❛ NAMI THE CAT BURGLAR . ❜
⋆ ˚｡⋆ ( Chapter: 02. ) ⋆ ˚｡⋆
On Our Journey We Go.
" Into The Abyss We Go."
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THE SEA stretched infinitely in every direction, its rolling blue like the lungs of the world—rising, falling, breathing, dreaming.
A single boat rocked gently upon its surface, fragile as a lullaby, carrying with it the weight of ambition, memory, and something more ancient still.
The sky above was unmarred—just an ocean turned upside down.
On that little boat, three figures sat in vastly different silences.
Luffy lay sprawled out like a boy in a field, limbs long and relaxed, the tip of his straw hat bobbing with each tilt of the waves. His mouth hung slightly open in sleep, and the occasional sleepy hum left his lips like wind brushing reeds.
His dreams were simple: adventure, freedom, meat, and the sea. But his soul was loud, crackling like embers in the air. He was a fire that didn't burn—only beckoned.
Zoro, sharp-edged and sun-hardened, leaned against the side of the dinghy with his arms crossed and swords stacked neatly at his side. He dozed lightly, his chest rising and falling in rhythm with the tide, but even in sleep he radiated tension—like a sword left sheathed, but never dull.
And then—at the back of the boat, seated with the stillness of a moonlit prayer—was Matsu.
Her knees were drawn to her chest, arms folded gently around them. Her long silver hair spilled over her shoulders like silk threaded with starlight, catching the golden afternoon sun in streaks of pearl and ash. Stray locks fluttered across her face, but she didn't brush them away.
She stared at the horizon with a look that didn't belong to this world—one of a creature who had lived lifetimes beneath the waves, watching the rise and fall of islands, empires, storms.
Her bare feet, pale and still tender, pressed lightly against the boat's edge. Every time the boat rocked, her toes dipped into the water—like she was saying goodbye, little by little.
The salt from the sea clung to her skin, and every breeze whispered past her like an old friend.
She was quiet, but her thoughts spun like whirlpools.
The sky stretches so far... it frightens me.
Up here, there is no ceiling. No dark weight pressing down. Just light. And noise. And wind that does not listen like the sea does.
She missed the hush of deep waters, the hum of coral reefs, the distant singing of whales in the trenches.
But she had made a promise.
And promises—especially those spoken with the ocean watching—were sacred.
Luffy stirred suddenly, yawning mid-laugh. "This boat's too small."
"You just noticed?" Zoro muttered, one eye cracking open.
Matsu glanced over at them, her voice a low tide. "The sea is patient. Small boats can still make it across great waters... if the heart inside them is steady."
Zoro squinted at her, then smirked. "Is that a proverb?"
"No," she said. "It's what my mother told me. Before they killed her."
A silence fell. Not awkward—just respectful. Heavy like a pause in the wind.
Luffy sat up fully, hat in his lap now, eyes uncharacteristically alert.
"...We'll find who did it," he said softly.
She looked at him, her expression unreadable. Then, she nodded.
Zoro leaned back with a grunt. "We still need a proper ship. A navigator. And a map."
Luffy grinned, looking over at Matsu. "We'll find one. The sea always gives me what I need."
Matsu let her gaze fall to the waves again.
Then let it give us mercy, too, she thought. Because dreams like yours tend to wake storms.
The boat creaked on. Birds danced overhead. The scent of distant citrus drifted faintly on the breeze.
"You two are hopeless," she muttered, voice rich like a wave curling over coral. "You've been rowing in a circle for the past hour."
Zoro huffed. "That's not possible."
Matsu blinked. "That rock over there? Same one you passed three times."
Luffy suddenly sprang to life, eyes wide. "FOOD!" he shouted, pointing skyward.
A large seabird soared above them, wings spread like a shadow over the sea.
"I got it!" Luffy grinned, standing in the wobbling boat.
"Luffy, don't—" Zoro began, but it was too late.
"Gomu Gomu no... ROCKET!"
With a loud snap, Luffy stretched his arms high and launched himself like a slingshot straight into the air. He grabbed onto the bird's legs—and immediately regretted it.
"Wait! It's—AGHHH!"
