Raphael: <>
System: []
******
It had been three long weeks since Luffy and Uta set sail from Foosha Village, and they had been adrift on the vast, endless sea ever since. As it turned out, unlike in the anime, where journeys across the ocean seemed to pass in a few weeks or in a few panels, the real sea was far more expansive. Large, inhabited islands were scattered across great distances, and the reality of travel was much slower than Luffy had anticipated.
With only the two of them on the boat, their journey sometimes felt tedious, but since Luffy and Uta had grown up together, they found ways to entertain themselves. They shared stories from their childhood, played games they had invented long ago, and even indulged in the UNO cards Luffy had won from his system. Still, more often than not, the open sea felt like an endless stretch of nothingness, and they quickly learned how much patience sailing required.
As for their food situation, the generous supplies Rouge and Makino had sent them off with had long since run out by the end of the first week. With so much idle time, it was easy to fall into the habit of snacking endlessly. Thankfully, Uta had packed a fishing rod, which became their lifeline for fresh meals. They also stopped at small, uninhabited islands along the way, hunting what wildlife they could find and gathering fruits and berries to keep themselves going. Thus they fell into a routine of scavenging and fishing, repeating the cycle every few days.
The slow pace of their voyage had also given Luffy time to reflect on just how different the real sea was from the One Piece world he knew. In the anime, travel between islands always seemed quick and eventful, but here, the reality was far more mundane. He found himself wondering how anime-Luffy, despite being an Emperor now, had managed to spend so little time just sailing when they hadn't even encountered a major island yet!
Another thing that puzzled him was the absence of Alvida's ship however it made sense after giving it some thought. In the original timeline, Luffy only ended up on her ship because his small rowing boat was caught in a whirlpool, forcing him to jump into a barrel, which was later found by Alvida's crew. But in this timeline, Luffy and Uta were on a larger, sturdier boat. On top of that, both had honed their observation haki, which helped them steer clear of danger. Luffy could only hope that Koby would still manage to escape from Alvida and pursue his dream of joining the Marines.
Their journey had been peaceful... that is until today. After three weeks of drifting through the ocean, they finally spotted a large island with a bustling port in the distance. Without hesitation, they adjusted their course and headed straight for it.
******
'This must be Shells Town,' Luffy thought as their boat docked in the port, the town's welcome sign standing tall in front of them. 'I wonder if Zoro's here.'
Once they had secured the boat, both of them leaped onto the dock, feeling solid ground beneath their feet for the first time in weeks.
"Finally! People!" Uta exclaimed, stretching her arms wide. "I was getting so tired of staring at endless blue."
"Well, you'd better get used to it," Luffy said, stretching his body in turn. "That's gonna be our life for the next few years."
"Shut up and let me complain in peace!" Uta shot back, swatting his arm playfully. "Anyway, what's the plan?"
'Hmm... I should definitely check if Zoro is in this town or not.' With that thought, Luffy turned toward Uta. "You go explore the town, and see if anything catches your eye. I'll grab supplies, and we'll meet up at the local tavern once we're done."
"Sounds like a plan," Uta agreed with a nod.
"Stay safe and keep your guard up," Luffy warned her. After that Luffy quickly handed her some money before parting ways, each heading off in a different direction.
After parting with Uta, instead of heading to the market as he had said, Luffy walked straight toward the Marine base. His mind was focused on confirming whether Zoro was really in town. As he strolled through the streets, he noticed the town's infrastructure was run down despite the bustling activity. Money was clearly circulating, but it wasn't improving the town. 'It's either the people are too stingy, or someone is bleeding the town dry,' Luffy thought. 'And knowing what I do about this world, it's probably the latter.'
Just as he was deep in thought, an old man with a long white beard approached him. "Young man, you must be new here. I don't recall seeing you before," the man said, eyeing Luffy curiously.
"Yeah, just got here," Luffy replied casually.
"I thought so, seeing how you're heading toward the Marine base without a care," the old man said, stroking his beard. "Well, since you're new, let me give you a word of advice: If possible, get out of this town without attracting the attention of the Marines or the Marine Captain of this town."
