Chapter 203: Loguetown In Utter Chaos
Under the blue sky,
on the boundless ocean without any extra decorations, only a cute-looking sailboat was sailing on this breezy fine day, with the ship’s bow carved into the shape of a sheep, featuring curled horns and big eyes—praising it as cute was entirely appropriate.
The ship’s name was Going Merry.
Its owners were the Straw Hat Pirates, who were currently rising to fame in the East Blue. At the top of the mast hung a black Straw Hat skull flag, and even the huge mainsail had a skull wearing a Straw Hat painted on it. From afar, one could tell it was now a pirate ship.
Of course,
it wasn’t stolen and forcibly modified into a pirate ship. The Straw Hat Pirates thwarted the Black Cat Pirates’ plot in its hometown, saving its original owner. As a token of gratitude, the Going Merry was gifted to the Straw Hat Pirates, transforming from an ordinary merchant ship into a pirate ship.
Unfortunately, no matter how one looked at it, it lacked the ferocious aura pirates should have. Its cute appearance didn’t inspire much fear, but fortunately, its owners weren’t ordinary pirates either.
Along the way, they hadn’t attacked villages, bullied the weak, or plundered goods.
Instead, they repeatedly dealt with evil pirates one after another, earning hefty rewards and thanks in return. This made them feel like completely different beings from ordinary pirates—the only similarity was probably their obsession with the skull flag?.
In any case,
the ship was as lively as ever today.
The Straw Hat captain was caught trying to steal oranges, the curly-eyebrowed chef unceremoniously kicked away the captain who wanted to steal food, and the sniper researching special weapons unfortunately became the first to taste the terrifying power of the special ammunition due to the captain and chef’s commotion. The super spicy Tabasco hot sauce made the sniper’s eyes nearly spout fire.
The swordsman lying alone at the ship’s bow was dozing off, not getting involved in the chaos.
“······This world is really chaotic enough. Another rebellion in Villa Kingdom······” Under the parasol, a girl in cool clothing with short orange hair leisurely leaned back in a lying chair, flipping open today’s newspaper. “Coup d’état, rebellion, pirate invasion······ Not a single day of peace!”
The newspaper headlines were filled with words like “coup d’état,” “rebellion,” and “restoration” that reeked of violence and bloodshed. Such events were commonplace in this Pirate Era.
As she turned the page, a leaflet tucked in the newspaper fluttered down.
“Leaflet?”
Luffy, sitting on the rear deck railing, turned his head to look.
“How could it be a leaflet! Idiot captain.”
Nami, sitting in the lying chair, cursed, her gaze falling on the leaflet on the deck······ she was stunned speechless.
“What is it?”
“Um······”
“This is·····”
“No way, right?”
After a brief silence, Luffy proved himself the captain. Though sitting so far away, he agilely snatched the bounty poster on the deck first like a monkey. No mistake—this wasn’t some ad leaflet, but a bounty poster issued by the Navy.
—Wanted!
—Dead or alive!
—Monkey D. Luffy.
The bounty poster had just this text, followed by the boy’s wide-grinning photo and a number with a string of long zeros: bounty······30 Million Beli.
“Haha! I have my own bounty poster now!”
Luffy waved the bounty poster in his hand, thrilled like he’d received a long-desired gift from his parents, cheering and jumping nonstop.
“Don’t celebrate too soon.”
Unlike the ecstatic captain, the navigator miss wasn’t so optimistic. She said worriedly, “This is 30 million, 30 Million Beli. In the East Blue······ that’s already the highest bounty. Not only will the Navy come to catch us, but pirate hunters will swarm too······”
“Look, hey, Sanji, look, I’m on the bounty poster too. Now I’m a pirate known worldwide.”
The recovered Usopp pointed to a corner of the bounty poster, proudly showing off to Sanji.
“That’s just a back of the head! Who else could recognize it besides us!”
Sanji scowled, not wanting to deal with Usopp.
“Hahaha! Rest assured, Lord Usopp won’t forget his old partners. I believe in you—even if not now······ your photo will be on it sooner or later.” Usopp proudly wiped his nose, chest puffed out smugly. His demeanor made it seem like it was his bounty poster to those who didn’t know!
