Chapter 94: LaboonLuffy watched all of this unfold, and he simply couldn't stand the behavior of those two people."I can't take it anymore!"Having said that, he went behind the two of them and punched them both directly.You have to say, as expected of young people, they could fall asleep the moment their heads hit the ground.This time, Alex didn't need to bluff them, because this time they really had fallen asleep.The others didn't say anything when they saw this scene, but Crocus, who had climbed onto his own ship, was a bit confused as to what these people were doing.But never mind, as long as Laboon wasn't hurt, it was fine.Luffy ordered the ship to be sailed over and docked next to Crocus's ship.The group brought the two tied-up people before Crocus."These two people, plus this whale you've modified, and that collision from just now—Old Man, can you tell us the truth about all of this now?"Alex asked him about this place and everything that had just happened.The others also came over to listen to the story, only Luffy wasn't interested in hearing it; he climbed up a nearby coconut tree, wanting to taste what the coconuts here were like.Zoro also walked to the side and started snoring away in his sleep.Crocus looked at the people in front of him, especially Alex; if he hadn't intervened, Laboonwould definitely have been hurt by them."Since you want to know, I'll tell you all about it.The place you are in right now is inside Laboon's stomach. Laboon is the name of this whale, and its species is an Island Whale.It is a type of whale that lives in the West Blue, and it is also the largest species of whale in the world.As for those two guys, they are scoundrels living in a nearby town. I don't know if it's because of a food shortage, but that led them to set their sights on Laboon.Because its meat would be enough for the town to eat for two or three years.But I won't let them get away with it!"As for Laboon constantly ramming its head against the Red Line and roaring towards Reverse Mountain, there is a reason for that.That happened a long time ago. One day, a long time ago, I was guarding the lighthouse as usual.Suddenly, a friendly group of pirates came down from Reverse Mountain, and a small whale was following behind their ship.That whale was Laboon.By the looks of them, it seemed like they had been traveling with Laboon ever since the West Blue.But that journey was just too dangerous, so they had originally intended to leave Laboon in the West Blue.However, Island Whales are naturally social animals.And since Laboon had been separated from its family since it was young, it ended up treating that group of pirates as its companions.Before arriving at the Grand Line, their ship broke down during the journey.So, they stayed at Twin Capes for several months.And I became good friends with them as well.But before they finished repairing their ship and prepared to set off, the Captain came to find me.He entrusted me with a request, saying: 'Could you please look after it for two or three years? We will definitely return here after we have circled the world.'Laboon understood as well, so it has been waiting here with me ever since.""So it keeps roaring and ramming its body against the cliff, calling out to those companions who left?"In response to Nami's question, Crocus nodded and told a story that was difficult for everyone to accept."That's right... but that was a story from fifty years ago..."Hearing this, everyone fell silent. Everyone understood exactly what fifty years meant.At this moment, Laboon also recovered from the effects of the sedative, and then it roared up at the sky once again, calling out to its companions from fifty years ago."Oooooooooh!"After finishing the story of Laboon, everyone followed Crocus's ship and left Laboon's body.Then, everyone arrived at the canal Luffy had passed through earlier. Seeing this, they couldn't help but marvel at how amazing he was."Putting everything else aside, this canal is incredibly wide.""But to have such a huge hole opened inside its stomach and still be able to survive. Was this just done for fun?""It doesn't seem so. Laboon has been constantly ramming the Red Line; who knows if its skeleton can still hold up. The old man doing this was clearly to reinforce Laboon's body, preventing it from dying due to bone fractures.It's like installing metal braces on broken bones to protect them and prevent them from healing crookedly.""So that's it.""That white-haired kid is right, though this could also be considered a bit of a playful whim on my part as a doctor.Don't judge me by my appearance; I am a doctor, and I used to run a clinic at Twin Capes.At the same time, I've also worked as a ship's doctor, although it was only for a few years."Hearing Crocus's words, Luffy became excited."A ship's doctor? Really, old man? Then be our ship's doctor!""Don't talk nonsense. I'm not like you lot; I don't have the energy to go running around recklessly anymore."The ships arrived at the main gate, and Crocus got off his ship to open it."Doctor... so you treat it from inside the whale's body?""That's right, that is indeed the case. It is so huge that it's impossible to treat it from the outside."Crocus replied to Nami's question while opening the gate."Everyone, pay attention! I'm opening the gate!"Having said that, the gate slowly opened. At the moment it opened, the going merry, along with Crocus's ship, sailed out of the whale's body and arrived at the real outside.Seeing the long-lost sunlight, everyone felt a sense of relief in their hearts."We're out! The real sky!""Hey, Luffy, what should we do with these two guys?"Looking at the two people lying on the deck, Luffypointed to the sea nonchalantly."Just dump them nearby."As soon as the two entered the seawater, they were jolted awake by the icy ocean."Gurgle, what?!""It's... it's the ocean of stomach acid!""No, that's not right. Calm down, Ms. Wednesday, this is the real ocean.""It seems we were knocked out by those pirates, Mr. 9!"Seeing the two wake up, Luffy leaned over the ship's railing and asked them."Hey, who exactly are you two?"Hearing Luffy's question, the two looked up at him, and then the woman said to Luffy with disdain."You're so long-winded! Who we are has nothing to do with you!"But the man beside her stopped his partner."Wait a moment, Ms. Wednesday. Since they are pirates, doesn't that mean it has something to do with us?"Hearing his words, Ms. Wednesday nodded. That's right, who said it had nothing to do with them? This had everything to do with them."That's true, Mr. 9! It really does have a lot to do with our organization."Having realized this, the two swam away into the distance."We'll meet again, you bunch of country bumpkin pirates!""And you, Crocus! Sooner or later, we will take down this whale!"Watching the two leave, Alex shook his head. Seeing them depart, he didn't give it any further thought.Sanji, however, was still watching the figures of the two in the distance, sighing as he did so."Her name is Ms. Wednesday... what a mysterious woman."Unable to stand his antics, Alex went to the other side and saw Luffy studying something