One Piece: Star Sea Legend

Chapter 19: Friends (Part 2)

“Qin Ming, are you an idiot?”

While Luffy was eating meat, he suddenly turned to Qin Ming, who was sitting beside him.

Pfft!

Qin Ming, who had been happily eating, spat out his food all over Luffy’s face upon hearing his words.

“What are you talking about? Out of all of us, you’re the least qualified to call anyone stupid,” Qin Ming wiped his mouth and replied honestly.

“If you weren’t stupid, how could you drink tea while eating snacks? You should be using delicious meat juice instead. Your taste buds are really weird,” Luffy said, immediately leaving Qin Ming speechless.

“Damn it, I can’t be bothered to argue with this kid. Filling my stomach is more important.”

Seeing Luffy acting foolish, Qin Ming decisively shut his mouth.

“Don’t fuss over such trivial matters. By the way, since you’ve raised the flag of the Pirate King, you must have gathered quite a few people, right? Where are the others?” Zoro, sitting on the other side, asked Luffy. He recalled how Qin Ming had risked his life to save him, even drawing the Navy’s attention despite being injured. Qin Ming was a great companion, so the others Luffy had found must be decent too, right?

“Aren’t we all here already?” Luffy’s words left Zoro dumbfounded. He stared blankly at Qin Ming and Luffy, who were busy eating. “So… there are only three of us?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Luffy continued eating meat, completely oblivious to Zoro’s shocked expression.

“Three people? What kind of pirate crew is that?” Zoro was speechless. As a former pirate hunter, he had never seen a pirate crew with only three members.

“What’s wrong with three people? Qin Ming and I can take on a hundred enemies each, and you’re strong too,” Luffy said, completely unfazed by the size of the crew.

Zoro glanced at Qin Ming, remembering his ferocity in battle. He was indeed no ordinary person, but something still felt off. “What about the ship? Where’s the pirate ship?”

Luffy pointed to the window of the restaurant, signaling Zoro to take a look.

Zoro walked to the window and saw a small, lonely wooden boat docked at the port. A white dog was even urinating on the post the boat was tied to, leaving Zoro utterly stunned.

Heh heh…

Zoro forced a dry laugh.

“Don’t be so dissatisfied. I actually have a ship too,” Qin Ming said, recalling the small wooden boat he and Nami had arrived in. He wasn’t sure if it was still there.

“Where’s your ship?” Zoro’s eyes lit up, hoping Qin Ming’s ship might be better.

“If it’s still there, you should be able to see it from the window,” Qin Ming replied, taking a sip of the meat broth. It was delicious, and he licked his lips in satisfaction.

Zoro looked out at the port again and, sure enough, there was another small wooden boat docked alone. However, Qin Ming’s boat was even smaller than Luffy’s, driving Zoro to the brink of madness.

“It seems Nami left that boat for me.”

Seeing Zoro’s extremely dissatisfied expression, Qin Ming knew the boat he and Nami had used was still there. He sincerely said to Zoro, “Well, we now have two ships in our pirate crew. If you want, you can have my boat all to yourself. That way, you won’t have any complaints, right?”

“You idiot! We’re part of the same pirate crew. How can we split up?” Zoro roared at Qin Ming.

“Actually, you’re just afraid of getting lost at sea alone, aren’t you?” Qin Ming bluntly pointed out Zoro’s fear, immediately making Zoro want to draw his sword and cut him down.

“Don’t worry, someday we’ll have a ship this big,” Luffy finally stopped eating and gestured exaggeratedly, his face full of excitement.

Hahahaha!

Zoro laughed even more exaggeratedly, his expression full of disbelief. “Keep dreaming.”

“And we’ll need a pirate flag too,” Luffy said, stuffing more meat into his mouth, already lost in his fantasies.

“I think Luffy must have left his planning skills in his mother’s womb when he was born,” Koby said, seeing Zoro’s exasperated expression.