"Hmm, why is that?" Luffy asked, feigning ignorance. "I mean, I'm not planning to cause any trouble here, so why would the Marines be interested in a random traveler like me?"
"Yeah, that would have been the case anywhere else, but here in this town, the Marine Captain, 'Axe-Hand' Morgan, is a moody, cruel tyrant who abuses his power," the old man's eyes darkened as he explained. "Trust me, you could sneeze wrong, and that man would put you up for execution. That's why try to remain as inconspicuous as possible."
"Thank you, sir, I'll keep that in mind," Luffy nodded, thanking the man before continuing his walk toward the base. As the old man watched him go, shaking his head in disappointment, Luffy couldn't help but smirk to himself. 'Yeah, the word 'inconspicuous' doesn't seem to like Luffy very much.'
A few minutes later, Luffy arrived outside the Marine base, but to his disappointment, there was no sign of Zoro being tied up in the courtyard. 'Looks like Zoro hasn't arrived yet. Should I wait here?' he wondered.
'I see,' Luffy thought for a moment, nodding his head. 'You're right. There's no need to stop here. If Zoro is destined to be my companion, then I'll meet him sooner or later.'
With that, Luffy left the Marine base behind and headed back into the town to restock on supplies before meeting Uta at the tavern.
******
Meanwhile, Uta wandered through the streets, taking in her surroundings, but something felt off. Despite the busy market, an air of unease hung over the town. She frowned, her sharp senses picking up on the tension around her.
Then just as she passed a group of townspeople, she overheard a conversation that confirmed her suspicions.
"They say Morgan's son, Helmeppo, has been causing trouble again," a woman whispered to her friend.
"Of course, he has," the other woman replied in an equally hushed yet bitter voice. "That spoiled brat acts like he owns this town. I'm just glad no one's crossed his path recently."
Uta's frown deepened. 'Helmeppo, huh?' she thought, but then shook her head, deciding it wasn't her problem. She knew that getting involved in a local issue wasn't a wise choice. Right now, she had other things to focus on.
However, as she continued exploring, the sound of a child crying caught her attention. Turning toward the alley where the noise came from, she found a little girl with dark hair being bullied by three older kids.
"Hey!" Uta's voice rang out, as she entered the alleyway while glaring at the three children.
The kids stopped and turned, their faces lighting up with amusement at the sight of someone daring to interfere.
"This isn't your business," the apparent ringleader, a boy slightly older than the others, sneered. "Get lost."
Uta folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. "How about you leave her alone before I make it my business?"
The bullies exchanged glances, clearly sizing her up. Sure, the girl in front of her looked older, but to their eyes, she didn't seem particularly impressive. After all, with a slender figure and beautiful looks, Uta didn't seem like a typical fighter, especially to the children who hadn't seen the wider world. "You're asking for trouble, lady," the leader said, folding his hands to his chest. "We're Helmeppo-sama's friends! We do what we want here."
'More like his lackeys,' Uta thought with annoyance. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she said, "You've got three seconds to get lost before I stop being nice."
The ringleader chuckled, clearly underestimating her. "Oh yeah? And what are you gonna—"
Before he could finish, Uta casually coated her fist in Haki and punched the concrete wall beside her. The impact left a visible crack, and the force of it silenced the alley.
"Wha—how did you—?!" he stammered, struggling to comprehend how a seemingly weak-looking girl like her could do something like that.
"I told you to leave her alone," Uta said coldly, her voice dripping with authority. She glanced at the three bullies, who were frozen in place, fear finally sinking in. "Unless you want to replace that wall, I suggest you apologize to this girl. Now."
"I—I'm sorry!" the three bullies squeaked in unison, clearly terrified of Uta.
"Good. Now get out of here," Uta said in a cold voice. Without another word, the boys scrambled to their feet and bolted out of the alley, their footsteps fading into the distance as they fled away from the 'Demon Girl' as they dubbed Uta in their minds.
