---
Lin Hai sat down cross-legged on the roof of Dadan's house, chin propped on one hand, gazing out at the distant sea. The salty breeze blew his hair messily, and he looked every bit like a mysterious loner or at least that's what he thought.
"Sigh, just look at this view... vast ocean, unknown adventures... freedom... destiny... What a perfect scene for a future king like me."
Then he pulled out a long stick and started roasting meat over a tiny fire.
"Ah, nothing beats rooftop barbecue."
From behind him, Luffy popped up like a curious puppy.
"Whoa! You made meat?!"
"....."
Lin Hai turned, slightly annoyed.
"You really sniffed that out fast. What are you, part dog?"
Luffy drooled shamelessly.
"Shishishi! Meat meat meat!"
Lin sighed and handed him a piece.
"Fine. But you owe me an epic duel someday."
Suddenly, the wind shifted bringing with it voices from below. Dadan was yelling.
"Luffy! Get down here, you little pest! You were supposed to help with the firewood!"
"Oops," Luffy muttered, then jumped down. "shishishi thanks for the food!"
---
Lin Hai laid back again, but not for long. The charm System's voice suddenly chimed in his head:
Ding! Congratulations, Host, on completing a Stylish Operation: 'Rooftop bonding '.
Reward: +30 charm Points, +30 Free Attribute Points.
He smirked.
"sigh, I'm even stylish when I'm feeding the hungry."
---
Later that evening, Lin and Luffy sat by the campfire with Dadan. She squinted at Lin and asked,
> "So... what's your plan for the future, kid?"
'typical. That's the only thing they ask when they have nothing else in mind huh.'
"Plan?" Lin looked thoughtful. "I plan to be awesome. Travel the world. Flirt with death and then probably flirt with women too."
Dadan facepalmed.
Luffy was more interested in his meat stick.
"C-can I come too?"
"Huh?" Lin turned. "Wait, aren't you supposed to become the Pirate King or whatever?"
"Yeah! That's why I need strong friends. You're strong, right?"
"Heh... naturally. I don't think you know this but even your grandpa is afraid of me!" Lin puffed his chest proudly. "They don't call me the Handsome Hurricane for nothing."
[.... Not a single soul in this season has ever called you that]
the charm System deadpanned.
> Ding! Stylish Operation Completed: 'Self-Declared Nickname+ public embarrassment'.
+50 charm Points, +50 Free Attributes.
---
The next day, Lin Hai decided to leave Windmill Village and begin his journey. Garp showed up with a massive sack over his shoulder.
"Oi, brat. Where are you heading out to?"
"uhh. Uh huh! To find pirates and then beat them up."
Hearing this garp raised his eyebrow.
"Is that so?. Just don't embarrass the Marines too much."
"yea-Wait what? I'm not in the Marines."
"You are now," Garp scoffed, tossing him a standard-issue marine coat. "You stowed away on my warship, ate my food, made me lose and argument, and then put a celestial dragon in a coma, where he's most likely brain dead. You're enlisted by default."
"H-huh? Wh-why would you think I did any of that?" Lin gulped before flinching, before chuckling dryly.
Garp grinned after finally seeing him lose his composure.
"Heh. Pretty easy to figure out, you have a space related fruit don't you? I've seen you dilly-dallying and teleporting around like it's a freak show, that and your sudden appearance infront of me, it's not hard to piece things together."
Garp appeared next to him and smiled brightly.
"So either I report you straight to headquarters for the death of a celestial dragon or you join the Marines, what do you think? The life of a marine or the life of a fugative always having to look behind your back witha bounty in the millions."
'Goddammit... Even if he looks stupid at least his brain works every now and then.... But why is he helping me? Whatever.'
"That's not how employment works!" Lin protested.
"Too late. Paperwork's already forged," Garp said smugly. Before handing him an official document with his name on it.
"Now go earn your rations, mop monkey."
"I AM NOT A MOP MONKEY!"
> Ding! Stylish Argument Completed: 'Enlisted via Illegal Adoption'.
+100 charm Points.
---
Chapter 5 – Gourmet Pirates, Freeloaders
Several days later, deep in the forest...
"Ugh, this plain roasted meat again?" Lin Hai stared at the skewers in his hands, completely unenthused. "No seasoning, no sauce... this is a culinary tragedy."
Luffy grinned beside him, happily chewing.
"I know, right? It's so good it leaves me speechless too!"
"That's not what I meant you dumbass!" Lin Hai facepalmed. "Seriously though, why do you want to become Pirate King so badly? Just because of some childhood promise?"
Luffy shook his head.
"Nah, a promise is a promise — but I wanna be Pirate King for me. Ace and I swore we'd be the freest men on the seas!"
"The freest men…" Lin Hai fell silent, caught off guard by the boy's words.
