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"Why is this guy chasing me? Damn it!"
Lucas sprinted through the dense woods, his heart pounding as the fish-man Kuroobi closed in behind him. The hulking figure, with his twin pigtails and fin-like arms, was relentless.
'This guy gets taken down by Sanji later, how am I supposed to fight him now?' Lucas gritted his teeth, pushing himself to run faster.
"Pathetic human," Kuroobi sneered. "Even on land, you can't outrun a fish-man."
"Tch. Like I'm running for my life, I'm just leading him away from Zoro!"
Lucas knew he could handle ordinary fish-men, but Kuroobi was a different beast entirely. That earlier victory had been pure luck, a fluke. Standing before this two-and-a-half-meter monster, Lucas felt dwarfed, his confidence wavering.
"Hahaha! A coward after all," Kuroobi taunted. "Surrender now, and maybe I'll go easy on you."
'Yeah, right. Like I'd trust that.'
An idea flickered in Lucas's mind. 'What if I transform? If I mimic a fish-man, I could trick him...'
But the risk was too high. Getting close meant exposing his abilities, and if Kuroobi saw through it, he was dead.
'There's only one way.'
Lucas formed the hand signs. "Transformation Jutsu!"
Poof!
In an instant, Lucas shrank into the form of a small squirrel, darting up a nearby tree.
"Perfect. The ultimate escape technique—now he'll never find me."
Kuroobi skidded to a halt, scanning the area in confusion. "Where'd that human go?!" He snarled, kicking the dirt. "Damn it! He slipped away!"
Lucas stayed hidden, motionless. 'No rushing. If I move now, he might sense me.'
Minutes stretched into what felt like hours before Kuroobi finally stomped off.
Only then did Lucas dare to move, leaping from branch to branch toward Cocoyasi Village.
When he arrived, Zoro and Nami were deep in conversation. Zoro spotted him first. "Took care of it?"
Lucas shook his head. "He got away."
Then it hit him, Usopp. In the original timeline, Usopp had been captured. If things hadn't changed, he was in serious danger.
But seeing Nami's tense expression, Lucas hesitated. "Nami, you..."
"Stop." Nami cut him off sharply, raising a hand. "I'm going back to Arlong. You two should leave."
Without another word, she turned and ran.
Lucas exhaled. 'Nothing I can do here. We'll have to wait for Luffy.'
Zoro frowned. "Lucas, you think she really means that?"
From their earlier talk, Zoro sensed something off. Unlike Luffy, he wasn't quick to trust, Nami wasn't officially their nakama yet.
"It's complicated," Lucas admitted. "But the next move's up to Luffy."
Zoro nodded. "Agreed."
"Look out!"
A small boat came crashing down from the sky, nearly flattening them.
BOOM!
"Hey, Zoro! Lucas! There you are!" Luffy's voice rang out as dust settled around them.
"Luffy!"
'Speak of the devil.'
Luffy glanced around. "Where's Usopp? And Nami? You find her yet?"
Zoro's expression darkened. "We've got a problem. Usopp's been captured by Arlong's crew. If we don't move fast, he's dead."
Before Lucas could add anything, a familiar voice interrupted.
"Ah, Mademoiselle Lucas! Do you remember me?"
Sanji twirled a rose between his fingers, grinning.
Lucas sighed. "Yeah, Sanji. Welcome to the crew. But for the last time. I'm a guy." He thumped his chest. "A full-grown man."
Sanji's smile didn't waver. "Even if you're flat-chested, ma chérie, my heart is yours!"
"This guy's hopeless."
Johnny stumbled forward, trembling. "Z-Zoro! Usopp's, he's been killed!"
The words hit like a hammer. Even Lucas froze.
"By Nami herself," Johnny choked out. "She's a witch, I tell ya!"
Lucas relaxed slightly. "Same as the original story. He's probably faking."
But Luffy wasn't having it. He grabbed Johnny's shirt. "Stop lying! Nami wouldn't do that! We're nakama!"
Just then, Nami's cold voice cut through the air.
"What're you shouting about, Luffy? Who said we're nakama?"
Luffy spun around. "Nami!"
Her gaze was icy. "You're a nuisance. Why are you still here?"
"We came to get you!" Luffy insisted. "You're our navigator!"
Nami's fingers tightened around her staff. "Navigator? Don't flatter yourself. I used you for money. Now that you're broke, I've got no use for you."
She turned away. "Just leave. Take your Grand Line map and find someone else. Or chase your stupid dream, I don't care."
Zoro stepped forward, voice steady. "Nami. Where's Usopp?"
Lucas admired Zoro's focus. 'Even now, he's the only one thinking straight.'
Nami didn't look back. "At the bottom of the sea."