The Hangover- Straw Hats Style

Haku's POV

I woke up to the sensation of something cold pressed against my cheek. Groggily, I opened my eyes, blinking against the blurry vision of sunlight filtering through unfamiliar curtains. My head pounded, and my body felt like I'd gone ten rounds with a Sea King. As the room came into focus, I realized this wasn't my usual sleeping spot. In fact, it was Nojiko's room.

The place was a disaster.

The once neat and cozy room now looked like a storm had blown through it—furniture overturned, bottles and plates scattered everywhere, clothes hanging from the ceiling fan, and… Oh, no.

I glanced to my right and saw Zoro sprawled out on the floor, snoring loudly, using what looked like a frying pan as a pillow. Genzo was upside down in a chair, one leg dangling in the air, his mustache twitching as if he were dreaming of chasing someone.

"What... in the world happened?" I muttered, rubbing my temples.

Suddenly, I heard a soft chirp. My pet sparrow, Chibi, perched on a chair, tilted her head at me. There was a glint in her eyes that could only mean one thing: trouble.

"Chibi… what did we do last night?"

She let out a series of mimicked sounds that vaguely resembled the clinking of bottles, laughter, and… singing? My heart sank.

I sat up, wincing as the movement made my head throb. Trying to recall anything was like grasping at fog, but one thing stood out in the haze: Luffy. Of course, it's Luffy's fault. Something about a village-wide party… and Nami's return...

I nudged Zoro with my foot, "Oi, wake up."

He grunted and swatted at me in his sleep, mumbling something about "more booze." Genzo wasn't any better; his snoring continued unabated.

Just then, Nojiko appeared in the doorway, looking amused, though she was clearly holding back laughter. "Good morning, Haku. Looks like you boys had quite the night."

"Nojiko…" I stammered, feeling my face heat up, "Uh, what—what happened?"

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "Oh, wouldn't you like to know? Maybe you should start by cleaning up the mess you made in my room."

I groaned and stood up shakily, casting a glance back at Zoro and Genzo. "And what about those two?"

"They're your drinking buddies, aren't they?" She shrugged before leaning in slightly, "Besides, I think I enjoyed watching you the most."

I blinked, my face turning even redder. What did she mean by that?!

------

By the time I got Zoro and Genzo up, we were all still groggy and disoriented. Zoro eventually got woken up after Nojiko smacked him over the head, and Genzo only stirred once I splashed him with some freezing cold water. Making sure to put my mask on to hide my embarrassment, we stumbled outside into the morning light, and the sight that greeted us was… concerning.

The entire village looked like it had been hit by a storm—a human-sized storm. Debris was scattered everywhere, tables were overturned, villagers were picking up the pieces of what looked like the aftermath of a wild brawl, and several people were still passed out on benches and doorsteps. It was eerily similar to the state of Nojiko's room.

I rubbed my temples. "What happened here?"

Zoro shrugged, still unfazed as usual. "Guess we had fun."

Genzo was less amused, muttering under his breath about "idiot pirates" and "too old for this shit." Meanwhile, Chibi flew overhead, darting from rooftop to rooftop. Occasionally, she'd mimic a voice or a sound—snippets of conversations, laughter, and even some screaming, which only added to my growing sense of dread.

Our first real clue came from a young woman sweeping outside her house. She gave us a knowing smile when she saw us, her broom pausing mid-sweep. "Oh, you three were something else last night," she said, her eyes twinkling. "Especially during the karaoke battle."

Karaoke? I blinked, feeling a shiver of embarrassment crawl up my spine. "Karaoke battle?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "I didn't know you could sing, Haku. You beat everyone, including Luffy!"

I froze, absolutely mortified. Zoro and Genzo both turned to look at me, Zoro's expression amused, while Genzo just raised an eyebrow.

"I sang?" My voice cracked slightly. I had zero memory of this.

"Oh, did you ever!" The woman laughed. "You sang a beautiful song about snow. The whole village was cheering. Even Luffy couldn't believe it—you totally stole his thunder. He thought he had the win in the bag!"

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. Singing? Really? I didn't even know I could sing.

Zoro smirked, crossing his arms. "You sure you weren't just making a blizzard with your Devil Fruit powers and calling it a performance?"