transparent."Luffy, what are you looking at?""Ah, Alex, come take a look. What is this? Did it fall off those two?""Hmm, I'm not sure either. It looks like a compass. It might be something unique to the Grand Line, or perhaps it can guide us to that treasure location.""Treasure! Where, where?"Nami, who was observing the sea surface, heard there was treasure and ran over with speed faster than light, wanting to see what kind of treasure map it was.All she saw was a transparent glass dome covering a needle; she didn't see any treasure."What the... I guess it's just another specially shaped compass. Sigh, I got excited for nothing."After saying that, Nami left and continued to enjoy the scenery.Usopp went over to Crocus."Old Man, is this really okay? If you let them go, they'll come back sooner or later to target the whale!"Crocus replied nonchalantly: "Even if we caught them, other scoundrels would just come along."The group arrived at Twin Capes and began to rest. Sanji looked at Laboon and started muttering to himself."Still, it's actually stayed in this strait for fifty years. Does it still believe its companions will come back?"Luffy was leaning against a rock, resting, and said nonchalantly."Those pirates are really hard to wait for..."Before Luffy could finish, Sanji, who was sitting on a table, expressed his own opinion."Idiot, this is the Grand Line! The pirates who said they'd return in two or three years haven't come back even after fifty years... the answer is obvious.""They're dead. After all, it was Roger's crew who became the Pirate King, not them. This means they didn't complete the journey around the world; either they fled, or they are already buried at the bottom of the sea!"Alex voiced what Sanji had wanted to say.Sanji, standing nearby, also exhaled a puff of smoke, becoming quiet.Usopp was furious and started shouting at Alex."How can you say such discouraging things! Nothing is clear yet; maybe they will come back! Don't you think this story is touching? A whale, keeping its promise to its companions all this time..."Before Usopp could finish, Crocus's words made him shut his mouth."But the truth is crueler than you'd imagine. They fled. From this Grand Line... This point has already been confirmed by reliable intelligence."Usopp didn't believe this, nor did he believe what the other man said. He still firmly believed that they hadn't died or fled, but were still struggling in this vast sea."W-what... what are you talking about, you old geezer! They...""Calm down, Usopp. He is an elder, after all, not to mention that those pirates were his friends. Who would ever slander their own friends like that? Since Mr. Crocus can say such a thing, it means... it means that what he said is the truth!"Alex stopped Usopp from continuing to yell. At the same time, the others realized that being able to speak ill of friends was indeed... Thinking of this, Usopp was no longer agitated.Nami, standing nearby, also couldn't believe it and continued to ask him if all of this wasn't true."No way... abandoning the whale... no way, right? But to escape, you have to pass through the Calm Belt!"
Chapter 95: A New PromiseCrocus looked out at the sea and said with a calm expression."Yeah, I don't believe it either. That's exactly why their fate remains unknown... However, even if they were still alive, it would be impossible for them to return to this ocean again. After all, the seasons, weather, ocean currents, and wind directions here are all unpredictable. Nothing you try works here. The terror of the Grand Line lies in its ability to instantly destroy the hearts of the weak."After listening to the explanation, Sanji put down the cigarette in his hand."So, those people were just cowards, weren't they? For the sake of their own lives, they couldn't be bothered to keep their promise. Then they just slipped away from these waters in the blink of an eye."Hearing this, Usopp no longer held onto his previous thoughts and began to rebuke those pirates."So they really abandoned this whale? Even though Laboon trusted them so much and waited here for a full fifty years! That's too much!"Nami also had some questions: "Since you know the truth, why didn't you tell it? Can't this whale understand human language?"Crocus shook his head and let out a long sigh."I held nothing back and told it everything. But it wouldn't listen..."It was true; at the time, Crocus had explained it to Laboon over and over again, but the other party wouldn't listen. Even after Crocus finished, Laboonwould just howl loudly at the Twin Capes."From howling at Reverse Mountain at first, to getting louder and louder, until it started slamming its body against the Red Line. It seemed to firmly believe that they would soon... soon return from the other side of the cliff! It was as if this wall was preventing them from reuniting. Later, I tried time and time again to tell it the truth about those pirates. But it adamantly refused to accept reality."After listening to the explanation, Sanji exhaled a deep cloud of smoke."This whale is truly lamentable... To be let down by someone and yet continue to wait. Even though there's no point in waiting!""Yes, it's precisely because it lost the meaning that it refuses to accept my words. Losing the meaning of waiting is more terrifying than anything else."Luffy, who had been lying on the side, seemed to realize something. He flicked away the booger in his hand, stood up, and went over to the going merry. Alex saw his actions and thought he had some sort of plan.But when he saw Luffy trying to break the mast, Alex immediately flashed over to stop him."Idiot Luffy, are you trying to destroy the going merry!""What are you doing, Alex? I'm going to save that whale, this is the only way!"Seeing that Luffy was still trying to break the mast, Alex immediately used the Water Prison Technique to trap him."Calm down! Are you prepared to destroy the going merry just to save another being! Tell me your plan, and I'll help you!"After saying this, Alex released the Water Prison Technique.Luffy looked into Alex's eyes, stepped away from the mast, and followed Alex to the side."Good grief, Luffy, tell me your battle plan first."Luffy leaned over to Alex's ear and explained his plan."Fight! Have a fight with it!""Ahem, you... sure are direct!"Hearing Luffy's words, Alex started coughing, though that was indeed Luffy's train of thought. Since they were going to fight, let's come up with some equipment suitable for this battle. First, he sensed the hard material around him—the Red Line—and then infused Chakra into the rock of the Red Line. Then, he broke it down and quickly reassembled it, repeating this process. Unfortunately, the Red Line was too hard, and Alexreached his limit after refining a cylinder ten meters long and two meters wide.But this was enough. Next, he used Earth Releaseto fill it in. Before long, a crimson stone pillar appeared in Luffy's hands."Luffy, use this!"Luffy looked at the stone pillar in his hand and walked quickly to Laboon."Ooooooh!"The others saw Luffy and didn't know what he was trying to do."What is that idiot trying to do now? Seriously, the