One Piece: Randomizer!

Raphael: <>

System: []

******

"Wow, it's already been seven months, huh?" Luffy mused, stretching lazily across the deck of the Going Merry. The salty breeze ruffled his hair as he gazed up at the sky, hands resting behind his head.

Around him, the rest of the crew was deeply engrossed in their game of Uno—except for Zoro, who remained perched in the crow's nest, keeping a watchful eye on the endless blue horizon.

"Yeah, time sure flies," Uta agreed, a small smile tugging at her lips. That smile, however, vanished the moment she turned to glare at Kuina, who had just dropped yet another +2 onto the growing pile.

"Can you stop doing that?! I already have enough cards!" Uta groaned, dramatically clutching her ever-growing stack like a tragic heroine.

Kuina smirked, resting her chin on her hand as she watched Uta groan and pick up two more cards. "Not my fault you keep sitting to my right," she teased. "Maybe you should rethink your strategy."

"Rethink my—?! You think I planned to sit here just so you could bully me?!" Uta huffed, her expression somewhere between exasperation and despair.

Luffy, down to his final card, blinked between the two before breaking into a grin. "You guys sure get mad over a game!"

Kaya, ever the voice of reason, giggled as she gently placed a yellow four onto the pile. "Well, it is a game of luck and betrayal."

"You mean suffering," Uta muttered darkly, her eyes full of quiet resignation.

Luffy, unfazed, slapped his last card down with a victorious grin. "I WIN!"

A beat of silence fell over the group.

Kuina narrowed her eyes. "Did you say 'Uno' before that?"

Luffy blinked. "Huh? Uno?"

Uta, still reeling from her repeated punishment, immediately sat up straight. "You didn't say it, did you?! That means you gotta draw FOUR cards!"

Kuina leaned back, arms crossed. "Rules are rules, Captain. Pick up four."

Kaya nodded apologetically. "It is the rule, Luffy..."

Luffy stared at the deck in betrayal. 'I introduced them to this game, and I'm the one who forgot to say Uno? How humiliating.' With a defeated sigh, he snatched four cards from the pile and inspected them with the air of a man who had been personally wronged. "Man, this game is weird."

Uta, now reinvigorated, slammed down a Reverse card with a wicked grin. "Alright! Time for payback!"

Kuina smirked. "You're still going to lose."

Before Uta could retaliate, Zoro's voice suddenly cut through the air.

"Oi. We're here. But you guys need to see this."

The playful atmosphere shifted in an instant.

Without hesitation, Zoro leapt down from the crow's nest, landing smoothly near them. His expression was unreadable as he handed Luffy a pair of binoculars.

Luffy took them and peered through, his grin fading the moment his eyes locked onto their destination.

The Baratie.

Or at least, what was left of it.

The once-proud floating restaurant was barely recognizable. The top three floors had been completely obliterated—jagged holes and shattered windows marred the remains, while thick plumes of smoke curled ominously into the sky.

Luffy lowered the binoculars, his jaw tightening. 'Did Don Krieg already attack the restaurant, or is this something else entirely?'

As the Going Merry continued its steady approach, the carefree game of Uno was long forgotten.

******

The Going Merry pulled up alongside the Baratie, the thick scent of smoke and seawater heavy in the air. Now that they were closer, the true extent of the devastation became painfully clear.

What had once been a lively floating restaurant was now a battered husk. Wooden beams lay splintered, sections of the deck were charred black, and what little remained of the top floors looked ready to collapse at any moment. The once-proud vessel barely clung to the waves, as if struggling to stay afloat.

But the worst part wasn't the wreckage.

It was the bodies.

Dozens of chefs were sprawled across the ruined deck, some unconscious, others groaning in pain. Their uniforms—once pristine—were now tattered and stained with blood. A few twitched weakly, barely clinging to consciousness.

Luffy's jaw tightened as he surveyed the destruction. His usual carefree demeanor had vanished, replaced by quiet intensity.

"What the hell happened here?" he muttered.

Before anyone could step forward to help, movement from the wreckage drew their attention.

Two figures staggered into view.

Patty and Carne—chefs of the Baratie—looked like they had been through hell. Their once-white uniforms were shredded and smeared with blood. Bruises marred their skin, and despite the obvious strain in their battered bodies, they clutched large kitchen knives with shaking hands. Their eyes were wild, filled with both exhaustion and fury.

