BANG!
The Captain, already imagining the profit from the cargo manifest in his hands, was comfortably seated in his quarters, preparing to enjoy a quiet sip of tea, when the door suddenly slammed open with violent force.
The impact startled him so much that his hand jerked, spilling hot tea across the desk.
Veins pulsing, he slowly set the cup down and glared at Sim the sailor who had barged in without permission.
“You bastard, Sim!
If this isn’t important, I’ll dock your pay so hard you’ll feel it for a month!”
Sim froze, panicking.
“N-no, Captain!
T-there’s someone… someone swimming toward the ship!”
The Captain blinked.
“…What?
Pirates?”
Without hesitation, he shoved Sim aside and stormed toward the deck.
Sim quickly followed behind, sweating.
“N-not pirates, Captain!
Just one person!”
“One person?”
“Yes, just one!”
The Captain clicked his tongue.
“You idiot!
You interrupted my afternoon tea for that?!”
“But Captain… he’s swimming incredibly fast… he’s almost caught up to the ship!”
That finally made the Captain pause.
“…Almost caught up?”
Interest flickered in his eyes.
Swimming fast enough to match a merchant vessel in open sea was no ordinary feat.
He grabbed his telescope and stepped onto the deck.
There it was.
A figure cutting through the ocean like a torpedo steady, controlled, impossibly fast.
“…Stop the ship,” the Captain ordered.
The sails adjusted.
The vessel slowed.
The figure closed in.
Roy stopped swimming once he reached a safe distance and grabbed the rope ladder tossed down from the side.
Without hesitation, he climbed.
Then—
*THUD!*
He vaulted over the railing and landed directly on the deck.
“Yo!
Good morning, everyone!”
The sailors froze.
A boy stood before them—golden hair, muscular build far beyond his age, wearing nothing but a grass skirt.
Calm.
Smiling.
Completely at ease on a pirate-infested route of the Grand Line.
The Captain stepped forward, pushing aside his men.
“So you’re the one.
Kid… what’s your name?
And what are you doing alone in the sea?”
The boy grinned.
“Roy.”
He casually pointed toward the distance.
“I’ve been living alone on that island over there for three years.
I just saw your ship passing by, so I swam after it.”
Silence.
The sailors stiffened.
That island.
Everyone here knew it.
Boin Island Stomach Baron.
A place even seasoned pirates avoided.
A death zone of carnivorous vegetation and moving predators.
And this kid said he survived there… alone?
Murmurs spread.
“No way… that island?”
“He’s joking, right?”
The Captain’s expression softened slightly.
He stepped forward and placed a hand on Roy’s shoulder.
“…You’re a lucky kid.”
His voice lowered.
“Do you have a home?
If it’s along our route, I’ll take you back.”
Roy shook his head.
“It’s fine, Ossan.
I don’t have anyone left.
Just drop me off at the nearest island with people.”
A hint of pity flashed in the Captain’s eyes.
He turned.
“Sim!
Get him clothes and food!”
“Yes, Captain!”
The sailors continued staring at Roy as if he were something unnatural.
“That kid survived three years on Boin Island?”
“Look at his build… he’s solid.”
“Haha, maybe he survived by eating those carnivorous plants!”
Roy ignored them.
Instead, he examined the ship.
A well-maintained merchant vessel.
Heavy cargo stacked neatly across the deck.
Simple but efficient.
*Good structure… stable crew… decent resources.*
Sim returned quickly with a sailor uniform and a meal tray.
“Here.
It’s a bit big, but wear this for now.”
Roy nodded, slipped into the clothes, and rolled up the oversized sleeves.
“Thanks.”
Then he tore into the bread without hesitation.
The Captain lit a cigarette and leaned on the railing.
“Kid… your swimming speed is ridiculous.
I’ve never seen anyone chase a ship like that.”
Roy swallowed.
“I had to swim for my life every day.”
The Captain raised an eyebrow.
“…For your life?”
“Yeah.
That island’s full of massive carnivorous plants.
If I was slow, I’d get eaten.”
Silence.
Then the Captain exhaled smoke.
“…You’ve got insane luck.”
Roy laughed.
“Yeah, I guess my luck is pretty crazy.”
He tilted his head.
“By the way… where is this ship headed?”
The Captain flicked ash from his cigarette.
“Sabaody Archipelago.”
Roy’s eyes widened slightly.
“The last island before the New World in the first half of the Grand Line.”
The Captain continued.
“We’re just a small cargo crew.
If you want, work with us until we reach there.”
Roy immediately smiled.
“Sabaody?
That’s perfect!”
The Captain raised a finger.
“But listen carefully.
You work.
No freeloaders.”
Roy thumped his chest.
“No problem!
I’m strong.”
The sailors burst into laughter.
A large bearded man stepped forward.
“Strong?
Words don’t count.
Let’s test it.”
He pointed at a massive cargo crate.
“Move that into the cabin.
Can you do it?”
Roy walked over, gripped it, and lifted it in one motion.
“…Where?”
The laughter died instantly.
The bearded man’s eyes widened.
“H-he just!”
Roy tilted his head.
“Cabin where?”
“C-cabin three!
Hurry!”
He carried it inside.
Then another.
And another.
One trip after another, effortless.
Soon, the deck was cleared.
The sailors stared in stunned silence.
The Captain smirked faintly.
“…Interesting kid.”
He turned.
“Sim, give him a bunk.”
“Yes!”
Evening.
The sun sank beneath the sea, painting the horizon in deep orange light.
Roy sat at the ship’s edge, legs dangling over the railing.
Three years on Boin Island flashed through his mind survival, constant danger, isolation, and the strange companionship of Pea.
Even then… loneliness never fully disappeared.
But now…
Wind.
Voices.
Movement.
Humans again.
A faint excitement rose in his chest.
“Hey, kid.”
The bearded man returned with food boxes.
“Dinner.”
Roy accepted one.
“Thanks, Uncle.
How long until Sabaody?”
The man sat beside him.
“Call me Jack.”
He opened his meal.
“Two days, give or take.”
Then his tone lowered.
“Listen.
Sabaody is rich, but dangerous.
Pirates, slavers… especially before the New World.
Don’t wander.”
Roy smiled.
“I’m strong, Uncle Jack.”
Jack laughed loudly.
“You’re still a kid!”
Night fell.
The ship moved steadily across calm seas.
Inside the sailors’ quarters, Roy lay in a hammock, staring at the ceiling.
The others snored around him.
But sleep didn’t come.
Memories resurfaced.
The island.
The struggle.
The constant fight to survive.
But also… strength gained from it.
Roy closed his eyes slowly.
“…Maybe it’s time to find something more interesting.”