Straw Hat Appears, Art Style Takes a Sharp Turn

Blue sky, white clouds.

A merchant ship drifted at sea, with no destination and no direction.

The entire ship was empty, not even a sailor, as if it were the legendary 'Ghost Ship'. Until:

Thump, A wooden barrel, also drifting with the waves, bumped against the side of the merchant ship. A voice could be faintly heard from the barrel:

"Huh? I bumped into a ship--"

"Great!"

Bang!

The wooden barrel was smashed open by a fist, and a figure wearing a straw hat excitedly stretched his upper body out from inside.

"Slept so comfortably~~"

"Then,"

Whoosh--

The Youth's arms suddenly stretched out, like a Rubber Band, directly grabbing the ship's railing, and then he pulled hard!

Snap!

The entire person leaped onto the merchant ship, and the Youth wearing the straw hat burst into laughter.

"So close, so close, I thought I was going to be sucked into the seabed by the whirlpool~~"

"My journey to become the King of the Pirates almost..."

Creak, The door on the merchant ship's deck opened, and Roman walked out, looking coldly at the 'intruder' before him.

It was a Youth, with short black hair that looked a bit messy, and a Scar under his left eye.

He wore a small red vest, blue half-length jeans, and straw sandals. Of course, the most striking thing was the straw hat on his head and the confident smile on his face.

This attire?!

Roman's eyes flickered, but soon returned to calm.

Monkey D. Luffy.

The Chosen One of this world, a user of the Rubber-Rubber Fruit, who always said: "I'm going to be the King of the Pirates."

Fool!

What are pirates?

They are robbers, they are those who gain without working, they are those who act recklessly, they are the scum of scum, the worst of the worst scoundrels...

"Hi, hello--"

Seeing Roman walk out, the Straw Hat Youth smiled and waved.

"100,000 Beli."

???

In an instant, the other party's smile froze on his face, as if a row of black question marks appeared above the straw hat.

"Fare,"

Roman continued calmly.

"100,000 Beli, three meals a day, accommodation provided, extra charge for more than half a month."

"Ah... ah... this..."

The Straw Hat Youth's entire face instantly sagged, and he stammered for a long time before managing to squeeze out a sentence.

"I don't have money..."

"No money?"

Roman glanced at the youth exuding an aura of 'shabby', a straw hat, a vest, five-point denim shorts, and slippers...

There wasn't even a pocket on him, and it was as if 'broke' was written all over his face.

"Then I'm sorry, please go back where you came from."

Protagonists, I hate them the most...

"No! Big Brother~~"

The Straw Hat Youth was so shocked that his jaw dropped to his chest (literally), "I can't swim, and I just broke my barrel..."

...You're telling me this is the future King of the Pirates?!

"Sorry, this is my ship."

"You have to pay the fare to ride a ship, you wouldn't not understand this logic, right?"

"I... I can work to pay you back, I can eat a lot... no, I'm very diligent..."

Straw Hat Youth suddenly clashed his fists and palms, wearing an expression of 'I've thought of a great idea.'

"Right, be my crewmate!"

"If you become my crewmate, you won't have to pay the fare~~~ Hahaha, I'm so smart~~"

????

This time, it was Roman's turn to be completely bewildered. This guy is trying to pull a fast one, isn't he? Isn't he!

"I refuse!"

Facing Roman's immediate reply, the Straw Hat Youth opposite him looked shocked, as if to say 'How is this possible?'. "Wait a minute, won't you reconsider?"

"Right, my name is Luffy."

"I'm the man who's going to be King of the Pirates!"

Facing the grinning Straw Hat Youth... no, Luffy. Roman lowered his head and sneered.

"A pirate?"

"That's great."

Whoosh--

He spread his arms, and 'papers' flew out of his palms from nowhere, rapidly transforming into:

A cutlass, and a shield!

"Since you're a pirate, let's 'pay the bill' the pirate way."

Roman narrowed his eyes at the youth named Luffy opposite him, shield in front, long saber hidden behind!

"Kill me, and this ship will be--"

"Wow! So cool~~~"

However, facing Roman who had taken a stance, Luffy casually ran over, looking around the paper sword and paper shield in his hands, even touching them...

Bang!

"Are you looking down on me?"

A cold killing intent spread from Roman. It was he who had just smashed the opponent away with a shield onto the deck, even causing the opponent's precious straw hat to fall to the side.

"Wow, it hurts, it hurts~~~"

"Why am I feeling pain-- "

"Whoa! You're actually bleeding... How did you do that?"

