One Piece: The Deadly

The sea breeze was warm and salty as the Thousand Sunny sailed smoothly across the waves, heading toward their next destination. Kikidori leaned over the side of the ship, peering out at the horizon, watching as ships passed by in the distance. His eyes were full of wonder, fascinated by the different kinds of ships that ventured across the sea. He'd always been intrigued by anything that moved on water—it felt like there was a whole world out there, just waiting to be explored.

As he scanned the distant ships, one caught his eye. It was a sleek, well-maintained vessel, cutting through the waves at a steady pace. But it wasn't the ship itself that drew Kikidori's attention—it was the person he saw standing near the deck. A woman, with long, flowing hair and a graceful, yet determined look on her face.

Kikidori squinted, trying to make out more details. The woman seemed familiar, though he couldn't quite place her. She was running from something—or someone. Her expression was tense, like she was trying to escape a dangerous situation. Kikidori could tell that she wasn't alone, but there was something about the way she moved that made it seem like she was trying to get away from something, or someone, important.

"Hey, Luffy, who is that?" Kikidori asked, pointing at the woman on the ship.

Luffy, who had been munching on some meat, paused for a moment before glancing toward the ship. He swallowed a mouthful of food and grinned. "That's Nefertari Vivi."

The name rang no bells for Kikidori. He furrowed his brow, confused. "Who?"

Zoro, who had been leaning against a post nearby, overheard the conversation. He stretched lazily and spoke up with a hint of annoyance, "Is that the one you punched at Alabasta?"

Luffy grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, she was risking her life to beat Crocodile. I wouldn't let her do that." He chuckled to himself, clearly proud of his actions back then.

Usopp, who had been fiddling with a few gadgets on the deck, sighed dramatically, his hand on his forehead. "Stop talking about Alabasta. It's making me feel hot and my mouth dry again."

Luffy turned his head toward Usopp, still chewing. "Why? You still want the water?"

Usopp, wiping his forehead as if remembering the heat of the desert, shook his head quickly. "No, it's not hot anymore, but when we were at Alabasta, I needed water because it was dry and hot. You know what I mean?"

Kikidori, still confused, scratched the back of his head. "I have no idea what you guys are talking about."

He was used to hearing bits and pieces of the crew's past adventures, but this whole "Alabasta" thing seemed like a huge ordeal. There was no context, no explanation for it. He hadn't been with the crew during that time, and all the talk about it was as confusing as it was irrelevant to him.

Luffy, noticing Kikidori's confusion, gave him a wide grin. "Don't worry about it, kid. It's a long story. We fought a big bad guy and saved the country. Vivi helped us, and now she's out there doing her own thing."

Kikidori nodded, but still didn't fully understand. "So, she's a friend?"

"Yeah!" Luffy answered, his eyes lighting up. "She's a really good friend. We helped each other a lot back then." He paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. "I hope she's okay."

Kikidori gave Vivi one last look as her ship disappeared into the horizon. For some reason, he felt a twinge of concern for her too, even though he didn't know who she was. It was probably the way she looked, running from something, her expression so serious.

"Will we see her again?" Kikidori asked, still looking out at the sea.

Luffy shrugged. "Who knows? We're pirates. We go where the wind takes us. But if we do see her again, maybe we can have a feast together. She always liked eating."

Zoro grunted in agreement, looking out over the water. "If we see her, we'll handle it. But first, let's keep our eyes on the prize."

Usopp, eager to shift the topic, jumped in with his usual flair. "I still don't get how anyone can survive that heat! We had to fight under the blazing sun for days. It was insane!"

Luffy chuckled, nudging Kikidori. "See? You have no idea what they're talking about. We've been through some crazy stuff, but that's just part of being a pirate."

Kikidori smiled, feeling the warmth of the crew's camaraderie. Even though he didn't fully understand everything they were talking about, he could tell that their bond was strong—so strong that it felt like nothing could break them apart.

"Guess I've got a lot to learn, huh?" Kikidori said, looking up at Zoro, then Luffy, and the rest of the crew.

Luffy grinned, slapping Kikidori on the back. "You're doing fine, kid. Just stick with us, and you'll learn everything about being a Straw Hat pirate!"

Kikidori smiled, feeling more at home than ever. He had a long way to go, but with this crew, he felt like anything was possible. The world was vast, but as long as they had each other, nothing could stop them.

End of Chapter 18