"Hey, Koby! I'm hungry! Let's find a place to eat!" Luffy swung his arm like a pendulum as he and Koby navigated the busy plaza.
"We don't have any Berries," Koby replied, his eyes scanning their surroundings. A subtle, unyielding wrongness settled over him. Every building shared the exact same structural footprint—only the paint differed. The houses stood in rigid, immaculate alignment, as if stamped into the earth by a single machine: identical windows, identical doors, identical roofs, all adorned with the same spiraled shell ornaments above the thresholds.
He turned toward the market row. Though the vendors sold different goods, ranging from fresh catches to local produce, every stall mirrored the next in layout, each draped with a shell-patterned banner. In the distance, a Marine officer moved down the line with a clipboard and quill, meticulously auditing a merchant's inventory. Koby watched the merchant's hands tremble and sweat bead along his temple, even as his mouth stretched into a rigid smile—an expression so forced it looked as though invisible hooks were pulling his cheeks back.
Scanning the crowd, Koby noted the townspeople's unusual attire: heavy tunics and cloaks crafted from overlapping white seashells, tightly wired together and stained in vibrant, varied dyes.
"This town is strange..." Koby murmured. Before he could process the unsettling, geometric stillness of the place, Luffy's sudden shout shattered the quiet.
"HEY, KOBY! LOOK AT THAT!" Luffy pointed toward the heart of the town square, where a colossal stone monument towered over the surrounding buildings. The craftsmanship was worthy of master sculptors, and its scale rivaled that of a two-story house. The statue depicted a hulking man holding a heavy battleaxe in one hand and a raised Marine flag in the other, his iron boot planted firmly on the back of a fallen pirate.
Koby stared in awe. Drawn in by the monument's sheer presence, he stepped closer to its base, where his eyes caught a polished black marble plaque embedded in the pedestal. Its golden lettering gleamed in the sunlight:
THE GREAT DEFEAT OF CAPTAIN KURO
Captain Henry "Axe-Hand" Morgan famously defeated East Blue's most wanted criminal and pirate, Captain Kuro, known as the Phantom of the Four Blues. For decades, Captain Kuro terrorized people across the Blues through assassinations, illegal market trade, and infiltration. Most infamous was the Rokushiki Incident, where millions of classified Marine documents were leaked by an undercover operative later identified by the Marine Bureau of Investigation as Kuro himself. At last, the Marines caught the madman. In the Ambush of Mizuiro, despite heavy casualties, the Marines were victorious. On Marsiary 28, 1519, Captain Kuro was executed in Shells Town, and Chief Petty Officer Morgan was promoted to Lieutenant. For his grit, bravery, and loyalty to the government, he was later elevated to Captain of Shells Town.
"Wow!" Koby gasped, touching the engraved text. "So that battle really happened!"
"Uhh, who's Kuro?"
Koby jolted as Luffy's face suddenly appeared beside him. "Wait, you can read?!"
"Sometimes," Luffy said with a laugh from the stone step. "That's my superpower!"
"From what I've heard and read, Kuro was a famous pirate and criminal. Morgan caught him and handed him over to the Marines!" Koby said, running into the middle of the street, one arm stretched into the air. "That's why I wanted to join the Marines!"
"So that funny-looking man up there is Kuro?" Luffy asked, pointing at the figure beneath Morgan's boots: a man with slicked-back hair and glasses, his arm stretched upward with five sharp knives protruding from it.
"I guess so!" Koby said, examining the statue. "Some say he wears glasses and has slicked-back hair; some say he has long hair."
"Whoa! So this Morgan guy is strong, huh?"
The two continued down the wide cobblestone path, passing houses, taverns, bars, civilians, workers, and Marines. When they reached an elbow in the street, a scream rang out across the open area.
A Marine was breaking into a house. Children cried inside, while their mother stood in front of them like an immovable boulder. Another Marine stepped out carrying a large wooden chest on his back like a sack of rice, his gait jerky as he nearly stumbled.
"This isn't right!" Koby murmured. His eyes watched as the other Marines looked at the mother with faces like statues. Then he looked to his left and saw Luffy.
His eyes were hard on the Marines, and his fist clenched like stone. The rubber boy took one step forward, then another. But before he could move again, Koby grabbed his hand.
"Don't!" His small hand stopped Luffy in place as they watched the Marines load the stolen goods onto a wooden cart and roll away. But as the scene unfolded, Koby noticed something unsettling: the townspeople kept going about their business as if nothing had happened.
The mother shushed her child inside the house, though their cries still carried outside as she stepped into the street. Her face had gone pale, tears gathering on her lashes, and she quickly wiped them away when some Marines glanced her way. Then she approached a woman nearby and offered a faint, strained smile before the two began talking. The street moved on. Everything was too quiet for Koby's liking, but Luffy broke the silence.