moment you take your eyes off him..."At this moment, Luffy followed Laboon's body up to the spot on its head that had been cracked from the impact. Seeing where the blood was spurting, Luffypinpointed the location."Great, that must be its wound! Now, Gum-Gum... Flower Arrangement!"Luffy picked up the stone pillar and drove it hard into Laboon's wound.This caused Laboon unbearable pain, and it began to shake its head constantly, trying to shake the thing out of its wound."Bo-oooooh!""What is that? Where did that stone pillar come from? The color is red, it looks just like the Red Line?""That's something I made. Pretty good, right?"At this time, Alex returned to the group and began to enjoy watching the battle between Luffy and Laboon.The others shouted at Alex: "What are you and that bastard trying to do to Laboon!""That's right, kid, what are you doing to Laboon!"Seeing the anger in everyone's eyes, Alex felt a bit guilty, but he still explained Luffy's reasoning to them."It's like this: after Luffy heard you say that Laboonhad lost the meaning of waiting, he thought about battling it. That way, he could give it a new meaning for waiting as an opponent.""So that's it. But you didn't have to make something like that, kid.""I had no choice. That guy Luffy was going to break off our mast to use as a weapon!""What, the mast! That bastard! Alex, you did the right thing!"By now, Laboon had adapted to the pain. It then swung Luffy toward its own chin and slammed him against the Twin Capes.The powerful force didn't shake the Twin Capes in the slightest, as it was also part of the Red Line. Seeing this, Crocus, who was nearby, began to worry about Luffy."What! Hey, kid..."As he spoke, he started to go forward to check on Luffy's condition. Nami quickly pulled him back, not letting him go forward."It's dangerous, old man! Besides, don't worry, even if that guy gets flattened, he won't die!"Unfortunately, Laboon's actions pulled at the wound on its head once again, and blood sprayed out again."Bo-oooooooh!"Luffy recovered his body, looked at the other, called it a fool, and then stretched out his arm."Bastard! Take this!"He punched Laboon in the eye, but unfortunately, this move didn't cause any damage to Laboon. It lowered its head and saw Luffy attacking it.Then, it leaned down and used the stone pillar on its forehead as a weapon, slamming it forward fiercely. Luffy was sent flying by this blow, crashing headfirst into the lighthouse behind him."Hey, Luffy, are you okay!""Luffy, are you alright!""Do you need my help?"Sanji, Usopp, and Alex came forward to ask how he was. Luffy didn't hear them; he brushed the dust off his body and looked at the other. Laboon saw that he was back up and wanted to continue the attack, but was stopped by Luffy."We're even!"Hearing this, Alex couldn't help but want to complain internally—does "even" mean that the damage you caused came from it hurting itself, while your attacks on it were completely useless? However, Alex held back.Luffy, with a smile on his face, looked at Laboonconfidently."I'm strong, right?"Laboon looked at the other with a confused expression; it didn't know what the other was trying to say. Luffy continued to explain."We couldn't decide a winner, so we definitely have to fight again! Your companions are dead, but I am your opponent."Hearing this, tears welled up in Laboon's eyes; it understood what the other meant."After we sail around the Grand Line, we'll come back to see you! We'll have another fight then!""Bo-oooooh!"After confirming the vow, Luffy, in order to prevent it from slamming its head again, wanted to draw a mark on its head. Alex stopped Luffy."Wait a second, Luffy, drawing it like that isn't very good. Let me repair the 'canvas' first."After saying this, Alex went to the wound, first severing the surrounding nerves, then pulling out the stone pillar, and afterwards restoring the nerves. While he was restoring it, he created clones to go to the other wounds."Hey, kid, what are you doing?"Crocus, being a doctor, saw some issues at a glance, so he quickly asked what the other was doing. Unfortunately, Alex was in the middle of treating Laboon's wounds and had no energy to answer his question. Instead, Luffy, who knew, explained it to Crocus.After learning that the other was using an ability similar to a Devil Fruit to treat Laboon, he no longer stood in his way. Confirming the position, he activated the Mystical Palm Technique.Pale green light emerged from the clones' hands, and those scars seemed to come alive, starting to repair from the outside in.Crocus nodded repeatedly as he watched. Although he didn't know what kind of Devil Fruit this was, he could see the effect of the Mystical Palm Technique: it stimulated cells to accelerate repair. Although it would cause some cellular damage, it resulted in a complete repair. Of course, cellular damage could also be treated with medicine, not to mention that for an Island Whale like Laboon, the loss of some cells was less than what it lost from a single nosebleed.After repairing the last wound, the front of Laboon's head was restored to its original state. Laboon could also feel the situation before it, so it shouted happily."Bo-ooooooooh!"After Laboon's forehead was repaired, Luffy took a huge paintbrush and started painting on Laboon's head. Alex wanted to stop him, but there was no way, so he helplessly retreated to the side to recover his Chakra.After Luffy finished his painting, he nodded in satisfaction. This painting was exactly the same as the mark Luffy had drawn for the first Jolly Roger."Bo-ooooh!""Yeah! Very good! This is the battle promise between you and me! Before we return here, don't go bashing your head and knocking this mark off!""Bo-oh!""Good!"Crocus was indeed a man of wide experience; he had nothing to say in the face of such an abstract painting.Alex, having recovered, looked at this crooked pattern and couldn't help but glance at Usopp to the side. If there was ever a job like this in the future, he would have to make him do it.Usopp shuddered under Alex's gaze, so he ran to the ship to keep Zoro company; after all, Alex's look was too terrifying.Nami sat to the side, planning the route ahead."I should also formulate a sailing plan."Sanji took out the Elephant Tuna and prepared to cook it."Alright, let's use this Elephant Tuna to cook a meal and celebrate our successful entry into the Grand Line!"
