It was noon.
The breeze was pleasant and the sun was just right.
In the courtyard of Marine Branch 153 Base.
After searching for Captain Morgan's savings and treasures, Red led Luffy and the others back to the open space again.
The cross that had bound Zoro had been silently dismantled by sensible Marine soldiers, and even the holes had been filled in.
Seeing this scene, both Zoro and Red showed satisfied smiles on their faces.
Only Nami, who had been forcibly dragged along, looked unhappy.
"Really, why are we giving so much money to the Marines?!"
"Don't they already get subsidies from the World Government?!"
"That's a whole 5 million berries!!!"
"You could have given it to me if you didn't want it!!!"
Nami muttered softly, but she was actually expressing her confusion about Red's actions.
Red, who heard the meaning behind her words, turned around and smiled slightly:
"It's just 5 million berries. Don't worry about such a small amount, little Nami."
"Look at our crew. No matter where we go, it won't be hard to make millions!"
"That Marine is a native of Shells Town. I believe he'll make good use of the money."
"Using 5 million berries to provide some relief to the residents of Shells Town in advance—don't you think that's worth it?"
"I don't think so!" Nami pouted and replied without hesitation, fully demonstrating her money-obsessed nature.
But no one knew what she was really thinking.
When she looked at Red, there was obvious surprise in her eyes.
'It's really strange that there are pirates who give away their money...'
...
...
"Okay, now that our crew has begun to take shape, it's time to formally introduce ourselves."
Arriving at the clearing, Red didn't immediately let Luffy and Zoro start sparring.
Instead, he led everyone to get to know each other.
He and Luffy were both easy to talk to—one had a God's perspective, and the other was carefree and easygoing.
But Zoro and Nami had just joined them, after all.
Nami was hiding her thoughts and was ready to run away with the money at any time.
For this crew to function properly as quickly as possible, Red, the vice-captain, still needed to take some action.
After hearing Red's proposal, Luffy immediately raised his hands in agreement: "Introduce ourselves?! Okay! Okay!"
Having gained two new crewmates at once, Luffy was as excited as could be.
Red smiled slightly, satisfied with this reaction.
"Then, as the captain of our crew, let's have Luffy start first!"
"Shishishi! No problem!" Luffy grinned widely.
He adjusted the straw hat on his head with one hand, and a confident smile appeared on his face:
"My name is Monkey D. Luffy, and my dream is to become the Pirate King!!!"
"And I'm a rubber man who ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi. My body can stretch and extend freely like rubber."
"Like this..."
To prove his statement, after he finished speaking, he performed his special trick directly in front of Nami and Zoro, pulling his mouth and stretching it to the same length as his arm.
Seeing this outrageous sight before them, Zoro and Nami were stunned for a moment.
But Zoro quickly recovered and interrupted:
"Wait a minute! You said your ability is just turning your body into rubber, so what was that speed from before?! It was like teleporting!"
Zoro, who had yet to step out of the weakest sea in the East Blue and meet the truly strong, was still unable to accept things beyond his comprehension.
Luffy snapped his mouth back into place and said nonchalantly:
"Huh, what are you talking about? It's a special fighting technique. It's one of the Rokushiki that Red taught me—Soru!"
"It lets you explode with amazing speed in an instant."
"Correction!" Red immediately interrupted with a smile. "I didn't invent that—it's a conventional combat technique used by the Marines..."
"Its official name is one of the Marines' Rokushiki. I only understand it a little bit."
"After all, I am a Trainer!"
"Trainer?!"
Hearing this word again, Zoro finally seized the opportunity and immediately asked:
"So... what exactly is a Trainer?"
"That's a long story," Red continued to smile. "Now it's my turn to introduce myself."
"As you all know, I'm the vice-captain of this pirate crew. I don't have any particular dreams. I just go with the flow and take care of myself wherever I go."
"At the same time, I am also a Trainer."
"As for what a Trainer does, it's just like the literal meaning—I train others and help them become stronger quickly, and even gain special powers!"
"For example, this..."
While speaking, Red suddenly raised one hand.
The ancient power within his body surged, turning into rocks that appeared behind him.
Because it was just a demonstration, Red quickly cut off the energy supply, letting the rocks fall to the ground and quickly disappear.
"As you can see, Trainers can give you all kinds of special abilities."
"Of course, this also requires some time and effort on your part."
"This... how is this possible?! Is this also a Devil Fruit ability?"
Nami's eyes flashed with surprise, and she couldn't help interrupting Red.
"It's not..."
"However, you can understand it that way for now."
Red shook his head, but looked at Nami with a mysterious smile:
"Under my guidance, even if you're not good at fighting, Nami, I can definitely train you to become a top powerhouse who can fight against any powerful enemy!"
"You mean I could also gain abilities like yours?" Nami looked shocked and pointed at herself.
"Of course!" Red replied without hesitation:
"After all, I am a Trainer!!!"