The bird wasn't some little seagull. It was a massive predator bird—and now it was furious. With a loud screech, it flapped once and flew off, Luffy dangling helplessly in its talons like a caught worm.
Zoro leapt to his feet. "Damn it!"
Matsu watched the whole thing, eyes slightly wide as Zoro sighs in annoyance. "I guess he's always been this reckless, huh?"
"Pretty much."
Without hesitation, Zoro dropped his oar and grabbed the other, rowing fiercely after the bird's path. Matsu dove under the surface with barely a ripple.
Zoro grit his teeth, muscles straining as he pushed the boat forward. The bird was fast, but he wasn't about to let Luffy get eaten by a giant feathery beast.
Suddenly, a cry rang out to the left.
"Help! Please! We're drowning out here!"
Zoro turned just as three flailing men appeared in the water—pirates, from the look of them. Ragged clothes, weapons barely staying above the waves.
"Don't stop!" one shouted.
"I'm not trying to!" Zoro barked, rowing right into their path.
With no brakes and too much momentum, the boat passed right by them—and the pirates climbed aboard mid-motion, piling onto Zoro's small skiff. It wobbled dangerously.
"Thanks for the ride!" one said with a sneer.
Another grinned. "Now we'll be taking this boat!"
Zoro cracked his neck. "Bad idea."
In an instant, he drew the sword at his waist and slammed the flat of it into the nearest pirate's gut, sending him flying into the sea. The others tried to lunge at him, but Zoro dodged with inhuman grace, striking once, twice—until all three were groaning, stacked like laundry in the boat.
Matsu broke the surface beside them, brows raised. "Need a hand?"
Zoro scoffed. "I got it. But I'd take a map if you've got one."
The pirates, now shivering and bruised, raised their hands in surrender.
"W-We're sorry! We didn't know you were Roronoa Zoro! The pirate hunter!"
Zoro sheathed his blade. "Talk."
One of them trembled. "We were celebrating! We plundered this fancy merchant ship, got a bunch of gold, and thought our luck was golden."
The second coughed, bruised. "Then we saw a girl. Alone. Sitting in a boat, calm as anything. She asked us for water and food, said she'd give us treasure in return."
Zoro narrowed his eyes. Matsu floated beside the boat, listening.
"So we opened the chest," the third muttered darkly. "It was empty. And by the time we realized, she'd stolen our ship and left us stranded."
"A storm hit right after," another added, shaking. "It wrecked the boat we'd plundered. We barely escaped with our lives."
Matsu raised an eyebrow. "She sounds resourceful."
"She's a devil! Her hair's orange like fire, and she laughed as we sank!"
Zoro rubbed his chin. "Who's your captain?"
The men all tensed. "B-Buggy the Clown."
Matsu tilted her head. "Buggy?" Zoro looked at her, then at the horizon. "This just got interesting."
And before them, on the horizon, land began to rise like a promise: Orange Town.
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Orange Town basked under the baking sun, though no one was enjoying the weather. The once peaceful village was in ruins—shattered buildings, scorched cobblestones, and paint-peeling walls told of the chaos that had swept through. At the edge of the harbor, a monstrous ship shaped like a twisted carousel bobbed unnaturally.
Giant toy horses, bright red and gold paint, and the echo of circus music gave the illusion of playfulness—until you saw the pirate flags.
From the deck, a scruffy pirate peered through a spyglass.
"Oi, Captain! You're gonna want to see this!"
Inside the striped command tent, Buggy the Clown snarled as he poured wine into a goblet. His red nose twitched. "Better be worth interrupting my drink, Cabaji."
"It's... a bird. A big one. Carrying a person."
Buggy nearly dropped his glass. "A what?!"
"Looks like he's got a straw hat and... Wait, someone's swimming below him too. Silver hair."
Buggy leaned out and squinted. Luffy dangled like bait from the claws of a bird, swinging wildly. Beneath him, a silver-haired woman cut through the sea like a sleek dagger, occasionally leaping from the water with unnatural grace.
"That's no ordinary swimmer," Buggy muttered. "Shoot them down."
"On it!"
