Dragon

The victory celebration in Cocoyasi Village lasted two full days, because Hawk-Eye had slashed Zoro from shoulder to abdomen earlier. Yet Zoro had come to Cocoyasi Village after merely bandaging himself up. If Rubick hadn't killed Arlong, Zoro probably would have lost several pounds of blood by now.

At the dock before their departure, the village doctor earnestly urged Rubick to find a ship's doctor. His worries were needless, of course. A certain blue-nosed reindeer was already waiting for Straw Hat.

Genzo walked over and put on an imposing air. "Remember, if you ever make Nami suffer, I'll kill you!"

Rubick thumped his chest. "Don't worry. She's my woman."

"That's exactly why I'm worried!" Genzo snapped.

Nami and Nojiko both felt a little sad. After their embrace, they would part, with no idea how long it would be before they saw each other again.

Soon, the Going Merry left Cocoyasi Village, carrying the Straw Hat Pirates' dreams.

"Is that Loguetown up ahead?"

Rubick and the others stood side by side at the bow. Loguetown was already close at hand.

"That's right. That's Loguetown," Rubick said. "After I left the Grand Line, my first stop was an isolated island controlled by pirates. Then I came to Loguetown to make a living."

He seemed rather unenthusiastic. "Who wants to go ashore? I'll watch the ship."

Luffy threw out both hands excitedly. "I'm going to see the Execution Platform!"

Zoro said, "I need to buy two swords."

"Zoro, you're broke, aren't you? I can lend you some money," Nami said. "I really don't get it. You hunt pirates all the time, so how can you have no money at all?"

"Mind your own business."

Nami said angrily, "I'll lend you 200,000 Beli. You'll pay me back 400,000!"

"You bloodsucker!"

Zoro then shouted to Rubick, "Old man, aren't you going to rein Nami in?"

Rubick covered his forehead. "Nothing I can do. I'm broke too."

Sanji held out his hand. "Nami, money."

"What money?"

Sanji pointed at Luffy and the others. "Come on, you know how much these people eat. Loguetown is our last supply stop before the Grand Line. If we don't buy food now, are you expecting all of us to go fishing later?"

With great reluctance and solemn care, Nami took out 200,000 Beli and handed it to Sanji.

"Why only 200,000 Beli?" Rubick asked.

"200,000 Beli is plenty!"

Rubick asked again, "Nami, what are you planning to do on the island?"

"Buy a few things for women. Don't ask."

"What's your budget?"

"400,000 Beli."

"You little—!"

Nami laughed and jumped off the ship. Looking back at the others, she said, "Then let's meet back here before evening. I'm heading off first."

Watching Nami walk away, Zoro asked, "Old man, aren't you going after her?"

Rubick glanced at Usopp, who was climbing down the rope ladder. "You'd be better off worrying about Usopp than Nami."

"All right. It's about time I checked out the weapons shop anyway."

Soon, Rubick was the only one left aboard.

He had lived in Loguetown for so long that he really had no desire to look around. It was like how visitors saw local attractions as famous scenic spots, while locals saw them as just that damn Giant Wild Goose Pagoda.

Before long, a breeze picked up over the island, and the clouds grew heavy, as though rain was coming.

Tap.

The sound of leather shoes stepping onto the deck came from behind Rubick.

Rubick whipped around and saw someone entirely unexpected.

"Dragon of the Justice League?"

The newcomer wore a green cloak that obscured his face, but the red, tattoo-like marking on his cheek reminded Rubick who he was.

"Rubick Hu?"

Rubick nodded. "That's me. Shall we talk inside?"

"No need. I'm wearing a cloak."

"Like Superman's glasses?"

Dragon: ???

After an awkward moment, Rubick said, "Tell me why you're here. If I'm guessing right, you came to see Luffy?"

Thunder rumbled as dark clouds blanketed the sky over Loguetown.

"That's right. My old man told me Luffy's Devil Fruit wasn't rubber, but the legendary Nika, so I came."

"Could you satisfy my curiosity?" Rubick asked.

"Perhaps you could go home and ask your country's Prophet?"

"Well, I can't find my way home, can I?"

Dragon thought for a moment, then said, "The Sun God Nika freed the slaves and founded a kingdom eight hundred years ago. All slaves believe Nika will save them."

Rubick shook his head. "That's quite a source of hope."

Then Rubick asked, "Dragon, if you overthrow the Celestial Dragons, where will the Justice League go from there?"

"We'll establish a nation where everyone is equal and free, of course! Rubick, join us. If we had two Nikas on our side..."

"Don't even think about it."

Rubick cut him off. "Before I appeared, there was only the Gum-Gum Fruit out on the seas. Now, I think certain people already have their eyes on me."

"Besides, Nika is just a shield. I'd be the one taking every attack when the time came, and there's no way I'm doing that. And Dragon, to put it nicely, your ideas are romantic idealism."

"Even the most oppressive order is still order. What pirates bring is pure destruction and chaos. Even without the Celestial Dragons, people out on the seas still wouldn't have decent lives, because you never know whether pirates will come killing at your doorstep tomorrow."

"On the other hand, without pirates, the internal conflicts under the Celestial Dragons' oppressive rule would erupt all at once. Overthrowing them would only be a matter of time."

Dragon smiled. "It seems our methods are different. But if we cooperate, wouldn't that give us a two-pronged approach? You help Luffy obtain the One Piece Roger left behind and strike at the pirates. I'll free the slaves and strike at the Celestial Dragons."

In Dragon's view, if someone found the One Piece first, the number of people setting out to sea would drop considerably.

Dragon held out his right hand. "Well? Shall we work together?"

Rubick held out his right hand too. "If I can return home someday, I'll bring you our most advanced ideas."

"How advanced?"

"Two versions ahead of the current social system!"

"That's still a distant possibility," Rubick said. "But I can give you a little advice right now."

As the man who possessed ninety-nine percent of the brains across three generations of the Monkey Family, Dragon asked curiously, "What advice?"

"You've heard of Alabasta, right? It's a desert nation. I hear they've been suffering a drought lately, and a lot of their oases have disappeared. You can summon wind and rain, so you could easily work with them."

Dragon shook his head. "We could cooperate, but not now. Crocodile, one of the Shichibukai, is currently active there. I can't expose myself. Thank you for the advice, but I should leave now. Any later, and that foolish son of mine will get his head cut off."