He once again emphasized his identity, almost like a mantra, firmly placing the label of "Trainer" on himself.
Although he wasn't yet certain, Red felt that this was the right way to let others become Pokémon and enter that world!
After saying this, Red clapped his hands directly without giving Nami a chance to ask for details:
"All right!"
"The specific details are a bit complicated and not easy for you to understand right now."
"Instead of wasting time here, it's better to let time answer all your questions."
"Now, it's your turn, Zoro."
"Huh?" Zoro, who was still stunned by Luffy and Red's abilities, was slightly startled, but he quickly adjusted his attitude and began introducing himself.
Compared to Luffy and Red's somewhat unusual introductions, Zoro's was straightforward and normal.
It was his usual declaration, but it was also his most sincere one.
After Zoro finished, it was naturally Nami's turn.
Seeing the three pairs of eyes looking at her, Nami couldn't help but feel her heart beat faster with nervousness.
But perhaps it was Red's earlier act of donating money to the residents of Shells Town that had moved her. She took a deep breath and introduced herself seriously:
"My name is Nami, and I'm a thief who specializes in stealing from pirates."
"To be clear upfront, I don't have the exceptional navigation skills you mentioned, although I do know a bit about navigation."
Like Red and Luffy, Nami was also reserved and modest.
The main reason was that she was still confused and couldn't figure out the current situation.
If Red and Luffy hadn't forced her to join them, and if the cash and luxury items they had just collected weren't still in Red's possession, tempting her...
She might already be planning her escape.
However, such a comparison made Zoro, who had nothing to hide, seem a little too straightforward.
'What's going on, Zoro?'
'You need to step up!'
Zoro: ??
Isn't it Nami's turn for introductions?
Why is the vice-captain staring at me?
"..."
Observing the strange atmosphere, Nami once again confirmed her thoughts:
'These guys! None of them are normal!!!'
After her brief introduction, Nami didn't explain her situation in depth.
When Red saw this, he naturally didn't ask any more questions.
He just smiled, gathered everyone's attention again, and then said to Luffy:
"How about it, Luffy? I told you Shells Town would definitely satisfy us, right?"
"With two outstanding crewmates at once, you're now one step closer to becoming the Pirate King!"
"Shishishi~ This is all thanks to Red!!!"
Luffy laughed happily.
Without even having to say anything, Red already knew what he was thinking:
'I knew I would never go wrong listening to you!'
"Of course!" Red also laughed, but then turned around and called out to a busy Marine soldier behind him.
"Hey! You there!"
"...What?!"
The Marine soldier who was unexpectedly stopped trembled all over.
He hadn't forgotten Red's feat of swiftly defeating Captain Morgan not long ago.
"What... what is it?!"
"Relax, don't be so nervous." The corner of Red's mouth turned up in a soft smile. "You should have a Den Den Mushi camera or something here, right?!"
"Go get one and take a picture for us!"
"Huh?!" The Marine soldier's jaw dropped. "Taking pictures? Here?!"
"Of course!"
Red patted Luffy on the shoulder. "Today is the day when our Straw Hat Pirates are officially established!"
"Such a momentous occasion must be properly recorded."
"Right, Luffy?!"
"That's right!" Luffy nodded repeatedly and clapped his hands happily. "As expected, Red, you're so thoughtful."
"Wait... wait a minute!"
Nami suddenly interrupted. "You want us to take pictures here?! In a Marine base?!"
"Is there a problem?" Red asked calmly.
Nami immediately put her hands on her head as her patience snapped.
"This is such a big problem!"
"You're pirates! What pirate takes a group photo at a Marine base?!"
"Why not today?!" Red still smiled lightly.
Seeing that the Marine soldier had already run to get the camera, he patted Nami's shoulder to comfort her. Then he was pulled away by Luffy as they began to find a suitable position and angle for taking pictures.
Looking at the two who were already enjoying themselves, Nami's expression grew darker and darker.
Pirates taking photos at a Marine base?
If this got out, what an insult it would be to the Marines!
By then, everyone in the photo would definitely be hunted by the Marines!
She could already envision the miserable future ahead of her—in short, it would be...
Nami on the run!
At this moment, she finally understood why Red called them the Straw Hat Pirates!
In desperation, Nami could only look to Zoro for help.
Hopefully this guy who had just joined like her could make some difference.
Surprisingly, Zoro actually seemed to understand the meaning in her eyes and nodded toward Nami.
"Don't worry, I understand your concerns!" Zoro said to her reassuringly.
Then, under Nami's hopeful gaze, he waved to Luffy and Red and shouted:
"Oi! You two, don't just do your own thing! You should also consider Nami!"
Nami: That's right! That's right!
Thank goodness there are still normal people in this world!
Zoro: "Nami is a girl after all. How can she only have warships and cannons for her background?!"
"I think the flower bed over there is very nice! There's also the Marines' logo—it's perfect!"
Nami: "..."
Forget it.
I'm exhausted.
Just end it all!!!