Hearing Little Fisherman's question, Koby glanced over, puzzled.
"You don't know about Devil Fruits? They're the sea's secret treasures!"
That only made Little Fisherman—and the stream—more curious.
[If they're called the sea's treasure, they've gotta be special.]
Koby explained, "Out on the ocean there are things called Devil Fruits. I've heard they taste awful—worse than anything you could imagine. But once you eat one, you gain all sorts of incredible abilities."
Luffy nodded beside him, stretching an arm again for emphasis. "Yup. I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit—I'm a rubber man."
"So magical?" Little Fisherman's eyes shone, curiosity fully hooked.
The chat surged.
[Ask about the Pirate King! He mentioned that—what is it?]
[Yeah, what does "Pirate King" even mean? Ask, ask!]
Prompted by the barrage, Little Fisherman put it to Luffy. Mentioning the title made Luffy grin, confidence blazing.
"The Pirate King is the one who's braved more adventures than anyone, the only captain to lead his crew all the way to ONE PIECE! And don't even think about it—I'm the man who's going to be Pirate King!"
"What's ONE PIECE?"
Little Fisherman didn't press when he saw how sure Luffy was; he could only marvel at that optimism. The chat, meanwhile, latched onto another gag.
[Streamer, ask if he wants to be Pirate King, or to be the man of the Pirate King.]
[Is there… a big difference?]
[Huge. Touch grass, newbie.]
Little Fisherman chuckled and turned to Koby. "You said you're joining the Navy—what is that, exactly?"
"You don't know the Navy either?" Koby's surprise deepened. Then he explained, "Compared to pirates, the Navy upholds justice on these seas. Pirates burn, kill, and plunder—some, like Miss Alvida, 'only' rob without killing, but evil is evil. The Navy exists to fight them."
"I see…" Little Fisherman nodded, piecing together pirates versus Navy. As for the Free Faction, he still didn't get it, but that could wait.
After a quick talk, the three teamed up. With the captain's permission, they borrowed a small boat and headed for the nearest island—Koby to enlist, Luffy to find crewmates, and Little Fisherman because sticking with people who screamed "story flags" seemed wise.
—
Elsewhere, the Red Force slid into a harbor. The Red Hair Pirates filed down the gangplank, aiming for the island tavern. Xiao Kaka padded along at Shanks's side, wide-eyed at everything.
She'd barely walked a dozen steps when she stopped dead.
Feeling her slow, Shanks and the others paused and followed her gaze. A pirate ship lay moored a few piers over, flying an unfamiliar flag—likely a fledgling crew from the East Sea.
When they looked back, Kaka's eyes held hesitation. "Shanks… maybe we should pick a different island?"
Parked over there was the Hild Pirates' ship.
The memory of being snatched, of Hild's cruelty, flashed through her. And though she hadn't been with Red Hair long, she could feel their atmosphere—bright, easy, good. To ordinary eyes, that kind of gentleness looked like weakness. The strong bullied the weak; to be strong and not bully took something else entirely.
The crew traded odd looks. Benn Beckman finally reached out and ruffled her hair. Strands went wild; Kaka didn't snap—she just looked even more anxious.
She bit her lip and told the truth. "They're the ones who took me before. I almost…"
She didn't finish. She didn't have to.
Shanks turned, meeting her eyes. "In that case, we definitely go ashore and take a look. Brave pirates help their friends settle scores. Right?"
He glanced around. Yasopp, Lucky Roux, and the others burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha—right!"
"Idiot Captain, just don't get your face rearranged!"
"Can't wait to see the Idiot Captain getting schooled!"
"Hahahaha!"
They roared, and Kaka's throat tightened. Ridiculous—it was just a game. And yet the Red Hair Pirates felt… like home.
"You guys… hmph!" She made a show of pouting, but fell in step as they headed inland.
Their laughter grew. The ship had no women; a long time ago, it had one—Shanks's adopted daughter, Uta. For reasons none of them liked, she couldn't sail with them anymore. With Kaka here, it felt, just a little, like Uta had come back.
The stream wore the same fond smiles.
[This crew's vibe is so, so good.]
[Compared to Hild… compared to Alvida… nobody tops Red Hair's energy.]
[We'll make them top-tier once we log in for real. Promise.]
[Yeah—let's raise Red Hair to the very peak of the sea!]
Kaka couldn't help but smile. Please, let nothing happen, she prayed. She didn't want a single one of them hurt.
A newcomer, Rockstar, strode up—red afro bouncing, grin bright. "Don't worry, Kaka. The Captain's strong."
He looked at Shanks's back with open worship. Kaka felt he was only trying to comfort her. She forced a smile anyway—and kept praying they wouldn't run into the Hild Pirates at all.
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