....
Nami strode up to Lucas and Luffy, her arms laden with treasure. She had already divided Buggy's hoard into two neat piles.
"Look at this haul!" she said, grinning. "Not bad for a day's work, huh?"
Luffy's eyes sparkled as he took in the glittering jewels and gold. "Whoa! That's a lot!"
Nami nodded proudly. "Buggy might be a clown, but his treasure's no joke. This is worth at least 10 million berries."
She handed half the pile to Lucas. "Mind holding onto this for me? Just for safekeeping."
Lucas accepted the treasure with a nod, then suddenly frowned. "Wait… where's the mayor?"
The group turned in unison, spotting the unconscious mayor sprawled on the ground.
Nami sighed and moved to help him up, but before she could, a mob of furious townsfolk came charging toward them, brandishing pitchforks and clubs.
Their eyes locked onto the unconscious mayor, then flicked to the pirates standing over him.
"You!" the lead villager snarled. "What've you done to our mayor?!"
Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and Lucas exchanged glances.
'Oh. This looks bad.'
Lucas instinctively took a step back, his nerves prickling.
Nami shot him an exasperated look. "Hey! Don't hide behind me!"
'Since when is he this jumpy? 'she thought. 'They're just villagers, not assassins!'
Luffy, completely oblivious to the tension, stepped forward with a grin.
"We're pirates!" he announced cheerfully.
[Ding! Host's emotional state detected. Mood value +6.]
'Of course he says that NOW', Lucas groaned internally.
The villagers' faces twisted in rage. "Pirates?! So you're the ones who wrecked our town!"
Their eyes darted between the ruined buildings, the unconscious mayor, and the pirates. The conclusion was obvious.
Zoro chuckled, resting a hand on his swords. "Well, this is awkward. Explaining our way out's not gonna work, huh?"
Luffy and Zoro shared a look.
"Guess not."
"Then—"
"RUN!"
In a flash, Luffy scooped Nami up like a sack of potatoes and bolted.
"HEY! PUT ME DOWN—!" Nami shrieked, flailing.
Zoro took off after them, leaving Lucas standing frozen as the mob closed in.
"Uh… guys?" Lucas squeaked.
Luffy skidded to a halt, realizing they were missing someone. He spun around—just in time to see Lucas about to be swarmed.
"Whoops!"
Luffy's arm stretched like rubber, shooting across the distance and snagging Lucas by the collar.
"WAAAH—!"
Before Lucas could process what was happening, he was yanked into the air and unceremoniously dumped over Luffy's shoulder.
"Lucas, what's the hold-up? We said we were running!" Luffy scolded, as if he hadn't been the one to provoke the villagers in the first place.
"Sorry! I panicked!" Lucas wheezed, his stomach lurching from the sudden flight.
The townsfolk gave chase, but their pursuit was cut short when a small, scrappy dog planted itself in their path, barking furiously.
"ChouChou?" one villager muttered, confused. "Why're you growling at us?"
Luffy and the others didn't stick around to watch. They raced to the docks, where the boat waited.
Panting, they collapsed onto the deck.
Nami whirled on Luffy. "Why did you tell them we're pirates?! You wanted them to chase us?!"
Luffy blinked. "Huh? But we are pirates."
Nami's eye twitched. 'This guy's hopeless.'
"Hey, is this your ship?" Luffy asked, pointing at a larger vessel docked nearby.
Nami smirked. "Yep. Stole it from some idiot pirates."
No sooner had she spoken than three figures popped up from the ship's deck.
"There she is!" one snarled. "We knew you'd come back, you thieving—"
Their voices died as they spotted Zoro.
Cold sweat dripped down their faces.
'That's… Roronoa Zoro.'
'The Pirate Hunter.'
'And he's with HER?!'
Zoro barely glanced at them.
"Scram."
The pirates didn't need telling twice. They bowed frantically.
"Y-Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" Then they bolted.
Lucas burst out laughing. "Hahaha! That's our Soda for you!"
Zoro shot him a glare. "It's Zoro, not Soda."
"Right, right, sorry," Lucas said, rubbing his head sheepishly. Old habits died hard.
Nami sighed and pulled out a rolled-up map, handing it to Luffy.
"Here. The Grand Line chart. Since you helped me, it's yours."
Luffy tilted his head. "Huh? But you're our navigator. Shouldn't you keep it?"
Nami's eyebrow twitched. "Temporary navigator. We're not partners!"
Luffy just grinned. "Okay! Then you can be our navigator for now!"
Nami groaned. 'Is he stupid or just stubborn?'
Still… these guys were strong. And sticking with them might just get her closer to her goal.
"Fine," she muttered. "But don't expect me to stick around forever."
As Zoro and Luffy prepped the ship, Lucas lingered near Nami's stolen vessel.
'Safer here than with Luffy's chaos', he reasoned.
"Set sail!" Luffy bellowed.
The two ships pulled away from the dock, the sea breeze filling their sails.
"Hey! You brats!"
They turned to see the mayor, now awake, waving from the shore.
"Thank you!" he called. "And… I'm sorry!"
Luffy laughed, waving back. "No problem, old man!"
The crew exchanged smiles as the island shrank behind them.
Days passed.
Sailing, Lucas quickly learned, was boring.
Luffy was endlessly energetic, Zoro napped constantly, and Nami navigated with practiced ease.
Lucas? He slumped over the railing, watching the endless blue.
"Where are we even going?" he groaned.
"Grand Line!" Luffy cheered.
Zoro cracked an eye open. "Wait, aren't we there already?"
Nami facepalmed. "No, you idiots! We're nowhere near ready for the Grand Line!"
Luffy pouted. "Why not?"
Nami unfurled the map. "The Grand Line's a death trap. We need a bigger crew, a better ship—proper supplies!"
Luffy's eyes lit up. "So we need a musician! And a cook! And a pirate flag!"
"And booze," Zoro added.
Nami pointed ahead. "There's an island up ahead. We'll stock up there."
"Meat!" Luffy crowed.
Lucas stayed quiet, staring at the horizon.
A pang of homesickness hit him.
My parents… my friends…
Did they even know he was gone?
"Lucas!" Luffy's voice snapped him back. "We're here!"
Lucas blinked. "Oh. Right."
The island loomed ahead, its shores beckoning.
Another adventure, he thought. Another step into the unknown.
.....