Chapter 61:The Lost Map, the Burning Heart
It had been twenty days since Alex realized he'd forgotten much of what he once knew about the One Piece world. He and Luffy's group were still sailing across the sea.
By now, Alex was certain: aside from his increasingly fuzzy memories of the One Piece universe, everything else in his mind functioned perfectly.
He could still vaguely recall some famous names—Water 7, Impel Down, CP9, Little Garden—but no matter how hard he tried, the details of those events remained just out of reach.
What left him the most speechless was that he remembered the Straw Hat crew should eventually have nine members, yet aside from Luffy, Zoro, and Nami, he couldn't recall a single other name.
After several anxious days, Alex gave up worrying and focused on healing.
Relaxing fully, Alex would often lie on the deck, letting the sea breeze brush gently across his face while he chatted and joked with Luffy on the nearby ship. Life was oddly peaceful.
If I can't remember, why waste brainpower forcing it? Just because I forgot some storylines doesn't mean I can't survive in this world.
That's how he saw it now. Before arriving here, he had only ever watched the events of the Straw Hat Pirates unfold from a distance—as a reader, a bystander.
To put it bluntly, those memories didn't even include him.
So what was the point of clinging to them?
No sane person would lose sleep over forgetting plot points in a manga. That'd be ridiculous.
Now, actually living in this world and remembering everything he had experienced with Luffy and the others—that was enough.
After accepting the possibility of death, Alex had come to a hard truth: as a pirate, strength was the only thing that mattered if he wanted to survive in this world.
Back in Shells Town, if he had just trusted the story and assumed Luffy would swoop in and save Zoro before his execution… Zoro might not be with them now.
Thinking of it that way, Alex cared even less about the memories he'd lost.
When it really counts, you can only rely on yourself. Trusting the past blindly is not just reckless—it's dangerous.
With his mind at peace, Alex's recovery sped up. Though he still felt the occasional stab of pain when he moved, it was far better than the full-body ache he'd suffered days before.
Thankfully, Nami had stolen plenty of medicine back in Orange Town. Without it, simple bandages wouldn't have helped him heal this quickly.
Every time she changed his bandages, Nami's expression darkened—because she kept thinking about the 5 million Berries' worth of treasure Luffy had given away in Orange Town.
She had even left a bit of cash when stealing the medicine, but after hearing that Luffy handed the full five million to the townspeople, she suddenly felt like the stolen medicine had become "ridiculously expensive."
Meanwhile, Luffy—freak of nature that he was—had mostly healed within days, despite the serious injury to his left arm. That hit Alex's pride hard.
Luffy had even said, "If I'd had meat, I'd have been fine that same day."
Alex finally accepted it: as a flesh-and-blood human, comparing himself to Luffy, the rubber guy who could heal with meat, was just self-torture.
Zoro even gave Alex a serious lecture about protecting himself in future battles.
The way he spoke—like a big brother scolding his kid brother—seriously annoyed Alex.
Because back in Orange Town, Zoro was supposed to get stabbed pretty badly by Buggy. But now? Alex was the most injured. Luffy was hurt too. And Zoro? Completely fine.
Alex couldn't help feeling like he had somehow taken the hit that was meant for Zoro.
"You three! Stop lazing around and sunbathing. Pay attention!"
Nami had finally had enough. These guys acted like they didn't care about their lives—sailing a rickety wooden boat straight into the Grand Line, like it was nothing. She had no choice but to yell at the three idiots who still believed they could conquer the seas with driftwood and dumb luck.
"With our crew size and lack of gear, it's hard to believe we'd survive even setting foot in the Grand Line."
She looked seriously at them, then sighed when she saw Alex lounging in the sun like it was a vacation.
"So what do you suggest we do?" Luffy asked, sprawled out like a starfish.
"We need to prepare. The next step is heading south—we'll reach Syrup Village soon."
She pulled out the Grand Line chart she had stolen from Buggy and pointed to a spot on the map.
"If we can get a proper ship there, it would change everything."
Too bad no one was listening anymore.
"MEAT! We're almost there!" Luffy shouted, spinning around to stare ahead at the sea with sparkling eyes.
"Think they'll have good booze?" Zoro perked up, asking Alex from the other ship.
"I hope so," Alex said, sitting up and stroking his chin. "And maybe I'll find a decent fishing rod too."
"You guys really are something else," Nami muttered, pressing a hand to her forehead. "The fact that you've survived this long is already a miracle."
After a while, they finally spotted Syrup Village's coastline.
"Hey! I see land!" Luffy cheered from the bow. "I wonder if there's a grand adventure or delicious meat waiting for us there!"
His feet thumped on the deck like clapping hands in excitement.
As they got closer to shore, Alex felt a strange surge rising in his chest—part excitement, part anticipation. After hearing Luffy's words, the feeling intensified. His heart beat faster than ever.
It was something he'd never experienced before—this mixture of thrill and longing, this uncontrollable urge to leap into the unknown.
And then he realized why.
It was because he had no idea what awaited them on that island.
For the first time since entering this world, Alex was experiencing the true allure of adventure—of setting foot on an unexplored island and not knowing what would happen next.
And now, he finally understood why Luffy always got so excited at the sight of new land.
This feeling—pure curiosity and the thirst for discovery—made his blood boil with excitement. His once pale face, worn from injury, now had a faint flush of color. He looked more alive than ever.
"This place seems really out of the way," Zoro muttered.
Trying to settle his racing heart, Alex joked, "Don't worry. With us around, even the most remote places won't get you lost."
"Yeah! Zoro's a super navigator… in reverse," Luffy laughed. "Don't wander off alone after we land or we'll lose you!"
"Shut it, you two! Keep talking and I'll cut you both down!" Zoro barked, his face darkening from the teasing.
"You can joke all you want later! Pull the sails in—we're landing!" Nami shouted, but even she was smiling now that Syrup Village was in sight.
Once they reached the dock, Alex lingered for a moment on the deck. He inhaled the fresh, salty air of the coastline—then stepped onto the shore. His whole body tingled, a rush of adrenaline flooding through him.
"You seem different today," Nami said.
She had been watching him closely. Somehow, Alex felt… different. She couldn't put her finger on it—it was subtle, but real.
Since meeting Alex, Nami had always felt a strange distance between him and the rest of them. Even though he helped her, even though he was part of the crew, it always felt like he stood a bit apart—like he was somehow separate.
They all laughed together, fought side by side, but still… something felt off.
She used to think it was her imagination.
But now, looking into Alex's eyes, that invisible wall was gone.
What Nami had sensed before was that Alex knew them too well—what kind of people they were, what their futures held. But they knew nothing about him.
That subtle imbalance made Alex keep a quiet distance, whether he meant to or not. The hidden burden of knowing too much—and not being able to say it—created a wall of silence and superiority.
But now, Alex was just like the rest of them. He didn't know what lay ahead. He couldn't predict the future.
And because of that, Nami no longer felt that strange distance.
"I'm totally fine. Come on—let's see what the village has. If we can't find what we need, we move on to the next island," Alex said with a grin, stepping forward.
"Huh? You're finally enjoying the thrill of adventure?" Luffy said, delighted. "Every time we land somewhere new, I get so excited I could eat fifty steaks!"
"Let's go. Who knows what kind of crazy stuff we'll find?" Alex chuckled, clearly fired up.
"Wait—someone's hiding over there!"
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