Ross's laughter rang across the dock bright, unbothered, and so genuine that it left the villagers momentarily speechless.
Was this young man really the infamous Captain Deck?
It didn't add up. The villagers of Cocoyasi Village had heard countless stories of Deck's cruelty, yet the person standing before them was nothing like the monster in those tales. He looked too young, too relaxed, too... ordinary.
The bounty hunter brothers, Carlo and Caff, exchanged glances. Frowning, Carlo pulled a stack of bounty posters from his coat, flipped through them, and fixed his eyes on Ross.
"You're not Captain Deck, are you? Then why are you sailing his ship?"
Ross gave an exaggerated eye roll. "I took it. Obviously. Do you even need to ask?"
He looked at Carlo as if the question itself was absurd.
From the moment he saw the villagers gathered with weapons in hand, Ross had already guessed the situation. They were afraid that Deck's crew had come to plunder their village again. Fair enough but it wasn't his problem. Ross believed that once they heard his explanation, these honest islanders would never trouble him.
"You took it?" Caff's jaw went slack. "Then... what happened to Captain Deck?"
"I took the ship from him," Ross said flatly, still looking unimpressed. "What, did you think he just gave it to me as a gift?"
The crowd fell silent. Then a wave of relief swept over them.
So this young man wasn't Deck. That was all that mattered.
A man in a police vest Ahken, the village watchman hurried forward, smiling apologetically. "Sorry about the misunderstanding, young man. Everyone was on edge thinking Deck's crew was here to attack. No harm meant."
Before Ross could reply, Carlo pulled Ahken back protectively, his tone wary. "You took Deck's ship? So what are you then a bounty hunter? Or another pirate like him?"
Ross thought about it for a moment and shrugged. "Neither, I guess. I just needed some money. Deck tried to rob me first, so I took his ship instead. Fair trade, right?"
That simple, unbothered response made even Carlo relax a little, though the sharp look in his eyes didn't fade entirely.
Ross didn't seem to care. He was more interested in the people around him especially the red-haired woman in the Marine uniform.
Bellemere.
Even though she looked barely twenty, he recognized her instantly. And beside her was Ahken, just as he remembered from the stories. The village doctor standing nearby, though Ross couldn't recall his name. He did remember that the man not only treated injuries but also gave tattoos. A doctor and tattoo artist? Not bad.
Ross's gaze softened. Everything here felt so... early.
Too early.
At this point in time, Ace hadn't even been born. Bellemere hadn't adopted Nami and Nojiko. The Arlong Pirates hadn't come. Cocoyasi Village was still peaceful, untouched by tragedy.
Roger had just been executed, and the Great Pirate Era was only beginning to unfold.
Was arriving in this era a blessing or a curse? Ross wasn't sure.
When the villagers realized he wasn't a threat, their attitude changed completely. Warm smiles replaced fear. Food and drink were brought out, and soon, the village was hosting a small feast in Ross's honor. Even the bounty hunter brothers eased up.
Ross didn't drink much, but his crewmate Tess Omic certainly did. After all the terror earlier, Tess decided he deserved to celebrate his survival loudly and with plenty of alcohol.
That night, the stars shimmered above the calm sea as laughter filled the village square.
Meanwhile, in the quiet shadows behind the trees, Carlo and Caff huddled together.
"Brother," Caff whispered, "they say Deck had a lot of treasure on his ship. If that kid took the ship, he must've taken the treasure too. Should we... you know, relieve him of it?"
Carlo's expression hardened. He hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "No. I can't see through that guy. If he really took down Deck, then he's not simple. The treasure's tempting, but it's not worth dying over."
Caff frowned. "You're saying he's stronger than us?"
"I'm saying he's dangerous," Carlo said quietly. "We'd be fools to underestimate him. Even if we won, we wouldn't walk away unscathed. My gut says picking a fight with him would be suicide."
Carlo had learned long ago to trust his instincts. Bounty hunters often killed other bounty hunters for gold it was part of the trade but only if the reward outweighed the risk.
And Ross? Ross wasn't worth the risk. Not for any treasure.
"Then we just let it go?" Caff muttered, clearly unhappy.
Carlo's tone grew firm. "We let it go. Forget the treasure. Don't bring it up again."
He didn't know why, but the thought of crossing that young man filled him with dread. If they went after Ross, he was certain they'd end up dead.
Two days later, Ross decided it was time to leave.
Tess Omic trudged behind him, a large treasure chest strapped to his back. Ross wasn't taking any chances he'd made Tess carry it everywhere, just in case anyone got greedy.
Before departing, he had Tess replace Deck's Jolly Roger with a plain white flag. The last thing he wanted was to attract Marines or bounty hunters by mistake.
The ship cut through the waves, sailing away from Cocoyasi Village.
Ross stood at the stern, watching the island fade into the distance. He sighed softly.
"This place isn't right for retirement after all," he muttered.
It wasn't that the island wasn't peaceful it was too peaceful. Every time he saw Bellemere, he had to bite back the urge to call her Mother-in-law.
After all, he'd always had a soft spot for Nami.
But here, in this time, she hadn't even been born yet. The thought of "raising" her himself made him cringe.
"Born too soon, or too late... what a curse," he murmured, shaking his head.
Not long after Ross's ship disappeared over the horizon, peace returned to Cocoyasi Village.
Inside the small tavern, Carlo and Caff were drinking again.
Caff slammed his mug down. "I still say that guy's not all that. Maybe he just tricked Deck somehow. No way he beat him in a fair fight!"
Carlo sighed, swirling the ale in his cup. "Maybe. But if he's still alive and Deck isn't, that tells you everything you need to know. We're lucky we didn't do anything stupid."
At that moment, a seagull swooped past the tavern window, dropping a rolled-up newspaper onto the ground outside.
Bellemere happened to be walking by. She picked it up, stepped inside, and casually flipped through the pages until her eyes widened.
"Ross," she whispered, her face changing.
"What about him?" Carlo asked, instantly alert.
She handed him the paper. Both brothers leaned over to read, and their faces drained of color.
The front page was dominated by a headline about the late Pirate King's crew. Beneath it, pinned to the article, was a freshly issued bounty poster.
The image showed only half a face young, calm, faintly smiling but it was unmistakable.
Ross.
And below the picture, printed in bold, were the words that made Carlo's heart stop.
"Ross – Former Crew Member of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger."
Bounty: 100,000,000 Berries.
Carlo slowly set the paper down, a chill running through him.
"Looks like," he murmured, "we really were lucky."