“Ah? Who would worry about that!”
Sanji’s facial muscles twitched in anger.
Beside them, Luffy kept laughing. This meant he’d taken his first step toward the goal of ‘Pirate King.’ Zoro glanced at the bounty poster, then lay back down. It was just a beginning—nothing to be surprised about. He would eventually stand before that man again and become the world’s greatest swordsman.
“You guys······”
Nami was infuriated by these idiot partners who hadn’t realized the danger at all. She sat back in the lying chair, rubbing her temples like she had a headache. “I mean, you guys! Can’t you have some vigilance? At least realize how serious this is! I······”
Seeing her companions still bickering and grinning foolishly, she deflated instantly.
Trying to reason with these idiots made her the real idiot too. Rather than expect constructive opinions from them, better to think alone. Nami pondered seriously. A 30 Million Beli bounty seemed to be the highest in the East Blue right now, meaning Luffy was already the top pirate in the East Blue?
Needless to say, next the Navy, pirate hunters, and pirates aiming to step over seniors for fame······ would all come for them. These leisurely days probably wouldn’t last much longer. She needed to figure something out quickly······
“Hey, there’s an island ahead!”
The swordsman dozing on the bow deck suddenly shouted.
“Island?”
Luffy stretched his arm to grab the bow, zipping to the sheep-shaped ship’s bow with a whoosh.
Nami, interrupted mid-thought, also peered out. She raised an eyebrow, carefully checking the heading. “Luffy, that island is famous! Seeing it means we’re close to the Grand Line.”
“Oh oh! Are we reaching the Grand Line?”
Hearing something interesting, Luffy got excited.
“Exactly, that island····· has a town on it.”
“Town?”
“Yes, Loguetown, also known as the ‘Town of Beginning and End.’ A legendary place.”
“······”
A certain clueless captain widened his eyes, dumbly staring at his own navigator.
“Sigh!”
Nami facepalmed with a sigh. “Loguetown is the Pirate King’s birthplace and where he was executed······ Aren’t you aiming to be Pirate King? You should at least know that!”
“The place where Pirate King was executed?”
Hearing the name, Luffy craned his neck toward the island ahead.
“Captain······”
“Crew!”
Luffy raised his arm high. “Get fired up! Let’s head to Loguetown first, then set off for the Grand Line.”
“Oh!!”
Usopp shouted back, Sanji raised a fist, the swordsman grinned and raised his sword, and Nami sighed but smiled too.
————
This was something like an archway, but not quite. More precisely, it was a beam connecting buildings across the street entrance, not for bearing weight but as a display holding a sign reading “Loguetown.”
Visiting tourists stopped here. Seeing the sign, they clearly realized the island underfoot, this town······ was the Pirate King’s birthplace and death place!
Passing this arch-like thing led to a bustling main street, flanked by five- or six-story stone-and-brick buildings. Shops lined the first floors, shelves full of goods from the East Blue, Grand Line, and other seas—dazzling variety that could overwhelm the eyes. Men and women, young and old, countless customers shuttled along the street,
“Did the Pirate Era start from here?”
The Straw Hat boy pressed down his Straw Hat with one hand, craning his head high to gaze at the sign.
His eyes sparkled brilliantly. Standing on this legendary launchpad, his limbs felt unsure how to move, his chest filled with an indescribable surging emotion, his joyful smile uncontainable.
“Hey, everyone, I wanna see that execution stand.”
The captain stated his intention first.
“I’m going procurement. Ship’s ingredients are low. Our captain eats too much—not restocking means we might starve at sea someday. Plus······ this place seems to have rare ingredients.” The cigarette-chomping chef said.
“Who makes your food so tasty, Sanji!”
The captain muttered discontentedly.
“Ah? My fault now? Whose fault are those unwashed tomatoes in the kitchen?”
The captain stiffly turned away, whistling guiltily, trying to play innocent······ but he couldn’t lie at all!
The chef sighed helplessly.
“I’m getting some equipment.”
