Jiro had spent the past few hours training, pushing his body harder than ever before. He had to keep improving if he wanted to survive in this new world. The sounds of Water 7—the clinking of metal, the hustle of people, and the constant hum of activity, were becoming familiar to him.
As he walked through the city's bustling streets, he couldn't help but notice the beauty of the canals and the skilled shipwrights working on massive ships. This world had its charm, but he had no illusions about the danger that lurked in the shadows.
He walked past a food stall, grabbed a quick meal, and sat down on a bench near the busy marketplace. Just as he was about to take a bite, a loud voice interrupted him.
"WAHAHAHA! This soup is AMAZING!" a carefree voice boomed from behind.
Jiro looked up to see a group of odd-looking individuals walking past. They didn't look like an average civilians. There was a young man with a straw hat who seemed completely unbothered by everything, drinking the soup with relish; a woman with orange hair sipping orange juice; a tall, green-haired man with a long sword; a guy with a bizarre set of goggles on his head; a weird curly-browed guy who kept eyeing any woman who passed by; and... a raccoon cat? Wait, is this serious!?
"Oi, Luffy! Stop making a mess with the soup!" the woman scolded, her arms crossed.
"Oops, sorry, Nami!" the man in the straw hat, Luffy, laughed, completely unfazed, wiping broth from his face.
Jiro raised an eyebrow. The group's carefree demeanor stood in stark contrast to the serious atmosphere of the city. They weren't like any civilians he'd seen around here. Still, he didn't think much of it. They were just a group of odd people, probably tourists or travelers. Nothing more to it.
But then, Luffy turned to him, eyes wide with curiosity. "Hey, what's wrong with you? You look like a strong guy!"
Jiro blinked. "Uh, excuse me?" He didn't know how to respond to such an abrupt statement. He tried to keep his distance, but the guy in the straw hat was now standing right in front of him.
"Yeah! You look like you could fight!" Luffy said, grinning ear to ear. "What's your name? Wanna join our crew?"
Jiro scoffed, feeling uncomfortable with the sudden attention. "What are you talking about? Who are you people, anyway?"
"We're a group of pirates!" Luffy said cheerfully. "You seem like a cool guy! Why don't you become one of our crew!?"
Jiro's expression darkened slightly as he glanced around at the rest of the group. He noticed the way they all looked so casual, but something about them didn't sit right with him. There was something off about their carefree attitudes. He had heard plenty about pirates during his time in Water 7. Pirates were ruthless criminals; killers, looters, and thieves.
He narrowed his eyes, his fists instinctively clenching at his sides. "Listen, I don't know who you think you are, but I'm warning you," Jiro said, his voice firm. "I've heard about you pirates. You guys kill, loot, and cause chaos wherever you go. This is a peaceful city, and there's a Marine stationed here."
Luffy blinked, not understanding at first. "Huh? Pirates? What's wrong with that?"
Jiro looked at them, his gaze hardening. "You think you can just walk around causing trouble in a city like this? You better keep your distance. If the Marines can't do anything about it, then I'll stop you myself. Don't mess with the civilians here."
The rest of the Straw Hat crew exchanged confused glances, clearly not used to someone confronting them so seriously. Luffy, however, just tilted his head, still grinning.
"We're not like that!" Luffy said, his grin not faltering. "We're not your average pirates! Because I want to be the king of the pirates!"
Jiro didn't look convinced. "King of the pirates?" He shook his head, clearly unimpressed. "All I know is that pirates are nothing but trouble. You better stay out of trouble while you're here, or else."
Luffy laughed loudly. "Don't worry! We're not here to cause any problems. We're just looking for a shipwright to fix our ship!"
Jiro stared at him for a moment, trying to process this. A shipwright? That was a bit of an odd request for pirates, but... it didn't matter. Pirates or not, he didn't want them stirring up trouble here.
"You better keep it that way," Jiro said with a warning tone. "Just remember, the Marines are watching, and if they can't handle you, I'll be around. Don't think you're above the law just because you wear a straw hat."
Hearing it, the green-haired guy grabbed his sword as if trying to draw it out of the sheath, the curly-browed guy took a cigarette and lit it, the guy with the weird goggles started panicking, and their pet--- oh no, I mean a raccoon cat, transformed into a man covered in fur. But before anything could happen, the orange-haired woman stepped in to stop them.
Without understanding what was happening, Luffy's eyes lit up at the mention of his hat. "Oh! You like my hat, huh? It's the best!" He placed his hands on the brim and grinned even wider. "You should join us! It's way more fun being a pirate than trying to stop us!"
Jiro sighed, shaking his head. "I'm not interested in being a pirate, alright? I've got my own problems to deal with."
"Well, that's too bad," Luffy said, still grinning. "But hey, if you ever change your mind, just let me know! We'd love to have you!"
With that, the Straw Hat Pirates continued their way down the street, Luffy still talking excitedly about random things, while the rest of the crew looked at Jiro with a mix of confusion and curiosity.
Jiro stood there, arms crossed, watching them go. His thoughts were mixed, he couldn't stand pirates, but something about these people felt different. Maybe it was just their energy, or maybe they really weren't like the other pirates he'd heard about. Either way, he wasn't about to let his guard down around them.
With a sigh, he returned to his meal, his mind still racing. "Pirates... whatever. If they think they can just walk around without causing trouble, they're in for a surprise."