"Step back!" Patty barked, his grip tightening around the handle of his knife. "We won't let anyone finish what those bastards started!"

Carne, barely able to stand, gritted his teeth. "If you came to take what's left, you'll have to go through us first!"

Uta immediately raised her hands in a calming gesture. "Whoa, whoa—relax! We just got here! We're not your enemies!"

Kaya, her face pale with concern, took a hesitant step forward. "You're hurt. Please, let us help—"

"Help?!" Patty spat, eyes burning with anger and betrayal. "You think we're gonna trust your kind ever again?!"

Luffy exhaled slowly, folding his arms. "Take a good look at our ship," he said, his voice even but firm. "Do you see a pirate flag?"

Patty and Carne hesitated, their eyes flickering to the Going Merry.

"Besides," Luffy continued, "are you really gonna waste time pointing knives at us while your friends are lying here bleeding?" His gaze was steady, unwavering. "Let us help them."

Silence hung between them, thick with tension.

Patty and Carne exchanged wary glances. For a moment, it seemed like they might refuse. Then, finally, Patty exhaled sharply and lowered his knife. Carne followed, though he still looked ready to collapse.

"Tch… fine," Carne muttered, his voice hoarse. "But if any of you try anything funny, I'll gut you like a fish."

"Good," Luffy said, already turning to his crew. "Zoro, Kuina—pull the injured out of the wreckage and bring them here. Uta, Kaya, and I will start treating their wounds."

Kaya hesitated, tugging at Luffy's sleeve. "What about my powers? I could heal them faster, right?"

Luffy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yes, you could. But like I've told you a million times—be mindful of the drawbacks." His expression softened as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "If we can handle the basic treatment first and reduce the strain on you, then that's what we're gonna do."

Without wasting another second, the crew sprang into action.

Zoro and Kuina moved swiftly, pulling wounded chefs from the wreckage and laying them on a relatively stable part of the deck. Uta rushed to retrieve the first aid kit from the Going Merry, while Luffy and Kaya got to work assessing the injured.

Some could be treated with basic care—bandages, disinfectants, and a steady hand. Others… others were in far worse shape.

Kaya knelt beside a chef with a deep gash along his side, her hands trembling slightly. "This one needs immediate attention," she murmured. "I… I don't know if he'll last without stronger treatment."

Luffy glanced at Kaya. "Alright. We'll stabilize as many as we can, but for the ones who need more… we'll use your powers when it is really needed."

Meanwhile, despite their own injuries, Patty and Carne refused to stay idle. Gritting their teeth against the pain, they quickly joined Zoro and Kuina, helping to pull their fellow chefs from the wreckage.

Suddenly, Patty let out a sharp shout.

"Carne! Get over here, quick! I found the captain!"

Carne's head snapped up, and without hesitation, he rushed to his friend's side. Together, they heaved away the broken debris, revealing Zeff pinned beneath the wreckage. The old chef was barely conscious, his face pale and covered in soot, his clothes torn and bloodied.

"Boss!" Patty's voice cracked with desperation as they carefully lifted Zeff. "Hang in there!"

They wasted no time, hauling him over to Luffy and the others.

"Boss! Treat the captain first—he's worse off than any of us!" Patty pleaded, carefully laying Zeff in front of Luffy.

Luffy nodded and crouched down, assessing Zeff's injuries. The old chef was in bad shape—deep gashes, bruises, and burns covered the old chef's body. His peg leg was missing—ripped away at some point—but that wasn't what made Luffy frown.

Something was off. An odd scent clung to Zeff and the wreckage—a distinct, buttery smell. Luffy's nose twitched. Butter? His brows furrowed, but he pushed the thought aside. Now wasn't the time.

He turned to Uta, already reaching for the first-aid kit. "Let's patch him up as much as we can."

They worked fast, hands moving with precision. Cleaning wounds, stopping the bleeding, wrapping bandages—doing everything possible to stabilize him. But it didn't take long for reality to set in.

Zeff's injuries were too severe. Realizing they had no other option, Luffy turned to Kaya and glanced up at her. "Kaya, we need your power."

Kaya nodded, taking a deep breath. Spreading her wings, she raised her palm. "Mystical Fire..." she whispered.

The air shimmered as golden flames bloomed from her palm, flowing over Zeff's body. The fire wrapped around him—not burning, but healing. His wounds began to close, his bruises fading away like melting ice.

"Oi—what the hell are you doing?!"