"Why'd you stop me?" Luffy muttered, his jaw clamped so tight his cheek muscles twitched. He walked sideways, glaring at the path with each heavy step. "That guy stole their stuff! I wanted to kick his butt!"
"Because punching anyone, especially a Marine official, is not a good idea!" Koby shot back, his voice cracking with frustration and lingering panic. He hurried to keep pace, hugging his arms against his chest as the salty harbor air hit them. "Maybe... maybe they missed their municipal tax payments. Or didn't pay their district rent! The World Government has strict ordinances for sector upkeep. If the authorities seize property, it's—it's part of the law!"
He shoved his hands deep into his pockets, his fingers curling into tight, trembling fists. He could still see the pale, tight-lipped fear on the mother's face—the way she forced a trembling smile the second a passing patrol looked her way, pretending nothing was wrong.
Was that justice?
The thought sank into him like a stone. His memory drifted to the books he had read and the legends he had heard. Was any of it true? Was this really what justice looked like? He swallowed hard, blinking back the sting behind his eyelids, refusing to let Luffy see how deeply the sight had shaken him.
They walked in silence for several more blocks until Luffy abruptly stopped and turned toward the docks. Koby nearly crashed into him, stumbling to a halt as Luffy pointed at a large wooden board with the bold words BULLETIN BOARD etched across the top.
"Hey, Koby! Look at this!" Luffy grinned, tapping a heavy finger against a flyer near the center. The poster burst with bright red, blue, and yellow colors. In the middle was an illustration of a towering striped circus tent surrounded by fireworks and floating balloons. Bold, theatrical lettering stretched across the top:
WE INVITED YOU TO BUGGY LAND!
The Greatest Show in the East Blue! Fun for All Ages!
LOCATION: Orange Town, Organ Island
Koby drifted closer, momentarily awed by the flashy design. "A whole amusement park on Organ Island…? Why do the Marines keep this poster here? I've heard of a pirate named Buggy before..."
"WE SHOULD GO THERE!" Luffy declared, eyes lighting up instantly.
"We can't!" Koby said at once, waving both hands in panic. "We don't have a proper boat, we're almost out of food, and Organ Island is miles away from here! Besides, this could be a trap! Pirates make posters like this to lure people in, and then they loot or kill whoever falls for it! We need to focus on getting supplies first, so we should sto—"
Before Koby could finish, Luffy had already started walking away, his arms swinging lazily at his sides.
"Aww, what a bummer!" he groaned, losing interest just as quickly.
He drifted toward a Marine guard posted near an alleyway, a rifle cradled loosely in his arm. Luffy tilted his head, giggling under his breath as he inspected the guard's rigid posture.
"So, these are the Marines?"
"Y-yeah..." Koby mumbled, trailing behind him, his heart hammering at how close Luffy was getting to an armed guard. Luffy stared at the guard's stern, scowling face for another second before turning back to Koby with a loud snort.
"You sure you wanna be one? They're bad guys!"
"WHAT—?!" Koby whipped around, suddenly furious. "They're not! Maybe... maybe what they're doing is necessary! Maybe—"
His voice died in his throat as his eyes dropped to the dirt, the fire draining out of him into a hollow stare. His thoughts spiraled. His idealized view of the Marines cracked apart right in front of him. The moral code he had held onto for years crashed headfirst into what he had just witnessed, like two ships on a collision course.
Should I just... forget about it?
The question echoed in him. His vision blurred, the world drifting past in a quiet haze, until a sudden breath jolted his shoulders and snapped him back to reality. Frustrated, Koby stepped into Luffy's path and thrust a trembling finger straight at his chest.
THUMP.
Koby collided squarely with someone small. A sharp gasp followed, and the sound of something soft tumbling onto the dirt pavement cut through the noise of the plaza.
"O-Oh! I'm so sorry!" Koby dropped to his knees in panic.
On the ground lay three carefully made rice balls wrapped in dark seaweed, now speckled with grit and gray dust from the street. A little girl stood above them, clutching a small woven basket with bruised, trembling hands, her face hidden beneath a red hood. Koby scrambled to pick them up, bowing so low his forehead nearly touched the cobblestones.
"I wasn't looking where I was going! Please, let me buy you new ones; I'm so, so sorry—!"
The little girl didn't cry, and she didn't scream. She simply knelt, scooped the ruined rice balls back into her basket, brushed off the loose dirt with her thumb, turned silently on her heel, and walked away into the crowded market without saying a word.
Koby stayed on his knees, watching her small figure disappear.
Luffy stepped beside him and tilted his straw hat back as he looked toward the alley where she had vanished. The goofy grin was gone, replaced by a quiet, questioning look.