Meanwhile, in the town, Footsteps thundered across the ruined streets.
"GET BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE THIEF!"
Three pirates chased a girl through the alleyways, their heavy boots slamming the cobblestones. She darted around debris and ducked under a broken cart, her bright orange hair flashing like fire.
"Too slow!" she called over her shoulder.
The girl—Nami—clutched a tightly rolled map under one arm and a smirk on her lips. "Didn't anyone teach you not to trust women?"
The pirates howled, red-faced and breathless.
"You stole from Buggy the Clown!"
Nami rolled her eyes. "He steals from everyone. Call it karma."
Just as one pirate lunged toward her—BOOM.
A massive explosion shook the square. Smoke and dust swallowed the air, making the pirates stumble back, coughing. In the center of the blast, something slammed into the dirt, kicking up debris in every direction.
Nami shielded her face, stumbling. "What the hell—?"
When the smoke cleared... a boy in a straw hat sat in the crater, blinking calmly, his rubber limbs folded like noodles.
"Ugh... Who shot at me?" Luffy muttered.
"Luffy!!" a voice called out.
Nami turned—and saw a silver-haired woman slide across the wet stone, standing beside the boy with saltwater dripping from her limbs. Her ocean-blue eyes narrowed as she looked up at the sky.
"Someone tried to kill him," Matsu said, voice cool and sharp.
The pirates were too stunned to move. One finally pointed. "Hey! He's the guy from the ship!"
"That's him! The straw hat idiot! He fell from the sky!"
"Let's get him before Buggy finds out!"
They rushed toward Luffy and Matsu.
But Nami's eyes sparked with sudden mischief. An idea struck her.
She sprinted to Luffy's side and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "Boss! You finally made it!"
Luffy blinked. "Huh?"
"Boss?" the pirates echoed, confused.
"Yeah, this is my boss," Nami beamed, tugging Luffy to his feet. "You know. The terrifying pirate I've been working for."
"Wait, really?" Luffy asked, tilting his head.
She stepped hard on his foot.
"YOW—yes! Right! I'm the boss!" he said with a goofy grin.
Matsu raised an eyebrow but said nothing, arms folded.
The pirates hesitated. "He doesn't look like a boss..."
"Maybe he's one of those quiet, powerful types," one muttered nervously.
"You jerks gonna pick a fight with us?" Nami challenged, stepping forward.
"You better not mess with my crew," Luffy added, puffing out his chest.
"You don't have a crew yet," Matsu whispered.
"Shhh..."
Then—one of the pirates got bold. "Let's see how scary this 'boss' really is!"
He swung a club, striking Luffy's head. The straw hat flew off.
Luffy stood still for a second... then slowly turned his head. Shadows fell across his eyes.
"My hat..."
His voice was deathly quiet.
The air thickened. Even Matsu felt it—a subtle pressure, like the moment before a massive wave broke.
"I don't like it when people touch my hat," Luffy said.
In a blur, he lunged forward. His fist stretched and slammed into the nearest pirate, sending him flying through a broken wall. The others tried to retreat, but Luffy followed with elastic limbs, knocking one after another into unconsciousness.
Matsu didn't move. She watched with a growing smile, a flicker of memory flashing in her eyes—the same boy she once met on a cliff years ago. The same fire.
Nami stared, wide-eyed. "What kind of monster...?"
Luffy dusted himself off and picked up his hat, gently placing it back on his head.
"That's better."
Matsu gave a small nod. "Nice punch."
"Thanks!"
Nami looked between them, recovering her cool. "Alright, maybe you are useful."
Luffy grinned. "Wanna join my crew?"
"I'd rather die."
Matsu shrugged. "Fair."
Nami adjusted her tone, flipping a coin between her fingers. "You're strong, and I've got a plan. How about a partnership?"
"Sure!"
She leaned in. "But you're not... a pirate, right?"
"I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!" Her smile froze.
"...Of course you are."
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The plan was simple—or so Nami claimed. "We'll pretend you're my prisoner," she said as they snuck through the charred remains of Orange Town. "Buggy's obsessed with showing off his power. He'll love the idea of me capturing someone strong."
Luffy tilted his head. "Why am I tied up again?"
