"Let's go!! Set sail!" Luffy excitedly announced.
After a few skirmishes, Sanji finally joined the Strawhats. His dream to find All Blue officially started.
As for Ghin, he left with the remaining Don Krieg crew. He surrendered when he came to know that their captain got defeated by Luke and Luffy. As for revenge, he didn't have the guts to since Sanji saved him from starvation before. However, he swore they will become enemy once they enter the grandline.
At the sea, Luffy excitedly run around the small boat as he guesses which direction of the grandline much to the annoyance of Sanji.
"Right Yosaku, which island are we heading to?" Luke asked the only nervous man in the group.
Yosaku indeed returned to Baratie ship to inform Luffy about a terrible news which Luke already knew, but he pretends to not know anything. In fact, Luke always hid his presence in the Baratie since Luffy will do all the interactions in there.
"We're heading to a dangerous place! An island full of notorious fishmen!" Yosaku nervously stated. Evidently, he was scared of these creatures that terrorized the East Blue.
"Oh fishmen?" Luke rubbed his beardless chin.
"Yes! Big sis Nami wanted to confront Arlong and claim his bounty!" Yosaku nodded.
"Arlong? Who's that?" Sanji asked in confusion.
"Never heard of him." Luffy seconded.
"Alright. Chill out first, Yosaku. I will explain to them everthing about Arlong." Luke smiled as he patted the shoulder of the agitated Yosaku.
He turned to Luffy and Sanji and said, "I guess we should eat first. My story may involve Nami's connection with Arlong so it will be a lenghty story."
"Yeah!! I want meat! Meat! Anything with meat!" Luffy's eyes light up when he heard his favorite word, eat.
"Woah! Me too! I want sauteed bean sprouts!" Yosaku happily said.
"A good wine or juice is fine with me." Luke smiled.
"Hm? Come to think of it. You never ate even once in Baratie until now. Do you even feel hungry at all?" Sanji asked Luke in confusion.
"Yahaha! Don't worry about Luke! I know his diet schedules. When we were in training for a few months, he never ate food. He only drink once or twice a day! Amazing, isn't it?" Luffy laughed out. During those days in training, he noticed this unusual diet of Luke. He was happy though. There's one less competition for the food.
"Hey I can eat normally too. It's just that you always empty the food on the table." Luke knocked Luffy's head in annoyance.
"Alright. Since you can also normally eat, I won't pry further of your secrets. Just let me know if you need a meal." Sanji nodded to Luke with a bit of weird look on his face.
...
Meanwhile in Zoro's group...
Zoro, Johnny, Usopp and Liz landed their boat on a near open land.
"Why are we here?" Zoro gloomily asked. He wanted to find their ship and confront Nami of her actions. He can freely move since Liz healed half on his injuries by the time they almost arrived on the island. Although he's in good shape, another strenuous battle will eventually open the wounds again.
"Luke secretly told me to wait for them in a safe place and not to engage any enemies we find on the island." Usopp said with much caution while observing the surrounding areas.
Before leaving the Baratie ship, Luke told Usopp, the most scaredy cat in the crew about this information. He just briefly said to investigate the place first before taking further action.
"Also, Luke said that if you want to confront Nami and met a trouble, you better win or face his punishment when he arrives." Usopp added.
"He said that? Who does he think he is?!" With that, Zoro stormed off to where the Arlong park was located.
"Zoro! Wait! You can't just go there and sacrifice yourself!" Usopp shouted. Although he said that, he wasn't planning on following Zoro out of caution.
"Hmph! I do what I want and nobody can dictate my actions especially that sketchy guy. If anything, I will only listen to the captain!" Zoro snorted. He really doesn't like the existence of Luke in their crew. The guy always smiled in every situation which gives him ick all the time.
"Eh?" Usopp saw Zoro from the distance shifted his direction. He was confused but didn't made a comment. He probably thinks Zoro is invading through the backdoor of the Arlong Park.
Meanwhile Johnny slapped his forehead. He knew Zoro was bad at directions even though the towering Arlong Park is at sight. But it is a good thing since he also didn't want his big bro make a suicidal action.
...
"Itadakimasu!" (Let's eat!) Luffy saw the mouth watering dishes and shouted. He couldn't wait to devour everything.
"Wait Luffy. I sense something is approaching." Luke raised his hand. His eyes were squinting to the back of their boat.
"Hmm? Where?" Luffy glanced in every direction in confusion.
Yosaku and Sanji also stared at Luke in confusion.
"How much Observation Haki have you learned these past few months? Looks like I'm getting lenient on your training. Maybe I should impose the punishment again on you for being too lax." Luke grinned.
"G-Gomenasai!!" Luffy's body was having goosebumps. Clearly, he didn't want to experience the punishment Luke mentioned.
"Observation Haki? Training?" Sanji asked Luffy about these terms. As he said that, he sensed something is at the bottom of their boat.
"Let's talk about that later. Anyway, here it comes." Luke drink his wine as he commented.
