Originally, after setting out to sea, Luffy was supposed to first meet ''Koby'', then go to ''Shells Town'' to meet ''Zoro'', followed by ''Nami'' and ''Usopp'', and finally... meet ''Sanji''.
At that point, they would have been very close to the "Town of Beginning and End" ''Loguetown'' and entered the ''Grand Line''.
But now, what is he seeing?
The first person Luffy encounters after setting sail is Sanji.
"But, I guess that's understandable."
Rowen thought silently.
The sea-going restaurant ''Baratie'' is not fixed in one place, operating all around ''East Blue''. Currently, Baratie is docked at a location almost half a month away from the former ''Arlong'' domain.
Otherwise...
Luffy might really starve to death at sea.
As they say, "The journey ended before it even began. Today, he doesn't die, but tomorrow he might!"
"Troublesome! Kid, you better have money to pay the bill!"
Sanji ruffled his hair, but finally took the plate and headed towards the kitchen's back door.
Luffy: "(￣□￣;)!"
Oh no, I don't have any money!
Luffy's expression froze instantly, and his eyes darted around quickly.
What should I do?
Should I dine and dash?
But they saved me out of goodwill; would that be wrong?
That's a crime!
Oh no, am I going to get a bounty on my head?
The young Luffy began to imagine the worst scenarios, glancing around in a panic, hoping to spot a small boat. What he saw instead was a pair of shoes...
Huh, why are they so close?
A nameless chill crept over him, and as he sat cross-legged on the dinghy, Luffy looked up in shock, eyes widening as if he had seen a ghost.
"Ahhh!!! Why are you here?!"
Before Rowen could respond, Luffy jumped up and assumed a fighting stance: "Did Arlong send you? I'm telling you, even if you beat me to death, I'm not going back!"
To this, Rowen gave a cold laugh.
"Heh!"
''Boom!!!''
Thunder spun and a hurricane whipped up.
A muffled bang rang out, and a big hole appeared in the dinghy.
Luffy, who just a moment ago had an imposing stance, lay spread-eagle in the middle of the hole, his face swollen and bruised. His limbs twitched slightly, and 7 to 8 lumps had risen on his head.
"Although I have no idea what you imagined, it doesn't matter..."
Rowen rubbed his wrist and pulled the cloak back over his shoulders, standing at the edge of the pit: "Showing hostility towards me leads to two outcomes: a life worse than death or just death itself."
With that, Rowen grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp white teeth: "Which do you choose?"
A real man can yield when necessary, and so can a rubber man.
Faced with this open threat, Luffy turned over and got up, sitting properly on his knees: "Please, spare me just this once!"
When confronting Garp, Luffy could afford to be carefree.
But with Rowen, he dared not be careless.
Back in ''Windmill Town'', Rowen's killing intent had been so palpable that Luffy had long regarded him as a truly wicked demon.
"Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon), who is this..."
Zeff looked at the damaged deck with a pained expression and then approached, curiously inquiring.
What astonishing vitality!
The face no longer looks human, yet he can still move about energetically!
Who exactly is he?
"Just the grandson of an old friend..."
Rowen didn't want to reveal Luffy's true identity, as it would tarnish the image of the Marines. However, at this thought, Rowen's eyes narrowed, and he asked: "By the way, Luffy... does this mean you've set sail?"
Luffy: "..."
''Gulp!''
"A-And then?"
Luffy swallowed hard, feeling a chill similar to last night's immersion in the sea, his limbs turning cold.
"I'm a Marine. What do you think?"
Rowen added with a playful tone.
"..."
"It seems that the last lesson wasn't enough to make you understand the dangers of becoming a pirate. Well, since we met today... I'll take you on a visit to Loguetown."
Luffy's eyes brightened at that.
"Loguetown? The Loguetown where the 'Pirate King' Roger was born and executed?"
"Yes, do you want to see it? I will take you to a place where you will have three meals a day, all-inclusive food and lodging, with plenty of free time for outdoor activities every day."
