Loguetown, the town of beginnings and endings.
It stood at the gateway to the Grand Line, known across the seas as both the birthplace and the execution site of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
A few days later, Luffy stood alone at the port, a tiny figure amidst the bustling crowds.
Shanks had dropped him off and immediately set off on his own journey.
After asking around, Luffy, under the curious gazes of passersby, arrived at a bustling bar.
At this point in history, Smoker had yet to be stationed in Loguetown, and the world was in the chaotic early days of the Great Pirate Era.
The Four Emperors had not yet emerged, and the Shichibukai system had not been established.
Powerful and weak pirates alike flooded toward the seas, seeking their fortune or fame.
As the final stop before entering the Grand Line, Loguetown was teeming with pirates.
Most of the businesses here catered specifically to their kind.
Inside the bar, the noise was deafening. Some were drinking in groups, others brawling in the center of cheering crowds.
The Marines? They rarely ventured beyond their base.
Law and order didn't exist here, not on the streets.
bars were more than watering holes, they were also hotbeds of information and under-the-table deals.
Luffy walked in, ignoring the bartender's puzzled stare, and took a seat at the bar.
"One glass of milk, please."
The bartender froze mid-polish. Even the drinkers nearby went silent for a moment.
"Hahahaha! Hey kid, you still nursing? Better run home to mommy before you get hurt!"
A bald, musclebound man in a green vest laughed loudly beside Luffy, reaching out to grab him by the collar.
"Don't touch me." Luffy slapped the man's hand away without even looking, then turned back to the bartender.
"One milk. Make it quick."
The bald man's face twisted with rage as he stood up, cracking his knuckles.
"You little brat… You clearly don't understand the situation you're in."
"Kid, get down and apologize now!" someone shouted.
"That's Iron Fist Johnson, with a bounty of 3.5 million! He kills without a second thought!"
The bartender, a decent guy, tried to warn Luffy, hoping to spare him from a premature death.
But it was pointless.
Luffy's eyes lit up when he heard the bounty. He looked Johnson up and down, then hopped off the stool.
"Is it true? Do you really have a 3.5 million bounty?"
"Too late for sorry now, brat. No one's ever dared talk to me like that."
Luffy's eyes gleamed even brighter.
"Just wanted to be sure," he said calmly.
The next instant, Luffy dashed forward, took a light leap into the air to match the man's height, and with a twist of his waist, slammed a punch straight into Johnson's throat before the man could react.
BOOM!
The wall behind Johnson shattered as his body crashed into it, then slumped lifelessly to the floor.
His neck was twisted at a grotesque angle, he was dead.
The bar went dead silent.
Sure, a 3.5 million bounty wasn't much out at sea, but in Loguetown?
That was big. Johnson had been one of the top dogs among the local pirates.
And now?
He'd been killed in a single punch by a child barely tall enough to reach an adult's knee.
[Ding! The host has killed a standard pirate. Gained 255 EXP.]
"Huh?" Luffy paused.
That was the first time he'd earned more than 100 EXP, and 255 at that.
"I wonder if it's because he was human… or because he had a bounty," Luffy thought as he climbed back onto his stool.
"One glass of milk," he repeated to the bartender.
"A-Ah! Right away!" Startled out of his daze, the bartender rushed to the kitchen.
No one ever came to a pirate bar to order milk.
Luckily, they had some on hand for cooking.
The bartender moved faster than he ever had in his life. As he worked, he silently vowed:
"From tomorrow onward, I'm stocking everything, even milk!"
After finishing the milk, Luffy found himself still hungry, so he stayed for a full meal.
Before leaving, he asked for the latest bounty list, pointed to Johnson's corpse, and told the bartender:
"Deduct the cost of my food from his bounty."
Outside on the street, Luffy flipped through the bounty posters, memorizing their faces.
"But first, the important stuff."
Putting aside his leveling plans for now, Luffy returned to the port.
He found a merchant ship bound for the island where Shimotsuki Village was located.
With a mix of acting cute and pretending to be clueless, he convinced the captain to let him board for free.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
That night, the merchant ship rocked gently on the waves as it headed toward its destination.
In the crew's mess hall, the captain himself brought Luffy a meal.
"Luffy, come eat. Don't be sad. We'll reach Shimotsuki Village soon, and find your parents."
The good-hearted captain had fully believed Luffy's made-up story, even coming to comfort him.
"Thanks," Luffy said with a bright smile, digging into the food without hesitation.
The captain chuckled.
"You're just like my boy back home. Slow down, will ya?"
Just then, a commotion erupted on deck.
"Captain! Captain! Trouble! Get to the deck, now!" A sailor's panicked voice rang out.
Without a word, the captain dashed off.
Luffy shoved the last few bites into his mouth and followed close behind.
On deck, a sailor was pointing toward the horizon, saying something urgent.
The captain raised his spyglass, his face darkening as he looked in that direction.
Luffy came up beside him and, using his superhuman eyesight, spotted a ship on the horizon, approaching fast, filled with figures.
"Confirmed. It's the Smashhammer Pirates. No doubt about it."
The captain lowered his telescope and spoke gravely.
Then he shouted his orders:
"Raise the sails! Turn portside forty-five degrees! Ride the wind at full speed! Communicator, alert the nearest Marine base and request backup! Everyone else, arm yourselves and secure your positions! Prepare for cannon fire!"
The entire crew sprang into motion.
They began tossing heavy, worthless cargo overboard to lighten the ship and escape faster.
Luffy tugged at the captain's coat.
"Are they really that strong? We have so many people, why are we running?"
The captain glanced down at him, frowning.
"Luffy, get below deck! Now! Don't come out no matter what!"
He tried pulling Luffy toward the cabin.
"But Captain, you didn't answer my question."
Luffy was being dragged along, clearly annoyed.
"The Smashhammer Pirates are infamous in these waters. Their captain is Warhammer Jackal, with a bounty of 5 million. They've got over a hundred pirates in the crew. But don't worry, we'll be fine."
The captain's voice was steady, but his heart was in turmoil.
"Five million…" Luffy's eyes sparkled again.
"And a hundred men!"
In one swift motion, he slipped out of the captain's grasp.
"Don't worry. Leave it to me."
His eyes glowed with anticipation.
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