One piece :I open the locks of the heart

I climbed back onto the deck after several hours of swimming in front of the ship. This training, though exhausting, was starting to pay off. My endurance was increasing, and I could feel my body gradually getting stronger. What made me smirk, however, were the quick glances Nami kept sneaking my way, thinking I wouldn't notice. Amused, I decided to keep quiet about it for now.

I approached Koby, who was diligently training under Luffy's watchful eye. After just a few days, he was already showing noticeable progress. He had grown a bit taller, probably thanks to a more balanced diet, and his once-scrawny arms were beginning to show some muscle. A small, proud smile crossed my face. If he kept this up, he'd probably reach the level I had when I lived in the Grey Terminal within a month.

"Not bad, Koby," I said with an approving nod. "Your push-ups are a lot smoother than they were three days ago."

Panting but determined, Koby lifted his head. "Thanks, Jordan! But I can do better. Give me another week, and I'll show you I can handle an even more intense routine!"

I chuckled lightly. "Take it easy, Koby. The key is consistency, not rushing. You're on the right track, so keep that energy up."

A few meters away, Luffy was playing with his newly decorated shield. The Mickey emblem was gone, replaced by a large, poorly drawn straw hat. He laughed to himself, testing strikes against an empty barrel.

"So, Captain, satisfied with your masterpiece?" I teased as I approached.

He puffed out his chest with a proud grin. "Oh, yeah! Look at this, Jordan. My shield is officially the coolest in the world!" he said, holding it high in the air. "It perfectly reflects my pirate style."

I chuckled softly. "As long as it doesn't stop you from defending yourself, I guess it's a good shield. But tell me, how's your progress with resisting seawater?"

Luffy's face darkened slightly. "Not great. I still lose my strength when I touch water, but at least I can stand without collapsing completely. That's a start, right?"

I nodded encouragingly. "That's already progress. Keep trying, but don't put yourself in unnecessary danger."

A bit further away, Nami stood near the helm, watching the horizon. For the past few days, she had trained a Soldier Sans-cœur to steer the ship for her, allowing her to focus on other tasks. Koby had been terrified of the creature at first, but after some explanations from Nami and me, he had finally calmed down.

I walked over to her, noticing how focused she seemed on something. "So, Nami, how's it going with your new crewmate?" I asked, glancing amusedly at the Sans-cœur as it expertly turned the wheel.

She smiled, satisfied. "I have to say, he's pretty handy. He never gets tired and follows my orders to the letter. Honestly, it's almost a shame we can't have them as a permanent crew."

"Maybe you should give him a name," I suggested with a laugh.

She rolled her eyes, chuckling softly. "No need, it's just a Sans-cœur. But I have to admit, he's efficient. And I'm improving too. I can now estimate how many MP I have left at any time."

I raised an impressed eyebrow. "Not bad at all. You're already better at managing your magic than most beginners."

Nami straightened up proudly, crossing her arms with a smug smile. "Well, someone has to stay competent on this ship!" she declared, a bit teasingly, clearly pleased with her role.

Luffy, overhearing this, immediately took offense. His expression shifted from indignation to a pout in a split second. "Hey, I'm competent too, you know!" he said, puffing his cheeks slightly like a sulking child, which made Nami burst out laughing.

Koby, observing the scene, looked both confused and amused. "Uh… competent in what exactly?" he muttered, unsure if he should intervene or not.

I couldn't help but smile at the scene. Luffy, in all his glory, was being his usual self—overreacting but endearing. I placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "No need to react like that, Luffy. You should consider that Nami, as the navigator, is literally the embodiment of competence on this ship." My tone was teasing, and I gave Nami a wink to emphasize my point.

To my great satisfaction, it had the desired effect. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked away, crossing her arms and murmuring a nearly inaudible "Thanks." But her smile betrayed her pride.

I continued, turning to Luffy. "You and I are primarily the fighters of the crew, and Koby is just starting his training. We need more members to fill the essential roles on the ship, don't you think?"

Luffy, having regained his usual brilliant smile, suddenly perked up as if a lightbulb had gone off in his head. "Yeah, a musician!" he exclaimed, stars practically sparkling in his eyes.

I couldn't help but chuckle softly, shaking my head. Luffy always had this childlike but charming way of simplifying things down to what he wanted most.

I climbed back onto the deck after swimming for several hours in front of the ship. This training, while exhausting, was starting to pay off. My endurance was increasing, and I could feel my body gradually growing stronger. What made me smirk, though, were the quick glances Nami kept sneaking my way, thinking I wouldn't notice. Amused, I decided to keep quiet about it for now.

As I made my way across the deck, Nami let out a sigh of resignation, running a hand over her face. "Seriously? A musician before a cook or a doctor?" she said, clearly exasperated by our captain's priorities.

I smiled, observing the interaction and enjoying their natural dynamic. "I think we should start with a cook, don't you?" I suggested, my eyes glinting with amusement, already anticipating Luffy's reaction.

As expected, his eyes lit up immediately at the mention of a cook. "Yeah! A cook who can make tons of meat for us!" he declared with overflowing enthusiasm, swinging his arms joyfully in the air.

Nami rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling slightly, endeared despite herself. Koby, on the other hand, watched the scene with a mix of curiosity and perplexity, clearly impressed by Luffy's boundless energy.

"And then a musician, right?" Nami teased, crossing her arms with a mocking smile.

Luffy nodded vigorously, completely serious. "Absolutely! And then a doctor… but a musician first. It'll make the crew even cooler!"

