Municipal beach of Dagobah

"We've arrived." Luffy asserted, throwing his arms in the air.

"Why are you so excited?" Chopper questioned, looking at the beach in front of them. "It's just a beach."

Yet he saw Usopp sit cross-legged on the sand, before closing his eyes to enjoy the sea breeze.

"It's true that we are used to seeing beaches! But... when was the last time we enjoyed resting on a beach?"

Feeling like crying, he said.

"We have always been hunted down by the Navy or forced to fight powerful enemies ! This place...can be considered the first place we can rest without fear of being killed. "

Ending up approving, Chopper noticed that they were almost alone.

"And the beach is ours."

The beach was pretty empty except for two talking figures. Unknowingly, the pirates were on a beach, which was once a polluted and smelly dump. It's only been a month since it mysteriously returned to being a great place for tourists and heroes. But nothing prepared its next challenge.

This time, it was Luffy who looked disappointed.

"I have to say I'm not impressed." Said the captain. "We've seen more cool beaches than this! We should have gone somewhere else."

"You're the one who wanted to come here." Usopp and Chopper roared, kicking the sand with their feet, sending it flying towards Luffy.

Taking a few steps back, Luffy ended up turning around and leaning forward. Digging the sand, like a dog, he sent it flying towards his companions, who were immediately submerged under the sand.

"Argh, Luffy. Usopp said.

"I have sand in my eyes." Chopper complained.

"Ha Ha Ha Ha"

"You ask for a fight with the warrior of the sands of all time." Note Usopp.

"Grab him, Usopp. Chopper said.

Having arrived on the beach, Mare saw Chopper and Usopp throw a pile of sand at their captain to be perfectly dodged.

" You missed me." Luffy said smiling.

"Hey, using the Haki is against the rules." Usopp said.

"Who said ?"

"It's me."

Seeing them fight, Mare had no idea what to think of Luffy. He saw him behaving exactly like a child. And, the longer he followed the trio, the more the elf wanted to contact Galadriel to assure her that they were no threat to Nazarick at all.

Mare was not stupid. In truth, he was one of the smartest occupants of Nazarick. Still, understanding Luffy's personality...he couldn't. Suddenly, he saw Usopp grab his sling, before arming it with a rubber ball.

"Eat that" Usopp said, aiming at Luffy.

Seeing the projectile, his captain tilted his upper body back and saw the projectile pass over him.

Continuing on, the ball headed towards the two people talking and it ended up hitting the back of the blonde haired man's head.

"OUCH! » Said the person, before falling on the beach.

Seeing this, the pirates stopped playing, and sweat appeared on their faces.

"Usopp, you hit that person. " Chopper said.

"AHHHHHHH! What did I do?" Usopp shouted.

"Let's go check it out. " Luffy said, running towards the man.

Arriving at the blond man, the pirates saw him get up. Managing to cross-legged, he ruffled his hair, to remove the sand that was on it. Then running his fingers over where the bullet had hit him, he found that the area wasn't very painful.

"Hey, how are you?" Luffy questioned him.

"Although yes my good boy, it was just a bullet that hit me." Said the man, despite the fact that he looked old and very skinny.

Picking up the ball, he asked.

" Who did that ? "

Looking at his slingshot, Usopp hid it behind his back, before starting to whistle.

"Yeah! Where's that from?" Said Usopp trying to hide the evidence.

"Usopp is the culprit." Luffy asserted, pointing at him.

"It's his fault." Chopper agreed, imitating him.

"Traitors." The sniper roared.

"Anyway, I saw your slingshot," The old man said.

"Sorry." Usopp apologized, before pointing a finger at Luffy. "But it was him I was aiming for."

Heaving a simple sigh, the old man gave him back his ball, while advising him.

"Be more careful! Even if this place does not have many people, an accident can happen quickly."

"So...Sorry." Usopp apologized again. " I would take care. "

"Toshinori-san…are you sure you're okay?" A green-haired boy asked.

