So Luffy settled in at Granny Maggie’s place, and this once-tranquil little fishing village brimmed with fresh vitality because of his arrival.
Luffy was, by nature, someone who simply could not sit still.
His body seemed to hold an inexhaustible supply of energy, and within just two days, he had already become fast friends with all the village children.
At the break of dawn, you could hear him hollering at the village entrance, leading a pack of little kids either to the shore to poke at fish and shrimp or dashing up the back hill to climb trees and raid birds’ nests, kicking up a joyful ruckus wherever they went.
The grown-ups in the village paid it no mind—after all, as long as the children didn’t wander deep into the forest, there was no harm in it.
Lucian, on occasion, would be dragged by Luffy into the children’s wild games, but more often than not, he still preferred to sit alone on the reef by the sea or settle into the shade of a tree.
Those hollow eyes of his would rest quietly upon the frolicking crowd, saying nothing, showing no obvious emotion.
At first, when the children were in the middle of their fun and suddenly turned around to find him watching them like that, they would always get a fright.
But as time went on, they gradually got used to it.
They discovered that this Lucian, who was always staring at them, never actually got angry.
Even if a ball smacked into his leg, he would just silently pick it up and toss it back.
Finally, the third day arrived.
Tom came striding toward Granny Maggie’s house with his toolbox on his shoulder, calling out from a distance, “Luffy!
The boat’s all fixed—come take a look!”
Luffy was squatting in the yard, idly poking around with a small wooden stick.
The moment those words reached him, the stick flew from his hand and he sprang into the air.
“Really?!”
He grabbed hold of Lucian, who was beside him picking vegetables, and yanked him along.
“Come on, let’s go see my boat!”
Down at the dock, the little boat looked brand new.
Freshly applied tung oil gave the wood a warm, gentle luster, the torn sail had been replaced with crisp white canvas, and even the broken oar had been swapped out for one made of sturdier timber.
Luffy circled the boat several times, sometimes rapping on the gunwale, sometimes tugging at the sail, clapping his hands in sheer excitement.
“Wow!
Your craftsmanship is amazing!
The boat’s even better than before!”
Tom folded his arms across his chest, his chin lifted just slightly with a touch of pride.
“Of course!
Aside from my old man, I’ve got the best skills in this fishing village.
Give it a few more years and I’ll definitely surpass him!”
“Awesome, awesome!” Luffy beamed, his smile shining brightly.
“This is great!
It’s decided—tonight we’re having a bonfire party!” he suddenly shouted, throwing both arms into the air.
“Bonfire party?” Lucian was puzzled by this unfamiliar term.
“A bonfire party?
It’s been a long time since the village last had one,” Tom said, a trace of nostalgia in his voice.
“See you later, then.
I’m gonna go get some ingredients ready!” With that, Luffy grabbed Lucian and bolted off in the direction of the forest.
“Come on, let’s go hunting—we’re having barbecue tonight!”
Tom watched from behind, somewhat amused at the sight of Luffy dragging Lucian along.
Lucian easily caught several wild rabbits darting about.
Luffy, meanwhile, took down a wild boar with a single punch and cheerfully hauled it back.
By the time they returned to Granny Maggie’s house and dropped off their prey, they made several more trips into the forest, only stopping once the entrance to Granny Maggie’s home was piled high with game.
After resting for barely a moment, Luffy shot out again like a gust of wind and found the children playing by the sea.
“Everyone!” He stood on the sand, hands on his hips, shouting at the little heads gathered around him.
“Tonight, I’m throwing a bonfire party!
Go tell your parents to come too!”
The children instantly burst into cheers, each one bolting for home like an unbridled colt, their voices ringing out: “I’ll go tell my dad!” “My mom makes the best pickles, I’ll bring some!”
Watching their retreating figures, Luffy grinned from ear to ear, then turned to Lucian, who had just walked over, and said, “Tonight’s party is definitely gonna be amazing!”
Lucian looked at his excited face and nodded, beginning to look forward a little himself to what a bonfire party would actually be like.
That evening, under Granny Maggie’s direction, the villagers pitched in, setting the cleaned game onto roasting racks.
The bonfire set up on the beach crackled and popped, fat dripping onto the charcoal and sending up plumes of fragrant white smoke.
The village men hauled over wooden planks to set up makeshift long tables, while the women brought out pickled vegetables, grilled fish, and freshly pressed wild fruit juice.
Luffy wanted to help turn the roasting meat, but he either splattered grease onto everyone nearby or nearly skewered the meat straight through with a branch, and was promptly shooed away by Granny Maggie.
