The day after the wild banquet, sunlight bathed the deck of the Merry.
Giyu walked near the kitchen and saw Sanji cleaning up the mess from the previous night while taking stock of the kitchen supplies.
Suddenly, Sanji stared at the empty refrigerator, the cigarette in his mouth trembling slightly.
"Hey!"
Sanji's voice suddenly rose as he kicked an empty plate, sending it clattering across the floor. "I specifically saved enough food for ten people... Which bastard ate it all?!"
He immediately rushed outside and saw Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper sitting in a row, all patting their round bellies in unison. Their faces showed expressions of innocence that couldn't quite conceal their guilt.
"The meat... flew away on its own..." Luffy's eyes drifted toward the sky, though traces of meat still lingered around his mouth.
"Chopper, did you see any meat?" Usopp nudged the little reindeer with his elbow.
"Huh? I... I don't know..." Chopper was still a bit groggy from the hangover, his small face slightly flushed as he waved his hands in panic.
"Don't play dumb with me!" Sanji's veins bulged at his temples. "You three are in charge of today's dinner ingredients! Go fishing! If you don't catch three decent-sized fish, you'll be gnawing on fish bones tonight!"
Amid their collective wails, the fishing team was forcibly escorted to the ship's railing by Sanji.
Not long after they set sail, the scenery ahead became strange.
Thick, warm white steam hung like a massive curtain over the entire sea, significantly reducing visibility and making the air humid and stifling.
"Wow! Is that fog? Such heavy fog!" Chopper stared at the scene in wonder. Having left his island for the first time, he'd never seen such a vast expanse of white.
Nami walked over, touching the already damp railing as she explained:
"It's not ordinary fog, Chopper. This is a hot spot phenomenon. There's volcanic activity under the sea heating the water, creating all this steam."
"After thousands or tens of thousands of years... a new island might be born here."
"A new island?!" Luffy's attention was instantly captured, his eyes shining. "A new island must mean new adventures! And different kinds of meat!!"
"Idiot, is this really the time to think about that? That's tens of thousands of years from now!" Usopp retorted while resignedly casting his fishing line into the slightly scalding seawater.
Amid the chaos, Usopp's fishing rod suddenly jerked downward!
"Got one! So strong! It must be monster-level! Definitely a huge fish!!" Usopp braced his feet against the ship's railing, pulling back with all his might while calling for Luffy to help.
However, what emerged from the water left everyone stunned.
It was a man wearing a white swan coat, with exaggerated makeup and a peculiar headdress.
"How... it's an okama?"
He lay dripping wet on the deck, coughing a few times before suddenly springing up and striking a perfect ballet pose, his voice booming:
"How terribly embarrassing!! You pirates who have never met this humble one before, saving me!!"
"This kindness!! I shall never forget it for all eternity!!"
His gaze swept over the astonished crowd before finally settling on Luffy, a theatrically exaggerated smile spreading across his face. "To express my gratitude for saving me, allow this humble one to perform a special act for your entertainment! This is my signature technique!"
No sooner had he spoken than he suddenly struck without warning, slapping the curious Luffy who had leaned in close and sending him flying.
"Ouch! What was that for?!" Luffy rubbed his cheek as he got up, completely bewildered.
Instantly, everyone grew wary of this okama, but he merely chuckled and said:
"Don't be so hasty!"
With a touch of his left hand, another Luffy appeared on the deck in the blink of an eye, even his voice identical: "I told you, don't be so hasty!"
"This humble one is an Ability User who ate the Mane Mane no Mi. I can mimic others perfectly~"
"His voice... his build... they're exactly the same..." Nami stared dumbfounded at the okama, marveling at how absurd this ability was.
Next, Mr.2 proceeded to touch Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper one by one. Only Vivi and Giyu watching from the upper deck remained untouched. Every person he touched was replicated with astonishing accuracy.
"Wooooow! So cooool!!"
Luffy instantly forgot about being slapped away earlier and cheered loudly together with Usopp and Chopper, even pulling the okama into their celebration.
After performing these transformations, Mr.2 seemed even more enthusiastic.
"Now let me show you some faces I've mimicked in the past!"
His face began shifting rapidly, displaying several unfamiliar faces in succession before finally settling on the stern, bearded visage of a middle-aged man.
"Hahaha! Isn't this fascinating!"
He reverted to his original form and laughed triumphantly just as a swan-shaped ship slowly approached.
"Ah, my companions have arrived..."
A trace of sadness crossed Mr.2's face as he walked to the ship's railing. Suddenly turning back, tears even welling in his eyes, he declared, "Wah! All good things must come to an end! Kind pirates, we part ways today! The joy of this meeting, this humble one shall never forget!"
"We'll never forget you either!!!" Luffy, Usopp and Chopper tearfully responded.
With tears streaming down his face, he leaped back to his own ship, and the two vessels slowly drifted apart in the thick fog.
"Alright, let's set sail!!"
"Yes!!! Master Bon Clay!!"
Only when the swan ship had completely disappeared did Vivi snap out of her daze. Her face turned deathly pale, her trembling finger pointing toward where Mr.2 had vanished, her voice quivering slightly:
"That... that person... is Baroque Works' senior agent... Mr.2!!"
"That last face he transformed into... was my father's face!!"
The atmosphere on the deck instantly froze. The smiles on Luffy and the others' faces stiffened as they immediately asked: "Vivi! Didn't you know what he looked like?!"
"No... I've never seen Mr.2 before..."
"But I've heard rumors about him - a tall okama who speaks very effeminately. He likes wearing swan coats with 'The Way of the Okama' written on the back..."
Zoro immediately showed an exasperated expression, covering his face as he said: "You should have recognized him much earlier."
Giyu had quietly descended from the second floor at some point. His gaze swept over Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper—whose faces had been touched by Mr.2—before finally settling on Vivi's pale expression.
He spoke calmly:
"If he later learns our identities and uses your faces to launch an attack when we let our guard down…" Giyu paused, as if visualizing the scenario.
He didn't continue, but the terrifying implications hung heavily in the air. Trust was the strongest bond among the Straw Hat Pirates—and their enemy could precisely exploit that weakness.
"Th-that was close!" Usopp belatedly clutched his head in realization. "But thankfully! You and Sanji weren't touched, Giyu! And Vivi too!"
Nami's expression turned grave as she continued Giyu's train of thought, her voice laced with worry: "What's more troublesome is the situation in Alabasta… That guy is from Baroque Works."
"If he could transform into the king… I can't even imagine what might happen."
Just then, Zoro—who had been quietly holding his swords—let out a low, almost sinister chuckle.
"Heh."
All eyes turned to him.
"We don't need to fear him that much under these circumstances." Zoro lifted his head, sharp-eyed, with a faint smirk. "Shouldn't we actually be grateful?"
"Grateful?" Usopp looked confused.
Zoro affirmed, "We should be glad we encountered him earlier. Now we can prepare countermeasures. Far better than being stabbed in the back at a critical moment in Alabasta!
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