Chapter 96 log poseLaboon also returned to the ocean after the paint dried.Just as everyone was busy with their own tasks, a scream pierced through the sky."Ah—"Everyone stopped what they were doing, and Alexretracted the plastic thread from his glove.He had been fishing just a moment ago, but Nami's shout had scared away all the nearby fish.Luffy had been fishing with Alex as well, and seeing the fish run away, he couldn't help but mutter: "What are you doing? So annoying—"Sanji came running over with a large pile of food."What's wrong, Nami-san? I've already prepared lunch for you."Usopp walked over while yawning."Seriously, I was sleeping so comfortably. Nami, what exactly happened?"Zoro was still asleep.And Nami took out a compass and placed it on the table."Everyone, look, the compass is broken! It can't indicate the direction anymore!"Crocus watched the group's surprised expressions from the side, not knowing what to say."It seems you came here without knowing anything, you idiots! Are you here to throw your lives away? I should have told you that in these waters, common sense doesn't apply. So, it's not that your compass is broken."Nami finally realized the meaning behind what Crocus had just said."Could it be a problem with the magnetic field?"Seeing that she could identify the source of the problem, Crocus couldn't help but nod."Correct... because most islands within the Grand Line contain large amounts of minerals. This causes the magnetic fields along the entire route to be completely chaotic. Not to mention that the ocean currents and wind directions here are also unstable. You are a navigator, so you should know how terrifying this situation is, right? If you set sail rashly without any preparation, you will only end up dead."Nami nodded: "Indeed... being unable to determine the route really could lead to dying in the ocean. We really didn't know about this, after all..."She didn't have the heart to finish the sentence, as it was indeed caused by their lack of preparation."Hey, isn't this terrible! Will it be okay if we go on like this?"Usopp was a bit worried about whether they would die at sea.Sanji was still his usual self, complimenting Nami's beauty.Alex first stopped Luffy from continuing to eat; if he let him go on, that elephant-nose tuna would have been finished by him.After all, he hadn't even eaten regular tuna, let alone elephant-nose tuna.After stopping Luffy and preventing him from continuing to enjoy the meal, Alex asked Crocus."So, old man, do you know how to solve this situation?""Of course I know; naturally, there are countermeasures for this. That is the log pose; only this can confirm the direction and allow you to continue moving forward on the Grand Line. And this is a necessity for the Grand Line.""log pose? Never heard of it.""What does it look like?""The log pose is a special compass that can record magnetic forces. As for what it looks like, hmm, it's a strange compass with a transparent cover and a needle inside."At this point, everyone looked at Luffy, because they all knew that he had a compass exactly like the one Crocus described.Luffy patted his clothes, pulled it out from his waist, and asked: "Is it like this?""Yes, yes, that's exactly it. Without this log pose, it's impossible to sail in these waters. It is extremely difficult to obtain one from outside the Grand Line.""I see. We come from the East Blue, where even the Grand Line is like a legend. I guess there definitely wouldn't be any log poses there, so it's no wonder there was no relevant information."Alex nodded, and at the same time, he understood why he hadn't been able to collect any information on this.Nami took the log pose from Luffy's hand and examined it."So this is a log pose. It doesn't have any markings, just a needle indicating a direction..."Perhaps because he heard they came from the East Blue, or perhaps because he saw them helping Laboon, Crocus continued to educate everyone on the basic knowledge of the Grand Line."The islands scattered across the Grand Linepossess magnetic force according to a certain pattern. In other words, you use the log pose to record the magnetic force that attracts one island to another. Relying on it to indicate the direction to the next island is the function of the log pose. After all, in these waters where you can't even determine your own position, you can only rely on the records of the log pose. First, it will select one of the seven magnetic forces emitted from this mountain. But no matter which island the magnetic force starts from, it will eventually converge into one route. And the last island reached is called Laugh Tale, which is the end of the Grand Line. In history, only the pirate crew led by the Pirate King has confirmed the location of that island. It is a legendary island."When he heard about the final island, Usoppexcitedly asked: "Then... is 'ONE PIECE'... also there?"Crocus turned his back and said indifferently: "I don't know. Although this theory is interesting, no one has ever been to that place.""That kind of thing... just go and see for yourself!" Luffy didn't care about this at all and stated a grand goal in a relaxed tone.With the goal confirmed, Nami carefully prepared to put the log pose on her wrist.After confirming the goal, Luffy prepared to continue eating."Alright, the goal is set, let's set off after we finish eating!"As he said this, Luffy reached out again to grab the food on the dining table, but was kicked away by Sanji."You've already eaten enough. This was carefully prepared by me for Nami-san, you stinking Gum-Gum!""Exactly, it was one fish, and you only left half a body for me!""Be grateful, Usopp; if I hadn't stopped him quickly, maybe even the fish bones wouldn't have been left for you."The force of Sanji kicking Luffy away shattered the log pose on Nami's wrist.Seeing the shattered log pose, Nami kicked Sanjiand Luffy flying."You two! Both of you calm down before you come back!"Seeing the shattered log pose in her hand, Usoppand Alex both ran over.Alex thought to himself, it can't be, is their crew's dream going to end right here!Usopp shouted in a panic: "Hey! Isn't that a very important thing! Why did it break!"Nami also looked at Crocus, wanting to cry but having no tears."Crocus, what should we do? The life-critical log pose has been broken!"Crocus didn't think much of it and told the three of them not to worry."Don't panic, I'll give you my log pose. Consider it a gift for helping Laboon."Hearing that there was a new log pose, the three of them finally breathed a sigh of relief.On the other side, it wasn't just Luffy and the other who fell into the sea; there were also Mr. 9 and Ms. Wednesday who had left earlier.Initially, the two prepared to swim back to Whiskey Peak, but Mr. 9 discovered that his log pose was missing.So the two swam back, and then they looked towards Twin Capes through binoculars."How is it? Can you see, Mr. 9?""