Chapter 384: A Chaotic Morning and a New Adventure

The next day, as the first rays of sunlight pierced the thin ocean mist, Usopp and Luffy were already raising a ruckus on the ship.

This was their favorite pastime, after all. Of all the Straw Hat Pirates, no one caused more chaos than those two—except for Chopper, who’d join them later. The three of them were the undisputed jokers of the crew.

“Ahahaha! Adventure, adventure, new adventures!” Their voices drifted across the deck, riding the sea breeze, full of curiosity and excitement about reaching Little Garden.

Maybe this was the very definition of embarking on an unknown adventure.

“Adventure, adventure, a brand new adventure!” Usopp could practically smell the adventure in the air, barely able to keep still as he waited to set out.

He’d long forgotten all that bravado from before, the so-called ‘island-avoiding illness’ he claimed to have. That was just his way of dodging danger. After two years of grueling training, Usopp never used that excuse again.

The two of them tangled around each other, spinning circles on the deck like hyperactive puppies lost in a game of tag.

Their commotion soon woke everyone sleeping below—Nami and the others stormed up, faces twisted with annoyance.

“Thud, thud!” No one saw when it happened, but Nami’s right hand turned jet-black as she bopped Luffy and Usopp on the head, a crisp smack echoing out.

In no time, a pair of giant red bumps appeared on both their heads.

“Ugh, seriously? Can’t a girl get her beauty sleep around here?” Nami’s voice held more exasperation than anger, like she’d already given up hope.

Ever since she’d boarded this ship, she hadn’t managed a single night of uninterrupted beauty sleep.

“Our bad!” Both of them blurted it out at the same time.

Usopp and Luffy knelt on the deck, apologetic, but the spark of excitement never left their eyes.

It was obvious that Nami’s blow hadn’t taught them a thing. The two still buzzed with excitement for this new adventure.

“Well, no point staying mad, Nami. Since we’re up, it’s time to head to the island.” Ye Fan’s calm, steady voice came from behind them.

He carried a massive basket on his back and wore clear gloves, ready to collect food on the island.

Ever since Sanji learned Ye Fan could store things, he’d been slipping fresh ingredients into Ye Fan’s storage whenever he could.

That way, the food stayed fresh as long as possible. It also kept Luffy from sneaking snacks, so nobody had to worry about going hungry.

Food in Ye Fan’s storage had basically become everyone’s backup rations—except for Luffy, obviously. Anything on the ship was fair game to him, even Sanji’s locked fridge didn’t stand a chance when Luffy wanted to eat.

What was strange was that even though everyone had gotten stronger and eaten more, Luffy alone still out-ate the entire crew.

Luffy could put away fifty meals in a single day. No one knew where he packed it all.

“Ahahaha, that’s right, that’s right! Big adventure, here I come!”

After a few minutes of rubbing their heads, Luffy and Usopp were back on their feet and all smiles again.

Luffy wore his signature red vest with blue shorts. He had a dozen sets just like it—plenty of spares to keep swapping out.

For some reason, Luffy just loved that red vest and those blue shorts. Sometimes he added a pattern or some decoration, but the style never changed. Who knew what kind of fashion fixation that was?

“Luffy, wait for me!”

Usopp dashed into the cabin to grab his little bag and his trusty spear, then leapt off the ship and ran after Luffy into the depths of the island. In moments, both boys vanished into the jungle.

“I’m off to gather some ingredients. No need for anyone to guard the ship this time—no one comes around here anyway, so there’s no fear of losing it.” That had been Ye Fan’s plan all along. Of course, nobody else would be in the area.

Ye Fan was trying to keep a low profile on this trip, and besides, he made a good point—his storage space only held ten cubic meters.

That wasn’t a lot of room, so the main goal was to collect seasonings and spices, not fill up on fresh food.

Honestly, if he just stocked up on fresh ingredients, there’d only be enough space for one or two meals for Luffy.

But loading up on seasonings meant he could make enough food for Luffy to enjoy dozens of meals.

“Since Ye Fan’s got it covered, let’s get ready and go ashore too.”

“After drifting on the sea so long, I feel like my bones are rusting.”

Nami headed into the cabin to tidy up, trailed by Johnny and Yosaku. Their job was to keep her safe.

Nami’s main reason for coming ashore was to check how long it would take to charge the Log Pose and to draw a chart of the island. After all, her dream was to create a world map that included every inch of the sea.

“Hey, Moss Head! Let’s have a contest.”

Sanji had been looking forward to this moment since he found out the island was uninhabited.

Zoro always bragged about being the third member to join the crew, insisting that made him stronger than Sanji. Sanji couldn’t accept that. Now, with this wild island as a backdrop, he could settle things once and for all.

“Huh? Curly Brow, what do you want to bet on? Come on, spill it.”

Zoro scratched his ear with a mocking grin. It was clear he’d figured out Sanji’s game from the start—he knew how to read people, after all.

Someone whose every feeling showed plain as day could never trick Zoro.

Trying to play mind games with him?

“Let’s see who catches the biggest prey!”

Sanji announced his challenge with absolute confidence.

All the kicking techniques he’d learned were designed to target animal joints. On a wild island like this, he’d clearly have the edge. Meanwhile, Moss Head was a swordsman—sure, he’d catch something, but it would probably be a bloody, mangled mess. There was no way Sanji was going to lose.

“Hmph, just watch. My prey will definitely be bigger than yours,” Zoro shot back, full of pride.

Getting stronger had given him a bit of an ego, which happened to anyone powering up fast.

That was exactly why Ye Fan kept throwing so many challenges their way—to keep them from getting reckless with their new strength and falling into bad habits.

“We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Sanji slung a bundle of rope over his shoulder, tossed a challenge at Zoro, then sprang off the ship and into the jungle. Zoro wasn’t about to back down and chased after him.

As for the stakes? Nobody really cared.

That’s just how things went between men sometimes.

Sometimes, there’s no need for anything on the line.

Even hearing the words, ‘You win,’ is enough to put a smile on a guy’s face all day.

And honestly, that’s what friendship is.