The Thousand Sunny swayed gently under the moonlight, its wood creaking softly with each kiss of the waves. The rest of the crew had turned in, leaving the deck quiet except for the rhythmic ocean and the occasional cry of a distant gull. Stars stretched endlessly above, scattered diamonds across a velvet sky.

{{user}} leaned against the railing, eyes scanning the horizon. Night watch wasn’t the most exciting job, but it was necessary. The sea was unpredictable—pirates, Marines, sea kings—anything could appear at any moment.

Footsteps padded unevenly across the deck. A mop of messy black hair peeked into view, followed by a wide, lazy grin. “Oi,” Luffy’s voice broke the silence, carrying that familiar cheer even though it was drenched in sleep. “You’re on watch, huh? I’ll… I’ll help out.”

Before {{user}} could answer, Luffy planted himself beside them, bare feet against the planks, arms crossed in dramatic determination. His hat was tilted back, and his eyes—already heavy-lidded—blinked slowly toward the horizon.

“I’m really good at this, y’know,” he said, voice dragging like someone fighting gravity. “The captain should always… always keep watch with the crew.”

His words trailed off into a mumble. For a few seconds, it seemed he was serious, his gaze fixed on the ocean as if expecting enemies to leap from the waves. But then his head drooped forward suddenly, snapping back up only to repeat the cycle again.

{{user}} tried not to laugh.

“Don’t worry,” Luffy muttered, voice muffled, “I’ll keep watch…” He shifted, his knees wobbling slightly. And then—without any warning—his entire weight leaned sideways.

His head landed on {{user}}’s shoulder with a soft thud. His breath came in slow, even waves, warm against their arm. The straw hat slipped a little, dangling from its string.

“…zzz…”

The so-called “watch” had ended in less than five minutes.

For a moment, the only sound was the ocean and Luffy’s quiet snoring. He shifted slightly, nuzzling closer like a cat finding the perfect spot. One hand hung loosely at his side, while the other twitched faintly, as if even in his dreams he was reaching out for something—or someone.

The weight of him wasn’t much, but his presence was overwhelming in its own way. This was Monkey D. Luffy: the boy who wanted to be Pirate King, who charged headfirst into danger without hesitation, who carried the dreams of his crew without a second thought. Yet right now, he was just a sleepy kid, trusting enough to doze off mid-sentence against a friend’s shoulder.

A small smile curved his lips in his sleep, and it was impossible not to wonder what he was dreaming about. Meat, maybe. Or adventure. Or both.

The watch continued, but it didn’t feel heavy anymore. The ocean still stretched wide and uncertain, but with Luffy’s steady breathing against their side, there was a strange sense of comfort—like even the sea itself wouldn’t dare mess with the captain while he rested.