The small boat scraped against the dock of Orange Town with a dry creak. No townsfolk awaited them. No guards. No voices. Only the heavy silence of a forgotten city. The atmosphere felt frozen, as if time itself had stopped to avoid disturbing the ruins.
The four companions stepped ashore. Nami pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders, casting wary glances down the empty streets. Luffy hopped off with a bounce, eyes already scanning the area with restrained excitement. Koby, more focused, observed every detail: shuttered windows, blast marks on walls, the complete absence of life. Zoro, arms crossed, sniffed the air with suspicion.
Koby gave a quick glance at their boat as he spoke.
"We'll need food and water. Clothes. A few other things. I suggest we split up to cover more ground."
But when he looked back from the dock, he realized he was... alone. Luffy, Nami, and Zoro had already wandered off—without waiting for him to finish his sentence.
He stood there for a second, arms hanging by his sides.
Sigh… I guess I'll handle it on my own.
He tightened the straps of his satchel, grabbed his staff, and stepped into a shadowy alley.
A few streets away, Zoro wandered without any clear destination. He had followed a slope, taken a turn… then another. Now he stood in front of a dead end, staring at a crumbling wall.
"Tch... not again."
He turned back, retracing his steps. But all the run-down buildings looked the same. He muttered under his breath, annoyed.
"I need a drink."
Elsewhere, Luffy strolled beside Nami, cheerful as ever, while she kept a cautious distance.
"You think we'll find anyone here?" he asked.
"I hope so. I heard Orange Town used to be lively—a market, fishermen, a tavern... Everything changed after Buggy and his crew arrived."
They walked past a shop with its front torn off. Burned clothes fluttered in the breeze.
"So, Nami," Luffy said suddenly, breaking the silence. "How'd you end up in that situation?"
She hesitated, her gaze lost in the distance.
"I'm a professional pirate thief. I used to steal from them. Guess I overestimated myself this time... I tried to swipe their treasure, and, well, you saw the rest."
They kept walking. Then Luffy spoke again.
"Why take the risk? What are you after?"
She glanced away.
"I need to gather a hundred million berries. And before you ask—no, I won't tell you why. It's personal."
She reached into her cleavage and pulled out a carefully folded piece of paper.
"But with this map… I'm almost there. My dream is finally within reach."
Luffy leaned over, intrigued. His eyes lit up.
"A map?! Wait… you're a navigator?!"
She gave him a smug half-smile.
"I know every sea in the East Blue. I could sail them blindfolded."
"Awesome! Join my crew!"
Nami froze. Her smile faded. She blinked, caught off guard.
"What? You… you want me to come with you?"
"Of course! You're gonna be the navigator for the future King of the Pirates! Hahahaha!"
Nami's smile vanished. She took a step back, her eyes suddenly cold.
"Hold on a second…"
Luffy tilted his head, confused.
"What?"
"You just said... Future King of the Pirates?"
"Yeah! Why?"
"You're a pirate?!"
He grinned proudly.
"Obviously!"
She stared at him, speechless. Then she stepped back again, clutching her map tightly.
"You're kidding, right?! All this time, you were pirates?!"
"Well… yeah. Is that a problem?"
She looked at him like he'd just told her he was a murderer.
"All pirates are the same. You plunder, you kill, you destroy lives without a shred of remorse. And you want me to join you like that's normal?!"
"I'm not like them," Luffy replied calmly. "I've never robbed anyone. I've never attacked a village. I just want to be free, that's all."
"'Free', huh? And that's why you hang out with Koby and that guy with the three swords?"
"Zoro and Koby are my friends."
She crossed her arms, furious.
"So that's it… You were a crew this whole time."
"We only just got together, but yeah."
Nami took a deep breath, then said coldly:
"Forget it. I'll never be a pirate's navigator. Especially not a dumb one like you."
She turned on her heel without waiting for a reply.
Luffy stood still for a moment, then shrugged.
"Eh, I'll ask her again later. Meat comes first."
Koby left the dock with a sigh, alone, a bag on his back, his staff in hand. The streets of Orange Town stretched ahead like the veins of a wounded body—twisting, silent, empty. With each step, dust rose lightly, carried by the salty sea breeze. He moved slowly, eyes scanning every corner: shattered windows, broken doors, cobblestones blackened with soot... Bloodstains.
