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Shells Town—a peaceful little village.
And for good reason. With the presence of the Navy's 153rd Branch here, pirates hardly dared to come pillaging.
If even this place wasn't safe, the East Blue would be rotten to the core.
Standing on the bow of the Sunny, Mu Li gazed out at the town. In the distance, he could make out the massive silhouette of a Navy base.
That familiar sensation, that unmistakable Navy insignia—it was all coming back to him.
Yes.
This was truly the pirate world.
"Let's go. Bring that fat lady with us."
Mu Li leapt joyfully off the ship.
Behind him, Nami and Koby struggled together to haul Alvida ashore.
"Hey! Can't you at least lend a hand? This person is ridiculously heavy!" Nami grumbled.
Not that she expected Mu Li to help—she just needed to vent.
After all, she'd been doing errands for him nonstop today.
Mu Li glanced back, noticing how much they were struggling. With a sigh, he waved them aside.
"Fine, fine. Can't say no to you. Let me handle it."
He took the rope and began dragging Alvida along.
Nami blinked in disbelief.
Was he... being unexpectedly considerate?
No. It was an illusion!
This guy loved bossing others around. Even yesterday's laundry? She'd been the one stuck washing it!
Oh, right.
Now Mu Li was wearing a halfway decent outfit instead of the iconic red vest and blue shorts.
Of course, he still had the straw hat—it was a family heirloom.
The proof of his connections!
The symbol of his heritage!
A keepsake from Uncle Gol D. Roger to Father Shanks, then passed on to him.
Someday, this hat would help him reconnect with his childhood friend.
But enough about that.
Mu Li dragged Alvida along as Nami and Koby followed, making their way to the 153rd Branch's base.
As they strolled through town, townspeople whispered and pointed at them.
However, whenever Mu Li glanced in their direction, they would duck out of sight, visibly terrified.
"Am I that scary?" Mu Li turned back and asked.
Nami: "..."
You're dragging a notorious female pirate around. What do you think?
Koby whispered nervously, "Lord Luffy, we've got a pirate flag flying on our ship. Of course they're scared."
"I'm a good pirate. Don't lump me in with the bad ones—that's hurtful."
Nami chuckled. "Good pirates, bad pirates—is there really a difference?"
"Of course there is! I'm a bounty hunter who catches pirates for cash. My bounty is zero, and I've never committed a single crime..."
As he spoke, Mu Li started to lose confidence.
Luffy's younger days involved plenty of mischief.
For instance, dining and dashing by leaving notes that read, Treasure will cover the cost.
"Fine, fine, Mr. Good Pirate. Could you move a little faster?"
"Nami, you've gotten cheeky after just one day. As punishment, you're doing my laundry for a month!"
"I'm already doing it!"
The trio chatted away and soon arrived at the gates of the Navy base.
"Halt! This is a restricted military zone!"
Two uniformed guards, armed and on high alert, immediately stopped them.
"My grandfather is Garp," Mu Li declared, unveiling his ace.
"!?"
One guard was visibly startled.
The other, less impressed, sternly barked again:
"No one cares who your grandfather is! Back off, or—wait, why are you pulling me?"
The startled guard leaned over and whispered, "Garp. Vice Admiral Garp!"
"Vice Admiral?!"
The guard didn't know who Garp was but understood the rank and turned pale.
"Garp," the other guard elaborated, "is a Navy hero and vice admiral of the Headquarters. How do you not know this?"
The informed guard's demeanor shifted instantly as he forced a smile.
"Uh, may I ask your name, sir?"
"Monkey D. Luffy."
"Lord Luffy, please wait here. I will immediately report this to Captain Morgan!"
The guard saluted sharply and dashed inside the base.
Nami: "..."
Koby: "..."
This world feels all too real.
The remaining guard fidgeted awkwardly, stammering, "Procedures, you see. I apologize for the inconvenience. It's hot out—perhaps you'd like to step inside the guard station to wait?"
"Good thinking. You've got potential—I'll commend you to my grandfather," Mu Li praised.
Then he handed over Alvida's rope. "By the way, this pirate is worth 5 million."
The soldier only just noticed Alvida's unconscious form and gasped in shock.
"That's... Alvida, the captain of the Alvida Pirates?!"
"She's all yours. Make sure the money's ready."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
At that moment, the other guard returned in a rush.
"Open the gates! Open the gates immediately! Welcome Lord Luffy, grandson of Vice Admiral Garp!"
The enormous gates of the 153rd Naval Branch swung open with a rumble.
A man with a massive axe blade for a hand strode forward, exuding authority.
"Welcome! I am Captain Morgan, commander of the 153rd Branch. I hear you're Vice Admiral Garp's grandson?"
Morgan was an imposing man, his booming voice full of energy.
"I'm Luffy."
Mu Li's terse reply cut down Morgan's speech.
Morgan laughed heartily. "And these two?"
"My navigator and... my errand boy."
"I'm Nami."
"I... I'm Koby."
After the brief introductions, Morgan eagerly invited them in:
"This way, please. Follow me inside!"
Once they'd entered, the two guards exchanged nervous glances.
"Did... did you see Captain Morgan smile just now?"
"I sure did..."
The tyrant of Shells Town, "Axe-Hand" Morgan, smiling?
They decided not to dwell on it and resumed their duties.
While his subordinates were shocked, Mu Li wasn't surprised at all.
Morgan, once an idealistic youth, had seen his entire squad wiped out by pirates, which darkened his outlook on life.
He became obsessed with power, convinced that those who wielded it were the greatest in the world.
Over time, he climbed the ranks from sergeant to ensign to captain.
With authority, he deemed himself grand and mighty.
And naturally, such a man would grovel in the face of an even higher power.