The sun had barely risen when Oolong spotted the ship on the horizon. It had been pure luck, really. The pig had been lazily scanning the waters from the deck, sipping on a drink, when his tiny eyes caught the sight of a vessel in the distance.
"Oi, Bulma! There's a ship over there!" Oolong had shouted, waving frantically.
Bulma had come up in an instant, her blue hair swaying in the wind. She squinted, placing a hand over her forehead to block the sun. Sure enough, there it was—a ship sailing ahead of them, trying to stay out of sight.
But the moment they had started closing the distance, it became very clear that the ship had no intention of meeting them. The sails unfurled, the wind caught in them, and the vessel began to pick up speed.
"They're running," Bulma murmured.
Goku tilted his head in confusion. "Huh? Why are they running away? We haven't even said hi yet!"
Bulma sighed. "Not everyone wants to make friends with the first crazy person they see flying around in the sky, Goku."
Oolong crossed his arms. "Yeah, maybe they think we're pirates or something. Which, y'know, to be fair… we kinda look like pirates."
Bulma smirked. "Well, if they think we're pirates, let's act like pirates."
She turned her gaze toward the ship and cracked her knuckles. "Let's catch up."
She had two secret weapons, after all.
The first one being - her hair.
With a single thought, her long, blue strands elongated, stretching out like living tendrils. They dipped into the water, twisting and coiling like massive oars. It was another problem, she had realised. Since the ship was of Fishmen, they had never installed oars in their ship. If she had to guess, they were probably going beneath the water and steering the ship from beneath, considering their increase in strength and durability underwater. With a powerful motion, she rowed, the ship jolted forward, cutting through the waves like a knife through butter. It was the only way they oared now. Even Bulma realised that as long she was above water, her hair could do the job. Her hair seemed to not be affected by the seawater, not until, one of her body parts was in touch with the sea water.
Thankfully, her second weapon, possessed no such weaknesses.
"Goku!" Bulma called out.
"Yeah?"
"Push."
A grin spread across Goku's face. It was quite strange that Goku had adapted this sea faring adventure better than her. "Alright!"
He floated up into the air, his orange gi billowing around him. Then, without hesitation, he zoomed to the back of the ship, planted his hands against the hull, and BOOM!
With a single push, the ship lurched forward, speeding toward the fleeing vessel at an alarming rate. The force sent Oolong tumbling backward, his hat flying off his head.
"WAAAHH! WARN A GUY NEXT TIME!" Oolong shrieked, gripping the railing for dear life.
Bulma smirked. This was too easy. With Goku and her in action, time and distance was not an issue.
The gap between the two ships closed fast. They could even see the opposing vessel's crew now. The opposing vessel's crew scrambled on deck, looking increasingly nervous. They shouted orders, pulling ropes, adjusting sails, doing everything they could to escape.
But it was pointless.
Goku's strength, combined with Bulma's hair-powered rowing, was something no ordinary ship could outrun.
And then, within moments, they were there.
Their ship slammed against the other vessel with a loud THUNK, causing both to sway slightly from the impact. Bulma's hair snapped back into place, her teal locks flowing down her back once more.
She took a moment to observe the people in front of her. The crew of the opposing ship stood frozen, tense and uncertain. Some had their hands on their weapons, others simply looked confused.
But one person, one very specific person. He strangely looked nothing but excited. A young man with black hair and a wide, almost stupidly happy grin stood at the center of it all.
He couldn't have been older than seventeen. His outfit was simple—blue shorts, a red vest, sandals—but what stood out the most was the straw hat perched atop his head.
The moment he saw them, his eyes lit up.
Bulma too recognised them. Three of them were being chased by the Marines in Loguetown. She had seen them there. The swordsman in the weapons shop. The cook in the cooking competition. The girl in the clothes store.
"WHOAAAA!" The boy practically bounced forward, his grin stretching from ear to ear.
"THAT WAS SO COOL! HOW'D YA DO THAT?!"
Bulma blinked. "…Huh?"
The boy's enthusiasm was unexpected, to say the least.
"Was that you guys pushing your ship like that?!" He leaned forward, staring at them like they were the most fascinating thing he had ever seen. "That was awesome!"
Goku grinned back. "Oh, yeah! That was me!" He flexed his arms. "I just gave it a little push!"
"A little?! Dude, that was insane!" The boy turned toward his crew, still grinning. "Did you guys see that?! That was crazy!"
The swordsman with green hair sighed and immediately became serious. "Luffy… focus."
The blonde in a suit lit a cigarette. "Yeah, idiot. Maybe ask why they just chased us down before you start fanboying."