Free time for activities...
Zeff and the others were speechless.
You're talking about a prison, right?
For these small pirates from the Four Seas, the Marine usually just sends them to a branch prison; they're not even qualified to be sent to Impel Down.
What made them even more speechless was the look of expectation on Luffy's face.
What a fool!
In less than a minute of meeting, they quickly reached an accurate judgment.
However...
"Forget it, I want to reach Loguetown through my own efforts, so I won't trouble you," Luffy said with a grin.
Loguetown is what I want, and adventure is also what I want. Since I can't have both, I'll choose Adventure over Loguetown.
Such awareness was surprising.
But Rowen was not at all surprised. Luffy's pursuit was of free adventure, not some concrete goal.
After all, before reaching the New World, he didn't even know what was needed to become the Pirate King, only that the Pirate King was the freest person on the sea.
He was different from other pirates who set sail for fame, wealth, or power; he had no heavy fate to bear, only a single-minded pursuit of freedom and a desire for adventure.
That was his greatest dream.
If the Marine Admiral in this world were the freest person, his dream would definitely take a turn to become a Marine Admiral.
Naturally, that's impossible.
But is that the point here?!
"No, no, no, it's not a hassle at all. You'll be escorted by battleships the whole way, with 24-hour protection. It's very simple."
At this moment, even Luffy's thick nerves sensed something wrong.
Thinking of a possibility, Luffy raised his hand: "Wait, you can't arrest me!"
"Why?"
"Because... because..."
Luffy tried to think through his not-so-complex brain, nervously looking around. The next moment, his expression darkened, and he said dejectedly: "Because... I'm not a pirate yet."
"I don't even have a crew, no pirate crew name, no pirate flag, and not even a ship."
"And I don't have a bounty!"
"What kind of pirate is this..."
Luffy muttered quietly.
This was different from what he had imagined before setting sail.
Zeff and the others: "..."
Wow... this is too pitiful!
No crew, no ship.
Not having a ship is one thing, but not even a name.
Ending up like this after setting sail is truly a rare case!
The most important thing is, he doesn't even have a bounty!
Typically, the first criterion for selecting a pirate captain is the bounty. Even if the captain is known for being brutal and cold-blooded, a high bounty will attract a lot of death-seeking hyenas.
Without a bounty, the Marine won't even bother.
To them, such a person is no different from the hooligans in the city, just to be handed over to local law enforcement.
"Poor kid."
Zeff, rarely feeling sympathetic, crouched in the dent Luffy made and patted Luffy on the shoulder: "How about working at my restaurant? At least you'll have enough to eat."
"Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon), could you please show some leniency and spare this clueless kid?"
Luffy: "..."
Rowen: "..."
This is acceptable!
"No, absolutely not!"
Before Rowen could speak, Luffy stood up angrily: "I want to become... the King of the Pirates!"
"How can I rely on working to fill my stomach!"
"That's called becoming the Pirate King, what is the King of the Pirates... and!"
Zeff, looking annoyed, said: "What does becoming the Pirate King have to do with eating enough?!"
There are so many flaws in this reasoning.
"That's not true, the Pirate King must be able to eat enough, how can you become the King of the Pirates without eating enough..."
"Uh, Pirate King."
"Damn it! You've confused me!"
Zeff, irritated and embarrassed, hit Luffy on the head with a cigarette butt.
"It hurts, you old geezer! Do you want to fight?"
"Huh? What did you call me just now?!"
"Old geezer!"
"Little brat, no one is stopping me today! I'm going to teach him a lesson!"
''Pī Li Pā Lā'', ''kuāng dāng!''
''Boom!''
Rowen stepped away from the brawl, walked to the edge of the dinghy, and quietly lit a cigar for himself.
Before coming to East Blue, his life was like an inspirational movie, a spy thriller, or even a terrifying film.
Why does it turn into a comedy as soon as he arrives in East Blue???
These people are toxic!!!
...
(End of Chapter)
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