"Shut up," I muttered, my face burning.

The woman grinned, clearly enjoying my suffering. "Luffy was the loudest, though. After you won, he started shouting something about, 'This is what being a Pirate King is all about!' He was so sure he was going to win."

"Sounds like him," Zoro said with a snort, his grin widening.

I sighed, the weight of my embarrassment pressing down on me. Karaoke? Of all the things to do while drunk…

------

As we continued down the street, trying to figure out what else had happened, we found Usopp, who was passed out under a table in the village square. A group of kids was poking him with sticks, giggling as they tried to wake him up. Zoro didn't bother being gentle—he nudged Usopp with his boot, hard enough to stir him awake.

"Oi, Usopp!" Genzo barked. "Care to explain why the entire village looks like a war zone?"

Usopp groaned, rubbing his face as he sat up. His eyes were bleary, and his voice was thick with sleep. "Wrecked? Oh… oh, right! The snowball fight!" His eyes suddenly widened with excitement as the memory seemed to click back into place. "It was legendary, Haku! You and I teamed up—we took on the entire village and the rest of the crew. Captain Ussop and his trusted right-hand man, Haku! 2 against 1000! We were unstoppable! A fitting start to the legend's journey, dare I say."

I blinked, trying to process what he was saying. Snowball fight? Oh no…

Bits and pieces came back to me—the feeling of cold snow in my hands, the laughter of villagers and crew members, and Usopp shouting battle cries like he was on a real battlefield. I vaguely remembered using my Snow-Snow Fruit powers to summon a blizzard, turning the village into a winter wonderland. But the real problem was that once the snow started flying, it seemed like everyone got involved.

"Yeah, you kept making snowstorms, and we were flinging snowballs left and right!" Usopp was now fully awake, his hands gesturing wildly as he recounted the night's events. "We even took out Sanji! He didn't see it coming—he was too busy flirting with Nami. And then Zoro—man, Zoro tried to charge us, but we nailed him with like ten snowballs at once!"

Zoro narrowed his eyes. "Is that so?"

Usopp paled slightly under Zoro's gaze, but he quickly recovered. "Hey, it was all in good fun! You know, team spirit and all that."

I felt another headache forming. I could see flashes of villagers ducking behind makeshift snow forts, Usopp yelling strategies like a general in the middle of a war, and me… laughing like an idiot as I whipped up snowballs the size of boulders.

"And then Luffy!" Usopp's voice brought me back to reality. His eyes were gleaming now, clearly caught up in the excitement of the story. "Luffy destroyed Arlong's tower with an axe kick! It was insane—everyone was watching. You should see it for yourselves, although, now it's just a pile of rubble."

Genzo just groaned while rubbing his temple. "Let's go and take a look."

As we left the square, Chibi flew ahead, occasionally landing on rooftops or signposts, chirping and mimicking sounds from the night before. At one point, she landed on Zoro's shoulder and, in a perfect imitation of Genzo's voice, shouted, "Drink! Drink! Drink!" causing the older man to scowl.

"That bird's got a real attitude," Genzo muttered, swatting Chibi away.

But Chibi wasn't done. She fluttered over to me and, with perfect clarity, mimicked my voice singing some sort of ballad. Wait, it wasn't a ballad... It was 'Frozen'! I sang fucking 'Frozen' while shooting snowy mists as I performed! My face turned crimson again as the haunting melody echoed through the streets, the villagers around us stopping to chuckle.

"Stop that!" I groaned, trying to shoo her away, but she just gave a smug chirp of "The cold never bothered me anyway~" and flew off.

Zoro laughed, clearly enjoying my misery. "You've got a fan."

------

As we continued through the village, a looming pile of rubble came into view. Where Arlong's tower had once stood, now there was only debris—shattered stone and splintered beams lying haphazardly. The villagers had gathered around, some still marvelling at the sight, while others poked at the ruins with awe.

I couldn't help but feel a strange mix of pride and exasperation. "That's definitely Luffy's work," I muttered, already sensing the chaos that must have unfolded.

One of the villagers, a middle-aged man with a broom in his hand, chuckled when he overheard me. He stepped closer, shaking his head in disbelief. "Yup. Your captain declared that the tower was 'a symbol of tyranny,' and then said it had to go if we were really going to be free."

