Onepiece: I'm Vice Captain Of Strawhat Pirates

The three of them were in surprisingly good spirits.

"So, you're saying the navy just saluted you two?" Lock asked, looking utterly confused.

Zoro lay on the boat with his hands behind his head, pretending to be calm. "Yeah."

(￣□￣;)

"The navy saluting pirates? Are you sick... And you two, what are you even so happy about? Isn't that a complete disgrace for pirates?" Lock grumbled, even though deep down, he kinda wanted to experience it himself.

The smiles on Luffy and Zoro's faces froze. Luffy looked devastated. "No way... No navy ever saluted Gol D. Roger?"

Zoro thought for a moment, then said, "I don't think so..."

Luffy instantly sank into despair, shrinking into a corner of the ship like a wilted plant.

Feeling like he might've gone too far, Lock awkwardly tried to change the subject. "Ahem, where are we heading now?"

"Didn't we say we were going to the Grand Line?" Zoro looked at him like he'd asked whether the sea was wet.

Lock's eye twitched, and he forced himself to stay calm. "Do you think this wreck of a boat can actually make it there?"

Zoro stared blankly at the ship. "It should be... fine?"

Don't get mad, don't get mad... He's the number two powerhouse of our crew. What if he holds a grudge after I beat him up? Lock's forehead veins bulged, but he swallowed his anger and turned to Luffy instead.

"Captain, where to next?"

Luffy snapped out of his funk as quickly as he'd fallen into it. "Let's find somewhere to eat!"

"Didn't you just eat?" Zoro glared at him, still salty about the food Luffy stole from his plate.

"You've gotta eat even if you're full! I was starving for days before I met Coby, so we have to plan ahead."

Listening to their ridiculous conversation, Lock felt like his forehead was about to explode. He gritted his teeth and forced a smile. "...Let's find the next island, then. Who knows how to get there?"

Zoro looked excited. Lock had read the original manga, so he knew better than to count on this guy, but he looked at Luffy anyway — only to see him whistling awkwardly and avoiding eye contact.

How could I forget... There are barely any reliable people in this ragtag pirate crew. And these two are the most unreliable of all. I'm screwed. I used to just hop on ships that were already going places. I don't even know how to navigate... Am I gonna drift out to sea and die of starvation?

Lock felt a pang of despair but turned to Zoro again with forced hope. "Zoro, tell me which way to go."

Zoro confidently pointed in a random direction. "The nearest island is that way. We'll get there in two or three days."

Lock checked the compass, saw they were facing the exact opposite direction of Shells Town, and silently steered the ship the other way.

Zoro's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but Lock just calmly adjusted the sails and deliberately avoided his gaze.

Two days later

A tiny boat drifted on the vast ocean, surrounded by endless waves. The stars sparkled above, giving the scene a poetic vibe... if it weren't for the constant sound of stomachs growling.

"Loooock~ I'm starving..." Luffy whined weakly.

"I told you we should've gone the way I said," Zoro grumbled.

Lock was starving too, and he didn't even want to argue anymore. He'd packed a week's worth of food, but these two maniacs had devoured it all in a single day. Not that he could've stocked more — the boat was too small to carry any extra supplies.

"Lock... aren't you a bounty hunter? How do you not know the way?" Luffy mumbled, looking like he was on the verge of death despite only missing one meal.

Lock scratched his head awkwardly. "Because I usually knew exactly where I was going. I'd just hitch a ride with someone. But this time... I have no clue where we're heading."

Luffy sensed something was wrong with that logic but couldn't figure out what. He gave up and turned to Zoro. "Zoro... weren't you a bounty hunter too?"

Zoro replied seriously, "Who said I was a bounty hunter? I just left my village to find someone, got lost, and caught criminals along the way to make money."

(ᇂ_ᇂ|||)

Luffy stared at him in disbelief. "So you're just lost... Why did you try to navigate then?"

Zoro blushed slightly but still insisted, "No, don't say it like that! You're the funny one here. What kind of pirate doesn't know how to sail? That's ridiculous. If we can't even find the Grand Line, we should get a navigator as soon as possible."

Luffy counted on his fingers. "We also need a cook... and a musician..."

"Let's worry about that later!" Zoro roared.

Lock lay back, feeling utterly drained. He started to wonder if he'd made a terrible life choice...

"Help! Stop the boat! HELP!" a voice cried out.

The trio perked up and saw a small boat floating in the distance. Without thinking, they rowed over.

As soon as the pirates climbed aboard, one of them whipped out a dagger and sneered. "Hey! Get off the boat! We're from Buggy the Clown's crew!"

Luffy and the others cracked their necks and stretched their limbs.

---

Ten minutes later, the pirates were beaten to a pulp. Two of them obediently rowed the boat while the third — the guy who had pulled the dagger — rubbed his hands together and smiled flatteringly. "Hahaha... W-what a coincidence! You guys are pirates too? Mr. Zoro, Mr. Lock, how about joining our crew? The Buggy Pirates are like one big, happy family!"

Lock wiped his blade clean and said coldly, "Row faster. If we don't see land by the time you promised, I'll toss you three overboard."

"D-don't worry! The Buggy Pirates are known for their honesty! We'll get there right on schedule!"

Two hours later

The boat finally reached land. Lock stared at Buggy's massive ship docked nearby and felt a little depressed. He kept unsheathing and sheathing his sword, tempted to chop up their toy-sized boat.

Suddenly, a loud commotion broke out.

A beautiful girl with orange hair and tiny shorts sprinted toward them, eyes sparkling when she spotted Luffy. "Boss, save me!" she yelled, then kept running without looking back.

Before Luffy could process what was happening, a group of weirdly dressed pirates — who looked like they'd escaped from a circus — charged at them, weapons raised.

Lock blinked. Is that... Nami? His heart skipped a beat.

She's so pretty... This pirate crew is absolutely worth it.

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(A/N: Don't Forget To Add In Your Collection And Support via Powerstone)