One Piece: Born to Betray

A week later, the Straw Hats' ship drifted lazily beneath a soft morning sky, the ocean calm enough to lull even the most chaotic crew into rare moments of peace.

Nami stood near the helm, a ledger clutched in one hand and a pencil tucked behind her ear. Her eyes narrowed at the dwindling supply crates stacked near the galley entrance — mostly empty barrels, scraps of dried meat, and a single pathetic sack of rice.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing so hard that the map on her lap fluttered.

"Hey! Idiots!" she called over her shoulder.

Zoro cracked one eye open from where he was napping against the mast. Luffy paused mid-swing on the rigging, upside down as usual. Makoto appeared at her elbow like a ghost, one hand lazily resting on the hilt of Raikiri, eyes glinting with curious amusement. Taiga perched cross-legged on a barrel, chewing on the last piece of bread like a sulking cat.

"We're out of food," Nami said flatly. She jabbed her pencil at Makoto for emphasis. "We need actual supplies. Fresh water, vegetables, rice — everything."

Makoto raised both hands in surrender. "Relax, Navigator-chan. I'm behaving, remember?"

Nami gave him a suspicious side-eye. In truth, she'd been waiting for a week for him to try something perverted or pull one of his sly tricks — but instead, he'd been… normal. Helpful, even. He'd taken watch shifts without complaint, handled rope work without whining, and hadn't once made her regret joining.

It was unnerving.

"Anyway," she continued, ignoring the small shiver that ran up her spine. "There's an island not far from here. Syrup Village. I know the place — decent port, small shops. We can restock there."

Luffy whooped from the rigging. "Yay! And meat, right? There's meat?"

Zoro grunted and leaned back again, half asleep already. Taiga just nodded, mouth full.

Makoto sidled up beside Nami, draping an arm over her shoulders with practiced ease. "We can really depend on you, Navigator-chan~"

Nami's entire body went rigid. She ducked out from under his arm with the precision of someone who'd practiced escaping grabby men in every port. "Don't get too comfortable, creep," she spat, jabbing a finger at his chest.

Makoto sighed dramatically, clutching his chest. "You'll die lonely with that attitude, you know."

"Better lonely than strangled in my sleep," Nami shot back, jabbing a finger at his face.

Makoto's grin turned razor-sharp. "Oh, but where's the fun in that?" He leaned in just close enough to make her skin crawl. "Admit it - you're starting to like us."

Nami's eye twitched. "I like your money. There's a difference."

"Same thing, really," Makoto said with a wink, sauntering away before she could retaliate.

Luffy suddenly dropped from the rigging right between them. "SHISHISHI! Nami's part of the crew now!" He threw an arm around her neck, stretching his other hand toward the horizon.

Nami struggled against the rubbery limb. "I'm NOT— Let GO— Ugh!" Her protests were drowned out by Luffy's laughter and Taiga's snickering.

Makoto leaned on the railing nearby, watching the chaos unfold with a lazy grin."Teamwork at its finest," he mused, flipping a coin through his fingers.

…

Makoto's suspiciously fancy "borrowed" ship—drifted into the quiet dock of Syrup Village.

They dropped anchor under the bright morning sun, the sleepy houses on the distant hill half-hidden by mist.

The moment the gang stepped onto the worn wooden pier, Makoto stretched like a lazy cat, eyes flicking toward the forest lining the coast.

"I'm going for a walk, guys. I'll be back." His voice was soft, almost bored, but something in the tone made Nami pause mid-step.

Before she could even open her mouth, Makoto vanished—electricity crackling in the air for a heartbeat, then gone.

One moment he was there—hands in pockets, half-grinning—

The next, empty air.

"HUH?!" Nami spun on her heel, eyes darting around wildly. "He—did he just—?!"

A few yards up the road, Zoro just shrugged, arms folded behind his head like nothing happened.

Taiga gave Nami a little smack on the shoulder with her wooden sword, chewing gum like she owned the dock.

"You'll get used to it," she said flatly.

Meanwhile—deep in the shady woods just beyond the hill—Makoto reappeared behind a tree, electricity fading into the rustling leaves.

Ahead of him, Usopp and his three loyal Usopp Pirates were crouched behind a bush, peeking at the luxurious Ship with wide, conspiratorial eyes.

"…And that's why you three must always believe your captain!" Usopp was whispering dramatically. "Real pirates! I bet they're after my treasure—!"