Following the map, we trek through the forest toward our destination.
Luffy boldly admitted he can't read maps, so I lead, navigating. Pushing through dense grass, stepping on firm ground, the path is tougher than the riverside. It's slightly uphill. The hot climate makes us sweat, but our waterfall-soaked clothes cool us, feeling like a leisurely stroll.
Adventure in this unknown land calms my heart. This time, I don't resist.
With Luffy, there's no time for overthinking. Our short time together shows that. I'll brood alone later, after we part.
For now, I stop thinking and join his adventure. That's my choice.
"Hey, more fruit! Want some, Kiri?"
"Thought we're focusing on adventure."
"Can't focus if I'm hungry."
"You ate so much already. I'm good."
"Then I'll eat. Here!"
Luffy stretches his arm, grabbing fruit, piling them in his left hand. Stopping before dropping any, he catches one and tosses it to me.
Startled, I catch it perfectly.
"Thanks."
Luffy munches eagerly. I glance at the fruit, then bite. The crisp sound fills the air.
Sweet juice floods my mouth, refreshing and quenching.
Thought I was full, but it's not bad.
I nod thanks and lead on.
"Still, no map-reading skills, yet you set sail? Sea charts and weather are crucial. No navigation skills?"
"Nope, none. Planned to get a navigator. Sabo was good at it. Thought he and Ace would join my ship."
"But you three split up."
"Yeah. So I'll leave that to nakama."
"Selfish or efficient… What's your role?"
"Captain, duh."
"I know that."
"Hm. Protecting my nakama."
His tone shifts, subtle but noticeable. I glance back. Luffy stops eating, eyes resolute, and says firmly:
"When Sabo died, I swore to get stronger to protect everyone. Trained years with Ace. I won't let my nakama die."
I look ahead, then up at the clear blue sky peeking through the leaves.
"Hm. Got it."
A quiet response, oddly calm. Luffy doesn't mind, grabbing another fruit, juice staining his mouth as he asks:
"You were an apprentice, right? Had a role?"
"Learned everything. Grunt work mostly, but fought, steered, helped the cook, doctor, navigator."
"So you can do anything."
"Not as good as specialists. Jack-of-all-trades, master of none."
"Master of none?"
"Half-decent at everything."
I smile wryly. Luffy instantly disagrees.
"Doing everything's awesome. I can't do anything, so I respect that."
"You're not useless."
"No navigation, no cooking, can't find treasure without help. I'm confident I'd die without aid."
I laugh, shoulders shaking, showing a genuine smile.
"What's that confidence? Not something to brag about."
The distance between us feels smaller. I want to stay with him longer, to know more, at least for now.
Biting another ripe fruit, I savor the sweetness.
I lick my fingers after finishing.
"Guess living alone's tough."
"You had nakama, right?"
"Yeah, but it's been a while."
"Can I ask?"
"What?"
"Why'd you quit pirating?"
No immediate answer. As expected.
Silent for a few seconds, the crisp fruit sound lingers.
Exhaling softly, I smile and reply:
"Boring story. Nothing special."
As expected.
I'm hiding something, or just don't want to say.
There's more to my past, and Luffy, reckless as he is, senses emotional shifts. He knows my smile's a lie.
He sees the loneliness, but doesn't press.
"We're almost there. Probably around here."
"Nice!"
Noticing my tone shift, he speeds up eating, finishing the fruit. No physical change, just eager scanning of the area. Moving on without lingering, his childlike honesty shines.
The scenery's unchanged, but a massive rock appears ahead.
About ten meters tall, its white surface stands out.
I point, suspicious.
"That looks promising. Let's check."
"Totally suspicious."
"But how? It's just a rock…"
"Climb it? I can do that easy."
Before I ask how, I remember his Devil Fruit powers.
I nod without much thought.
"Sure. But if there's nothing, we're out of clues. Stop treasure hunting, focus on escaping. Okay?"
"Okay!"
"After you, Captain."
At the rock's base, I gesture. Luffy steps forward, spinning his arm, then stretches it to grab the top. Pulling himself up, he lands lightly.
Confirming he's up, I call:
"Anything? Likeはある secret door?"
"Hm… Kiri, come up!"
"How?"
"I'll pull you."
He spots something, stretching his arm to grab my hand and hoist me up.
I land smoothly, scanning for his find. My brows rise as I step closer.
"There's writing."
"Another map. But different. One mark."
I compare it to the parchment. The rock's carved island map has one mark, unlike the four on the paper.
It's near the beach we washed up on, by the cliffs.
I nod, certain it's a hit. Luffy grins, shaking with excitement.
"Finally! We'll find it!"
"If no one else has. Could be multiple maps."
"None's fine. Let's go. You know the spot?"
"Roughly. Back to the beach, then along it."
"Let's get it!"
We stand at the rock's edge, looking down. It's high.
"Gonna be tough getting down."
"I got this. Rubber body."
"How?"
Like before, he grabs my waist and jumps. His other hand catches the rock, controlling our descent with his stretching arm. Fast but safe.
Still, the lack of warning startles me.
I cling to him, a scream escaping.
"Wah…!"
"Yeehaw!"
We land smoothly, unharmed.
I sigh in relief.
"First time I've wanted a rubber body."
"Nailed it."
"Barely. Once is enough."
I catch my breath, calming quickly.
Looking up, I spot the beach's direction easily. Luffy's cluelessness proves his honesty about navigation. His straightforward nature is clear.