I sighed. That sounded exactly like something Luffy would say. Always acting on impulse, with his heart on his sleeve.

The villager wasn't finished, though. "He didn't just say it. No, he made a whole show out of it. Jumped up onto the ruins, pointed at the sky, and shouted something like, 'No more oppression! This village is free!' Then he gave that crazy grin of his, leapt into the air, and… BAM! Axe kick straight through the top of the tower. It came down like it was made of paper."

I closed my eyes, the scene playing vividly in my mind now. Luffy, standing atop the tower, his grin wide and wild, before launching himself into the air like a human cannonball. The sound of his foot crashing through stone echoed in my head. The villagers cheering like they'd just witnessed a grand finale at a festival, the tower crumbling in slow motion. I had to admit, It felt awesome to see the canonical scene play out in real life.

Zoro, arms crossed, let out a lazy snort. "Yeah, that's him. One minute, he's eating meat, and the next, he's kicking down towers."

Genzo, who had been uncharacteristically quiet up until now, scratched his chin. "I gotta admit, though… as reckless as it was, it did feel symbolic. The moment that tower fell, it's like the weight of Arlong's reign vanished completely. The village felt lighter, like we could finally breathe."

He wasn't wrong. That tower had loomed over the village for so long, a constant reminder of Arlong's control. Now, seeing it reduced to rubble… there was a kind of poetic justice in it. Luffy may not always be the most tactful, but his instincts, at least when it comes to freedom and justice, were usually spot on.

One of the kids nearby, who had been playing in the debris, ran up excitedly. "Did you see it, Haku? Luffy didn't just kick the tower—he flew up so high! It was like he was a bird or something! And then bam! The whole thing came down in one hit!"

I smiled at the kid's enthusiasm, ruffling his hair. "I bet it was quite the sight."

"It was awesome!" the kid continued, throwing a fist into the air like he was mimicking Luffy. "He's gonna be the Pirate King for sure!"

Zoro chuckled under his breath. "That idiot never misses an opportunity to make a scene."

I couldn't argue with that. For better or worse, Luffy's actions always left an impression. The ruins of the tower were evidence of that—a physical representation of his unshakeable will to fight for the freedom of others, no matter how reckless the method.

One of the older villagers, who had been watching us from the side, approached and gave me a nod. "Thank you," he said quietly. "Not just for defeating Arlong, but for everything. It's strange… seeing that tower gone now. Feels like we're finally free."

I didn't know what to say to that. It wasn't just me—it was the whole crew, Luffy most of all. But I gave the man a respectful nod, my chest tightening a little. The weight of what we had done here was finally sinking in, and despite the chaotic aftermath, the village felt like it was healing. 

"Let's just hope Luffy doesn't decide to tear anything else down today," I said with a weary smile.

The villager laughed, and Zoro, with a smirk, added, "As long as it's not the ship, I think we'll be fine."

------

As we re-entered the village, we approached the tavern, its doors still swinging open from the night before, and the familiar scent of spilled rum and ale hit my nose. I winced at the assault on my senses; my body hadn't fully recovered from whatever poison I'd consumed last night. Zoro, however, seemed fine—annoyingly so—and Genzo, ever the old man, looked about as grumpy as usual.

The bartender leaned on the counter, chuckling as we staggered in. His eyes twinkled with amusement as he sized us up.

"Thought you three wouldn't be walking for at least another day or two," he said with a grin.

I felt a sinking sensation in my stomach, the faint memory of booze and bravado bubbling up to the surface. "What was it this time? A drinking challenge?" I asked hesitantly, dreading the answer.

"Oh, yeah," the bartender said, cracking a smirk. "You, Zoro, and Genzo. Lasted longer than I thought you would, but by the end, you were all out cold. Zoro was the last to go down, though."

Zoro looked smug at that, crossing his arms with an air of superiority. "Naturally."

Genzo scratched his chin and grumbled, "Bah, I could've gone longer if I didn't have to babysit you two."

But I barely heard them. As the bartender spoke, fragments of the night slowly pieced themselves together in my mind. It started with a simple toast to the village, a shared drink between us. But with Zoro being Zoro, it quickly escalated. The act that brought me to my downfall.