“Go on, go play with the children!
Stop getting in the way here.”
He didn’t get upset at all, just let out a “hehe” laugh and dove right into the crowd of kids.
Somewhere, he dug up a coconut shell and began beating it like a drum, leading a troop of little children in circles around the bonfire, singing wildly off-key songs that had the grown-ups erupting in laughter.
Before long, the long tables on the beach were laden with food.
Golden-orange roasted wild boar glistened with oil, the skin of the grilled fish was crispy and golden-brown, and the aroma of meat drifted through the air.
Everyone sat down laughing, the crisp clink of clinking glasses blending with the sound of the waves—a scene of pure, lively cheer.
Toby, gnawing on a roasted wild rabbit leg, sidled up to Luffy and asked, “Luffy, are you leaving tomorrow?”
Luffy was just biting into a fragrant, char-grilled rib.
At the question, he nodded vigorously.
“Yep!
The boat’s fixed.
I set out first thing tomorrow morning!”
“Then where are you headed?” Baru, on the other side, pressed with curiosity.
“To the Grand Line, to find the legendary One Piece!” Luffy tossed the bone aside and spread his arms wide, shouting his declaration.
Lucian sat beside Luffy, and the roast meat in his hand was nearly knocked flying by Luffy’s flailing arm.
He quietly scooted a little distance away and continued eating his barbecue, listening as Luffy went on describing One Piece to Toby and Baru.
“Hey, Lucian!”
Suddenly called out by name, he abruptly lifted his head and met Luffy’s gaze.
“Do you have a dream?” Luffy asked, his words still muffled by the meat stuffed in his mouth.
“Dream?” Lucian froze.
The word felt entirely alien to him.
In those years as a zombie, his mind had held nothing but a persistent, unshakable hunger, and his only thought had been to have a satisfying, all-out feast…
“Eating meat,” he blurted out almost before he knew it.
As expected, Luffy furrowed his brow and clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.
Aren’t you eating meat right now?” He pointed at the roast meat in Lucian’s hand.
“Take me, for example—I’m gonna be the King of the Pirates!”
The children around them immediately joined in the chorus, shouting, “King of the Pirates!
King of the Pirates!”
Lucian lowered his head and thought for a moment, the image surfacing of a time before his crossing over, when he couldn’t squeeze into the zombie horde to get his share of flesh.
“Become stronger,” he said, raising his head.
His voice was not loud, but it was remarkably clear.
“I want to become stronger.”
Luffy blinked, then his eyes lit up.
“Become stronger?
That’s a better one!” He suddenly leaned in close.
“Then how about coming out to sea with me, to search for a way to become stronger?”
Lucian looked into his shining eyes, listening to the sound of the waves lapping against the shore and the laughter of the children all around them.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Luffy grabbed hold of him first.
“So Lucian’s dream is to become stronger.” On the other side of the table, Baru, who had been drinking, overheard the conversation between the two.
He set his cup down on the table, the liquid sloshing with a light foam.
He looked at Lucian and said, “But you’re already plenty strong—you even defeated those pirates.”
Granny Maggie came over carrying a plate of freshly cut wild fruit, and upon hearing Baru’s remark, she said, “Becoming stronger is a good thing.
It’s far better than being cooped up in our little fishing village.” She patted Lucian on the shoulder.
“If you want to go, then go.
Young people should go out and make their mark on the world.”
Luffy’s eyes grew even brighter, and he tugged hard at Lucian’s arm, shaking him.
“See!
Even Granny says it’s okay!”
Lucian was shaken so much he nearly dropped his barbecue onto the ground.
He looked at Granny Maggie, who was smiling at him.
He then caught sight of Baru raising his cup and nodding his way, and even several of the older men nearby, still gnawing on bones, joined in the clamor.
“Lucian, go with Luffy and see the world!
This village is too small, and you’re so strong—staying in our little fishing village is a waste!”
The children also crowded around.
The little girl with pigtails tugged at the hem of his shirt.
“Big brother Lucian, if you get really strong, will you come back and tell us stories?”
He looked at all these familiar faces before him—Granny Maggie’s gentle smile, Baru’s hearty openness, the children’s bright, sparkling eyes, and Luffy’s face brimming with anticipation.
“Okay.”
The single word had barely left his mouth before Luffy leaped into the air, nearly toppling the long table.
“Awesome!
Lucian, you said yes!” He threw his arms around Lucian’s neck.
“From this day on, you’re the very first crewmate in my pirate crew!”