Chapter 19: Thinking About the Future
"153rd Naval Base," Zoro said flatly.
Kuya Mi immediately checked the nautical chart.
The distance wasn't far—just two days of sailing.
Her face lit up with joy.
But then she scratched her head, embarrassed, and fell silent.
Cheng Lang and Alvida exchanged knowing looks.
They already understood what she was thinking.
Alvida spoke first.
"Planning to run off to your lover so soon?"
"N-no, no, no… not at all!" Kuya Mi waved her hands frantically, blushing.
Zoro and Luffy both gave her curious looks.
After all, they knew Coby.
"She's Coby's childhood sweetheart," Alvida explained with a smile.
"She went to sea for him."
Both Zoro and Luffy were surprised.
Even a guy like Coby had a childhood sweetheart?
Luffy's thoughts drifted to his own childhood.
I wonder how Uta's doing…
Zoro thought of Kuina.
Cheng Lang found it amusing.
Nami and Usopp, who had never met Coby, stayed quiet—
But were curious about the boy who could inspire such devotion.
When Luffy heard Coby's story, he was shocked.
A boy who went fishing, boarded the wrong ship, and ended up as a pirate's servant for three years?
It sounded ridiculous.
And yet… this same boy had a girl chasing him across the sea.
And after gaining freedom, he didn't even go home.
Nami frowned.
"This Coby is too much."
Before anyone else could speak, Kuya Mi defended him.
"It's not his fault. I'm timid. When he talked to me, I barely responded. Maybe… maybe he doesn't even think of me as a friend."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller.
"Eh…" Luffy and the others were surprised.
Cheng Lang and Alvida weren't.
They remembered how quiet Kuya Mi had been when she first boarded.
Barely able to speak.
It just took time, patience, and familiarity.
Now she was much better.
"Want me to take you to Base 153? He should be there," Luffy offered without hesitation.
Kuya Mi glanced at Cheng Lang and Alvida.
Then she shook her head firmly.
"I promised Brother Cheng Lang and Sister Alvida I'd take them to Rogue Town."
The little girl was stubborn.
Cheng Lang waved it off.
"No need to be so serious. I only chose Rogue Town because I thought he'd be there. Now that you know where he is, you're free to choose."
Alvida nodded in agreement.
---
Kuya Mi scratched her head.
She thought she'd have more time to decide.
Now, she stayed quiet.
"There's no rush," Cheng Lang said.
"We'll be on this island for a while. You can decide after Rogue Town. But if you want to come back here afterward, it'll take over a month by boat."
"Are you going to the Grand Line too?" Luffy asked.
He knew Rogue Town well—it was the Pirate King's birthplace and execution site.
A famous island.
He wanted to see it himself.
Cheng Lang hesitated.
"Honestly… we haven't decided."
"Why hesitate? I'm a pirate. Of course I'll go to the Grand Line!" Luffy declared.
Cheng Lang shook his head, pointing at himself and Alvida.
"She's a pirate. I'm not. And with her new look, who would even recognize her as one?"
"Eh? You're not a pirate?!" Luffy looked at Alvida in shock.
He'd assumed Cheng Lang was her crewmate—like Coby had been.
Alvida shrugged.
She didn't care.
She'd only become a pirate to survive at sea.
Now, with Cheng Lang's gold, she didn't need piracy.
That treasure alone could fund a lifetime of luxury.
And Cheng Lang could always get more.
Why rob ships? Why chase treasure?
Cheng Lang himself was an endless treasure.
Kuya Mi was stunned.
"Eh?! Miss Alvida is a pirate?!"
She'd thought they were just traveling together—like a honeymoon.
No pirate flag. No raids. No looting.
Her shock made Luffy's crew laugh.
Zoro slapped his thigh.
"Hahaha! You three are hilarious."
Luffy grinned.
"You're such an interesting bunch."
Even Nami chuckled.
Her impression of them improved.
---
After the meal, the groups parted ways.
Kuya Mi and Cheng Lang both had choices to make.
Cheng Lang especially.
Since arriving in this world, he'd had no clear goal.
He knew too much about the future—too many options.
So he'd drifted, following Alvida, waiting to meet Luffy.
He thought it would happen in Rogue Town.
But fate had brought it sooner.
Now, both he and Kuya Mi had decisions to face.
---
Back on the ship, Kuya Mi retreated to her room.
Cheng Lang went below deck to his XP farm—
Cows, sheep, and chickens.
He fed them wheat, then culled them with his iron sword.
Left two of each species alive.
Level three.
Still too slow.
In a game, he could farm endlessly.
Here, space was limited.
Especially chickens.
In-game, egg farms could crash the system.
He smashed eggs against the wall.
Four chicks popped out.
"What luck."
He sighed and left.
---
On deck, Alvida lounged in a bikini, basking in the sun.
Her flawless skin gleamed.
She sipped orange juice.
When she saw Cheng Lang, she smiled and held up sunscreen.
"Want to rub it on for me?"
Cheng Lang didn't hesitate.
He walked over.
Somehow, Alvida had developed the habit of sunbathing—
And of asking him to apply sunscreen.
Not that she needed it.
Her Slippery Fruit erased imperfections, leaving her skin flawless.
Still, she enjoyed it.
As Cheng Lang rubbed the lotion on her back, he asked quietly:
"Should I become a pirate?"
---