One Piece: From Picking Up Red Hair's Broken Arm

Chapter 378 Finale, Extra Chapter 4: Luffy Sets Sail!
Three years later.

That is, the year 1520 of the Haiyuan calendar.

East China Sea.

"Hello--!!!!"

A roar full of boundless energy and excitement shattered the tranquility of the sea.

The boy named Monkey D. Luffy, wearing his iconic straw hat, a red vest, and blue shorts, launched himself off the shore like a rubber bullet.

It landed precisely in the center of what could barely be called a "small boat"—a few pieces of broken planks pieced together—and splashed water.

"Finally! We've finally waited for this day!"

Luffy stood on the swaying boat, adjusting his straw hat with one hand, and grinned broadly at the rising sun that had just emerged from the sea:
"I'm going to be the Pirate King!"

It’s not easy!
He had been waiting for this day for far too long.

Ever since Shanks entrusted him with the straw hat, ever since he made a promise to Ace and Sabo to set sail, ever since his grandfather began subjecting him to hellish training...

Every day, every night, he prepared for this moment.

Now, he is finally seventeen years old, and he can finally leave his hometown and head to the Grand Line to pursue his dream of becoming the Pirate King!
Strange to say.

When Grandpa first started his special training, he was very strict with himself.

He was not allowed to mention his dream of becoming the Pirate King, nor was he allowed to say ONE PIECE. He was also not allowed to slack off in training.

But starting two years ago, Grandpa suddenly seemed like a completely different person.

He became much easier to talk to, more kind and gentle, and didn't care anymore even though he kept shouting that he wanted to be the Pirate King.

There were no more mandatory training requirements; he acted as if he couldn't care less and didn't care whether people trained or not.

Later on.

She simply abandoned him and went on a carefree trip, and hasn't returned since.

However, this is more to his liking.

You should go out to sea alone and explore freely!
"Set sail! Grand Line, here I come!"

He shouted with high spirits, sat in the middle of the small boat, and rowed vigorously with the pair of wooden oars he had found on the spot.

The small boat swayed gently as it headed out to sea.

According to Luffy's plan, he first needs to find a decent pirate ship in the nearby waters.

This is not enough. At least it needs to be a ship that can withstand storms and can hold a banquet!

however.

Reality soon gave him his first surprise.

After rowing for the entire morning, with the sun high overhead, Luffy's stomach was growling like thunder.

But as he looked around, apart from the occasional fish and seabird leaping out of the water, he couldn't see a single ship.

"How strange."

Luffy scratched his head.

I heard Shanks say a long time ago that this area isn't very remote, so how come we can't see any ships?
"Meat, I want to eat meat, I'm so hungry..."

Optimism was gradually eroded by hunger. Luffy slumped on the small boat, rowing listlessly, staring longingly at the horizon, hoping something would appear.

If we don't have passenger ships or merchant ships, a pirate ship would be fine too.

at this time.

“Woooooooooooooooo!!!”

A long and loud whistle suddenly came from the distant sea!
"Ok?"

Luffy jolted upright and stared wide-eyed at the scene.

On the right horizon, a white wave was rapidly approaching, moving at an astonishing speed.

Then, a line... no, that wasn't a ship!

What was in sight was a long, milky-white dragon made up of multiple connected carriages, speeding along the tracks on the sea!

"Huh? What...what is that?!"

Luffy stared in disbelief, his mouth agape wide enough to fit a watermelon.

Having spent a long time in the deep mountains and forests, in his mind, the only means of transportation at sea was a boat.

But this thing in front of him, without sails or oars, ran faster and more steadily than any ship he had ever seen!

Sunlight shone on the streamlined body of the train, reflecting a dazzling light and illuminating the prominent five characters "Harmony Train".

"train?"

While Luffy was still in a daze, the train began to slowly slow down and finally stopped not far away, next to a simple sea platform.

Anyway, let's go take a look!
Unable to contain his curiosity, Luffy stretched out his rubber arm, grabbed the railing of the platform, and flew over like a slingshot.

He landed lightly on the platform and curiously looked at the train.

The carriage door opened, and several passengers got off one after another. They all took out Den Den Mushi from their pockets, pressed a button, and immediately a light blue screen appeared.

These passengers held the light screen up to a large metal box on the platform. After two beeps, several capsules fell out from under the metal box.

There are red ones and blue ones.

Two passengers, clearly sisters, took the blue capsule, pressed the button on it lightly, and then tossed it aside into the open space.

Bang!
A cloud of smoke dissipated, and in the next instant, a cool hover motorcycle appeared on the ground. The two men chatted and laughed as they put on their helmets, got on the motorcycle, and left the platform, heading straight into the distance.

"what?"

What... what is this thing?

Luffy was speechless.

Just then, another middle-aged passenger picked up the red capsule and threw it on the table.

Bang!
The smoke exploded in the same way.

Immediately afterwards, a beautifully packaged hamburger emitting an enticing aroma, along with several pieces of fried chicken and an iced cola, appeared out of thin air on the table.

"Meat!!! It's meat!!!"