Matsu, walking a step behind, narrowed her eyes at Nami. "That's what I'd like to know too."
Nami kept her smile tight as she looped rope around Luffy's wrists. "To sell the act. Buggy's not dumb."
"He is a clown," Luffy offered helpfully.
Nami nearly dropped the rope. "That—never mind."
Matsu had been quiet since the fight. Something about Nami's energy made her suspicious—not malicious, but slippery, like an eel swimming upstream. Still, Matsu kept pace, her sea-wet hair clinging to her back. The saltwater droplets clung to her skin, refusing to evaporate, giving her an otherworldly glow even on land.
They reached the square where Buggy's ship loomed like a twisted amusement park on water. Bright lights, painted horses, cannon ports shaped like clown mouths.
A guard with a pointed hat stood at the gangplank.
Nami waved. "I've brought someone Buggy's going to love."
The guard raised a brow. "Is that a prisoner or lunch?"
"Depends on how you cook him," Matsu muttered.
They were led inside, past rows of pirates juggling swords and laughing at nothing. It smelled like gunpowder and spilt rum.
At the center of the circus-like interior sat a throne stitched together from scraps of red velvet. And there, grinning like a maniac, sat Buggy the Clown. His red nose twitched, hair sticking out in blue tufts. He sipped wine through a straw shaped like a balloon animal.
He eyed Luffy, then Nami, then finally Matsu, whose ocean-blue eyes were scanning every cannon, every angle.
"Well, well, well..." Buggy leaned forward, eyeing Luffy and Matsu. "You bring me Straw Hat and a pretty little lady?"
"She's just... tagging along," Nami lied smoothly. "But he's the one you want."
Buggy cackled. "Tied up like a roast pig! You're just handing him over?"
"He destroyed three of your men earlier," Nami added, nudging Luffy's shoulder.
Luffy blinked. "Did I?"
Buggy grinned wider. "Oh, I like him."
Without warning, Buggy snapped his fingers—and the floor under Luffy dropped open. A cage rose from beneath, iron bars clicking into place. Luffy fell in with a clang, nose squished against the bars.
"Comfy?" Buggy laughed.
Matsu took a step forward, but Nami grabbed her wrist.
"Don't. You'll blow the whole plan."
Matsu's voice was low. "If he gets hurt—"
"He won't. I'm not with Buggy. I'm going to steal from him."
Buggy clapped once, calling his men over. "Bring out the treasure, boys! Our newest ally deserves a reward!"
Nami's eyes lit up. Gold, coins, jewels—all spilled from a velvet chest. She forced a smile. "Thank you, Captain."
"And now..." Buggy stood, arms wide, "one final test."
Nami stiffened. "Kill the Straw Hat boy."
The room went silent. Luffy tilted his head. "Wait, what?"
Matsu's hand went to her side, fingers curling—but no weapon was visible.
Nami's face froze. She looked at Luffy—still goofy, still calm—and then at the knife being handed to her by a grinning pirate.
"Just one cut," Buggy cooed. "Prove your loyalty."
Nami's hand trembled. Matsu stepped forward, voice like thunder before the storm. "She won't do it."
Buggy turned. "Who said you could speak, little girl?"
"I did." Matsu's eyes began to glow faintly, sea-blue and filled with ancient pressure. "And if you force her—"
"What?" Buggy chuckled. "You'll kill me? I've fought stronger people than you, sweetheart."
Matsu's expression didn't change. She simply stepped forward, and the wood under her feet darkened, as if soaked with water.
The air in the tent grew wet—damp, suffocating. Pirates shifted uncomfortably.
Nami stared between the two of them. She dropped the knife. "I can't do it."
Buggy's grin dropped. "What was that?"
"I said I'm not killing anyone for a clown."
The room exploded into chaos. "TRAITOR!"
"GET HER!"
In that split second, Matsu moved.
Water burst up through the wooden planks, erupting in twisting vines of sea-salt and foam. The room flooded just high enough to trip pirates and toss tables. Matsu shielded Nami with one arm and snapped the cage's lock with a concentrated blast of high-pressure water from her palm.