The long-nosed sniper had his own plans. As a sniper, he didn’t use guns but a slingshot and homemade ammo. He could turn odd things into varied ammunition, often playing clever roles in combat.
Like turning kitchen Tabasco hot sauce into ammo.
“I wanna buy stuff too.”
The green-haired swordsman gripped the Wado Ichimonji at his waist.
Before joining the Straw Hat Pirates, he was a famed East Blue pirate hunter called ‘Pirate Hunter Zoro,’ also known as ‘Three Sword Style Zoro’ for his unique Three Sword Style swordsmanship. Yes, he was a swordsman using three blades at once.
However,
At the Sea Restaurant Baratie, he met the man he vowed to surpass one day—one of the Seven Warlords······ the world’s greatest swordsman, [Hawk Eyes] Dracule Mihawk. He challenged him then.
The result was obvious: he lost, a unprecedented crushing defeat.
Badly injured, with two swords broken, only his best friend’s heirloom Wado Ichimonji remained······ He couldn’t unleash true Three Sword Style prowess like this.
“Right, if anyone needs money for shopping, borrow from me······ but triple interest oh!”
The shrewd navigator miss beamed, spotting a moneymaking trick.
“Demon!!”
The green-haired swordsman muttered.
Sadly, reality was he was penniless. To buy weapons, he had to accept his navigator’s triple-interest loan sharking.
Zoro and Nami borrowed money. They agreed to regroup at the Going Merry docked at the port’s west dock after finishing······ It was really unnecessary effort—just the green-haired swordsman’s legendary sense of direction was infamous. Without emphasis, who knows where he’d end up—maybe lost straight to Raftel, heh!!
Everyone split at the street entrance, heading to their destinations per nearby signs.
Second floor of the first building at the street entrance, a cafe. A woman in a white parasol hat sat by the window, eyeing the street below. Her gaze landed on a Straw Hat boy in a red vest and blue knee-length jeans—not strikingly handsome, but his first impression was a sun-like bright, warm smile.
“Monkey D. Luffy······ He’s finally here!”
Robin observed the boy and his partners.
On the table lay Luffy’s bounty poster.
Once the Straw Hat Pirates dispersed, Robin set down her coffee, grabbed the bounty poster, paid, and went downstairs, following the Straw Hat boy at a distance—not too close, not too far. She wanted to judge with her own eyes what made this boy special.
But—
After walking a long, long time, she’d passed the same street five times, yet the Straw Hat boy ahead hadn’t stopped, looking around confusedly····· Why did it feel like he was lost?
Robin was incredulous.
She glanced at the corner sign. Loguetown was hugely prosperous; to prevent visitors getting lost, every street had signs. Unless illiterate, how could one get lost?
Finally,
The Straw Hat boy stopped.
Robin’s heart stirred. Found his target?······ She looked around—the same scene she’d seen three times before. The boy stood motionless by the road. Waiting for someone? She grew impatient, watching his moving lips as if talking to himself, and decided to take a risk.
“Ear Blossom.”
Robin used her Devil Fruit ability.
She’d eaten the Flower-Flower Fruit young, allowing any body part to sprout like flowers on any tangible thing in sight for attack or other uses. “Ear Blossom” was her eavesdropping trick.
A small, delicate ear quietly appeared on the sign beside the Straw Hat boy.
“······Where the hell is this? Where’s Pirate King’s execution stand?”
Luffy stood by the road, utterly baffled and worrying!
If green-haired swordsman Zoro’s sense of direction was unprecedented, Captain Luffy just lacked directional sense—prone to getting lost in crowded, junction-heavy places. He rarely visited big places; Loguetown was huge, buildings tall and similar······ It was a massive maze to him.
Also, having lived much time in mountains and forests, woods that confounded most were easy for him.
Anyway, Luffy was a direction idiot too—just not as bad as Zoro. Anytime, anywhere, any situation—even under crew guidance, Zoro’s was on an unimaginable level.
“······Ah! Hungry. Where is it! Execution stand.”
Luffy rubbed his belly, depressed.
