Alex aimed the fishing line launcher in his left hand at the strange mast about twenty meters away and fired.
The line shot out, and just as it was about to stick to the mast, Alex felt a surge of satisfaction—only for it to go horribly wrong.
Zoro, who had been training nearby with his eyes closed, suddenly swung his sword. The air in front of him distorted with the force of the swing, blowing Alex's fishing line off course.
Normally, Alex would have just cursed Zoro out a bit. But this time, the blown-off line didn't just miss—it latched itself onto something, or rather… someone.
To be exact, it had stuck to Nami's perfectly shaped backside as she happened to walk past. Alex's jaw nearly hit the deck.
"What's wrong with you? You look pale. You should take better care of yourself,"
Zoro said, wiping sweat from his forehead with a towel. Noticing Alex's strange expression, he assumed it was from overtraining. Giving Alex's shoulder a friendly pat, he offered his "concern" before walking away toward a break.
Truth was, Zoro had been training like a madman lately. Partly because the Going Merry gave him the space for intense workouts, and partly because Alex's relentless training had lit a competitive fire in him. Both had become obsessed—whenever free, they would train without a care for the world, neither willing to be the first to stop.
Still unaware of the disaster he'd caused, Zoro left Alex standing there in utter mortification.
If Alex just reeled the line in, it would lift Nami's skirt and inevitably flash her.
But leaving the line stuck there was… well, also a terrible idea.
He was caught in the worst kind of dilemma.
"What are you doing?!"
Nami turned around, glaring daggers at him.
"Hold your skirt down first, and I'll reel the line back," Alex said quickly, knowing now was not the time to argue—especially with the risk of Luffy or the others noticing. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the NoveI★Fire.net
"Give me your shirt," Nami demanded, her beautiful brows twitching as her face flushed red, fists tightening like she was ready to knock him out.
Alex tossed his shirt over, and Nami tied it around her waist for cover. Only then did he retract the line.
The line came back successfully, and Nami's modesty stayed intact—mostly. But as the line reeled in, a small patch of yellow cloth dropped from between her legs and landed on the deck.
"That from your skirt?" Alex asked before he could stop himself.
Nami froze, then flushed even redder—half from anger, half from embarrassment. Sure enough, the back of her skirt now had a hole. The line's pull had ripped out that piece of fabric.
Though Alex's shirt had prevented any real exposure, the damage to her skirt was undeniable… and Alex had the gall to ask about it aloud.
Alex almost laughed at the absurdity—but before the sound could leave his mouth, Nami, now in full fury, stormed toward him.
Bam! Thud! Bam! Thud!
Alex's screams echoed across the Merry for a long while.
As Nami pounded away, the sound of cannon fire suddenly roared in the background.
On the other side of the ship, Luffy and Usopp had been playing with the cannon. Just as Alex's yells rang out, Usopp blasted a nearby reef dead-on. He was ready to brag, but Luffy ran off mid-sentence toward the commotion.
"Why are you lying here screaming like that? I thought you were dying," Luffy said, confused to find Alex bruised, battered, and sprawled on the deck.
"Oi, you didn't do something to make Nami mad, did you?" Usopp whispered after arriving, glancing around like a conspirator. "Take it from me, when Nami's angry, even Captain Usopp the Fearless doesn't dare mess with her. Remember that—stay away unless you want trouble."
Leaning closer, Usopp added, "Next time, I'll make you a padded 'anti-beating' undershirt. I've been keeping track—Nami's hit me once, Zoro twice, Luffy three times… and you, including this, four times. You get hit the most, so you'll wear it first."
Alex stared at him, dumbfounded. Who in their right mind tracked how many times they'd been beaten by Nami? And Usopp's tone almost made it sound like he enjoyed it.
Yeah, better keep some distance from Nami from now on…
"Nami, why'd you change clothes? Was the other one uncomfortable?" Luffy asked innocently when she reappeared from the cabin in a new outfit.
Nami's blackened expression sent Luffy flying, leaving Usopp wide-eyed. Now Luffy's been hit four times too… Who gets the anti-beating shirt first?
"How's your training? Come on, let's do some special drills together," Zoro said, walking over—
—only to get decked by Nami as well. The memory of Alex's earlier training session had triggered her irritation all over again.
Guess I'm the only one unharmed, Usopp thought smugly—until a loud, angry voice interrupted:
"You damned pirates! Get out here so I can gut every last one of you!"
The shout was followed by the sound of barrels being kicked to pieces.
"Enemy attack!" Usopp cried, instantly panicking. "You two! Get up and fight!"
"Luffy's got it covered," Alex said lazily, lying starfish-style on the deck. "It sounds like it's just one guy."
"Fine, but don't wreck the ship!" Luffy called, just before a heavy THUD shook the deck—he'd slammed the intruder down in one move.
"I swear I've heard that voice before," Zoro muttered, getting up and walking over. Moments later, he recognized the man.
It was Johnny—someone he'd known back when he was still a pirate hunter.
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