The harbor of Foosha Village was completely different today.
The air was filled with complicated emotions—sadness at parting mixed with anticipation for the distant horizon.
The pier was packed with people.
Nearly half the village had come to see off the two boys who were about to set sail.
Dadan stood at the very front of the crowd, still looking as rough and intimidating as ever.
Her arms were folded across her chest, her brows tightly furrowed, but deep in her eyes was an unmistakable reluctance to part with them.
The members of the Dadan Family beside her wore similarly complicated expressions as they stared at the small fishing boat and the two eager figures aboard it.
“Hey—!”
Dadan suddenly threw her head back and shouted at the top of her lungs.
“You two rotten brats!
Don’t go dying out there!
If you idiots actually die, I’ll never forgive you!”
Her voice echoed across the harbor, carrying an awkward sort of concern.
The men around her immediately panicked and tugged at her clothes.
“Boss!
Don’t say things like that!
It’s bad luck!”
“Yeah, yeah!
They’re definitely going to be fine!”
Makino stood a little farther away, still wearing her apron.
She had clearly rushed out of the bar in the middle of work.
Her eyes were slightly red as she looked at Luffy and Mox aboard the boat.
“Mox, I’m counting on you to take good care of Luffy.”
She then turned toward Luffy, her voice filled with worry.
“Luffy, take good care of yourself, all right?
Don’t eat strange things, especially anything you don’t recognize.
Got it?”
Mox smiled and waved.
The sunlight fell across his face, highlighting the youthful energy in his expression.
“Got it, Makino!
Don’t worry.
I’ll keep an eye on him!
You take good care of yourself too!”
The village mayor stood nearby with his cane, watching the little boat that was about to carry the two troublemakers out to sea.
He couldn’t help sighing.
“Where the heck did that Garp fellow run off to?
He really is letting these two brats become pirates… What a headache.”
The villagers also came forward one after another, thanking Mox.
“Mox, thank you for everything you’ve done for the village over the years.
You’ve worked so hard!”
“Take good care of yourself out there, and keep an eye on Luffy.
Don’t let him do anything too reckless!”
“And… come back and visit us when you can!”
Luffy stood at the bow, one hand gripping the railing and the other holding down his Straw Hat.
He looked at Dadan.
For once, he put away his usual carefree grin and spoke seriously.
“Dadan, even though I hate bandits… I really like you guys.”
He then turned toward Makino, a brilliant smile spreading across his face once again.
“Makino!
I’m definitely going to become the Pirate King!
And… I’m going to miss your cooking!”
Hearing those words, Dadan could no longer maintain her tough facade.
Tears rolled down her cheeks like beads from a broken string.
She abruptly turned her head away and frantically wiped them with a handkerchief while muttering,
“Who said I wanted you to like me… Stupid brat…”
Amid the villagers’ blessings and reluctant farewells, the little boat slowly departed the harbor.
Luffy and Mox stood at the bow, waving vigorously toward everyone on shore until Foosha Village gradually shrank into the distance and disappeared beyond the horizon.
The boat had barely left the waters around Foosha Village when the calm sea suddenly erupted into a massive wave.
A huge shadow rose from beneath the water.
A gigantic maw opened wide.
It was the Lord of the Coast—the enormous Sea King that had once bitten off Shanks’s arm.
In the past, such a colossal creature would have been enough to terrify the two boys.
But after countless days of training, Luffy and Mox were no longer the same.
Mox glanced at the roaring Lord of the Coast charging toward them.
“Your turn or mine?”
A mixture of excitement and anger flashed through Luffy’s eyes.
He hated this huge beast more than anything.
“Leave it to me!”
He grinned.
His feet slammed against the deck, launching his entire body forward like a cannonball.
In midair, Luffy’s arm suddenly stretched out, pulling taut like a rubber band before violently twisting back.
“Gum-Gum… Whirlwind Bullet!”
His enormous fist came crashing down with a shriek of wind and slammed directly into the Lord of the Coast’s head.
A dull impact rang out.