He plopped down by the road, eyeing the tempting restaurant across with its aroma—but just looked, didn’t enter, penniless······ Fact: the pirate crew captain had not a single Beli.
His pockets were cleaner than his face.
“Should’ve borrowed money from Zoro like that.”
Luffy hadn’t expected street-wandering. Rarely in big places, unaware of his hidden direction idiot trait. He eyed passing pedestrians, pondering asking a local······
“Straw Hat Luffy, what are you doing here?”
Hearing his name, Luffy turned to see a pretty woman in a white parasol hat and white coat behind him······ Of course, his thick head had no stray thoughts, just found her pretty.
His innocent naivety didn’t mean bad taste; his aesthetics were normal.
“Who are you? Do I know you?”
Luffy asked blankly.
“First time meeting.” Robin smiled. “But I’ve seen your bounty poster.”
“You Navy? Or pirate hunter?”
Luffy’s eyes widened. On ship, Nami had pressed his head warning to watch for Navy and pirate hunters. But his intuition said no hostility, so casual ask, no guard up.
“No, not Navy or pirate hunter······ I’m an archaeologist, Nico Robin.” Robin smiled. “I was reading in that bookstore, saw you pace this street several times, got curious so came to ask. That······ are you lost?”
“Yeah!”
Luffy nodded honestly.
“Wanna see where Pirate King was executed, but walked forever without finding. Too many buildings, all look the same.”
“I see!”
Robin’s smile held, inwardly wry smile. Really lost—made her loop too······ Composing in seconds, she spoke again: “Follow me! I’m heading to the execution stand too.”
“You’re going to see Pirate King’s execution stand too?”
Luffy walked beside Robin.
“Sort of! Only twenty years old, but as the stand where Pirate King was executed, it has historical value. Though no real archaeology needed here.”
“Archaeology······ sounds awesome.”
Luffy was impressed vaguely.
Robin smiled lightly, patiently explaining: “Archaeologists specialize in excavating ruins, ancient fossils, relics, using knowledge to study ancient history······”
Seeing Luffy’s eyes glazing like mosquito coils, she rephrased: “Archaeologists study people and stories from long, long ago.”
“People and stories from before! Awesome!”
Luffy sorta got it—or half-got it······ but not clueless anymore.
To this,
Robin didn’t explain more. Brief contact showed Luffy kinda dumb, not too bright······ but not a total idiot—just a purely naive dummy?
“End of this street······ is the square where Pirate King was executed. Execution stand’s in the center.”
They crossed the long street into the crowded square.
This was where Pirate King was executed—Gol D. Roger died on that stand? Luffy stood in the square, gazing at it, consciousness entering a wondrous realm. The bustling crowd vanished from his eyes, sky and earth gone—blank world with just him and the stand.
“Luffy?”
“Luffy?”
Seeing dazed Luffy, Robin called his name.
“·······Oh oh oh! It’s the execution stand!” Snapping back as if unheard, Luffy monkey-like dashed out, leaping straight onto the stand.
Robin was dumbfounded.
She watched Luffy on the stand looking around, an indescribable complex feeling rising. What kind of idiot was this! Climbing the execution stand······ Just like the spotlight protagonist in a stage play.
The square erupted in uproar—first time anyone saw someone on the stand, locals or visitors.
They buzzed like audience.
“Wow——!! This is······ the view Pirate King saw before execution?”
Luffy puffed his chest, taking in the view unseen from below.
“Hey, Straw Hat brat up there, get down now.”
A police officer-like man with megaphone warned loudly from below the stand. “This is a special execution stand under World Government management. No climbing.”
“Eh! Don’t be stingy, mister! Just looking from here.”
“Get down now, or I’ll arrest you.”
Credit where due, the officer had good temper—just warning, no action yet.
Suddenly,
“Officer, don’t be too strict!”
“Urgh————!”
A sharp grunt burst from the megaphone, then the officer collapsed. A stunning beauty stood beside, shouldering a mismatched club. She waved to Luffy on the stand. “Long time no see, Luffy!”
Nearby, Robin in the crowd stared surprised at this sudden woman.
She thought and stayed out, just watching quietly.
“Hey······ you didn’t forget me, right?”
