[AUTHOR NOTE: Thanks to Jandro123 for giving me tip on Gumroad.]
After a few hours of sailing, the two small boats finally reached land.
"Wow! Land!" Luffy cheered, jumping onto the shore.
"Of course," Nami said, checking her compass. "Navigation is easy when you actually follow a chart."
"Are there any villages?" Luffy asked, sniffing the air for meat.
"Yes, a small one."
Zoro stepped onto the sand, stretching his arms. "Having a navigator really makes a difference. I would have been sailing in circles for weeks."
Darian shook his head. "An idiot captain, a directionally challenged swordsman, and a leaky boat. It's a miracle you two haven't drowned yet."
Zoro's forehead twitched. "Hey! I'm a pirate hunter! I just... got lost on my way home!"
"Sure," Darian laughed.
The group walked up the sloping path toward the village. As they chatted, rustling sounds came from the bushes above.
"Onion, are those pirates?" a whisper floated down.
"Yes! Look at their flag!"
Luffy stopped. "Did you hear that?"
Snap!
A pebble landed at Luffy's feet.
"Halt, pirates!"
A young man with a long nose and curly hair leaped out from the bushes, striking a dramatic pose on the cliff above.
"I knew something was off!" Zoro thumbed the hilt of his katana, ready for a fight.
"Who is this guy?" Nami asked.
The long-nosed man puffed out his chest. "I am the great Captain Usopp! Leader of this village's defense force! I advise you to turn back now. I have 80 million men under my command!"
Silence.
"Bullshit," Nami deadpanned.
"Gah! Exposed already?!" Usopp grabbed his head in panic.
"There are only three of you," Nami pointed out, gesturing to the shaking bushes. "And you're shaking."
"Damn it! My bluff was too perfect!" Usopp wailed.
Behind him, three small kids—the so-called "80 million men"—screamed and ran away, leaving their captain alone.
"Hahahaha!" Luffy burst out laughing. "You're funny!"
"Shut up! I have dignity!" Usopp yelled, his legs trembling violently. But to his credit, he didn't run. He pulled out a slingshot, aiming it at them with shaking hands.
"Oh?" Zoro smirked, stepping forward. "You actually have the guts to stand your ground?"
Darian watched, amused. He decided to play along with the pirate act.
"Captain," Darian said to Luffy with a wicked grin. "Why waste time talking? Let's just kill him and burn the village."
"E-E-E-E-EEK!" Usopp's knees knocked together like castanets.
"Stop scaring him," Nami sighed, smacking Darian's arm. "We're just here to find a ship. Do you know where we can get a big one?"
Moments later, the tension had evaporated. Luffy realized Usopp was the son of Yasopp (Shanks' sniper), and they were all sitting in the village's only restaurant, eating lunch.
"A big ship?" Usopp chewed his food. "Well, there is a mansion up on the hill. The owner is super rich."
"Rich?" Nami's ears perked up.
"Yeah. But the owner is just a sickly girl. Her parents died a year ago, and she inherited everything. It's kind of sad."
"Forget it," Nami said abruptly, setting down her fork.
"What?" Luffy asked, mouth full of meat.
"I said forget it. I don't steal from orphans or sick people. It's against my code."
Darian smiled. That was Nami. ruthless to pirates, soft to victims.
Just then, the waitress—a young girl—brought out more food. She gave Luffy and Zoro huge plates of meat and booze. Then, she walked over to Darian and shyly placed a bowl of premium fruit in front of him.
"This... this is on the house," she whispered, blushing furiously.
"Oh? Thank you," Darian smiled.
His smile was like a solar flare. His skin glowed, his teeth were perfect, and his eyes sparkled. The waitress practically melted into a puddle on the floor. In the kitchen doorway, the old cook was also staring at him with hearts in her eyes.
"Hey!" Usopp slammed the table. "Is anyone listening to me?!"
BAM! BAM!
Nami stood up and punched Darian and Luffy on the head.
"Ow!" Darian rubbed the fresh bump on his silicone skull. "What did I do?!"
"You were existing too loudly!" Nami hissed, glaring at the blushing waitress. She was clearly jealous.
"So," Usopp said, trying to regain control of the conversation. "You guys need a captain, right? How about me? The Great Captain Usopp!"
"We're good," Luffy said, picking his nose. "Where are we going next?"
"Check the map," Zoro said.
"Hey! Don't ignore me!" Usopp yelled.
"Oh no! Look at the time!" Usopp checked a nonexistent watch. "I have... important captain business!"
He sprinted out of the restaurant, leaving a dust cloud behind him.
"Weird guy," Luffy said. "Meat!"
"If only you were as normal as him!" Nami roared, turning into a shark again.
After lunch, the group walked up the sloping path toward the mansion on the hill.
"Hey, Darian," Luffy asked, tilting his head. "Why are you wearing that mask now?"
Darian was wearing a plain white porcelain mask that covered the lower half of his face.
"Because he's too handsome," Nami answered for him, her voice dripping with possessiveness.
"Ehh?" Luffy made a face. "That's a weird reason."
Darian sighed behind the mask. It wasn't his choice. Ever since they arrived in the village, every woman they passed—from teenagers to grandmothers—had stopped to stare at him like hungry wolves. It was the "Outer Path" pheromones combined with his fruit-enhanced beauty.
It was annoying Nami to no end. So, she had forced him to wear a mask to "contain the damage."
"It's for the best," Darian mumbled. "I don't want to cause a riot."
"Whatever," Luffy laughed. "Let's go ask the rich girl for a ship!"
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