Using the recoil, Luffy lightly landed back on the ship and steadied himself, casually adjusting his Straw Hat.
As for the Lord of the Coast—
Its enormous body had been bent nearly ninety degrees sideways from the impact.
Blood streamed from the spot where the fist had struck, its eyes rolled back, and every ounce of strength had left its body.
It slowly sank toward the bottom of the sea.
Back at Foosha Village’s harbor, the distant figures of the crowd could still be seen.
A wave of cheers drifted across the water.
The village mayor shook his head as he watched the ship disappear beyond the horizon.
“All right, all right!
Everyone, go home!
From here on, let that Garp fellow deal with the headache!”
The days at sea weren’t always peaceful.
At least, for Mox, the greatest “storms” often came from the companion standing right beside him.
They hadn’t even been at sea for three days when Luffy clutched his stomach and began howling from inside the cabin.
“Mox—!
I’m hungry!
I want cake!
And fried rice!
Meat!
I want meat!”
Mox helplessly opened his System Storage Space.
The food supplies that had originally been packed to the brim were now completely empty.
He held his forehead, caught between laughter and tears.
“Luffy, couldn’t you eat a little more carefully?
I prepared enough food for ten days!”
“Well, now you’re going hungry!”
Luffy didn’t care in the slightest.
He even picked his nose and looked at Mox with disdain.
“As the Grand Admiral of Logistics aboard the future Pirate King’s ship, you actually let your captain go hungry?
Tsk, tsk.
How useless.”
“You little punk!
You actually dare to look down on me?”
Mox was so angry that he laughed.
He coated his fist in Armament Haki and brought it down on Luffy’s head without hesitation.
Bonk!
“Ow!”
Luffy immediately crouched down, clutching his head.
“I was wrong, Mox!
Stop hitting me!”
He pouted miserably.
“But… that stuff was really delicious…”
Mox was just about to say something when—
BOOOOM!
A deafening clap of thunder suddenly shook the sky.
Raindrops as large as beans began crashing down without warning.
The sky, which had been relatively clear only moments earlier, rapidly darkened.
The calm sea instantly became violent.
Massive waves rose like mountains, violently pounding their little boat.
Mox’s expression changed.
“Not good!
It’s a superstorm!”
He thought to himself:
So it really is the same as in the manga…?
He glanced at the two large barrels they’d prepared inside the cabin and sighed helplessly.
“Luffy, there’s no way around it!”
Mox made the decision immediately.
“Our boat will be torn apart.
Get into that barrel!
I’ll get into the other one.
Once the storm is over, we’ll find each other using the Vivre Cards!”
Luffy thought it sounded exciting, but he understood the seriousness of the situation.
He grinned.
“Got it!
Sounds like a pretty fun adventure!
Hehehe!”
“Why are you still smiling at a time like this?!”
Mox was speechless, but he had no time to complain.
He quickly activated the system and stored the relatively small ship inside the System Storage Space.
After being upgraded with Energy, the System Storage Space had expanded to 20 × 20 meters, more than enough to accommodate the five-meter-long vessel.
Mox climbed into the other barrel.
The instant he secured the lid, he felt an enormous force suddenly seize him and hurl him upward.
They had been swallowed by a tornado!
Damn it!
Mox immediately activated his Trash-Trash Fruit ability.
He controlled the various pieces of debris and fragments caught inside the tornado, wrapping them layer upon layer around the outside of the barrel.
They formed a sturdy protective sphere.
Even so, the tremendous centrifugal force still made his entire world spin violently.
It felt as though his body might be torn apart at any moment.
Eventually, he felt himself being hurled away like a cannonball.
Then everything went black.
He lost consciousness.
He didn’t know how long had passed.
Eventually, the storm subsided.
Mox woke amid violent rocking.
He felt as though all his internal organs had been shaken out of place.
Struggling, he pushed open the barrel lid.
The moment he crawled out, he grabbed onto a nearby reef and began vomiting violently.
“Holy crap… This is a hundred times more intense than a roller coaster…”
After resting for quite some time, he finally recovered enough strength to look around.