The club-bearing beauty’s smile turned dangerous.
“Who are you? Seen you? Hmm······ feels familiar?” Luffy pondered self-absorbed, ignoring the beauty below.
“I’ll never forget you—you’re the first to hit my face.”
“I hit you?”
Luffy was truly surprised this time.
He thought his memory good, especially for fight opponents—imprinted in his mind.
“Still not remembered?”
As the beauty’s smile grew more dangerous, ready to snap—
Explosion happened.
The square’s fountain blew up. The sudden blast echoed with sharp screams; onlookers fled chaotically from the square.
“······Devil Fruit ability user?”
Robin, eyeing the club woman, noticed the blasted marble statue graze her body—and truly slide off. The bone-breaking statue left no scrape on her. This unnaturalness screamed Devil Fruit.
Before more intel, amid explosion smoke and chaos, another group arrived.
“What are you doing? Too dangerous.”
The beauty complained.
“Sorry, too much dynamite······ But, dear Alvida miss, such trifle can’t mar your smooth beautiful skin!” A distinctive man’s voice came from the smoke.
“Alvida?”
“Where?”
Luffy looked around shocked, seeking the heavy-makeup, fleshy, freckled, rough-skinned auntie.
“I’m Alvida, you dense guy.”
The beauty below fumed.
“I ate the [Smooth-Smooth Fruit] and became like this.”
“Oh······”
Luffy waved indifferently. The ugly auntie turning beauty was unexpected, but that’s the sea’s charm, right? Its myriad wonders draw the heart.
Square chaos continued.
Buggy the Clown’s crew made the situation more chaotic
Colonel Smoker, stationed in Loguetown and informed of pirates causing trouble in the square, gathered his Navy subordinates, centering on the square to set up an encirclement, ready to net all the troublemaking pirates and capture them.
Rooftop of a northern square building,
Dragon in ink-green coat stood on the rooftop terrace, overlooking the pirates and Navy below.
“······This is really·······”
He sighed helplessly, looking up at distant sky. His far-reaching Observation Haki detected familiar auras heading toward Loguetown—two auras, seemingly fighting, moving fast. They’d arrive soon.
“Prince Elus, and······ Golden Lion?”
Dragon was shocked too.
In his Navy days, he’d multiple times joined his father fighting Pirate King, Whitebeard, Golden Lion—these unforgettable guys. He still remembered the Navy Headquarters half-destroyed by Golden Lion.
He scratched his head hard.
What to do?
He just wanted a proper farewell with his son, not stir major events in Loguetown!
With Black Prince and Golden Lion now, he couldn’t calmly bid Luffy goodbye. This······ totally unexpected! Such low-probability clash here, now.
What the hell!
He kinda wanted to curse.
Then weather changed—dark clouds gathered suddenly. Crack—lightning struck Luffy on the stand about to be beheaded. As Rubber-Rubber Fruit user, lightning was invalid; instead, executioner Buggy the Clown was half-killed, charred black all over.
Torrential rain poured.
The stand was wrecked by lightning too.
“Hahaha! I’m alive, jackpot!!!”
Unscathed Luffy picked up his fallen Straw Hat, beaming brightly.
Other Straw Hat Pirates members reached the square: Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Usopp······ and Robin joined, eyeing Luffy oddly like a miracle.
Navy finally arrived.
“Surround the square, net all the pirates.”
Armed, menacing Navy Soldiers surged from all square sides.
“It’s Straw Hat Luffy!”
“Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro too!”
“Wait, that······ Devil Child, Nico Robin!!!”
Charging Navy halted abruptly, staring fearfully at calmly smiling Robin. This stunned the escaping Straw Hat Pirates too.
“Devil Child? What’s going on?”
Zoro frowned.
Suspicious gazes fell on Robin.
“Ah!! Beautiful miss!”
Opposite Zoro’s cold vigilance, heart-eyes Sanji groveled at Robin’s feet.
“Hey, Luffy, what’s with this woman?” Nami yanked Luffy’s ear, whispering demandingly.
“Got lost earlier, she helped me find the execution stand.”