"Don't worry, Midoriya-kun! Even though I look like I'm falling all the time, I think I'm still strong enough to withstand a rubber ball."

"I apologize too..." Luffy affirmed, before asking. "Huh...what's your name?"

"My name is Toshinori Yagi."

"Oh? In that case, I apologize too… Mochi Yaki."

" Mochi... Yaki? " The blond wondered, while Luffy called him by associating two Japanese dishes.

" My name is Monkey D. Luffy. " The pirate then affirmed, putting his straw hat back on his head.

Seeing him do this, the green-haired boy looked at the pirate. Then, finally, he started screaming.

" IT'S YOU. "

"Huh?" Luffy wondered.

"I recognize your 're that guy who defeated a group of villains a few days ago. "

"Huh?" All Might wondered. "Are you the fugitives who injured Kamui Woods?"

Getting ready to answer, Luffy threw back, while Usopp and Chopper got in front of him.

"Fugitives going after a hero?" Usopp asked, looking scared. "Certainly not! We are weak and defenseless."

"Besides, what villain would be stupid enough to walk on a beach, while eating chips?" Chopper asked.

"But…that hat." the boy insisted, looking at Luffy.

"It's a coincidence, nothing else." Usopp assured. "Luffy loves that hat! The wanted criminal looks a bit like him! That's all."

" Thanks to Kurogiri for providing us with disguises. " Usopp thought. " But I told Luffy to entrust his hat to Nami! Few people here are used to wearing a hat like his. "

Listening to them, the green-haired boy looked suspicious, as he continued to stare at Luffy. However, he surprised the trio by bowing to them.

"Excuse me for accusing you without any evidence! I'm sorry."

"It…It's nothing." Chopper affirmed.

"Yeah...besides, we're used to always being singled out because of Luffy! He's a problem magnet! Me, by the way, is Usopp."

"And me, Chopper."

"Oh hi, I'm Izuku Midoriya." Izuku said. "And sorry again."

"We're the ones sorry! You two seemed to be quietly chatting, before we disturbed you."

"It's nothing." Yagi assured. "Anyway, the beach belongs to everyone." I'm even happy that people come to visit it! Do you like the beach? "

"Actually, I prefer the ocean." Luffy retorted. "I love riding the waves and traveling from island to island."

"Oh? Like explorers?" The blond questioned.

"Explorers?" Luffy repeated. "No, we are pirates."

" What ? "

Showing a big smile, Luffy declared.

"And the pirate king will be me."

"King of the Pirates?" The duo wondered.

Immediately, Luffy's smile disappeared as Usopp put his arm around his neck to strangle him, while flashing a fake smile at the people in front of him.

"Don't listen to that fool! It's nothing but a delusion we've had since we were kids."

"We're playing pirates." Chopper asserted. "And since there are only three of us, Luffy proclaimed himself to be the Pirate King."

"So...you're not real pirates?"

"Of course not! We don't have any boat." The pair assured, while Luffy's face turned blue.

Also seeing this scene, Mare had not missed the moment when Usopp had strangled Luffy. Seeing this, he began to imagine a hypothesis, which could help him understand the situation. Luffy couldn't be the leader of this group. It was impossible. It didn't matter if it was a group of demons or a group of humans, the leader was always someone to be feared and respected. None of his subordinates would dare to strangle him like Usopp had just done.

Even in her wildest dreams, Mare could never imagine seeing a Guardian behave like this with Galadriel. Therefore, looking at Luffy, the dark elf wondered if his title as leader of this group was actually a ruse.

" Do these pirates know they're being watched? Onee-san looked scared of something when she tried to get inside the bar and advised me to stay some distance away so as not to get spotted! Is the real leader of this group using Mugiwara to avoid being spotted? "

This assumption may have seemed strange. Yet, despite the fact that Luffy was more powerful than a human in this world, Mare had seen nothing in Luffy that could allow him to justify his role as leader. In truth, he looked like an immature child with strong might.