Everything bore the mark of a recent attack.
He passed a dry fountain. Broken toys lay on the ground, as if dropped mid-flight. A familiar chill crept down his spine—he'd felt this silence before. The silence of a place where fear had won.
He tightened his satchel.
"I need to figure out what happened here."
He kept walking, deeper into the poorest part of town. The buildings were smaller, patched with wood and rusted tin. Places where screams never reached the ears of the powerful.
That's when he heard it.
A sound. Quiet. Repetitive.
Plop… plop…
He slowed his pace and followed the sound.
Then he saw him: a small boy crouched at the edge of a canal, holding a crude fishing line, his eyes locked on the murky water. His shirt was oversized, full of holes. His skinny arms trembled with effort. Nearby, a tiny form lay curled under a blanket—a baby, or perhaps a toddler, unmoving.
Koby stepped closer, voice soft.
"Hey… are you okay?"
The boy jumped. He dropped his line, backed away, and grabbed a stick barely longer than Koby's forearm. His stare was sharp—filled with fear and fury.
"Don't come any closer! I know you! You're one of Baggy's pirates, aren't you?! One of the clowns!"
Koby froze, hands raised high and open.
"No. I'm not with Baggy. I just arrived. I don't even know what happened here."
"Liar! You took my mom! You burned our homes! All you do is laugh and kill! I can see it in your eyes!"
Koby stayed still. Slowly, he lowered his hands, then knelt at a safe distance, leveling his gaze with the boy's.
"I'm not one of Buggy's men," he said gently. "Please… trust me. I don't want to hurt you."
The boy kept his guard up, but his arms were shaking—not from fear, but exhaustion. He cast a glance over his shoulder.
The little girl under the blanket no longer cried. She hadn't, he said, since that morning.
"I've got nothing left," the boy muttered. "I tried to catch a fish… but there's nothing here. Nothing… The villagers left. They left us behind."
Koby's heart sank. He looked at the little girl. She was breathing—but barely. Pale. Too pale.
"What's your name?" Koby asked softly.
"Riku."
"I'm Koby. And her?"
"Maya. My little sister. She's all I have left…"
Koby nodded. He stood slowly.
"Riku, stay here. I'll bring you food. And water. I promise."
He had barely taken a step when a voice cut through the air.
"Well, well… handing out charity to sewer rats?"
A mocking voice. Followed by a coarse laugh.
Koby turned.
A man rounded the corner, holding a machete in one hand and a half-empty bottle in the other. His jacket was loud—red and blue stripes. A yellow bloodstained scarf on his shoulder. A crude tattoo of Baggy's emblem marked his collarbone.
"I've been lookin' for you brats. Baggy says no more mouths to feed. And you, little hero… didn't anyone tell you this town belongs to our captain?"
Koby stepped between the pirate and the children. Riku clutched his sister tightly, eyes wide with terror.
"You're not getting past me," Koby said, voice steady.
The pirate cackled.
"You? You think that twig makes you a hero?"
He dragged the machete across the stones, stepping closer.
Koby inhaled. Once. Calm.
"Final warning. Leave."
"You'll regret playing the hero, brat."
The pirate lunged.
Koby didn't wait. In a flash, his staff was already raised.
One clean strike to the temple.
The man dropped like a stone, unconscious before he hit the ground.
Silence.
Riku gasped.
"You… you beat him…"
Koby gave a small nod.
"He won't be coming back."
Riku tried to stand but stumbled. Koby caught him by the shoulder.
"It's over, Riku. You're safe now."
The boy looked up, eyes glossy.
"You're not one of them…"
A faint, gentle smile touched Koby's lips.
"No. I'm just someone who wants kids to sleep without fear."
He knelt again and laid a hand on Maya's blanket.
"I'm going to get her help. It's safer if you come with me."
This time, Riku didn't argue. He nodded quietly, tears pooling in his eyes.
Koby stood, lifting Maya into his arms. Riku followed close behind, like a duckling clinging to the one person left in the world who made sense.