At that moment, the newspaper bird swooped down, landing on the ship's railing with an energetic flap of its wings. Luffy, intrigued, approached it, laughing. "Hey, a mail bird! That's awesome!" he exclaimed joyfully.

Nami shot him an amused but exasperated look before taking charge. She held out her hand toward me, and I handed her a 100-berry note. With a satisfied smile, she paid the bird, which left the newspaper before flying away.

She unfolded the newspaper, but as she read the first few lines, her face drained of color. Two papers fell out of the newspaper and landed on the deck—wanted posters.

Luffy picked up the first one and examined it. "Huh?! It's me!" he exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement as he discovered his own smiling face on the poster. He showed the paper to everyone, almost proud. "30 million berries! I'm officially a big-time pirate now!"

But his excitement was eclipsed when Koby picked up the second wanted poster, his gaze fixating on it with a mix of shock and fascination. "Jordan… 50 million?!" he murmured, his hands trembling. "You actually escaped from the Marine hero, Garp?!"

I let out a deep sigh, rubbing my temples, a mix of frustration and resignation. "Garp… that damn old man. He couldn't find anything better to do than insult me publicly with this bounty. It's almost a joke."

Nami, who had seemed absorbed in her thoughts until then, spoke up, her voice tinged with concern. "Wait… 50 million? Jordan, do you realize what that means?! You have the highest bounty in all of East Blue!"

Luffy, however, completely ignored Nami's worry. He burst out laughing, clapping his hands. "Waaah! Jordan, you've got a huge bounty! That means you're even more famous than me!" But his smile softened slightly as he crossed his arms. "Hmm… that's a little unfair, though. I'm the captain, aren't I?"

I couldn't help but laugh softly. "Sorry, captain. But I think your grandfather put me at the top of the list purely for his own amusement."

Koby, still awestruck, turned to me with stars in his eyes. "But that's incredible, Jordan! Escaping a living legend like Garp… it's like a mythical feat." Then he paused, looking at Luffy. "Grandfather?"

I raised my hands in mock surrender, smiling slightly. "Trust me, Koby, it's not as glorious as it sounds. It was mostly a lot of luck and good timing."

Nami, however, crossed her arms, her expression serious. "This isn't about luck. With these bounties, we're going to attract the attention of the Marines and every bounty hunter in East Blue. We won't be able to stay under the radar anymore."

Luffy shrugged nonchalantly, a bright smile on his face. "Good! That'll make things more fun! And we'll become even more famous."

I glanced at Nami, seeing that she was torn between annoyance and worry. "Don't worry, Nami. We'll handle it. If the Marines or bounty hunters show up, they'll regret underestimating us."

Nami sighed, but a faint smile appeared on her face. "You two are impossible."

Meanwhile, Luffy couldn't stop staring at his own wanted poster, clutching it like a trophy. "30 million… Haha, I'm a real pirate now! But next time, Jordan, I'll surpass you!"

We arrived at Shells Town, the coast bathed in the morning sunlight, and the sounds of the town's activity could already be heard in the distance. I docked the ship in a secluded spot, far from prying eyes, taking advantage of the cover provided by trees and rocky formations. Discretion was essential now that our bounties were plastered everywhere.

After securing the ship, I turned to Koby, who was watching the town with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. I pulled out a wad of bills from my pocket and handed it to him, catching him slightly off guard. "Koby, I'm giving you your first mission," I said seriously, though with a reassuring smile.

"Listen discreetly to gossip and other conversations. With our bounties, we're bound to attract a lot of attention if we walk around like nothing's happened."

Koby nodded with visible determination. "Okay, count on me, Jordan!" he said enthusiastically before walking away quickly, clearly proud to be entrusted with such an important task.

I turned back to Luffy and Nami, who were talking near the bow. "Want to try another dungeon?" I asked, crossing my arms.

Luffy, always enthusiastic, perked up. "Can we try a hard one?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and excitement.

I glanced at Nami for her opinion. She thought for a moment before smiling and nodding. "Yes, let's do it," she said simply, already ready to test her new skills.

• You will be teleported to Traverse Town – Hard Mode – with your team.

• Objective: Defeat 600 Soldiers, 120 Rondouillards, 120 Red Nocturnes, 120 Yellow Operas, 120 Blue Rhapsodies, 120 Green Requiems, and 4 Armure Gardienne accompanied by Dark Aéris.

• Rewards: Random items/equipment/skills for your team members.

• Gain control of all defeated Sans-cœur.

As I read the message, my smile faded slightly at the mention of Dark Aéris. I froze, thinking quickly. She was an iconic figure from Final Fantasy, a mage with impressive skills, especially in manipulating spells—particularly wind and support magic. But in Kingdom Hearts, she had always been more passive, almost always playing a secondary role.

"Dark Aéris, huh?" I murmured, sharing my thoughts with Luffy and Nami. "This might be tricky. If she has access to her magical abilities, she could give us a real challenge. And with the four Armure Gardienne..."

Luffy shrugged, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Even better! That means it's a real challenge!"

Nami, while a bit less optimistic, looked determined. "With a solid plan, we can handle it. We know our strengths, and if we keep moving, we'll be able to take her down."

I nodded, gathering my thoughts. "Alright. The main goal is to assess Dark Aéris as soon as possible. Stay alert, and don't underestimate anything. This time, it's going to be far from a walk in the park."

(Author note: yes I don't really know panic but not inspire for the title ^^ for the dungeons, I leave myself a random touch with some characters found in the world concerned^^ thank you for the support and see you next week)