"That was a close one! You guys almost got crushed,"

Luffy strolled over toward Alex , glancing at the shattered rooftop debris he'd just caused. He said it as casually as if commenting on the weather.

"Huh? Alex, are you wearing a stone hat now? Kinda looks like my straw hat—pfft, hahahaha!"

When Luffy saw Alex lying face-up on the ground, five broken stones neatly stacked on the back of his head—one larger than the rest sitting right on top—it looked like he was wearing some rocky crown. Luffy burst out laughing on the spot.

Since he had only just arrived, Luffy was completely unaware of what had just gone down between Alex and Nami.

Alex was still half-paralyzed in disbelief. Normally, a dumb remark like that from Luffy would earn him a flying punch right then and there.

But right now, Alex didn't have the mental bandwidth to even bother with him. The moment he sensed Luffy walking over, his first instinct was to quickly get off Nami.

When Alex stood up, his entire brain felt like mashed potatoes—sluggish, slow, almost senile. He glanced at Nami, whom he had just helped to her feet, and noticed she too was still in a daze. The blank look on her face made it obvious she hadn't recovered from the shock.

Everything had happened way too fast. Neither of them had been mentally prepared… and suddenly, their lips had met. Mouth to mouth.

The worst part? That was the first kiss for both of them.

Alex's mind spiraled:

So let me get this straight. I get isekai'd into the world of One Piece, and in my first meeting with Nami, I accidentally groped her chest. Now, our second meeting? I just kissed her.

Sure, it was an accident—but it still happened.

He wasn't the kind of guy to make a big deal out of it. He was a man, after all—if Nami didn't object, then he'd take responsibility for what happened, no matter what.

But what really crushed him was this:

His very first kiss—with Nami, no less—and he'd been wearing five chunks of stone on his head like some kind of prehistoric moron.

Seriously, what kind of guy kisses a girl while balancing rubble on his skull?!

He felt like a walking joke. His dignity in front of Nami had just disintegrated into cosmic dust.

And honestly, it made sense. When a guy kisses a girl, he wants to look cool. Confident. Suave.

Meanwhile, Nami's thoughts were a storm of confusion.

She knew she was starting to develop feelings for Alex—but she wasn't ready to take things that far. And yet… it had already happened.

Worse still, the kiss had been anything but gentle.

Thanks to the impact from above, Alex had basically smashed his face into hers. Nami was certain her lips were bruised.

Not that it was Alex's fault—he had no control over it. The whole thing was a series of unfortunate events. But even so, the moment still lingered in her mind… the warmth of his lips, the pressure, the shock…

Still, none of this changed what was most important to Nami: her village.

Her earlier thoughts about teaming up with Alex had been mostly practical—she needed to raise 100 million Berries, fast.

As for any emotional connection with Alex? She honestly hadn't let herself think that far ahead.

For as long as she could remember, Nami had dreamed of using her navigation skills to travel the world and draw a complete map—one she'd seen with her own eyes.

But before she could pursue that dream, she had to save her home.

That dream had carried her through years of stealing from pirates, risking her life over and over, collecting every last Berry she could get her hands on.

In the quiet moments—after escaping death, while hiding alone in the night—she would always think of home.

Of the sun-drenched orange groves.

Of her sister.

Of the people she grew up with.

Of Bell-mère—her adoptive mother, and the person she had respected most in the world.

Those memories were her anchor. Her reason to fight.

But ever since her last parting with Alex, something had shifted.

She'd find herself thinking about him, especially during quiet moments. And that terrified her—how could someone like him creep into her mind so easily?

When they reunited in Orange Town, she'd felt a flicker of happiness. But before she could process that joy…

They kissed.

And it was chaos.

"Hey, Luffy. Do you even realize what you just did?"

Alex grabbed Luffy by the collar and hoisted him into the air.

If this idiot hadn't punched the rooftop apart, none of this would've happened. Alex's pride—and his lips—would've remained intact.

"…Yeah, I guess I might've gone too far," Luffy replied with surprising sincerity.

"I mean, I totally wrecked someone's house. If the owner ever comes back, I'll definitely apologize!"

"…What? No—you should be apologizing to us!"

Alex's eyes bulged. "And never mind apologies—this goes beyond apologies!"

He clenched Luffy's shirt tighter and shouted so hard he sprayed spit all over his face.

"What's wrong with you guys? Your lips look all swollen," Luffy said innocently. "Did you both catch some weird lip disease or something?"

He looked back and forth between Alex and Nami, noticing their red, puffy lips and weird expressions.

"No, it's not like that! We just—"

Alex, finally regaining some composure, tried to play it off with an excuse. But just as he opened his mouth—

Nami's face turned bright red.

She could still feel the residual heat of that unexpected kiss. The memory of his lips—awkward, firm, and very much there—made her heart leap and her temper snap.

"Don't say another word!!"

WHAM!

Alex was silenced instantly by a thunderous punch to the head.

"Aaagh! That freaking HURT!"

He dropped to a crouch, clutching his head in pain. His skull was already sore from the earlier rubble—and now Nami's steel-fisted punch had added a fresh, throbbing lump.

"Hey, I remember you," Luffy turned to Nami, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "You're with Alex, right? What was your name again?"

"I'm Nami," she said with a small sigh. "A thief who specializes in robbing pirates. Let's go find a quiet place to talk."

She glanced at Alex, who was still curled up on the floor like a broken crab. Normally she'd yell at Luffy too, but her heart and head were both in a mess—she didn't even have the energy to scold him anymore.

…

A little later, in an abandoned house in Orange Town.

"This your place?" Luffy asked, kicking back in a chair.

"Nope. I'm just a wandering thief. I don't know whose house this is," Nami replied nonchalantly as she sat cross-legged on the table.

"The whole town's evacuated—everyone ran to hide from the Buggy Pirates."

Meanwhile, Alex was in the corner rummaging through a cabinet. He found some bandages and ointment for minor injuries and began tending to his wounds.

"Whoa. They must be really scary. That pirate—what was her name again… Nami?"

Nami's eyes twitched. "I'm Nami! The pirate's name is Buggy!"

Alex, listening from across the room, smirked slightly. He was starting to regain some energy. Watching Luffy drive people nuts just by talking was honestly kind of impressive.

"Buggy's infamous for his obsession with cannons," Nami explained, her tone turning serious.

"Once, a kid made fun of his nose—and Buggy destroyed the kid's entire village with cannon fire. They say he's also got some kind of bizarre ability…"

Alex kept treating his wounds, saying nothing. Luffy, on the other hand, kept scanning the room.

"But like… why's this town so empty?" he asked.

"I already told you—they all ran away!" Nami snapped. "Do you two even listen when I talk?!"

Alex was unfazed by her yelling. A few of his wounds needed more care, and he'd need to take off his shirt to treat them properly. So without a word, he picked up the medical supplies and headed into another room, shutting the door behind him to tend to his injuries in peace.

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