[Author's Note: Earlier Koshiro and the Paper-Paper Fruit were already corrected. First time writing, the timeline's a bit messy, sorry. So please, don't overthink when reading. I won't change it—hahaha!]
"Ahhh, this is the life~" Leno stretched and yawned, lying on a beach chair on the ship's deck and sipping an iced drink. After saying goodbye to the villagers, he collapsed onto the chair as if all the bones had been removed from his body.
Nearby, Nami sat under a parasol reading. Kuina had taken Leno's spot, sitting on the bull's head, meditating on her swordsmanship. Nojiko leaned against the railing, quietly enjoying the sea breeze.
"Hey Nami, we agreed not to enter the Calm Belt, just sail along the edge. Don't you dare change your mind halfway."
"I knooow, I knooow. Idiot Leno, how many times have you nagged me about this already?"
"Hey, I'm only doing this for your safety."
"I think you're just lazy. Since we set sail, have you moved from your spot even once?" Nami rolled her eyes. Nojiko covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.
"How much longer until we reach the nearest island?" Leno asked drowsily, rubbing his eyes.
"At our current speed, we'll reach Gariman Island in half a day. It's close to the Calm Belt, so—" Nami began to explain the island's situation, only to glance over and find Leno already snoring.
"HEY!" Nami was furious.
Gariman Island was an uninhabited island near the Calm Belt. Affected by the currents here, it remained hot year-round, covered in dense vegetation. Rumor had it that a great pirate who returned from the Grand Line had hidden treasure there. Before landing, Nami explained the island's features to everyone.
The group disembarked. The trees towered overhead, and the thick undergrowth cast vast shadows. Leno swept the island with Observation Haki. "Not a small island… oh, and plenty of fruits too. We'll eat well today."
"Alright then. You go gather fruits and food, and keep an eye out for that rumored treasure," Nami ordered, then turned to Nojiko and Kuina. "Nojiko and I will survey the terrain and climate. Kuina, you can move freely—or stick with that idiot."
"Just be careful. There are lots of bugs and snakes here," Leno warned, then dashed into the forest with his sword, disappearing in seconds.
"This bastard! I hadn't even finished talking yet," Nami fumed.
"Alright, let's get going too," Nojiko said quickly. Kuina nodded and slipped into the woods from another direction.
"Whoa, a huge beehive. Wonder what species this is… Maybe it has honey? Eh, I'll take it back and check." With a pulse of Conqueror's Haki, the swarm fell instantly to the ground. Grinning, Leno plucked the hive and stuffed it into his pack.
The fruit variety here really was abundant. He collected piles of familiar fruits as he walked. Unknowingly, he reached the island's center.
It was an extinct volcano, only a few dozen meters tall, surrounded by shrubs. Here and there, bones—whether human or beast, hard to tell—peeked out of the cracks.
As Leno scanned the area, he heard rustling. Kuina emerged from the forest dragging a massive python.
"Kuina, you're here! What a great luck! We'll have grilled snake for dinner tonight!" Leno said with a laugh.
"Have Nami and Nojiko arrived yet?" Kuina glanced around.
"No, they're still mapping and drawing. It'll be a while," Leno replied.
He stepped forward, took the snake from her, and with a few quick slashes, cut it into pieces before storing it away. Kuina didn't even blink—she was used to his antics by now.
"Shall we check out the other side of the island?"
"Yeah. This is our first island since setting sail—we should explore it fully."
Together, they headed toward the opposite side.
That night, above the volcano's crater, the floating ship hung in mid-air. The crew clinked glasses around the table. Leno had no intention of roughing it camping on the ground.
"To our adventurers' team—first exploration completed successfully!"
"Cheers!" x4
They laughed and chatted happily about the day's discoveries.
"Leno, did you find any treasure?"
"Don't even get me started on treasure. There was nothing, not a single thing. I finally found a beehive, and there wasn't even any honey in it! All that effort for nothing." Leno said, feeling dejected.
"So the legend was fake, then?" Nami sighed in disappointment.
"Most pirates who return from the Grand Line are losers who got beaten down. If they're lucky enough to come back alive, you think they'd still have treasure to stash?" Leno snorted.
"The Grand Line… they call it the graveyard of the strong. Is it really that dangerous?" Nojiko asked, worry clouding her face.
"That's for others. For us, it's nothing but child's play." Leno laughed heartily.
After feasting, everyone returned to their rooms. Leno was about to do the same when—"Hm?" He spotted a massive shadow flapping toward them.
"Huh! It's a pterosaur. Too late, buddy—we're full… emmm, next meal then." With a flash of his blade, the beast was cleaved in two and casually stored away. Yawning, Leno went back inside.
The next day, watching the island shrink in the distance, Nojiko sighed. "This is just too convenient. Our voyage is nothing like ordinary sailors'."
"Of course. We're traveling the world for fun! Convenience, speed, and comfort are our motto," Leno said smugly.
"Yeah? And who was it saying adventure means hardship, danger, and growth?" Nami retorted, rolling her eyes.
"It's not a contradiction! Not at all!" Leno said sheepishly.
"Hey, newspaper!" Nami suddenly waved. A News Coo swooped down.
"Tyrant Bartholomew Kuma Appointed as Warlord of the Sea" — the article detailed Kuma's deeds as a pirate before becoming a Shichibukai. The rest of the news were tales of pirates slaughtering nations or plundering shipments.
"Warlords? Pirates legalized to plunder? That's…" Nojiko paled. Memories of Arlong's crew raiding their village surfaced. If not for Leno, the consequences would've been unimaginable. If piracy became legal… those victims would truly have no way to live.
"Oh? So Kuma's joined the Shichibukai, huh? That makes the seven complete," Leno murmured, recalling the lineup of Warlords at this point in time.
"You know this person?" Kuina asked curiously. Leno seemed to know far too much—but she didn't press. Just like she hadn't pressed when he conveniently appeared to save her life.
"Yeah, I know. He's a pitiful man. For the sake of his daughter, he gave everything he had…" Leno then told them Kuma's story.
"Those damn Celestial Dragons, they're evil!" Nami's eyes grew red with fury. Nojiko and Kuina wore equally outraged faces.
"This world is filled with tragedies like Kuma's. The crimes of the Celestial Dragons can never be washed away. And yet, they still live in luxury."
"We're not saviors. We can't save everyone from suffering. As long as we protect our own family and friends, the rest…" Leno's voice faded into the night, cold but resolute.