Luffy stood up, rubbing his wrists. "Thanks!"
Buggy's hand suddenly flew across the room—literally. It twisted in the air and drove a knife right into Zoro's side as he crashed through the door.
"Zoro!" Luffy shouted.
Zoro growled, yanking the blade free. "It's nothing."
Buggy reassembled his body, limbs floating and clicking back together like a puppet. "You think swords can cut me?! I'm the Chop-Chop Man!"
"Devil Fruit user," Matsu muttered. "His body comes apart."
Zoro's eyes narrowed. "Noted."
Luffy grinned. "Let's blow him up."
Zoro smirked. "Gladly."
Together, the three launched a counterattack.
Luffy grabbed the nearest cannon, swinging it like a club. Matsu summoned water again, spinning it into a whirlpool that distracted the pirates. Zoro flung two blades and lunged at Buggy's main torso.
"CANNON—FIRE!" Luffy shouted.
The cannon Buggy had been boasting about earlier launched into his own crew, sending him sailing backward into the wreckage.
Smoke filled the air.
The trio—and Nami—ran for the exit.
As they stumbled onto the street, coughing and soaked, Matsu glanced over her shoulder at the wreckage.
"Let's not do that again," she muttered. Luffy grinned, hat still on his head. "I'm hungry."
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The town had gone quiet again. Only the wind dared whisper through the abandoned stalls, brushing dust over upturned crates and forgotten fruit. Charcoal clouds rolled above Orange Town, threatening rain—or maybe the sky simply grieved with them.
Luffy, Matsu, and Nami moved in silence, shoes tapping soft against cobblestone. Behind them, the ruin of Buggy's tented chaos smoldered in the distance, smoke trailing into the heavens like burnt dreams.
"I smell salt," Matsu murmured. But she wasn't talking about the sea.
Ahead, a low growl stirred the hush. A small, white dog sat in front of a boarded shop, ears perked, body stiff with duty. His fur was ragged from the sun, his paws dirt-worn, yet his eyes held the defiant fire of a soldier on his last post.
He didn't move when they approached.
"He's been waiting," came a croaky voice behind them.
An old man with a mustache like a curled wave hobbled forward, cane tapping. Mayor Boodle.
"He guards that pet shop day and night," the mayor said, voice slow with weight. "His master passed months ago, but this dog—Chouchou—he refuses to leave."
Nami's brows pinched. Luffy tilted his head. Matsu crouched, watching the dog with ancient recognition.
"There's a kind of grief," she whispered, "that doesn't fade—it anchors."
Boodle nodded. "He keeps vigil. Rain, heat, pirates... he never runs."
Matsu glanced at the shop. Its shutters had been nailed shut. Faded signage still clung to the doorframe. There were no candles lit, no bark of invitation. Just the dog. Just his silence.
Then came the rumble.
Wooden beams creaked as a towering lion—its mane like wild fire, its eyes dumb with rage—ambled around the corner, led on a leash of linked chains. Behind it walked a man with untamed hair and a wicked grin: Mohji, Buggy's first mate.
"Well, well," Mohji smirked. "What's this? Strays?"
Nami grabbed Boodle's arm. "Go. Now."
"But the dog—!"
"GO!"
Boodle hesitated, but the lion roared, and the old man stumbled into a retreat.
Luffy stood, arms crossed and expression unreadable. Still locked in his cage—chained metal now cracked and bent from his earlier flight. Matsu moved to his side, water stirring at her fingertips.
"You're a little late," Luffy said.
Mohji laughed. "You're a little stuck."
He pointed. Richie the lion lunged.
The impact was thunderous. The cage shattered. Luffy flew backward, crashing through the side of a wooden house, vanishing into a storm of dust and debris.
Richie growled, turning. Toward the pet shop. Chouchou stood in its way, unmoving.
The lion bared its fangs. And the dog barked once—loud, sharp, aching.
It was not a challenge. It was a cry.
A cry for his master, for the shop they built, for the memories painted into every grain of wood behind him. He lunged, teeth snapping at Richie's thick hide.
The lion struck him aside like paper.
Matsu moved—but something held her. The weight of a story not hers to fight.