I'm used to him now.
"Back to the beach. Know the way?"
"Nope."
"Thought so. Follow me."
I lead, Luffy trailing. Hours together, the sun shifting, evening nearing. The island's scent changes.
Most of my life was sailing and adventure. This feels different.
The island's new, but it's the person beside me. Luffy's trouble, impossible to leave alone. He'd likely die without miracles to leave this place. Not clumsy, but building a raft seems beyond him.
A handful, but I don't mind.
I smile wryly at myself.
The island's small, so we reach the beach quickly.
Sand crunches underfoot. The hot sun and waves greet us. Wreckage scatters the shore, my blue jacket waving on driftwood.
"Forgot my jacket."
"We made it back!"
"I can remember paths. But we're not done."
"Right. The real deal starts now."
I grab my dry jacket, thanks to the sun.
Our clothes, soaked by the waterfall, are mostly dry.
Feeling refreshed, I scan the beach.
Something's different from when we met. The time spent wasn't wasted. I'm more relaxed.
"Which way?"
"Along the coast. That way."
We walk the beach toward the cliffs.
I know the way instinctively, but Luffy asks, I answer, and we move.
Talking flows naturally, comfortable together.
"Can you swim, Kiri?"
"Random question."
"I ate a Devil Fruit, so I'm a hammer. Was before, too. I'd die drowning without help."
"Same here. Can't save you if you fall."
"You can't swim either? You've got weaknesses."
"Plenty. No one's perfect."
"But you're reliable. You know paths."
"That's not special. Anyone can do it."
"Really?"
We banter easily, smiling.
Crossing the beach, we reach the rocky cliffs. Jagged rocks stand against strong waves, deadly for ships.
Beyond, a small cave looms, suspicious.
We pause, exchanging looks.
"Something's there."
"Gotta jump. We can't swim, so don't fall."
"No problem. I'm good at this."
Luffy stretches, warming up, then leaps, kicking off the sand to a rock, hopping lightly between them.
I follow, moving gracefully, unlike his wild style.
No fear of falling, we reach the cave easily.
After a dozen jumps, we stop on separate rocks, no more to leap to.
Luffy decides first, extending his hand.
"Almost there. We'll jump."
"Stretching again?"
"Faster, right?"
I grab his hand. His left arm shoots to the cave, gripping a rock. He pulls us in, sliding to a stop.
It hurts, but Luffy's rubber body shrugs it off. I wish he'd stop this method.
The dry, rocky floor is dim, filled with sea scent.
I cover my nose.
"Strong smell. A dog might faint."
"Wow… awesome."
"What?"
"Look."
Luffy points to a large shadow in the dark.
Stepping closer, it's clear—a tattered sailship, stranded on cracked ground, ancient and immobile.
How it got here is a mystery.
Speechless, Luffy grins excitedly. I stand stunned.
"A sailship? Here?"
"Pirate ship, maybe?"
"No clue how it got in."
"Treasure's gotta be there. Let's check."
Luffy sprints, leaping onto the deck with his rubber body. I follow, slowed by shock, climbing using the ship's protrusions.
On deck, Luffy surveys the ship.
It's a ghost ship, decades old, unfit for sailing. Countless skeletons litter the deck.
They died here, likely badly. Some have sabers stuck in their bones—mutiny or attack. Painful deaths.
Luffy mutters, staring:
"What happened?"
"No mouths to ask. Talking to bones is harder than animals."
I kneel, touching a cracked skull with a bullet hole.
Probably died in agony.
"Better not ask. Dead men don't talk calmly. We imagine and move on. That's how it works."
"Yeah, I can't talk to them."
"Let's find the treasure. The living keep moving."
Luffy nods, avoiding bones, heading for the cabin door. Treasure's useless to the dead. As pirates, we take it gladly.
"Warehouse, maybe?"
He pries open the old door, disappearing inside. I don't follow, looking elsewhere.
Avoiding bones, I climb stairs to another door.
It's dark, a wide room—likely the captain's.
A broad desk sits in the center, a decorated chair behind it, occupied by a skeleton in a wide-brimmed hat and coat, its hand on the desk, a pen nearby.
A parchment with writing lies on the desk.
I read the letter, its elegant script clear despite age.
It details the ship's end.
A storm and waves threw it ashore. Stranded, the crew's plans failed, leading to mutiny. Blood soaked the deck as they killed each other.
The captain, sensing death, wrote his regret.
He wanted to die at sea with his ship.
How the ship reached the cave is unclear, but I don't care. His final words—regret—echo heavily.
I stare, frozen, my face heavy with sorrow.
Time passes until Luffy bursts in, breaking the mood.
"Look, Kiri! Tons of treasure!"
His grin fades, noticing my strange demeanor.
A fragile, unseen expression. He drops two gold-filled chests, the clatter snapping me back.
I force a smile, but he saw my face—a wedge in his heart.
"Found it? What a miracle."
I return the parchment, approaching him.
He scans the room, understanding.
"The captain?"
"Seems so. Bad luck piled up."
"A pirate?"
"Maybe. Died with regrets."
We stare at the captain's remains, then I notice the chests.
Gold spills from one. I pick up a coin, inspecting it.
"Old ship, but the gold's in good shape. Valuable."
"Tons more. Can't carry it alone."
"Let's take it. The dead don't need it."
I flick the coin to Luffy and leave.
He grabs the chests, following.
We raid the ship, hauling countless treasures out.