilted his head, amused. "Huh. That's some murderous intent."
'But this fight should be Zoro's. Since he's not injured this time, he'll handle this acrobat easily.'
Sure enough, the moment Cabaji brandished his weapon, Zoro stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of one of his swords.
"A swordsman, huh?" Zoro grinned. "Luffy, Lucas—this one's mine."
Luffy pumped his fist. "Go for it, Zoro!"
Buggy scoffed, arms crossed. "Cabaji, wipe the floor with these idiots!"
Cabaji smirked, hopping onto his unicycle with practiced ease. "You kids think this is a game? We're the Buggy Pirates—don't underestimate us!"
Zoro unsheathed his three blades, settling into his stance. "Tch. 'Pirates'? More like circus rejects."
Nami, meanwhile, had already lost interest in the fight. She nudged Luffy. "This is your pirate business. Win or lose, I don't care. I'm going after Buggy's treasure."
Luffy blinked. "Huh? But we're partners, aren't we?"
Nami scoffed. "Partners? When did I agree to that? This is strictly business."
Luffy scratched his head. "Isn't business the same as being partners?"
Nami rolled her eyes. "Idiot."
She turned to leave—then paused. "Wait, where's Lucas?"
Luffy looked around. "Huh? Dunno. Maybe he got lost again?"
Nami sighed. 'Unbelievable.'
Meanwhile, Lucas was already standing in front of Buggy's treasure stash, arms crossed.
Nami froze when she spotted him. 'When did he get here?!'
"Lucas," she said sweetly, forcing a smile. "What are you doing here?"
Lucas scratched his head. "Oh, you know… got lost. No idea where I am."
[Ding! Host's emotional fluctuation detected. Mood Value +1.]
Of course, Lucas wasn't actually lost. He was waiting for Nami—partly because treasure hunting was more fun than fighting, but mostly because the system had just dropped a new task.
[Temporary Mission: Defeat an Enemy]
[Reward: Card EXP ×10]
[Failure Penalty: Permanent loss of manhood.]
Lucas shuddered. 'Hell no. I like being a guy, thanks.'
The only enemies around were Buggy and Cabaji—both pushovers for him. But he remembered something: in the original story, Nami ran into a drunk pirate down here. That guy would do.
Nami eyed Lucas warily. 'Is he after the treasure too?'
"I'm fine on my own," she said, still smiling. "You should go back to Luffy."
Lucas shook his head. "Nah. You're a 'weak woman'—danger could be lurking. I'll protect you."
Nami's eye twitched. 'Weak woman?! This guy's up to something.'
Then Lucas smirked. "So, this is Buggy's treasure vault, right? Wanna split the loot?"
Nami's smile turned icy.
She gestured to the trapdoor. "Oh, this? I just found it. But it's so heavy—maybe you could open it for me?"
[Ding! Mood Value +1.]
Lucas almost reached for the door—then stopped. 'Wait. If I open it, she'll knock me out. Classic Nami move.'
He grinned. "How about we open it together?"
Nami's jaw tightened. 'Damn it.'
Inside the vault, a massive, drunken pirate snored atop a pile of gold.
Nami whispered, "We have to be quiet."
Lucas nodded—then, as they crept forward, Nami accidentally nudged the pirate's leg.
The brute stirred, blinking blearily. "Huh? Two lil' ladies?"
Before Lucas could react, Nami ducked behind him.
The pirate grinned, reeking of booze. "Ain't my lucky day! C'mere, sweethearts—"
Lucas didn't hesitate. He kicked—hard.
CRUNCH.
The pirate's face went white. He crumpled, howling.
But at the same moment—
THUNK!
Nami's fist also connected—with the back of Lucas's head.
Everything went black.
[Mission Complete! Reward: Card EXP ×10.]
Lucas's last thought: …'How is a girl this strong?!'
Nami dusted her hands off, smirking. "Try stealing my treasure."
She stuck her tongue out at his unconscious form and dove into the gold.
Meanwhile, Zoro and Cabaji's fight reached its climax.
"Pirate Hunter Zoro!" Cabaji snarled, spinning on his unicycle. "Time for my ultimate technique!"
Zoro yawned. "Acrobatics aren't swordsmanship. Just die already."
Cabaji lunged—
"Three-Sword Style: Oni Giri!"
A flash of steel.
Cabaji froze. Then blood sprayed.
"Im… possible…" He collapsed.
"CABAJI!" Buggy screeched.
Zoro sheathed his swords, glancing around. "Where's Lucas?"
Luffy shrugged. "Probably lost."
Zoro sighed. "That idiot… Next time, I'm tying a rope to him."
Luffy cracked his knuckles, grinning at Buggy. "Now… your turn."
.....