One Piece: Starting by Refusing Red-Hair's Invitation

Red-Hair walked up to him calmly, a slight smile on his lips. Resting a hand on Kaku's shoulder, he grinned. "Am I that scary? You look awfully nervous. Hahaha..."

"Uh, no... I..." Kaku had been frantically trying to figure out what to do, but the moment Red-Hair's hand landed on his shoulder, his mind went blank.

At that moment, only one thought flashed through his mind: I'm done for...

"Oh, right, what was your name again?" Red-Hair asked, still grinning.

Knowing he couldn't escape, Kaku could only steel himself and answer, "Kaku..."

"Oh, Kaku. How old are you?" Red-Hair continued.

"This old man is eighteen..."

"Pfft... That's a pretty funny way to refer to yourself. Hahaha..."

Kaku gave a strained chuckle. "Heh... Habit..."

"What an interesting kid." Red-Hair continued, "So, what did you do before joining Lin Mo's ship?"

"I was a shipwright."

"Oh, a shipwright. Lin Mo isn't the sort to take freeloaders aboard, so you must be pretty good." Red-Hair smiled and patted Kaku on the back. "And you've got two swords with you, so you're a swordsman too, right? Enel said you usually do all the cooking aboard. Hahaha, not bad! You're young, but you've got plenty of skills."

Kaku smiled helplessly. Right now, all he wanted was to get out of there immediately.

Just then, a cold voice suddenly came from above them. "You talk too much."

That voice sent another chill through Kaku's heart.

Red-Hair wasn't surprised at all. He casually glanced at Hawk-Eye, who stood on a branch of a large tree beside them, watching them coldly, and waved with a grin. "Yo, you came too? Hahaha..."

Hawk-Eye jumped down from the tree, ignored Red-Hair completely, and walked toward Kaku. "You've got some nerve, taking whatever you please."

Kaku's expression stiffened, his thoughts tangling