"Sir, we're approaching Alabasta's port!" Lena said, consulting the map in her hand and glancing at Ryu.
Since their last stop, they had cleared out two more islands, yielding decent results. Ryu's experience had reached 98%, and in a few days, he would be ready to level up.
"Let's go; prepare to land!" Ryu ordered after a moment's thought.
"Yes, sir!" Lena saluted, then directed the crew to head straight for Alabasta's port city, Nanohana.
Meanwhile, Luffy and his crew were also nearing Alabasta, and Princess Vivi's anxiety was palpable.
"Don't worry, Vivi; it'll be fine!" Nami, now fully recovered thanks to Dr. Kureha's treatment, hugged Vivi to reassure her.
"Yes, I know. I just haven't figured out what to do yet!" Vivi sighed. Just then, she turned her head and saw something unusual over the ocean. "What… is that?"
"Whoa~ it looks like cotton candy!" Luffy said, practically drooling.
A few days earlier, Luffy, Usopp, Karoo the duck, and the new ship doctor, Tony Tony Chopper, had stolen some of Sanji's food. Now, with no choice, they spent their days fishing, using Karoo as bait.
"No worries, it's just water vapor caused by an underwater volcano," Nami explained after examining it.
The Merry continued sailing, but as Luffy and Usopp cast their lines, they reeled in something unusual.
"Whoa~~ we caught a… cross-dresser?!" Usopp yelled in surprise.
The cross-dresser, who was clutching Karoo, seemed startled and fell back into the sea, only to be rescued again by Luffy and the others.
"Thank you so much for saving me, even though I'm just a stranger to you!" the person, dressed in a swan costume, said politely.
"You can't swim?" Usopp asked, puzzled.
"No, dear, I ate a Devil Fruit, so I can't swim!" the stranger replied.
"A Devil Fruit? What's your ability?" Usopp asked curiously.
"Well, since it's a bit dull around here, allow me to show you!" With that, the person started performing.
This individual had eaten the Clone-Clone Fruit. By touching someone with his right hand and then his own face with his left, he could transform into a perfect replica of that person—species and gender included.
He demonstrated by transforming into Chopper's likeness, then into Nami's, complete with her figure. His power even retained memories, allowing him to mimic anyone he had previously touched.
Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp quickly became friends with him, but soon after, his own crew arrived to pick him up, and they addressed him as Mr. 2.
"Wait… I think I saw him change into my father's face. They're definitely using that ability for something!" Vivi muttered after Mr. 2 left, distressed by the realization.
After a quick discussion, the Straw Hats agreed to draw an "X" on their left forearms, hiding it with bandages, as a way to identify each other.
Before they reached the shore, a large crowd gathered at a restaurant in Nanohana, the port city of Alabasta.
"I heard he just dropped dead while eating!"
"What? Could it be poison?"
"Isn't it the restaurant owner's fault?"
"No idea, but the owner's been in business for years. I've never heard of anything like this happening!"
As Ryu and Lena approached, he suddenly had a bad feeling. Inside, a man with a tattoo of a white beard on his back was sprawled over his food, seemingly lifeless.
"Sir, that tattoo…" Lena whispered, recognizing it immediately.
"This idiot!" Ryu muttered, storming over and slapping the man on the back.
"Huh? What's going on? Ah~ I must've dozed off!" Ace suddenly sat up, wiping his face on a nearby lady's skirt.
"What's with all the people, boss?" Ace asked the restaurant owner, oblivious to the commotion.
The owner's face twitched, too embarrassed to admit that everyone thought Ace had died.
"Ace, you fool! Running off again!" Ryu said with a mix of frustration and relief as he stood behind him.
"Oh~~ Ryu! Long time no see! What brings you to Alabasta?" Ace greeted him with excitement.
"You're here to hunt Blackbeard, aren't you?" Ryu's expression turned serious as he put the pieces together.
"Yeah, you figured it out, huh?" Ace shrugged, replying casually.
"I told you already about Blackbeard—"
Before Ryu could finish his sentence, a familiar voice suddenly yelled, "Gomu Gomu no… Rocket!"
In an instant, he felt a heavy impact slam into his back, sending both him and Ace flying through the air.
"Ah, damn it! Luffy, you brat! Today, I'm going to bring you to justice for once and for all!" Climbing out of the rubble, Ryu realized exactly what had just happened.