“I actually called this guy my captain,” Zoro muttered, feeling like an idiot for ever acknowledging Luffy as his captain. A vein popped on his forehead.

“Big brother, is it true that you want to become the Pirate King? You’re so brave!” Little Rika approached Luffy, her big eyes filled with innocence.

“Yeah, I am brave, but I’ll become even stronger because I’m going to be the Pirate King,” Luffy said, chewing on meat and grinning confidently at Rika.

“This guy can even boast about his bravery in front of a little girl. I’m really impressed!”

Qin Ming glanced at Luffy, who was chatting with Rika, and couldn’t help but laugh in his mind.

Next, Zoro asked Luffy where they planned to go. Luffy immediately replied with enthusiasm, “Of course, we’re heading to the Grand Line!”

“What? Are you talking nonsense again? There are only three of you, and you want to enter the Grand Line? That’s like walking to your death!” Koby, who was bandaging Qin Ming’s back wound, was so shocked by Luffy’s words that his hand slipped, accidentally touching Qin Ming’s wound.

“Ah!!”

Qin Ming cried out in pain as Koby accidentally touched his wound.

Koby quickly apologized to Qin Ming and continued, “Don’t you know? The Grand Line is filled with countless vicious pirates from all over the world! If you rashly enter the Grand Line, you’ll be torn to pieces by those pirates!”

“Is the Grand Line really that scary?” Rika asked Koby, puzzled.

Seeing that Koby had stopped bandaging his wound halfway, Qin Ming had no choice but to ask Rika to help him.

“Of course! There are two major oceans in this world, and the Red Line divides them. It’s said that there’s a town in the center of the Red Line. If you pass through this town and sail at a right angle around the world, you’ll enter the Grand Line!” Koby held a glass of juice, sitting on a chair with a serious expression. He continued, “Legend has it that the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, once ruled the entire world, and he chose to hide the world’s greatest treasure, One Piece, in the Grand Line. Because of this, countless pirates have flocked to the Grand Line, engaging in brutal battles.”

“Now, the Grand Line has become a terrifying battlefield. People call it the Graveyard of Pirates. Countless pirates have died there.”

Koby’s body trembled slightly, and his slightly chubby face showed a hint of fear. He was genuinely worried for Luffy and the others.

“I’ve also heard from customers that no one who enters the Grand Line ever returns,” the restaurant owner said, wiping a plate and looking at Luffy with concern.

“But since One Piece is in the Grand Line, we have no choice but to go there,” Luffy said nonchalantly, as if it were no big deal.

“There’s no other way. We have to go there. I have no objections,” Zoro agreed with Luffy.

Seeing how determined Luffy and Zoro were, Koby could only hope that Qin Ming would talk some sense into them. He rushed over to Qin Ming, grabbed his hand, and shook it vigorously. “Mr. Qin Ming, please talk to them! No matter what, going to the Grand Line now is too dangerous!”

Koby’s sudden movement caused Rika to accidentally touch Qin Ming’s wound again, making him grit his teeth in pain.

“Damn it, what did I do to deserve this? I’ve been keeping quiet, and now my wound has been touched twice.”

Qin Ming sat up straight and said to the anxious Koby, “You’re not coming with us anyway, so why are you so worried?”

“Even… even if I’m not going, I can still worry about you! Is that wrong? Can’t I worry about you?”

“You should worry about yourself,” Qin Ming’s words left Koby momentarily stunned.

“He’s right,” Zoro gently tapped Koby’s head with the hilt of his sword. “Even though you were a slave, the fact that you stayed on Alvida’s pirate ship for two years is undeniable. Don’t underestimate the Navy’s intelligence-gathering abilities. If they find out, you can forget about joining the Navy.”

Hearing Zoro’s words, Koby lowered his head in despair. “I’ve never had close friends since I was a child, let alone someone who would risk their life for me. It’s because I’m a coward!”

