The first rays of sunlight crept through the wooden slats of Bokuden's hut, painting golden stripes across Lucas's face as he stirred awake. He blinked slowly, his muscles protesting from the awkward position he'd slept in against the wall. The scent of yesterday's meat buns still lingered in the air, mixing with the earthy aroma of the old man's herb collection.
"Ugh...my neck," Lucas groaned, rolling his stiff shoulders. His eyes focused on the scene before him - Nami was leaning against the doorway, her orange hair catching the morning light, while Luffy sat cross-legged on the floor, already stuffing his face with what looked like the last of Bokuden's provisions.
Apis grandfather himself was slumped in his rocking chair, still muttering in his sleep. "...and the Dragon's Breath could melt mountains..." the old man murmured, his beard twitching.
Lucas smirked. This guy could put an entire kingdom to sleep with his stories. He stretched his arms overhead until his joints popped. "What time is it? Feels like I slept through another one of the old man's epic tales."
Nami turned, her tired eyes narrowing. "Try the whole night. You and Zoro were snoring in harmony while the rest of us suffered through round two of 'Legends of the Ancient Seas.'"
As if on cue, Zoro snorted awake from his corner, blinking blearily. "Wha...? I wasn't snoring."
"You were louder than Luffy chewing," Nami shot back.
Luffy paused mid-bite, meat juices running down his chin. "Huh? Did someone say my name?"
Usopp, who'd been using Zoro's shoulder as a pillow, suddenly jerked upright. "I'm awake! I was definitely listening to that super important battle strategy!"
Nami rolled her eyes before turning serious. "Alright, now that Sleeping Beauty and his chorus are awake..." She ignored Lucas's indignant "Hey!" and continued, "Luffy found us a job while you all were drooling on yourselves."
Lucas perked up. "A job? What kind?"
"The kind that involves that giant dragon we came here for," Nami said, pushing off from the doorway. "So, get moving. We're burning daylight."
The hike up the mountain was anything but peaceful. Luffy's boundless energy had him bouncing off cliff faces like a rubber ball, while Zoro somehow managed to take three wrong turns before Lucas dragged him back on path.
"Are you seriously this bad with directions?" Lucas huffed as they climbed.
Zoro scowled. "I was scouting alternate routes."
"Alternate routes to the bottom of the mountain, maybe," Usopp muttered, earning himself a glare.
When they finally reached the cavern entrance, a cool draft carrying the scent of ancient stone and something distinctly reptilian washed over them. The darkness inside seemed to pulse with a strange energy.
Nami lit a torch, the flickering light revealing the massive form curled in the cavern's heart. The Millennium Dragon lifted its head slowly, milky eyes reflecting the firelight as it regarded the intruders.
Lucas's breath caught. Up close, the dragon was even more magnificent, and more tragic. Its once-gleaming scales were dull and patchy, its wings thin as parchment. But there was an undeniable dignity in the way it held its head, like a king remembering his throne.
"Whoa..." Luffy's whisper echoed through the cave. "He's even cooler than I imagined!"
Usopp inched forward, equal parts terrified and fascinated. "H-Hey there, big guy. Nice dragon. Good dragon." He reached out a shaking hand. "Maybe don't eat the brave and handsome visitor who—YIPE!"
The dragon's head darted forward with surprising speed, engulfing Usopp's head in its jaws. The sniper's screams bounced off the cave walls as he flailed wildly.
"HE'S EATING ME! I'M BEING EATEN! TELL MY MOTHER I DIED BRAVELY!"
Luffy collapsed in laughter, rolling on the stone floor. "His face! Did you see his face?"
Apis giggled behind her hands. "Mr. Dragon does that sometimes. His teeth fell out years ago."
Sure enough, Usopp's screams tapered off as he realized there was no pain. He carefully extracted his head, dripping with dragon saliva. "I... I lived?"
Sanji exhaled a long stream of smoke, watching the scene with amusement. "Only in this crew would getting your head bitten off by a dragon be considered a normal Tuesday."
