Cursed Seas and Slashing Tides

In the middle of the sea, a boat with three people wandered aimlessly.

"Don't you think it's strange you can't navigate?" Zoro said, raising an eyebrow at Luffy.

"Leave him alone, Zoro. You should know by now—he's an idiot." Ryomen chimed in, arms crossed.

"Hey! Drifting has worked pretty well for me so far!" Luffy shouted defensively.

Yeah? And that's why our boat got destroyed by a whirlpool?" Ryomen responded dryly.

"…"

"A whirlpool?" Zoro looked between them, wide-eyed. "Is it too late for me to leave?"

"Yes." Ryomen and Luffy said in unison, grinning.

Zoro sighed. "I'm starting to agree with 'four eyes.' We need to find a navigator, and fast."

Ryomen visibly flinched at the nickname but quickly hid it behind a smirk. "Took you long enough to realize that."

"And we need a cook, and a musician, and—" Luffy started rattling off before Zoro cut him off.

"Those can wait!""

…

"I'm starving," the three groaned in unison, their stomachs growling loudly.

"Hey, look! It's a bird... Let's eat it!" Luffy suddenly shouted, pointing excitedly at a large bird flying overhead.

"Huh, how're we gonna catch that?" Zoro asked, skeptical.

"Leave it to me! Gomu-Gomu no—"

"Dismantle." Ryomen interrupted, flicking his fingers. The bird's wings and head were instantly slashed, and its body dropped into Luffy's arms.

"Finally! Something to eat!" Zoro grinned, his eyes lighting up.

"Wait a second…" Ryomen muttered, his expression darkening. "Are we seriously going to eat this bird raw?"

A heavy silence fell over the trio.

…

A short while later, the trio came across a group of three men stranded at sea.

"Shipwreck survivors?" Zoro asked, peering at the desperate-looking men.

"Get on." Luffy called out cheerfully, waving them aboard.

"Thanks a lot! But now, stop the boat! We're pirates of Buggy the Clown!" one of the men announced, brandishing a knife with shaking hands.

"Huh?" Luffy, Zoro, and Ryomen all glared at them.

…

Moments later, the three pirates sat bruised and rowing the boat for the trio.

"Heh. We're sorry we didn't recognize you, Zoro, sir!" one of them said nervously, rubbing his swollen cheek.

Zoro crossed his arms. "Just keep rowing until we reach the nearest town."

Luffy leaned forward, curious. "So, how'd you guys get lost in the middle of the sea?"

"We didn't get lost!" they shouted, only to shrink back as Zoro shot them a glare. "A-Ahaha…actually–" They described how a woman with orange hair stole their ship and how she used her knowledge of the weather to strand them at sea.

Zoro's eyes widened slightly. "Impressive. She must know her way around the seas."

"So cool! I want her to be our navigator!" Luffy said, bouncing in his seat.

Meanwhile, Ryomen's eyes narrowed as he recalled a familiar figure. 'Could it be her?'

Zoro then remembered these guys were a part of a pirate crew. "Hey, whose this Buggy you we're talking about anyway?" He asked curiously.

"The most ferocious pirate in these parts. He ate the Devil's Fruit!" This information attracted the trio's attention.

"Another devil fruit user!?" Luffy's eyes gleamed with excitement.

Ryomen glanced at Zoro. "Shouldn't you know this, Zoro? Weren't you a pirate hunter?"

Zoro's expression remained neutral. "I didn't keep track of that kind of information. I left it to someone else."

Ryomen decided not to press the matter.

…

Eventually, they reached an island.

"This is it...Port Town!" the pirates announced, pleading with their eyes. "Can we go now?"

Luffy grinned. "Sure, go ahead!"

Zoro frowned. "You sure about that, Captain?"

"Yeah! They brought us all the way here, didn't they?"

Ryomen crossed his arms, skeptical. "What if they go back to Buggy and tell him about us?"

"We would never!" the pirates exclaimed, eyes wide in terror.

"See? They won't." Luffy said confidently. "And if they do, we'll just beat them up!"

Zoro smirked. "Whatever you say, Captain. Now, scram." The pirates scrambled away in fear.

"Hoo! Let's go eat!" Luffy cheered, leading the way into town.

…

As they wandered around, they noticed the streets were eerily empty.

"Where is everyone?" Luffy asked, scratching his head.

"I don't know, but I'm willing to bet it has something to do with Buggy and his crew." Ryomen replied, his eyes scanning the abandoned buildings.

"Hm? Someone talking about us?" A rough voice interrupted from behind them.

The trio turned, facing a small group of men armed with swords.

"Who are you?" Luffy asked, his expression puzzled.

"We're part of Buggy the Clown's crew!" one of them announced, stepping forward with a sneer. "You with that girl? Tell us where she went, and maybe we'll spare you."

"Who?" Zoro asked, his tone calm but his hand resting casually on his sword hilt.

"The orange-haired girl who stole our Captain's map! Now talk, or we'll make you!" one of them shouted, his patience clearly wearing thin.

