As expected, the final outcome of the battle with Arlong was Luffy's victory. Though it was hard-fought, when Luffy landed the final blow, collapsing Arlong Park, and shouted, "Nami, you're my friend!" Ryu knew it was all over.
That night, everyone celebrated their newfound freedom at a grand feast.
"Oh? Changing your tattoo again, little lady?" Ryu asked with a smile, standing outside the window as he watched Cocoyasi Village's doctor alter the Arlong tattoo on Nami's arm into an orange-and-windmill design.
"Isn't it bad to spy on a girl getting a tattoo? Though, if you're willing to pay a few Berries, I wouldn't mind!" Nami teased, sticking her tongue out at Ryu.
"Ah~ you're still you, after all! Seeing you this lively is enough for me. I came to say goodbye," Ryu replied with a grin.
"So soon? Why not wait until morning?" Nami asked in surprise.
Although Luffy was the one who ultimately saved Cocoyasi Village, Nami knew that if it hadn't been for Luffy, Ryu would probably have defeated Arlong as soon as he landed on the island. Now, understanding Luffy and Ryu's connection, she suspected that Ryu had intentionally left Arlong for Luffy to handle.
"After all, Luffy is now a pirate. It's good enough that I'm not arresting him; setting out together would only spark gossip!" Ryu shrugged, smiling.
"Is that so?" Nami looked outside at the navy members celebrating with Luffy and his crew, a bit surprised by the harmony.
"Of course. Otherwise, it would be—"
"What's your dream?" Nami suddenly interrupted.
"My dream?" Ryu was taken aback, looking at the serious Nami. He chuckled, saying, "If I told you, you probably wouldn't believe it."
"Why not?" Nami asked, puzzled.
"Luffy, tell her your dream!" Ryu didn't answer, instead turning to Luffy, who had just walked over.
"Pirate King! I'm gonna be the Pirate King!" Luffy replied earnestly, clutching two large drumsticks, his belly round and full.
"Well~ if you want to be the Pirate King, you'd better find yourself a Pirate Queen first!" Ryu laughed, recalling a famous saying about the Pirate King from his previous life.
"So, what kind of person do you think deserves the title of Pirate King?" Ryu continued with a grin, concealing his true thoughts.
"The freest person, of course!" Luffy replied without hesitation.
"Haha, I knew it! The freest person—nice! But if you want to roam that great sea without restrictions, you'll need more strength than you have now!" Ryu laughed, patting his thigh.
"Bleh! I'll definitely become stronger!" Luffy stuck out his tongue at Ryu like a child.
"And Nami, what's your dream?" Ryu turned to her with a smile.
"I want to draw a map of the world!" Nami's eyes sparkled with excitement as she answered.
"Haha, then you're on the right path with the Pirate King! Isn't that right, world's greatest swordsman?" Ryu took the cup of sake handed to him by Zoro, chuckling.
"And what about your dream? To become an admiral?" Zoro, wrapped in bandages once more, walked over with a large mug of ale.
"Admiral? That's far too easy to count as a dream!" Ryu shook his head after taking a sip.
"So, do you want to wipe out all the pirates?" Sanji, cigarette in mouth, appeared at some point, joining the conversation.
"That's not realistic either; pirates can't simply be wiped out!" Ryu glanced at Zoro, who was arguing with the doctor despite his injuries, drinking in front of her. Truly a death wish!
"Hah~ you're the strangest Marine officer I've ever met," Sanji said, exhaling smoke as he fixed his gaze on Ryu.
"Am I? But your face looks awfully familiar to me…where did I see it? The North Blue, perhaps? Ah~ I don't remember!" Ryu winked playfully at Sanji.
Sanji fell silent at Ryu's words.
"So, do you want to hear about my epic battle against the Fishman Pirates?" Usopp, who was well into his storytelling, seemed almost drunk.
"Heh, what an interesting bunch!" Before he knew it, the entire Straw Hat crew had gathered around Ryu.
"My dream? It's to make this world a place where everyone is equal, where the navy truly protects everyone, and where there's no hatred toward the navy in certain places!" Ryu looked at these pirates chasing their dreams, smiling as he shared the wish he had kept hidden deep within his heart.