Boom!
A giant sea cow appeared and rocked their small boat. It's presence gives intimidation to the group.
Luke squinted his eyes at the freaking cow. He wondered how much strength would he gain if he absorb it's soul. From what he know, creatures aside from humans have longer lifespans and superior in strength. If he could find good farming site-.
'Farming.. site.' Luke thought of a certain Island where Luffy train his Haki for two years in the original story.
"Ah! It's eyeing our food!" Yosaku shouted with fear.
"Nani!?" Luffy angrily flexed his muscles preparing to punch the sea cow.
"Wait Luffy." Luke interjected. He paused for a bit as he continued, "As a captain, why don't you impress our new recruit and perform a Haki?"
Luffy's eyes lit up upon hearing Luke.
"Yosh! Sanji, watch."
He stood in front as he stared at the sea cow seriously. The air around him stilled as his aura changed.
Conqueror's Haki!
BOOM!
All of a sudden, the group felt the overwhelming pressure coming from Luffy.
The sea cow flinched. It was staring at Luffy with ever growing fear on it's face.
"Mooo!!"
Bang!
The sea cow couldn't take the pressure and left the area.
"Woah!! What was that Big bro Luffy?! I thought I was going to die just now!" Yosaku gasped in shock as his knees went weak.
Sanji also stared at Luffy in surprise. He didn't know what kind of skill Luffy did but it was amazing in his opinion.
Meanwhile, Luke didn't show any reaction. Luffy indeed perform such a feat, but it was kind of... lacking.
'Sigh.. He needs more experience I guess. Some things just can't be push with haste.' He commented on his mind.
"Shishishi! This is all because of Luke's teaching!" Luffy grinned happily.
"Alright. The threat has been eliminated. Let's eat." Luke raised his wine glass.
"Big bro Luke! You gotta teach me a thing or two! That skill Big bro Luffy did was so awesome!" Yosaku almost kneeled just to beg with Luke.
"Nope. I only train those who are part of the Strawhats. If you forfeit being a bounty hunter and got accepted by Luffy, then you will naturally be trained by me." Luke shook his head as he smiled.
"I..." Yosaku went silent. He didn't know if he's ready to face the unending pursuit of the Marines. Plus, he won't make a decision until he talk it out with his partner, Johnny and also to Zoro.
"Yahahaha! You are friend with Zoro! Of course I can take you in to become our nakama!" Luffy laughed as he started to enjoy the food.
"B-Big bro Luffy...!" Yosaku almost shred tears when he heard Luffy. Although he was tempted to join, he still need to make decisions together with his partner.
"I... Let me think about it.. I-I can't let my partner be left alone." After Yosaku said his piece, he bowed down in silence.
"Okay. Don't get too pressured about it. Wether you become our nakama or not, you guys will always be our friend." Luke tapped Yosaku's shoulder to ease his mood.
(A/N : 'FANFIC' description of nakama = be a crew.)
"Waaaa! Big bro Luke!" Yosaku dived to Luke for a hug but his face met the latter's palm.
"Now eat. We still have another matter to discuss. It's about Arlong." Luke filled his wine glass with fine wine.
"Oh yeah! What was he again? Fisherman?" Luffy commented in confusion.
"Fishman." Sanji corrected Luffy. He suddenly fantasized, "I heard mermaids are also fishmen. I wonder if Nami is also a mermaid."
"You mean this?" Luffy took a sketch pad out of nowhere and draw a fish with four human-like doodle limbs and overgrown fins for the hair while naming it as Nami.
Sanji angrily scolded Luffy for tainting his mermaid fantasy of Nami.
"According to what I know. Arlong is a fishman that once terrorized the grandline more than ten years ago then he disappeared after that. Years later, I heard he and other fishmen settled to a random Island in the East Blue and now he became the most hated fishman in this sea." Luke cut the story short. He also didn't fully know the story of Arlong but this briefing is enough for Luffy and Sanji to understand.
"Yes! Fishmen have superior physiques than humans and Arlong formed the Arlong Pirates years ago and started terrorizing other islands in the East Blue!" Yosaku nodded in agitation.
"So why would Nami go alone to confront Arlong when he's a demon himself? It doesn't make any sense." Sanji light up a cigarette as he said. He has a good impression of Nami as a person. He was sure there's another reason why she betrayed the crew.
Yosaku also went silent. From what he observed from Nami when she saw the wanted poster of Arlong, he was sure that Nami was into Arlong's head. But it also doesn't make any sense as Sanji mentioned. Why would a weak lady go and claim the bounty of the strongest pirate in East Blue anyway? It's clear suicide.
"I may have the answer to all of your doubts." Luke chuckled as he truely enjoyed the scene of having interactions of the people he only watched on TV.
Everyone stared at Luke, waiting for his next word.
"Because Nami is a crew member of Arlong Pirates in the first place."
*****
A/N : Not much of a cliff hanger for those who watched OP. This is considered as first part of a chapter.