After this ordeal, Alex finally understood why even a tough guy like Zoro had threatened to kill Luffy on more than one occasion.
It's not that we're evil inside—
It's that Luffy is just that damn infuriating!
But more importantly, surviving the giant whirlpool made one thing crystal clear to Alex: if you're going to sail the seas with Luffy, the very first thing you need isn't strength, but an absurd, cockroach-like level of durability.
As for power?
That's secondary fluff.
After Luffy shoved Alex into the treasure chest, he quickly found a large wooden barrel stuffed with meat, dove inside, and kept shoveling food into his mouth while hiding there.
A moment later, the small fishing boat they'd been living on for nearly a month was completely consumed by the raging whirlpool.
No one knew how much time had passed before Alex finally regained consciousness. His head felt foggy and heavy. He forced his eyes open and found himself in a tight, dimly lit space, barely able to move.
Shaking his head to clear the haze, Alex slowly remembered: he and Luffy had been caught in a whirlpool… then Luffy came up with some boneheaded plan and shoved him into a treasure chest.
I'm still alive… That means someone must have rescued me. But where am I now?
His whole body ached like he'd been beaten by a mob. He worried that if he was still drifting at sea, he might really be a goner.
The keyhole in the treasure chest allowed just enough air in to keep breathing, but water had already seeped into the bottom. If this kept up, the chest would eventually sink.
But then Alex noticed something strange—it wasn't bobbing or rocking anymore. It felt completely stable, nothing like floating on water.
What's going on...? Don't tell me I was pulled out by someone?
Just as confusion filled his mind, he heard a coarse, gloomy voice nearby:
"Koby, tell me, what is the most beautiful thing in the sea?"
A trembling, sycophantic voice replied:
"Th-that would be you, Miss Alvida! Hahaha... of course!"
That cringeworthy exchange hit Alex like a ton of bricks.
Alvida!?
No way—it's that freckle-faced, iron-club-wielding, top-hat-wearing, fat, ugly, and completely deranged female pirate!
You've got to be kidding me. That short, nasty ogre of a woman fished me out?! She probably thought this chest was filled with treasure!
If she found out there was a person—especially him—inside instead of treasure, given his current half-dead state, she might just smash him with her iron club out of pure rage.
Nope. Not taking that risk. Best to stay hidden and play dead for now.
Alex knew Alvida had a bounty of only five million berries. A joke, really—but even that was too much for him to handle in his current condition. If he were at full strength, he might actually stand a chance against the blubbering brute. But now? No way.
Soon, he felt the chest being lifted. Alvida's voice rang out as she barked orders to her crew:
"You lot, carry this thing inside! We'll go capture the target first. Once we're back, we'll open it up and see what treasures we got."
"Beautiful Miss Alvida, this is a rare find indeed!"
a crew member chimed in flatteringly.
"Exactly! We're taking that ship, and I expect you all to give it your best!"
Alvida cackled with her screechy, unpleasant voice.
From their conversation, Alex pieced together the situation: Alvida and her crew were targeting a luxury cruise ship. That likely meant Luffy had ended up on it. And if she ran into Luffy now… things could turn ugly real fast.
After a bit of bumping and swaying, the chest Alex was hiding in was placed in some sort of storage room.
He could hear cannon fire and shouting from pirates outside. After several minutes, the chaos began to die down. Most of the pirates had likely boarded the other ship to raid it.
This might be my best chance to escape.
If I can reunite with Luffy, everything should be fine.
Determined, Alex prepared to sneak out.
But just as he began to move, he heard a man's voice nearby:
"Hey—who are you? I don't think I've seen you before—"
BANG!
A loud thud silenced the man mid-sentence.
Then came a sweet, melodic girl's voice:
"Pirates really are idiots. I just wanted to check and see what's in this box."
Alex's ears perked up at once.
That voice… it can't be—
A soft click, and light slowly filled the inside of the chest.
The lid creaked open, and the first thing Alex saw was a beautiful girl with short, orange hair staring curiously down at him.
Lying flat in the treasure chest, Alex's dazed eyes locked directly with Nami's sparkling ones.
And just like that, the two of them stared at each other, stunned, as if frozen in time...