" If I had to compare him to anyone, I'd say he looks a bit like Rubedo! The only difference is that he doesn't seem to let his anger get the better of his emotions. "

"And you?" Usopp asked, trying to change the subject. " What are you doing here ? "

"Not much." Toshinori affirmed. "I was just advising young Midoriya-kun about his upcoming tests at UA school." Toshinori said.

"What is UA?" Asked the trio.

"What?" Toshinori wondered. " You don't know ? "

"Huh.. we're not really from the area." Usopp stated, scratching the back of his head.

Staring at them, Toshinori couldn't help but find this trio more and more strange. Moreover, he hadn't forgotten the suspicions that Midoriya had had, thinking he recognized Luffy. However, if they were the real fugitives, Toshinori preferred to play the game and answer their questions, while trying to find a way to reveal to them who they really are.

"In truth, it's very simple to explain. UA is simply the greatest school that empowers students to become future pro-heroes."

"All of Japan's greatest heroes were trained at this school, including Beast Jenist, Endavour, and...All Might." Izuku said.

"Ah...the weird guy with that smile." Luffy said, making the pair in front of him quite confused.

. "Yeah..." Izuku said now nervous with that answer.

"I saw videos of him on TV. " Chopper asserted. "He's always seen saving people." "

"Or else he easily defeats villains trying to wreak havoc on the town." Usopp chimed in. "Looks like he's not afraid of anyone, or even putting his life in danger."

"It's true that he knows how to act cool." Luffy agreed, looking a little bored by the discussion. "But I think he shouldn't do it on his own."

" What are you talking about ? Yagi asked, immediately drawn to Luffy's words.

"We've been watching too many videos on the internet lately." Said Luffy "I mean, he's a cool looking hero but he doesn't want to call a friend to help him, like he thinks he can do everything on his own? For a hero , I think he sets a bad example! It's as if he claims that the other heroes are useless compared to him.

"Useless?" Yagi wondered. "Hey, I'll arrest you right now! All Might has never said that kind of thing! Even though All Might has done heroic work for decades, risking his life every day for the safety of the world so that everyone can have a smile on their face, he knows full well that he will always need the help of others! Japan is a vast country! Who would be arrogant enough to believe himself able to make the evil disappear from a country fighting alone? All Might has his limits and he knows it."

"Maybe, but the way he presents himself isn't so cool to me." Luffy said seriously, making everyone very nervous. "Whenever a powerful villain is defeated, it's only All Might who gets praised! In fact, I think it's all the heroes who act weird towards the population."

"The set of heroes? What are you talking about?"

"It's simple! I feel like they're trying to force people to look up to them, while making them unable to defend themselves against the Villains."

"It's true that the laws of this country are strange." Usopp stated, crossing his arms. "When the city is attacked, people have no right to fight against the Villains! They have an obligation to wait for a hero to arrive."

" That's it. " Luffy agreed. "Me, if I was a hero, I would let them learn to defend themselves."

"Sorry, but that's ridiculous." All Might retorted. "We have heroes protecting this country! So why should we let civilians fight against Villains?"

"Because there's bound to be a time when the civilians get attacked and the heroes can't act quickly." Luffy asserted. "And since they don't know how to defend themselves, these civilians will die because of these stupid laws! Especially the people without Quirks that the heroes put aside."

"What?" Toshinori roars.

Having spoken too loudly, he spat blood and dropped to one knee.

" TOSHINORI-SAN ! " Shouted Midoriya.

"Is that it?" Chopper questioned, advancing towards the injured man.

Yet, ignoring them, Yagi just stared at Luffy and, despite the blood running down his chin, he declared.

"Heroes were created precisely to protect people without Quirk who are the main targets of the Villains! I forbid you to say that heroes throw them aside."