Luffy's stomach rumbled louder than a train whistle, and saliva streamed down his face. He completely forgot his earlier curiosity about the white train, his attention now entirely drawn to the delicious-smelling hamburger.

"Hey! Uncle!"

Luffy rushed forward and blocked the middle-aged man holding the hamburger's path, his eyes shining:

"What is this?! It's amazing! It can even conjure food? Can I have one? I can use it... uh..."

He touched himself and his face fell. Apart from a straw hat and his tattered clothes, he was penniless, his pockets were even emptier than his face.

"Haha, little guy, is this your first time meeting someone like this?"

The middle-aged man, dressed in a suit and looking like a typical office worker, seemed quite amiable and wasn't angry. Instead, he smiled and waved the Den Den Mushi (snail phone) and the unopened hamburger in his hand.
"This wasn't conjured up; it was purchased. I placed the order using the OceanPay app and then picked it up at the terminal here."

"Ocean Payment? App?" Luffy looked blank; he had never heard of any of these terms before.

"Here, this is it."

The middle-aged man held up the Den Den Mushi in front of Luffy and pointed to an icon in the lower right corner of the screen. "Judging from your appearance, you haven't even been exposed to the internet before, have you? Den Den Mushi these days are not like they used to be. You can buy things, read the news, check maps, and even book tickets for this kind of sea train."

"As for payment terminals..."

He then pointed to the large metal box, "It's used to place various capsule products all over the world. I heard that this technology was developed by Dr. Vegapunk in collaboration with a mysterious genius scientist named Bulma. In short, it's really convenient!"

As the passenger explained, he unpacked the hamburger, took a big bite, and a satisfied expression appeared on his face.

Luffy's gaze followed the hamburger, his throat bobbing incessantly.

He didn't listen to anything about technology; only the words "meat" and "super convenient" were swirling in his mind.

"Then...how can I get that OceanPay thing, sir?"

Luffy asked eagerly, "I want one too! That way I won't have to worry about going hungry!"

"Well, you'll need to register in a town with a network service center first, and get a Den Den Mushi (phone call mushi) that's linked to your personal information, but..."

The passenger glanced at Luffy's shabby clothes and the dilapidated wooden boat. "Registering for and using online services, including buying things, all require real money, you know. Speaking of which, you're quite strange, little guy. Where are you from? You look almost an adult, how come you don't know anything? Are you hitchhiking somewhere?" "Hitchhiking?"

Luffy shook his head, grinned, and said, "What? Uncle, can't you tell? I'm a pirate! I'm going to be the Pirate King!!"

Pirates?

He wants to become the Pirate King?!
The middle-aged passenger was stunned. Several other passengers who had just gotten off the bus were also stunned for a moment. They looked at each other and then burst into laughter almost simultaneously.

"Pfft hahaha!"

"Hey, what did I just hear?!"

"Whose stupid child is this? He probably just crawled out of some deep mountain forest. Does he even know what nonsense he's spouting?"

"Hahahaha! One Piece? Little guy, are you...are you serious?"

The middle-aged passenger almost spat out his hamburger from laughing so hard; he wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes.

"What era are we living in? Pirates? There are no pirates anymore!"

"That's it."

A stylish young woman carrying shopping bags nearby couldn't help but chime in with a smile:

"Ever since Lord Shano overthrew the World Government and established a new order three years ago, the profession of pirate has long been swept into the dustbin of history! You are the first guy I've met in recent years who claims to be a pirate!"

"what???"

Luffy was completely bewildered. He vaguely remembered his grandfather mentioning that his brother Shano had established a new order a few years ago, but he had forgotten about it as soon as it left his ears.

That kind of thing isn't important, but the fact that even the pirates have disappeared...

He opened his mouth, and said in disbelief:
"No...no more pirates? How is that possible, old man! What about the Grand Line? What about Shanks? What about ONE PIECE, the treasure left behind by the Pirate King Roger?"

"The Grand Line?"

The stylish woman chuckled, opened the map app in her hand, and handed it to Luffy:

"That's all in the past. Look, there's no such division now. The four seas are united, the Calm Belt has disappeared, and even the Red Line is gone. So where is the Grand Line anymore?"

"..."

Luffy stared blankly at the complete and interconnected world map he had never seen before, then his expression suddenly changed as he noticed something.

"and many more?"

He pointed in astonishment to one of the islands above, "The label on this is... Laugh Tale???"

The place he had longed for for so many years should have been shrouded in mystery and never been visited by anyone, yet it was simply and clearly marked on the map.
“Yes, Raphdru.”

Seeing Luffy's shocked expression, the fashionable woman found it amusing and swiped the map again to zoom in on the island's details:
"This place is now a world-famous tourist attraction and history museum! Three years ago, Lord Shano revealed all the secrets of Laugh Tale, such as ONE PIECE, the Poneglyphs, the truth about the Void Century... They are all on display in the museum. Anyone can visit for free, but you need to make a reservation in advance through the official WeChat account. If you want to go, I can help you make a reservation."

The fashionable woman casually opened the chat app next to her, and the account name on it clearly read "Alvida".

