Apocide Island, one of the seven routes on the Grand Line.
A land of ceaseless chaos: mafia turf wars, civilian uprisings, royal army crackdowns, pirate raids.
Some conflicts were meticulously planned; others broke out on a whim.
Peace? A foreign concept here.
Three days after collapsing from exhaustion, Luffy finally awoke, still alive, somehow, after facing down the fury of nature itself.
He and Robin had been sailing for nearly a month since then. Now, at last, they had arrived at this war-torn island.
They docked at a quiet, unguarded coast, ending the long and tiresome journey at sea.
"So, where's this mafia Doflamingo mentioned?" Luffy asked as he hopped off the ship, stretched wide, and inhaled the earthy, humid air deeply.
"Would you like me to contact them now, Luffy-san?" Robin replied, producing a small Den Den Mushi from her chest pocket.
"Hmm… nah. Let's take a walk first." Luffy thought for a moment, then made his call.
Diving into work right away just felt… lifeless.
"As you wish." Robin smiled sweetly, brushing her hair behind her ear. Her beauty was dazzling, effortless, a goddess in the sunlight.
Sadly, Luffy, walking ahead, didn't notice any of it.
Ever since the storm, something had changed in Robin. She was no longer the distant, cautious woman serving out of fear.
Now, Robin followed Luffy's lead without question. His words became law; his choices, her creed.
Yet strangely, the "Partner System" Luffy expected still hadn't been activated.
"Eh, no rush," Luffy thought. "If she's already mine… her heart can't be far behind."
They left the coast, pushed through a narrow forest trail, and emerged before an old, crumbling city.
The stone walls stood about three meters high, gates wide open, with no guards in sight.
As soon as they stepped inside, a musty, decaying smell hit them like a wall.
The streets were desolate, most shops were closed, their signs broken and hanging by a thread, ready to fall at the slightest breeze. Compared to the bustling city of Camos, this place felt like a forgotten ruin.
Thankfully, there were still a few people walking about. Otherwise, Luffy might've mistaken this for a ghost town, not that he'd mind seeing one.
Stepping over cracked marble tiles, Luffy decided to find a hotel, hopefully one that wasn't crawling with bugs. Robin followed quietly behind him, step for step.
Suddenly, a group of children burst from a side alley. Their clothes were torn, shoes full of holes, but they laughed and played as they ran straight toward Luffy.
Leading them was a slightly taller boy with messy brown hair.
The kids scattered around Luffy and Robin, avoiding them easily, except for the brown-haired boy, who was too busy talking to notice and ran straight into Luffy's chest.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" The boy bowed twice, trembling with panic, and tried to walk away quickly, clearly terrified of making Luffy angry.
But, snap, Luffy grabbed his arm and yanked him back.
"Woah!" Lifting the kid up effortlessly, Luffy gave him a light shake.
Clatter…
A coin pouch fell out of the boy's shirt, the fabric torn open by the impact. Dozens of golden coins spilled across the ground, shining brightly.
It was Luffy's emergency stash, his "private funds," in case he and Robin got separated.
The boy's eyes widened. But instead of greed or guilt… sheer terror filled his face.
He thought he was stealing some commoner's pouch. He hadn't expected it to be filled with literal gold.
The other kids froze. Seeing their leader caught, they stopped in their tracks, watching anxiously.
The brown-haired boy turned back and shouted, "Don't worry about me! Run!"
The children hesitated, then slipped into the surrounding alleys. Within moments, they vanished.
"Heh… got some guts," Luffy muttered, releasing the boy, who fell to the ground with a loud thump.
Suddenly, hands sprouted from the stone floor, gathering the spilled coins and tying the pouch shut again. Another pair of hands emerged, holding the pouch up.
"Thanks, Robin."
The arms dissolved into petals, fading gently into the air.
The boy stared blankly, like he'd just witnessed a ghost, or something even stranger.
"Get up," Luffy said coldly. "Take us to a place to eat."
The boy didn't argue. He shot up silently and began walking deeper into the city.
Luffy followed, and Robin, with a soft smile, quickly caught up.
She knew Luffy-san might look fierce, but he had a very gentle heart.
"Ophoga Inn."
Luffy tilted his head as he read the inn's odd name, then followed the boy inside.
Despite the rundown exterior, the interior wasn't bad at all, clean, cozy, even welcoming.
They booked two rooms on the spot without checking them, then found an open table in the main hall and sat down.
Soon, the table was filled with food.
The ingredients weren't exactly top-tier, the dishes looked plain and colorless, but anything beat dry rations from the ship.
"What's your name?" Luffy asked after a few bites.
The boy, still distracted by the delicious aroma, jumped like a student caught sleeping in class. "Ah! M-my name's Godia, sir!"
"Godia, huh? Sit down. Eat."
"Wh-what?" Godia blinked, unsure if he'd heard correctly.
Luffy didn't answer, but Robin spoke instead. Her voice was soft and smooth, like silk:
"You should sit. Luffy-san's orders aren't to be taken lightly."
As she said it, a hand rose from the table and handed Godia a pair of chopsticks.
"Th-thank you!" Godia stammered, carefully taking the chopsticks and sitting down. He nibbled at his food in tiny bites, clearly trying not to draw attention.
But despite eating so little, the dishes in front of him were disappearing fast.
Luffy sighed. "Stop stuffing meat in your pockets. When we're done, I'll ask them to pack some for you."
Godia froze mid-bite. His shoulders trembled slightly, then he lowered his head, and started eating with real hunger, shoveling food into his mouth.
Robin smiled, watching the two of them. It was a warm, quiet lunch.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Meanwhile, in a crumbling old mansion deep within a narrow alley…
"Brother Hu, do you think we can take back our turf this time?" asked a one-eyed man, his clothes torn and bloodstained.
The courtyard was packed with over a hundred people. On the couch at the center sat a weary-looking middle-aged man known as Hu, surrounded by his most trusted men.
No one would have guessed that this ragged man was once the mafia boss who ruled over three cities, just two months ago.
"Don't worry," Hu said calmly, his eyes dark and unreadable. "I sent word to him last month. He agreed to my terms."
"Someone will contact us soon."
As he spoke, Hu carefully pulled a small Den Den Mushi from his coat pocket.
==========
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 442+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 284
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 217
Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 97
Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 126
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 109