She watched. The dog stood again. Blood on his paw, ears back, but still—he stood. But the lion would not relent.
It tore into the shop, crashing shelves, igniting flame as lanterns tipped and glass shattered. Fire licked the edges. The scent of burning fur and wood filled the air.
Chouchou howled as the shop began to burn.
And then—A crash.
Luffy, through smoke, stepped from the ruin of the building he'd been thrown into.
His shirt was scorched. His face was quiet. And his hat—his precious hat—sat once again atop his head, tilted low over his eyes.
He looked at the burning pet shop.
At Chouchou, bleeding and whimpering.
At Richie and Mohji, who turned to greet him with smug laughter.
He said nothing. He just cracked his knuckles.
"Now I'm mad."
Richie lunged again, but Luffy was faster. His arm whipped forward like lightning, his fist stretching out in an impossible blur.
"Gomu Gomu no... PISTOL!"
The punch landed with a sound like a cannon. Richie tumbled into crates, walls, dust.
Mohji barely turned before Luffy's foot met his jaw. He sailed into the distance like a shooting star—one you didn't wish on.
Silence returned.
Smoke still curled into the sky. The shop was no more.
Luffy walked forward and sifted through the char. He emerged, holding a small, half-burned box. Inside, a few cans of dog food remained—smudged with ash but sealed.
He knelt by Chouchou. The dog looked up, ears drooped. Luffy said nothing—just opened a can and set it gently down.
Chouchou sniffed, whimpered, then began to eat.
Not like a dog with appetite, like a dog reclaiming memory. Every bite, a tribute to a man long gone.
Matsu watched with a hand over her heart. The sea, far in the distance, stirred softly.
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Orange Town slept in ash and ruin, but defiance still breathed in its bones.
Smoke clung to the rooftops like ghosts. Embers glowed in cracked windows. The scent of battle lingered like a bitter perfume. And somewhere in the distance—laughter. High, unhinged, and cruel.
Captain Buggy the Clown sat in the heart of it all, his carousel-shaped ship looming like a twisted circus tent. Firelight danced in his eyes as his crew howled in delight, greed spilling from their mouths like wine. Gold glittered in crates, rubies and rings and maps of promise piled high beneath their feet.
And into that madness walked a man.
Mayor Boodle—limping, trembling, but unshaken.
He held a rusted spear in one hand. His coat was torn. Wrinkles etched his face like worn stone, but his eyes... they burned.
"I will not let you take this town," he growled.
Buggy turned slowly, red nose twitching with interest. "What's this? A fossil come to lecture me?"
"I built Orange Town with my hands. My wife planted every garden. My people are scared—but I'm not. You want the town? Come through me."
Buggy's smile widened. "With pleasure."
A finger snapped. Buggy's floating hands darted like serpents, wrapping around Boodle's throat, lifting him from the ground.
The old man gasped, feet kicking, spear falling with a clatter. The crew roared with laughter.
"I love guts," Buggy crooned, tightening his grip. "But guts get people killed."
A sudden crash interrupted the jeer.
The wooden wall beside them exploded inward as Luffy burst onto the scene, straw hat tilted, eyes ablaze with fury.
Zoro followed behind, one hand still pressed to the wound in his side, swords gleaming in the dusk. And from the shadows, walking like moonlight, came Matsu—barefoot, silver hair trailing behind her like a comet's tail.
Nami slipped in quietly, eyes darting, already calculating gold and angles.
Buggy dropped Boodle with a hiss.
"Well, well," he said, arms returning to his sides. "The brat in the hat, the pirate hunter, and the mystery girl. You're all just in time for my final act."
Zoro stepped forward, ignoring the throb in his ribs. "You've got a mouth, clown. Let's see if it's sharper than your blades."
Buggy licked his lips. "Cabaji."
From above, his second mate descended on a unicycle, sword spinning in circles. His eyes gleamed beneath heavy black bangs.
"I'll handle this one."
Zoro cracked his neck. "Good. I need the warm-up."
They clashed in a blur of silver. Sparks flew as steel met steel. Cabaji spun, leaping from post to post, his sword dancing like flame. Zoro, wounded but relentless, met every blow with brute resolve.
