"I'm gonna lose my mind," Lila groaned, pulling at her hair in frustration. "We've been traveling for weeks with no land in sight."
"Hey, keep it down. I'm trying to sleep here," Ronin muttered from his hammock, not even bothering to open his eyes.
"All you do is sleep and train! How are you even useful?" Lila snapped, glaring at him.
"Says the weakest member of the ship," Ronin retorted casually, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"I'm not the weakest!" Lila fired back, fists clenched.
"Okay, Number Four," Ronin said with a shrug.
"SHUT UP!" Lila shouted, her patience finally snapping.
"Alright, alright, Ronin, stop messing with her," Te interrupted with a grin. "Lila, don't listen to him. You're not the weakest. That honor goes to Oliver."
"Oliver? Who the hell is Oliver?" Lila asked, her irritation shifting to confusion.
"My pet Sea King," Te replied nonchalantly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Of course, your pet Sea King," Lila sighed, deciding it was best not to continue this bizarre conversation. She massaged her temples. "I'm losing it…"
"So, how long until we stop somewhere for more than a day?" she asked, trying to change the topic to something a bit more practical.
"I spoke to Koby earlier," Te said. "According to him, we should reach land by the end of the day—if nothing unexpected happens."
Lila slumped into a chair, staring up at the sky. "Please, for the love of Oda, no more unexpected detours. I need to feel solid ground under my feet before I strangle one of you."
Ronin chuckled, still in his hammock. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't take it out on me when you lose another spar."
Lila shot him a glare but decided to save her energy. "You just wait until we hit land, Ronin. Then we'll see who the weakest is."
"Looking forward to it, Number Four," Ronin teased with a lazy grin, earning a pillow to the face.
Te couldn't help but laugh, enjoying the banter between his crewmates. "At least we won't be bored until then."
-------------------
A few hours later, the outline of land appeared on the horizon.
"Land ho!!" Lila screamed excitedly, her face lighting up as she spotted the distant shoreline.
Te chuckled, amused by her enthusiasm. "Just a few more minutes, Lila, and you'll be back on solid ground again."
"I can't wait that long!" Lila's patience had officially run out.
Without warning, she sprinted to the bow of the ship and, in one swift motion, leaped off. As she plummeted toward the water, she activated Geppo, propelling herself through the air with rapid kicks, practically flying toward the island.
"I'll see you slowpokes later!" she called out, waving back at the crew with a wide grin.
Te shook his head, laughing to himself. "Well, she's eager."
Ronin, still lounging in his hammock, barely cracked an eye open. "She's like a kid in a candy store. At least now we'll have some peace and quiet."
" Ronin get your ass up, help us prepare the ship for port."
Ronin grumbled, annoyed that he had to get up. "Fine."
-------------
As the crew docked their ship at the island's port, they were all prepared to hop off when an old man hurriedly approached them, waving his arms in warning.
"HEY, YOU! Are you three pirates? You're not welcome here!" the old man shouted, his voice shaking but firm.
Koby raised his hands in a calming gesture. "But sir, we haven't done anything yet. We just arrived."
"I don't care, kid," the man shot back. "Get outta here before you get hurt."
Te stepped forward, a devilish grin spreading across his face as he allowed his aura to flare. The sudden pressure from his energy made the old man stagger, his eyes wide with fear. "Oh, is that a threat?" Te asked, his voice low and menacing.
The old man trembled visibly, struggling to keep his composure. "N-no, it's not a threat," he stammered. "I'm just trying to help you... Look, there's a pirate here, a dangerous one. His name is Eustass Kidd. He's a tyrant, and he's been killing any Marine or pirate crew that shows up. You don't want to get mixed up in that."
Te's grin faded into a look of mild amusement. "Oh... Kidd? That's what you're worried about? Well, in that case," he said, waving off the tension with a casual shrug, "you don't need to worry about us. You see, me and him... we're long-time friends."
The old man blinked in confusion. "You... you know Kidd?"
"Yep. No need to panic. We'll be fine," Te said, his confidence oozing through every word. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we've got some catching up to do."
Koby leaned in and whispered in Te's ear. "Really, Te? You and Kidd are 'long-time friends'?"
Te winked. "Hey, sometimes you gotta bluff your way out of awkward situations."
The old man, still shaking, backed away slowly, leaving the crew to disembark, though his worried eyes lingered on them as they walked past him.
"Well," Koby sighed, "this is gonna be interesting. Let's just hope your 'long-time friend' is in a good mood."
"Hey, old man," Te called back, his tone casual, "you wouldn't happen to know where Kidd is right now, would you?"
The old man, still shaken, stammered, "U-uhh… I believe he and his crew took over the mayor's house, which should be located in the center of town."
"Thanks, old man," Te said, reaching into his pockets. The sudden motion made the old man flinch, half expecting another wave of terrifying aura or something far worse. But instead, Te pulled out a solid gold bar and handed it over.
The old man blinked in disbelief, staring at the gold bar like he wasn't sure if it was real. "F-for me?" he stuttered.
"It's for your troubles," Te replied with a grin, walking off before the old man could protest.
The man stood frozen for a moment, looking down at the bar in his hands and then back at the crew as they walked toward the town's center. "These pirates are something else..." he muttered under his breath, still trying to process what just happened.