3 Chapter 3

"Gum Gum - Rocket!"

With a thunderous shout, Luffy, gripping the mast with his elongated arm, transformed into a soaring rocket, colliding with a group of pirates and leaving the audience in awe.

The captivated onlookers gazed in a mixture of fear and anticipation as they witnessed a man capable of stretching his body parts at will.

Amidst the crowd, Seph, who had stealthily joined the spectators, observed the scene with keen interest.

'Interesting...'

As he anticipated, while Luffy's body boasted resilience and strength, it was not as exaggerated as some believed. Yet, his punches and movements emanated a latent power that seemed to stem from his entire being.

Seph's vision was remarkably sharp, allowing him to discern even the smallest details from a distance. Coupled with his reflexive nerves, the world seemed to slow down tenfold in his focused state. Thus, he could unravel the secrets of the world's power system.

In this realm, physical prowess lay in the ability to channel one's power into individual body parts, unleashing strength many times over the base level. Whether through the 'Rokushiki' techniques or other martial arts, mastery revolved around precise body control.

It became evident that Garp had trained Luffy well. Seph conjectured that the prerequisite for Haki implied a mastery of body control to a certain degree, only attainable through intense discipline.

This elucidated why fighters like Rob Lucci could rival Luffy after years of training, and why Luffy's growth was nothing short of astounding.

Coby, trembling as he observed Luffy's unusual state, ventured to ask with trepidation, "Luffy-san, what are you?"

Luffy, wearing his trademark goofy expression, grinned and replied, "Me? I'm a rubber person!"

Coby's dumbfounded expression spoke volumes. "A rubber person? You can't be serious!"

As Coby turned his head, he was met with the sight of Alvida's hideous visage. Fear seizing him, he dashed behind Luffy for cover.

Alvida, clutching her iron mace, regarded Luffy with a stern expression. "You've eaten a Devil Fruit, haven't you?"

Luffy nodded gleefully. "That's right! The Gum-Gum Fruit!"

Seph watched in a daze, taken aback by Luffy's candid response. Though he knew Luffy was extraordinary, witnessing it firsthand left him astonished.

As Luffy and Alvida delved into a discussion about Devil Fruit legends, Luffy's dreams, crew numbers, and ambitions, the crowd listened intently. Meanwhile, Nami's small figure darted away after stealing the treasure.

Seph chuckled to himself. "It's not that bad..."

His amusement was short-lived as Coby's loud proclamation echoed throughout the ship.

"The most ugly, cragged old hag ever!"

Luffy erupted into laughter, patting the frightened Coby on the back. "Woahahahahahaha!"

"Pfft..."

Even Seph found himself amused by the exchange. Though the audience looked on in bewilderment, the charm emanating from Seph soon soothed their nerves, prompting them to steal glances in his direction.

Alvida, driven to madness, bellowed, "What did you say?!"

Coby watched her with tears in his eyes but brimming with determination as he boldly declared, "I'm going to join the navy and catch your sorry ass!"

"You damn brat!!!" Alvida's fury surged. How dare a mere slave contradict and mock her, their master? In a fit of rage, she raised her iron mace, intent on delivering a lethal blow.

Luffy hurried forward, commenting, "Well said!"

As the mace descended, Luffy's eyes widened in astonishment. Without even sensing his approach, a long-haired young man in a black tuxedo materialized beside him. With graceful ease, the young man intercepted the mace, his hand effortlessly grasping it.

Luffy marveled at the display of power. "Strong!! His body is tougher than iron!"

Seph chose to make his presence known. Though he knew the mace wouldn't harm Luffy, the latter remained unaware, making Seph's intervention all the more impactful.

Coby's eyes remained tightly shut in fear, while the audience looked on as if they'd seen a ghost. Seph appeared to teleport, his speed defying logic.

Alvida, her eyes blazing with fury, demanded, "And who are you... huh?"

As her anger subsided, shock overtook her features. She involuntarily released the mace, which crumbled upon impact with Seph's hand. Alvida's complexion paled, her eyes filling with remorse.

"I didn't mean to attack you!! I'm really sorry..."

Confusion clouded Seph's expression. What was this old hag talking about? However, upon witnessing her transformation into what seemed like a lovesick girl, Seph's disbelief knew no bounds.

Alvida's eyes shimmered with pink hearts. "Handsome!! Can you be my husband?"

"Huh?" Luffy and Seph exchanged puzzled glances, while Coby and the audience fell silent. Some girls in the audience regarded Alvida with hostility.

