"blast him off!"
⚓︎
my face twisted in disgust as luffy retched up a rod containing the map. but hey, i couldn't judge; i had eaten an apple from the lion cage earlier because i was hungry.
buggy and luffy both reached for their respective treasures - buggy for the map, and luffy for his precious straw hat.
i realized i couldn't reach the map before buggy did, and since i knew we'd have to fight him for it later, i didn't want to waste my last two arrows on this.
buggy laughed maniacally, clutching the map tightly. the rest of us began closing in on him, while i kept my distance, my hand on the net trap in my pocket. all i needed was for him to separate his body parts so i could trap them.
"you want a piece of me? let's see what you've got," buggy taunted.
zoro swung his sword at buggy's neck, but it sliced through empty air.
"surprise shithead!"
"he can separate his body parts! slicing won't work!" i shouted, trying to warn zoro.
"yeah, i can see that!" zoro replied in a stubborn tone, continuing to slice down at the stupid clown.
"then why are you still slicing him?"
"well, do you have any better options?" zoro retorted before a hand struck him in the gut, sending him crashing against the remnants of the shattered tank.
my nets wouldn't be sufficient to capture all of him. i needed something more.
amidst the chaos, luffy slowly got up from his position, clutching his straw hat tightly.
"would you look at that," buggy taunted, "somebody escaped my tank of doom."
"you can dump seawater at me, and i'll let it slide," luffy declared, his voice firm, "but don't you ever threaten my friends." with a determined expression, luffy extended his right arm and unleashed a punch aimed at buggy's gut. a section of buggy's body tore apart, only to swiftly return to its original state.
my eyes quickly surveyed the chaotic scene: zoro continued his relentless assault on buggy's dismembered body parts, luffy engaged in a fierce battle with the clown, and nami was crouched near the...
"nami! the crates!" i shouted urgently, my bow and arrow armed with the net trap, poised to ensnare buggy's separated body parts.
"everyone, trap his body parts inside the crates!" i called out to the others, hoping they'd catch on to my plan.
i aimed my bow and fired an arrow directly at the location where buggy's forearms were battling with zoro, successfully trapping them inside the net. zoro gave me a thankful nod.
with the combined efforts of luffy, zoro, and nami, they successfully smacked the remaining body parts of buggy into the crates, securing them inside.
"STOP IT!" buggy's panicked eyes darted back and forth across the chaotic scene. his body, now smaller in size with only his hands, feet, and head remaining.
"what have you done to me!?" buggy's voice quivered with fear.
luffy casually picked up his hat and dusted it off, a triumphant smile gracing his face. "cut you down to size."
"ONE PIECE WILL NEVER BE YOURS. YOU'RE JUST A SAD, LONELY LITTLE BOY WEARING ANOTHER MAN'S HAT!"
frustrated by his incessant whining, i took aim with my final arrow, equipped with the net trap, and let it fly, tangling the hapless clown in a cage of nets.
"WHAT THE FUCCCKKK??" buggy's anguished scream filled the air.
"shh, you're too noisy," i hushed, placing a finger on my lips in a subtle gesture.
"i know exactly who i am." luffy, undeterred, placed his hat back on his head and declared, "i'm monkey d. luffy, and i'm going to be the king of the pirates!"
he's committed, i'll give him that.
luffy stretched both of his arms backward, preparing for his signature move. "GUM GUM..."
"woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, no, no, no, no, no, stop!" buggy's frantic protests were in vain as he tripped over his own feet and tumbled inside the net.
"wait wait wait!"
"blast him off!" i cheered from the sidelines, earning concerned glances from zoro and nami.
"BAZOOKA!"
buggy's teeny tiny body flew upwards to the sky, reminiscent of the way team rocket often blasts off in pokémon.
the arena was now pin-drop silent, as if the earlier events never happened at all.
"well then, i guess this is goodbye." as i turned to leave, i casually slung my bow over my shoulder, treating it like a sling bag. luffy, puzzled by my departure, furrowed his brow and asked, "wait, what do you mean, goodbye?"
"we've defeated buggy, and i need to make my way back to my raft." i glanced at luffy briefly before continuing on my path.
luffy quickly extended his arm and grabbed my wrist, his determination shining through as he implored, "no, (name), join us. your archery skills would make you a valuable addition to our crew."
"not a crew." zoro and nami blandly intervened.
i couldn't help but snicker at the straw hat boy's unwavering confidence. "how can you be so sure i won't take advantage of your crew and steal the map?"
before luffy could respond, zoro interjected, "you don't care about any treasure, do you?"
i paused, unsure of how to answer. zoro's blunt response summed it up. "yeah, that's what i thought," he added.
finally, i relented, conceding, "you're sharp, i'll give you that."
i let out a sigh, "fine, i'll join your crew, luffy, but it's purely because i need resources to survive, nothing more."
luffy flashed a wide grin, showing his approval, "that's enough for me." and handed the map over to nami. she questioned, "you're giving this to me?" clearly, she was puzzled by luffy's trust, especially after her previous actions.
luffy simply replied, "you're the navigator."
zoro suggested, "let's get out of this clown show," and started walking in my direction. however, luffy stopped him in his tracks, grabbing his shoulder and saying, "wait, there's still one more thing we need to do."
luffy initiated the process of unchaining the hostages, and zoro, nami, and i followed his lead.
zoro and i worked diligently at opposite sides of the bench. i couldn't resist breaking the silence, saying, "you know, i saved you for the second time today. don't you think you owe me?"
zoro continued with his work, not bothering to look up. "i don't know what you're talking about."
"are you serious? i wasted my arrow for that, you ungrateful brat."
"i didn't ask for you to do so," zoro replied calmly as he walked away.
"son of a-"
⚓︎
"we don't have much... but please take this as a token of our gratitude," a man stepped forward, holding a tray filled with bread. he appeared to be the leader or spokesperson of the village.
luffy shook his head, offering a small smile. "you need it more than we do."
i couldn't help but mutter, almost breathlessly, "but..." my protests trailed off as i found myself reluctantly following the crew with heavy steps, at which nami chuckled at my behaviour.
however, luffy stopped midway, contemplating. "well... maybe just a snack."
"now that's what i'm talking about!" i rush over and eagerly took a piece of bread and stuffed it into my mouth. "oh, i haven't eaten bread in ages."
nami, curious, asked, "what did you use to eat before coming here, (name)?"
"fruits. lots of them. and, oh wait, speaking of fruits, the raft I left at the coast earlier was filled with loads of them. you can use them if you want," i offered to the villagers with a small smile before boarding the boat with my new crewmates, with the straw hat pirates.
this is going to be one heck of a journey.
and i'm ready for it.