Chapter 11: The Thief and the Shadow

Jin Woo took a slow step forward, eyes locked onto the orange-haired girl. His voice was calm but firm. "I heard you stole the map to the Grand Line. Hand it over."

The girl blinked, then put on an innocent smile. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said smoothly. "But if you're after money, you can take it. I won't stop you."

Jin Woo tilted his head slightly. "Then let me check your bag."

At that, her expression shifted. Annoyance flickered across her face as she crossed her arms. "Why do you even want it? A guy like you wouldn't last a day in the Grand Line. It's called the Pirate's Graveyard for a reason."

Jin Woo didn't flinch. "That's none of your business."

The girl studied him for a moment, then suddenly smirked. "Fine, I'll make you a deal. You'll need a navigator to sail through the Grand Line, right? I can help with that."

Jin Woo narrowed his eyes. Her shift in attitude was too sudden. "Why?"

She shrugged. "I want money, and you seem strong. You defeated Buggy and his crew like they were nothing. Traveling with you could be… profitable."

Jin Woo wasn't convinced, but he played along. If she was lying, he'd figure it out soon enough. He extended a hand. "Sung Jin Woo."

The girl smirked and shook his hand. "Nami."

As they stepped outside, Nami glanced at him curiously. "So, what's the name of your pirate crew?"

Jin Woo paused. He hadn't even thought about that.

"We're a new crew," he said after a moment. "Haven't named it yet."

Nami chuckled. "Guess that means we'll have to come up with something soon."

Jin Woo didn't respond. He wasn't planning on being a pirate, but for now, letting her think that was useful.

As Jin Woo stepped onto the deck, he let out a sigh. Zoro was sprawled out, snoring, while the ropes that had once bound Buggy lay loose on the ground. The clown had escaped.

I should've left a shadow to guard the ship, Jin Woo thought, shaking his head.

He nudged Zoro with his foot. "Wake up. We're done here."

Zoro grunted, opening one eye before stretching. "Took you long enough."

Jin Woo ignored the comment and summoned his shadows. "Prepare the ship. We're leaving."

At once, the shadow soldiers moved in perfect sync, raising the anchor, adjusting the sails, and preparing for departure. Nami watched with wide eyes.

"That's… impressive," she muttered, watching the shadows work faster than any normal crew. Then she turned to Jin Woo. "Wait… are you and the pirate hunter the only actual humans here?"

Jin Woo glanced at her. "Yeah. And Zoro isn't even part of my crew—he's just traveling with me."

Zoro smirked but said nothing.

Jin Woo pulled out the East Blue map he had taken from the Marine base and handed it to Nami. "Find the fastest route to the Grand Line."

Nami examined the map, nodding. "Alright, I'll plot the course."

Jin Woo turned to his shadow soldiers. "When it comes to sailing, listen to her."

The shadows gave a silent nod, awaiting orders.

As the ship set sail, Jin Woo leaned against the railing, watching the horizon. Buggy had escaped, but it didn't matter. He had the map, a navigator, and a crew that didn't need rest.

With the ship now sailing smoothly, Nami walked up to Jin Woo, arms crossed. "So, how exactly do you plan to survive at sea without a proper crew?"

Jin Woo raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? The shadows are handling everything."

Nami sighed, shaking her head. "They're good for basic tasks, but they're not sailors. A real crew needs a proper navigator—which you have, luckily—a helmsman, a cook, a doctor… and even musicians."

Jin Woo chuckled. "A musician? You think that's necessary?"

Nami nodded firmly. "Of course! When you're stuck at sea for days, music is one of the only things that keeps people sane."

Jin Woo considered her words. This world doesn't seem to have healers like back home, he thought. A doctor could be useful… but having more humans on board means more people to look after. That idea was annoying.

As he pondered, he heard bickering from the other side of the ship.

"You're just sitting there drinking while the shadows do all the work!" Nami snapped at Zoro.

Zoro took another sip from his bottle, completely unfazed. "They don't need my help."

"You lazy swordsman—!"

Jin Woo found himself smiling as he watched them argue. It reminded him of his old hunting squad—the chaotic back-and-forth, the camaraderie. For the first time since arriving in this world, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.

Maybe having real people around wouldn't be so bad after all.

NOTE: from now on the chapters will take longer to come out since we'll be getting to longer arcs, and there for the chapters will have to be longer and more detailed, and since I don't leave much notes I'll leave this here too, jin woo won't be following the same route as Luffy did, there will be major differences in the story depending on the choices that he'll make.