It dawned on Seph that his charm had been intensified by the gene. Luffy, sensing the situation, made a swift decision.

"No way! This guy's my future crewmate! I'll never give him to you!"

With a mighty thrust, Luffy sent Alvida hurtling backward.

Seph's acute eyes tracked Alvida's trajectory, witnessing her descent toward a small island nestled in the midst of the azure expanse. Despite the force of the impact, Alvida's plunge into the ocean ultimately spared her life.

'Sigh, plot is truly terrifying... Nevertheless, my goal is achieved. Since Luffy invited me, even the World Protagonist can't resist my charm. But such an invitation is embarrassing; it feels like two guys fighting for his hand in marriage.'

Observing Luffy with interest, Seph remarked, "So you're the next Pirate King?"

Taken aback, Luffy laughed heartily. "Yes, yes I am!"

"Since you are, that makes it better. I want to write a legendary story. Joining the next Pirate King seems like an interesting venture..."

Luffy's eyes gleamed with excitement. "So you agree?!"

Seph nodded. "I do!"

"Huh? Luffy-san, are you serious? And you, sir, even if you want to write about legendary stories, there's no need to become a pirate." Coby was astounded, as were the passengers nearby, by the duo's casual conversation.

Luffy punched Coby angrily on the head. "Damn, Coby! What are you doing?! How dare you plot against my partner?!"

Seph chuckled carelessly. While it might seem odd to others, for Luffy, an invitation meant approval.

'Yet, I need to suppress this charm. It's truly frightening!'

As Luffy playfully teased Coby, Seph smiled in interest to their banter. His acute ears could already discern the approaching warships from nautical miles away.

"Captain, we need to go. Marine warships are approaching!"

Luffy looked at Seph with even greater interest.

Boom, Boom...

The sound of artillery and explosions reverberated around the two ships, accompanied by the joyous exclamations of the passengers. Seeing the marines draw near, Luffy's intrigue intensified.

"You're interesting! I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the man destined to become the Pirate King! And you are?"

Seph smiled as he followed Luffy toward the rescue boats.

"I'm Sephiroth, but you can call me Seph. As I said, my dream is to live a legendary journey and write about it. Captain, take care of me..."

Luffy laughed heartily. "Shishishishi... I will!"

As the small boat landed on the sea, Seph and Luffy were greeted by Nami, who was also prepared to make her escape on another boat across from them.

"Yo, Nami, I've already become a pirate... do you want to join?" Seph asked casually.

Nami was taken aback. Seeing Seph's face, her cheeks flushed, but she quickly composed herself.

'This guy is becoming more handsome again! Focus, focus... Did he say he became a pirate? What a pirate!!'

"Seph-kun, are you crazy? Did you join that ugly hag?!" Nami retorted, astonished.

Seph was rendered speechless for a moment. "Of course not. This is my captain!"

Nami glanced at Luffy with a quizzical expression. "Seriously? He doesn't look that smart."

"Pfft..." Seph couldn't help but chuckle at Nami's bluntness.

"Aren't you angry?" Seph inquired.

Nami paused for a moment. "I am mad, but looking at this captain, I'm relieved." With that, she rowed the boat hurriedly as if eager to depart.

Seph observed her departure but decided not to press the issue.

Turning back to Luffy, he found the pirate captain wearing a pouty expression. "What's wrong?"

"Your friend is mean... how could she say that I'm not smart?!" Luffy complained.

"She is blind... how could she understand the greatness of the captain?" Seph teased.

Luffy seemed to regain his enthusiasm. "Right! Shishishishi..."

"Still, Nami is the best navigator in the world. If we recruit her, it would be a great help," Seph suggested.

Luffy agreed wholeheartedly. "What?! That woman is so great! Damn, she ran away. Next time we meet her, we must convince her to join us."

"We will," Seph affirmed.

Meanwhile, Coby, who was rowing the boat, seemed to ignore the banter between the two. Inhaling the freedom in the air, he eventually asked, "Where will we go next?"

Seph answered decisively, "Let's go to Shells Town navy base..."

"Didn't you want to recruit a powerful crew? There's a formidable man held captive in the navy base. His name is Zoro."

"What? Zoro! That demon!" Coby exclaimed in fear.

"A prisoner? Is he weak?" Luffy pouted in disdain.

"Nothing of the sort! he is terrifying as demon!" Coby retorted loudly.

Seph chuckled as he watched Coby convince Luffy about Zoro's strength. Who would have thought Luffy would doubt Zoro's abilities at the beginning?

...

With Coby guiding them, the boat steadily approached their next destination.