Realizing this, Luffy immediately looked at Link, "Ceiling Man, are you hungry?"
Don't just give people nicknames, hey!
Link looked at Luffy, speechless. It seemed Luffy's skill at giving nicknames and Zoro's skill at getting lost were both unparalleled.
And what in the world was "Ceiling Man" as a name?!
"My name is Link."
Link cleared his throat, "Currently, I'm something of an Item Master, I suppose."
"Item Master?"
Luffy heard this title for the first time, "What's that? Can you eat it?"
"You can't eat it... hmm?"
Link, who was about to explain it properly to Luffy, paused, thinking of Luffy's brain:
"Just understand it as an incredible profession that can produce many wonderful things."
"Oh, I see."
Luffy understood when Link put it that way.
He nodded, enlightened, and earnestly tapped his palm with his fist:
"So it's a very incredible profession."
Hey, hey, hey, did you really understand?!
Koby, standing nearby, broke out in a cold sweat. One said nothing, and the other believed anything he heard.
He suddenly felt he couldn't understand how these two people's minds worked.
"Link, huh? Since you sound so amazing..."
Luffy grinned, pointing his thumb at himself, "Then, do you want to be my companion?!"
"I'm Luffy, Monkey D. Luffy, the man who will become the Pirate King!!"
Then who is the Pirate King?
Hearing this classic line, Link subconsciously blurted out the meme.
But he swallowed the words back before they fully left his mouth.
He felt a slight goosebump rise on his skin.
To meet Luffy so closely, hear his classic slogan, and receive his invitation—Link must be the first person on Blue Star, right?!
"Alright."
He agreed without hesitation, "Anyway, I don't have anywhere to go right now. Becoming a companion of the Pirate King?"
Link smiled brightly, "That's a pretty good choice, isn't it?"
"Hahaha, Link, you really are an interesting person!"
Seeing Link accept the invitation without any hesitation, Luffy couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh loudly, like a monkey.
He happily waved his fist, "Then from now on, we're companions. Please take care of me!"
"Please take care of me, Captain."
Koby nearby: "..."
Am I crazy, or is this world crazy?!
How can two random people appear, one shouting about becoming the Pirate King and openly inviting a guy of unknown identity.
And the other guy accepts it readily without finding anything wrong or inappropriate... Is this the Grand Line?
Koby was dizzy and confused, while Link stretched lazily.
"Joining the Straw Hat Pirates? That's really great~"
Link himself didn't have any grand ambitions; he wasn't very interested in punching Four Emperors and kicking Admirals.
Of course, if he could do it, he'd be willing to give it a try~
In the Pirate King world, there were only a few professions one could have.
Pirate, mountain bandit, marine, Revolutionary Army, and Bounty Hunters.
Mountain bandit was a definite pass. Bounty Hunters were too tiring and offered no sense of security.
The Revolutionary Army seemed good, but reform was too arduous, and Link disliked trouble.
Being a marine was a good choice, but the marines' superiors were the Celestial Dragons, whom Link found utterly detestable and annoying to death.
He wasn't against the marines; he was against the Celestial Dragons.
The thought of being ordered around by those scumbags or cleaning up their messes for them... he'd rather be a pirate.
And among pirates, there were different types.
There were vicious pirates, and there were adventurers who wore the guise of pirates, seeking freedom and dreams.
Of course, strictly speaking, neither of these were good people.
In Link's opinion, for a lazy person like him who disliked trouble, there was no better choice than Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates.
First, the camaraderie among the companions would make his life very comfortable.
Second, he knew the future plot. And following the main characters, while personal safety couldn't be fully guaranteed—after all, Luffy occasionally went crazy, flying people with his rubber powers and causing head injuries—
But at the very least, he definitely wouldn't have to worry about his life being in danger.
In fact, he would certainly make it to the end and do extremely well!
And there was the most important point: the Straw Hat Pirates' backgrounds were all impressive.
On the surface, they were a group of grassroots pursuing dreams, but in reality, they were a bunch of second-generation individuals experiencing life.
Dealing with second-generation types? Link was more than familiar!
Especially Luffy, the Grandson of a marine hero, the son of the Revolutionary Army leader, the inheritor of the Pirate King's will, and a new generation recognized by the Four Emperors...
He was even the future Warrior of Liberation, Joy Boy! The sun king, nika!
The latest chapter revealed that Luffy's Devil Fruit ability is the Mythical Zoan-type Hito Hito no Mi, Nika Form!
Nika is a legendary Japanese deity, an elf that grows on banyan trees, which are also rubber trees.
Therefore, the special ability of this Mythical Zoan Type Fruit is its rubber-like properties.
However, awakening the ability was extremely difficult, which is why the World Government, fearing its power, always labeled it as the Rubber-Rubber Fruit.
Luffy had also always used it as the Rubber-Rubber Fruit.
It wasn't until two years later, after being repeatedly beaten by Kaido and growing stronger with each fight, that he finally awakened the ability.
Currently, Link estimated that it would still be some time before the awakening.
Perhaps during their journey, if he acquired tools/items to remove the seal in that regard and gained some insights, he might be able to awaken it earlier.
For now, let's still refer to it as the Rubber-Rubber Fruit~
[Mainly, when this was updated, the information about the Mythical Zoan-type Hito Hito no Mi hadn't come out yet, but it will definitely be written about later, and it doesn't significantly affect or change the overall plot of the book, so please feel free to read! If there's still a slight impropriety, just skip it, it's completely harmless. It has been adjusted in the new chapters!]
With such a clear standard answer in front of Link, he would be foolish not to choose it.
"Yosh, my Pirate Crew has now initially taken shape!"
Luffy pressed his straw hat with one hand, his face full of fighting spirit.
Then he suddenly remembered something and looked at Link, saying, "By the way, Link, what's your goal?"
"Goal?"
Link thought for a moment, "Then let's have the best spontaneous trip in the world. I plan to sail around the entire world!"
"Starting from the East Blue, and then the Grand Line!"
Having arrived in this magnificent, wondrous, and adventurous world of the Pirate King, how could he not properly experience and enjoy it?!
"The best trip? Hahaha, that sounds interesting!"
Luffy was always happy to listen to and support grand goals.
"So, Captain..."
Link casually took an apple from a nearby box, wiped it on himself, and put it in his mouth.
Hmm, crisp and sweet!
Link was very satisfied with the food produced in the Pirate King world: "What should we do next?".