Flashback

The Night Before

I remembered the first challenge clearly: three enormous tankards of ale, the foam spilling over the rim as the villagers cheered us on. Zoro grinned at me, eyes sharp with the thrill of competition, while Genzo eyed the drink like he was staring down an old rival.

"Haku, you sure about this?" Genzo had asked with a raised brow, though his smile betrayed his excitement.

"You worried?" I shot back, trying to sound more confident than I felt. Snow powers weren't going to help me here.

The first round was surprisingly easy. The cold ale slid down my throat, refreshing even, and before I knew it, I'd finished my tankard with a satisfied sigh. Zoro downed his like it was water, barely blinking, while Genzo took his time, savouring the drink. The villagers clapped, already placing bets on who'd last the longest.

That was when the bartender brought out the second round—something far stronger, with a scent that could knock out a seaking. This wasn't just ale. This was some kind of potent rum that burned all the way down. I glanced at Zoro, who gave me a challenging smirk, and I knew backing down wasn't an option.

"Let's see if you can handle this, kid," Genzo grunted, lifting his glass.

The second drink hit me like a freight train. My vision blurred for a second, and I felt a warmth spread through my body, making the room spin slightly. But Zoro just grinned wider, his competitive spirit kicking in.

"What's the matter, Haku?" he taunted. "Starting to feel it already?"

I gritted my teeth and forced a smirk. "Not even close."

As the rounds continued, the laughter grew louder, and so did our confidence. Somewhere around the fifth or sixth round (I lost count), Genzo began telling stories—wild, exaggerated tales of his youth and adventures, which seemed to get more outrageous with each drink. Zoro egged him on, calling him a "crazy old man," while I tried my best to keep up, though my world was starting to tilt with every sip.

By the time we reached the final round, we were all slurring our words, leaning heavily on the bar for support. Zoro was still grinning like a madman, his eyes half-lidded but determined, while Genzo had started gesturing wildly with his glass, almost knocking it over a few times.

"This… this is nothing," Genzo slurred, waving his hand. "Back in my day, we… we could drink barrels of this stuff before breakfast!"

"Uh-huh," Zoro replied, taking another sip, though even he seemed to be feeling it now.

I, on the other hand, had entered a dangerous state of drunken confidence, grinning like an idiot and nodding along with everything Genzo said. "Yeah! We could totally do another round!"

Zoro glanced at me, his grin widening. "Another round? You're on."

The next thing I remembered was holding onto my mug like it was the only thing keeping me upright. The room was spinning, the cheers of the villagers echoing in my ears, but my focus was locked on the drink in front of me. I could barely lift it, my arms felt like lead, but there was no way I was giving up before Zoro.

Genzo was the first to fall. With a groan, he slumped forward, his face landing in his mug with a splash. The villagers erupted in laughter, and Zoro gave him a light kick under the table.

"Old man's out," he muttered with a chuckle.

I, too, was teetering on the edge, my head swimming as I tried to down the last of my drink. But Zoro, determined to win, lifted his mug, his eyes narrowing as he took one last swig. The crowd fell silent, watching with bated breath as the swordsman finished his drink with one final gulp and slammed his mug onto the table.

"I win," he declared, his words slurred but triumphant.

I tried to protest, but my vision went black before I could get a word out.

Back to the Present

Zoro's smug expression snapped me back to reality, and I groaned. "Of course, you won."

The bartender laughed, shaking his head. "I haven't seen anything like that in years. You three put on quite the show."

Genzo was still rubbing his temple, his memory clearly hazy. "I don't remember much after that…"

"I don't want to remember," I muttered.

As we left the tavern, Zoro patted my back, still grinning. "Next time, Haku, I expect you to last longer."

"Next time?" I shot him a look. "There's not going to be a next time."

But Zoro just laughed, his competitive spirit clearly already thinking about the next challenge.

------

As we exited the tavern and continued piecing the night together, Chibi, flying overhead, suddenly dipped down, landing on my shoulder. The little sparrow tilted his head and chirped out a very familiar voice—a high-pitched, teasing tone that made me freeze on the spot.

"Haku~! You're blushing again!"

The memory hit me like a sledgehammer.

