Yo, massive shoutout to my first Patrons, Qewin and Eric! ? Eric, dude, you went all-in with that top-tier support, clearly 't wait to binge all my chapters. Now, thanks to you, I gotta kick it into overdrive and k out even more—no pressure, right? ?

  But seriously, this bonus chapter is all thanks to you guys. So if it’s awesome, you know who to thank, and if it’s not... well, let’s just bme the coffee. ?

  XLOVEX

  As the barrel burst open and Luffy emerged, Coby's heart raced with excitement. Standing before him was the future King of the Pirates, a character he had admired for so long. Luffy's casual demeanor and iious grin immediately put Coby at ease, despite the chaos that had just unfolded in the celr.

  Luffy, curious about the brave boy who had taken on pirate ship members, extended his hand to Coby. "You're pretty brave for a skinny guy," Luffy said with a grin. "What's your name?"

  Coby, still catg his breath from the skirmish, replied, "I'm Coby. Thank you for your help, um...?"

  "Luffy, Monkey D. Luffy. I'm going to be the King of the Pirates!" Luffy decred with his trademark enthusiasm.

  Coby chuckled warmly, his voice carrying a hint of admiration. "That's quite the ambition, Luffy. To procim you'll be the King of Pirates, queror of the Grand Line, and finder of the legendary treasure, One Piece."

  Luffy's expression shifted to a frown, mistaking Coby's ughter for skepticism. "I mean it. I will bee the King of the Pirates," he stated firmly, his resolve unshaken.

  Realizing the misuanding, Coby's grin broadened. "I believe you will, Luffy. You've got an unbreakable spirit and a clear vision. That's pretty incredible," he praised, his tone genuine.

  Luffy's frowed into a hearty ugh, his iious energy filling the air. "Shishi, you're not too bad yourself, haha!" he excimed, his earlier annoyance fotten.

  Joining in the ughter, Coby inquired curiously, "So, what's the story with the barrel, Luffy? How did you end up in there?"

  Luffy started, his tone easy and matter-of-fact, as if hiding in a barrel and ending up on a pirate ship was the most normal thing in the world. "Well, I set out from my vilge in a little boat, aiming to start my adventure and gather a crew. Everything was going great until I ran into a huge whirlpool. It was crazy! The boat inning aing sucked in. I spotted this barrel floating by and thought, 'Hey, that looks safer than my boat!' So, I jumped in, closed the lid, and the hing I knew, I was here! Ahahahaha!"

  Coby listened, wide-eyed. "That's... quite the entrance, Luffy. Most people would be terrified, but you make it sound like just another day."

  Luffy shrugged, brushing off the danger. "I've always wao be a pirate. A little whirlpool isn't going to stop me! Besides, I 't swim, so the barrel was my best shot."

  Coby blinked, surprised. "You 't swim? But you want to be a pirate?"

  "Yeah, it's a bit of a problem, but I'll manage. I've got other strengths," Luffy said with a grin, flexing his arm for emphasis.

  Coby couldn't help but smile at Luffy's optimism. "So, what's your pn now, Luffy? We're still on Alvida's ship, and she's not going to be happy about this."

  Luffy asked, curiosity lighting up his eyes, "Alvida? Who is that? And why were you fighting those bad guys?"

  Coby settled into a more fortable stance, ready to share his tale. "Well, it all started when I was fishing. Out of nowhere, Alvida's ship loomed behind me, and before I k, I was captured and forced to work as her boy." He sighed, a shadow of frustration passing over his face. "It's been a rough time, but I never gave up hope."

  Luffy's expression turned into a scowl. "That's me. You are weak."

  Coby chuckled, a wry smile pying on his lips. "Well, I worked hard to get stroo escape. And here I am, aren't I? Besides, I do have a dream after all." He gestured towards the two men lying unscious on the ground, ign the man who was crawling away. He added the st part deliberately, knowing well Luffy's disdain for those without dreams and ambition.

  Luffy's expressioied, and a gri onto his face. "What's your dream, Coby?" he asked, his tone lightening.

  Coby sneered pyfully, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "To fight and go on adventures. And, well, fooling around with beautiful women." He gave a half-shrug, a mischievous glint in his eye.

  Luffy burst into ughter, his carefree nature shining through. "Shishi, I don't know much about women, but fighting and adventuring sound awesome. Yosh! I've decided. I want you to join my crew!"

  Coby's heart leapt at the invitation. Joining Luffy's crew – this was more than he could have ever hoped for. "Really? You wao join your crew?" he asked, barely cealing his excitement.

  "Yeah, why not? You seem fun, and I tell you've got guts. Plus, every great pirate needs a good crew, right?" Luffy said, his eyes sparkling with the thrill of starting his pirate journey.

  Coby nodded eagerly, his earlier reservatioing away in the face of Luffy's iious enthusiasm. "Absolutely. I'm in, Luffy. Let's quer the seas together!"

