One Piece:I am King Luffy!

After emptying the clip, Luffy slowly holstered his gun.

The surrounding pirate grunts looked on in stunned confusion.

"W-what just happened?"

They were bewildered. Just moments ago, this young swordsman had been brandishing a sword at their boss, Eldrago. Then, in an instant, he had planted his sword in the ground, pulled out a gun from who knows where, and shot Eldrago full of holes.

The speed of his draw, the blast of gunfire—it had all happened so fast. Eldrago's body was riddled with bullet wounds…

It didn't make sense… it happened so quickly, the shift in style was almost surreal…

It wasn't until Luffy turned his gaze on them that the pirate grunts snapped back to reality, falling to their knees in fear. "Please spare us!"

"Is there any treasure on the ship? I'm only interested in gold," Luffy said.

"There is! Eldrago loved gold, so he collected a lot," the pirates said hastily.

"Bring it to me."

Luffy walked over to Eldrago, nudged his lifeless body to the side, and tore the golden armor off with his bare hands, inspecting it.

It was indeed solid gold—this guy had actually crafted armor from pure gold.

Luffy found a chest and stuffed the golden armor inside, as the pirates brought over another small chest filled with gold.

"Thanks." Luffy gave a satisfied smile and unsheathed his sword, slashing a sweeping arc. A pale wave of energy cut through the pirates.

Sheathing his sword, Luffy returned to the ship with his chests in hand.

Uta was in the middle of telling Nami stories about Shanks, explaining that despite his strength, Shanks had a playful side.

"A big pirate like him has a playful side?" Nami asked, intrigued.

"Yes, exactly! That's what makes him so cute—he's incredibly powerful but still has these childlike moments," Uta laughed.

"Oh, you mean it's like… a contrast," Luffy said, hefting the chests and climbing back on board.

"Right, right! That's exactly it—a cute contrast," Uta said.

"Welcome back." Nami stood up, grinning as she remembered how Bellemere always welcomed them back. She tried it out herself.

"I'm home," Luffy replied. It just felt right to say it back.

Nami chuckled.

"So, Uta likes contrasts, huh," Luffy remarked. It was a common appeal in anime to see characters reveal sides of themselves that contrasted with their typical demeanor.

"Mhm!" Uta nodded, realizing how well the word fit her tastes. She noticed that Luffy's shirt was missing, and his skin bore some burn marks.

"Ah, you got hurt again!" Uta ran over and touched the scorched area.

"Yeah, it's just a minor scrape." Luffy nodded.

"I got hit up close by a Devil Fruit user."

"You're so careless, idiot!" Uta scolded him, standing with her hands on her hips.

"You're having a harder time, aren't you? For situations like this, you should really call the Marines," Bellemere said as she came over with a first aid kit.

"It's just a scratch…"

"Nami, help me treat this!" Bellemere said, handing her the first aid kit.

"Do you even know how to do it?"

"That's why Bellemere's going to teach me!" Nami retorted confidently, opening the kit and looking at the bottles and bandages.

Under Bellemere's guidance, Nami began to apply the medicine, having Luffy lie down flat, his body stretched out while Nami dabbed his skin with a cotton swab.

"I'll help too." Uta knelt beside Luffy, putting some of the ointment on her palm and pressing it gently to his chest, slowly spreading it.

"You're both going overboard. A little rest would've healed me," Luffy said, squirming from the ticklish feeling of two girls fussing over him.

"It's all your fault, Luffy! You keep getting hurt and then walk around shirtless," Uta complained, her hand lingering on his chest, feeling his heartbeat through her palm.

Nami, meanwhile, focused intently, wrapping him up with bandages until he looked like a cocoon.

"All done!" Nami declared, pleased with her work.

"Hey, did you actually beat Eldrago? He was a Devil Fruit user!" A retired pirate, shackled and sitting nearby, couldn't believe it.

"That's not your concern. Once we reach port, the Marines will take you into custody," Bellemere said, crossing her arms.

"No matter what, you're safe now."

"Free from Eldrago's pursuit, right?"

"What treasure did Luffy bring back this time?" Uta asked, her curiosity shifting to the chests he'd brought. "Is it treasure?"

Luffy had brought back three chests already, all taken from pirates, so it wasn't a far stretch for Uta to assume it was treasure. After all, whenever Shanks defeated pirates, he'd always pick out some pretty jewels for her.

"It's gold." Luffy opened a chest, revealing a brilliant pile of gold.

"Gold!!" Nami's eyes sparkled as she stared at the dazzling sight.

She couldn't help but gulp.

"Is it for me?" Uta asked, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Yeah, it's for you guys, but not yet." Luffy replied.

He picked up the gold and started molding it into different shapes with his hands.

"Wait for your birthday," he said with a grin.

"Really?" Nami's eyes shone.

"Heh heh…"

Luffy just smiled as Nami rushed over to hug him. "I'll be waiting!"

"Is it that exciting?" Uta watched the two, tilting her head. Having seen so much jewelry and gold, she felt a simple joy, but not to the level of Nami's reaction.

---

When they docked, Marines were waiting for them, saluting Luffy and escorting the retired pirate away, handing Luffy a large bounty in return.

"Your Highness, are you headed to Clockwork Island?" the Marine in charge couldn't help but ask.

"Yep, I heard the traps there are quite famous."

"Your Highness, please be careful. A strong pirate group, the Poker Pirates, roams that area," the officer said.

"Maybe you should consider another destination."

"That only makes me more excited," Luffy replied with a grin.

The Poker Pirates, huh? They sounded like small fry.

"Luffy, your clothes are practically disposable! Since your birthday's coming up, let me buy you some new clothes as a gift," Uta said, uninterested in the pirate group and shaking Luffy's hand playfully.

"Then Nojiko and I will go pick up some books and gifts."

"And I'll

handle stocking up on fresh water and food for the ship," Bellemere added.

With their tasks decided, everyone went their separate ways.

----

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