Flashback to the Night Before:

The village was alive with laughter and celebration, drinks flowing like rivers as the music blared. I was sitting at one of the makeshift tables, barely coherent after the drinking challenge, my face flushed not just from the alcohol but also from a drunken Nojiko's relentless teasing.

"You know, Haku…" Nojiko's voice was soft yet playful as she leaned in closer, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "You're kind of cute when you're all shy like this."

I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry as I felt her breath against my ear. My mind screamed at me to say something, anything, but all I managed to do was stammer, "Uh, th-thanks?"

Nojiko giggled with a flushed face at my awkward response, her fingers lightly brushing my arm. "Don't be so nervous! You're a hero, after all. The least I can do is give you a little reward."

I could feel the heat in my cheeks intensifying. I must have looked like a tomato by this point, but the alcohol had dulled my usual restraint. "I-I'm not that great," I muttered, barely managing to meet her eyes.

"Oh, I think you are," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper, so close I could feel her lips almost touching my ear. "Maybe we should… celebrate more privately later?"

I choked on my drink, nearly spilling it everywhere. My mind was a chaotic mess. This wasn't just flirting—it was dangerous flirting, and I had no idea how to respond.

Despite my usual stoic demeanour, the alcohol had made me bold enough to respond—barely. "M-maybe. If… you're not too busy?" I stammered, inwardly cursing myself for how lame that sounded.

Nojiko's equally blushing face was starring at me, before she laughed again. Her eyes sparkling with amusement as she gave my shoulder a playful shove. "Oh, Haku, you're just too easy to tease."

Before I could say anything else, Nami stormed over, eyes narrowed and arms crossed. "Nojiko, stop playing with him," she snapped. "He's clearly too drunk to know what's happening."

Nojiko rolled her eyes, still smiling. "Come on, Nami~. He's a big boy; he can handle a little flirting." She leaned closer to me again, giving me a wink. "Right, Haku?"

I blinked, completely overwhelmed by the situation, and in my drunken haze, I did the one thing I regretted the most—I gave Nami the silent treatment.

I just sat there, too embarrassed to even look at her, while Nojiko smirked and continued to lean on me. Nami's jaw clenched. "You're seriously not going to say anything?"

I looked away, unsure how to even begin to respond. Nojiko giggled, clearly enjoying the tension. "See? He's fine, Nami. Let him have some fun."

Nami, however, was anything but amused. "Fun? Nojiko, I swear, if you keep this up, I'm—"

Back to the Present:

Zoro's elbow jabbed into my ribs, pulling me out of the embarrassing memory. His smirk told me he had figured out more than I was comfortable with. "Something you're not telling us, Haku?"

I stammered, my face heating up again, but before I could respond, we turned the corner to find the scene repeating itself in real-time. Nami stood there, arms crossed, glaring at Nojiko, who looked far too pleased with herself. Sanji was off to the side, sulking with a black eye and several bruises, which didn't exactly help my headache.

Nami's eyes snapped to me the moment she noticed us. "You're lucky I didn't smack you last night, Haku."

I blinked, trying to collect myself. "Uh… I didn't—"

"Oh, don't worry," Nojiko cut in with a playful grin, "I had everything under control. Haku was too shy to do anything anyway."

I could feel my face heating up all over again. Nojiko's teasing had clearly carried over from the previous night, and despite the pounding in my skull, I found myself rendered speechless once more.

Sanji, who had been fuming silently, suddenly spoke up. "Lucky bastard," he muttered under his breath, his eye twitching. He glared at me, and before I knew it, he was launching himself into the air, aiming a flying kick directly at my head. "You think you can steal the attention of both ladies!?"

Instinctively, my body moved on its own, still running on some mixture of muscle memory and lingering drunken reflexes. I reached out, grabbed Sanji's leg midair, and without thinking, hurled him over my shoulder.

The sound of Sanji crashing through a nearby building was almost comedic in its absurdity. He left a perfectly Sanji-shaped hole in the wall, dust and debris floating around as villagers stared in shock.

Zoro burst out laughing, clutching his stomach as tears of amusement filled his eyes. "You should've seen your face, Haku!" He wheezed between laughs. "That was priceless!"