“Mr. Luffy, even though we haven’t known each other for long, can someone as useless as me be considered your friend?” Koby’s voice was so soft that even Rika’s breathing was louder. He lacked confidence, but his eyes showed a glimmer of hope as he looked at Luffy and the others.

“Of course! Even though we’re parting ways, we’ll always be friends!” Luffy grinned at Koby.

Hearing Luffy’s words, Koby’s eyes, which had been dim behind his thick glasses, brightened. His eyes moistened, and he almost cried on the spot.

“Thank you so much. From you, I’ve learned that people should live for their beliefs.”

Koby looked at Luffy, Zoro, and Qin Ming, remembering how Luffy had chosen the path of the Pirate King, ready to sacrifice everything for it. Zoro, in order to become the world’s greatest swordsman, had endured three weeks without food just to survive. Qin Ming had risked his life to set sail with Luffy.

They all had their own convictions, their own unshakable determination. That’s why they kept growing stronger. This made Koby realize that he could no longer be as cowardly as before.

“You’re right. That’s why we’ve decided to go to the Grand Line,” Luffy said to Koby. Zoro added, “Exactly.”

What left Qin Ming speechless was that Koby, moved by Luffy’s words, foolishly replied, “Ah, right.”

“No, that’s not it! I think it’s too risky for you to go to the Grand Line now!”

Koby quickly realized he had gone in circles and was almost convinced by Luffy.

“Listen, Koby, if you really want to join the Navy, you need to change. If you just keep dreaming without taking action, you’ll never get anywhere.”

Qin Ming felt he should encourage Koby. For some reason, seeing Koby’s lack of confidence reminded him of his past self, who had been too afraid to pursue his dreams.

Hearing Qin Ming’s words, Koby’s spirits lifted.

“Qin Ming is absolutely right. That’s why I eat a lot of meat every day. If I just wanted to eat meat but didn’t actually eat it, I would have starved to death long ago.”

Luffy’s casual remark made Qin Ming’s face darken. He almost couldn’t resist the urge to punch Luffy.

At that moment, the door of the restaurant opened, and a group of Navy soldiers walked in.

“We heard you’re pirates. Is that true?” A Navy captain with a square face approached Luffy and asked.

“Yeah, we just found another crewmate. We’re about to do what pirates do!” Luffy answered honestly.

“Even though you caused a commotion at the Navy base, you also saved us and this town. For that, we’re grateful. But now that we know you’re pirates, as members of the Navy, we can’t ignore it!” The Navy captain lowered his hat and said sternly, “Please leave this place immediately. Out of respect, we won’t report this to headquarters.”

“Hey, Navy, what are you talking about? You were under Morgan’s control, scared out of your wits! If it weren’t for them, who knows what would have happened to you!”

“They’re the town’s saviors!”

The townspeople, who had suffered under Captain Morgan and his son Helmeppo, were outraged by the Navy’s attitude. They couldn’t believe the Navy would treat the people who had freed them from oppression like this.

“Alright, let’s go. Thanks for the food, ma’am. It was really delicious,” Luffy stood up from his chair, unfazed by the Navy’s attitude. He even thanked the restaurant owner with a smile.

Seeing Luffy leave, Qin Ming and Zoro naturally followed. However, when the Navy soldiers saw Qin Ming, they couldn’t help but show fear. After all, Qin Ming had been the one who had beaten them up the most at the Navy base.

“Are you with them?” The Navy captain asked Koby, who was watching Luffy and the others leave.

“Uh… I…”

Koby was flustered by the sudden question and didn’t know how to respond.

“Even though we’re parting ways, we’ll always be friends!”

Koby remembered Luffy’s words from earlier, how Zoro had been concerned for him, and how Qin Ming had encouraged him. His heart was torn between pain and guilt. Luffy and the others hadn’t gone far, and now he was being forced to deny his friendship with them. It was a bitter feeling.

“I’m not… with them!”

Koby’s eyes turned red behind his glasses. He bit his lip and forced out the lie.

