WOAAH! So this is Water 7, huh? Luffy's eyes sparkled as he took in the bustling streets, towering buildings, and canals filled with rushing water. The island was alive with energy—merchants shouting, children laughing, and the distant sound of shipwrights hammering away at their latest creations.
"Let's look around!" Luffy pumped his fist, already bouncing on his toes. Without hesitation, the crew scattered, each drawn to something different. Zoro wandered off, likely searching for a good bar. Sanji's nose led him toward the nearest restaurant. Usopp and Chopper stuck close to Luffy, their eyes wide with excitement.
Unlike before, they weren't here to find a shipwright. The Going Merry, despite all the damage it had taken, was somehow healing on its own. Small cracks sealed themselves, and the wood seemed stronger than ever. Nolan was the only one who knew why, but he hadn't said a word. Right now, he was too exhausted to explain.
"Naaamii, how much money do we have right now?" Luffy asked, grinning like a kid in a candy store. This place looked rich, and rich places usually had good food.
Nami shot him a suspicious look but answered anyway. "We've got about 200 million berries. Why? What are you planning to buy?"
Luffy's grin widened. "Give me money! I wanna buy a bunch of stuff!" Behind him, Usopp and Chopper immediately perked up, nodding eagerly.
Nami sighed but handed each of them a small pouch of berries. She gave Usopp a little extra—he had promised to make something for her, and she wasn't about to pass up free stuff.
"Who's staying behind to watch the ship?" Nami asked, glancing around.
Nolan lazily raised his hand. "I'll do it. I'm tired." He slumped onto his nimbus cloud, looking like he might fall asleep any second.
Robin hesitated. She wanted to stay with him—she always did. But Nolan shook his head. "Enjoy yourself," he said softly.
Normally, he loved having Robin around. She took care of him without being asked, handling little things so he didn't have to. But today was different.
Days ago, while sailing, Nolan had sensed something—no, someone—familiar approaching. If his instincts were right, that person would show up today.
Robin frowned but didn't argue. "Fine. Take care of yourself, Sloth-san." She smiled, but there was something dangerous in her eyes—a silent warning.
Nolan's lips twitched. He could promise not to chase after girls, but if they came after him… well, that wasn't his fault, right?
His grin widened, making Robin pause. Was he planning something? She couldn't shake the worry that he might get bored and wander off—maybe even find some random woman to flirt with.
He can chase for Nami and Vivi, 100% guaranteed by her but if he decides to pick some random hoes then locking him up might be the only way.
Nolan flinched sensing a bad thoughts as he stopped himself. He waved them goodbye as the crew left the ship and went shopping.
As the Straw Hats scattered through Water 7, trouble wasn't far behind—mostly because Luffy had a knack for finding it without even trying.
Zoro, with Yachiru perched on his shoulders, immediately took a wrong turn. "Zo-chan~! That way looks fun!" she cheered, pointing down a random alley.
"Huh? Didn't we just pass that shop?" Zoro muttered, scratching his head.
"Nope! This is a whole new path!" Yachiru giggled.
Meanwhile, Usopp and Chopper got distracted by a street vendor selling strange gadgets. "Whoa! Look at this! A spring-loaded slingshot!" Usopp gasped, already imagining the upgrades he could make.
Chopper's eyes sparkled at a stand full of colorful candies. "Usopp! Can we get some? Please?"
Before Usopp could answer, a loud "SHISHISHI!" echoed through the street.
Luffy had found something way more interesting.
A group of rough-looking guys—the Franky Family—were hanging around a broken-down building, laughing loudly. One of them, a big guy with a ridiculous pompadour, was bragging about some "super" invention.
"Hey! You guys look fun!" Luffy called out, grinning.
The Franky Family turned, blinking at the rubber idiot who had just interrupted them.
"Uh… who's this clown?" one of them muttered.
Luffy's grin didn't waver. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy! Can I join you?"
Silence.
Then—"HAHAHA! This kid's got guts!" The big guy slammed his fists together. "Fine! Let's see how long you last!"
What followed was pure chaos.
Luffy didn't even fight seriously—he was just having fun, bouncing around like a hyperactive monkey. He knocked over barrels, sent guys flying into canals, and even accidentally punched through a wall, revealing a very surprised old man eating soup inside.
"Oops. Sorry, old guy!" Luffy called before stretching his arm to grab a lamppost and swing away.
The Franky Family, now furious, chased after him, shouting curses. But Luffy just laughed, zigzagging through the streets, crashing into fruit stands, and sending fishmongers diving for cover.
Meanwhile, Nami, who had been peacefully browsing a jewelry stall, heard the commotion. She turned just in time to see Luffy sprint past, followed by a mob of angry thugs.
"LUFFY! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" she screamed.
"NOTHING!" he yelled back, still laughing.
Sanji, who had been flirting with a waitress at a café, sighed as a flying tomato splattered against the window. "That idiot…"
Back at the docks, Nolan was lazily watching the chaos unfold from his nimbus cloud. "Yep. Knew this would happen."
Robin, who had been calmly reading a book at a nearby bench, glanced up as Luffy ran past—again—this time with three Franky Family members tangled in a fishing net behind him.
She sighed, marking her page. "And here I thought we could have one peaceful day."
Somewhere in the distance, Zoro and Yachiru were still lost. "Zo-chan, I think we've been going in circles."
"…We're definitely going the right way."
---
Nolan sat up on his nimbus cloud, stretching lazily as the cold sea air brushed against his face. His sharp senses had picked up something interesting—no, someone interesting—approaching from far across the ocean.
"Hmm... he's finally here" he muttered, a small smirk playing on his lips.