Genzo, ever the voice of reason, simply shook his head, rubbing his temples as if regretting every decision that had led him to this moment. "This village will never be the same after this."

I sighed heavily, feeling the weight of my drunken decisions settling in. "I really need to stop drinking."

Flashback to the Night Before:

The moment a clearly-drunken Sanji had noticed Nojiko leaning on me, his face had twisted into an expression of outrage, or maybe it was jealousy. "Oi, Haku! Hands off!" he had shouted, stomping toward us.

Nojiko had glanced at him over her shoulder, barely acknowledging his presence. "Go away, love-cook. I'm busy."

Sanji's face had gone beet red. "Haku's not your type, Nojiko! He's too—too—"

"Too what?" Nojiko had asked innocently, fluttering her lashes. "Too cute?"

Sanji had been speechless for a moment, flailing his arms. "No! I mean—yes! I mean—he's not like me!"

That had been when Sanji made his move, trying to kick me, and I—much to my own surprise—had simply flung him into a nearby cart, knocking him unconscious for the rest of the night.

Back to the Present:

I glanced at the Sanji-shaped hole in the building, rubbing my neck awkwardly. "Uh… Sorry about that. I'll pay for all the damages."

"You better!", Nami groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Great. Now we're going to have to fix that wall."

Nojiko just grinned. "Honestly, I think I like this side of you, Haku. Maybe we should drink more often."

I turned bright red again, unable to form a coherent response. Zoro slapped me on the back, still chuckling. "Don't worry. You'll survive."

Barely, I thought to myself.

------

The morning sun beat down on the village as we gathered in the square, everyone looking slightly worse for wear after last night's chaotic festivities. The village was still in disarray, with debris scattered from the snowball fight, broken furniture from the drinking contest, and a Sanji-shaped hole in a nearby building. But amidst the wreckage and groans of hungover villagers, one thing was very clear: Luffy was missing.

"Has anyone seen Luffy?" Nami asked, hands on her hips, her patience already wearing thin.

"I thought he was with you," Zoro grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck as he yawned.

"No, he wasn't! And now he's gone." Nami's eyes narrowed. "Again."

"Didn't he destroy Arlong's tower last night?" Usopp piped up, wiping sleep from his eyes. "Maybe he's still there, admiring his 'symbol of freedom.'"

Zoro snorted. "Nah, we've already been there. But knowing Luffy, he's probably stuck in some weird spot… again."

They all exchanged glances. After all, it wouldn't be the first time.

"Alright," Nami said, voice sharp with resolve. "We need to find him before he causes more damage."

We decided to split up and comb through the village. I ended up with Zoro and Sanji, which was either a good thing or a disaster waiting to happen. They spent half the time bickering, as usual.

"I bet he's in some restaurant eating everything in sight," Sanji muttered, glancing down the street. "Captain Glutton."

Zoro, arms crossed, shrugged. "Maybe he's stuck in a tree again. You know how he is with climbing."

I sighed, already tired from their banter, but Chibi perched on my shoulder, chirping eagerly as if ready for a new adventure. "Let's just start looking before this turns into another argument."

Our first stop was the tavern, because where else would you look for Luffy in a village that just had a massive party? As we pushed open the door, the bartender gave us a wry smile.

"Oh, you're back already. Looking for your captain this time around?"

Sanji nodded. "Has he been here?"

The bartender chuckled. "Not since last night when he downed enough meat to feed an entire ship crew. Haven't seen him since he yelled something about 'adventure' and ran out the door."

Zoro grumbled. "Typical."

Chibi let out a mimic of Luffy's voice: "Adventureeeeee!" The little bird's imitation was spot-on, and we all groaned in unison.

"Well, that's a start," I said, rubbing my temples. "But where did he go after his grand declaration?"

"I have an idea," Zoro said, looking uncharacteristically thoughtful. "Let's check the tallest tree."

"Are you serious?" Sanji scowled. "Why would he be in a tree?"

Zoro smirked. "Because that's where he always ends up."

We made our way to the outskirts of the village, where a massive tree stood like a lone giant. Sure enough, there was a commotion at the base of it. A couple of kids were pointing up and giggling, and an older villager was shaking his head.

Zoro looked smug. "Told you."

"Please don't tell me he's up there," I muttered.

