The two of them were way too happy.
"So… you're telling me the navy just saluted you two?" I asked, baffled.
Zoro was lying on the boat, arms behind his head, pretending to be calm. "Yeah."
(￣□￣;)
"The navy… saluting pirates… Are you guys sick?" I deadpanned. "And you two—what exactly are you so happy about? Shouldn't that be embarrassing? Since when do pirates get honored by marines?"
Luffy and Zoro's smiles froze.
Luffy hesitated. "No way… Someone must've saluted Roger at least once, right?"
Zoro thought for a second, then said, "I doubt it."
Luffy immediately curled up in a corner, sulking.
I sighed, realizing I might've gone too far. "Ahem, so, uh… where are we headed now?"
"Didn't we already say? The Grand Line," Zoro replied, looking at me like I was an idiot.
My eye twitched. "And do you think this boat can get us there?"
Zoro glanced at it blankly. "Should be fine."
[Calm down. Don't punch him. He's the No. 2 powerhouse. Punching might lead to grudges.]
Grinding my teeth, I ignored him and turned to Luffy. "Captain, where to next?"
Luffy's emo phase passed instantly. "Let's find food!"
"But we just ate!" Zoro complained.
"You gotta think ahead! I went days without food before meeting Coby, so we should stock up whenever we can."
I stared at them, my headache worsening. "Great. So who actually knows how to navigate?"
Zoro looked confident. Luffy… started whistling.
Oh no.
[Right. I forgot. This crew is mostly idiots, and these two are the biggest offenders. We're doomed.]
I forced a smile. "Zoro, show me the way."
Zoro pointed firmly. "That way. Two, maybe three days, tops."
I checked the compass, confirmed that was exactly the wrong direction, and immediately steered us the opposite way.
Zoro's eyes narrowed. If we were on land, I was pretty sure he'd have already drawn his swords.
I ignored him and focused on the sail.
Two Days Later
A lone boat drifted on the vast ocean under a starry sky. Peaceful. Beautiful.
Grrrrrrr…
If not for the loud stomach growling, it might've been perfect.
"Lock… I'm starving…" Luffy whined weakly.
I clenched my jaw. "I TOLD you two to ration the food."
Zoro huffed. "This is why we should've gone my way."
I refused to dignify that with a response.
Luffy sighed dramatically. "Lock, aren't you a bounty hunter? Shouldn't you know how to navigate?"
I scratched my head awkwardly. "Uh… I usually had a destination. I just asked for directions and followed them. This time I have no clue where we're going, so…"
Luffy frowned. Something about that felt off to him, but after a second, he shrugged and turned to Zoro. "Weren't you a bounty hunter too?"
Zoro looked offended. "Who said that? I just left home to find someone, got lost, and needed money, so I captured bounties along the way."
(ᇂ_ᇂ|||)
Luffy gave him a blank stare. "So you were lost… and still tried to guide us?"
Zoro's face twitched slightly, but he kept a straight expression. "Look, I don't see why that matters! The real problem here is that we need a navigator. Otherwise, we'll never reach the Grand Line."
Luffy started counting on his fingers. "We also need a cook… and a musician—"
"Focus!" Zoro snapped.
I sat back, arms crossed, feeling an existential crisis creep in. Did I make the wrong choice joining these two…?
---
"HELP! STOP THE BOAT!"
We perked up and saw a small raft up ahead. Some scruffy guys were waving frantically.
We rowed over.
As soon as they climbed aboard, one of them pulled a dagger and grinned viciously. "Heh! This ship belongs to us now! We're from the Buggy Pirates—"
SMACK.
Luffy cracked his knuckles. Zoro stretched his neck.
Five minutes later…
Three pirates sat in the boat, bruised and obedient. Two of them were rowing. The third one, the dagger guy, rubbed his hands together with a flattering smile.
"Haha… Sirs! Since you're clearly men of great strength, how would you feel about joining our Buggy Pirates? We're a warm, welcoming family—"
I pointed my sword at him. "Row. If we don't reach land when you said we would, you're getting thrown overboard."
"N-No problem! We, the Buggy Pirates, always keep our word!"
Two Hours Later – Orange Town
We finally reached land.
I glanced at the massive ship docked nearby, then at our tiny excuse for a boat.
I felt depressed.
We really need a better ship…
Before I could dwell on it, a loud commotion caught my attention.
A girl with bright orange hair, wearing a tank top and hot pants, sprinted toward us. A very attractive girl.
My brain froze.
She locked eyes with Luffy, her expression lighting up. "Boss! Save me!"
Then she immediately ran past us without a second glance.
Luffy blinked. "Huh?"
A second later, a group of guys in circus-themed outfits charged toward us, furious and ready to fight.
I was still staring after the girl.
[Wait. That was Nami, right? Damn, she's even prettier in person… This pirate crew was definitely worth joining.]