Apparently, he’d been washed ashore near a small town.
He used his Cleansing Technique on himself, making sure he no longer looked quite so miserable.
After determining his direction, he dragged his exhausted body toward the town.
There was a small restaurant with a simple sign hanging above the entrance.
It appeared to be run by a mother and daughter.
The moment Mox saw the young girl’s face, he paused.
It was Rika and her mother, exactly as he remembered them from the manga.
So this must be Shells Town.
Mox immediately understood.
I wonder if Zoro is already tied up in the town square.
He entered the restaurant and gave the busy Rika a friendly smile.
“Miss, I heard from people in town that your grilled meat and rice are delicious.
I’d like to try a serving.”
Rika looked up.
When she saw Mox, a simple smile appeared on her face.
“Sure!
Please wait a moment, sir!
Mom, one grilled meat rice!”
She looked Mox over curiously.
“My name is Rika.
Are you from somewhere else?”
“Yep.”
Mox found a seat and smiled.
“Nice to meet you, Rika.
I’m Mox.”
“My companion and I encountered a superstorm at sea and got blown onto this island.
Haha.”
“Wow!”
Rika’s eyes widened with admiration.
“You actually survived a superstorm?
You’re amazing!”
She hesitated before asking nervously,
“Big Brother Mox… could I tell you about something that happened to Mr.
Zoro?”
Mox nodded.
“Of course.”
Rika then told him the entire story.
Apparently, Marine Captain Morgan’s son, Helmeppo, had been terrorizing the town with his pet wolf, which had been chasing a little girl relentlessly.
That little girl was Rika’s younger sister.
Just as the girl was about to be bitten, Zoro happened to pass by.
Without hesitation, he drew his sword and killed the vicious wolf, saving the girl.
That action completely enraged the arrogant Helmeppo.
Using the excuse that Zoro had “attacked a member of a Marine family,” he ordered the Marines to arrest him.
Zoro could have easily defeated the ordinary Marines.
But Helmeppo threatened to implicate innocent townspeople if Zoro resisted, accusing them of assisting a pirate hunter in attacking the Marines.
To protect the people of the town, Zoro surrendered voluntarily without putting up a fight.
Helmeppo then pretended to make him an offer.
“If you can survive being tied up in the town square for a month without food or water, I’ll let you go.”
But he never intended to honor the promise.
His actual plan was to execute Zoro on the tenth day.
Zoro had now been tied to the cross in the town square and exposed to the sun for six days.
He had survived on nothing but occasional rainwater.
He had even refused food offered by the Marines, demonstrating that he would never submit.
Mox listened to Rika’s story while eating his grilled beef and rice.
Actually, even before he crossed into this world, he’d found this part of the manga frustrating.
Why hand your life over to an enemy?
Still, since he knew the story, most of his attention was focused on the food.
The grilled beef had been seasoned with herbs and black pepper, along with a touch of honey.
The flavor was genuinely good.
The meat was slightly tough, though.
It was only a small restaurant in a small town, after all, and obtaining top-quality ingredients was difficult.
After finishing his meal, Mox sincerely praised the food.
“It was delicious.
Thank you.”
He looked at Rika.
“You said Zoro has been tied up for six days?”
Rika nodded, worry filling her eyes.
“I’m very interested in this Zoro fellow,” Mox said.
“Could you take me to see him?”
Rika immediately nodded happily.
“Sure!”
When it came time to pay, Rika and her mother refused to accept any money.
Mox couldn’t convince them otherwise, so he gave up.
“Then let me pack three more portions to take with me.
Consider it a prepaid order.”
In the center of the town square stood a towering cross.
Zoro was firmly bound to it with thick ropes.
The merciless sun scorched the earth and his body alike.
His lips were cracked and peeling, his face pale, yet his back remained perfectly straight.
There wasn’t the slightest hint of surrender in his eyes.
Mox’s figure appeared within the shadow cast by the cross.
His footsteps were light.
Zoro suddenly opened his eyes and stared warily at the newcomer.
