Well, it made sense—Alvida was just a pirate with a bounty of five million Berries. To put it bluntly, even some no-name bandits had higher bounties than her. It would be surprising if her pirate ship held any real treasure.
Only seven pirates, huh? Doesn't feel like enough of a fight.
That's the strange thought that crossed Alex's mind as he counted just seven pirates on board.
They surrounded him menacingly—fierce glares, muscular builds, long swords in hand. Three of them even wore light blue bandanas.
So… these are pirates?
Alex took a step forward, placing Nami behind him protectively.
Half a year ago, when Alex had first arrived in the world of One Piece, he'd laugh at himself for being paranoid. Back then, he used to worry about a pirate crew suddenly attacking his village. That would've been disastrous, especially since he was just an ordinary person at the time, with no real fighting ability. If actual pirates had attacked then, chances were high he wouldn't have survived.
And this was still a world that felt both familiar and foreign to him—his thoughts sometimes spiraled with anxiety.
But now, after setting out to sea with Luffy, this was the first time he'd encountered real pirates.
Even though these ones were clearly small fry, they were genuine pirates nonetheless. Still, something surprised Alex—how calm he felt. There was no panic, no fear, nothing like what he had once imagined. He was so composed that even he couldn't understand it.
Loosening his clenched fists, Alex decided to stop wasting words.
He made the first move. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on NoveI(F)ire.net
"You've got a death wish attacking pirates! You think you're the Navy or something?"
"Even if he were Navy, we'd still cut him down—get him!"
The pirates, enraged by Alex's sudden attack, charged in with swords raised, bloodlust surging.
Alex spun in place and landed a roundhouse kick that snapped two of the pirates' blades in half.
Nami stood frozen behind him, jaw slightly agape. What the heck is this guy? she thought. He's clearly still injured, and yet he's holding his own like it's nothing.
Then—BAM!—Alex's fist buried itself into the gut of the chubby pirate, sending him flying out of the storage room in a single punch.
"He's way too strong! We need to go get Miss Alvida to deal with this guy!"
The two remaining pirates, watching Alex defeat five of their comrades in under three minutes without even breaking a sweat, lost all will to fight. They turned to run.
But Alex wasn't about to let them escape.
With a cold snort, he chased them down, grabbed both by the head, and slammed them together—thud! Both dropped unconscious.
Meanwhile, on the other ship, Alvida stood on the deck holding her massive iron club.
She shouted, "Koby! Tell me—who is the most beautiful person on these seas?"
"You… you're the fattest, ugliest old hag on the entire ocean!"
Koby's voice trembled as he shouted, but there was determination in his eyes. Remembering what Luffy had told him—that if he wanted to become a Navy officer, he couldn't be afraid of death—Koby stood tall. He no longer feared the monstrous woman before him.
All the pirates nearby were stunned speechless.
The same weak, cowardly boy they used to bully every day… just called Alvida a fat old hag?
It felt like a dream.
Koby had always been a joke in their eyes—scared of everything, clumsy, useless. Two years ago, he had accidentally boarded Alvida's pirate ship while fishing and had since lived a miserable, enslaved life without dignity.
But now, he seemed like a different person. He didn't even fear the violent, brutal Alvida.
No wonder the pirates looked like they'd seen a ghost.
Alvida's expression darkened instantly, veins bulging on her wide forehead.
Koby was trembling, too—but right beside him, Luffy burst into laughter, completely amused.
Alvida roared at Koby, raising her enormous iron club like she was about to smash his skull in.
"I'm going to join the Navy—and throw all of you pirates in prison!"
Koby clenched his small fists tightly, staring Alvida down with defiance.
"Do you even know what you're saying?" she growled.
"I do! I'm going to do what I truly want—I'm going to join the Navy… and I'm going to throw you in jail!"
While Koby was mustering the courage to speak his truth, inside the storage room on Alvida's ship, Nami was smiling at Alex and said:
"You're really strong. I'm a thief who specializes in stealing pirate treasure. My name's Nami. Want to team up?"