"The commotion over there is quite intense."
Staring at the wreckage of a ship falling from the sky in the distance, Brook said, "Could it be that Sanji and the others have gotten into a fight with someone?"
"How is that possible?"
Usopp shook his head and said, "Sanji and the others don't have the ability to throw ships.
Kicking people and throwing ships are two completely different things."
"Not necessarily."
Meiser, who was also staring into the distance, narrowed his eyes and said, "If Nami develops her abilities well enough, she could lift a ship too."
As long as she uses enough clouds with sufficient quality, she can lift a ship!
"You said it yourself—if she develops them well enough," Usopp said. "But I don't think Nami can do that yet."
"Then it must be the enemy."
After saying this, Meiser suddenly froze, as if he had noticed something.
That flag... is it the Marines?
Upon hearing Meiser's words, Zoro's expression immediately turned serious.
He could slice a ship apart, but lifting one was beyond him.
So... the enemy they were facing this time might be quite troublesome.
Thinking this, Zoro was about to say something, but before he could speak, Meiser said, "Something's off. The wreckage in the distance belongs to a Marine warship!"
"A warship?"
Usopp was taken aback, then said with a grim expression, "Why would the Marines be here?"
Wasn't it said that the guy named Caesar wasn't affiliated with the World Government? So why are the Marines here?
Could that long-necked Centaur have lied earlier?
But that doesn't make sense either...
He knew just how powerful Meiser's Sharingan was, so the other party must have been telling the truth.
Then the question arises: what's the deal with these Marines?
The others shared similar thoughts, all puzzled as to why the Marines would appear here.
"Damn it, why are the Marines here?" Brownbeard said with a grim expression. "Could something have happened to my master?"
If those damned Marines dared to lay a hand on his master, he'd kill every last one of them!
Noticing Brownbeard's reaction, Nico Robin said, "These Marines probably aren't working with the people here."
"Then why would the Marines..."
"Perhaps these Marines are here to capture them," Nico Robin said.
Of course, this was just speculation.
Whether it was true or not would require going over to investigate.
"It's also possible that these Marines made some kind of deal with the people here," Meiser said calmly.
Nico Robin nodded upon hearing this, acknowledging the possibility.
But Brownbeard immediately retorted, "Impossible! How could my master collude with the Marines?"
The evil Marines are the most despicable people!
How could my great master ever be willing to cooperate with such scum?
Don't be ridiculous!
In response, Meiser merely sneered and didn't bother with Brownbeard.
After all, this guy was just someone else's subordinate—how could he possibly know Caesar's thoughts?
In Meiser's eyes, a mad scientist was capable of anything!
"Never mind, let's go check out the situation first," Luffy said.
He didn't care about those Marines; he only cared about his crewmates.
"Alright!"
Just then, Law emerged from behind a massive rock in the distance, walking step by step toward the laboratory at the rear.
"Huh?"
"That guy is..."
As if recognizing who Law was, Luffy immediately stood up, waving his arms and shouting, "Hey!"
"It's you!"
"Hmm?"
Hearing the commotion, Law paused briefly before turning to look in Luffy's direction.
Once he saw what was happening, he furrowed his brow.
"This is... the Straw Hat Boy, right?"
First, Black Leg and the others, and now the Straw Hat Boy himself.
What a nuisance...
"If I remember correctly, this guy is the one we met at Sabaody Archipelago, right?" Zoro said.
Back when they were killing Celestial Dragons at the No. 1 auction house, this man happened to be present.
"Yeah, that's right, it's him," Usopp nodded in agreement.
He remembered this incident too.
"Trafalgar Law..."
Meiser stared intently at Law, stroking his chin as he said, "So, that lower-half guy was talking about the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea—this must be the one."
As he spoke, Meiser recalled the intel he'd previously obtained from Shakky.
Among the new generation of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea, there was indeed someone like this.
"It should be him," Nico Robin nodded.
She had also looked into the other party's information and clearly knew this person was one of the new Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea.
"Then I'll go ask him," Luffy said, jumping off Brownbeard's body. "Let's see if he knows anything."
With that, Luffy quickly charged toward Law, not even giving Meiser and the others a chance to speak.
Meiser: ...
Watching Luffy run over without any caution, Meiser twitched his lips and said, "Don't tell me Luffy sees him as a fellow Supernova buddy..."
Supernovas from the same generation aren't friends—they're rivals on the path to becoming the Pirate King, for crying out loud!
"Seems like it," Usopp said, his lips twitching.
Given Luffy's personality, he was definitely the type to do something like this.
"Should we stop him?" Merry asked.
As she spoke, she slowly raised her hand.
If her crewmates said the word, she'd act immediately to bring Luffy back.
"No need," Meiser said calmly. "With Luffy's strength, even if that guy wants to try something, he'll have to think twice."
"So... let him go."
They were a hundred times stronger now than they were two years ago, so there was no need to worry about Luffy's safety.