Bulma crossed her arms, her curiosity piqued. So, this guy's name was Luffy, huh?
She glanced at his ship. The ship looked new and well-kept.
Luffy, meanwhile, kept staring at them like he had just found his new favorite people.
"You guys are strong, huh?"
Goku nodded in confusion. He was strong and only wished to grow stronger. "Yeah, I guess so!"
Bulma rolled her eyes. "That's an understatement."
Luffy tilted his head. "You guys pirates?"
Bulma smirked. "Something like that."
Luffy's grin grew even wider. "Cool!"
Bulma wasn't sure what she had expected from this encounter, but this wasn't it.
Instead of hostility… instead of a fight…
She had just met someone who seemed just as crazy as Goku.
Suddenly, there was a sound from her ship. Carmen stormed out of her cabin, her sharp heels clicking against the wooden deck. She had been rudely awakened by the sudden lurch of the ship and the chaotic noise outside. Her long, wavy brown hair swayed as she stepped onto the deck, her face completely twisted in annoyance.
"What the hell is with all the racket?!" she snapped, hands on her hips.
Then her gaze fell on the other ship. More importantly, it landed on him.
The man in the sharp black suit, blond hair covering one eye and a cigarette resting between his lips. His expression changed the instant he saw her. His usual flirtatious demeanor kicking in as he stepped forward, his blue eye twinkling.
Carmen smirked. "Well, well, Sous Chef… we meet again."
Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke and gave her a charming smile. "Carmen-chan!, fate has brought us together once more! Tell me—" He placed a hand over his heart dramatically. "—have you set sail just to find me?!"
Carmen let out a mocking laugh, tilting her head. "Hah! As if, you idiot! The only reason I'm on the sea is because I refuse to let you—" she pointed a finger at him, eyes burning with competitive fire "—find the All Blue before I do!"
Sanji's smile faltered, but only for a second before he spun around, hearts practically floating around him. "A woman who loves cooking and adventure! Be still, my heart!"
Zoro groaned. "Tch. Another one?"
Meanwhile, on the Straw Hats' deck, a completely different kind of tension was unfolding.
Nami's eyes were locked onto Bulma and Goku, her expression one of barely restrained fury. Her grip on the railing was tight, her knuckles white with fear and rage alike.
But it wasn't them she was focused on.
It was the ship.
More specifically—the Jolly Roger on their mast.
The symbol of a saw-nosed fishman.
A mark of terror that she had once thought she had escaped.
Her voice was sharp, accusatory. "Why the hell are you using Arlong's ship?!"
Bulma blinked, caught off guard. Then it clicked.
Nami.
They had heard of her back in Cocoyasi Village. She had been the one to lead the charge against Arlong, the one who had suffered under his rule the most.
Bulma raised her hands, signaling peace. "Oh. That's what this is about." She sighed, realizing the misunderstanding. "Relax, we're not with Arlong."
Nami narrowed her eyes. "Then why do you have his ship? And his flag?!"
Bulma crossed her arms, shifting her weight onto one leg. "We went to Cocoyasi looking for Arlong."
That made Nami hesitate.
Bulma smiled softly as she looked at the ginger. "But you guys beat us to it."
Nami's eyes widened slightly.
Bulma gestured toward their ship lazily. "Since we couldn't get Arlong, we took his ship instead. Figured it was better than just leaving it to rot."
There was a long pause. Nami let out a heavy sigh, relief washing over her as she heard the news.
"The moment I saw that ship, I thought Arlong and his crew were back," she admitted. "That's why we tried to get away. We can't fight fishmen at sea, not where Luffy would be at a disadvantage."
Bulma nodded. "Makes sense."
"Sorry for scaring you," Goku added sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
Nami crossed her arms, finally relaxing. She looked at Goku and Bulma could see the shift in her pose. She clearly recognised Goku and her from Loguetown. "Just… don't use that flag anymore. Seeing it makes me sick."
Bulma shrugged. "Fair enough."
Just as things seemed to calm down, an excited voice broke through the conversation.
"WHOAAA! YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO THE GRAND LINE TOO?!"
Bulma turned her head toward Luffy, who was practically bouncing on his feet, his grin stretching across his face.
Bulma chuckled. "Yeah. That's the plan."
Luffy's excitement only grew.
"That's awesome! We should go together!" he declared enthusiastically.
Nami's head snapped toward him. "Luffy—wait a second!"
But Luffy wasn't listening. His grin was already set, his mind made up.
Bulma raised an eyebrow. "…You really don't hesitate, do you?"
