The first thing Luffy noticed while walking through the town was the worrying absence of people. The streets were completely devoid of people. It was like walking through a ghost town, the only noise keeping them company was the echoing footsteps of the small group.
The next was the dilapidated state of all the buildings. They stood, but barely. Walls were cracked, roofs half-collapsed, scorch marks clawing their way up wooden frames like something had tried to erase the place from existence. Windows were shattered. Doors hung crooked on their hinges. Even the air felt dead, like the wind itself was in silent mourning.
Mayor Boodle, the old man that had greeted them on the pier, walked ahead of them, shoulders hunched slightly despite his attempt to maintain composure.
"Please… watch your step," he said, voice strained. "Some of the structures aren't stable anymore."
Luffy's gaze swept across the lifeless street.
"…Where is everyone?" he asked.
Boodle didn't answer immediately, instead, turning a corner to a section of town that was much more heavily damaged. An entire section of buildings had been flattened. A whole neighborhood reduced to splintered wood and scattered stone, like something had simply… erased it.
Zoro's eyes narrowed. "…This doesn't look like normal cannon fire."
Boodle let out a slow breath. "No," he said quietly. "It wasn't."
He gestured vaguely toward the mountains in the distance.
"The townspeople fled. They've taken refuge in the hills behind the town. It was the only place they could go where those monsters wouldn't bother chasing them."
Nami's grip tightened slightly on her staff. "Monsters?" she asked, though she could already hazard a guess at the answer.
Boodle's jaw clenched.
"The Buggy Pirates."
The name settled heavy in the air.
"They arrived weeks ago," he continued. "At first, it was just looting. Food, supplies… anything of value."
His gaze drifted to the ruined buildings. "Then they started using those weapons."
Luffy tilted his head. "Weapons?"
Boodle nodded grimly. "I overheard them calling them 'Buggy Balls.'"
Zoro's brow furrowed slightly. "…Sounds kinda stupid."
"They are not," Boodle snapped, sharper than intended. He took a second to force himself to calm down. "…They fire them from modified cannons. And when they hit…"
He gestured again to the flattened district.
"They don't just destroy buildings. They erase entire streets at a time."
Silence fell over the group.
Nami's expression darkened. "…And they're doing this for fun?" she asked.
Boodle didn't answer, but his silence was answer enough.
Luffy's expression didn't change much, but something hardened in his eyes . "…Got it," he said quietly.
They kept moving deeper into town, the silence only growing heavier the further they went.
Until…
Footsteps.
Lazy and uncoordinated.
A group of pirates rounded the corner ahead, laughing about something crude, bottles in hand, weapons slung loosely over their shoulders. They stopped when they saw the group.
One of them squinted.
"…Oi. Who the hell are you supposed to be?"
Another snorted.
"Civilians, probably. Didn't get the memo to run away."
A third grinned, tapping the cannon strapped to his back.
"Or maybe they just wanna watch something blow up."
Zoro's hand drifted to his swords.
Nami shifted her stance slightly.
Luffy didn't even look at them.
He just kept walking, ignoring Boodle's panicked pleas for them to flee.
With a casual glance over his shoulder he called out, "Zoro. Nami."
He tilted his head slightly, "Handle it."
The pirates barely had time to react before Zoro moved. He vanished from their sights. His speed wasn't quite as explosive as Luffy's yet, but it was far faster than the poorly trained grunts' eyes could follow.
Three steps was all it took.
By the time his third step landed, three pirates dropped where they stood. Three precise strikes, and they were unconscious before they even realized they'd been hit.
The remaining pirates froze.
"…Wha-?!"
They turned, and Nami was already there, staff raised.
She didn't rush in immediately, she watched them, and for the first time she could fully read her opponents. The way their shoulders tensed before they swung. How their weight shifted before they stepped. Even their eyes telegraphed everything.
"…They're slow," she muttered.