"Oh~~ that's so cool!" Luffy said, squinting his eyes with admiration.
Though Ryu's words might sound arrogant to some, achieving such a goal seemed even harder than eradicating all pirates. For everyone to be equal and for the navy to protect everyone, it would mean there couldn't be any more pirates on the sea. But both Luffy and Nami believed that this was Ryu's true dream.
"I'm starting to like you, Ryu. Join my crew!" Luffy said earnestly.
"Idiot. Even if I did join your crew, where would you put me? Unless you can beat your grandpa, don't talk about things like that!" Ryu laughed.
"Oh, is that so? Then forget it!" Luffy thought about it and quickly gave up.
This made his crew even more curious about who Luffy's grandfather was to make him so fearful.
"Luffy, since you defeated Arlong this time, I won't arrest you. But next time I see you, I won't hold back, so be careful!" After chatting a bit more, Ryu stood up to leave once Nami's tattoo was finished.
"Why?" Luffy asked curiously.
"It's my rule: any pirate I capture, as long as they haven't oppressed civilians, looted from ordinary people, or killed the innocent, I'll let them go—if they can defeat a pirate crew guilty of those crimes," Ryu said with a smile.
"And how do you ensure they'll actually fulfill the condition?" Sanji frowned, asking.
Not every pirate crew Ryu captured would have the chance to encounter another crew like Arlong's to fight against.
"Haha! Pirates who don't oppress civilians, kill the innocent, or rob ordinary people—I believe they'll keep their word!" Ryu laughed, turning to leave.
This left the Straw Hat crew in deep thought—except for Luffy, who hadn't really been following along and was still busy devouring food.
"I have a feeling we'll meet again," Zoro murmured, watching Ryu's departing navy ship.
"Hmph! You're not a woman—what kind of 'feeling' could you have?" Sanji scoffed, annoyed at Zoro.
And as usual, their bickering escalated into a scuffle, with the rest of the crew watching in bemused resignation, used to their fights by now.
After parting ways with Luffy, Ryu headed directly to Loguetown. After handing over Arlong and the men from the 16th Branch to Smoker, Ryu set out again. This time, instead of a navy ship, he took a small triangular sailboat, bringing along Krieg and Captain Nezumi.
"This should be it!" Ryu said, confirming the small island ahead with his compass.
Compasses still worked in the Four Seas, but on the Grand Line, they used Log Poses and Eternal Poses, so Ryu found this simpler method a bit strange.
"It seems things are developing nicely here!" Upon arriving, Ryu quickly made his way to the town. There was a navy outpost here, but he didn't see many familiar faces—mostly young, unfamiliar recruits.
As for Krieg and Captain Nezumi, Ryu had tied them up and left them unconscious in the cabin.
"Hey, bring out some of your best dishes and a little sake," Ryu said casually to a server in a local restaurant.
"Alright~ Please wait a moment!" The server quickly took his order, then shouted it toward the kitchen.
"Business seems a bit slow here," Ryu commented, noticing the empty restaurant.
"It is slow, especially since it's not mealtime yet. Also, not many outsiders come through here, so most folks just eat at home," the server replied with a smile.
"Then why not open some trade routes?" Ryu asked curiously.
"If you're looking for information, why not try the tavern? It's busier there, and you might find the news you're after," the server said with a polite smile, sidestepping Ryu's question.
Ryu was taken aback, not expecting such a response from the server.
Soon, the food arrived, and Ryu began eating, refraining from asking further questions. But as he prepared to pay and leave, he noticed a few marine officers at the door, talking to the server.
"What's this? It seems like they think I'm some suspicious character," Ryu muttered, frowning as he got up and headed outside.
"Hold on. Who are you, and what brings you to this island?" the leading officer asked.
"Is this some kind of secret base? Are visitors not allowed?" Ryu tilted his head and asked.
"This isn't a secret base, but we suspect you might be a pirate. So prove otherwise! Due to certain reasons, this island doesn't welcome pirates," the officer explained briefly, still giving Ryu an answer.
Ryu nodded in understanding, accepting their caution. "My hometown was raided by pirates, and the Loguetown marines told me the survivors were relocated here, so I came to check on them."
........
Started editing the chapters now ^^
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