Luffy answered frankly.
“Devil Child······ Nico Robin, didn’t expect to meet you in East Blue. Quite rare. Didn’t you join the Revolutionary Army?” Navy parted like water for Smoker—dual-cigar chomping, white-haired—advancing step by step.
“Here to plunge East Blue into war this time?”
Smoker postured strongly.
But inwardly uneasy. Revolutionary Army snatched Nico Robin from Navy······ Not publicized, but Smoker learned via private channels.
Nico Robin’s presence meant Revolutionary Army in East Blue.
Just unknown who else. If unbeatable······ Tsk, her fearless look meant other Revolutionaries no pushovers—troublesome!
“I have no interest in war. This East Blue trip is just······”
Robin’s words cut off.
Harsh whistles, explosions······ from the sky.
“What····· is that?”
“An island?”
“Idiot, how can islands fly? Illusion! Illusion, definitely······ illusion, right?”
Navy stirred.
A flying island pierced thick clouds into Loguetowners’ view—massive crimson landmass airborne. Calling it an island wasn’t exaggeration.
“That’s no island.”
Someone spoke.
“That’s······ a chunk peeled from the Red Line.”
Smoker’s cigar dropped with a clatter. He pointed shocked at the sudden plaza man, speechless.
“Whoa whoa whoa! Awesome!”
Luffy whooped excitedly, forgetting Navy encirclement. Navy forgot pirate capture too—all eyes on overhead crimson landmass.
Unlike Luffy’s thrill, most felt heartfelt fear.
If that fell,
Loguetown would be history.
“Colonel Smoker, send men to calm town residents—tell them not to run, stay home safe. That thing in sky······ won’t fall.” Dragon approached Smoker, snapping him from shock.
“World’s worst criminal commanding Navy? Dream on?”
Smoker stubbornly held before Dragon.
“I’ll handle the thing above, but if panic causes casualties······· You don’t want that, Colonel Smoker?”
“······”
Smoker scowled, silent two seconds. “Tashigi, take men maintain town order. Tell residents no worry about sky thing—stay home. Anyone running or causing trouble amid chaos, catch on sight.”
“Yes!”
Grasping urgency, Tashigi led Navy Soldiers into action without delay.
Smoker eyed airborne crimson chunk, admitting situation beyond his handling.
Without Monkey D. Dragon, he’d be clueless on the sky behemoth. As Logia user, he was fine if it fell—but town’s residents and Navy? Watch them die?
He had to grab Dragon’s aid.
—Even cooperating with Revolutionary Army,
—Even facing Navy Headquarters repercussions later!
Navy came hasty, left hasty—no one cared about pirates now. Smoker’s orders relayed fast; Navy left square for Loguetown streets, maintaining order lest sky thing unfallen but chaos caused casualties.
Pirates stayed put, didn’t dare flee.
Sky rocks fell meteor-like, but before ground, gales hurled huge crimson fragments seaward, tossed into ocean. Pirates weren’t dumb.
Soon realized big shot protecting Loguetown—safer staying than sea’s rock rain, where a few stones could sink ship and crew to seabed fish food.
Even if caught by Navy,
Better than fish food!
Luffy focused wholly on sky island, whooping varying excitements.
“Damn Straw Hat brat, Great Buggy won’t forgive you!”
Half-dead-from-lightning Buggy revived. As ex-Pirate King crew, lightning didn’t kill; after ground lie, he bounced back—vitality admirably tough.
“Hey, Kabaji, Mohji, what stupor?”
Buggy eyed dumbly standing crew.
“Captain, you’re okay?”
“Who d’you think I am? Clown Buggy—this scratch······ Wait, what’re you idiots doing? Alvida too, what’re you staring······” Buggy looked skyward.
Instantly,
Speechless.
Silent seven-eight seconds, watching crimson mass shed rocks, awakening twenty-year slumber memory. Familiar scenes replayed, reminding the fearsome name.
“Ehhh!!!”
“Golden Lion!!!!”
Buggy bellowed deafeningly.
Head and limbs flew in shock, body in four-split state—especially his comical face now etched with panic and shock.