If that guy named Law really didn't know his place, they wouldn't mind taking him out!
"Yeah, Meiser's right."
Zoro crossed his arms, calmly looking toward Law in the distance. "So let's wait and see. Who knows—maybe Luffy really can get some information out of him."
The others nodded upon hearing this, agreeing with Zoro's assessment.
Then, Usopp spoke up: "Speaking of which... what exactly is this guy's ability?"
"Why can he cut a person's body into pieces like that?"
As he spoke, Usopp glanced at the lower half of Kin'emon's body behind Luffy, his expression gradually turning strange.
What kind of ability could do this?
Cutting someone like that without killing them?
That's really terrifying...
"I know."
Nico Robin spoke up: "Trafalgar Law, an Op-Op Fruit Ability User."
After recalling the newspaper she had seen earlier, Nico Robin nodded firmly, confirming her own statement.
"Op-Op Fruit?"
Usopp asked, puzzled: "What kind of ability is that?"
An ability related to surgery?
Could it be... this guy is also a doctor?
"I don't know that," Nico Robin shook her head and said: "I only know the name of his Devil Fruit, but I don't know the effects of his ability."
"But from the current situation... it should have the ability to cut people apart without killing them."
As she spoke, Nico Robin pointed in the direction of the warship wreckage, where many Marines missing arms and legs were desperately searching for their own body parts, creating a vivid scene.
Usopp: ...
"This scene is really bizarre," Usopp remarked.
A headless body wandering around looking for its head, while the head on the ground curses its own body.
It feels really weird...
If he hadn't seen this Half-Human before, he might have been scared by these guys.
"Indeed."
The others nodded in deep agreement; the scene was truly bizarre.
"It's been a long time, Torao," Luffy said with a grin as he looked at Law. "What are you doing here?"
Seeing Luffy acting so familiar, Law instinctively frowned. This guy is a bit too... "That has nothing to do with you, Straw Hat-ya."
"Don't be so distant. We did meet at Sabaody Archipelago, after all."
"A coincidence," Law said flatly. "Don't forget we're both pirates, Straw Hat-ya."
As pirates, they would eventually clash over the One Piece, so there was no need to get friendly.
Luffy clearly understood Law's meaning, but he wasn't angry. After all, he had been prepared for this from the very beginning.
"Ah, I know."
Luffy nodded, then continued: "Anyway, Torao, there's something I want to ask you."
Law: ...
So, what the hell is "Torao" anyway?
Forget it, no need to get worked up over this guy. After all, he was just as ridiculously dense two years ago.
Sighing helplessly in his heart, Law raised his hand and pointed to the path behind Luffy. "I probably know what you're looking for. Go around to the back of the research institute. The person you're looking for is there."
"Souka~"
"Thanks!" Luffy grinned, showing his teeth.
"It's nothing," Law said flatly.
As long as it doesn't interfere with his plans.
This time, Luffy didn't say anything more. Instead, he turned and ran toward his crewmates.
Watching him leave, Law slowly narrowed his eyes.
"The Straw Hat Crew..."
At that moment, Law's thoughts began to stir.
After a light chuckle, Law turned and walked toward the research institute.
After returning to his companions, Luffy laughed and said, "I didn't expect that guy to be so nice. He actually told me where our friends are right away. I really didn't misjudge him!"
"What did you talk to him about?" Usopp asked curiously.
"He told me that Nami and the others are behind the research institute," Luffy said, pointing in that direction. "If we go there, we should be able to meet up with them."
"I see..."
Usopp nodded. This information had come surprisingly easily.
Meanwhile, Meiser gazed thoughtfully in the direction where Law had disappeared. He couldn't shake the feeling that something about that guy seemed off.
A Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea appearing in a place like this... What was he after?
Could it be that the person conducting human experimentation was collaborating with this Royal Seven Warlord?
At this thought, Meiser furrowed his brow.
"It seems he really doesn't want us getting close to this building," Nico Robin said with a light laugh.
He was so eager to send us away to look for Nami and the others elsewhere... What exactly is Trafalgar Law plotting?
"Whatever he's hiding, it has nothing to do with us," Zoro said calmly. "The priority right now is to find Nami and the others."
"Yohohohoho~"
"That's right~" Brook chuckled. "Finding our companions is what matters most~"
As for the Royal Seven Warlord's secrets?
There was no need to dig deeper—it wouldn't do anyone any good.
Hearing this, Luffy grinned and patted Brownbeard's body. "Hey, crocodile centaur, pick up the pace!"
"I'm already going as fast as I can!" Brownbeard retorted helplessly.
How much faster did they expect him to run?
Then, with a sidelong glance toward the laboratory, Brownbeard thought to himself, "Law, I understood that last look you gave me... You want to save me, don't you?"
He understood!
He understood everything!
He would obediently follow these guys' orders until his master and Law came to rescue him!
Meanwhile, on the other side.
In the area behind the research institute, Nami and the others were huddled together for warmth.