...Although I'm not quite sure what happened... it looks like the log pose should still be on that woman's wrist."Hearing that the log pose was still there, Ms. Wednesday complained to her partner with some dissatisfaction."You are such a failure! To actually lose such an important thing, the log pose.""I'm really sorry, Ms. Wednesday. Without that thing, we won't be able to return to town, will we."Just as the two were discussing that they had exceeded the expected time, a bird's cry made them break out in a cold sweat.The two looked up and saw a Sea Otter riding a vulture, and the vulture was holding a package in its mouth.Seeing this, Mr. 9 and Ms. Wednesday's expressions changed drastically, and just as the two wanted to explain."Wait a minute! There's a reason for this! Because pirates hindered us!""I... we will report to the boss immediately! We didn't betray him!"Unfortunately, the two animals didn't hear them at all. The Sea Otter sitting on the vulture's back struck the flint in its hand to ignite the fuse, and the vulture threw the explosives in its mouth, which was their answer.The animal duo left, and the explosion of the dynamite blasted the two into the sea.Similarly, Luffy and the others were also kicked here by Nami and entered the sea.The four of them surfaced at the same time. After Sanji sent Luffy to the shore, he discovered those two strange people who had been hunting the whale earlier.Then Sanji gentlemanly went over to Ms. Wednesday."Please give me your hand, Ms. Wednesday."The other party also took the opportunity to hand over her hand: "Ah, thank you."Seeing this scene, Mr. 9 called out to the other party, and then looked at Sanji with a serious gaze."Hey! I have a favor to ask."The two were brought back to the side of the lighthouse by Sanji, and afterwards, the two recounted the sequence of events, though of course, they omitted quite a bit of content."Whiskey Peak? What is that?"Hearing Nami's question, the two were stunned for a moment, not knowing how to answer.After stammering for a long time, they finally said it was the location of the town where they lived."You're saying that because you don't have a ship, you're asking us to take you back there, right? You're dreaming, Mr. 9. Don't forget that you were trying to kill that whale just a moment ago."Usopp, who was on the side, stepped forward and asked them: "Who on earth are you people?""I am a king!" Mr. 9's brain seemed to have been pre-programmed, and he gave this answer.However, under Nami's (physical) threat, he changed his answer.Then the two couldn't take it and knelt in front of Nami, begging her: "We can't say! But we want to return to the town, and we will definitely repay your great kindness!"Ms. Wednesday even put on the appearance of a weak woman."Actually, we don't want to do this kind of thing either, but the rule of our company is mystery, so we can't say anything. We are only asking you because we trust in your character."Crocus, who was on the side, saw this and curled his lip in disdain: "...Forget about them. Regardless, they are not good people."Nami didn't say anything; she first took out the broken log pose with an apologetic look on her face and told the two."Sorry, we broke your log pose; are you still willing to take a ride?"
Chapter 97: Departure! Whiskey PeakUpon hearing Nami's words, the two looked at the broken log pose in her hand and stood up, shouting!"W-what? You actually broke it! That's our property!""We lowered ourselves a little, and you got carried away. Besides, don't forget that without a log pose, you won't be able to go anywhere!"Nami thought to herself that their goal was indeed the log pose; as long as it was that, it was fine.Then, as if performing a magic trick, Nami pulled a complete one from her bosom.Seeing this, Mr. 9 and Ms. Wednesday knelt on the ground again."You are all noble-minded adults, we hope you..."As the two kowtowed to Nami, they cursed her in their hearts."No problem. Get on board."Luffy's words were like an imperial decree, pronouncing the final verdict for the two.For the next while, Nami stood at the position corresponding to Whiskey Peak and began to record the magnetism.As the magnetic recording finished, the log posebegan to shake, finally pointing to one spot and stopping.Seeing this, Crocus said to Nami."This situation means the record has been stored. Now, check if the direction it's pointing matches the chart?"Nami looked at the log pose, then at the chart."Mm, don't worry! It's pointing to Whiskey Peak!"After getting everything ready, Luffy and the others boarded the going merry one after another.At this moment, Crocus asked Luffy again."Are you sure, kid? Choosing Whiskey Peak for the sake of guys like that... This starting point is the only place where you can choose your route."Regarding Crocus's words, Luffy indicated it was fine."No problem, if we don't like it, we can just go around again."Hearing Luffy's answer, Crocus smiled and said: "Is that so..."It seemed he believed Luffy's words about being able to go around again.Then Luffy waved goodbye to him: "Goodbye, Old Man Flower!""Thanks for the log pose!""See you next time, old man!""You must keep Laboon alive and well!"And finally."We're setting off, Laboon!""Booooo-ooooo!"Watching the ship sail away, Crocus muttered to himself."Are they... the pirates we've been waiting for all this time... What an extraordinary boy. Right... Roger?"It seems that the ship doctor position this lighthouse keeper of Twin Capes mentioned was on the Roger Pirates.However, none of this mattered to Luffy and the others anymore.Not long after leaving Twin Capes, they encountered some extremely strange weather.One moment it was raining, and the next, the sun was shining brightly."What's the deal with this crazy weather? Is God having a seizure?""Alex, don't talk so much, hurry up and drain the water off the deck!""Got it, coming, coming. Water Release: Minor Water Shockwave."Under the influence of the Ninjutsu, the rainwater accumulated on the deck was drained from both sides. At first, Alex was complaining, but two seconds later, he felt lucky about Nami's decision.Because as Alex drained the water, the temperature plummeted, and the drained water instantly turned into icicles and fell into the sea.If they had been a step late, their feet might have been frozen by this ice.After confirming there was no danger for the time being, Alex took out the red stones polished from the Red Line.Then, using Chakra, he ground these stones into fine red sand and put it into the gourd on his waist.Then he found a relatively clear spot and began to study the knowledge on the scroll.After all, if he didn't take advantage of his free time to study these things, it would be too late to look at them when he needed them.Thus, Alex sat on the cold deck and flipped through the scroll.After sailing for who knows how long, the temperature got lower and lower, and at the same time, quite a few snowflakes began to fall.Luffy and Usopp ran out of their rooms and came to the deck to build a snowman.After inserting the last piece of wood, Luffy shouted to Usopp."Alright! It's done! The man who fell from the sky, Mr. Snowman!"Usopp, standing to the side, pointed at the other's snowman and laughed."Hahaha... That snowman of yours is too low-class!"Hearing Usopp's mockery, Luffy shouted back at him in dissatisfaction: "What did you say!""Heh heh, come and see! My painstaking snow sculpture art! The Snow Queen!"Beside Usopp was a figure of a beauty carved out of snow, looking lifelike.Upon seeing it, Luffy clapped and cheered."Oh oh! So amazing!""Heh heh, those of yours are nothing, just look at mine!""What? Alex, how dare you mock my snow sculpture, the Snow Queen!"Hearing Alex's mockery, Usopp didn't believe the other could make a better snow sculpture than his."Watch this!"Alex quickly collected the snow on the deck, even collecting what Sanji had swept up.Before long, a suit of armor carved from snow appeared before their eyes.Anyone who played World of Warcraft would recognize this armor; it was the armor worn