Author: Xiao Yifeng
Translator: PapaSmurf0700
In the tranquil waters of the East Blue, a gentle sea breeze drifted over a small island, carrying the faint calls of gulls searching for their next meal. Anchored near the shore was a ship flying a distinctive Jolly Roger: a skull set within a heart. This was the vessel of the infamous "Iron Mace" Alvida, a pirate with a bounty of 5,000,000 Beri on her head.
On the deck, Alvida herself, a massive woman wielding her signature spiked mace, posed her favorite question to her crew. "Tell me," she purred, her voice dripping with vanity, "who is the most beautiful woman on all the seas?"
Without a moment's hesitation, her men shouted in perfect unison, "It is you, Captain Alvida!"
A self-satisfied smile spread across her face. "That's right! I am the fairest of them all, and I cannot tolerate anything unsightly. A woman of my splendor deserves a ship that matches her beauty. Get to work, you lazy dogs! I want this deck to shine!"
Eager to appease their demanding captain, the pirates scrambled to scrub the ship until it gleamed.
Deep within the ship's storage hold, a far more interesting scene was unfolding.
"Koby, you really fished two whole wine barrels out of the sea?" a lazy pirate exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Well, I'll be. Useless little Koby actually did something useful for once!" he laughed.
Another pirate shoved the timid, pink-haired cabin boy aside and began rolling one of the barrels further into the room. "What are we waiting for? Let's crack these open!"
An older, more cautious pirate stroked his beard. "What if the captain finds out? She'll have our heads on a platter!"
But a third pirate, a blond man with a clever glint in his eye, waved off the concern. "And how would she find out? It's just the three of us and Koby down here. If we all keep our mouths shut, who's going to tell?"
The group's gaze fell on the nervous cabin boy. Koby flinched, stammering, "I-I didn't see anything. I promise!"
Satisfied, the pirates turned their attention back to their prize. "Let's get this one open," one of them declared, raising his fist to smash the barrel's lid.
BOOM!
The wooden barrel exploded outward with a sudden, shocking force that had nothing to do with the pirates. As splinters flew, a pair of long arms shot out, catching the clever blond pirate square on the chin and sending him flying into the second barrel.
"What a great nap!" a cheerful voice exclaimed. "Looks like I'm saved!"
From the wreckage emerged a young man dressed in a simple red vest, blue shorts, and straw sandals. But the most defining feature was the unassuming straw hat perched on his head. He took a moment to survey his strange new surroundings before a wide, infectious grin spread across his face.
"Who are you guys?" he asked with genuine curiosity.
The pirates, shaking off their shock, bristled with indignation. "We should be asking you that!" The hooded pirate lunged forward, grabbing the boy by his vest.
Unfazed, the boy simply announced, "I'm Monkey D. Luffy. And I'm going to be King of the Pirates!"
The sincerity in his voice was absolute. The room was silent for a beat before the two remaining pirates erupted in derisive laughter. "King of the Pirates? If you're the Pirate King, I must be a Fleet Admiral!" They slapped the floor, their amusement echoing in the small room.
Luffy just stared, unfazed. He'd learned long ago there was no point explaining your dream to people who would only mock it.
Suddenly, a hesitant voice broke through the laughter. "Are you… are you heading to the Grand Line to find the One Piece?"
Luffy turned to see the cabin boy, Koby, looking at him with a mixture of fear and awe. "Yup, that's the plan!" Luffy replied confidently.
Koby's timid demeanor crumbled. "You can't be serious! Every pirate in the world is after that treasure! It's impossible! You'll die!"
"So what if I do?" Luffy's voice cut through the air, sharp and unwavering. "I'm not afraid of dying for my dream. I decided I'm going to be the Pirate King, and if I die trying, then that's fine by me!"
His conviction struck Koby like a physical blow, leaving him speechless. He slumped to the floor, his mind racing. If I wasn't afraid… could I chase my dream, too? Could someone like me really become a brave Marine officer? "Mr. Luffy…?"
Luffy, slightly confused by the boy's sudden shift, just smiled. "I don't know about all that. But if you have a dream, you shouldn't let anyone tell you it's impossible. I think you can do it."
Their moment was shattered by scornful voices. "Did we hear that right? Koby wants to be a Marine?"
"Have you gone crazy like this straw hat kid? You're going to betray the captain?" The two pirates drew their knives, their faces twisting with menace. "Doesn't matter if you want to be a Marine or the Pirate King. Today is the day you both die!"
Just as the pirates lunged and Luffy prepared to counter, a new, calm voice interrupted the chaos.
"Excuse me, are you all filming some kind of play?"
Everyone froze, their attention snapping to the source of the voice. It came from near the second wine barrel, where the blond pirate still lay unconscious. Standing amidst the splinters of the first barrel was another young man.
He had long, dark hair and was dressed in a simple blue gown, black pants, and cloth shoes. His face was strikingly handsome, but his eyes were filled with profound confusion.
Bai Ye scanned the room, a strange sense of familiarity washing over him as he saw the faces before him. He murmured to himself, "Is that… Straw Hat Luffy? And the one with the pink hair must be Koby…"
Three questions collided in his mind, leading him to one inescapable, bewildering conclusion.
"I must still be dreaming..."