Night fell.
Guided by the pale yellow moonlight, Red and the others steered their ship, slowly leaving Orange Town's harbor.
Having eaten his fill, Luffy patted his round belly, his face full of satisfaction.
Although the Buggy Pirates' cook wasn't particularly skilled, his cooking was still about on par with an ordinary restaurant.
After suffering through Nami's devilish cooking for so long, not only Luffy but even Red and Zoro had seen their standards plummet in a straight line…
All in all, the meal left everyone fairly satisfied.
It was already quite late.
Having started eating in the early evening and only just finishing now, even Luffy was starting to feel tired.
But just as he finished saying goodnight and was about to head back to sleep, Red—who had boarded the ship last—suddenly spoke up:
"Everyone, please wait a moment."
Zoro and Nami stopped in their tracks instantly, as if they had expected Red to call them.
Only Luffy, who had already reached the cabin entrance, turned back in confusion.
"Huh? What is it, Red?"
"Weren't you supposed to take me to the game world tonight!? You're not allowed to go back on your word now!"
Thinking that Red was about to change his mind, Luffy puffed out his cheeks and complained immediately.
Red, however, just smiled gently.
"Relax. Since I promised to take you tonight, I won't break my word."
"But…"
Red put away his smile and spoke with a hint of apology:
"When it comes to what happened today, I think I owe you an apology."
"I'm sorry, Luffy."
"Without the captain's permission, I took it upon myself to make the Buggy Pirates our subordinate crew."
"Huh? You mean that?"
Luffy scratched the back of his head carelessly, looking confused.
"It does seem kind of troublesome, but since it was your decision, Red, it must be the right one."
"What's there to apologize for?!"
After two and a half years together, Red's position in Luffy's heart was already comparable to Ace and Sabo.
What's more, Red was now his vice-captain and Trainer.
His trust in Red was absolute.
However, even though Luffy didn't care in the slightest, Red still shook his head gently.
"It's different."
He raised his head and looked Luffy straight in the eye.
"Even though you're kind of an idiot and can't make any proper plans, you're still the captain of this ship—the leader of our team."
"This time, without your permission, I rashly allowed others to bear our name…"
"That crossed the line a bit too much."
"Ah…" Luffy muttered.
Seeing how serious Red was, Luffy gradually dropped his playful demeanor.
For a moment, the two of them stared straight at each other.
A cool sea breeze swept over their bodies, making their clothes flutter in the wind.
The atmosphere grew inexplicably heavy.
"I get it,"
Luffy said in a solemn, reflective tone.
"It looks like you really made a serious mistake this time, Red."
"Making decisions on your own without the captain's approval really is a major taboo among pirates."
"Luffy…" Nami stepped forward, wanting to explain.
But just as she opened her mouth, Zoro stopped her.
Luffy pulled his straw hat down onto his head, his expression heavier than ever.
"In that case…"
"As punishment, you're not allowed to eat breakfast tomorrow!!!"
"..."
"..."
The cool sea breeze didn't stop, and their clothes continued to rustle.
But the once-grim atmosphere instantly turned ridiculous because of Luffy's words.
Yet Red answered seriously anyway:
"I understand, Captain. I will accept the punishment."
Under the moonlight, the deck suddenly fell silent.
After a long pause, Luffy suddenly spoke sincerely to Red:
"Thank you, Red."
Red smiled calmly. "You're welcome~"
Nami, who had thought the two of them were about to fall out, stood completely frozen after listening to this baffling exchange.
She quickly turned around and shot a questioning look at Zoro, who seemed to understand what was going on.
Fortunately, Zoro wasn't the type to talk in riddles. After thinking for a few seconds, he muttered quietly to Nami:
"I think… Red didn't forget to inform Luffy."
"He deliberately chose not to tell him."
"All for the sake of that apology just now."
"Huh? Why would he do that?" Nami widened her eyes, unable to grasp this line of thinking at all.
Luckily, Zoro had seen through it and explained:
"Maybe… Red wanted to make Luffy realize that he's the captain of this ship."
Nami still didn't understand. "But… what does that matter? Luffy already is our captain, isn't he?"
Zoro chuckled, then asked her in return:
"Then tell me, Nami—have you really been treating Luffy as the captain who leads our direction?"
"Do you think this ship follows Luffy's orders… or Red's?"
"Huh?"
Nami froze, Zoro's question echoing in her mind, leaving her unsure how to answer.
If he had asked whether she saw Luffy as a companion, she wouldn't have hesitated for a second.
But… as captain…
On this ship, it felt like Red made almost all the big and small decisions.
Compared to a captain who led everything, Luffy seemed more like an obedient frontline fighter.
In that instant, Nami suddenly understood the meaning behind everything Red had done.
"So that's how it is…" she murmured softly.
In truth, Zoro's guess was completely correct.
And that was hardly surprising.
After all, Red's idea had come from Zoro himself.
Just as Nami realized, the Luffy who had only just set out to sea was full of curiosity about the world and boundless tolerance for his companions…
Rather than a captain, it would be more accurate to say he simply wanted to gather like-minded friends and adventure around the world together.
That approach was undoubtedly joyful—but it wasn't sustainable in the long run.
In the original timeline, Usopp had left the crew because of his own weakness and the matter of the Going Merry.
And after the Enies Lobby incident, it was Zoro—the hidden vice-captain—who became strict and made Luffy truly understand what it meant to be a captain.
But now, with Red as the Straw Hat Pirates' vice-captain, those tragedies from the original timeline naturally wouldn't be repeated.
That was why, to help Luffy grow, Red had deliberately staged this whole scene.
Although the effect wasn't as intense as in the original timeline, it would be long-lasting.
Red believed that, under his subtle influence, Luffy would adapt to his role as captain much faster and come to understand the heavy responsibility he bore.
After settling things with Luffy, Red shifted his gaze to Zoro and Nami.
"Then, Zoro, Nami… I imagine you two still have quite a few questions for me, don't you?"
"Well…"
Nami hesitated, but Zoro had already stepped forward.
"There are indeed some things I want to ask."
"Red, what you said to Buggy tonight… was it true?"
"You said that you could see the past and the future!?"
(End of Chapter)