by the Lich King, Arthas.At the same time, there was a Frostmourne carved from ice next to it."Oh! So... so amazing! Hey, hey, Alex, Alex, can this actually be worn?"Luffy looked at the armor made of snow and sighed in admiration, while Usopp also leaned in to take a look."Of course, but it will be quite cold to wear, so be careful."Ignoring the cold, Luffy put it on directly and picked up the ice sword on the side."So... so cool!"The brightness in Luffy's eyes was about to surpass the sun in the sky. Even Sanji glanced over here frequently. Fortunately, Zoro was sleeping, otherwise he would have stolen a couple of glances too—not at the armor, of course, but at Frostmourne.At this moment, Luffy felt like the happiest person in the world."Wuu... wuuuu... I... I feel like I have no regrets in this life..."Then Luffy ran around the deck wearing this set of armor, which could be considered fulfilling his wish.After taking off the armor, Usopp put it on."So... so amazing! I am now the bravest warrior on the sea!"Luffy looked at Usopp longingly; he wanted to wear the armor again.Then he looked at Alex with a pitiful gaze. Unable to bear it, Alex had to make another set. This set was Uther's equipment, and the weapon changed from Frostmourne to the Hammer of the Lightbringer.After Luffy put it on, he and Usopp started "fighting"."Heh heh, evil knight, are you the one who wants to destroy my princess!""That's right, watch me smash your Snow Queen, Gum-Gum, Ice-Breaking Hammer!"Facing Usopp's provocation, Luffy swung the ice hammer in his hand at Usopp.Seeing this, Usopp immediately held up the sword in his hand to block. If it were a real sword, he might at least be able to parry, but unfortunately, it was made of ice.The ice hammer collided with the ice sword, the ice sword shattered upon impact, and the Snow Queen was also smashed to pieces."Damn evil knight, take this!"Saying this, Usopp threw away the short sword in his hand and smashed the snowman Luffy had made.Seeing his snowman shattered, the two tangled together again.Nami was lying in the kitchen, watching the two playing in the snow wearing armor made of snow."In such cold weather, still wearing snow armor, how are those two guys still so energetic?"Sanji was still clearing the snow on the deck, shoveling every pile he cleared into the sea.Just as he cleared a new pile of snow, Sanji felt Nami's gaze and asked her."Nami-san, how long do I have to sweep the snow of love?""Keep sweeping until the snow stops, Sanji-kun."Encouraged by Nami, Sanji was immediately full of motivation."Yes! At your command♦."At this moment, Mr. 9, hiding in the kitchen, asked Nami with a tremble."Hey, does this ship not have a heating system?"Ms. Wednesday also chimed in from the side, saying it was so cold."How annoying! You aren't guests, hurry up and help sweep the snow!"Rumble! A crack of thunder sounded, and then a bolt of lightning struck the sea.Seeing the lightning appear, Nami went to the window to continue observing the weather."Thunder! What on earth is going on with the weather here? It was clearly a somewhat hot, sunny day just a moment ago, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a snowy day, and there's thunder too.""It seems Crocus was right; the seasons and weather here are fickle."Seeing Nami's fussing, Ms. Wednesday retorted."Looking at how you're making such a fuss, do you think the Grand Line is like your hometown, with predictable patterns? It seems you are underestimating the Grand Line a bit.""By the way, no one has been steering for a while now, is that okay?""A while? I just checked the direction a moment ago..." Nami said, looking at the log pose on her wrist."Ah—""Wh-what's wrong..."Luffy and Usopp, who were playing, stretched their necks and asked Nami."What happened?" Alex also walked over to ask what had happened."Nami-san, what's wrong?" Sanji put down what he was holding and looked at Nami."No way..."As for why Nami was so surprised, it was because she saw that the log pose had deviated by 180 degrees, which meant they were now heading back towards Twin Capes."Quick, turn the ship 180 degrees! Quick!"Usopp and Luffy were a bit confused."Turn 180 degrees? Why go back?""Did we leave something behind?""No! Our ship somehow reversed direction, and now we're heading in the opposite direction! Every time I take my eyes off the log pose, this happens! And it was clearly calm and peaceful...""Don't panic, Nami. Don't forget what Uncle Crocussaid: in the Grand Line, all kinds of weather and climates can occur. Now, we just need to adjust the direction and keep moving forward."Hearing Alex's words, Nami began to stare at the log pose, afraid that the route would change again.Mr. 9 in the kitchen scoffed."You've been played by the waves. And are you really a navigator?"Ms. Wednesday continued to twist the knife."The sea here is just like that. Whether it's the wind, the sky, the waves, or even the clouds, there is nothing that can be trusted. The only thing that remains constant is the direction indicated by the log pose! Do you understand?"Hearing their mocking tone, Nami could take it no longer and kicked both of them flying out of the kitchen."You two, stop acting so self-righteous here! Go help out!"
Chapter 98: The Weirdness of the Grand LineThe two people kicked away by Nami stumbled down the stairs and onto the deck.Mr. 9 helped his partner up and muttered discontentedly at Nami, "What a demanding woman..."Nami also came out of the kitchen and issued orders to the people on deck."Alex, turn the ship's yard to catch the wind, catch the wind from the starboard side!""Roger!""Luffy and Sanji, go control the helm and turn the ship 180 degrees to the left!""Oh! Leave it to me!""Leave it to us, Nami-san!""Usopp, you go handle the jib!""Understood!"Just as everyone was about to execute the orders, they heard Nami call out to stop everyone."Hey, everyone, wait a moment. The wind direction has changed. Why is that?""What? No way?"Usopp was surprised; the wind direction changed too quickly.The two hitchhikers stood to the side, feeling the breeze."Ah~ It's the first strong south wind of early spring."Seeing the situation change, Usopp looked at Zoro, who was still sleeping nearby."Zoro! Wake up! This is an emergency!"Luffy was still looking at the sea next to him with a relaxed expression."Hey, everyone, come over! Look, a dolphin jumped up! Let's go see it!"Alex teleported behind Luffy and knocked on his head, reminding him."Shut up, Luffy. This is a tense moment; we can't afford to relax at all."Usopp looked at the waves that suddenly appeared and reported."Waves have appeared, and they're getting higher and higher!"Alex was also responsible for watching the complex environment around them and reported."Nami, an iceberg has appeared at ten o'clock. Don't worry, I'll take care of it!"Then Alex created clones, one of which went to the waves and used Water Style: Water Wall to stop the waves from approaching.As for the iceberg, he used Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet to melt it.However, as more and more natural disasters appeared, Alex gradually found himself unable