**Chapter 32: The Straw Hat Girl – Treasure, Trolls, and a Smitten Rubber Queen**
**Nami's POV**
Gold. Shiny, glittering, irresistible gold. It sparkled like a siren's song in the dim light of Alvida's treasure hold, calling to me like a lover's whisper. I crouched among the piles, my fingers dancing over jewels, coins, and a gaudy golden candlestick that looked like it belonged in a tacky palace. My satchel was already bulging, but I kept stuffing—emerald necklaces, fist-sized rubies, stacks of beri so heavy they made the bag groan. My lips curled in a greedy, satisfied smirk, my heart racing with every clink. "Treasure," I whispered, practically caressing a diamond the size of a tangerine. "Mama's gonna buy us a whole future with this…"
A faint thud of heavy boots echoed from the deck above, and I froze, my breath catching like a thief caught mid-heist. The crew's voices were frantic, shouting about some chaos topside—sounded like a brawl, not me. Good. That bought me time. Still, my thoughts wandered, traitorously, to *him*. That idiot Sunny, with his blue Haki and infuriating habit of showing up at the most dramatic moments, making everything look effortless. He wasn't here now, and it left me feeling oddly… exposed. Like a map missing its compass.
I shook my head, tucking a stray orange lock behind my ear. *Focus, Nami. Treasure first, idiotic Sunny later.* I grabbed one last handful of coins, zipped my satchel, and slunk toward the hatch, my boots silent on the creaky floorboards. The plan was simple: slip out, meet Sunny at his boat, and sail off before Alvida's goons noticed their vault was lighter. Easy peasy, right? Yeah, right.
**Sunny's POV**
I leaned against the mast of my small boat, drifting lazily near Alvida's gaudy ship, its figurehead shaped like a swan with an overcompensating ego. My arms were crossed, my cloak fluttering in the salty breeze, my eyes half-lidded like I was napping through a storm. I wasn't worried about Nami's little "side job." She was a master thief—sneaky, sharp, and probably cackling over her loot right now. I could sense her through my Haki, a bright spark of mischief below deck, and I grinned. Stealing from Alvida's crew? Brave, risky, and *so* Nami.
But my mind wasn't fully on her. My gaze drifted to the horizon, where the sea met the sky in a hazy blur. The timeline was shifting—I could feel it in my bones, like a storm brewing in my Haki senses. *So, it's finally time to meet him, huh?* Monkey D. Luffy, the rubber-brained dreamer who'd turn the world upside down. Except… my grin twitched as I remembered RBG's cryptic hints. This wasn't the Luffy I knew from stories. This was a different world, a different *version*. I'd trained under Garp's iron fist, and now it was my turn to whip that straw-hat-wearing brat into shape—tougher, smarter, better. No slacking on my watch.
The air shimmered, a sudden chill slicing through my chest like a Haki-infused blade. The world slowed—seagulls froze mid-flight, their wings locked in place; waves turned to glass, their crests gleaming like crystal. Time itself held its breath, and I knew what was coming. That damn voice.
[RBG]: "Ooooh~ ho ho ho! Ara ara, Sunny-boy, you're in for a treat today!"
My left eyebrow twitched so hard it nearly jumped off my face. "Not you again, RBG," I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose. "What now? Another cosmic prank? Wanna make me fight a god-level kraken? Or maybe arm-wrestle the moon? Umu, just spit it out."
[RBG]'s laughter echoed in my skull like a Den Den Mushi on full blast. "Oh, no fights today, champ! I rolled the cosmic dice, and you hit the jackpot. From a pool of twenty different Monkey D. Luffys—two-piece Luffy, horror Luffy, tax-collector Luffy, oh, that one's a riot—you pulled the *golden ticket*. You're not meeting Monkey D. Luffy. You're meeting *Lucy*."
My jaw nearly hit the deck. "Lucy?!"
"Yup! Genderbent Straw Hat! Same rubber body, same boundless idiocy, but with a bit more charm and—let's say—a certain feminine flair. Ara ara, she's gonna love you. don't break her heart too fast~"
My eye twitched violently, a vein pulsing in my forehead. "You've *got* to be kidding me. A female Luffy? RBG, you cosmic troll, this is low even for you."
"Enjoy, champ! *YEET*! She's all yours!" RBG's voice faded with a cackle, and the world snapped back into motion—seagulls squawking, waves crashing, my blood pressure spiking.
I exhaled slowly, gripping the mast like it was RBG's neck. "I hate you, RBG," I muttered, already bracing for the chaos. A genderbent Luffy? This was gonna be a meme-worthy disaster.
