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"Did we finally shake off those navy guys?"
Nami let out a sigh of relief on the Going Merry.
"Hey, Nami! There's an island up ahead!"
Luffy, who was sitting at the goat-shaped figurehead, shouted excitedly.
"I'm gonna eat meat!!!"
"Yeah, that's definitely an island. Let's dock the ship," Nami said, checking their surroundings and nodding.
Soon, they pulled the Going Merry into port.
With protective seals and paper dolls guarding the ship, the whole Straw Hat crew headed out together again.
But just as they stepped onto the dock, a guy dressed like a soldier blocked their path.
"You guys new here?"
He looked annoyed.
"If you dock your ship at Rugaja Island's port—or even along the outer coast—you gotta pay an entry tax."
"Entry tax?" Chopper tilted his head in confusion, clutching his medical kit.
"Just think of it as them trying to get money from us," Usopp explained simply.
And of course, the first to complain was Nami.
Even though the Straw Hats were swimming in money now thanks to White Night, Nami's obsession with cash hadn't gone anywhere.
"Hold it right there! Why do we have to pay just for docking the ship?!"
The soldier immediately raised his musket and pointed it at Nami.
"That's the rule on Rugaja Island! Paying tax is your duty!"
"Hey, hey, you punk."
Sanji quickly stepped in front of Nami, blocking the barrel.
"Don't point that thing at a lady."
"Shut it! Pay up or leave!" the soldier barked, not backing down.
Things were getting tense. Sanji and Zoro were both ready to throw hands when—
White Night's voice rang out.
"So, as long as we don't dock the ship, we don't have to pay, right?"
He stood at the edge of the dock with his hands behind his back, smiling warmly, and pointed behind him.
"Do you see our ship?"
"W-What?!"
The soldier's eyes bulged out of his head.
"You're kidding, right?! Where'd the ship go?!"
"It was right there a second ago—how is it gone?!"
"Not bad, Vice-Captain," Robin said, smiling admiringly at White Night.
Pirate crews that only knew how to fight never lasted long.
The rest of the Straw Hats quickly caught on.
White Night must've stored the Going Merry inside his inner realm.
Usopp and Chopper glanced at the panicking soldier, barely able to hold in their laughter.
…Though not everyone caught on as fast.
Luffy: "HUH?! Where's the Going Merry?!"
White Night: …
Everyone else: …
Anyway, they stepped around the stunned soldier and headed toward the town on the island.
The crew split up into two groups.
Group One: Luffy, Bai Ye, Robin, and Usopp.Their target? A local restaurant.
Group Two: Nami, Chopper, Sanji, and Zoro.Their destination? The town's shopping street.
At the restaurant, Luffy was tapping on the table with both hands, clearly impatient and eagerly waiting for his feast.
Bai Ye looked at Robin and asked,"Hey, that book you're reading—did you bring it from Alabasta?"
Having read the original story, Bai Ye already knew exactly what Robin was reading.
Robin glanced over at him with a soft smile."Yep, it's a really interesting adventure tale."
"Adventure, huh? Yeah, those are usually pretty fun."
Just then, an elderly voice chimed in.
"Mmm, they really are."
Usopp nodded in agreement, then suddenly froze as he realized something."Wait a sec—who the heck are you?!"
The old man Usopp was yelling at was short, with gray hair and a matching mustache. He was carrying some weird contraption on his back.
"I'm a genius scientist researching the Rainbow Mist," the old man replied matter-of-factly.
At the word "Rainbow Mist," Robin—who had been flipping through her book—suddenly looked up, clearly intrigued.
Usopp, still freaking out:"I wasn't asking about your job, I was asking why you're talking to us!!"
"And seriously, who just goes around calling themselves a genius?!"
Bai Ye cut in, deadpan:"…You've done that more than a few times yourself."
Usopp: "???"
Before he could argue, the restaurant's chef arrived with a few plates in hand.
"FOOD!!!"
Luffy cheered happily, grabbed a plate, and dove in immediately.
As the chef set the rest of the food down, he turned to the old man and asked:"Hey, you've got money on you, right?"
"Of course," the old man replied, pointing straight at Usopp."They're paying."
Usopp nearly choked:"Don't just decide that on your own!!!"
The old guy remained completely unbothered."I mean, I'm about to tell you the secret of the Rainbow Mist. The least you can do is buy me lunch, right?"
Usopp: "Who asked for that?! We never said we wanted to hear it!!"
"I'm Henzo. I've been studying the Rainbow Mist for fifty years."
"They say the Rainbow Mist is the garden where the gods live…"
Usopp: "HEY! Are you seriously starting the story now?!"
And just like that, Henzo launched into an explanation, and the crew started learning all about the Rainbow Mist.
Apparently, it's this strange fog that shows up near the island from time to time, and countless adventurers have gone inside it…
…But none of them ever came back.
One of those lost adventurers was Henzo's friend.
"Huh, sounds like a pretty mysterious place," Luffy said as he leaned back, stuffed and satisfied.
"Actually, it sounds super fun! Hahaha!"
Usopp's eye twitched at Luffy's tone."Did you even listen to what that guy just said?!"
"You go in and never come out!!!"
He turned to Bai Ye and Robin, hoping they'd help talk some sense into Luffy.
But—"It's not just fun," Bai Ye said with a grin."If so many adventurers went in and never came back, that probably means there's a ton of treasure in there."
"Exactly!!!" Luffy's eyes sparkled at the word treasure.
Unlike Nami, who's obsessed with money, Luffy just loved the thrill of chasing treasure through an epic adventure.
"I've decided!!! We're going to explore the Rainbow Mist next!!!"
Usopp stared blankly at Bai Ye, totally defeated.
"Sure, spoil him more why don't you…"
"Haha. On a pirate ship, the captain decides where we go," Bai Ye replied with a smirk.
Right then, Robin joined in too,"And besides, I'm curious myself."
Her smile, though, held something a little deeper. Like she was hiding a secret.
Suddenly, rhythmic drumming echoed from outside the restaurant.
"....."