Facing Luffy, who sat on the ground with a bloody face but was only concerned about how he got injured, Roman strode forward.

"I have no reason to explain my methods to you, so--"

Swish, A snow-white sailor's knife pointed at the other's face. Roman's cold eyes looked down at him.

"Get up!"

"If you win, this ship is yours."

"If you lose, prepare to walk the plank."

Facing the paper knife at his face and Roman's merciless demeanor, the youth on the ground simply sat casually on the deck, looking intently at the corner of Roman's eyes.

"I won't fight you."

"Then you're prepared to go into the sea and feed the fish?"

"I won't die here either."

"Wait until you defeat me--"

"I won't fight you."

Bang!

The white shield in his hand fiercely struck the other's nose, smashing the youth's entire head into the deck! At the same time, Roman stepped forward and pinned him down.

"You won't fight, and you won't leave!"

"What exactly do you want?"

"I..."

With his head stuck in the deck, Luffy, his face covered in blood, looked up and met Roman's furious gaze.

"I said, I want you to be my nakama."

"Nakama..."

"Hahahahahaha~~~"

Roman, pinning him down, laughed. He laughed so wildly that tears streamed from his eyes.

"And then my ship became your ship?"

"My life also became your life?"

"Are you stupid, or do you think I'm stupid!"

Facing Roman's questioning, the youth named Luffy once again replied seriously.

"I want you to be my nakama."

"Hey, listen to me--!"

Bang!

Another shield smashed into the other's face, knocking Luffy's entire head askew while also drawing a spray of blood!

"Why should I be your nakama? Stop talking nonsense--!"

Bang!

Another shield.

"Still not planning to fight back?"

Bang!

Blood splattered.

"Nakama? Let me tell you the truth.--I'm a Paper Person who ate the Paper-Paper Fruit!"

"I obtained this Devil Fruit by killing my Captain. You still want me to be your nakama--?"

"That's right!"

Amidst the shattered deck mixed with a large pool of blood, Luffy's voice remained as firm as ever.

"I want you to be my nakama."

Madman... idiot...

Even though he was the one being beaten down, Roman, who had experienced countless battles, unconsciously leaned his upper body back. Then:

Enraged!

Unreasonable--

Swish, swish,

The shield and sailor's knife in his hands rapidly transformed and combined into a sharp Executioner's Sword, aimed at the youth's neck!

"I know you're a Devil Fruit user, rubber, right--"

"Don't underestimate the paper in my hand, its hardness is no less than steel, one cut and..."

However, facing Roman's threat, the youth in a pool of blood turned his head to meet his gaze, his eyes still unwavering.

"You won't kill me."

"I want you to be my nakama."

Damn it--

"Are you a broken record, huh!"

"I'll kill you!!"

The sailor's knife in his hand was raised high, then suddenly fell--

Pfft!

"Hmph,"

Roman turned the Ship's Wheel, making the merchant ship cut a long wake across the calm sea.

"A naive guy like that deserves to die."

On the deck behind him, there was only shattered debris and bloodstains, and the youth named Luffy:

had already disappeared.

"You think you can survive on this sea with just 'guts,' what an idiot--"

Bang!

The cabin door was suddenly flung open, and a youth with his head wrapped like a zongzi shouted as he walked out.

"Roman, I'm so hungry~~~"

"Why is all the meat in the warehouse frozen solid? I can't bite it~~~"

·········

"You dismantled the Icebox I made?!"

"I'm starving to death..."

Facing the wronged expression... heaven knows how this guy could make a 'wronged' expression with his head wrapped in 'healing paper bandages'??

"Alright, alright."

"You take the Ship's Wheel, I'll go cook. --And restore the Icebox..."

"Roman, I don't know how to steer."

???

Roman gasped, his scalp tingling so much that stars began to appear before his eyes!

"Then tell me, what can you do?!"

Facing Roman's gritted teeth, Luffy answered without hesitation.

"I will become King of the Pirates!"

"Here, stand here--"

Like a deflated balloon, Roman guided Luffy's hands onto the Ship's Wheel, then instructed him.

"Just maintain this posture, don't let the ship run wild."

"I'm going to cook, --don't you dare slack off!"

Roman shook his head helplessly as he walked past towards the cabin.

"Really..."

"Looks like I'm just a Fool too..."

Talking about being a sinister and ruthless pirate... in the end, wasn't he still someone else's 'Crewmate'...

Forget it.

No Youth is truly a Youth without being a bit chuunibyou.

Roman could only comfort himself like this, but if there were a mirror.

His upturned lips had something to say.