to cope."Nami-san, there's a thick fog ahead!""Sanji, don't worry, I'll report the situation from now on. You go prepare food for us!"Sanji ran to the kitchen and began to prepare a large amount of food that could be eaten quickly. To help everyone recover their strength quickly, Sanji even added some soldier ration pills to some of the food."Nami, a huge whirlpool has appeared at eleven o'clock!""Luffy, turn the ship hard to the right!"The fog dissipated, and Nami looked up at the sky, noticing that the clouds above were drifting very fast, which meant a strong wind was coming."Everyone, hurry and tighten the sails! A strong wind is coming!"Before Nami could finish, a hurricane appeared. To buy time for everyone, Alex jumped to the bow and used Wind Release: Breakthrough!He created a whirlwind that wrapped around the going merry, blowing in the opposite direction of the wind.Unfortunately, the hurricane Alex created only held for a while before being torn apart by the outer hurricane, but fortunately, the sails had been furled."Everyone, eat more to recover your strength! Luffy, you're eating too much! Save some for Alex!"Sanji brought the prepared food to everyone.Clang! The sound made everyone's hearts skip a beat."Luffy and Usopp, go to the bottom of the ship and see what's happening. No, wait, Alex, you take a look!"Alex took a look and found nothing major, just that the bottom of the ship was leaking, presumably from hitting broken stones or being smashed by the currents."The bottom of the ship has a big hole! Usopp, hurry up and patch it!"Usopp grabbed various wooden boards and tools and went to the broken spot to start repairs."Nami, focus on the log pose!"Alex reminded Nami, lest everyone busy themselves for nothing and end up realizing they were just spinning in circles.Nami looked at the log pose and sure enough, found that it had deviated by a lot."How is it, Nami?""It's off again! Luffy, keep turning the helm to the left!"Luffy turned the helm until the needle pointed straight ahead, and Nami called for him to stop.But not long after they stopped, a rainstorm started in the sky.At first, no one paid much attention, but as the temperature of the rain got higher and higher, everyone realized that the rising temperature was causing the temperature of the rain to rise.To protect everyone, Alex went to the mast and used Water Style: Water Wall!Under Alex's control, a large amount of water wrapped around the ship, blocking the outside rain.After a few hours, upon sensing that the rain clouds had disappeared, Alex dispelled the Ninjutsu.At this moment, the sky became clear, seagulls flew across the sky, and the sunlight spilled onto the deck; everything was so pleasant.Zoro, woken up by the sunlight, stretched, "Mm... Ugh... Slept enough... Hm?"What Zoro saw was not everyone busy, but rather them lying lazily on the deck resting."...Hey, hey, even if the weather is nice, you shouldn't all be this lazy, right? By the way, is the ship moving along the route? Also, why don't I see Alex?""You..."Hearing the voice, Zoro looked at the people lying on the floor."...Why are you guys on the ship?"Hearing Zoro's words, Mr. 9 shouted, "Slow—!"Luffy sat on the railing, enjoying the weather here while answering Zoro's question."We are heading towards their town now. As for Alex, he and Nami are in the control room."Hearing Luffy's words, Zoro was a little worried."Are we sending them back? We don't have that obligation.""Yeah, we don't."It seemed Luffy just felt it was interesting. Since it wasn't an obligation, Zoro nodded in agreement.Subsequently, he walked up to the two hitchhikers and stared at them, asking for their names.After all, it was better to grasp some basic intelligence."Oh, oh, looking at your scheming faces, forget it. Let me ask you, what were your names again?""I... I am Mr. 9.""I am Ms. Wednesday..."Hearing their names, Zoro started to think. He felt like he had heard this kind of naming scheme somewhere."Is that so... Ever since I first heard your names, I've been pondering... It feels like I've heard it somewhere, but then again, maybe not..."Just as Zoro was searching his memory, he didn't notice someone walking over with killing intent."Forget it... Anyway..."Before he could finish, Nami came up behind him and gave him a fierce punch to the head."...You actually slept until now! No matter how much we called you, you were just snoring away!"Having been hit for no reason, Zoro looked at Namiwith a dark face.Unfortunately, his actions had no effect; the only result was a lot of bumps on his head.Afterward, Zoro held his head and squatted on the spot.After lecturing Zoro, Nami expressed her insights about this place."Alright, everyone, don't let your guard down! After all, who knows what will happen next! I finally realize the terror of this sea area, and I understand why it's called the Grand Line! Because my navigation skills are useless here! That must be it!"Usopp saw Nami's state and thought she had been hit hard, so he hurriedly asked if Nami was okay."Hey, are you okay?""I'm fine! No matter how difficult it is, there must be a way to deal with it! The proof is right there, everyone look!"Following the direction of Nami's finger, everyone saw a patch of fog, but as the fog dissipated, an island appeared.Alex also walked out of the driver's seat at this time and looked at this new island.This meant their first leg of the journey in the Grand Line was over."It's an island! And there are such huge cacti!"This island had several huge cacti. If you looked closely, you could see that these cacti were made of rock. Alex sighed again that the Grand Line was truly magical!"This is Whiskey Peak!""Awesome! Arrived safely!""Yeah, being able to arrive safely after so many adventures, you could say we're really lucky."Suddenly, Mr. 9 and Ms. Wednesday jumped onto the railing."Since we've arrived here, we'll take our leave!""Thank you for taking us back, darlings.""If we're fated, we'll see each other again!""Goodbye, darling." × 2The two finished saying goodbye, did a backflip into the water, and disappeared.The others wanted to stop them and ask why they didn't go in together, but seeing them leave, they didn't stop them."They left...""Who on earth are those two guys?""Whatever, let's land!""Everyone, there's a river straight ahead. It looks like we can enter the interior from there.""Let's go, let's see the first island we've entered since arriving at the Grand Line!"At this moment, Usopp's legs were trembling: "Hey... hey, is this okay? If we enter rashly, what if there are monsters inside?"Nami walked over to Usopp, patted his shoulder, and pointed to Alex, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji, indicating:"Monsters? Who else can compare to these few of ours?""That's right, Nami-san. Also, Usopp, the situation you mentioned is very possible, and the probability is high. After all, this is the Grand Line!"Luffy didn't care: "If there really are monsters, just run away, right?""Actually, you don't have to run, Usopp. After all, with me here, I wouldn't let you die in a monster's mouth. But even if you did die, it wouldn't matter; I have a way to bring you back to life..."Alex put his arm around Usopp and said with a gloomy face.That's what he said, but the premise was that there existed something like the Underworld or the Pure Land in this world; if not, then it would really be over.But after hearing what they said, Usopp felt even more terrified.Then Nami told Usopp an even more terrifying thing: "Wait, Luffy, Alex, if there are monsters on this island, we must stay on this island for a while.""Why?" Luffy and Usopp looked at Nami with confusion.Nami covered her face; when she was talking to old man Crocus, they didn't hear a single word!But there was no other way, so she had to continue explaining to them: "That's because if we don't let this log pose record the magnetism of this island, we won't be able to proceed to the next island! Plus, the time required for each island to record is different. Some islands take a few hours, while others may take a few days."