Staring at him, Luffy saw some kind of intensity in his eyes, which proved that Toshinori firmly believed what he was dosing. Still, just nodding, Luffy stated.

"People without powers are seen as lesser beings because everyone knows they won't be heroes! Heroes may have been created to protect them but... their presence only reinforces the difference between the Quirks and the Quirkless."

"That's wrong." Toshinori retorted, trying to straighten up. "You dare to criticize the work of All Might and the other heroes, without understanding how hard they work to keep the peace! Someone like you who knows nothing of the danger should take more time to observe and understand life of a hero.

"Living without knowing the danger? How can you be sure? You don't even know me." Luffy stated, now angry.

Seeing the two who seemed to want to start fighting, the other three panicked while looking for a way to calm them down.

"Hey, let's talk about other things." Usopp said, changing the subject.

"Yes...like new uniforms for the upcoming season." Said Izuku super nervous.

Still, Luffy and Toshinori continued to stare angrily at each other.

"Luffy stop! It's not like All Might is here." Usopp said. "Why do you want to insist? If this man respects heroes, it's his right."

Still staring at Toshinori, Luffy finally heaved a sigh, preferring to end the argument.

"Yeah, sorry Yaki-guy." Luffy said, trying to get the anger out of his voice.

Also trying to find a new conversation, Chopper declared.

"I find it strange that this beach is empty! It is nevertheless pleasant to look at."

"It's because this place was a dumping ground for years. Until someone mysterious started cleaning it up." Yagi said.

Reaching into his pockets, he showed a picture of the beach.

"Here's what this place looked like a few months ago."

"EURK! People are really disgusting." Luffy asserted, while sticking his tongue out.

"How did one man manage to clean this place back to its original state?" Usopp wondered. "He deserves to be congratulated."

"Yeah, he's cool" Chopper agreed.

Hearing their comments, Izuku immediately blushed.

"If you don't know anything about how this beach used to look, you really aren't from here." Yagi remarked, putting away his picture. "Are you here as tourists?"

"I don't really know how to explain our situation to you. We're kind of stuck." Usopp said.

"Ah? Are you in trouble?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah." The three replied.

"You know you can contact someone or maybe a hero to try to…" Izuku said only to be cut off.

"NO HEROES." Said the three.

"Huh?" Yagi asked, more and more confused.

Usopp had to invent a new lie.

"It's...it's because we're trying to improve ourselves to show that we don't need heroes to deal with our day-to-day problems," Usopp said.

"Yeah, we're in this mess, so we're making sure we're on our own." Said chopper.

"It's true and if anyone tries to stop us, I will beat them." Luffy said smiling.

"Do you like fighting?" "Ask Izuku

"It's not that I actually like fighting but...if anyone has fun getting in my way or my friends' way...surely I'd kick their ass to teach them not to do it again." Luffy said, with a serious tone.

"You're going to get in trouble for that." Said Toshinori again angry at this behavior. "It's up to the heroes to fix these kinds of problems! Not up to you."

"Tsss, I don't care." Luffy said without caring.

"A young man with that kind of thinking is irresponsible and can get himself killed." Said Toshinori getting angry now.

"So what? What should scare me about almost dying? I've experienced so many of them that I can't even count them all." Luffy said, now irritated. Only cowards constantly ask someone for help to solve their problems! I would never want to be that kind of person. "

" My God. Do you really need help." Toshinori stated, "It's not normal to have such thoughts. "

"Me, I find it normal to rely on your strength to defend yourself." Said Luffy.

"I still think it's not a very wise choice young man." Said Toshinori.

Heaving a new sigh, Luffy preferred not to start a new discussion that found him boring.

"Sorry, Yaki-guy, but that's my way of life. I want to be free and do what I want! And I want my friends to be able to live that way too. If we have a problem, we'll work together and We'll fix it. And no one will stand in our way, especially not a hero." Said Luffy.

"Look at the time." Usopp suddenly shouted, looking at his wrist where a non-existent watch was.

