Captain Mike

After a few minutes, the ship arrived where my raft was. The next moment, I held onto the rope tightly and climbed up to the ship's deck.

As I looked up and took a glance at the ship and its crew, I saw two men approaching. One was quite tall, measuring 230 cm, with broad shoulders and a muscular physique, accompanied by an older appearance, likely between 60 and 70 years old. This must be the ship's captain.

Beside him, a young sailor with an average appearance, perhaps his second in command or apprentice.

When he stood in front of me, it became even more evident that he towered over me by several heads.

¿?: "I'm Mike, the Supervisor and Captain of this ship. I can see from your condition that you've experienced a shipwreck, but you managed to climb the rope without any problems... Who are you?"

Reaching my hand out towards him in an attempt to shake it, it was met with thin air.

Johan: "Pleased to meet you, Captain Mike. You can call me Marcus... and as you mentioned, my vessel suffered significant damage in a storm a few days ago. Naturally, this sea is the worst I've been in. I was stranded on an island for a while until I built the majestic raft you saw."

Mike hesitated for a moment, but didn't dwell on it and turned back toward his cabin.

Mike: "Get him some food and water... but keep an eye on him."

Robert: "Understood, Captain. This way, Marcus. My name is Robert, I'll take you to the dining area and then show you to your room where you'll be staying until we reach our destination."

Johan/Marcus: "Very kind of you, Mr. Robert, to allow me to stay for a few days. I apologize for the inconvenience."

Robert: "Don't worry, many times during our voyages, we pick up castaways, whether from a pirate attack or a storm."

As we walked across the ship's deck, I turned my head to see two men fighting, with others cheering and shouting.

¿?: "Come on, Tom! Give him what he deserves! I bet my earnings for this month on you, don't let me down!"

*thud* *thud*

After a series of exchanges, both fell unconscious to the floor.

"No! Damn it... now that idiot Richard will get both shares."

When we arrived at the dining area, I served myself a large portion of food and several liters of water. While the fruits could quench my thirst, I was still very dehydrated.

After eating, Robert showed me the 'Cozy' room I would be using for a while, which was just an out-of-service storage room.

-At noon

Johan/Marcus: "I wonder if they have any gold or Beli. Being such a large ship, it would be a shame not to carry wealth."

As I explored the ship in search of something unusual or a guarded room, I noticed that many sailors were watching my movements, which wasn't surprising considering I was just a "guest."

With no success in my search, I headed towards Captain Mike's cabin. Before entering, I could hear the end of a conversation...

Captain Mike: "What do you mean? You can't do this to me now, the job is almost done!... I'll complete the delivery in Kyuka, and then we'll talk about payment."

Clang

Hanging up the Den Den Mushi, he turned to see Marcus entering through the cabin door.

Captain Mike: "Oh... hello, Marcus, did you manage to rest for a bit?"

Johan/Marcus: "Don't worry about me, sir. My problems shouldn't concern you... On another note, how much longer until we reach our destination?"

Captain Mike: "About 4 days if the weather is on our side. We're just a cargo ship; we don't have the speed of pirate ships or Marines."

Johan/Marcus: "That's fine with me. Rest, Captain, I won't bother you for the rest of the day. Goodbye."

After the conversation in the cabin, I went out for another walk on the deck...

"So, Kyuka Island... It's a type of spa or vacation spot. Some members of the Baroque Works were on that island in the future... it's probably the distribution center for some illegal trafficking. There may be something valuable on this ship..."

Mike: "Tsk, troublesome. I'll have to get rid of him before the delivery."

-Hundreds of nautical miles away

In the center of the Grand Line, there is quite a peculiar island. In the middle of the island, there's a giant tree with an umbrella covering the buildings, as if it were a paradise island.

¿?: "That idiot, knowing how much we need that shipment, dares to take delivery for a week! Without the chemical powder the big guys won't leave me alone...

Inside a room in a tall building, a small figure curses who knows who.

-3 days later

Johan/Marcus: "I found it!" After searching for the last few days, I found a guarded room near the machinery area, and after memorizing the time of each guard, I was able to enter the small room. Obviously I found the keys searching Mike's cabin.

When I opened the door, a golden light instantly shined on my face...

Johan/Marcus: "Finally."