"My name is Gaimon."
"Do you have any idea what it's like to be stuck in a box, living alone on this deserted island for 20 years?!"
Last time, Kaito Sakamoto and Luffy encountered a strange person stuck in a box on a remote island. After his self-introduction, it turned out his name was Gaimon.
Kaito couldn't quite remember his face, but he recognized the man—though the name was a blur.
...
"How could someone survive on a deserted island for 20 years?!" Nami exclaimed, shocked.
Luffy, well, being Luffy, wasn't too surprised.
"He looks like an idiot."
Kaito nodded, agreeing. It was really sad, but it was also true that Gaimon did look a bit foolish.
"You bastards! I'm gonna kill you!" Gaimon yelled, cursing the two unsympathetic idiots.
"Sigh, after more than 20 years, my hair and beard have grown so thick, even my eyebrows have fused together," Gaimon sighed. "It's impossible to say I wasn't lonely. It's hard to meet someone after so long. Some things just slip out."
Luffy then quickly flashed next to Gaimon, stepping on the edge of the box and grabbing Gaimon's head, trying to pull him out.
It was well-meaning, but Gaimon was in so much pain he nearly cried.
"It hurts! It hurts! Stop!!"
"Stop! Stop!" Gaimon cried out.
But no matter how hard Luffy tried, he couldn't pull him free, so he gave up.
"This box is really stuck," Luffy muttered.
Gaimon let out a sigh of relief. "Sigh! After 20 years, my bones are practically fused with the box. If the box disappears, I'll be done for too."
"By the way, how did you end up on this island?" Nami asked.
"You said you're pirates?" Gaimon asked, though he wasn't sure if his response was really an answer.
"Yes, we have a crewmate who's watching the ship," Kaito answered, nodding.
"Pirates, huh."
"I used to be a pirate too," Gaimon said with nostalgia. "I miss those days... sailing the seas carelessly, looking for treasure. It was so much fun."
"Do you have a treasure map?"
Gaimon assumed Luffy was out at sea looking for treasure, so he asked if he had a map.
"I have the map of the Grand Line."
"I'm going to find 'ONE PIECE.'"
Luffy said this plainly, without hesitation.
Gaimon, like everyone else who had heard Luffy's goal, was stunned.
Luffy showed Gaimon the map.
"Which one is the Grand Line?"
"Huh, old man, you don't know?"
"Because I can't read this map at all! Hahaha."
"Hahaha, so that's how it is!"
Nami and Kaito shook their heads. Was this really something a pirate would say?
Nami stepped forward, taking the map from them. She began explaining the distribution of the pirate world.
"There are two great seas in the world."
"The continent that divides the seas is called the Red Line."
"From its small town, the route that circles the world perpendicular to the Red Line is called the 'Grand Line.'"
"I see."
After Nami finished explaining, Luffy sighed deeply. Kaito had every reason to believe Luffy didn't fully understand.
Gaimon, as a former pirate, was somewhat of a senior in this field—though not exactly a role model. He shared his experience of meeting pirates who had returned from the Grand Line, all of whom were lost, like they had lost their souls.
He warned Luffy and the crew not to underestimate the Grand Line. After all, it was known as the "Pirate's Graveyard."
But Luffy remained optimistic, always believing that problems existed to be solved. There was always a way through.
...
"So, getting back to the point, what does this have to do with why you're stuck on this island?" Kaito asked, steering the conversation back on track.
"Well, it's somewhat related."
"Twenty years ago, I was a pirate, and my crew and I landed on this island."
"We searched for three days and found nothing. When it was time to leave, I realized there was a small hill we hadn't climbed. I told my crew to go ahead and wait for me on the ship."
"I struggled to climb up, but sure enough, at the top were five treasure chests."
"But fate played a cruel trick on me. I slipped, fell from the top, and got stuck in this box. By the time I woke up, my crew had already left."
Gaimon shared his story, though it was unclear if he was unlucky or fortunate. He hadn't died from falling, but he had been trapped in the box for 20 years.
...
Nami, always keen on treasure, immediately suggested they go get the treasure chests.
Reaching the foot of the hill, Kaito and Luffy used their Gum-Gum abilities to extend their arms and reach the top in an instant.
Kaito recognized the situation.
Standing at the cliff edge, he watched as Luffy eagerly opened the treasure chests one by one. His excitement quickly faded with each empty chest, but Luffy still smiled and shouted, "There are five more chests! Hahaha!"
Gaimon and Nami urged him to throw them down, but Luffy did something unexpected—he refused.
"No way!"
"What! What do you mean, Luffy? Kaito, stop him!"
Nami yelled in frustration, the treasure so close, yet so far.
But Gaimon's eyes welled up with tears.
"I knew it."
"You two really are good people."
"I had a feeling, but I didn't want to admit it."
"The five chests... they're empty, aren't they?!"
As he cried out, Gaimon's tears flowed freely.