5 Chapter 3: Unexpected Encounter

Alvida looked around and noticed that none of her crew members were standing; they were all knocked out. There were several bloody pirates lying unconscious on the ground, some of whom were struggling to get up.

"Miss Alvida, help me," a pirate lying on the ground near Alvida pleaded for assistance.

"Tsk, useless scum," Alvida sneered and proceeded to stomp on the man. Her stomp was so powerful that the man's head sank into the wooden surface of the ship.

"Hey, what are you doing to your crew members?" Luffy exclaimed. He understood that the world of pirates could be cruel, but witnessing such brutality right in front of him was unsettling.

"Useless people have no place in my crew," Alvida declared callously, regarding her crew as nothing more than ordinary individuals.

"Nevertheless, isn't that going a bit too far?" King chimed in, his usual serious expression suggesting that he was not easily disturbed by what he saw.

"This woman is crazy; she doesn't even spare her crew members," King thought to himself, though he maintained an outwardly composed demeanor. In reality, he was scared. In the world he came from, he often witnessed the brutal killing of monsters. Even seeing a monster explode was enough to make him vomit and give him nightmares. Now, witnessing a human being have their head stomped to death was an entirely different level of horror.

[Host, you need to get used to this, as you will see more gruesome things in the future.]

"Yes, thank you, System."

[No problem, I'm here to assist and make things easier for you.]

"Luffy, do you still have the energy to deal with this woman?" King asked. Throughout their journey, Luffy had been the one taking on most of the challenges and fights.

"I can handle this!" Luffy declared with determination. He understood that in this world, strength was not solely based on size.

"You bastard, how dare you ignore me!" Alvida exclaimed angrily. She raised her spiky mace and swung it vertically towards Luffy.

King decided to back off, realizing that this was not a fight he could engage in with his current level of strength.

*Boom!

The mace struck the wooden surface of the ship, causing it to sink beneath the weight and force of Alvida's attack.

Alvida desperately pulled at the mace, realizing it was stuck. As she continued to yank at it, she suddenly heard a distinct sound.

"Gomu Gomu no!" Luffy exclaimed, stretching his hand backward. "Pistol!" He released a powerful punch.

Luffy's fist connected with Alvida, leaving a temporary crater on her skin before it returned to its normal state. The impact sent Alvida flying backward, and she crashed into the sea.

King, who was standing nearby, narrowly avoided being hit by a boulder-sized chunk of Alvida that was propelled through the air.

"What the hell, that was close! I almost died there," King muttered to himself, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. He contemplated his seemingly perpetual streak of bad luck.

"Oops, sorry," Luffy apologized sincerely. He hadn't intended for King to be in harm's way; he had simply forgotten about his presence in the heat of the moment.

"Don't worry about it. Let's take a break for now," King replied, choosing not to dwell on the incident as he assumed it was just an accidental oversight on Luffy's part.

Looking around for a place to sit and rest, King's gaze fell upon some crates in the corner of the ship.

"Perfect," King exclaimed happily, considering it a stroke of luck to find a suitable spot.

*Squeak*

However, as King approached the crates, he noticed a rat digging into them. The rodent had managed to create a hole big enough to fit itself, and it scurried inside the crate.

"Get out of here now!" King exclaimed, frustrated that he couldn't rest if there was a rat beneath the crate.

Unexpectedly, a little boy emerged from behind one of the crates. "Please don't kill me! I'm not a pirate," the boy pleaded desperately.

The boy misunderstood King's words, thinking that King was referring to him as a rat due to the presence of the actual rodent earlier. His heart sank, and fear intensified within him.

"Hmm?" Luffy's attention was immediately drawn to the situation, and he swiftly got up and ran towards where King was standing.

"What is a kid like you doing here?" King asked curiously, his initial assumption that the boy was a pirate now in question.

"I didn't want to be here. They forced me to come and do chores," the frightened boy explained, tears streaming down his face.

"Kid, don't cry," King said, attempting to console the boy. However, to the child, King's words came across as more of a command than a comforting gesture.

The boy stopped crying but continued to look down, clearly still terrified. King's imposing presence made him appear as menacing as hell in the eyes of the young boy.

"What's your name, kid?" Luffy asked, his tone gentle and reassuring.

"Kob... Koby!" Koby replied, still looking down, afraid of provoking any anger from King.

...