The Endless Sea – A Tiny Boat and a Big Stomach
The ocean stretched out in every direction, endless and glittering beneath the afternoon sun. Waves rose and fell with a steady rhythm, and seabirds drifted lazily overhead.
And somewhere in the middle of that vast expanse was a tiny, ridiculous boat.
"Uuuuuugh…"
Monkey D. Luffy lay sprawled inside it, one arm dangling in the water, the other clutching his growling stomach. The little sail flapped uselessly as the current carried him along. His straw hat tipped over his eyes, shielding him from the glare, but did nothing to quiet his rumbling belly.
"I should've taken more meat from Makino…" he groaned. "Why didn't I grab the whole plate?!"
He sat up suddenly, jabbing a finger at the horizon as if scolding it. "Meat should be unlimited! Shishishi!"
The boat rocked precariously with his outburst. Luffy blinked, then tilted his head. For a brief moment, a strange sensation tingled at the back of his neck. A warning. Like invisible threads tugging at his senses.
"Huh?" He looked around, puzzled. "Why do I feel like something heavy's coming…?"
The answer came with a low rumble. A shadow loomed over the waves. The tiny boat was suddenly dwarfed by the massive hull of a pirate ship cutting across the sea.
The ship was ugly and imposing, its sails patched and its deck crowded with laughing, jeering men. And at the very front stood a mountain of a woman, brandishing a spiked iron mace that gleamed cruelly in the sun.
Her voice boomed over the water. "Well, well, what do we have here? A helpless brat floating in a dinghy!"
The crew burst into laughter, pointing at Luffy's tiny craft.
"Bwahahaha! He won't last an hour out here!""Oi, boss, he probably doesn't even have treasure!""Maybe we can sell him to some poor village as a cabin boy!"
The woman silenced them with a single slam of her mace against the deck. The wood splintered beneath the blow. "Silence, you worms! I, Captain Alvida, the most beautiful woman on the seas, will decide his fate!"
She pointed the mace at Luffy's boat, sneering. "Hand over your valuables, boy! Or I'll squash you flat!"
Luffy tilted his head. He blinked once. Twice. Then his mouth stretched into a grin.
"Oh! You're that lady who calls herself 'the most beautiful,' right?"
Alvida puffed out her chest proudly. "That's right! At least you know your place."
Luffy scratched his cheek innocently. "But… you're kinda chubby."
The entire deck went silent.
One pirate dropped his mop. Another choked on his laughter. A third dove behind a barrel, waiting for the inevitable explosion.
Alvida's face turned crimson. "Whaaaaat did you just say?!"
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed, rocking on his little boat. "It's true, though!"
With a roar of rage, Alvida leapt forward, swinging her massive mace down with enough force to crush the dinghy in one blow.
But before the weapon even fell, Luffy's body moved.
He twisted to the side, the mace whistling past him and smashing into the sea with an explosion of foam. His little boat rocked violently, but he stayed perfectly balanced, hat still on his head.
"Huh?" Luffy blinked, surprised. "I didn't even… think about dodging…"
The sensation was the same as when the coconut had fallen in Foosha Village. His body had reacted before his brain caught up. His instincts were sharper, faster. Almost like he knew what was coming.
Alvida growled, swinging again. "Stop squirming, you little pest!"
Luffy bent backward, the mace brushing the brim of his hat, then bounced forward and landed crouched on his boat. His grin widened.
"This is fun!"
As the crew shouted encouragement to their captain, another image flashed in Luffy's mind. Not from his own past. A timid boy, round glasses, trembling hands. A dream whispered with trembling conviction: I'll be a Marine.
Luffy's brow furrowed. Where had that come from?
He glanced at the ship. For some reason, he was certain. "Wait… is there a kid trapped on your ship?"
Several pirates stiffened. One even muttered, "H-How does he know about the cabin boy?"
Alvida roared again. "Shut your mouths! And shut your mouth, brat!"