"Hmm... Is that the girl we talked about on the boat?" Zoro mumbled to himself.

"So, you do know her! Alright then, we'll just beat it out of you!" The men charged toward them, swords raised.

Before they could swing, Luffy stepped forward, delivering a single, powerful punch that sent them flying. They collapsed into a heap, unconscious.

"No one's gonna hurt my future navigator!" Luffy shouted, standing tall over their crumpled bodies.

A surprised voice echoed from above. "You actually took them down?"

The group looked around, confused.

"Who said that?" Luffy asked, spinning around.

"Me." A figure appeared on a nearby rooftop— a woman with short orange hair, staring down at them. "The name's Nami. How about we work together?"

"So, you're the thief, huh? Impressive, pissing off a whole pirate crew on your own." Zoro remarked with a small grin.

Nami was about to reply, but her eyes widened as she spotted a familiar face. "Ryomen?!" she exclaimed in surprise.

Ryomen smirked. "Hey, Nami. Looks like your little heists are getting more dangerous, huh?"

"You don't know the half of it," she replied with a matching smirk. Then, her gaze shifted. "So, are you gonna help me or not?"

"You'll have to ask the captain." Ryomen said, gesturing to Luffy.

"Captain?" Nami asked, her brow furrowed.

"That's right!" Luffy grinned. "Join my crew! I heard you can control the weather— that's so cool!"

Nami's expression turned icy. "I don't work with pirates."

"We might've said the wrong thing there, Luffy." Ryomen muttered.

"Huh? Why?" Luffy asked, confused.

"Because she clearly doesn't like pirates." Zoro added bluntly.

"Exactly! If there's one thing I hate in this world, it's pirates!!" Nami shouted angrily.

"Is that so..." Ryomen said, a contemplative look crossing his face. "It's fine if you don't want to join us. We won't force you. But can you at least tell us what happened in this town?"

Nami stared at him for a few moments before finally speaking. "This place is deserted. Everyone ran away-far from the tavern. That's where Buggy and his crew are holed up."

"Huh? Are they really that scary?" Luffy asked, confused.

"Yes." Nami pointed toward several razed buildings. "See those houses? That's the power of Buggy's cannon."

"Having to rely on a cannon doesn't sound too scary to me." Zoro said, unimpressed.

"Nami, can you show us how to get there?" Ryomen asked, his tone sincere. "I understand you don't trust us. But give me a chance to show you we're not like the mindless, bloodthirsty pirates you've dealt with."

Nami hesitated, her eyes searching his. Against her better judgment, she finally nodded.

"...Alright. I'll take you there. I might as well grab some treasure while I'm at it. But don't expect me to fight alongside you!"

"Wouldn't dream of it." Ryomen said, smiling.

"Why do you want to confront Buggy, anyway?" Nami asked, confused.

"Because without the townspeople, we'll starve." Zoro answered seriously, leaving Nami momentarily baffled.

"So... are you gonna be my navigator now?" Luffy asked with his usual enthusiasm.

"I told you to forget it!" Nami snapped, clearly annoyed.

At the tavern, Buggy was in the middle of yelling at his crew about the stolen map when one of his men burst through the door.

"C-Captain!! We're under attack!" he cried, his voice trembling.

"Huh!? Who dares!?" Buggy shouted, furious.

"We do " Luffy, Ryomen, and Zoro said in unison as they entered the tavern.

"The pirate hunter! Are you here for my head!?" Buggy demanded.

"I'm a pirate now." Zoro replied, drawing his sword. "And I'm here because you're ruining my chances of eating!!" he shouted, his temper flaring.

"No matter! Kill them all!" Buggy ordered, pointing at the trio.

Buggy's men rushed forward, but Luffy quickly knocked them down.

"Gomu-Gomu no...Whip!" Luffy yelled, extending his leg and sweeping through the attackers.

"A Devil Fruit user!?" Buggy exclaimed in shock, just before Zoro lunged at him.

"You shouldn't let your guard down!" Zoro said, slicing Buggy into pieces with his swords.

"Hey, that was easy!" Luffy said, surprised.

"How disappointing." Zoro added.

"Dismantle!" Ryomen shouted, flicking his fingers.

"What!?" Zoro exclaimed, suddenly noticing a floating hand holding a knife behind him, now riddled with cuts. "What the hell is this!?"

"Did you forget? Buggy's got a Devil Fruit!" Ryomen reminded him calmly.

"Tch! You bastard! You won't get so lucky next time!" Buggy spat as he reattached his body parts.

"Mohji! Cabaji! Get over here!!" Buggy screamed, and a man riding a lion alongside a swordsman on a monocycle appeared. "Kill these fools!"

"Yes, Captain!" they shouted in unison.

"I'll take the swordsman." Zoro said, eyeing Cabaji.

"I'll deal with the lion guy. Buggy's not a good match for me." Ryomen added.

"Alright! I'll take on red nose!" Luffy shouted, excited.

"Red nose!? How dare you mock my nose!!" Buggy screamed, his expression turning manic.

The trio squared off, ready to face their opponents.