Patty and Carne panicked the moment the fire touched their captain. Their instincts screamed danger. They surged forward, ready to shove Kaya away—

—but Luffy grabbed them both by the collars and yanked them back.

"Calm down." His voice was firm, unwavering. "She's helping him."

Patty and Carne froze, exchanging nervous glances before turning back to the scene before them. Their hands clenched into fists as they stood helplessly, watching the flames engulf their captain.

Moments later, the golden fire retracted back into Kaya's arm. When the flames disappeared, Zeff lay there—completely healed. Not a single wound remained.

Patty and Carne stared, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"Told you," Luffy smirked before ignoring their dumbstruck expressions, he grabbed a nearby chair and helped Kaya sit down. Her chest rose and fell in heavy breaths, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.—a clear sign of how much damage Zeff had taken.

"Kaya, you okay?" Luffy asked, retrieving a bottle of water from his inventory and handing it to her. "Looks like Zeff had more damage than we thought."

"Yeah… there were a lot of internal injuries," Kaya admitted between breaths. She took a sip of water before adding, "And since I still can't control my power very well, I accidentally healed some of his old wounds too."

"I see..." Luffy said, and unconsciously his eyes went towards Zeff's right leg, but he found that the part below his knee was still missing. 'So, even the power of Angewomon cannot regrow lost limbs, or is it that Kaya lacks sufficient power or control that it didn't happen with Zeff... hmmm, something to look further into, I guess.'

Carne swallowed nervously, his gaze lingering on Zeff's unconscious form. "Young lady… will the captain be alright?"

Kaya offered him a reassuring smile. "Give him a few hours—he'll be up."

A heavy sigh of relief passed through Patty and Carne. Without hesitation, they both bowed deeply.

"Thank you! You saved his life!"

Kaya shifted uncomfortably, unused to such direct gratitude. She cast a quick glance at Luffy and Uta, silently pleading for help.

Luffy clapped his hands together, redirecting the conversation. "Alright, is that everyone?" His sharp gaze swept over the unconscious chefs that Zoro and Kuina had pulled from the wreckage.

Patty hesitated, his fingers tightening into fists. "Yeah… that should be all of us." His voice was thick with frustration, his jaw clenching as he looked at his fallen comrades. "Damn it… If only we were strong enough! We couldn't even protect one of our own from being taken away!"

Uta frowned. "What do you mean—"

Before she could finish, Zoro and Kuina approached, carrying an unconscious figure between them.

"Luffy," Zoro called as he stepped forward. "We found this girl outside, passed out in one of the boats."

Gently, he laid the pink-haired girl onto the deck near the other wounded. Even in her battered state, her vibrant hair and strange attire stood out sharply against the soot-stained surroundings.

Uta studied the girl, her brow furrowing. She turned to Patty and Carne. "Is she one of yours?"

Patty's expression darkened. His jaw tightened, eyes burning with fury. "No, but..." His fists trembled. "She's wearing the same kind of colorful attire as those bastards who attacked us!"

"So she's the enemy?" Uta asked, her gaze flicking to the unconscious, pink-haired girl.

"No, she's not."

Luffy's voice cut through the conversation like a blade.

All eyes snapped to him.

Ignoring their stares, he turned straight to Kaya. "Kaya, treat her. Her condition is second only to Zeff's."

Kaya hesitated for only a second before nodding, trusting his judgment. Without another word, she knelt beside the girl and began tending to her wounds.

Uta crossed her arms. "And how exactly do you know she's not with the enemy?"

Luffy exhaled sharply and glanced at Patty. "First of all, sorry chief, but whoever attacked this place isn't 'our' enemy." His voice carried an unmistakable weight. His eyes sharpened as he looked at his crew. "We help people because it's the right thing to do. But that doesn't mean we should go taking stray arrows for others—especially not this early in our journey. One monster-level opponent could wipe us out like a twig."

Luffy warned Uta and the rest of his crew, knowing who was very likely behind this whole attack. He didn't want them to think that just because they were at the top of the power hierarchy in East Blue, they were invincible enough to pick any fight they wanted, especially since this world was quite unpredictable compared to the One Piece world he knew.

"And second, this girl here is a princess and sister of the boy for whom this entire attack happened in the first place," Luffy said, and walked forward, stopping right in front of the pink-haired girl. "This girl here is none other than Vinsmoke Reiju, the eldest and only daughter of Vinsmoke Judge, the king of the Germa Kingdom."

To be continued...