Meeting Coby!

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"A bunch of pussies." The stranger turned to face Coby again. "So, can you show me where the food is now?"

Coby was wide-eyed as he looked up at the man. The stranger wore a red vest and blue Capri, a straw hat on his head. The stranger also had an athletic body, chiseled biceps, and a handsome face that would turn every women's head on the street.

"Who are you?" Coby asked, wondering who on all the seas could be so strong as to break metal without effort. The man gave a wide grin and said

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy! Nice to meet you!" Luffy paused for a second before opening the nearest door after smelling the air like a hound.

"MESHI!" Luffy yelled in wild joy before descending like a piranha among the crates of food in the tiny box of a room.

Coby went into the room and closed the door behind him. "I hope they don't find me in here," Coby muttered to himself before turning to look at the most interesting thing he'd seen in his short life.

A man that had appeared from nowhere displayed incredible strength, hopping up and down like a kid on Christmas morning while he practically inhaled every scrap of food his hands came in contact with.

Coby felt certain that the human stomach couldn't hold that much food, but he refrained from saying so.

"Um, Luffy-san?" Coby tentatively asked, drawing Luffy's attention away from a crate of apples. "I don't mean to be rude, but where did you come from?"

Luffy grinned, displaying the numerous chunks of food caught in his teeth. "I was sailing near my village when that big whirlpool came by. It really took me by surprise! But, I managed to get in that barrel, and I decided to take a nap. When I woke up, I was here!" Coby's eyes widened as Luffy nonchalantly discussed surviving a whirlpool as if it were no big deal.

Coby chuckled nervously before gathering his courage. "Luffy-san, you have to leave here! The fearsome Alvida-Sama is raiding this ship. Since you hit her guy, you'll get the iron mace! You really need to get out of here!" Luffy's eyebrows went up, pausing in his chewing, a playful glint in his eyes.

"A pirate ship? Does that mean you're a pirate?" Coby blanched before frantically shaking his head. "No, no, not at all. Well, kinda, I guess. It's complicated. Two years ago, I went onto a boat with the intention to fish, only to discover it was a boat carrying pirates back to their ship!" Here, Coby shivered in remembered fear. "They forced me to work for them, threatening me with the iron club. Still, I don't want to see Luffy-san hurt! I just met you, but I wouldn't wish the club on anyone! You've gotta escape!"

Luffy shrugged in a total lack of concern. "Even so, I'm still hungry. Besides, I can just beat up this Alvida person if she gets in the way." Coby's eyes reached the dinner-plate size before near-reflexive mutterings of 'impossible' came out of his mouth.

Luffy knocked Coby on the head, knocking him out of it. "What's the big deal? I'm strong, and besides, I can't die here. I haven't become the Pirate King yet!"

Coby gaped in shock. "Pirate King? Then, Luffy-san is a pirate?" Luffy nodded, still chewing on the food. "Impossible! The Pirate King is a man with wealth, fame, and power; everything in this world is united in one man! The last King, Gold Roger, was the only man to conquer the Grand Line! Impossible, impossible, impossible! Luffy-san will surely die if he tries to become the Pirate King!" Luffy stopped eating here, his eyes becoming shaded by his straw hat as he stood up.

"It's not about whether or not I can do it," Luffy said quietly, drawing Coby's attention. Luffy plucked the straw hat off his head, looking at it and reliving the memories that went with it.

"I promised the man that gave me this hat that I would gather a crew and become a great pirate. It's my dream to be the Pirate King, and I'm committed to my dream. I don't care if I die pursuing it." Coby was shocked into silence by the raw determination behind the statement. Coby could see that Luffy truly would die chasing his dream.

Luffy grinned suddenly, breaking the somber mood, putting the hat back on his head.

"Aw, well. Now I've gotta find a ship. Maybe the pirates will give me one! If they're good people." Luffy started for the door, brushing past Coby. Said boy was in the midst of an emotional crossroads.

'My life… or my dream. Can it be that simple?' Coby recalled the two years of work and fear, breeding in him the desire to just stand aside and let others have their way. That impulse was suddenly being choked by Coby's childhood dream to be a Marine. Coby took the deepest breath of his life before standing up.

"Luffy-san," Coby said, making Luffy pause. "We've only just meant, but you've inspired me." Coby looked up, and a new light was shining in his eyes. "You've given me courage! I'll run away from Alvida and become a Marine. It's my dream to catch bad guys!" Coby was on a roll now, making his way towards the door with Luffy. "I'll leave Alvida! No, I'll catch Alvida! I'll," Whatever Coby was going to say next withered and died as the roof of the room exploded, leaving wood, metal, and a seriously pissed-off pirate mistress with a big-ass club to fall to the ground.

Somewhat impressing Luffy with its nimbleness despite the amount it obviously weighted.

But Luffy grimaced as he caught sight of Alvida. If anything, the anime didn't fully depict her appearance properly.

She was a tall and very obese woman with long wavy black hair and freckles, many freckles on her cheeks. She wore a white cowgirl hat with a large red plume, a red neckerchief, a pink plaid shirt, and a blue captain's coat over it. She wore rings on her fingers, and her long sharp fingernails had red polish. She had a purple sash with a flintlock pistol tucked in it and some jewels. She also wore graying pants and red shoes with gold buckles. Luffy can't imagine how a simple Devil Fruit could change that monstrosity into something feminine.

"Who're you going to catch? Eh, Coby!" Alvida's beady eyes turned up to glare at the pink-haired boy, who was suddenly a gibbering wreck.

Alvida raised her gaze to look at Luffy. She found the boy attractive; his appearance was very much to her liking.

"So, you're the guy who knocked out my man. You're not that bounty hunter Roronoa. Who're you?" Luffy didn't as much as blink at the dramatic entrance. "A pirate," he said, internally wondering who the hell this person was.

Alvida grunted before returning her gaze to Coby. "Coby, who's the fairest on all the seas?" Coby jerked before stumbling through "T-t-t-that o-of c-c-c-course is A-a-alvida-s-s-s," before he was interrupted.

Luffy pointed at Alvida and asked Coby, "Who's the hag?" Everyone in hearing distance froze, their eyes going wide and their jaws unhinging as they processed the suicidal comment. Alvida's forehead became a tapestry of tic-marks before bellowing in rage, "DIE!!!!"

The obese woman brought down the solid ton of steel down on the spot Luffy had occupied with a minor effort, the keyword being 'had.'

As nimble as his namesake, Luffy jumped out of the way, grabbed Coby, and hopped up onto the deck, all the while smiling like an idiot.

Coby screamed in unadulterated fear before he was dropped onto a spot of the deck a bit behind where Luffy landed. "Stay there, or you'll get in the way," Luffy said, his smile softening the words a little, before turning to face the Alvida pirate crew, who were still in a semi-state of shock.

"Who's first?" Luffy asked, cracking his knuckles in anticipation. The crew seemed to gird itself before a few of them surged forward with a battle cry. Luffy grinned before implanting his fist in the first one's skull, jumped to avoid the swipe from the second before giving a punishing headbutt, before finally giving a kick to the guy that crept up behind him. All three men went down without as much as a sound. In fact, the first and second ones actually died with their skull either dented or cracked. The last one was lucky as Luffy managed to control his strength by then. The Primordial Incubus Physique had strengthened Luffy's body by at least three times.

Luffy grinned and crossed his arms. "Is that all you got?" he asked as if the whole affair were good fun. The entirety of the crew stared in awe and fear at the effortless defeat of their Nakama, while one lone swordsman climbed the deck behind Luffy.

With a cry, the man leaped and made to slash Luffy in half. Luffy turned to look at the assailant before frowning. What happened next left the crew speechless with confusion. In the moments before the blade hit home, Luffy glared at his attacker. The next thing anyone knew, the man was unconscious on the ground in front of Luffy, his sword still in hand.

Luffy glared with disapproval at his would-be assassin. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that attacking from behind isn't fair?" The crew stared for a few more seconds before adrenaline and mob psychology kicked in, and they charged Luffy as a massive horde.