But Luffy's grin only widened. "Shishishi! Thought so!"
With a sudden spring, he launched himself from his dinghy, stretching across the gap and landing squarely on the pirate ship's deck. The crew scrambled back in shock.
"W-What is he?!""Did his arms just… stretch?!""Is he a monster?!"
Luffy didn't answer. He was too busy swinging his fists left and right, knocking pirates flying with punches that landed heavier than usual. Each strike carried not just strength, but precision—his body guiding itself as if on instinct.
"Outta my way!" he shouted cheerfully, barreling through the crew like a storm.
He finally spotted a stack of barrels near the mast. Something inside one of them shifted nervously. Luffy grinned, stomping over and popping the lid off with one hand.
Inside was a boy, just as he remembered: short, timid, trembling, with messy pink hair and round glasses.
"Whoa! You!" Luffy said. "You're gonna be a Marine, right?"
The boy's eyes went wide. "H-How did you know?!"
"Lucky guess!" Luffy laughed, offering a hand. "Come on, let's go!"
The boy hesitated, then grasped his hand. "M-My name is Coby…"
"Nice to meet ya, Coby! I'm Luffy!"
The moment was cut short by a thunderous roar. Alvida stormed across the deck, veins bulging on her forehead.
"No one makes a fool of me! You dare mock the most beautiful woman on the seas?!"
She raised her mace high. "Die, brat!"
Luffy shoved Coby aside, turning to face her with a grin. His fists clenched. His blood pumped with excitement. That strange instinct whispered again—where she'd swing, how fast, when to strike.
"Alright then… let's see what happens!"
The mace came down with terrifying speed. But Luffy was faster.
He sidestepped, twisted his torso, and stretched his arm back, rubber muscles winding tight. "Gomu Gomu no…"
Alvida's eyes widened. "What the—?!"
"Pistol!!"
His fist rocketed forward, slamming straight into Alvida's stomach. The impact echoed like a cannon blast. Her eyes bulged, spittle flying from her mouth, and her massive body was launched backward across the deck. She smashed into the mast with a bone-crunching CRACK! and collapsed in a heap.
The ship went silent.
Every pirate froze, staring at the grinning boy with the straw hat.
Luffy scratched his head. "Huh. That was easier than I thought."
The silence shattered as Coby gasped. "Th-That was incredible! You're… you're amazing!"
Luffy beamed. "Shishishi! Thanks!"
The pirates dropped their weapons, muttering nervously. Some scrambled to revive their captain, others simply backed away.
Coby ran to Luffy's side, still trembling but now with awe instead of fear. "Are you… are you really a pirate?"
"Yep!" Luffy said proudly. He placed a hand on his hat. "I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"
Coby's jaw dropped. "K-King of the Pirates…?! That's impossible! That's the most dangerous dream in the world!"
"Exactly!" Luffy grinned wider. "That's why it's fun!"
For a moment, Coby could only stare. Then, slowly, his expression hardened. He clenched his fists. "Then… then I'll become a great Marine! I'll fight for justice, and one day… we'll meet again as rivals!"
Luffy laughed, slapping him on the back. "Sounds fun!"
By evening, Alvida's battered ship drifted aimlessly as Luffy and Coby set off together in his tiny boat. The waves sparkled in the dying light, painting the horizon in fiery red.
Coby sat nervously at the front, still processing everything. Luffy lounged at the back, hat tilted low, humming happily.
Somewhere, far ahead on the sea, an island rose against the horizon. And on its shore, a girl with bright orange hair walked with purpose, a bag of stolen treasure slung over her shoulder.
Luffy's head twitched. A strange memory flickered. He sat up suddenly, staring.
"Huh? A girl with orange hair… why does she seem important?"
The feeling passed as quickly as it came. Luffy shrugged, grinning again. "Shishishi! I'll find out soon enough!"
The tiny boat sailed on, toward new friends and new chaos.