Chapter 41
It’s been about 30 minutes since Luffy had posted that video of Koby holding a cannonball that weighs 400 lb in a shoulder carry, shirtless with nothing but his pants on slung dangerously low held up by his belt, gloves, his glasses and signature headband.
She shifts slightly in her beach chair before calling out to Koby. “Hey, Koby, you’re going viral!”
Koby, sweat dripping from his brow, stopped mid-stride and looked over, puzzled. “What do you mean, Luffy?”
Luffy smirks, standing up from her beach chair, The beads on her bikini clinging together as she walks up to him and Helmppo, who were both still training under the watchful eye of Garp. "Look at this," she says, holding out her phone with the viral video playing. The screen flickers with the image of Koby, his muscles straining under the weight of the cannonball as he smiles for the camera. The catchy tune of "Whatta Man" plays in the background.
“People are starting to call you Koby~ The Hero~ instead of Koby The Hero!” Luffy laughs, her voice echoing over the beach. She shows the comment section of the video, filled with flirty comments, comments detailing what people would let Koby do to them, comments of cat calls, comments of pure admiration, and even some calling for Koby to model.
Koby's face turns a deep shade of red as he snatches the phone from Luffy's hand. Helmeppo, noticing Koby's reaction, stops his training to look over, curiosity piqued. “What’s going on?” he asks, wiping the sweat from his brow.
“People are thirsting over Koby.” Luffy says, chuckling at Koby’s reaction.
Garp, having heard the commotion, stops his training and walks over to the trio, his stern gaze falling on Luffy. “What did you do now?”
“Oh nothing.” She says, batting her eyelashes at him and grinning widely. “Just posted a video of our little training session to the Marine's public feed. You know, for inspiration and all that good stuff!”
“People are barking and meowing at me through the comments, Garp!” Koby sputters out, his cheeks redder than a ripe tomato as he scrolls through the video's comment section.
Garp snatches the phone from Koby's trembling hand, his eyes scanning through the comments. A grin slowly forms on his face, his teeth gleaming in the sunlight. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a fan club, son!”
The video had indeed taken the marine world by storm. It showcased not only Koby’s incredible strength under Garp’s tutelage but also his surprising charisma. The way he had handled the cannonball with ease and the sunshiny-boy-scout-golden-retriever smile he had given Luffy when he realized she was filming had the audience swooning. Within an hour, the video had amassed millions of views, and "Koby~ The Hero~" became a trending topic across the Grand Line.
Koby, overwhelmed by the sudden attention, stammers out an apology to Garp, who just laughs heartily, slapping him on the back. "Don't apologize for being popular, boy! It's good for morale!" Garp's eyes sparkle with amusement at the thought of his student gaining a fanbase for his good looks.
The sun starts to dip low on the horizon, casting a warm glow over the beach. Garp decides to call it a day, and the trio heads back to their base. As they walk, Luffy can't help but tease Koby some more about his newfound fame. Helmeppo tries to lighten the mood by cracking a few jokes, which only makes Koby's blushing worse.
Back at the base, the atmosphere is electric. It seemed that every corner someone was watching Koby’s viral video on a phone, a tablet, really anything I could play a video on. Some laughing, some in awe, some even trying to mimic his pose with their own makeshift cannonballs. Luffy couldn’t help but feel a smug sense of accomplishment. She had turned a simple training session into a sensation.
As they enter the mess hall for dinner, the room falls silent for a moment before erupting into applause and cheers. "Koby~ The Hero~" echoes around the room, and Koby's blush deepens as he tries to shrink into his oversized marine coat. Garp, ever the proud mentor, stands tall beside him, his chest puffed out with pride. He gives Luffy a knowing wink, which she returns with a cheeky grin.
Luffy notices a group of young marines whispering and giggling in the corner, holding up their screens to show each other the latest comments on Koby's video. She leans in to whisper to Koby, "Looks like you've got some groupies now." Koby stammers an attempt at a laugh, his face buried in his food.