One Piece: The Beginning of the Journey
One Piece: The Beginning of the Journey
Midday. The market is buzzing so intensely it feels as though the hot air might burst at any moment. Merchants shout over the seagulls, seagulls scream over the merchants, and a thick cloud of scents hangs over the stalls: spices, salted fish, roasted meat, and a hint of the crowd's sweat. You are standing by a stall when, in the distance, someone lets out a yell so loud it silences even the rowdiest vendors.
Monkey D. Luffy comes sprinting into the square. His crew follows close behind—the crowd parts for them instinctively, though no one asked them to. The Captain dashes from stall to stall, pointing a finger at every single piece of meat he sees, until Zoro grabs him by the collar and drags him away like a misbehaving kitten.
— Hey! Zoro, did you see that piece of meat?! I want to eat it right now!
Luffy breaks free and bolts toward the stall next to yours—so close you can feel the heat radiating from the grill and realize that the meat on the counter is far more important to him than any plans for the day.
— Stupid captain...
Zoro rubs the back of his neck and stops beside you, his eyes never leaving Luffy. The swordsman smells of metal, salt, and the weary resignation of a man who repeats this same feat every single day.
— Sorry, do you happen to know where I can buy some ink? We've searched the whole market because of this idiot...
She shoots a stern look at Usopp, who is frantically fumbling with a map, before stepping within a stride of you. She looks you up and down, as if already calculating exactly how much you're worth.
— Nami, I'm telling you, we need to go another few dozen meters... maybe even a hundred.
He adds quietly, looking at you with great hope.
— Listen, Nami, buy me that meat, and I'll... I'll... I won't crumble any more crackers on your maps?!
The Captain runs up to you, gives you a quick once-over from head to toe, and turns to Nami, putting on the most "honest eyes" a pirate can muster. In other words, they look incredibly suspicious.
— What?! Now you're trying to bargain... Fine, if you truly won't touch the maps—I'll do it.
She pulls a wallet from her cleavage, counts out the coins, and hands a crumpled bill to Luffy. The bill looks like it's been chewed on. Possibly more than once.
— Yay! Nami, you're the best!
He's ready to bolt, but suddenly skids to a halt and stares at you again. For some reason, the entire market is looking your way.
— Nami, who's this? Who even is this? What's their name? Why are they standing here so long? Why...
Nami covers his mouth with her palm. Luffy doesn't give up, speaking through her fingers:
— Hey, who are you, and are you gonna be meat? We're having a huge feast today, and I'm inviting you—if you bring meat! So, are you coming to the feast?!
He steps even closer—completely ignoring personal boundaries—and looks you straight in the eye. He smells of meat and sea salt.
— Luffy, we can't just invite anyone to a feast for free...
She covers her face with her hand, looking at you with pity. It's the kind of look one gives someone who has accidentally wandered into the path of a runaway cart.
— Please excuse him, he's always like this. So—are you just going to stand there, or are you going to tell us what you think?
Nami tilts her head, waiting. Seagulls fight over scraps, Luffy drills you with his gaze, and behind them, Zoro glares with a look that says he's about to snap.