**Lucy's POV**
Inside a musty barrel on Alvida's ship, I sat cross-legged, scarfing down a stolen haul of meat—juicy, greasy, glorious meat. My straw hat tilted back, I chewed happily, grease dripping down my chin as I sang to myself. "Meat… meat… meat~! Shishishi, nothing beats meat!" The barrel was cramped, but who cared? I'd snuck aboard, nabbed the crew's lunch, and now I was living the dream—until some idiot shoved me in here to "deal with later." Pfft, their mistake.
Suddenly, sunlight poured in as the barrel lid popped open, the wood splintering with a crack. "Oi! Who's in there?!" a gruff voice barked.
I blinked up at a gang of Alvida's pirates, their swords drawn, their faces twisted in annoyance. My big, round eyes blinked once. Twice. Then I grinned, wide and fearless. "Shishishi~ Hiya!"
One stretchy, rubber-powered punch later—*Gomu Gomu no Punch!*—the crew went flying like bowling pins, crashing into crates and ropes with cartoonish yelps. The ship rattled, screams echoing, and I climbed out, stretching my arms wide. "Ahh! Fresh air! And hey, where's my meat?!" I patted my vest, checking for stray drumsticks, when heavy boots thundered across the deck.
Alvida herself stormed out, her spiked club swinging, her face red with rage. "Who dares mess with *my* ship?!" she roared, her iron mace gleaming.
I tilted my straw hat, my grin unshaken. "I'm Lucy! And I'm gonna be Queen of the Pirates!" My fist stretched back like a slingshot, my rubber arm coiling with power. "Gomu Gomu no… Pistol!"
*WHAM!* Alvida went flying, crashing into the railing with a thud, stars circling her head like a Looney Tunes gag. I laughed, dusting my hands. "Shishishi, too easy!"
**Nami's POV**
I slipped onto the deck, my satchel heavy with loot, the gold clinking softly against my back. I was ready to bolt when I saw Alvida crash into the railing like a sack of potatoes, her crew scrambling in panic. "What the…?" I muttered, my eyes narrowing. Who the hell was strong enough to do *that*?
Then I saw her—a girl in a straw hat, her red vest flapping, her grin brighter than the treasure in my bag. She was stretching her arms like they were made of rubber, laughing like she'd just won a carnival game. *Who is this chick?*
Sunny's boat bumped against the side of Alvida's ship, and there he was, stepping onto the deck with his cloak billowing like some dramatic anime protagonist. His blue Haki shimmered faintly, his eyes glinting with that lazy amusement that always made my heart skip. "That was… quite impressive," he said, his voice deep and smooth, carrying across the deck like a warm breeze.
I groaned inwardly. *Of course* he shows up now, looking like a damn hero. My cheeks warmed, and I hated myself for it. "Tch, took you long enough," I muttered, adjusting my satchel.
**The Meeting**
Lucy spun around, her straw hat tilting as her eyes locked onto Sunny. The moment she saw him, her grin faltered, replaced by a wide-eyed stare. Her cheeks flushed pink, and she froze, like she'd been hit with a Haki stun. "Woah…" she whispered, her voice soft, almost reverent.
Sunny tilted his head, his lips quirking into that cocky half-smile that could charm a Sea King. "You've got some impressive punching power, Straw Hat girl."
Lucy's face turned tomato-red, her heart practically visible in her eyes. She stomped forward, jabbing a finger at his chest, her voice loud but shaky. "You—hey—you're coming with me! I don't know who you are, but you're joining my crew! Shishishi, you've got that cool aura thingy!" Her rubber arm stretched slightly, emphasizing her point, but her blush betrayed her. This wasn't just crew recruitment—she was *smitten*.
[A/N: Sunny's aura hittin' different, even the One Piece MC can't resist! #BigHakiEnergy]
Nami groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Oh no. Another idiot. Ara ara, Sunny, you're collecting weirdos like treasure now."
Sunny laughed, a low, warm sound that made my traitorous heart skip again. "She's got spirit, Nami. Gotta give her that."
Lucy puffed out her chest, her grin returning full force. "Spirit? I've got tons of that! And meat! And you!" She pointed at Sunny again, her finger nearly poking his chest. "You're my first crewmate! No take-backs!"
I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly saw my own brain. "Ara ara, great. A rubber-brained lunatic. Umu, Sunny, you deal with her."
Sunny's grin widened, his Haki flickering like a playful spark. "Deal with her? Nah, I think she's gonna be fun." He leaned closer to Lucy, his voice dropping to a teasing rumble. "Queen of the Pirates, huh? Big dream for a barrel girl."
Lucy's blush deepened, but she didn't back down, her eyes sparkling with determination and something else—something that looked suspiciously like a crush. "Shishishi, it's not just a dream! It's gonna happen! And you're gonna help me, Cool Aura Guy!"