Moving his gaze to where the "Queen" was pointing, Koby saw a laughing Luffy, now running across what was considered to be the kitchen of the "Thing", and dodging the swords of an enraged Zoro. Koby, when he wanted to talk, found the "Queen" on the roof of the "Wooden Box", which served as a seating area for the team, with a small bar and sun loungers with beach umbrellas. Therefore, standing on the roof, Koby could clearly see Luffy and Zoro running around the kitchen, as well as the fact that Zoro now looked like a panda. In addition to the swordsman's eyes outlined in black marker, his face and forehead adorned with various inscriptions, but it was too far away, so Koby could not see what exactly Luffy wrote on Zoro's face. At the same time, they looked like children. At such moments, Koby could hardly believe that this Zoro was the well-known "Pirate Slayer" Roronoa Zoro.
- I understand what you are thinking now, - without ceasing to smile, the "Queen" snorted barely audibly. - However, you can rest assured that even if you've heard all the rumors about Zoro, you still won't understand how powerful he really is. And Luffy, despite his appearance, is even stronger. Much, much stronger.
- I can feel the power of Zoro-san just like that, - the boy nodded. And it really was so, although he had not noticed such abilities in himself before. - I often get scared when I'm just around him, but I've never felt something like this from Luffy-san, and I've never seen him in the least bit serious. I find it hard to believe that he can be stronger than Zoro-san.
- Serious Luffy is a little disorienting, - the "Queen" admitted honestly. - But if he shows his serious nature, then the situation really requires it. And in times like this, you usually can't help but admit that Luffy can really be incredibly cool if he wants to. You even start to respect him, or your respect for him becomes even stronger ... Unfortunately, usually such moments do not last very long, and after them, Luffy, almost always, does something so idiotic that, even if you want to, it still doesn't you can keep your admiration for him at the same level. He's too good at making himself a moronic idiot for that.
Cool Luffy? Koby could hardly imagine such a thing. Luffy, to the boy's eyes, looked like a decent idiot even when he threatened Alvida and her people. And when he shot Kawi. And when he threw daggers at him. And Koby didn't even want to think about Luffy talking to the Marine captain who had arrived for Alvida and her crew. And what kind of Cthulhu? In the team, only Luffy knew about him, but when asked, the guy only smiled meaningfully and laughed with some particularly disgusting laugh. In general, he was playing the usual fool.
However, the most important thing, from the conversation with the "Queen", for himself, Koby still understood. The main thing is dream, not life - this is how the Straw Hat Pirates lived. Koby himself never thought in this way, but after meeting with the team of hunter-pirates, he generally began to look at many things differently ... especially at the hypocrites! No, seriously, how is that? Didn't the Hats try to scare him to the point that he never even thought of becoming a pirate again? And that was when they were pirates themselves? Is it okay at all? Although yes, for such a family, it was definitely normal. To make matters worse, after just two weeks in their company, Koby began to catch himself thinking that he himself was beginning to consider such things completely normal. Life or Dream? Previously, for Koby, Life was always more important, but now it is somehow not very much. Here, willy-nilly, the question arose: "Madness ... is it contagious?" More recently, a boy, to a similar question, would have answered with a categorical "no". The problem is after meeting Luffy and his crew - but especially Luffy! - Koby began to doubt almost everything in which he previously believed. When the boy shared his feelings with the "Queen", she just patted him lightly on the shoulder, telling him not to worry about anything, and that no one had died from "Luffizing" yet. And then she also warned that in the first stages of infection, the patient often experiences severe mood swings, increased appetite, internal discomfort and nausea. The worst thing? Koby still didn't know if she was joking or not.
And then his journey with the Straw Hat Pirates came to an end.
Frankly, Koby did not understand why Luffy volunteered to take him to the Marine base after he confessed to all of them that he always wanted to become a marine and catch the bad guys. He could well set off on one of the marine ships, who sailed at the call of the hunters, for Alvida and her team. Luffy himself, in response to Koby's question, said that he just felt guilty, so he would like to make amends in this way. And if at first Koby believed him, then, after two weeks of communication, the boy already strongly doubted the veracity of the words spoken to him. He would have stopped believing in them altogether if he could have come up with any other explanation for Luffy's motives, but Koby had no other options. He didn't see anything fun-interesting-adventure or a chance to make money in it, and Luffy had no other motivators. Or Koby himself did not know about them.
In general, regardless of the motives of the eccentric - this is to say the least - captain, exactly two weeks later, after meeting with the Straw Hat Pirates, the "Thing" moored to the pier in Shellstown, where the 153rd department of the Marines was located. True, Koby did not understand why they had to swim so far - almost ten days' journey! - when it was possible to sail to the nearest base, located just three days' journey from the island of Alvida. And yes, as time has shown, the "Thing" could still sail on water, and not just drift, and sail quite fast, which could not be expected from such a design.
- Nami have you taken money ?! - Luffy asked when all the mooring lines were secured.
- That's right, captain!
- Then why didn't you close the door behind you ?! Or do you want us to be robbed ?!
- Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll close it now.
Zoro, Ryu and Yosaku did not blink an eye - the guys looked around lazily. But Koby himself, from the sight of Luffy's menacingly frowned eyebrows and all this conversation, wanted to fall to his knees and start banging his head against the concrete under his feet.
The "Thing" Koby searched as soon as the opportunity presented itself. The ship - although the boy still doubted that the "Thing" had the right to be called a ship - looked so unusual that Koby simply could not resist. That is why, as soon as Luffy gave the go-ahead, he immediately rushed to investigate the "Thing". And it was only natural that Koby started with the Iron Box, a sign on the door which said that various treasures were kept inside. Considering that the door was closed only with a small hook, he did not believe in the presence of any treasures at all ... and in vain. The "Iron Box" really turned out to be chock-full of gold bars, placers of gold coins, precious stones, rings, necklaces and various gold crafts. In addition to gold, the "Iron Box" contained dozens of cases, completely and completely filled with money. When Kobe saw all this for the first time, he couldn't leave his place for another long ten minutes, unable to believe that so much money could be collected in one place at all. Then he realized exactly where the money was collected and how they were guarded - they were not guarded in any way, in any way !!! - after which the boy hung for another ten minutes.
And so now, listening to Luffy blaming the "Queen" for not closing the door on a completely useless hook ... uhh ... sometimes the madness of the Straw Hats was especially hard to digest. And even the "Queen", most of the time playing the role of the only sane person on the ship, did not always behave adequately. Apparently because she could play the role of a sane person as much as she wanted, but the result of "Luffizing" could no longer be canceled.