“Wait a minute!”

The Navy captain clearly didn’t believe Koby and called out to Luffy and the others.

“Is it true? He’s not with you?” The Navy captain asked Luffy.

“I know what this guy used to do,” Luffy turned around and pointed at Koby.

“Mr. Luffy…”

Koby’s heart sank. “No way, is he going to reveal my past?”

“I forgot where it was, but there was this really fat female pirate, I think her name was Alvida or something,” Luffy gestured to show the female pirate’s size to the Navy soldiers.

“Idiot, her name is Alvida. You got it wrong,” Qin Ming corrected Luffy.

“Oh, so you know her too,” Luffy glanced at Qin Ming and walked over to Koby.

“If they find out I was on a pirate ship, I’ll never be able to join the Navy. Please… please stop talking.”

Koby pursed his lips, looking at Luffy and Qin Ming. The thought of his past being exposed made him break out in a cold sweat. He screamed in his heart.

“That female pirate was a mean, fat, and ugly old hag. This guy stayed on her ship for two years,” Luffy said in a mocking tone, poking Koby’s head with his finger.

“It’s true. I was on Alvida’s ship and heard this kid flattering that fat woman. He even called her the most beautiful woman in the world. It was hilarious,” Qin Ming joined in, poking Koby’s head from the other side, making his head sway back and forth.

“Stop it, please stop!”

Koby was furious, especially when Qin Ming revealed how he had been forced to flatter Alvida. He couldn’t take it anymore and shouted, “Please stop!”

Bang! Bang!

In a fit of rage, Koby punched both Luffy and Qin Ming.

The sudden outburst shocked everyone in the restaurant.

Zoro, seeing Koby throw punches, wasn’t angry but instead looked relieved. He knew Luffy and Qin Ming had deliberately provoked Koby.

“You dare hit me!” Luffy punches Koby hard in the face, sending him flying towards Qin Ming.

“You bastard! We’re pirates! How dare you attack us!” Qin Ming also punched Koby.

Bang! Bang! Thud! Thud!

“You brat!”

“You idiot!”

Qin Ming and Luffy publicly beat up Koby.

On a shelf in the restaurant, several polished plates reflected the scene of Koby being beaten by Luffy and Qin Ming.

The Navy captain, seeing that Luffy and Qin Ming weren’t holding back, shouted, “Stop it! You pirates, I won’t allow you to cause trouble in this town!”

“Enough, you two have gone too far!” Zoro grabbed Luffy and Qin Ming from behind and dragged them away from the beaten Koby.

By now, Koby was bruised and battered, looking utterly miserable.

“I can see now that you’re not with them. Please leave this place immediately!” The Navy captain shouted at Luffy and the others.

“They did it on purpose. They provoked me to make me angry, to force me to act!”

“Even in the end, I still needed their help. I haven’t changed at all. I’m so useless!”

Koby lay on the ground, his body aching from Luffy and Qin Ming’s punches. But his resolve grew stronger.

“If I don’t seize this opportunity, I’m really doomed!”

Koby struggled to his feet, his body in pain. He glanced at Luffy, Qin Ming, and Zoro’s retreating figures, made up his mind, and mustered his courage. He bowed deeply to the Navy captain and shouted, “Please let me join the Navy! Even if it’s just as a janitor, I’ll be happy! As long as I can be a Navy soldier!”

“I finally said it.”

At that moment, Koby felt an overwhelming sense of excitement. For the first time, he felt that his dream was within reach.

“Captain, I object!” A Navy soldier stepped forward and said to Koby, “Sorry, but I can’t fully trust you. There have been pirates who pretended to join the Navy as spies. We need to investigate your background first…”

Koby stared blankly at the man who had objected to his joining the Navy. His face gradually showed despair, but then he thought, Is my belief in the Navy so weak? So fragile? Just because one person objects, am I going to give up on my lifelong dream?

After a brief but intense internal struggle, Koby finally shouted out the dream he had kept hidden for so many years.