Lucas wiped tears from his eyes. "Welcome to the Straw Hats, where the wildlife wants to eat you and your crewmates find it hilarious."
Nami clapped her hands, bringing order back to the chaos. "Focus, idiots! We need to figure out how to move him."
Apis stroked the dragon's neck gently. "He can't fly anymore. His wings are too weak."
Lucas studied the massive creature, mind racing. "We'd need something like...a giant cart."
Luffy's eyes lit up. "Ooh! Like a dragon chariot!"
"More like a dragon ambulance," Usopp muttered, still wiping slobber from his hair.
The forest echoed with the sounds of destruction as the crew set to work. Birds scattered in panic as trees began toppling one after another.
Luffy wound up his arms like springs before unleashing a barrage of punches. "Gomu Gomu no... LUMBERJACK!" Trunks snapped like twigs under his assault.
Zoro moved with precise efficiency, his swords flashing in the sunlight. "Santoryu...Kiwi Slice!" Three clean cuts, and another tree fell.
Sanji spun through the air, his leg a blur. "Party Table...Timber Kick!" His heel struck with enough force to send an oak crashing down.
Lucas watched the carnage with admiration and a touch of jealousy. He gripped the Kusanagi Sword tightly. "Alright, my turn."
He assumed a dramatic stance, the blade humming with energy. "By the power of the sacred steel, I command thee—"
"Less chanting, more cutting!" Nami yelled from her perch on a stump.
Lucas sighed. "You're no fun." With a single fluid motion, he cleaved through a thick trunk. The tree groaned before toppling with a satisfying crash.
He turned, expecting praise, only to find the others had already cleared half the forest. Piles of logs stood ready, while Usopp was busy sketching designs in the dirt.
"Show-offs," Lucas grumbled, dragging his tree over.
Usopp's craftsmanship was something to behold. Under his direction, the crew became a well-oiled machine, Luffy and Zoro hauling materials, Sanji trimming branches with pinpoint kicks, and Lucas serving as human clamp when needed.
"Hold this steady," Usopp ordered, hammering a joint together. His toolbelt seemed to produce exactly what he needed at each moment, a fact Lucas couldn't let go.
"Okay, seriously," Lucas said, watching Usopp pull a full-sized saw from his back pocket. "How are you doing that? That pocket shouldn't fit a spoon, let alone power tools."
Usopp winked. "A master never reveals his secrets." (The truth: half his "tools" were cleverly disguised sticks and rocks he'd modified on the spot.)
As the sun reached its zenith, their creation took shape, a massive wooden platform with sturdy wheels, reinforced with rope and what looked suspiciously like parts from the village's abandoned fishing boats.
"Behold!" Usopp spread his arms proudly. "The Dragon Express 3000!"
With the cart complete, Nami outlined the plan. "Lucas, Zoro, and Usopp will take the Merry around to the cove below. The rest of us will guide the dragon down the mountain path."
Lucas nodded, then paused. "Wait, why do I have to…"
"Because last time you 'helped' move something heavy, you nearly dropped it on my foot," Nami said sweetly.
"That was one time!"
Zoro clapped him on the shoulder. "Face it, newbie. You're with us."
As they trekked back toward the village, Lucas glanced over his shoulder at the ancient dragon watching them go. Its eyes seemed to hold centuries of wisdom, and maybe just a hint of amusement at their antics.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Usopp asked as they reached the docks.
"That this is either going to go perfectly or end with the entire island on fire?" Lucas replied.
"Exactly."
Zoro smirked. "Welcome to the Straw Hat Pirates."
As they boarded the Merry and set sail for the rendezvous point, Lucas couldn't shake the feeling that their adventure was only beginning. The Lost Island, the Marines' interest in the dragon, The old man's cryptic legends, it all pointed toward something bigger.
But for now, there was a senile old dragon to get home. And knowing this crew, that would be adventure enough.