"What was that about?" Luffy asked softly.
"I... don't know," Koby muttered.
They kept going until Luffy spotted something in the distance: a restaurant. The two bolted inside and swung the door wide open, startling the patrons already eating. Koby spotted a table near the back, beneath a painting of a blue dragon looming over a small town. He raised a timid hand, and a nearby waiter approached.
"C-Could we get one lobster and one—"
Luffy sprang to his feet and slammed both hands on the table.
"MEAT!"
"Uh—ehehe... and one meat, please," Koby added quickly. The waiter chuckled and headed for the kitchen. Silence settled over the table as they watched people eat, drink, and talk. Koby saw a full glass of water on his side. As thirst slowly consumed him, he grabbed it and chugged the glass like it had no tomorrow.
"Hey, is it true that this is where Roronoa Zoro is?" Leaning his head towards Koby. Koby spat his water all over Luffy's smiling face. He coughed, wiped his mouth, and forced his voice to steady. Patrons start to look towards them. Their eyes stretched into wide, almost shocked expressions.
Ï-Im sorry..." Koby whispered as they resumed what they were doing.
"I... I'm not sure. But the papers said he was captured by the Marines and locked up on an island, and that island is Shells Town—which is here."
"Cool! Where is he?" Luffy's eyes lit up as water continued to drip through it.
"We don't know yet! Maybe if we just quietly ask some—" As he blinked for a second, Luffy's chair was empty. Across the room, a young couple was sharing a peaceful meal—until a wet, grime-covered pirate with a straw hat suddenly loomed over their table, grinning. Water dripped onto the man's bare hand.
"Hey! Do you know where Roronoa Zoro is?" The name hit the room like a cannon blast. Every head snapped around. Eyes widened. A woman screamed. Chairs scraped as people bolted for the door. In seconds, the restaurant emptied in a panicked stampede.
Luffy scratched his head, watching everyone flee.
"Huh. What's their problem?"
"YOU COMPLETE IDIOT!" Koby shrieked.
The owner booted them both out the front door, and they crashed into the dusty street in a heap. Luffy popped up and brushed himself off. Koby shoved his glasses back onto his face, his face red with frustration.
"You asked the WHOLE ROOM! We were supposed to be covert!"
As Luffy started to walk away, Koby glanced back through the restaurant window, expecting to see overturned chairs, spilled drinks, or patrons frantically calling for the Marines.
Instead, every single person was seated. The spilled food was gone. The couple Luffy had approached was quietly chewing their meals in perfect unison, their expressions completely blank. It was as if the stampede had never happened at all. Koby swallowed hard, a cold chill running down his spine as he looked down the street.
"What... what is this town?" he murmured.
In the distance, Luffy was already waving him over. Koby glanced around nervously before breaking into a quick jog to catch up. Mounted on the corner of a nearby brick house, a bulky brass apparatus caught the light. A thick black metallic cylinder was bolted to its side, and at its center, a heavy glass lens jutted outward from its housing. With a faint mechanical click, the lens pivoted on its iron mount, tracking them as they passed. High on stone walls, hidden beneath eaves, and even tucked into the branches of roadside trees, identical bronze eyes silently turned to follow them.
Leaving the cobbled streets behind, they moved onto a rough dirt path leading toward the massive towers looming against the skyline. Sparse fields and scattered trees lined the road until a towering brick perimeter wall stopped them.
"Look at that!" Luffy pointed toward the two massive towers etched against each other. A wide MARINE emblem was installed at the top of it. "That looks like a mountain!" Koby scanned the paths and the quiet forests on both sides for guards. Then he looked at the wall and saw bronze machinery installed into it. Luckily, it wasn't looking at them.
"Okay, if we're careful, we can—Luffy?"
He looked left and right, but Luffy was gone. Then something smacked the top of his head.
A sandal.
Koby looked up and saw Luffy dangling over the wall, peeking down while the bronze camera was pointed away from him. Koby hurried toward him, dodging the bronze eye until he was directly below. "Hey! What are you doing?! The Marines will see u—"
An instant later, Luffy's arm stretched down, scooped Koby up by the back of his shirt, and hauled him skyward. Koby clung to the rubber limb for dear life, the drop beneath him feeling like the side of a cliff. Together, they peered over the wall.
In the courtyard beyond, a man hung tied to a wooden pole like a scarecrow, his arms stretched out and bound. His body sagged. The sun had baked his skin raw; scorch marks and sweat stains covered him. A dark green bandana clung to his head, damp with sweat, while his sunken eyes stared down at the dirt. The same bronze apparatus installed in the wall was pointed at him, along with two Marine officers guarding him, rifles raised.
The man was Roronoa Zoro.
He didn't move, but the weight of him pressed over the entire yard like a storm about to break.