Chapter 28 – First Impressions
The next day.
A blinding light landed on Dante Voss, coaxing his eyes open.
He lay on a double bed that still carried a faint, pleasant scent, a whiff Dante Voss found himself quietly savoring.
It had been ages since he'd slept so soundly; this rest left every inch of him relaxed and refreshed.
Dante Voss slowly sat up, studying the changes in himself.
The blood-soaked prison uniform had been stripped away; his whole body looked far cleaner now.
Nothing hid the powerful muscles of his torso—eight defined abdominals looked carved into his stomach.
When he flexed an arm, the muscle rose like a small steel hill, bristling with strength.
White bandages wrapped several spots where his earlier wounds were already knitting closed.
After checking himself, Dante Voss surveyed the room.
It was small: besides the bed, only a desk and a bookshelf.
Outside, waves slapped the hull; the whole cabin gently swayed with each splash.
"Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!"
A soft patter approached—footsteps, perhaps—so Dante Voss looked toward the door.
Click!
The wooden door nudged open and a petite figure stepped in.
The instant he spotted Dante Voss watching, his eyes bulged; with a yelp he spun and bolted.
Chopper still remembered Zoro's warning—and the memory of Dante Voss in those blood-soaked clothes sent him fleeing.
Dante Voss lifted a hand to explain, but Chopper had already vanished; he shook his head wryly and walked out as well.
Beyond his cabin lay a far larger room fitted with hammocks, sofas, and low tables.
Clearly, this was where the Straw Hats slept.
He spared it only a glance before focusing on the central mast rising toward a hatch above.
With a light hop Dante Voss shot upward—thud!
Chopper slid the mast-hatch aside and scrambled out, tears brimming in fright.
"Luffy, Luffy, he's awake!"
"Oh yeah? Great!" Luffy grinned broadly from the deck.
But the moment his stomach growled his enthusiasm sagged.
Since polishing off every last crumb yesterday, the crew had gone hungry.
Without food, Luffy had zero energy.
"Hey, lousy cook…"
Zoro rested a hand on his sword hilt, turning serious.
"Yeah, yeah, moss-head." Sanji tapped ash from his cigarette, annoyed.
"Looks like we scooped up someone incredible," Zoro smirked.
Yesterday Dante Voss had set every instinct in him on edge; that thrilled him.
As a swordsman he hungered for strong opponents.
"Ah, he's awake? He's not going to attack us, right?"
Sweat dotted Usopp's forehead as he fished by the rail.
"Gah-gah!" Supersonic Duck quivered beside him.
Nami and Vivi exchanged glances, tension plain in their eyes.
Whoosh!
Every gaze snapped toward the figure that vaulted from the hold.
At once the deck felt heavy; even the famished Luffy rose to his feet.
Playful he might be, but his instincts were sharp.
He could feel the pressure radiating from the newcomer.
If that man meant harm, they were in serious trouble.
Taking Dante Voss in had been his call as Captain; keeping the crew safe was his duty.
Dante Voss swept his eyes over them—an almost dream-like moment.
He never imagined he'd truly stand before these familiar yet foreign faces.
Straw Hat Luffy, three-sword Roronoa Zoro, Navigator Nami, Sniper Usopp, Reindeer doctor Chopper, Cook Sanji, Princess Vivi and her mount Supersonic Duck.
Yet their wariness was clear, so he swallowed his excitement and smiled.
"Thanks for saving me. My name is Dante Voss—pleased to meet you all."
Seeing his friendly smile instead of an attack, the crew exhaled in relief.
"Hahaha! Hello, Dante Voss! I'm Monkey D. Luffy—the man who'll be Pirate King!"
Luffy strode over, beaming.
Dante Voss's mouth twitched; he'd heard of Luffy's naming habits and let it pass.
"So how did you end up on our ship?"
Zoro kept his guard up, questioning.
"Well…" Dante Voss turned to the fellow swordsman. "A few days back I fought a tough battle, broke free of some powerful pursuers, and escaped into the sea—badly wounded."
"I'd been swimming for ten days. Lucky for me, I ran into you."
He kept it brief; trusting them was one thing, but too much truth might panic them.
After all, the men he'd slain were Celestial Dragons—gods in this world.
The crew mulled it over; what he said matched the newspaper stories fairly well.
Sanji produced a wanted poster. "So this guy is you, right?"
Dante Voss studied the sheet: a 100-million-Berry bounty under the title "The Crimson Shura," the photo showing him ringed by guards.
"'Crimson Shura'—has a nice ring. Yes, that's me." He chuckled calmly.
"You really killed a top World Government official? That's why the bounty's so huge?"
Nami asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity; the rest waited for his answer.
"Pretty much. I eliminated several of the world's highest-ranking figures."
He glanced toward Princess Vivi as he spoke—he knew her ancestors had once been a Celestial Dragon clan.
"No wonder they slapped a hundred million on you," Sanji nodded.
"Something like that…" Zoro murmured, sensing more behind those three words, but with his main questions answered he let it rest.
So long as Dante Voss meant them no harm, that was enough.
"And you folks are…?" Dante Voss feigned ignorance.
With most of their wariness gone, the Straw Hats introduced themselves one by one.
Once everyone had spoken, Dante Voss knew their names—first contact complete.
"All right—let's throw a feast to welcome Dante Voss!" Luffy crowed.
"Moron!" Sanji snapped, kicking him flying.
"You ate everything—what exactly are we supposed to feast on?"
"Sorry!" Luffy raised a hand in apology.