Meanwhile, Buggy turned toward Luffy.
"I heard you mention Shanks before," Luffy said, fists clenched.
Buggy's grin twisted. "Ah, him. You know that red-haired bastard too?"
"He's the one who gave me this hat."
Buggy's expression soured. "Figures. That idiot cost me everything."
He ripped his coat open, gesturing to his chest. "I had dreams, you know. Real ones. But he—he made me swallow that cursed Devil Fruit by accident. Ruined my life. While he laughed and became a hero."
Luffy's eyes narrowed. "You blame Shanks? For your mistake?"
Buggy's arms launched forward, blades in both hands. "I blame him for making me weak!"
Luffy dodged, flipping backward. "No. You did that to yourself."
The battle erupted. Buggy's parts flew in all directions—arms, legs, chest, fists, toes—assaulting Luffy like a sentient swarm. But Matsu moved with him, her steps fluid, eyes glowing with ocean-blue fire.
When a dagger aimed for Luffy's back, she summoned a whip of water from the air, cracking it against Buggy's floating limb.
"Careful," she said coolly. "Your magic trick's getting sloppy."
Buggy snarled, body swirling apart again. "Oh? And what are you, girl? Another cursed freak?"
Matsu smiled, slow and calm. "I'm the sea. And the sea doesn't like clowns."
He launched at her, but she flicked her wrist. A spiral of water wrapped around one of his arms, yanking it backward. Luffy took the chance, slamming Buggy's torso into the ground.
And in the chaos—Nami moved.
While Buggy's pieces fought in disarray, she slid around crates of gold, silk gloves brushing against glittering chains and gems. Her eyes found the Grand Line map first—then the mountain of treasure Buggy had hoarded from years of theft.
"I'll be taking this," she whispered.
She stuffed it into her satchel. Buggy's floating head turned just in time to see her.
"THIEF!"
He launched forward, detaching every limb but his head, hands, and feet. He became a whirlwind of violence.
Nami ducked, screamed—and then—
"GOMU GOMU NO... BAZOOKA!"
Luffy's twin fists collided with Buggy's remaining pieces, sending them crashing through the side of the ship.
"Got him!" Luffy grinned—But the hands, feet, and head kept coming.
Until Nami, still clutching the treasure, turned with a rope.
"I told you clowns don't impress me."
With a deft twist, she looped the rope around Buggy's arms, legs, and midsection—all the pieces that gave him power.
"Try floating now," she snapped.
Buggy's head bobbed helplessly in the air, just his nose twitching. "You brat—!"
"Luffy," she called.
"On it." With a last elastic wind-up, Luffy grinned, stretching both fists back.
"Say hi to the sky."
"GOMU GOMU NO ROCKET... PUNCH!"
Buggy flew like a comet, his screaming echoing into the distance as a glittering twinkle marked his disappearance.
Silence fell.
Ash floated down like snow. The town exhaled. Then Nami turned to Luffy, dusting her palms.
"You're not so bad," she said with a smirk.
Luffy blinked.
"I like you," she added. "But don't get any ideas—I still hate pirates."
Matsu laughed softly. "You're joining us?"
Nami rolled her eyes. "Temporary partnership. Nothing more."
Still, she reached into her satchel and pulled out the map.
"Here. For now... we sail together."
Luffy's face lit up. Zoro chuckled. Matsu tilted her head at the sky, where Buggy had vanished.
And from afar, the sea hummed.
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Smoke still lingered over Orange Town, but it no longer smelled like fear. The embers had faded to gray. The clown was gone.
Zoro sat beneath the broken signpost of a bar, bandaging his torso with quiet grunts, his swords leaning beside him. Nami was reclined against a crate, counting her treasure with the precision of a surgeon, every coin flipped and stacked. Luffy lay flat on the ground, hands behind his head, gazing at the sky like it held all the answers in the world.
And Matsu—she stood at the edge of a stone fountain, one hand trailing in the water. Her silver hair shimmered in the light like seafoam caught in sunlight.
For the first time in hours, the town was quiet.
"I still don't get why you knocked the old man out," Nami muttered, arms folded.