  Their versation was suddenly interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps and angry shouts eg through the ship. Alvida, her face torted with rage, stormed toward them. "Whose crew are you joining, Coby?" she barked, her eyes narrowing. "You are my boy."

  Coby shivered, not out of fear, but due to Alvida's possessiveness. Despite her t presence, he knew her reign of terror was about to end with Luffy there. "Tell me, who is the most beautiful woman in all the seas, Coby?" Alvida demanded, her mace gripped tightly in her hand.

  Coby g Luffy and grinned, bolstered by the future King of the Pirates' presence. "Definitely not you, you ugly hag!" he retorted, his voice carrying a newfound fidence.

  Luffy, standing beside Coby, tilted his head, looking at Alvida with a puzzled expression. "Who is this ugly fat?" he asked, his words dired simple, characteristic of his straightforward nature.

  The other crew members behind Alvida grimaced at their words. To call Alvida ugly was a taboo, an unfivable offense in their eyes.

  Alvida's face turned an arming shade of red, her anger reag a boiling point. "You little brats! I'll crush you both!" she roared, swinging her mace with a fury that sent a gust of wind across the deck.

  Coby instinctively stepped back, but Luffy stood his ground, his expression calm and unbothered. Coby rushed forward, his determination clear. "Captain, you deal with the ugly hag. I'll hahe others." He snatched up a discarded sword from the ground, gripping it tightly. It was time to put his Basic Sword stao practid farm some mueeded SP.

  Alvida, with a malicious grin, swung her mace directly at Luffy's head. "I was expeg you to be Pirate Hunter Zoro, but he's not this weak," she taunted, expeg to see the boy crumble under her mighty blow.

  However, Luffy just ughed, ued by the attack. His rubber body merely pressed uhe weight of the mace, then sprang bato shape. With surprising ease, he lifted Alvida's mace off his head and, with a swift motion, punched her squarely in the face.

  Meanwhile, Coby, now in the midst of Alvida's crew, moved with a fluidity that surprised even himself. He recalled every move he had observed, turning them into a. Each swing of his sword was calcuted, each step deliberate. The crew members, caught off guard by his sudden ferocity, stumbled backward, trying troup.

  Coby felt alive, his heart pounding with the thrill of bat. This was it, his moment to shio prove his worth as a member of Luffy's future crew. He danced around the deck, his sword a blur, as he took on one oppo after another.

  “ARGH!”

  “OOF!”

  Luffy, havi with Alvida, turned his attention to the rest of the crew. "Hey, Coby! You're doing great!" he shouted, cheering him on.

  Coby gnced over, a grin spreading across his face. "Thanks, Luffy!" he called back, before dug a wild swing from one of the crew members.

  Ba the fray, Coby's movements became more fident. He was no master swordsman, but he had the basics down, and that was enough for now. Each successful strike, each dodge, each parry, felt like a step closer to his dream.

  The crew members, now realizing the threat Coby posed, began to attack mgressively. But Coby was ready. He had watched and learned from every skirmish, every battle he had witnessed on this ship. And now, he utting that knowledge to use.

  Coby was relentless, his sword sshing through the air with precision. He had spent enough time on Alvida's ship to withe cruelty and malice of her crew. There was no room for hesitation in his strikes; every swing roof of his resolve, his determination for his future harem! The deck was soon littered with fallen crew members, each bearing the mark of his newfound prowess.

  Meanwhile, Luffy was gearing up for the final blow against Alvida. He pulled his arms back, stretg them far behind him. "Gomu Gomu no Bazooka!" he shouted, his voice eg across the deck. With a powerful thrust, his palms collided with Alvida's massive stomach, sending her hurtling into the horizon like a onball.

  Coby, pausing to catch his breath, watched in awe. Luffy's strength was unlike anything he had ever seen. It wasn't just the power of the Gum-Gum Fruit; it was the sheer fidend simplicity with which Luffy approached every challenge.

  Luffy watched ily as Coby fought with a fervor that spoke volumes about his determination. It wasn't just a fight for survival; it was a decration of Coby's newfound freedom and strength. The deck was chaotic, with crew members swarming around, but Coby's foever wavered. His sword moved with precision, each strike deliberate and powerful. Blood spttered across the wooden pnks, brutal resignatioer from a boy to asding to Vice-Captain of Strairates!

  Coby's movements were fluid, a dance of steel and agility. He wasn't just defending himself like he always did in the past as a meek and weak boy; he was taking the fight to the enemy. With each fallen foe, his fidence grew, and so did his skill. The crew, who had once seen him as nothing more than a meek boy, now faced a determined warrior.

  Luffy, Coby's transformation, couldn't help but grin. "Not bad, Coby," he ented, his tone ced with respect. "You're really giving it your all."

  Coby, hearing Luffy's praise, felt a surge of pride. "I have to," he replied, panting slightly from the exertion. "This is my ce to ge my destiny."

  --

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