After the bullies ran off, the alley fell silent. Uta knelt beside the little girl, who was wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. "Hey, you alright?" Uta asked, her tone soft and comforting now.
The girl nodded timidly, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "Th-thank you, miss..."
"My name's Uta," she said, smiling warmly. "What's yours?"
"Rika," the girl replied quietly. "I didn't do anything wrong... They just started picking on me because my mom won't give them free food anymore."
"Your mom runs a restaurant?" Uta asked.
"No, a tavern," Rika explained. "But Helmeppo and his friends always come in and demand free food. When my mom stopped giving it to them, they started bothering us."
Uta sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that," she said, knowing she couldn't do much to solve Rika's situation unless she stayed in the town, which wasn't an option. "By the way, can you take me to your tavern? I promised my friend we'd meet there."
Rika nodded, and together they made their way through the town toward the tavern.
******
After purchasing enough supplies for a month, Luffy finally located the tavern and settled in to wait for Uta. However, he didn't have to wait long, as just a few minutes later, Uta walked in, holding the hand of a little girl.
"Hey, Uta," Luffy greeted. "Who's the stray you picked up?" he teased, nodding toward the girl, who looked at him curiously.
"Shut up, Luffy. Be nice to my new friend," Uta playfully scolded, giving him a mock glare. She then turned to the girl and smiled. "This is Luffy, the one I told you about."
"Is he nice like you?" Rika asked, her wide eyes filled with innocent curiosity.
"Yes, he is. But he can be a bit silly sometimes," Uta said with a snicker, causing Luffy to roll his eyes.
Just then, a woman with brown hair rushed out from behind the counter, her face lined with worry as she spotted her daughter. "Rika, what are you doing with these people?"
"Mom!" Rika's face lit up as she ran toward her mother. "This nice big sister saved me from bullies!" she exclaimed, before launching into a retelling of the earlier incident.
After Rika's mother listened to her daughter, the woman's eyes softened with gratitude as she turned to Uta. "Thank you for saving my daughter," she said sincerely.
"It was nothing," Uta waved her hand dismissively, as though it wasn't a big deal.
"Please, take a seat," Rika's mother said, gesturing toward the tables. "I'll prepare the best meal I can as thanks for your kindness."
"Well, we won't say no to a good meal," Uta said, taking a seat. Then, glancing at Rika's mother, she asked, "Rika told me about this guy named Helmeppo harassing you. Why don't you do something about him?"
Rika's mother sighed deeply, frustration lining her voice. "It's not that I don't want to, but Helmeppo is Captain Morgan's son. Doing anything to him would put both me and Rika in danger."
"I get that, but if you don't stand up to him now, things will only get worse," Uta said, gently ruffling Rika's hair. "He'll do something worse than just throw insults in the future."
"I know... but what can I do?" Rika's mother clenched her fist and bit her lip in frustration, knowing that it wouldn't take long for Uta's words to become reality.
"What about you?" Luffy suddenly interjected into the conversation, though his question wasn't directed at Rika's mother but rather at the people of the town sitting in the tavern. "Are you guys really okay with living under some Marine Captain's thumb?" he asked, his eyes sweeping over the room.
The tavern fell into a tense silence. Some people avoided his gaze, while others looked troubled. Finally, a man stood up. "You don't understand. Captain Morgan is too powerful! We can't do anything against him!"
Luffy scoffed. "You sound like a bunch of spineless losers," he said, his voice sharp and unapologetic. Murmurs of anger rose from the crowd, their faces flushed with indignation. "In my opinion, people who live under tyranny without even trying to fight back are worse than the tyrant himself."
Inside his heart, Luffy knew what he was saying wasn't entirely logical since Captain Morgan was actually quite strong and could probably wipe out this entire town. However, at this moment, he knew that Uta's actions earlier today would lead to a confrontation with Captain Morgan sooner or later. That's why he was planting the seeds of rebellion in the people hoping these people would stand by his side when the time came.
