Orange Town

In the Pirate World, the two things you must never do are reason with Luffy or eat with him.

The moment you hesitated, Luffy would finish all your food and leave you with nothing to eat.

Once Luffy set his mind on something, he would stick with it to the end. No one could stop him!

Zoro could not help feeling helpless. The two of them rowed onward, searching for the next island.

Two hours passed just like that.

"Grr..."

Luffy's stomach growled.

"Ah, I'm so hungry!"

Luffy shouted along with his stomach.

"You just ate, didn't you? What is that stomach of yours made of?!"

Zoro could not help complaining.

"He's a Rubber Man. Naturally, his digestive system is different from ordinary people's. The more he eats, the faster it bounces back!"

Moonlight knew this, though he had yet to see Luffy make a move.

"Eagle..."

At that moment, an incredibly loud eagle cry suddenly rang out. Above the three of them, a great eagle spread its wings and soared through the sky.

"Ah, food! Food!"

Luffy's eyes immediately lit up. Ignoring everything else, he stretched out his arm and grabbed at the eagle!

"Watch me hunt for everyone!"

"Gum-Gum... Pistol!"

Luffy shouted, his arm instantly catching the eagle as his entire body flew into the sky!

"His arm stretched out? That's... a Devil Fruit!"

Zoro was shocked. Though he was a Sword Maniac, he had heard the legends of Devil Fruits.

"That's right. He should be a Rubber Man! He ate the Gum-Gum Fruit!"

Moonlight nodded. Although he had long known it, witnessing it firsthand was a different feeling altogether.

The Gum-Gum Fruit picked from the Magic Tree could turn a person's body into rubber, allowing it to stretch and contract at will.

Theoretically speaking, this was the most wondrous kind of fruit!

"I see. The man who could make an expert like you follow him truly wasn't simple!"

Zoro could not help laughing as he looked at Moonlight with blazing eyes.

"Oh no, that idiot!"

However, Moonlight looked toward the sky. Luffy had successfully landed on the eagle's back, but because he could not control himself properly, he fell flat onto it and was carried away by the eagle instead.

"Damn it, hurry and chase him!"

Zoro was startled as well. He hurriedly rowed with all his strength in the direction the eagle had flown!

But how could their rowing speed compare to an eagle's flying speed? They quickly lost sight of it.

They could not help cursing their luck, but could only keep rowing forward.

"Help! Help!"

"Is anyone there? I don't want to die!"

"Ah, I'm about to drown!"

The two rowed onward, their little boat cutting through the water like an arrow. But before they had gone far, cries for help rang out.

Following the sounds, Zoro could vaguely make out three drowning people.

"Someone's calling for help. Could Luffy have fallen down?"

Zoro's heart stirred, and he hurriedly rowed over. But they were three vicious-looking strangers!

"Please save us! We're drowning!"

"As long as you save us, all the Beli on us is yours!"

"Help! We'll give you anything you want!"

Upon seeing the boat, the three immediately cried out.

However, once aboard, the three revealed their vicious natures!

"This is a robbery! Hand over everything valuable, or die!"

"That sword looks good. Hand it over!"

"Hurry up, or the Buggy Pirates will kill you!"

The three snarled menacingly.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

After a round of education from Zoro, the three immediately dropped to their knees and begged for mercy!

"Ahhh, sir, I was wrong! Spare me!"

"You're Pirate Hunter Zoro, aren't you? I never thought we'd provoke you. We were blind!"

"Sir, spare us!"

"You said you're from the Buggy Pirates. Does that mean there's an island nearby?"

Moonlight asked lightly.

"Yes! There's an Orange Town nearby. Our Buggy Pirates are stationed on the island. We're all members of the Buggy Pirates. Because we offended Captain Buggy, he sent us flying out to sea!"

The three did not dare delay and immediately explained.

"An island? Devil Fruits are demonic powers cursed by the sea. If so, Luffy would definitely find a way to land on a nearby island!"

Moonlight looked at Zoro!

"Good idea. Row. Take us to the island."

Zoro nodded, holding his long sword horizontally.

"Yes, yes, yes."

How could the three dare resist? They immediately rowed with all their might toward nearby Orange Town.

Though the small boat was terribly crowded with five people aboard, the sea was calm and windless. With the three rowing desperately, they soon reached Orange Town.

The two then prepared to go ashore!

However, just as they set foot on the island, the roar of a cannonball suddenly tore through the air and exploded in the sky!

"Eagle!"

At the same time, an eagle let out an utterly miserable cry. The cannonball had struck that very eagle!

"Luffy!"

Moonlight and Zoro exchanged a glance, then ran toward where the eagle had been hit.

Meanwhile, in the direction where the eagle was falling, a figure dropped straight down from the sky, headfirst, and smashed violently into the street at the center of town like an upside-down scallion.

At that moment, more than a dozen Buggy Pirates were chasing a nimble figure!

"Damn it, stop right there! You dare steal from the Buggy Pirates? Are you tired of living?!"

"Damn thief, stop right there! Everyone, hurry up and get her! If Captain Buggy finds out, we're dead!"

"Bastard!"

Dozens of angry shouts rang out as they surrounded the fleeing figure!

"Hehe, now I've got both the treasure and the sea chart of the Grand Line. If I sell them, I'll definitely make a fortune."

Nami looked at the sea chart in her hand and smiled in satisfaction.

She was Nami, a famous thief in the East Blue!

A thief who specialized in stealing from Pirates!

As she ran, she searched all around for an escape route.

However, just then, a figure fell from the sky and crashed onto the road in front of her, blocking her path!

"Is that a person?"

Nami immediately screamed, frightened out of her wits!

Her feet came to an abrupt halt!

At that moment, the Buggy Pirates had already caught up and surrounded her completely!

"Thief, now there's nowhere left for you to run!"

"Hand over our captain's treasure. That way, you might suffer a little less!"

"She's a cute girl!"

They sneered as they looked at Nami.

But then, another figure fell from the sky and landed right in front of them!

They were all startled!

"Huh? Someone fell from the sky?"

"Who is that? Is he dead?"

"He has to be dead. Could a normal person survive falling from that height?"

They all said so.

They all believed Luffy was dead!

"Ow, that hurt!"

However, Luffy suddenly pulled his head out of the ground and appeared before everyone, crying out.

He was a Rubber Man. He would not die, nor would he feel pain.

It was just that the height had been too great, so he could not avoid getting a little hurt!

"He's alive! He's alive!"

"Holy shit, he fell from that high up and didn't die. Even if he's alive, he's definitely not normal. Who are you? Did you come to steal our captain's treasure too?"