The Marine photographer, eyes gleaming with excitement, had hoped to capture a few rare shots of the Pirate Empress herself, but Hancock, true to her pride, had firmly refused to participate. Luffy, understanding her reluctance, allowed her to sit this one out, acknowledging it was a bit much to expect her to promote the Marines. But for the rest of the team, there was no escape.
Even Kalifa and Olivia, initially resistant, found themselves roped into the task, slipping into crisp Marine uniforms and reluctantly striking poses for the camera. The photographer clicked away, filling roll after roll with images that, he was sure, would captivate future recruits.
By noon, the group was exhausted, having barely managed to complete a fraction of the task. Garp had set a quota of 1,000 photos for recruitment posters, but after a grueling morning of endless posing, Ain, Kujaku, Hina, and the rest looked about ready to collapse.
"Enough already!" Olivia groaned, dropping onto a bench, her face flushed with frustration. "I'm done. I'd rather face a sea king than take another photo."
As if on cue, Garp called to check on Luffy's progress. When he learned that Luffy had split the task among his female crewmates, Garp let out a loud laugh and called him a "lazy, sneaky bastard." Then, to the crew's relief, he canceled the task.
Relieved and worn out, the group headed back to Garp's office for a well-deserved break. Luffy promptly sprawled on the sofa, resting his head on Ain's lap as she absentmindedly ran her fingers through his hair. The others settled around him, flipping through the stack of photos from the morning.
"Not bad!" Luffy said, a grin spreading across his face as he admired a photo of himself looking poised and confident. He traced a finger over his face, mumbling proudly, "With my good looks alone, next year's Marine recruitment will be packed. Fleet Admiral Sengoku will give me so much credit! He'll call me a model Marine and an outstanding youth of the headquarters."
Garp snorted, unimpressed. "Dream on, kid! Take a look at these photos," he said, rifling through the stack. "How many of these feature you, huh? Aside from six or seven for the newspaper, the rest are of Ain, Kalifa, and the others. If Sengoku's handing out medals, it'll be to them, not you. If anything, you'll be getting a slap upside the head!"
Luffy scowled, his pride wounded. "Come on, Gramps! I recruited them myself! Not like the Marines ever thought of using beauties for publicity before." He paused, muttering under his breath, "And here I thought the Marines would appreciate a little innovation…"
Their banter continued until the conversation shifted naturally to lighter topics. Soon, Kujaku, lounging comfortably with a newspaper, stumbled upon an article that caught her eye.
"Luffy, check this out," she said with a grin, holding up a smaller, niche newspaper. "Apparently, you've earned yourself a bunch of new nicknames."
Luffy perked up, curiosity gleaming in his eyes as he tilted his head, still resting on Ain's thigh. "Oh? Let's hear them!" he urged.
Kujaku flipped through several papers, reading out each title with a dramatic flair. "Let's see… According to the Government, you're called 'Little Lightning Flash.' The Grand Line Express calls you 'Lightning Shadow,' and the Mysterious Panda News has dubbed you 'Lightning Messenger.' And here's my favorite—from the World Economic News: 'Arc Dancer.'"
At first, Luffy's eyes sparkled with excitement, but as the names sank in, his face fell. His enthusiasm faded, replaced by dismay.
"Wait, what? 'Little Lightning Flash'? That's terrible!" he groaned, covering his face in exasperation. "And 'Lightning Shadow'? Sounds like they think I'm some kind of edgy, mysterious weirdo." He shook his head. "And Arc Dancer? What am I, a circus act? I'm going to be over two meters tall one day! These names don't fit me at all!"
Amused by his frustration, Kujaku raised an eyebrow and asked playfully, "So, oh great naming expert, what would you like to be called?"
Luffy hesitated, scratching his head. "Well… um…" He trailed off, his mind racing with options. "I thought about 'Shockblade' or maybe 'Thunder God of War.'"
At that, the girls burst into laughter, rolling their eyes in unison. Garp, chuckling heartily, slapped his knee. "Hahaha! Those names are even worse, kid! You trying to get people to laugh themselves to death?"
Luffy shot them a glare, indignant. "Alright, fine! If you're all such naming experts, why don't you come up with something better?"
Ain chuckled, ruffling his hair affectionately. "None of us are exactly experts at naming. But aren't we forgetting someone on board who's a 'genius' at this sort of thing?"
The group fell silent for a beat, then collectively brightened as they all exclaimed, "Zoro!"
Within moments, they had the Den Den Mushi connected to Zoro, who was clearly irritated, his voice coming through in a frustrated growl.
"Huh? You want me to come up with a nickname for Luffy?" he asked, sounding baffled. "Why is it always me? Every time someone needs a move or a pet named, I get dragged into it. I'm a swordsman, not some naming guru!"
The Den Den Mushi mimicked Zoro's expression, capturing his eye roll and exasperated frown perfectly, causing the group to stifle laughs.
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