Luffy grinned. "He would've gotten hurt. He's strong... but not strong enough."
"He had guts," Zoro murmured.
"He had heart," Matsu added, her voice soft. But peace is never still for long—not even for pirates.
A sharp voice cut through the silence. "Mayor Boodle! What happened here?!"
Footsteps. Voices. Dozens of them.
The townspeople, finally returning from their hiding places in the outskirts, gasped in horror at the sight of their unconscious mayor, the damaged buildings, the loot scattered, the unfamiliar figures lounging like conquerors.
"Who are they?!"
"They knocked out the mayor?!"
"They're pirates!"
Luffy pushed himself to his feet, brushing off his shorts. "We're pirates," he said casually, stretching his arms above his head. "And I felt like punching him."
The townspeople shouted as one.
"GET THEM!"
Zoro cursed under his breath, grabbing his swords and pulling Matsu behind him instinctively. "Here we go again."
Matsu blinked, surprised by his reflex. "I'm not fragile, you know."
"Didn't say you were," Zoro muttered, eyes already scanning for the best escape route.
Luffy grabbed Nami by the wrist, dragging her into a sprint. "Let's goooo!"
The chase thundered through cobbled streets and broken alleyways. Nami shrieked, dodging barrels. Matsu weaved through the shadows like moonlight, feet barely touching the ground. Zoro, still injured, kept pace, grimacing—but his hand never once left the small of Matsu's back, guiding her forward like a silent anchor.
Then—woof!
A sudden bark echoed from ahead. From the side of a burning food stall, a familiar figure leapt out: Chouchou.
The dog barked again, urgent, then darted down a narrow passageway between buildings.
Luffy blinked. "He's helping us again!"
"Smart pup," Nami panted, following him.
Chouchou led them through a shortcut, behind a collapsed bakery, past a shattered statue of Boodle himself, and out to the docks where the boats waited—two small vessels rocking gently on the tide.
By the time the townspeople reached the square, the pirates were already untying their ropes.
Boodle stirred with a groan near the fountain, finally waking. "Wha... where are they?"
The villagers pointed. "They're escaping!"
But Boodle stared at the ships—and did nothing.
His vision blurred slightly as he saw the boy with the straw hat laugh, tipping his head back like he had just won a prizefight with the sky. The swordsman, standing tall even with his wounds. The orange-haired girl counting her coins. And the ethereal one with silver hair, standing barefoot on the dock like she belonged more to the sea than to land.
He exhaled slowly.
"Let them go."
"But Mayor—!"
"They saved us," he whispered.
From the dock, Luffy waved. "Thanks for the food!"
Zoro gave a short nod.
Nami rolled her eyes. "Idiots." But then she paused. Her hand reached into her satchel—and froze.
"...Where's the bag with the lion medallion?"
She spun toward Luffy, her voice sharp. "You didn't."
Luffy grinned. "I did."
"LUFFY!"
"Relax. It was only one bag."
"One very expensive bag! That had at least five million berries in it!"
He shrugged. "They need it more."
The townspeople would find it later—resting gently beside the ruins of a library. Tied with a note scrawled in messy handwriting:
"To rebuild. From pirates."
Nami grabbed Luffy by the collar. "If you ever touch my treasure again, I'll kill you!"
Zoro chuckled low in his throat.
Matsu, from where she sat at the edge of the boat, let the water kiss her fingers. "He did the right thing."
Nami pointed at her. "Don't take his side!"
"I'm not," Matsu said, her gaze on the rising tide. "I'm taking the sea's."
Luffy laughed again, wind whipping through his hair. "Let's go!"
The sails caught wind, and the boats drifted forward, leaving the smoke and chaos of Orange Town behind. The morning sun rose like a coin tossed into the sky, and the sea stretched before them—open, endless, shimmering.
Matsu closed her eyes. In the water below, something old stirred—recognizing her once more.
"Next stop?" Nami asked, arms folded.
"To get a proper ship," Luffy said, grinning wide.
"And some more booze." Zoro added, eyes gleaming.
"Then let's make it count," Matsu whispered, her voice sinking into the waves.
The ships sailed on. And the sea watched.