“Who are you?”
“Just someone passing through.”
Mox’s voice was quiet but carried clearly to Zoro’s ears.
“I heard about you from Rika.
I respect your warrior’s spirit.”
“But do you really think that bastard Helmeppo is going to keep his promise?”
Zoro frowned but said nothing.
He merely studied the boy standing before him with a sharp gaze.
“He’s obviously a scumbag who has no intention of keeping his word.”
Mox stepped in front of him, his gaze equally sharp.
“Do you know that an ordinary person can die after only three days without food or water under a sun like this?
“I admit you’re strong, but can you really last a month?”
He paused before continuing.
“Even if you survive the month, do you really think Helmeppo will let you go?”
“More importantly, once you’re dead, do you think he’ll spare Rika and the others who cared about you?”
“A strong man never hands his life over to his enemy.
And he never casually lays down his weapon.”
Following Mox’s gaze, Zoro saw Rika standing not far away.
She was holding a rice ball, tears welling in her eyes as she looked toward him.
Zoro’s eyes flickered.
He fell into deep thought.
“My name is Mox.”
Mox left him with those words.
“Think it over.
If you need help, have Rika send word to me.”
With that, Mox turned and left.
Not far from the square, he found a relatively secluded spot and set up a simple tent.
He released his Observation Haki, firmly locking onto the presences of Zoro and Rika to ensure their safety.
On the afternoon of the third day, a familiar shout shattered the town’s tranquility.
“Mox!
Mox!
I’m here!”
Mox looked up.
Luffy was running toward him excitedly, waving his arms.
Behind him followed a timid-looking boy with pink hair.
“Mox, this is Koby!
He wants to become a Marine Admiral!”
Luffy pointed toward the boy behind him.
Then his face immediately transformed into his trademark starving expression.
“Give me some food!
I want meat!
I’m starving!”
Koby’s face instantly turned bright red.
“I-I do want to become a Marine, but… becoming an Admiral is still just a dream…”
He looked toward Mox nervously.
“I’m Koby.
Luffy kept talking about you the entire way here.
He said you’re really strong.”
Mox smiled and extended his hand.
“I’m Mox.
I’m a pirate myself.”
“Maybe we’ll end up crossing paths someday, Admiral Koby.
When that happens, go easy on me.”
He deliberately emphasized “Marine Admiral,” clearly teasing the shy boy.
Koby became even more embarrassed, standing there awkwardly with his cheeks as red as ripe apples.
Mox stopped teasing him.
He took the grilled beef and rice he’d packed from Rika’s restaurant out of the System Storage Space and handed it to Luffy.
Luffy’s eyes instantly sparkled.
He snatched the food and began wolfing it down.
“I heard from Koby that there’s a pirate hunter named Zoro in this town.
He’s really strong and he’s a swordsman!
I want him to join us!”
Mox pointed toward the distant town square.
“Over there.”
Luffy followed his finger and saw Zoro tied to the cross.
He immediately froze.
“Huh?
Why is he tied up?
Isn’t he really strong?”
Mox briefly explained everything Rika had told him.
Just then, Rika came running over in tears.
“Big Brother Mox!
Helmeppo is bullying Mr.
Zoro again!”
Luffy immediately became furious.
He stuffed the last piece of meat into his mouth and patted his chest.
“He dared to mess with my future crewmate?
Come on, Mox!
Let’s beat him up!”
In the town square, Helmeppo was viciously whipping Zoro’s legs.
“Still glaring at me?
Hmph!
Tomorrow, I’ll have you executed right here!”
“Oh?
You don’t intend to let him go?”
A cold voice suddenly came from behind Helmeppo.
Helmeppo jumped.
He spun around and saw Luffy and Mox.
He immediately shouted with false bravado.
“Who are you?!
This is a Marine base!
You aren’t allowed to barge in here!”
“I’m here to recruit him as my crewmate.”
Luffy pointed toward Zoro.
His expression was serious.
“You just said you weren’t going to let him go?”
Helmeppo’s face twisted with anger.