Fifty kilometers away, a lone figure glided smoothly over the waves—not on a ship, but on a bicycle. With each turn of the pedals, ice spread beneath the wheels, freezing the ocean's surface just enough to create a path.
If Nolan had to pick a favorite among the Marine Admirals, this guy wouldn't be it. Not because he was weak—no, far from it. But because, out of all of them, this man actually had a sense of justice that made sense. He wasn't cruel for the sake of it. He didn't enjoy unnecessary bloodshed.
Too bad the World Government kept him on a tight leash.
The Admiral suddenly paused mid-pedal, his sharp eyes narrowing. He had sensed Nolan's observation haki—not that Nolan had bothered hiding it.
A slow, knowing smile crossed the Admiral's face.
Then—whoosh!
His bike shot forward, ice spreading like lightning beneath him. What should have taken hours was covered in mere minutes.
Before long, a chilling mist rolled in around the Going Merry, and the air grew frosty. The wooden deck creaked slightly as thin layers of ice formed along the rails.
Then, silence.
Standing on the frozen ocean just a few feet from the ship was Admiral Aokiji—Kuzan. Tall, lanky, with his usual lazy posture, but his presence alone was enough to make the sea itself hold its breath.
Nolan stayed right where he was, lounging on his cloud, arms behind his head. "Yo," he greeted casually.
Aokiji stared at him for a long moment before sighing. "...You're not even gonna stand up?"
Nolan grinned. "Nah. Too tired."
Aokiji scratched his head, looking almost disappointed. "Tch. And here I thought you'd be more fun."
"Depends on what you mean by fun," Nolan said, tilting his head. "If you're here to fight, I'll pass. But if you're here to chat... well, I could use the company."
Aokiji let out a low chuckle. "You're a weird one." He glanced around, taking in the empty ship. "Where's your crew? Don't tell me they left you behind."
"Nah, they're out causing chaos in town," Nolan said, waving a hand dismissively. "Luffy probably started a fight with some local thugs by now."
Aokiji sighed. "...Sounds about right."
For a moment, the two just stayed like that—one standing on ice, the other floating on a cloud—neither in a hurry to make the first move.
Then, Aokiji finally spoke again, his voice low and serious.
"You know why I'm here, right?"
Nolan's smirk didn't fade. "Yeah. But I'm curious—are you here as a Marine? Or as Kuzan?"
Aokiji's eyes darkened slightly.
That was the real question, wasn't it?
Aokiji sighed. He couldn't lie—this person already knew why he was here.
"Unfortunately, I'm here for work. I don't even want to get up, yet they sent me..." He spoke like it was the most annoying task in the world.
Nolan let out a lazy chuckle and nodded. "I get it..." he said, mid-yawn, making Aokiji even more curious about him.
Of course, Aokiji had heard about the man in front of him—Ranvil D. Nolan. The reports called him beautiful, pretty, handsome, and utterly mesmerizing.
It sounded ridiculous. Aokiji had wondered if it was even true.
But now, face to face, he could confirm it—every word was right. Nolan's looks alone overshadowed everything else about him.
"Still... I can't let you do that," Nolan added.
Both men tensed—then slumped at the same time.
"Let's do it later," Aokiji said.
Nolan nodded. "Sounds perfect..." He sank deeper into his nimbus.
The two kept chatting about random—mostly lazy—things. Was heaven comfortable? Was sleeping in the cold night air better than a warm one?
It was a true sloth's conversation. But the joy they felt was real.
At one point, Nolan even invited Aokiji onto his nimbus. And so, the two relaxed together under the morning sun.
The two of them sat there in comfortable silence for a while, the morning sun warming their faces as the sea breeze drifted past.
"You know," Aokiji mumbled, tilting his head back, "they really should pay me extra for this."
Nolan snorted, eyes half-closed. "For what? Almost working?"
"Exactly." Aokiji pointed at him lazily. "The effort of almost doing my job is way harder than actually doing it."
Nolan chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Makes sense. Thinking about moving is more exhausting than moving."
Aokiji sighed deeply, as if this was the wisest thing he'd ever heard. "Right? And don't even get me started on paperwork. Just looking at it makes me want to hibernate for a year."
Nolan shuddered. "Ugh. Paperwork. The real enemy."
They both fell silent again, soaking in the peace. The sound of waves lapping against the ice, the distant shouts of Luffy causing chaos somewhere in the city—none of it mattered right now. This was the life.
After a while, Aokiji tilted his head toward Nolan. "...You ever just think about quitting everything and becoming a hobo?"
Nolan didn't even hesitate. "Every day."
"Good. Same." Aokiji stretched his arms behind his head. "Just find a nice island, sleep all day, eat when I feel like it. No Marines, no pirates, no responsibilities."
"Perfect," Nolan agreed. "We could be neighbors. Just two guys who gave up on life."
Aokiji smirked. "Deal. But you're bringing the snacks."
Nolan let out a long, dramatic sigh. "That can be managed"
They lapsed back into silence, the kind that only two extremely lazy people could appreciate. The sun climbed higher, the ice beneath them slowly melting, but neither of them cared enough to move.
Somewhere in the distance, there was a loud crash, followed by Luffy's unmistakable laughter.
Aokiji didn't even open his eyes. "...Your captain's an oddball."
Nolan grinned. "Yep."
"...I kinda like him."
"Same."
Another pause. Then—
"Hey."
"Hm?"
"...Wanna take a nap?"
Nolan smiled. "Thought you'd never ask."
And just like that, under the warm Water 7 sun, two of the laziest and perhaps most dangerous men in the world dozed off without a care.
Somewhere in the city, Robin paused mid-step, sensing something. She sighed, shaking her head.
"...He better not be doing something crazy right now"
But knowing Nolan, he absolutely was.
---