Life at sea could be dull. The crew lay sprawled on deck, idly rolling around. Orochimaru, lost in thought, suddenly remembered he had a fancy gift package he hadn't opened yet.
As he pondered whether to open it now, Luffy's excited shout pierced the air: "We've reached Loguetown! The town where the Pirate King's journey began and ended!"
The crew gazed at the town with anticipation. Beyond Loguetown lay the Grand Line—the starting point of their dreams.
Once they docked and dropped anchor, Orochimaru began assigning tasks and distributing funds, lining everyone up.
"Nami, you're in charge of purchasing essential supplies for navigation, like sea charts and practical clothing. Here's five million Berry, including delivery fees. That should be enough, right? (*′?v?*)"
"Sanji, you're responsible for the food supplies. Five million Berry for you too, considering Luffy's appetite."
"Usopp, get ammunition and any interesting gadgets. You wanted to arm yourself, didn't you? Two million should cover it."
"Zoro, you need two more swords. Loguetown probably doesn't have any high-grade blades, but two million should... suffice."
"Luffy... Hmm. Just go play and try to come back quietly. Here's ten thousand Berry for spending money."
Everyone seemed satisfied, even Luffy, who happily pocketed his allowance.
'Where did all this money come from?' Orochimaru wondered. 'Nezumi's private stash must be worth hundreds of millions.'
After distributing the funds, Orochimaru dismissed everyone with a single word: "Dispersed!" The crew scattered like wild horses released from their reins, their excitement palpable. "Were they really that eager?" he mused.
Now alone, Orochimaru wandered aimlessly through Loguetown. Suddenly, a green figure caught his eye. He tilted his head, a flicker of recognition in his eyes, and quietly followed, hugging the walls as he approached. He peered up at the figure perched on a rooftop, confusion etched across his face.
"Dragon?" Dragon winced, a headache creeping in. He'd only snuck in to check on Luffy—how had he been spotted?
"In a way, shouldn't you be calling me 'Dad' too?" Orochimaru's tone was laced with amusement.
Silence hung in the air. "What's wrong with people in this One Piece World?" Orochimaru muttered.
"Dragon, how's Sabo doing? Why isn't he with you? Luffy misses him terribly." Orochimaru crouched beside Dragon, both gazing into the distance.
"He's doing well—full of energy, a surprisingly polite delinquent. He's climbing the ranks fast, too. If things go as planned, he'll be the next Chief of Staff." Dragon's lips twitched, a mix of pride and exasperation. "Why did I ever agree to help raise that kid in the first place?"
Orochimaru chuckled. Sabo seemed to be thriving.
"Looks like he's planning to stay with the Revolutionary Army for good," Orochimaru observed.
"Yeah, Sabo's been freeing a lot of countries lately. He's incredibly capable, and his Haki mastery far surpasses Luffy's. But he's always worrying about you guys, especially you. Koala's been nagging me non-stop about it. Sabo's Army keeps chanting 'Orochimaru, Orochimaru' more often than they even mention Luffy. She even said she can't wait to scrutinize your bounty poster when it finally comes out."
Orochimaru's lips twitched as he listened to Dragon's endless grumbling.
"If I could avoid it... I'd rather not have a bounty on my head. Truth be told... I'm terrified of Garp." Having lived two lifetimes, Orochimaru had never feared anyone like this before. Garp's attacks weren't just physical—they struck at the very soul.
Dragon sighed, remembering his own father and instantly losing his composure. "Speaking of which, I wonder... if the Old Man saw you now, would he still chase you down and beat you up?"
Dragon fell silent, suddenly feeling a phantom ache in his cheek. Only family could truly understand the weight of Garp's "affection."
Orochimaru observed him for a moment. "Yeah, that's... that's good. I'll stick to hiding from Garp then. That old man doesn't care about age when he throws punches. I can't even imagine the social death I'd suffer if he caught me like this."
"Let's get back to Sabo," Dragon said.
"Ah... who's Koala? Why didn't Sabo come with you to see Luffy off this time?"
"Koala's Sabo's partner," Dragon explained. "She's a girl who's a master of Fish-Man Karate. She's incredibly strong."