Just as the tavern began to buzz with angry retorts, the door suddenly burst open. A young man with a cleft chin and light blonde hair swaggered in, accompanied by three familiar bullies and a feral-looking wolf with maddened yellow eyes. This was none other than Helmeppo, the son of Captain 'Axe-Hand' Morgan.
"Boss, that's the girl who insulted you and said you're an infertile moron," the bully from earlier said, pointing at Uta.
'When did I say that?' Uta wondered to herself, but then she saw the cruel smile on the bully's face and realized that he was obviously exaggerating to get her into more trouble. So she just shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Oh, really?" Helmeppo sneered, leering at Uta. "Well, I'm feeling generous today. I'll forgive you if you agree to come with me."
"In your dreams, moron," Uta scoffed in disdain. "I'd rather be fish food than go anywhere with you."
"What did you say?" Helmeppo's face turned red with anger. "You'll regret insulting me! Soro, teach this girl a lesson!" he yelled, releasing the wolf. The wolf lunged at Uta with terrifying speed, intent on tearing her flesh apart.
"Big sis!" Rika screamed, her eyes wide in fear as the wolf closed in on Uta.
However, what happened next left everyone with their eyes and mouths wide open. Instead of being scared or dodging the wolf's attack, Uta merely showed an annoyed expression and punched the lunging wolf on the head, sending it crashing to the ground.
The wolf whimpered in pain as two buns appeared on its head. It then shivered in fear as Uta squatted down and looked the wolf directly in its eyes. "Rika, come here," Uta said, and the little girl hesitantly appeared next to her. "Listen, pup," Uta said in an eerily quiet voice. "Look at this girl and remember her scent. From now on, you are going to protect her and her mother. Is that clear?"
The poor wolf whimpered in fear and meekly nodded his head. Then it stood up on his shaky leg and stood next to Rika in a protective stance, glaring at Helmeppo who put him in this position.
"Good pup," Uta smiled and patted the wolf's head. Then she stood up, a smug smile on her face as she glanced back at Helmeppo. "Is that all?"
"You!" Helmeppo stammered, his body trembling in fear and rage. In a moment of panic, he drew a gun and aimed it at Uta. "Stay back, or I'll shoot!"
"I dare you. Do it. Bitch." Uta said confidently, her hand resting on her waist.
Fear gripped Helmeppo's heart, his hands trembling as his finger hovered over the trigger. However before he could pull it, Luffy appeared beside him, crushing the pistol in his bare hand as if it were made of paper.
The entire tavern fell silent, once again stunned by the display of power before them. Only one question echoed in their minds: 'Who the hell are these two? Where the hell did they come from?'
Helmeppo stared at the crushed gun in shock. Before he could react, Luffy's fist slammed into his face, sending him flying out of the tavern. He landed hard on the ground, groaning in pain as he touched his face, realizing that Luffy's punch had broken his nose and knocked out two teeth.
"You...!" Helmeppo screeched, his face now a mix of fear and fury. "Just you wait! I'll tell my father, and both of you will be executed! Executed!" He scrambled to his feet and ran toward the Marine base, his lackeys stumbling behind him.
"Well, I guess I got us in trouble," Luffy chuckled, glancing at Uta.
"Please! Don't get ahead of yourself," Uta scoffed. "I was the one who started this whole ordeal," she said, smirking back at him.
"That's true," Luffy chuckled. Then he paused for a moment, as a sudden idea crossed his mind. "Uta, I have an idea..." Luffy said, whispering something in her ear. "What do you think? Would you be able to do it?"
"Not bad... not bad at all," Uta's eyes gleamed. "Yeah, I can do that. But will you be okay by yourself?"
"Yeah, no matter how strong Morgen is, he's not my opponent," Luffy said with a confident smile.
"Well, that's what I like to hear," Uta said, patting his shoulder. "Well, then I'll be off," Uta said, dashing out of the tavern.
"Now that's taken care of..." Luffy said, turning to Rika's mother with a polite and charming smile. "Ma'am, can we have that meal you promised earlier?"
To be continued...
******
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