The first pirate lunged. She swayed lightly to the side, the minor shift causing his swing to pass cleanly beside her.
Her staff snapped out.
*Crack*
The blow caught him just under his chin, and in the next instance he was collapsing bonelessly to the floor.
Another came at her from the side.
She pivoted, just like Luffy showed her, and aimed at her attacker's wrist.
*Tap*
His blow jerked off-line, and with another heavy *crack*, another pirate hit the ground.
The last one hesitated.
It was a mistake.
Nami stepped forward, and with a quick thrust to the diaphragm, the pirate collapsed in a wheezing, unconscious heap.
Silence.
Zoro glanced over at her.
"…Huh."
Nami blinked, staring at the pirates on the ground. "…That was… easier than I'd thought it'd be."
She looked down at her hands, then back at the three unconscious thugs. "…They really are slow."
Zoro smirked. "Or you got better."
Nami scowled slightly.
"It's hard not to with you trying to crack my head open in training!"
Luffy finally stopped walking and glanced back at them, once again grinning.
"Nice Job!"
Nami huffed, but there was a faint hint of pride she couldn't quite hide.
"…Don't get used to it, I'm still not a fighter."
Boodle stood frozen where he was, eyes wide as he looked between the unconscious pirates and the three in front of him. "…You… you took them down that easily?"
Zoro shrugged.
"They were weak."
Nami crossed her arms.
"…And predictable."
Luffy turned back toward the ruined town ahead.
"Let's keep going."
His tone was light, but the air around him wasn't.
"Let's find the rest of them."
They didn't make it far before the mood shifted again. This time though it wasn't from the destruction. They had finally run into another inhabitant. At the end of a narrow street, partially shielded by the remains of collapsed buildings, stood a small pet store.
Or what was left of it.
The front was battered, windows cracked, signage hanging crooked, but unlike everything else in the town, it was still standing.
Because something stood in front of it.
A small dog.
Luffy slowed.
Zoro quirked an eyebrow.
Nami blinked.
"…What?"
The dog stood firm in the center of the street, paws planted, body low, teeth bared. It was small, far too small to be guarding anything in a town like this.
And yet…
It didn't move. Not even a flinch.
He just watched.
Guarding.
Boodle's expression softened.
"…That's ChouChou," he said quietly.
Luffy tilted his head. "He's guarding the shop?"
Boodle nodded.
"It belonged to his owner. A kind man. Took care of the animals here… treated that dog like family."
His gaze dropped slightly.
"When the pirates came… the owner didn't make it."
Silence settled.
"But ChouChou stayed," Boodle continued. "No matter what they've done to this town… no matter how many times they've tried…"
His voice tightened.
"…he refuses to leave."
For a moment, the group stood silent. ChouChou stood firm in front of the shop, his small body unmoving, eyes sharp and unwavering.
Nami's expression softened, just a little. "…He's been here the whole time?"
"Every day."
Zoro exhaled through his nose and stepped forward.
Nami glanced at him. "What are you-?"
Too late.
Zoro crouched slightly, extending a hand toward the small dog. "…Oi," he muttered. "You're doing a good job."
ChouChou didn't move at first. His eyes flicked to Zoro's hand, then back to his face.
Slowly…
He stepped forward.
Sniffed.
Zoro smirked faintly. "See? Not so-"
*CHOMP*
"…."
Silence.
ChouChou had latched onto his hand. Teeth sunk in, eyes staring directly into Zoro's, refusing to let go.
Zoro's face went completely blank.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
Nami didn't even try to muffle her laughter.
Luffy burst out laughing.
"Shishishi! He likes you!"
"He is actively biting me," Zoro said flatly.
ChouChou growled low in his throat, tightening his grip slightly.
Zoro's eye twitched.
"…Let go."
He did not.
Zoro slowly stood up, now with a small, very determined dog hanging from his hand.
"…I'm going to shake him off."
"Don't you dare!" Nami snapped immediately.