"We can't go on like this," Chopper said anxiously, glancing at the children clinging to each other. "The children are reaching their limit."
"Then why don't you take off that fur coat of yours?"
"What kind of nonsense are you talking?!" Chopper roared, opening his Shark Mouth. "How am I supposed to take this off?!"
This fur is part of my body, you idiot!
"There's really no need for that," Sanji chimed in. "After all, it's just one layer of fur."
Chopper: ??
You idiot, is that really the point?!
"If only we could find some warm clothes," Perona said, scanning their surroundings. "Or even a room sheltered from the wind."
Anything would be better than freezing out here.
"Where are we supposed to find clothes in a place like this?" Nami said, feeling a headache coming on.
There were no villages or shops nearby... Even having money would be useless!
"If only Merry were here..." Chopper murmured, lowering his head. "Her pockets would definitely be filled with plenty of clothes."
If she were here, she could surely dress the children in warm coats!
"That may be true, but we can't contact them right now," Nami said.
After speaking, she considered whether she could use the power of clouds to block the wind.
But she immediately dismissed the thought, because... she wasn't in her own body right now.
"At this point... I'll have to do it."
"Huh?"
Everyone was taken aback by Kin'emon's words, then looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Do you have a way to get winter coats?" Perona asked curiously.
"That's right."
Kin'emon instinctively wanted to nod, but gave up when he remembered he was only a head now.
Then he continued, "Everyone, find a small stone and place it on your head. Leave the rest to me."
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
"Trust me," Kin'emon said seriously.
Franky and the others exchanged glances upon hearing this, then decided to trust him this once.
Soon, everyone followed Kin'emon's instructions and placed a small stone on their heads.
Then Nami said, "Alright, we've done as you asked. You can begin."
Franky glared and said, "If you dare chant some nonsense spell for keeping warm, I'll beat you to death!"
"Of course not, I possess sorcery!"
With that, Kin'emon said no more, immediately closed his eyes, and activated his Devil Fruit Ability.
The next moment...
Poof!
White smoke drifted by, and thick winter coats instantly appeared on everyone!
"Winter coats?"
Nami stared in astonishment at the coat she was wearing. "How did you do that?"
"Because I once ate a miraculous fruit, I can change others' outfits at will," Kin'emon explained.
Perona: ??
"That's just a Devil Fruit!" Perona retorted. "You've eaten this kind of fruit before, so why did you say you didn't know about it?"
Was he lying for fun?
Or did this guy have some other ulterior motive?
Thinking this, Perona's gaze toward Kin'emon held a hint of scrutiny.
If this guy really dared to have any bad intentions, she wouldn't mind teaching him a lesson.
"I don't know what a Devil Fruit is. I only know I ate a miraculous fruit," Kin'emon said.
Perona: ...
What was this?
Too ignorant?
"By the way," Kin'emon added as if remembering something, "since these clothes are created by sorcery, never take them off, or they'll disappear."
The others nodded upon hearing this, indicating they understood.
"So, you're a Devil Fruit Ability User..." Franky glared as he approached Kin'emon. "Then why didn't you show it earlier, you bastard!"
"Didn't you see the kids were about to cry from the cold!"
Thump!
At the end, Franky jumped up and kicked Kin'emon's head, leaving a big bump on it!
"?"
Chopper stared dumbfounded at Franky. "Franky, what are you doing?"
"Because this guy deserves a beating, of course," Franky said irritably. "Having this kind of ability and not using it sooner—what was he thinking?"
What if the children catch a cold?
Chopper pursed his lips upon hearing this. That made sense, but...
Huh?
Why is this guy blushing?
Seeing Kin'emon blushing, Chopper's head was instantly filled with question marks.
Do people blush when they get beaten up?
"Tell me, what on earth were you thinking?" Franky glared at Kin'emon and said.
"Of course it's because of the swimsuits..."
Kin'emon cleared his throat and said, "It's such a rare opportunity to see such a wonderful sight. Covering it up would be such a waste..."
Nami: ??
Hearing Kin'emon's words, Nami's head was instantly filled with question marks, then she angrily shouted, "Are you an idiot, you jerk!"
"Thump!"
"Thump!"
"Thump!"
"Ah!!"
Kin'emon, who had been beaten up, immediately let out a miserable scream that made people's scalps tingle.
Seeing this, the children immediately showed fearful expressions.
"Princess is so scary..."
Hearing the children's words, Perona sighed helplessly, then she looked at Nami and said, "Nami, that's my body..."
"Ah, sorry."
Nami put away her fists and said, "But don't you want to beat this guy up too?"
Perona blinked upon hearing this, then smiled and said, "I do!"
Nami immediately laughed. Well, there you have it.
Beating this guy up is the right thing to do!
"Hey~"
"Everyone~"
"So you're all here."
The few who heard Luffy's voice were stunned for a moment, then looked toward the back with joy and said, "It's Luffy's voice!"
"Great, they're here!!"