"Yes, it's very late." Chopper agreed.

"Luffy! Let's go before Nami breaks our skulls again." Usopp said picking up his friend.

"Nice to meet you." Chopper affirmed, before following his friends.

. "What kind of nightmare are they living in?" Izuku asked in horror and confusion.

For his part, Yagi just stared at Luffy, while he couldn't understand his way of thinking at all.

"He doesn't act like a Villain, or a Civilian, or a Hero...who is he? And what does he want to look like? He says he wants to be the Pirate King? Is that a fugitive in another country? Is that why he doesn't want to ask the heroes for help? It would be better if I investigate him."

"Toshinori-san...are you okay?" Deku questioned, seeing him pensive.

"Don't worry, young midoriya-kun. I see a lot of reckless people in my time, but this young man seems careless with his words. It's like he's jumping into danger and risking everything. It's something I can't bear." He said.

Listening to him, Midoriya confessed.

"Still...he wasn't totally wrong."

" Huh ? "

"People like me...who are born with no Quirk...they are shunned by the rest of society."

Seeing the boy lower his gaze and clench his fists, All Might noticed that Luffy's words had brought back bad memories from the boy's past. Thereupon, running his hand over Midoriya's hair, he declared.

"Today...you are living proof that a powerless person can become a hero! And when people find out, you will be the person who can change society! Believe me, Midoriya-kun."

Meanwhile, Mare was again thinking, while Luffy's behavior puzzled him again. For the first time, the elf had seen him speak seriously. And he had found his words to be both right and strange. Scratching his head, he confessed.

"I don't know what to think of him."

"Hey, Mare! What's the matter with you?"

Startled, the elf turned to see Aura behind him.

"Onee-san? Did you come back?"

"What are you doing away from our targets?" Aura questioned her. "Do you think it's time to admire the ocean?"

"No! Not at all! I...I was following Mugiwara and his friends! I think they're going back to the bar where they're hiding! What about you? Why did Galadriel-sama summon you?"

Keeping silence, Aura said nothing and made a sort of grimace, while looking preoccupied.

" Onee -san ? "

"Mare...what do you think of humans?"

" Huh ? "

Thinking back to Albedo's battle against Marco, Aura couldn't help but still feel shivers at Marco's power. Just yesterday, she viewed humans as sacrificial pawns and thought Shalltear had lost to them, purely because of her lack of strategy. But, having seen the succubus fight against the phoenix, she understood underestimating them was the worst idea.

"Mare... it seems that humans from another world have arrived here! And their power is far superior to that of the humans we used to fight! In truth, some may have our power."

"What? From another world?"

Then thinking about how Luffy and the others got to this town, he asked.

"Mugiwara is also one of those humans?"

"It's possible! To find out, you would have to see him fight powerful opponents! In the meantime, we must continue to monitor him! We have no idea if he knows we are here or if he plans to s to attack Nazarick."

Hearing this, Mare looked thoughtful. Then, finally, he declared.

"Onee-san...I think I need to speak with Galadriel-sama."

" Huh ? "

"I...I would like to tell her an idea I had! It may be totally stupid but...I would like to tell it to Galadriel-sama to hear her opinion."

Aura looked at her brother in surprise. Usually, he let Aura make the decisions and followed her without ever saying his opinion. Finally, she declared.

"For now, since Mugiwara is calm, we can afford to take turns watching him! But hurry up."

" AYE ! "

But, before leaving, the elf felt Aura take the goblet he had in his hand, while declaring.

"Are you taking advantage of my absence to buy yourself some soda? But hey, that's good, I was thirsty."

" Onee-san ... NOOOOOO ! "

Too late. Ignoring him and placing the straw between her lips, Aura sucked up all of what was left inside the goblet, in one gulp. Then standing still, Mare saw her beginning to feel the freezing effect of this mixture as well as pain equivalent to the power of a 10th level magic spell.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!