"Speaking of which, we have a direct train to Laugh Tale in the East Sea, right?" Alvida turned to the middle-aged man beside her. "Does this station have one?"

"Yes, I remember there was one at five o'clock in the afternoon."

The middle-aged man chuckled and chimed in, “This long-distance route uses the latest third-generation sea train, which is twice as fast as the second-generation one we’re on. Little one, if you’d like to take this afternoon train, buy a sleeper ticket, get a good night’s sleep, and you should arrive around the day after tomorrow.”

I'll sleep in my sleeper berth and arrive in Laugh Tale the day after tomorrow...

Boom!

Luffy was struck dumb, frozen in place.

Even the meat I was most craving was temporarily forgotten.

The Grand Line is over.

And the ultimate place he had dreamed of for so many years, Laugh Tale, which held the world's greatest treasure and symbolized the glory of the Pirate King...

It's turned into a museum teeming with tourists, where you can sleep for two days on this so-called "sea train" and wake up to find yourself there?!

"Dad!"

"Mr. Monka! We've come to take you home!"

at this time.

Shouts came from afar, and two boys dressed as chefs, one with pink hair and the other with blond hair, arrived at the station on hovermobiles, laughing heartily.

"Oh! Helmeppo, you're finally here! And Coby, you little rascal, did you come along to join the fun too?"

The middle-aged man's eyes lit up, and he stood up.

Mr. Monca?

"Is this the middle-aged man's name?" Luffy turned his head blankly, while Morgan noticed and patted Luffy on the shoulder, his tone sympathetic:

"Little guy, it seems you really don't understand the world now. The era of pirates is long over. Now it's a new era of peaceful development. There are no obstacles between the four seas, the maritime railway network covers major routes, technology is advanced, and life is convenient... Who would want to be a pirate who lives a precarious life and is hunted by the whole world?"

"Not only pirates, but no one in the Navy is left either, right? Or rather, now there are only newly formed maritime order maintenance forces left. The Navy and pirates have both been thrown into the trash can."

Coby looked Luffy up and down curiously, then grinned and said, "Speaking of which, I remember Mr. Morgan, you used to be a Marine, right? You've gotten your certifications and switched careers to become a construction engineer!"

"That happened so many years ago, let's not talk about it."

Monca chuckled self-deprecatingly. He had indeed been a marine who dreamed of making a name for himself, but he had never had any opportunities for promotion, and the actions of the navy were inconsistent with his ideals of justice.

Therefore, he had already left the Navy when Lord Shano revealed the truth about the North Sea Massacre.

"Let's go, it's time to go home."

Morgan straddled the hovercraft, and Luffy, who had been completely disoriented, finally snapped out of his daze and couldn't help but shout:
"What about Shanks? Hey, Uncle Morgan! Sister DuckTart! Do you know Shanks? What's he doing now?"

"Shanks?"

The group looked at each other and shook their heads.

"It's Alvida! Is my name that hard to remember? You silly little thing!"

The fashionable beauty named Alvida was speechless for a moment, then frowned and thought for a while before speaking:

"I seem to recall that Shanks you mentioned. He was one of the Four Emperors from the old era, right? If it's him, then he seems to be one of the captains leading the vanguard fleet that Lord Shanos is currently assembling for the Mars colonization force?"

Mars pioneers?
What is that?
Luffy was even more dumbfounded.

"Oh? Is it such a famous and important person?"

Monka raised an eyebrow in surprise and replied:

"You little rascal, you know nothing about the outside world like a wild man, yet you recognize those kinds of people. It's really surprising."

"In fact, our current ocean environment can accommodate our population, and we don't have much survival pressure. So there's no need to rush to turn our attention to other planets."

Morgan glanced at Luffy, smiled, and continued:
"The reason we're forming the interstellar exploration force is because there are just too many restless adventurers like Shanks and you, little guy. Lord Shano simply wanted to satisfy their spirit of exploration and launched this plan!"

"Haha, that makes perfect sense."

Alvida smiled, looking at Luffy's worldview crumbling, sighed, and softened her tone:
"Your dream of becoming the Pirate King is really outdated. Nobody cares about the Pirate King anymore. What people need are engineers, scientists, doctors, teachers... If you really can't sit still and can't settle down, you can become a pioneer in exploring the stars like Shanks."

"If you really crave adventure, why not try a different approach?"

Monka earnestly suggested, "Go study, acquire knowledge, and then join the pioneering force—that's the coolest adventure right now! The universe is far more vast than the ocean!"

"..."

Luffy stood frozen in place, motionless.

The sea breeze ruffled his red vest and tousled the black hair on his forehead.

He glanced at his shabby, dilapidated wooden boat, then at the streamlined sea train that was starting up before him, and then at the capsule technology and the bizarre Den Den Mushi network that he couldn't understand at all.

The Grand Line is over.

There are no more pirates.

Rafdru has become a museum.

ONE PIECE has become an exhibit in a museum.

Shanks is preparing to fly to Mars.

And he, Monkey D. Luffy, set sail on his seventeenth birthday, determined to become the Pirate King...

It seems that we completely lost our goal from the very beginning?

(End of this chapter)