We approached the tree, and I squinted up into the branches. Sure enough, there was a figure dangling precariously from a high branch, red vest flapping in the wind.

"Oi, Luffy!" Zoro called out, cupping his hands around his mouth.

Luffy's head popped out from the leaves. "Oh, hey, guys! Look, I found a bird's nest!"

Sanji sighed. "Of course he did."

"How did you even get up there?" I asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

"I climbed!" Luffy grinned, as if that explained everything. "And now I'm stuck! Can someone help me down?"

"Climbed? He can barely walk straight most of the time," Zoro muttered under his breath.

I could help but look at him with a raised eyebrow. "Look who's talking!"

Sanji, ever the showman, leapt into the air with a series of graceful kicks, landing on a branch near Luffy. "I'll help you down, you idiot."

"No, wait!" Luffy cried. "I haven't named the baby birds yet!"

"Forget the birds!" Sanji snapped.

"I already named one of them Zoro," Luffy said proudly, pointing to a particularly scraggly-looking chick.

Zoro blinked, looking offended. "Why the hell would you name a bird after me?"

Luffy tilted his head, completely serious. "Because it looked grumpy."

Moments later, with Luffy rescued from his treetop adventure, we thought our troubles were over. But as we walked back toward the village, he managed run off somewhere, giving us a slip. it didn't take long for Chibi to flutter in front of us, mimicking Luffy's voice again: "To the sea!" followed by Luffy's signature laugh.

I groaned. "Please tell me he didn't try to sail off somewhere."

"Looks like that's exactly what happened," Zoro muttered, glancing toward the shoreline.

Sure enough, when we arrived at the docks, we found Luffy sitting on the edge of the pier, grinning like a kid who had just discovered something amazing. In front of him floated a tiny, makeshift raft—a collection of barrels, driftwood, and sails made of mismatched fabric, somehow tied together with more enthusiasm than skill.

"Luffy… what is that?" Nami's voice was a deadly calm.

Luffy beamed, looking proud. "My new boat, I built it while you were all asleep! I'm gonna call it the 'Mini Go Merry!'"

"You're not serious," I said, eyeing the raft with scepticism. It looked like it wouldn't survive a single wave.

"I'm totally serious!" Luffy said, his voice full of excitement. "I was gonna sail it out to see if there were any more adventures nearby."

Sanji rubbed his temples. "And you didn't think to tell us before building this… thing?"

"I didn't want to bother you," Luffy explained with a wide grin. "You all looked so tired!"

Nami's patience was wearing thin. "Luffy, you can't just build random rafts and sail off whenever you feel like it! We have a real ship, remember?"

Luffy pouted. "But this one's small! It's perfect for solo adventures."

Zoro chuckled, crossing his arms. "He's definitely not gonna last a day on that thing."

"Well, we'll never know now," Nami said, turning to me with a glare. "Haku, freeze the boat."

I blinked. "What?"

"You heard me. Freeze it."

Without hesitation, I used my Snow-Snow Fruit powers, causing the water around the raft to crystallise in ice. The 'Mini Go Merry' was now wrapped in a multi-layered igloo, firmly stuck in place, much to Luffy's disappointment.

"Aw, come on, guys!" Luffy whined. "I was gonna sail off into the sunset!"

"You were going to sail off into the ocean and sink," Sanji corrected.

Zoro smirked. "Or get eaten by a Sea King."

"I'm just trying to live my dream!" Luffy cried dramatically, throwing his arms up.

"You can live your dream on the Going Merry," Nami said firmly. "Let's go."

------

As we made our way back to the village square, Luffy sulked behind us, mumbling about how no one understood his "spirit of adventure." Meanwhile, the rest of us felt both relieved and exasperated.

"Honestly," I said with a sigh, "how does he keep getting into these situations?"

"Luffy's a magnet for trouble," Zoro said, shaking his head.

"More like a magnet for chaos," Sanji muttered, lighting a cigarette.

Chibi mimicked Luffy's voice once again: "Adventureeeee!" This time, we all groaned in unison.

And as we walked past the rubble of Arlong's tower, the destroyed tavern furniture, and the various signs of last night's madness, I couldn't help but think: this was just another typical day with the Straw Hat crew... and just how much all this will cost.