Originally, this particular encounter was supposed to be Smoker's, but thanks to a delay in Smoker's pursuit of Luffy, caused by Ryu's own actions, Smoker was only now just entering the Grand Line.
"Boss, I want food! More food!" Luffy sat at a table, shouting at the restaurant owner.
"I… I'd suggest you make a quick escape instead!" The owner served Luffy's food with a shaky voice.
"Why?" Luffy asked between mouthfuls.
"You see that massive hole?" The owner pointed at the hole in the wall beside him.
"Is that part of your restaurant's decor? Looks weird," Luffy said, nodding approvingly while he ate.
"You made that hole!" The other customers and the owner shouted in unison.
"Me? When did I do that?" Luffy asked, surprised.
"When you barged in here, didn't you feel like you hit something?" The owner wiped the sweat off his brow.
Luffy paused, remembering. He vaguely felt like he might have collided with something.
"There were two people. One is the superior officer of this Marine Lieutenant Commander here, and the other is a captain from Marine Headquarters, not to mention a pirate with a Whitebeard tattoo!" The owner pointed behind Luffy at Lena, who was glaring furiously.
"What a joke! Who's this brat, anyway?" Ace muttered as he dusted himself off nearby, having landed much closer.
But before Ace could take further action, Lena drew her sword. The pirate in front of her had just knocked her most respected superior officer flying and then had the audacity to sit down and eat as if nothing happened.
"Pirate Monkey D. Luffy! Bounty: 30 million berries! In the name of a Lieutenant Commander of Marine Headquarters, I'm taking you down!" Lena charged, her sword raised, startling Luffy.
"Marine? Lieutenant Commander? Didn't the owner mention something about a captain too?" Luffy thought aloud, dodging Lena's strike. Turning his head, he opened his mouth wide and scooped up all the food in front of him.
"Thanks for the meal!" Luffy, mouth full, pressed a hand over it, bowed to the owner, and then sprinted off.
Lena immediately gave chase, determined not to let him escape.
Ace, who had just walked in and spotted Luffy's retreating back, wasted no time and followed.
"Are they dining and dashing?" the owner asked, dumbfounded by the scene.
"Owner, where's the pirate who knocked me down?" Ryu asked as he finally staggered over. But by the time he arrived, Luffy, Ace, and even Lena had disappeared.
"They all ran off!" the owner stammered. "Uh, Marine sir, if they're your friends, then about the bill…"
"Those brats! I'll make them pay! Running out on a meal at a civilian restaurant?!" Ryu roared in anger and took off after them.
The owner blinked, watching Ryu vanish into the distance. A wave of helplessness washed over him, feeling as though the world had it out for him.
"If I catch those idiots, I'll wring their necks!" Ryu grumbled to himself, face red with embarrassment. Since joining the Marines, he had never experienced anything this humiliating. Normally, Lena handled the finances, so he didn't carry money himself. But thanks to his oversight, he was now in the absurd position of a Marine dining and dashing.
After running a few steps, he paused, suddenly remembering that he had plenty of cash stored in his system. He could easily convert it to berries if needed.
"It's all Ace and Luffy's fault. I swear, following them is lowering my IQ!" he sighed, deciding against further pursuit.
Ace would be careful with Lena, and as for Luffy, right now he and Lena were fairly evenly matched. There was no need for concern.
"Gather all nearby Marines and block off that pirate's escape route!" Lena spotted some patrolling Marines and immediately shouted orders.
The Marines, initially surprised, quickly recognized her uniform and loudly rallied, joining the chase after Luffy.
"Hey, Lena! That's my brother!" Ace shouted from behind, chasing Lena. Knowing that she worked under Ryu, he held back from attacking her and simply trailed her.
At the port, Lena finally caught up with Luffy, just as Zoro and the others arrived. Lena and her Marine backup encircled them.
"You really know how to cause trouble. You left for a meal and managed to rile up the entire city's Marine force?" Nami scolded Luffy loudly.
"I didn't mean to! I was just trying to eat!" Luffy said, his face filled with innocent frustration.
"We'd better think about how to break through! The Marines keep closing in!" Sanji said, a cigarette clenched between his teeth.
...........
patreon.com/CuteSelfieCat