“Let him go?
I never intended to let him go!”
“A pirate hunter thinks he can negotiate with me?”
“His life isn’t worth as much as the dog I used to own!”
Bang!
Before he could say another word, a dull impact rang out.
Helmeppo flew backward like a broken kite.
Splat!
He slammed into the wall ten meters away, leaving a huge human-shaped imprint before going completely limp.
Luffy withdrew his fist and curled his lip.
“That ugly mug really ticks me off.”
“Pfft.”
Mox had thought the scene was rather serious.
But when he saw Helmeppo’s miserable appearance—and especially that perfectly formed human-shaped imprint—he couldn’t help snorting with laughter.
Luffy’s method of remembering people’s appearances really can’t be imitated.
The red nose, the pineapple head…
Mox awkwardly rubbed his nose before looking toward Zoro.
“Zoro, right?
I heard you’re a swordsman.
Where are your swords?”
Zoro glanced at the unconscious Helmeppo embedded in the wall.
“He… the guy in the wall took them.”
Mox said,
“How about I do you a favor and find them?”
Without waiting for Zoro’s response, he turned and slipped away.
Mostly, he wanted to escape the embarrassment of having just laughed out loud.
Besides, leaving the recruitment of Zoro to Luffy was absolutely the right call.
He remembered from the manga that Helmeppo had stored Zoro’s swords in a storage room inside the Marine base.
But which room was it?
Should he ask Helmeppo?
Mox looked at the giant human-shaped imprint on the wall.
Yeah… probably not.
“How about I try Luffy’s method of finding things?”
Mox muttered to himself.
“Generally speaking, the highest floor is where the boss lives, while ordinary Marines stay on the lower floors.
So the storage room should be on the first floor?”
He moved through the Marine base while using Observation Haki to eliminate rooms that contained neither people nor weapons.
Before long, he locked onto his target.
“Bingo!”
He pushed open the door.
Three swords immediately caught his eye in the corner.
Among them was the famous sword with the white scabbard—
Wado Ichimonji!
“Leaving something like this lying around… What a waste.”
He muttered to himself.
He casually collected a few other things that looked useful and stored them in his System Storage Space.
After all, a thief should never leave empty-handed.
“Huh?
Isn’t this someone’s wanted poster?”
“How interesting.”
Mox returned to the square carrying all three swords, followed by a group of Marines who had rushed over after hearing the commotion.
“Your swords.”
He tossed the three swords toward Zoro.
“I didn’t know which one was yours, so I brought all three.”
Zoro caught them securely.
The familiar weight settled into his hands, and his eyes instantly sharpened.
He looked at Mox and spoke solemnly.
“They’re all mine.
I’m a three-sword-style swordsman.”
“And, Mox… you were right.”
“I’ll never abandon my weapons or hand my life over to an enemy again.”
“I can’t die yet.”
“I made a promise to someone that I’d become the World’s Strongest Swordsman!”
The instant he finished speaking, Zoro’s wrists turned.
His three swords flashed from their sheaths.
Shing!
Shing!
Shing!
The Marines charging toward them were all cut down, rendered incapable of fighting, but not fatally wounded.
Zoro turned toward Luffy.
His gaze was unwavering.
“If you get in the way of me becoming the World’s Strongest Swordsman, then go kill yourself by seppuku.”
Luffy grinned brightly.
“The World’s Strongest Swordsman, huh?
The Pirate King’s crewmates have to be at least that awesome!”
Mox laughed as well.
“Oh!
Great!
We’ve got another reliable guy on the crew!”
Just then, heavy footsteps thundered toward them.
Axe-Hand Morgan emerged with a large group of Marines.
A savage scar ran across his face as he roared:
“Who dares cause trouble on my turf?!”
“Open fire!
Kill them!”
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Gunshots rang out.
Bullets screamed toward Luffy and Zoro.
Mox and Luffy moved almost simultaneously, stepping in front of Zoro.
The bullets aimed at Mox struck his body like stones falling into the sea.
They disappeared without a sound.