Freedom... in a world like this? Where's the line between dreams and delusion? Is anyone truly free? With a threat like imu, his mere existence rules out freedom.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host has figured out a truth of the world. Conqueror's Haki leveled up!]
The system's prompt chimed in his mind, but Lin Hai didn't feel like celebrating. Honestly, he was so sick of this flavorless meat he could cry.
But then an idea sparked in his head.
"Hey, Luffy. Want to go eat something reaaaaaaaally good?"
Luffy's eyes sparkled like treasure.
"YES!"
'Poor guy.'
"Come with me. We're heading across this trash hill — over to the noble district. We're about to eat like kings."
Luffy blinked.
"But that place is super expensive! You got any Beli?"
Lin Hai smirked.
"Bro... have you forgotten what ability I have?"
Luffy gasped dramatically.
"Lin Hai! I didn't think you were that kind of person!"
"Hmpf, to be the freest man of them all you must break a few laws, give or take."
Soon enough, the two were strutting into the fancy part of town like they owned it.
Compared to the humble Windmill Village, the noble district was practically another planet bright streets, gold-trimmed signs, and restaurants fancier than anything Lin Hai had ever seen.
Not that he cared. In his heart, he was already planning to commit a stylish dine-and-dash.
---
Sometime later, down the main street...
"HEY! YOU TWO BASTARDS! STOP RIGHT THERE!"
Luffy was sprinting with meat clenched in both hands, shouting gleefully,
"shishishi why would we stop, you dummy!"
Lin Hai ran beside him, yelling ahead,
"Move it, people! Don't blame me if you get trampled by two handsome criminals!"
Some villagers on the side asked the furious chef running behind them:
"What's going on?"
> "They ate and ran! Those damn freeloaders didn't pay a single Beli!"
Luffy shouted back without a care,
"Don't worry! Once I become Pirate King and find the One Piece, I'll come back and pay you old man!"
Lin Hai added,
"Yeah!me too! I'll repay you ten—no, a hundred times over!"
"You think I'm stupid?! Sigh sigh STOP RUNNING AND PAY UP!"
"How dare you disrespect the future Pirate King!" Lin Hai shot back.
"The nerve on this guy!" Lin pouted as he stared back at Luffy who was smiling ear to ear.
Luffy laughed,
"Yeah! What nerve! Shishishi!"
---
Back at Dadan's house...
Bang bang bang!
Lin Hai and Luffy were knocking on the door, arms full of food.
"Who the hell's ruining my nap now?!"
Dadan's voice roared from inside.
She opened the door and glared.
"What do you brats want?"
Lin Hai crossed his arms.
"It's not even night. You were napping?! Anyway—here. We brought snacks."
Dadan stared at the bags suspiciously.
> "Don't tell me you two—"
Lin Hai gave her a smug look and shoved the food toward her.
"Say no more. Just enjoy. We'll be going now."
Luffy grinned wide,
"Hahaha! This came from the nobles' kitchens—"
"MMPH!" Lin Hai clamped a hand over Luffy's mouth and dragged him away.
"We agreed not to tell anyone!" he whispered to Luffy's ear.
"Mmm mmmph mmm!"
"Y-you dadan don't tell this to that old man garp! We'll all get our asses kicked by him. Break the code, and you're not getting invited next time!" Lin spoke as he ran away with Luffy who was biting down on his hand.
Dadan, meanwhile, was frozen at the door, blinking in disbelief.
" Did I just hear that right? Did they rob a noble's restaurant... and bring me LEFTOVERS?!"
She peeked outside, then slammed the door shut.
"hmpf whatever food is food. Better eat it before someone comes again."
---
The next morning, in the forest...
Lin Hai and Luffy were sparring.
Without using any system abilities, Lin Hai still couldn't beat Luffy outright — but when it came to fighting techniques, Lin was clearly more refined.
After all, he came from the 21st century and had watched the entire One Piece anime — he knew what was coming, who was strong, and what tricks they had.
"Luffy," he said while dodging a punch, "you waste way too much stamina. You're rubber, man. Rubber! Start using it like a weapon, not just a gimmick."
"Huh?"
"And where's your secret move? Like yknow, Every real fighter needs a trump card. Something you pull out when it's life or death!"
Luffy scratched his head. Before tilting it in confusion.
"Trump... card?"
"You dumbass something for escaping if you're losing! Anything!"
Another shake of the head.
>"Ugh, that's it." Lin Hai stormed over, removed his sandal, and smacked it across Luffy's face.
"And you say you want to be Pirate King?! You clueless rubber-headed idiot!"
"Ow! Owie Hey!"
And just like that, another day passed with them training, bantering, and slowly growing stronger.
Garp, somewhere far away, had no idea the person he dragged in to babysit his grandson was slowly becoming his biggest headache... and greatest relief.
---
Ch 4&5