"Be my companion?"
Seeing the enthusiastic Luffy, Moonlight couldn't help but feel a bit amused. He was already planning to join Luffy's ship, but didn't expect this invitation to come so soon. After all, searching for the One Piece on his own across the vast sea was almost laughable. Without a navigator, he wouldn't know the direction to go. Without a cook, he'd eventually starve. Without an archaeologist, who could unravel the mystery of the Void Century? And without a doctor, what would he do if he got sick? Sailing the seas was no simple task.
"Yes, my name is Monkey D. Luffy, and I aim to become the Pirate King. Join me as my companion," Luffy said with a nod, his enthusiasm palpable. Luffy's smile had a charm that made it hard to refuse.
"Hmm..." Moonlight hesitated. He was planning to join Luffy's crew, but being directly invited felt a bit rushed.
"Haha, great! My luck is really good. I was planning to invite ten people, and now I have one already," Luffy laughed heartily, clapping Moonlight on the shoulder as if he were already a member of his crew.
"..." Moonlight was speechless. Luffy was indeed something else. Koby was also at a loss, having never seen an invitation like this before.
"So, Luffy, I accept your invitation. But let me make it clear that my goal is the One Piece and discovering the missing history. Therefore, if you want me on your ship, you need to have an archaeologist," Moonlight said.
"Right. That's what I was thinking too. If we meet one, I'll definitely invite them. Besides an archaeologist, we also need a cook, a musician, a navigator, a shipwright, and a doctor," Luffy agreed readily.
"Alright, Captain!" Moonlight nodded in acceptance.
"Great! Before we set sail, let's first drop this guy off at a nearby island," Luffy said, pointing at Koby.
"This guy? You really are kind-hearted," Moonlight thought to himself, nodding.
Koby's dream was to join the navy, and meeting Luffy was a stroke of luck he hadn't expected.
"Thank you, Mr. Luffy! Thank you, Mr. Moonlight!" Koby expressed his gratitude, tears welling up. He was finally encountering good people!
"Hey, get us a small boat," Luffy called out to the captain.
Seeing Moonlight, the captain agreed readily. For someone who had helped them so much, he was willing to give them whatever they needed, even a boat.
Soon, the three of them boarded a small boat and headed towards a nearby island.
As the three left, everyone's attention was on them. On the pirate ship of Arlita, a nimble figure flashed by. Although it was fast, Moonlight still saw it.
"Nami?" Moonlight smiled.
...
The trio drifted with the wind and soon found an island. Upon landing, they discovered it was a small island called Shells Town. The island was guarded by the Navy's 153rd branch, led by Colonel Morgan, to prevent pirate invasions.
"Let's find a place to eat first. I'm starving!" As soon as they landed, Luffy shouted for food and ran towards a restaurant in town.
"Hey, what kind of appetite do you have? Didn't you just eat not long ago? And you're leaving us behind?" Koby stared in disbelief as Luffy ran off, quickly disappearing from sight.
"Let's go!" Moonlight waved his hand. He was already familiar with Luffy's reputation as a glutton in the pirate world.
They soon found Luffy at a restaurant. Before him were four or five dozen plates, and Luffy was wolfing down the food with gusto. His eating habits and quantity shocked everyone.
Koby, already surprised, was even more astonished.
"Ah, you're here! Come and eat," Luffy said, inviting them as he stuffed his face.
Moonlight sighed and chose a different seat to order food separately. Dining with Luffy meant that in the blink of an eye, your food would disappear.
In the end, everything ended up in Luffy's stomach.
"Do you know them?" A little girl carrying a tray of exquisite food looked curiously at Luffy.
"Yes, he is our captain. We are pirates," Moonlight said with a glance at the girl, smiling. The girl was Zilica, who had brought food to Zoro.
Luffy certainly knew how to pick a place.
"Pirates!" Hearing the word, Zilica's eyes widened, not in fear but in curiosity. It was evident that in this era, pirates were not a rare thing, and many people even dreamt of going out to find the One Piece.
"Yes, they are pirates. I am not..." Koby started to explain, but before he could finish, a loud noise interrupted.
A young man entered, followed by a dozen Navy officers.
"Not good, it's Belumeb! Run!"
"Damn it, this guy is abusing his father's influence. Everyone, get out of here before he notices us!"
"Is he here to cause trouble for the restaurant again?"
Seeing the young man and his entourage, the patrons hurriedly fled, clearly terrified of him.
"Mr. Belumeb, please sit. The food will be ready soon!" The restaurant owner's wife quickly welcomed him, aware of his power as the son of a Navy colonel.
"Mom, why are you serving such people? He's been eating and drinking here for free for days," Zilica protested loudly.
"Be quiet, Zilica!"
"Shh, do you want to get into trouble? You can't afford to offend him!"
"Hurry, be quiet!" The owner's wife urgently hushed her.
Belumeb's eyes lit up when he saw Zilica. "Oh, it's you. You're the one who secretly gave rice balls to Zoro, right? I let you off the hook last time, but it seems you haven't learned your lesson."
Half a month ago, Belumeb's dog was beaten by Zilica while eating here. Belumeb was about to retaliate but was stopped by Zoro. Zoro had agreed to a bet, voluntarily being imprisoned for a month without food or water in exchange for sparing the restaurant. Now, nearly 20 days had passed.
Zilica had secretly brought rice balls to repay the favor but was caught and thrown out by Belumeb.
"You evil man, abusing your father's power, but Zoro made a bet with you. During this time, you're not allowed to step foot in this restaurant. You're breaking the agreement!" Zilica's anger grew when she mentioned Zoro.
"Who is Zoro?" Luffy, who had been eating, asked curiously.
"He's a famous bounty hunter in the nearby seas!" someone explained, recounting the events.
"I see!" Luffy's eyes flashed with anger.
"Ready to intervene again?" Moonlight said with a smile. He was also curious to see Roronoa Zoro.
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