"I see," Orochimaru nodded, thinking of Jiraiya and Tsunade. "Childhood friends."
Dragon watched Orochimaru's oblivious demeanor, wondering if it was possible Sabo secretly longed for *him* as his childhood sweetheart. He cleared his throat, not daring to voice the thought. Even though Ivankov had mentioned Orochimaru's indifference to gender, that didn't mean he'd appreciate being teased.
"Speaking of Ivankov," Dragon said, "he's been missing you. He asked me a while back to ask when you're coming to Kamabakka. He thinks you're old enough to try being a girl."
Orochimaru chuckled. "No need. I don't have any plans for that right now. I asked Luffy once, and he still prefers me as his younger brother. Maybe when I actually want children, I'll reconsider."
Dragon was stunned by Orochimaru's utterly casual answer. *Wait... weren't you supposed to be clueless about this? How are you so experienced? You've never even given birth! And you don't need to become a woman to have kids!*
Meanwhile, Orochimaru was lost in thought, considering Ivankov's hormone treatments and how conveniently they could switch genders. He vaguely wondered if he could enlist Ivankov's help in the future to obtain fusion cells for creating optimized artificial humans. But that was a distant prospect. His mind drifted to Mitsuki. When Orochimaru had transmigrated, *Boruto* was only partly developed, but he wasn't worried. After all, Mitsuki was the perfect artificial human, crafted from Orochimaru's own cells and numerous superior genes.
While Orochimaru's mind wandered, Dragon was wrestling with his thoughts. Finally, he couldn't help but blurt out, "You're still young. You don't need to worry about things like that yet."
Orochimaru blinked, tilting his head in confusion. "Huh?"
Dragon cleared his throat awkwardly. "Anyway, Sabo was supposed to come, but Sabo's Army ran into some trouble with a kingdom army, so he had to take care of it. He can't make it right now, but you'll meet him eventually when you reach the New World."
"Oh... By the way, did you arrange that?" Orochimaru asked, watching Luffy get knocked to the ground by a fat woman's butt and restrained on the execution platform.
Orochimaru frowned. He remembered Buggy being responsible for that in the original story, but Buggy was currently focused on developing his Chop-Chop Fruit, biding his time for future use.
Who was this plump, pockmarked woman? Orochimaru hadn't encountered Alvida in this world; he'd been knocked unconscious and stuffed into a box by Luffy. Orochimaru rarely delved into his memories unless a crucial plot point demanded it, so he didn't recognize her.
Alvida, however, had been sent flying much farther than in the original story due to Luffy's overwhelming strength, missing her chance to eat the Smooth-Smooth Fruit. Seeking revenge, she had blockaded Loguetown. Luffy, caught off guard, found himself shackled to the execution platform once again. Orochimaru couldn't help but suspect Dragon had orchestrated this entire spectacle to hype up Luffy's reputation, hence his question.
Sure enough, Dragon used his wind powers to guide a thundercloud directly above Alvida's head. Metal meeting lightning—arcs of electricity crackled across her blade.
Luffy, meanwhile, grinned radiantly.
"Orochimaru, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji... I'm sorry... I'm going to die!"
The Marines and the crowd below stared in shock at the laughing man embracing death.
As Alvida raised her sword, a bolt of lightning struck the blade—a human lightning rod, as they say. The execution platform shattered, leaving Alvida charred to a crisp.
Luffy threw his head back, clutching his straw hat and laughing heartily. "Hahahaha! I actually survived! What a score!"
Orochimaru watched Luffy, a faint smile playing on his lips. 'The Pirate King, huh...?'
"No need to see me off. I'm leaving," Orochimaru declared, deciding to make a dramatic exit. He unfurled his wings and swooped down from the rooftop toward Luffy, casually snatching him up in one hand. When he noticed Zoro veering off course, he whipped his tail around the swordsman's neck and dragged him along as they soared toward the harbor.
"Hey, everyone! The Marines are coming! Run!" Luffy shouted ahead to Sanji, Nami, and the others waiting at the intersection, laughing boisterously.
To be continued...