Bulma placed her hands on her hips, glancing back at the Straw Hats with a smirk. Their meeting had been… interesting, to say the least. It wasn't every day you ran into a crew with such weirdos—not that her own crew was any less bizarre.
"Well," she started, flicking a strand of blue hair over her shoulder, "this was fun, but I think it's time for us to take our leave."
Luffy's smile faltered slightly. "Already? What about joining my crew?"
Bulma nodded. "Well. I already got a crew. Besides, we've got places to be. The Grand Line isn't going to explore itself, after all."
Sanji, still preoccupied with Carmen, turned suddenly, his cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. "Wait, you're really going already?"
Carmen scoffed, adjusting her flamboyant chef's hat. "Obviously. We have no reason to stick around losers. This is a race for All Blue afterall." She flicked a glance at Sanji, smirking. "Don't tell me you'll miss me?"
Sanji's entire body trembled. He grabbed his chest as if struck by Cupid's arrow. "Of course, I'll miss you, my dear Carmen! How could I not?!"
Zoro made a fed up motion. He was clearly disgusted by Sanji's antics.
Bulma sighed and turned back to Luffy. "Anyway, I'm sure we'll meet again somewhere in the Grand Line."
Luffy's grin returned in full force. "You can bet on it!"
Then, without missing a beat, he pointed a dramatic finger at the sky. "Because I'm going to be King of the Pirates!"
His voice carried over the sea, bold, fearless, full of conviction.
Bulma simply raised an eyebrow. She had to admit, the kid had guts. "King of the Pirates, huh?" She smiled, shaking her head. "Well, good luck with that. Because there's no way, the Z pirates are going to lose the race for One Piece."
Luffy's grin never wavered. "Thanks! But I don't need luck! I just gotta do it!"
Bulma turned toward Goku. "Alright, we're done here. Let's go." She pointed toward the Reverse Mountain, where the entrance to the Grand Line awaited them.
Goku gave her a big thumbs-up. "Got it!"
Then, without another word, he shot into the air, flying towards the back of the ship.
That was when the chaos began.
Bulma turned toward her crew. "Alright, everyone! Brace yourselves!"
The moment those words left her mouth, Goku placed his hands against the back of the ship. There was a fraction of second and he pushed.
The ship lurched forward at a ridiculous speed, slicing through the water like an arrow. The force was so strong that the entire crew nearly fell over.
Leo held onto the mast for dear life, his tiny eyes bugging out of his oversized head. "MAMAAAAAA!!"
Jose whose round body bounced slightly from the force immediately screamed. "I REGRET EVERYTHING!!"
Carmen meanwhile simply adjusted her hat. "Hmph. Expected." Oolong meanwhile grabbed the place behind Carmen. The ship's momentum and winds clearly gave him a sneek peak at Carmen's bum.
Bulma kept her footing, having already braced herself. She smirked, watching the ocean rush past them. "Well, that went smoothly."
Meanwhile, on the Straw Hats' ship, the reaction was a bit different.
Everyone just stood there, utterly dumbfounded. Their mouths hung open as they watched Bulma's ship zoom away, faster than anything they'd ever seen on water.
Then—
"THAT'S CHEATING!!"
Luffy's voice boomed across the sea, his face twisted in fury.
Usopp was equally outraged, waving his arms. "HEY! YOU CAN'T DO THAT! THAT'S AGAINST THE RULES!"
Sanji rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "Did they just… boost their ship?"
Nami's jaw was still slightly dropped. "That's not possible."
Zoro just sighed, crossing his arms. "Tch. Figures. That guy isn't normal."
Luffy stomped his foot against the deck, his entire body vibrating with frustration. "THAT'S NOT FAIR!" He pointed toward the rapidly disappearing ship, eyes blazing. "HE SHOULDN'T BE FLYING! THAT'S CHEATING!!"
Usopp nodded furiously. "EXACTLY! SHIPS ARE SUPPOSED TO RELY ON THE WIND! THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT A FAIR GAME!"
Sanji took a drag from his cigarette. "Hate to break it to you guys, but I don't think they care."
Luffy puffed out his cheeks in pure childish rage. "I WANTED TO RACE THEM!!"
Zoro rolled his eyes. "Well, too bad. They're already gone."
Luffy pouted. Then, as if realizing something, his frustration vanished in an instant, replaced by his usual carefree grin.
"WELL, WHO CARES? WE'LL CATCH UP TO THEM ON THE GRAND LINE ANYWAY!"
Nami pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why am I not surprised?"
As the Straw Hats watched the ship disappear toward Reverse Mountain, Luffy simply grinned, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"We're definitely meeting them again."