East Blue!
After using the parachute he'd previously obtained from the check-in system, Lius and Nami managed to land safely.
During their descent, Nami spotted an island from the air. So the moment they hit the ocean, the two of them had a destination.
Half an hour later.
SPLASH!
The blue-green surface of the sea exploded apart as Lius burst out of the water with Nami in his arms. They flew through the air for a brief moment before slamming down hard onto the soft sand of the beach.
"Hah... hah..."
After letting go of Nami, Lius flopped onto his back, chest heaving as he sucked in deep breaths. His muscular torso rose and fell violently.
A warm sea breeze skimmed across his skin. He closed his eyes, savoring the sensation as waves of cool relief washed through his entire body.
After all, they'd dropped from ten thousand meters up. Along the way, he'd had to dodge massive boulders and rock formations, or smash apart the ones he couldn't avoid.
Then they'd crashed into the ocean, and he'd had to swim at full speed before finally reaching this beach.
Even someone with a body as strong as his was feeling the strain.
"That damn old man! Wasn't he worried we'd just die like that?"
Nami came to her senses and started complaining, her voice dripping with irritation.
Lius couldn't help but grin when he heard her.
In truth, he'd demonstrated the parachute in front of old man a long time ago.
The rewards from the check-in system could really be divided into two categories.
The first type boosted personal strength, abilities, and stats.
The second type leaned more toward everyday life.
For example, the parachute from earlier. He still had several more stored in the system's spatial backpack.
On top of that, there were all sorts of other items.
Universal capsules from the Dragon Ball world, loaded with safe house villas.
Various liquors, cigarettes, and other daily supplies from his previous life.
During his two years of training on the floating island in the sky, Lius had only been able to focus and stay put thanks to those modern comforts.
Sure, he'd burned through a lot of supplies, but he still had some stocked up. As long as he didn't pull them out, they'd stay stored in the system's spatial backpack forever.
"Well, looks like we got lucky. The drop point wasn't too far from the island."
After a while, Lius sat up and looked around the beach with a smile.
"No, it's not luck. That old man did it on purpose."
Nami stood up, her big eyes shimmering with excitement. She raised a hand and pointed toward the island's interior. "This is my hometown!"
Her hometown?
"Cocoyasi Village?"
Lius blinked in surprise, then broke into a wide grin. "Looks like the old man planned ahead. Saves us from running all over the place and wasting time."
As he spoke, he stood up too, cracking his knuckles with a series of sharp pops.
Two years ago, when Nami officially agreed to join Lius, the two of them had already discussed what needed to be done first if they ever went out to sea and built their own crew.
The first stop would be Cocoyasi Village, to wipe out the Arlong pirates who'd been squatting there for years.
"Then let's go! Dealing with a few small-time thugs doesn't need any prep!"
Lius flashed a grin.
He was already itching to leave before he even finished talking.
"Idiot, you can't go see people looking like that!"
Nami grabbed the impulsive Lius and said, "Let's go to my house and change first. It's not like they are going anywhere!"
"Oh, right!"
Catching the look of disgust in Nami's eyes, Lius glanced down at himself and scratched the back of his head.
All he had on was a pair of oversized shorts.
Compared to the people in this world, who were routinely two or three meters tall, Lius was pretty unremarkable. He was only about 175 cm (5.74 ft), a perfectly normal height.
Still, his build was well-proportioned and lean. The lines of his muscles flowed smoothly, and he looked solid enough.
"This is all old man's fault!"
Lius grumbled as he followed behind Nami.
After leaving the beach, the two of them deliberately avoided the villagers' line of sight, planning to take the back roads home.
But as they went deeper into the village, they realized there wasn't a single resident in sight. Not even a shadow of a person.
The entire village was engulfed in a terrifying, deathly silence.
"Could it be... because I haven't been back in two years, Arlong..."
Nami's face went pale. She pressed her lips together, and fear crept into her wide eyes.
"Relax. Judging by the state of the houses, people only left recently. Maybe something happened and all the villagers gathered somewhere."
Lius looked around and shared his analysis.
Hearing this, the girl visibly calmed down. She'd clearly noticed the same thing.
"Yeah. Let's hurry back!"
Since the village was empty, Nami and Lius stopped trying to hide. They sprinted toward the tangerine grove at full speed.
Less than thirty seconds later.
At the end of the road, a garden full of tangerine trees came into view.
That distinctive citrus fragrance hit them instantly.
"Nami?"
Before they could even get close, a startled cry rang out from inside the yard.
Then the gate swung open.
A girl with tanned skin and short blue hair, wearing a tank top, shorts, and flip-flops, came rushing out like the wind. She was the very image of a roughed-up tomboy.
She ran up and threw her arms around Nami, holding her tight.
Nojiko!
Nami's sister. No blood relation, different fathers, different mothers.
The two sisters clung to each other, tears brimming in their eyes, completely forgetting Lius existed.
"Hey, Nami, now's not really the time for a reunion, is it?" he reminded them, looking thoroughly helpless.
The moment he said that, the sisters pulled apart. Nojiko finally turned to look at him, as if only now noticing he was there.
"Nami, who is he?!"
Her eyes were full of questions. Then something clicked, and her face lit up with surprise. "Is he your captain?"
Huh?
Hearing that, both Lius and Nami had giant question marks floating above their heads.
"This young Captain certainly looks the part. No wonder you've been sending ten million beli back every year..."
Before Nojiko could finish, Nami waved her hands frantically to cut her off. She let out a strained laugh. "What Captain? What ten million beli?"
"What do you mean? Isn't he your..."
Nojiko looked at their faces and it suddenly hit her. "Then who's the blond old man who's been delivering the beli for you these past two years?"
""A blond old man?""
Hearing that, Lius and Nami's eyes went wide, their faces full of disbelief.