"I'm not hitting him," Zoro said. "I'm just-"
He gave a small shake.
ChouChou held firm.
"…Why is he this strong?"
Luffy crouched slightly, grinning.
"'Cause he's guarding something important."
Zoro sighed.
"…Yeah, I noticed."
After another long second, ChouChou finally released him.
He dropped back to the ground, completely unfazed, and returned to his spot in front of the shop like nothing had happened.
Zoro looked down at the bite mark on his hand.
Then at the dog.
"…You're lucky you're small."
ChouChou didn't even acknowledge him.
Nami smirked, "Well, I like him, he's even got better instincts than you."
Zoro shot her a look.
"Say that again."
Before she could though, laughter and heavy footsteps echoed down the street.
"Gahahaha! There it is!"
A massive lion lumbered into view from the opposite side, its mane wild, teeth bared in lazy hunger.
Riding on its back was a man in a ridiculous outfit, a white fur vest with white hair styled into teddy bear ears on the top of his head. A whip hung at his side, posture loud and arrogant.
"Oi, mutt!" the man called out. "Still playing guard dog, huh?"
ChouChou didn't move, just bared his teeth with a defensive growl.
The man riding the lion snorted disdainfully, his over-pronounced lips turning down in a sneer.
"You've got guts, I'll give you that," he said, cracking his whip lightly. "But orders are orders, and Ritchie is hungry."
He pointed lazily at the shop.
"Captain Buggy wants this place flattened next, and I, the great beast tamer Moji won't disappoint!"
Nami's eyes darkened.
"…Seriously?"
Zoro's grip tightened slightly.
Moji leaned forward, smirking.
"Ritchie."
The lion's muscles tensed.
"Eat it."
The lion lunged, moving deceptively fast for a creature that size. Its massive jaws opening wide as it bore down on the tiny dog.
And then…
Stopped.
Mid-lunge his momentum completely halted. On his back, Moji was nearly thrown off.
Its jaws didn't close, they couldn't.
Because hands were casually holding them open.
Luffy stood there, arms extended, fingers gripping either side of the lion's upper and lower jaws like they weighed nothing.
"…Huh," he said, peering inside its mouth. "Big teeth."
The lion froze. To Nami and Zoro's amusement, they could see a large bead of sweat rolling down its face.
"…Rrrgh…?"
Moji blinked.
"…Huh?"
Luffy looked up wearing a cheerful grin. "Hey."
Moji stiffened.
"…Who the hell are you supposed to be?"
Luffy didn't answer.
Instead, he tightened his grip slightly.
The lion whimpered.
"Gya?!"
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed.
Then, using the massive lion's jaw as leverage, spun both lion and rider like a drill.
The massive lion lifted clean off the ground as it rapidly spun, its entire body whipping into motion.
"Wait! WAIT! STOP?!" Moji screamed.
Too late.
WHOOOOM!
Moji was launched skyward. A screaming blur disappearing into the distant skyline.
The lion kept spinning, the group even feeling a slight breeze.
After a few moments of rotation, the dazed lion finally hit the ground. Eyes spinning wildly, tongue lolling out, completely unconscious.
Silence.
Dust settled.
Zoro stared.
"I didn't know lions could spin that fast."
Nami blinked.
"…That feels illegal."
Luffy stretched his arm like nothing had happened.
"Eh, he'll be fine."
Behind them, Boodle stood frozen, mouth slightly open.
ChouChou didn't move for a moment. He watched as Luffy walked up and stopped in front of him. He stared up, measuring. Then, as if coming to a conclusion, he barked once.
Sharp.
Proud.
And returned to his post, guarding his treasure.
Luffy grinned.
"…Yeah."
He turned back toward the town.
"Let's keep going."
As he strode forward, the air of the town seemed to lighten ever so slightly. Boodle looked on, and for the first time since those damned pirates arrived, a sense of hope slowly started spreading in his chest.