One Piece - I Am A Different Luffy! BOOK3!

[Chapter Size: 2100 Words.]
Third Person POV

Territory of the Pirates of the Dawn.

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...

Luffy didn't care about the distortions in space coming from that place in Wano as he was pressing down on Coby.

The young hero, meanwhile, had his face nearly on the ground, gritting his teeth, staring at Luffy standing there, trying to push him with everything he had, mercilessly.

"This... power... and it doesn't even feel like he's using all his strength..." Coby muttered, grinding his teeth, his face sweaty and red, as he used every bit of strength in his muscles not to hit the ground directly, trying to maintain some dignity against that pirate.

Coby was more frustrated than ever at that moment, knowing Luffy wasn't even using all his power, yet it was enough to keep him in that state, as if he were nothing compared to the man in front of him.

Flashbacks began running through his mind, memories of a small boat he boarded after Luffy had left the commercial and pirate ship, having launched Alvida — in her fat form — into the sky while her crew ran to rescue her.

He had promised that day that he would capture Monkey D. Luffy and have the strength to do it. But there... what was he compared to that monster who wasn't even trying to keep him on the ground? Could he really do it?

Luffy's Haki had already been sensed by many.

It was a powerful manifestation, making many in Dressrosa wonder what Luffy was doing by releasing it like that. But those who already knew Luffy's true power understood: that was just a fraction of his strength. He wasn't using the red lightning of his Haki — an even more advanced version of his Conqueror's Haki.

Coby was already used to dealing with people of great power, but there he could see that even Luffy surpassed all of them. He couldn't feel the full extent of Luffy's Haki, but it was clear to Coby that not even Monkey D. Garp's Haki came close to the level Luffy had the potential to reach — a level Coby had never seen before.

'Why did you hit me...?'

Coby, in his younger version, murmured, looking toward the front of the canoe in fear, as the Luffy from two years ago had just punched his forehead.

"Because you're such a coward, it pisses me off," Luffy had said.

'But I can't do anything, I'm just... me...' Coby replied, trying to soothe the pain from the punch he had received.

'You don't even believe in your own dream. How can you achieve it?' Luffy answered with an arrogant tone. 'It doesn't matter when people laugh at you for speaking your true goals, no matter how absurd they are. You need to stand firm, trusting that you'll accomplish what you want, even if you're the only one who believes in it. That's the first step to making what you desire a reality.'

Luffy's words echoed in the memories of young Coby.

Coby was speechless upon hearing that, frozen... Until... then, he stood up with a determination he had never had before, especially when he was still under Alvida's command.

Coby stood up at that moment. He looked up at the sky with a fiery gaze and shouted his true goals.

'I'll be a Marine! And I'll be so strong that I'll become an admiral in the future!'

His cry echoed across the sea while only Luffy witnessed the burning heart of a Marine being born on that small boat.

'All right,' Luffy smiled at him, and Coby looked back firmly.