Valen slowly unsheathed his sword, the steel gleaming under the sun. He pointed it toward Alvida's raft without a hint of fear.
"Alvida... don't try to make yourself big... I can just slash down that raft you're on and you'll die," Valen said calmly, his voice eerily composed.
From his point of view, the fact that she'd eaten a Devil Fruit worked in his favor. All he needed to do was push her into the sea—and she'd sink like a rock.
Oh crap! Does he know I've eaten a Devil Fruit?! Alvida's eyes darted for a moment.
"W-What? W-What bullshit are you spouting out, you little brat?!" she shouted, trying to cover up her panic with bravado. Maybe he was bluffing. Maybe it was just coincidence.
Valen raised an eyebrow, smug and composed.
"You ate a Devil Fruit, right?" he said, his tone smug and confident. If he couldn't beat her with strength, he would win with words. After all, with the Smooth-Smooth Fruit making her body slippery, no attack could land—not fists, not swords. Neither he nor Makino could land a hit.
"What?!" Alvida's eyes widened in shock.
"A Devil Fruit?" Makino murmured, puzzled. "Is that why you've lost so much weight?" she asked, genuinely curious.
"Hey, you bitch—!" Alvida snarled, but was immediately cut off by Valen bursting into laughter.
"Hahaha! That's right! There's no way a bulldozer like her could lose so much weight otherwise!" he mocked mercilessly.
"You little...!" Alvida screamed, swinging her iron mace in rage. But her anger betrayed her balance. With a loud splash, she slipped off the raft and fell into the sea.
"Hahahaha!" Valen laughed harder, grabbing the oars. "Perfect! This is exactly what I was waiting for!"
Alvida flailed in the water, her iron mace already sunk, dragging her slightly. Her hands splashed about helplessly.
"Help me, you fuckers!" she screamed, desperation finally kicking in.
"Bye, you fat witch!" Valen shouted, already starting to row away with glee—until his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Makino?! What are you doing?!" he yelled.
Makino was leaning over the side, grabbing Alvida's hand.
"You're so childish, Valen," Makino said, calmly pulling the pirate back onto the boat.
Water splashed everywhere as Alvida flopped into the small vessel, gasping for air, coughing, and utterly soaked.
"Makino, she wants to kill us!" Valen exclaimed. His brilliant plan was falling apart before his eyes.
Makino turned to him, her voice soft but firm.
"Valen... calm down a bit. She's a fellow lady. I couldn't just let her die in front of me."
Valen looked at her, stunned. For a moment, he wanted to argue—but the earnestness in her eyes made him pause.
"Makino..." he sighed. "You're too kind for your own good."
"Thanks..." Alvida muttered between ragged breaths, still trying to fill her lungs with air. But as soon as she recovered a bit, her grateful expression twisted into fury.
"What did you say I was?!" she snarled, eyes locking on Valen like a predator spotting prey.
She started to move toward him, her fingers twitching with violent intent—until Valen struck with his ultimate move.
"What if I say..." Valen tilted his head and looked at her with eyes large, soft, and shimmering. "Sorry?"
The technique was flawless.
Coupled with his trait, [Handsome 2★], Valen radiated irresistible innocence. His eyes sparkled. His lips formed the perfect pout. It was the dreaded—
"Puppy Look."
Alvida froze mid-step. Her rage melted into a conflicted snarl.
"Damn it!" she cursed, slumping back down with a heavy sigh. "Why do you have to look so damn cute?!"
"Valen!" Makino squealed, immediately hugging him tightly, her generous chest engulfing his face. "You're so cute!"
"Makino! I can't breathe!" Valen shouted, voice muffled in her softness. She quickly released him, blushing a bit.
Alvida groaned, rubbing her temple.
"I'll leave you two off this time!" she huffed, trying to reclaim some of her lost dignity. "Just bring me to Goat Island."
"Goat Island?" Makino tilted her head innocently.
"Is that where your base is?" Valen asked, feigning curiosity, though he already knew from the One Piece manga.
Alvida's eyes shot wide open.
"How do you know that?!"
Valen shrugged, flashing her a sly grin. "Well... if you're asking us to bring you there, then your pirate base must be there, right?"
Alvida clenched her fists. "Damn you and that brain of yours!" she hissed.
"Okay, we'll bring you there," Valen said. "But... do you have a Log Pose or Eternal Pose for it?"
Alvida froze.
Silence.
She looked away, clearly embarrassed.
"You don't have anything, do you?" Makino asked sweetly, her tone light but teasing.
"No..." Alvida finally admitted, sighing like someone who had given up on life.
Valen chuckled and began rowing in a random direction, the little boat bobbing across the waves.
"Anyway, Alvida... how did you end up like this?" Valen asked, curious now that the situation had cooled down.
Alvida grumbled.
"We ran into a small Marine ship..."
"A small ship?" Makino asked, surprised. "But your bounty is five million berries. Did your crew really get wiped out so easily?"
Valen's expression shifted. He was already piecing it together.
Alvida slammed her fist on the boat's edge. "On that ship... was the Marine Hero, Garp! But that wasn't the worst part. No! That lunatic didn't even lift a finger! He made his stupid grandson fight us!"
"His grandson?" Valen echoed knowingly.
"Yes! That damn monkey destroyed us single-handedly! He even took my chore boy! That traitorous little fucker! How dare he betray me?!"
"Luffy destroyed your crew?" Makino said with a soft smile. "Seems like his journey as a Marine is going better than I expected."
"Makino..." Valen groaned, covering his face with one hand. She talked way too much sometimes.
Alvida's eyes bulged. "You know that fucker?!" she screamed, her rage reigniting. Her fingers twitched again, her whole body leaning forward with malicious intent.
"Alvida," Valen said, pointing his sword calmly at the bottom of the boat, "if you're thinking of killing us just to vent your frustration over Luffy and Garp, I'll slice open this boat, and we'll all go down together."
Alvida stared at him for a moment.
Then she slumped back again, defeated.
"Tch. You're all insane."
Valen leaned back, smirking, as the boat rocked gently over the waves.
"Welcome to our crew."
"Welcome to your crew? Are you nuts?!" Alvida snapped, throwing her arms up. "The great Alvida joining such a shitty crew as yours—"
"Your crew's been destroyed, right?" Makino said with a sweet smile that didn't match her sharp words. "So what harm would it do to join our crew? The crew of the future Pirate King!"
She looked proudly at Valen.
Valen, caught off guard, smiled at her in return, his chest puffing slightly with pride.
"The future Pirate King?" Alvida raised a skeptical eyebrow, then jabbed a finger toward Valen. "This weak guy right here?"
"Hey!" Valen said, visibly offended. "I'm right here, you know!"
Alvida stared at him for a second. Then—
"Hahaha..." she laughed. It started small but turned into a genuine chuckle. She didn't even realize she was smiling. For once, she didn't feel the need to dominate the atmosphere. For once... she felt like she could breathe.
Her whole life, she'd treated her crew like tools—stepping stones on her way to glory. But this? This boat, these two idiots, this stupid vibe...
It felt like a family. And she didn't hate it.
"Well..." she said with a shrug, looking away. "I guess I'll hang out with you guys for a bit..."
[Alvida has joined your pirate crew.]
[She has been registered in 'Crew & Harem.']
[Crew Member: Alvida – Role: N/A]
"Hehe..." Valen chuckled to himself as he continued rowing. The waves were calm, the sun was warm, and his weird little crew was slowly growing.
Makino leaned her head against his shoulder as Alvida sat at the edge of the boat, arms crossed, trying not to smile.
To be continued...
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How was this chapter? Liking the whole vibe so far?