Two days later, on a small island in the New World...
A red-haired man was passed out on the ground, completely drunk.
A man with curly hair walked up.
"Shanks," Yasopp said, "Hawkeye is here."
Hearing that, the Yonko—Red-Haired Shanks—slowly sat up.
"Yeah," he mumbled, "I can feel him."
A few seconds later, Hawkeye Mihawk was standing in front of them.
He casually tossed a wanted poster at Shanks.
Shanks just smirked. "What? Not here for a fight today?"
Hawkeye scoffed. "I lost interest in you the moment you lost an arm. But..."
"Oh? But what?"
"Just look at the poster."
Shanks flipped it over and his eyes went wide.
"Luffy! 50 million! Hahaha, is he finally coming?"
Seeing Luffy's bounty sobered Shanks up instantly.
He was buzzing with excitement, and so was the rest of his crew.
As Shanks celebrated, Hawkeye brought up something else.
"While you're waiting for Luffy," he said, "I'm more interested in two of his crewmates."
That got everyone's attention.
If Hawkeye was intrigued by someone, they had to be the real deal.
Finally, Shanks threw an arm around Hawkeye's shoulders.
"With all this good news, we've gotta have a banquet to talk it over!"
Beyond just Shanks, the Straw Hats were also making their first impression on another Emperor of the Sea—Whitebeard.
…
East Blue. One day until Loguetown.
At dawn, the deck of the Going Merry was eerily quiet.
The only one out there was Ray, who was using Chouchou as a pillow.
The rest of the crew, including Luffy, were refusing to get up.
Why? Because waking up meant getting beaten up.
For the past few days, Ray had been training them so hard he'd practically pummeled them to death.
Every waking moment was spent getting thrashed.
It was working, for sure.
The constant fear and tension were making them improve at a crazy rate.
But man, did it hurt.
Even Nami went to bed every night sore and bruised.
Ray wasn't targeting her directly, but you can't spar without getting a few bumps and bruises.
The worst off was Chouchou.
On top of its whole body aching, it was now being used as Ray's personal pillow.
The dog's emotions were a mess.
It wanted to be close to Ray, but every bone in its body was screaming in protest.
Its little brain couldn't figure it out, so it just let out a sigh that sounded eerily human.
Ray noticed the dog's discomfort and frowned, as if he was finally putting two and two together.
…
By lunchtime, the Straw Hats finally dragged themselves out of bed. Gathered around the table, they savored the rare moment of peace. These days, mealtimes were their only break from getting beaten up. So, just like Luffy, they were all shoveling food into their mouths as fast as they could.
Zoro, his cheeks stuffed with food, turned to Ray.
"So, what's with the crazy intense training all of a sudden?" he mumbled.
They all trusted Ray, so they hadn't really questioned it.
(They were also too scared of getting hit.)
But while Ray was washing his hands, they'd drawn straws to see who had to ask, and Zoro lost.
Ray thought about it for a second and decided it was time to tell them.
"My gut tells me Loguetown is going to be dangerous," he said simply.
"You need to be stronger."
The whole crew froze—everyone except Luffy.
If even Ray was worried, the threat had to be serious.
Being too weak could get them all killed.
Sanji lit a cigarette. "What kind of danger?"
Ray just shook his head.
He didn't have a solid answer, just theories.
But with how famous they'd gotten, he knew their arrival in Loguetown wouldn't be simple.
Nami put down her chopsticks. "According to the map, we could just go around Loguetown and head straight for the entrance to the Grand Line."
Before Ray could reply, Luffy, his mouth still full of food, immediately shot that down.
"No way! That's where the Pirate King, Roger, was born and where he died. I'm going."
His expression was set in stone.
Nami sighed.
The others just shrugged.
It was no use arguing with Luffy.
Sanji blew out a puff of smoke. "Then we're going. Besides, we're almost out of food anyway."
He shot Luffy a dirty look.
The food from Cocoyashi Village was supposed to last a month, but Luffy had eaten most of it, even stealing it when he was told no.
Now, they had barely two days' worth left.
Ray watched them and nodded.
This was the Straw Hat crew.
Each with their own dreams, but always willing to go along with their captain's whims.
"Alright," Ray announced. "The intense training is over for now. Take the next day to absorb what you've learned. If you have questions, ask. Get your strength back. The Town of the Beginning and the End... it's worth seeing."
Luffy nodded eagerly, then cheered, "Alright! Let's set sail for Loguetown!"
"Got it."
"Sure."
"Tch, you're so selfish."
…
One day later.
The crew was napping when Chouchou suddenly burst out of the cabin, barking like crazy.
One by one, they woke up.
Unlike yesterday, they felt refreshed and strong, their eyes sharp with a new confidence.
They gathered on the deck, smiling as they watched the island of Loguetown get closer.
Ray nodded, a look of approval on his face.
'They've grown.'
Luffy grinned. "Finally! The Pirate King's hometown!"
Zoro leaned against the railing, his hand on Wado Ichimonji.
"Hope I can find two good swords here."
Sanji took a drag from his cigarette, muttering about needing to buy a fridge with a lock on it.
Nami was already planning a shopping spree for clothes and skincare.
Usopp wanted to find some new adventure books to read before bed.
But underneath all the excitement, there was a quiet tension.
They all remembered Ray's warning.
'What kind of danger is waiting for us?'
…
Loguetown, Marine Base
Chief Petty Officer Tashigi hurried into her superior's office.
"Captain Smoker! The Straw Hats have appeared!"
Smoker stood up immediately. "Right on time. Seven days, just as predicted. Tashigi, are the preparations complete?"
Tashigi adjusted her glasses and read from her report.
"1. All Marine patrols are acting normal to avoid tipping them off."
"2. We're cutting back on arresting pirates to avoid starting a fight too early, unless they hurt any civilians."
"3. To keep them in town longer, we've organized discounts and events in the town square."
"4. Surveillance teams are monitoring both them and the Buggy Pirates. If they try to leave, we'll know immediately."
Smoker nodded, blowing out a cloud of smoke.
"Civilian safety is the number one priority. If we have to make a move, evacuate the town an hour beforehand. And repeat: if they attack any civilians, forget the delay order. Engage them at once!"
"Yes, sir!" Tashigi saluted and left.
Smoker took a deep breath.
"Two pirate crews with bounties over 100 million, in my East Blue?" he growled to himself.
"What a disgrace. Loguetown will be the end of your voyage."
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