“I am going to become a Navy Admiral!”

The moment Koby shouted those words, the entire room fell silent. Even Rika stared at Koby in shock.

The Navy soldier who had objected to Koby’s joining was also stunned, unable to speak.

Some of the Navy soldiers broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing Koby’s declaration.

A Navy Admiral was a position many could only dream of, yet this young boy had boldly declared his ambition to become one. It was truly shocking.

The Navy captain looked at Koby intently. Despite his injuries, Koby’s eyes now shone with determination, free from fear and hesitation. The captain was moved. “We’ve lost too many comrades to pirates. Don’t underestimate the Navy. I’ll allow you to join!”

“Yes, thank you!” Koby felt his blood boil with excitement as he was accepted into the Navy. His voice carried a new sense of confidence.

As Koby was accepted into the Navy, Luffy and the others arrived at the port, ready to leave Shells Town.

“You guys really acted poorly. It’s no wonder you were found out,” Zoro said to Luffy and Qin Ming.

“I think Koby will figure something out,” Luffy said carelessly.

“True. If Koby had given up so easily, our punches would have been wasted,” Qin Ming said, then turned to Zoro. “Cut the rope tying the boat with your sword.”

“Why don’t you untie it yourself?” Zoro asked, though he still did as Qin Ming said and cut the rope with his sword.

“Because the rope is wet. It looks like a dog peed on it. If I untied it with my hands, I’d be an idiot,” Qin Ming said, causing Zoro’s face to pale.

“What? My sword touched dog pee?!”

“You bastard! Why didn’t you tell me earlier? You’re asking for a beating!” Zoro grabbed Qin Ming by the neck and started shaking him.

“Hahaha, you two are really something,” Luffy laughed heartily, watching Qin Ming and Zoro wrestle on the port.

After Qin Ming and Zoro gave each other black eyes, they boarded the small boat and set sail. Just then, they heard Koby’s voice.

“Wait!”

“Koby?” Luffy stood at the bow of the boat, looking at Koby, who was running towards them.

“Thank you! I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me!” Koby saluted them with a standard Navy gesture, shouting at the small boat drifting further away.

“What Navy soldier thanks pirates?” Zoro sat on the boat, waving at Koby on the shore. Qin Ming lazily lay on the boat, a slight smile on his face as he secretly waved at Koby.

“Exactly,” Luffy grinned, waving his arms enthusiastically at Koby. “See you again, Koby!”

“All hands, salute!”

Behind Koby, a loud voice rang out.

At the port, a large group of Navy soldiers stood behind Koby, saluting Luffy and the others.

“Your friends are truly loyal,” the Navy captain said to Koby, implying that he had seen through Luffy and Qin Ming’s poorly acted ruse. Despite that, he had still accepted Koby into the Navy.

“Yeah,” Koby’s tears finally flowed, for himself and for his friends.

“All those who saluted the pirates have violated Navy regulations. You’re all punished with no meals for a week!” The captain sternly reprimanded the Navy soldiers.

On the small boat, Zoro asked Luffy, “Why are you so set on becoming the Pirate King?”

“Because it’s delicious, right?” Qin Ming joked.

“It’s not about food. I want to become the Pirate King because I made a promise to a man,” Luffy stood at the bow of the boat, taking off his straw hat. He looked at the hat with a nostalgic expression. “I promised to gather a crew of strong companions, find the world’s greatest treasure, and become the Pirate King!”

Luffy put the hat back on and turned to Qin Ming and Zoro. “Now I’ve found two companions. This hat is proof of my promise!”

“Hahaha!” Luffy laughed heartily, stepping onto the bow of the boat. Facing the sea breeze, he shouted, “Set sail! To the Grand Line!”

As dusk approached, thick clouds covered the sky, and the setting sun cast streaks of crimson light across the sea, reflecting golden ripples on the water.

The small boat drifted slowly on the sea, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun…