Friends

The sounds of the bustling crowd reverberated throughout Shellstown. The Straw Hats were peacefully enjoying their meal at Rika's mother's restaurant.

"I'm stuffed!" exclaimed Zoro. "Who would've thought that not eating for nine days could almost starve you to death!?"

Aryash muttered, "Everyone except you knew that."

Luffy, munching on his food, remarked, "See, it's impossible for you to last a month!"

Zoro gave Luffy a sidelong glance and retorted, "You're so scrawny, and yet you ate more than me!"

After finishing his meal, Aryash expressed his gratitude to Rika's mother, "Thank you for the delicious meal, madam!"

Coby nervously added, "I'm sorry, I ate a lot too."

All of them were relishing the tranquility they had brought to the town.

Rika's mother smiled and reassured them, "Don't worry! Just keep eating, you guys are our saviors!"

Rika approached their table with a beaming smile and said, "You guys are so strong, Oni-san!"

Luffy replied confidently, "Yep, I'm strong!"

Aryash simply remarked, "I'll become even stronger."

Zoro asked a question, "So, what are your plans next?"

Luffy, with his usual carefree tone, replied, "Hmm, I haven't really thought about it. But I do know one thing - we need to add a musician and a chef to our crew!"

Aryash pondered for a moment and then suggested, "How about we head towards the 'Grand Line' next?"

Hearing the words 'Grand Line', Coby nervously shifted in his seat and then quickly got up from his chair, shouting, "What?! Are you saying crazy things? How can you even think of entering the Grand Line? It's the place where the world's strongest pirates gather!"

Zoro, being the stoic one, responded nonchalantly, "Well, we are heading for the One Piece. It won't hurt to go in that direction, will it?"

Aryash chimed in, "Exactly! And why are you worried, Coby? It's not like you're going to join us anyway!"

Hearing this, Coby stuttered and said, "Even though I'm not going with you, I'll still worry about you guys! Can't I worry about my friends?"

Zoro, taken aback by Coby's reaction, simply uttered, "Uh!"

Coby got up from his chair and turned towards Luffy, with a concerned look on his face. "Luffy-san, even though we just met, aren't we friends?"

Luffy's eyes widened with a bright smile as he replied, "Of course, we're friends, Coby! Even though we may part ways, we'll always be friends!"

Aryash added, "Yeah, we will always be friends, Coby. Don't worry about us, we can handle ourselves."

Zoro gently tapped Coby's head with the flat side of his sword and spoke in a serious tone, "Firstly, you should focus on yourself, Coby."

Coby looked confused and asked, "Why do you say that?"

Zoro responded, "Although you were forced into it, you still worked under a pirate crew. You are technically known as a pirate, which can be problematic for your chances of joining the Marines. Your past will be scrutinized heavily, so it's best to be cautious."

Aryash nodded in agreement and added, "You shouldn't underestimate the intelligence gathering capabilities of the Marines. They will dig deep and find out everything about you."

As the group conversed, a sudden loud knock reverberated through the room, causing everyone to turn their heads towards the door. The knock was so forceful that it interrupted their conversation, leaving them wondering who could be on the other side. Suddenly, a man in a Marine uniform, sporting a light beard and a cap, strode into the room, followed by a whole crowd.

In an authoritative tone, the man addressed the group, "Excuse me! We are wondering if you are really pirates?"

Luffy, being the straightforward person he is, looked at the man and replied, "Yes! I found two crew members, so that makes us pirates!!"

Upon hearing this, the Marine's eyes saddened. However, he collected himself and continued, "Even though you guys are pirates, in reality, you saved our town and base. For that, we are grateful."

He paused for a moment and added, "But since you are pirates, we as marines cannot allow you to stay any longer. Please leave this place, and what happened here will be reported to the marines headquarters."

Aryash, who was standing nearby, muttered, "What kind of bullshit is this?" The townsfolk echoed his sentiments, shouting at the Marines, "Have you gone nuts? They are our saviors!"

In response, Luffy got up from his chair and thanked Rika's mom for the food. Aryash and Zoro silently followed suit, and a hush fell over the room.

Koby, who had been left behind, was approached by the Marine, who asked, "Aren't you with those guys?"

Koby, gritting his teeth, replied, "I'm not with them."

At that moment, Luffy turned to Koby and pointed at him, saying, "I know what this guy used to do."

The room fell silent, waiting to hear what Luffy had to say about Koby.

Koby's mind went blank. He thought, 'What is he doing? If they find out that I was a chore boy for pirates, they'll never let me join the marines.'

Luffy spoke up, "It was an ugly fat pirate he worked for. This guy worked under her."

The marine narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Koby's fists clenched, "Shut up," he thought.

With a sudden burst of rage, Koby punched Luffy right in the face. BAM!

Zoro and Aryash grinned from ear to ear while Luffy still wore a grin even after getting punched.

Everyone present was shocked.

Luffy got up and shouted, "You deserve a beating."

The two started fighting like cats and dogs.

The Marine yelled, "Both of you, stop! I won't allow you to fight in this town!"

Aryash and Zoro quickly intervened and separated Koby and Luffy.

The Marine continued, "I know he's not your friend. Please leave this town."

As Luffy and his crewmates started to leave, Koby's thoughts consumed him, "He did it for me. He wanted to make me mad. He wanted me to hit him. Even in the very end...I needed their help...I'm so damn useless...I'm an imbecile."

Suddenly, Koby mustered all of his courage and yelled out, "I want to join the marines!"

Some marines protested against the idea of him joining, but Koby silenced them by saying, "I'm a man whose dream is to become a member of the marines!" His eyes strangely glimmered with a hint of red.

As Luffy and his crewmates watched Koby become a marine, they couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and admiration for their former enemy.

As they set sail once again, Luffy turned to his crewmates and said, "That was a crazy fight, but I'm happy for Koby. He finally found his dream."

Aryash could sense the strong emotions flowing through the crew. It was clear that they all shared a deep respect for Koby's bravery and determination. They had all witnessed his transformation from a timid chore boy to a fierce marine, and they knew that he was destined for great things.

As they sailed away, Aryash couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation for the adventures that lay ahead. The journey to become the Pirate King was filled with twists and turns, but Luffy and his crewmates were ready to face them head-on.