The bullets aimed at Luffy, meanwhile, bounced straight back off his rubber body, frightening the Marines into scrambling for cover.
“They’re Devil Fruit users!”
The Marines cried out in alarm.
Morgan, however, didn’t care.
He grinned viciously.
“So what if they’re Devil Fruit users?
Kill them!”
He raised his massive axe.
The blade flashed coldly as he swung it down toward Luffy.
Zoro’s eyes narrowed.
Despite his weakened condition, he stepped in front of Luffy and blocked Morgan’s axe with his swords.
The tremendous force made him stagger and nearly lose his balance.
Morgan sneered.
“Oh?
The famous pirate hunter isn’t much after all!”
Luffy noticed how weak Zoro was.
Anger flashed across his eyes.
He kicked off the ground and leapt into the air, delivering a precise kick to Morgan’s head.
Morgan staggered backward several steps, growing even more furious.
He swung his axe wildly at Luffy.
But Luffy had already awakened Observation Haki through his training.
In his eyes, Morgan’s attacks were as slow as a snail.
He effortlessly dodged every slash, rolled forward, and arrived directly in front of Morgan.
Both legs suddenly kicked upward.
“Gum-Gum… Rising Dragon Kick!”
Morgan was launched into the air.
Before he could even fall back down, Luffy’s fist came flying forward with tremendous force and slammed into his stomach.
“Gum-Gum… Bazooka!”
BOOM!
Morgan’s face instantly went pale.
His body flew backward like a broken kite and crashed squarely into the wall beside Helmeppo.
Another huge human-shaped imprint appeared.
Father and son were reunited on the wall.
Zoro looked at Luffy.
The corners of his mouth lifted into a faint smile.
“Not bad, Captain.”
Meanwhile, Mox had an even easier time dealing with the ordinary Marines.
He unleashed his well-practiced Eight Extremities Fist.
His movements flowed together seamlessly, every strike landing with crushing force.
One punch sent one Marine flying after another.
Of course, he held back and avoided striking their vital points.
The battle ended quickly.
Luffy patted his stomach.
“Mox, I’m hungry!
I want food!”
Zoro collapsed onto the ground from hunger as well.
When the Marines saw Morgan defeated, they erupted into cheers.
They had finally escaped Morgan’s control!
It seemed that, despite everything, these Marines genuinely carried a sense of justice.
So the group returned to Rika’s little restaurant and began another round of enthusiastic eating.
Zoro took a large gulp of alcohol before looking at Luffy.
“You said your dream is to become the Pirate King.
You must already have a lot of crewmates, then, right?”
Luffy’s mouth was stuffed with meat.
He vaguely held up three fingers.
Zoro raised an eyebrow.
“Three hundred?
That’s a lot.”
Mox helplessly pointed at Zoro.
Then at Luffy.
Then at himself.
Zoro stared.
“…Three?”
“And what about your pirate ship?” Zoro asked.
“It’s in my System Storage Space.
I’ll take it out when we leave!”
Zoro paused.
Then he nodded in understanding.
“You really are a convenient guy.”
Luffy nodded enthusiastically.
“Right?!
I think Mox is really convenient too!”
Mox stared blankly at the two of them.
“…A convenient guy?”
He decided not to argue with these two idiots for the time being.
Afterward, as expected, Koby joined the Marines.
He would start from the very bottom and work toward his dream of becoming a Marine Admiral.
At the shore, Mox took the little ship—just over four meters long—out of the System Storage Space.
Even Zoro, who had already experienced the dangers of the sea, was amazed by how convenient Mox’s ability was.
He didn’t complain about the ship’s small size.
Instead, he curiously examined the strange propeller mechanism at the stern.
“Goodbye, Koby!”
“Goodbye, Rika!”
Luffy and Mox waved farewell.
The little ship carried three young men, each carrying a different dream in his heart.
Under the glow of the setting sun, they once again set sail toward the vast and boundless ocean.
Ahead of them awaited countless unknown adventures and challenges.
Their journey had only just begun.