I turned to her and extended my hand politely. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Alex."
Nami glanced at the hand I offered, then looked up at me with a puzzled expression.
Nami is a slim young woman of average height with ginger (orange) hair and brown eyes.
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It was probably the first time she'd seen a pirate behaving with any manners, especially toward someone they just met.
After a pause, she took my hand. "Likewise," she said, though the suspicion in her voice was still faintly present.
Zoro folded his arms. "Don't dodge the question. If it's not a Devil Fruit, then how did you recover from a cannonball blowing a hole through you?"
I leaned back against the edge of the small boat, watching the sea roll gently beneath us as the wind caught what passed for our sail.
"I guess there's no harm in telling you," I said after a moment of silence. "But you won't believe me."
Luffy's eyes sparkled. "Try us!"
I chuckled softly. "Alright then. I'm not human. Not completely, anyway. I belong to a race known as vampires."
There was a long pause.
Zoro looked at me like I had just grown a second head. "Vampire? You mean those blood-sucking monsters from bedtime stories?"
"I don't suck blood unless I have to," I said calmly. "And no, I don't turn into bats or run from garlic. But yes—my body isn't bound by normal human limits. We're fast, strong, and we regenerate. You saw that for yourself."
Luffy's eyes were even wider now. "That's awesome! So you're like a super-cool night warrior!"
Nami, on the other hand, looked cautious. "You're serious?"
"Dead serious," I replied.
"How come you're walking in the sunlight, then?" she asked. "Don't vampires burn in the sun?"
I tapped the ring on my finger. "Sunlight is deadly to my kind. But with the right relics and preparations, it can be resisted. I'm not fully vulnerable. Let's just say I've had time to prepare."
"...I'm still not sure I believe you," Nami admitted, frowning. "But I guess someone surviving a hole through the chest has earned the benefit of the doubt."
Zoro grunted. "So basically, you're some kind of immortal?"
"Not immortal," I corrected. "Just hard to kill."
Technically, I am immortal. But I didn't need to say that.
Luffy suddenly asked, "Do you drink blood?"
"Only when I have to," I replied honestly. "I don't need it every day. Think of it like medicine or fuel for my regeneration if I push myself too far."
"Creepy," Zoro muttered, though his tone lacked malice. "But useful."
"I prefer 'versatile,'" I said with a smirk.
Nami crossed her arms. "And you're… just tagging along with us why, exactly?"
Luffy answered for me. "Because he's cool! And strong! I invited him to join my crew."
"On a trial basis," I clarified. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
"But still part of the crew," Luffy insisted, clearly not planning to revise that statement.
I sighed, but I didn't argue.
Truth be told, I didn't mind sticking around. There was something refreshing about this group. They didn't judge based on origins or powers—they just accepted people. Luffy, especially, had a way of drawing others in with his boundless spirit and fearless nature.
Nami sat down and pulled out a rough map from her satchel, beginning to study it as she muttered to herself. "Alright… Next stop is Loguetown. Then we'll head for the Grand Line."
Zoro yawned. "Hope we get a bigger boat soon and a cook. This thing's a floating coffin."
"We will," Luffy said, already lying on his back. "The Going Merry is waiting for us somewhere out there."
I raised an eyebrow at that. So he already had a name in mind.
Nami looked at me seriously. "Hey, Alex. Just don't try to drink our blood while we sleep."
"Promise," I said with a smile. "But for that, you can't betray us."
Her smile faltered—just for a moment. Barely noticeable, but I caught it.
Luffy blinked, then tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, nothing," I replied casually, leaning back against the side of the boat. "Just a little joke. You know, vampire humor."
Nami didn't laugh.
Instead, she looked away and muttered something under her breath.
Zoro raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. He simply leaned back and rested his hand on his sword hilt like always.
Luffy just grinned, clearly unbothered. "Haha! Vampire humor is weird. But you're still cool."
I nodded. "Glad you think so."
~~~