Chapter 3: Is Lang a Noble?
Soon, the tall and beautiful Alvida from the anime emerged.
After dismantling the cobblestone wall, Cheng Lang poked the lump on the ground.
Fat and skin.
"So that's how it works—wrap the skin, then slide away the excess fat and blemishes. Makes sense. Otherwise, just removing the fat would leave the skin all wrinkled."
Alvida stepped out, examining her slender arms.
No hair. Pale, smooth, and delicate.
She touched her face.
A perfect oval shape. Her features were well-proportioned—not squished together like before.
"Me… me?! My voice changed too?"
"That's normal," Cheng Lang explained. "When someone loses weight, their voice changes. More air flows through the throat, making it clearer."
Alvida was thrilled. She hadn't seen herself yet, but she knew she wasn't the same.
She turned to Cheng Lang to thank him—only to notice his eyes drifting downward.
"What's wrong?"
Cheng Lang scratched his head, voice a little shaky.
"Confidence is a good thing."
"?"
Alvida looked down, paused, then smiled—completely unbothered.
In the past, she couldn't even see her feet.
Now? Not fully, but at least her toes were visible.
Cheng Lang was confused by her sudden laughter.
Are all women in One Piece this open-minded?
At twenty years old, he felt a bit overwhelmed.
He quietly looked away.
A few minutes later, Alvida returned, now dressed properly.
"Thank you."
Simple words—but the most sincere thing she could say.
"You came just in time. The roast pig's ready."
"Roast pig?"
Cheng Lang reached into the square furnace, still burning, and pulled out a massive object.
A wild boar—over three meters tall.
Alvida's eyes widened.
How could something that big come out of a furnace mouth barely 30 centimeters wide?
But she let it go.
After all, Devil Fruits were magical—this wasn't the strangest thing she'd seen.
"Eat up. Should help with your injury."
Alvida rubbed her aching stomach.
Without hesitation, she tore off a chunk of pork leg and started devouring it.
In less than ten minutes, the two of them had demolished the entire boar.
Alvida ate a lot—no surprise there.
Cheng Lang, on the other hand, could eat endlessly.
Even when his hunger bar was full, he could still gain saturation.
Classic MC mechanics.
Eventually, his stomach was full.
"I didn't expect your cooking skills to be this good."
"Thanks, but the taste has little to do with me," Cheng Lang replied. "It's all the fruit's power."
As a modern guy, he couldn't tell grains apart—let alone cook.
But the boar roasted in the furnace came out clean: no hair, no organs.
Just crispy on the outside, tender on the inside.
No seasoning needed—it was delicious.
Maybe it was just the One Piece world.
Even Luffy, who knew nothing, could grill meat like a pro.
Alvida looked at Cheng Lang with her new eyes.
His honesty struck her.
Only now did she really see him.
His clothes were strange—baggy shorts, a shirt with weird writing.
But his manners were polite.
She studied his face.
Messy hair, pale skin, soft features.
With a wig, makeup, and a dress, he could pass for a girl.
They were close now.
No foul smells—just the scent of barbecue.
Compared to the rough men on her ship, Cheng Lang was practically a prince.
Thin arms, fragile legs.
Before, she would've scoffed at someone like him.
Even as a deckhand, she wouldn't have tolerated him.
That wasn't what a man should be.
It's why she always picked on Coby.
The weak are easy to bully.
"You told me to follow you?"
Cheng Lang patted his belly—no movement.
He glanced at Alvida.
"Regretting it already?"
"Not at all. You've done me a huge favor—I can't ignore that. But I'm curious. You know who I am, right? A pirate with a 5 million bounty. I was fat. With this fruit, you could've found someone gentle and sweet. Why me?"
Now that she was beautiful, she didn't mind poking fun at her past.
It was behind her.
"And you must be a noble, right? One who's fallen on hard times?"
Alvida had been thinking.
In this world, pale skin usually meant wealth or nobility.
His clothes looked simple, but from any angle, they seemed high-end.
He was clearly someone she hadn't seen before.
If nobles let her—a pirate—follow them, she'd be rubbing shoulders with elites.
She imagined herself walking into fancy halls, being stared at by jealous nobles who once despised her.
Alvida couldn't help but feel smug.
"Me? A noble?" Cheng Lang pointed at himself, confused.
"Do I look that fancy?"
"Not a noble?" Her dream shattered instantly.
She gave him a strange look, scanning him again.
"Descendant of a Navy officer?"
"Then I'd have arrested you and taken your fruit back. What are you thinking?"
Alvida was stumped.
He wasn't a noble.
Not Navy.
Not rich.
And she was a pirate.
Merchant ships hated her.
Recruit her? Make her a bodyguard?
She couldn't become a pirate again.
Cheng Lang stood and brushed off his pants.
"Don't overthink it. Just consider it my personal interest."
Truthfully, Cheng Lang had no real goals.
Go home?
Back to his rented apartment on Blue Star?
Not worth it.
Family?
Gone—he left the orphanage alone.
Friends?
Plenty online.
The only thing he missed was the computer he'd just bought.
"Come on. Let's check out your ship."
Alvida followed silently.
She didn't want to ask more.
She'd learn over time.
"Why are you heading out to sea?"
"Maybe."
When they reached the coast, the pirate ship was gone.
Alvida's base camp was empty.
Cheng Lang looked around.
Is this the manga world?
If it were anime, Alvida would've been beaten by Luffy on the ship.
But the plot was close enough.
Alvida's mood darkened.
"Those damn bastards! They ran off!"
"Are you sure it was your crew? Maybe Luffy and Coby took your ship."
"My treasure stash is gone! Only my men knew about it! Damn them! I'll make them taste my iron club!" Alvida growled, fury in her eyes.
"Do you have another boat?"
"…"
"Do you know how to sail?"
"…"
Silence.
Only their breathing filled the air.
"Also, we're both landlubbers. And we can't swim."
"I know!" Alvida snapped, storming off into a room and slamming the door.
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