"I only fished for a day, and you're telling me this is all the food we've got left?!" Rokuro stared at the shrunken bundle of supplies in disbelief. "I clearly packed two weeks' worth! What kind of monster is this guy?!"
"Meat… I want more meat…" Luffy groaned, holding his distended belly as he lay sprawled out like a sea cucumber.
Zoro, who was already working through another bottle of sake, muttered casually, "Didn't you bring a fishing rod? Just catch more."
"I did catch more!" Rokuro snapped, pointing to the bucket of ungrilled fish. "But do either of you know how to cook? No! I grilled the last one, and even the birds refused to eat it!"
Luffy stuck out his tongue. "It was blacker than Brook's afro."
Rokuro looked offended. "Hey! It had structure! A bit of crisp is good!"
"A bit?" Zoro deadpanned. "It was charcoal."
A Few Days Later…
"Where are we now? Anyone?" Rokuro muttered, holding the East Blue chart upside down. "Luffy, stop chewing the corner of the map!"
"Bleh, it tasted like paper!" Luffy laughed.
"We need a navigator. Desperately." Rokuro sighed and looked at Murkrow, who perched on his shoulder and squawked unhelpfully.
"I think a cook is more important," Luffy said, now eyeing the bird hungrily.
"Back off, glutton! That's my companion!" Rokuro snapped. "Catch your own bird if you want roast meat!"
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Actually, I wouldn't mind trying that fish again. You remember—the Black Knight Armored Fish?"
"Oh, that one!" Luffy's eyes sparkled with nostalgic hunger. "The one with the spiky scales and chewy meat!"
Rokuro sweatdropped. "Fine, fine, I'll make it again. But this time, no complaints!"
Luffy stared at the charred lump on his plate. "You sure this is food?"
He bit down.
"…Ughhh!"
Black smoke billowed from Luffy's mouth. He flopped over dramatically, twitching. "Why does this taste like regret?!"
"Quick!" Rokuro barked. "While he's stunned, get your food out!"
Zoro moved like lightning. "Already done."
More Days Adrift…
"Meat… meat…" Luffy whimpered, clutching his empty stomach. "Rokuro, caught anything yet?"
"Only seaweed. And a weird jellyfish I wouldn't trust even if Sanji cooked it." Rokuro sighed, flicking his line.
Zoro stared at a pile of wilted sea plants. "I'm not eating that."
"Too bad," Rokuro replied. "We're out of everything. Ration pack's down to my emergency snacks. You touch that jerky, I'll murder you."
"I want roast bird!" Luffy begged.
"Then catch one!" Rokuro snapped.
"Rubber Rocket!"
Whoosh!
A gust of wind blew through the boat as Luffy launched himself upward—straight into the talons of a massive sea eagle.
"WOOOOOOAAHHHHH!!"
"IDIOT!" Rokuro and Zoro screamed in unison.
"HE'S GETTING AWAY!" Zoro yelled.
"ROW!" Rokuro barked, chakra already spreading across his feet. He dashed across the water surface, Naruto-style, chasing after the bird.
"You row! I don't know where I'm going!" Zoro shouted, fumbling with the oars and turning the boat in circles.
Rokuro glanced back. "Oh gods, I forgot! The swordsman's sense of direction is worse than Luffy's brain!"
"I heard that!"
"I SAID IT OUT LOUD!"
A Shoreline at Last…
"There's land ahead!" Rokuro gasped, breath ragged from the water dash.
Zoro wiped sweat from his brow. "Finally. That took longer than fighting a sea king."
"Don't open your eyes! Just row blindly!" Rokuro yelled.
"Shut up!" Zoro snapped.
They stumbled ashore, soaked and starving. The island was oddly quiet.
"Something's off…" Zoro muttered, hand hovering near his swords.
"I don't care. We're eating first." Rokuro walked straight into the nearest tavern. "If fate wants us to run into Buggy here, so be it."
Little did they know, Luffy had just sat in the same tavern—across from someone far more cunning than her appearance suggested.
Meanwhile, Inside the Tavern…
"You got separated from your friends?" Nami asked, sipping tea as she studied the straw-hatted fool.
"Yeah! They'll find me though. Zoro's got an amazing sense of direction!" Luffy grinned.
Nami's eye twitched. "Right… So how strong are they?"
"Zoro's a master swordsman! And Rokuro is some kind of ninja-fisherman. He does this weird water style thing with black armor on his arms."
That caught her interest.
"Listen. I have something important." She pulled out a rolled-up scroll. "This is a Grand Line sea chart. I stole it from Buggy. If we team up, we can use it to reach the Grand Line!"
Luffy blinked. "Do you know how to sail?"
Nami nodded smugly. "I'm the best navigator in the East Blue. What do you say? You, me—20-80 split."
"AWESOME!" Luffy grinned. "You're our navigator now!"
"…Really?" Nami's face lit up—until Luffy added, "Because I'm going to be King of the Pirates!"
Her face dropped. "You WHAT?!"
"I said I'm a pirate!"
Nami stood up so hard the table shook. "I HATE pirates! I'd rather DIE than work with one!"
She stormed to the window, planning to escape, only to see Buggy's crew combing the town in search of her.
She turned slowly.
"…Straw Hat. What's your name again?"
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy! Future Pirate King!"
Nami grinned slyly. "Alright, Luffy. I'll consider helping you… on one condition…