"So, Orochimaru, what's your dream?" Sabo asked, puzzled. Orochimaru had spoken of his past as if it were a story about someone else, leaving Sabo confused and bewildered.
Orochimaru gazed out at the sea, his expression complex. "To master all techniques, uncover the mysteries of this world, and achieve immortality."
"I see! Hahaha! So you just want to live forever, huh?" Luffy grinned, pressing down his straw hat. "I'll protect you, Orochimaru!"
Orochimaru scoffed. "If you're all setting sail, who's going to be the captain?"
"Me, of course!" Three voices rang out simultaneously, followed by an awkward silence as the trio stared at each other.
"Sabo, I always thought you'd definitely be my navigator," Ace mused thoughtfully.
"All of you! Join my crew!" Luffy blurted out impulsively.
"Absolutely not!" Sabo and Ace roared, veins throbbing in their foreheads.
"Come on, just get on board! I said get on board!" Luffy threw a tantrum, stomping his feet.
"Anything but that!" Ace retorted, Sabo nodding fiercely in agreement.
"Fine then," Luffy grumbled, pouting. "At least I still have Orochimaru."
Orochimaru set down his teacup and tilted his head. "Did I ever say I'd sail with you? Hmm, I don't think I did."
"I don't care! I don't care! I want Orochimaru on my ship!" Luffy threw a tantrum, rolling around on the ground, spinning and flailing wildly. Orochimaru watched amused, even pulling out a Visual Den Den Mushi to record the spectacle. Luffy immediately sat up straight, pouting miserably.
Under the warm sun, Orochimaru's lips curled slightly as Ace and Sabo burst into unrestrained laughter.
"Well, whatever happens, happens," Ace said, placing a bottle of sake on a tree stump. "You know, just sharing a toast makes us brothers. Even if we don't end up on the same pirate crew, let's forge this bond of brotherhood. No matter where we end up in the future, this bond will never break."
As he finished, the three instinctively glanced at Orochimaru. They couldn't shake the feeling that without some kind of binding tie, Orochimaru might simply vanish like the wind.
After a moment of contemplation, Orochimaru finally walked over. The four raised their glasses together, Ace eagerly clinking them.
"So, we're brothers now?" Orochimaru asked, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Hooray!" Luffy and Ace cheered in unison.
The group continued scavenging for Berry at the Waste Terminal, returning to Dadan's House with their haul. After dinner, the three boys and Orochimaru were stripped naked and tossed into the bathroom. Orochimaru stared at his filthy reflection, clutching his head in despair. "My image... my carefully crafted persona... ruined!" he groaned.
A *drip* echoed in the cramped space. Orochimaru turned to see Sabo with a nosebleed, veins bulging on his shark-like face.
"What the hell is that nosebleed?! I'll kill you!" Orochimaru roared.
A few days later, Makino and the Village Chief came to visit Luffy and Orochimaru. Sabo and Luffy teased Ace for acting so well-behaved in front of Makino, while Orochimaru helped her unpack and prepare the meal.
As they devoured the delicious food, Sabo sighed contentedly. "You know, no voyage is complete without good food. When I set sail, I'm definitely hiring the best damn cook in the world!"
Ace nudged him with a piece of meat. "I'll be the first to become a pirate! Your little dream's gonna sink like a stone!"
"Too cunning! I was supposed to be the first pirate!" Luffy declared triumphantly.
~(ˉ▽ˉ~)
Orochimaru emerged from the kitchen with a tray of food. Spotting Garp standing behind the trio, he broke into a cold sweat. He quickly straightened his clothes, patted his face, and forced a smile.
(〃'▽'〃)
"Grandpa! You're back!" His sweetness level shot up fivefold.
Luffy's face turned green as he realized what was happening. He stiffly turned around, Ace following suit.
Garp's eyes were bloodshot. "Still spouting that nonsense? Don't you understand? You're going to become Marines!" He slammed his fist, the size of a sandbag, onto their heads, then punched Dadan for good measure.
Sabo retreated, cold sweat trickling down his back. "So this is Ace, Luffy, and Orochimaru's grandfather..." He glanced at Orochimaru, who was standing beside Makino, smiling sweetly and looking well-behaved, then at the towering Garp. Now he understood what Luffy meant by calling Orochimaru the most cunning. 'Who even is this guy?'
"Hey brat," Garp turned to Sabo, "didn't you say you wanted to set sail too?"
Sabo was about to imitate Orochimaru's innocent act and offer an explanation when Luffy stepped forward. "He's not a kid! This is Sabo! We drank sake together and swore to become pirates together!"
Garp cracked his knuckles, his eyes fixed on Orochimaru, who was smiling flawlessly and appearing perfectly well-behaved. He knew exactly what that snake was up to, but lacking a legitimate reason to vent his fury on him, he turned his wrath on Luffy and the others. "So you're telling me there's another little brat I need to teach a lesson?"
Uh... ⊙-⊙! A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the forest as dust and shattered trees flew in all directions. Luffy, Sabo, and Ace spun through the air, their cries of pain piercing the air.
"That's enough for today," Garp said, clapping his hands and turning away. "Tomorrow's lesson will be even tougher. Don't die on me, Orochimaru. Take them back and patch them up." He shouted over his shoulder, "Don't let them die!"
"Got it, Grandpa," Orochimaru replied, instantly appearing on a tree branch. He crouched there, eyeing the battered trio below, and swallowed hard. 'Not bad for someone who's lived two lifetimes... I know when to bend.'
To be continued...