Chapter 99: Whiskey PeakAfter hearing what Nami said, Usopp's expression turned unusually terrified."You mean, if this is a monster island, even if we want to escape immediately, we have to stay for several days?!""Exactly."Upon confirming this information, Luffy was actually quite happy."Let's go quickly. We can think about such things when the time comes. Besides, Alex will resurrect you, Usopp."Nami glanced at everyone and voiced her plan: she intended to dock the ship at the shore and leave as soon as the log pose was fully charged.Hearing this, Luffy found it unreasonable."Hey~ isn't it strange not to go into such a nice river?""Exactly. With us here, what is there to be afraid of?"Nami shook her head and said, "Maybe you two are fine, but…"Before Nami could finish, Zoro interrupted her."They're right! Let's go, thinking about it is useless!"Sanji came to Nami's side and said confidently, "I will protect Miss Nami's safety!"Usopp, trembling, said, "Hey... everyone listen to me... I... I suddenly... caught a disease that prevents me from stepping onto an island..."Seeing that everyone wanted to enter the island, Nami had no choice but to steer the going merryalong the river into the island."I really can't do anything with you guys. Alright, let's go in. But listen up, everyone needs to be prepared for both running away and fighting."Seeing that everyone was really going in, Usoppcried out, "No... hey... there are... on the island..."Unfortunately, before Usopp could finish, Alexpatted his body, indicating that with him there, there was no need to worry.The going merry moved forward along the river. I don't know when it started, but thick fog drifted over the river channel. If not for the Byakugan, the going merry would have probably crashed into the shore long ago.As the fog rose, sounds came from all around."Hey, look, isn't that a pirate ship?""What? It's... it's true!"Upon hearing the voices, Usopp was so scared that he hugged Alex tightly."I heard people talking. Alex, could it be monsters?!""Is someone talking? The fog is so thick I can't see clearly. Alex, can you see what is talking?""I see people, so many people!"After Alex finished speaking, the voices coming from both sides confirmed his statement."Quick, notify everyone, it's pirates! Pirates have arrived!"Just when everyone thought their arrival was causing panic among the residents, as the fog dissipated...what they saw were smiles."Welcome! Pirates, welcome to the Town of Welcome, Whiskey Peak!""It's pirates!""Welcome to our town!""Welcome to the Grand Line!"Seeing the villagers' behavior, Alex, Zoro, and Namifelt something was off.Conversely, Luffy and Usopp were very happy."What is this... not only are there no monsters, but there are people welcoming us."At this moment, a large crowd had gathered on the shore, waving flags in their hands to warmly welcome everyone's arrival."Long live the warriors of the sea!"Sanji was initially suspicious of these people too, but after seeing a large group of beautiful women, he instantly fell for it.Usopp got off Alex, went to the bow of the ship, and waved to the crowd on the shore."I'm so moved!...As expected, are pirates really the heroes in everyone's hearts!"Luffy, like a monkey, waved his hands and made strange noises."Ooooooh—"Seeing the three's performance, Alex covered his face, looking like he didn't want to acknowledge them.Guided by the crowd, the going merry docked at a suitable part of the shore, and they walked down the plank.At this time, a man with a face resembling both a gorilla and a hippopotamus walked over. His hair was curled in the style of a European judge, hanging long over his shoulders, looking very stylish."Welcome... *cough cough*! Ma—ma—ma—ma—ma~ Welcome, my name is Igaram, and I am the mayor of Whiskey Peak."He certainly spoke with style; after all, who adjusts their vocal tone halfway through speaking?He saw that Luffy and Usopp were unbothered by this place; after all, those three had already been influenced by this atmosphere.Instead, looking at the eyes of the three behind, they were suspicious of this place. It seemed necessary to lower their guard.When Luffy saw the man's hairstyle, he felt very strange and retorted, "Old man, your hair is so curly!"However, Igaram didn't mind, instead continuing to introduce the local customs of the town to everyone.Of course, this was just to lower their guard."Perhaps you are all surprised, but Whiskey Peak is a town with well-developed brewing and music. Hospitality is our glorious tradition. The fine wine we are proud of is as inexhaustible as the seawater. Therefore, tonight, we will use your adventure stories as appetizers for our entertainment. At the same time, we hope you will allow us to hold a banquet to welcome you. I wonder if you... *cough cough*! Ma—ma—ma~~ would do us the honor?"After listening to his explanation, Alex felt something was weird, so he looked at Zoro and Nami and found that they shared the same feeling.To ensure safety, Alex whispered to remind Luffy to be careful.However, after hearing the word "banquet," Luffyand Usopp became excited, and even Sanji joined their ranks.The three shouted in unison, "We'd love to!"Seeing the three of them, Nami whispered, "Three idiots!"Zoro remained the same, still staring at the man, wondering what he was thinking.Alex, however, figured it out: since things were unclear, he would play along with the trap and counter each move as it came.So he walked to Zoro's side, patted his shoulder, and said, "The boat will straighten itself when it reaches the bridge; don't think too much about it."Then he joined the ranks of the three and cheered for the banquet.Seeing that things were like this now, Nami didn't pay too much attention and went to ask Igaram."By the way, how long does it take for the magnetic record of this island to be stored?"Igaram looked at Nami, "Record? Forget about those boring things for now. You're exhausted from the journey, so rest first."After speaking, he turned to the villagers behind him and cheered loudly, "Come on, everyone! Light the bonfire, prepare the banquet, and sing the song of adventurers."Seeing that the other party refused to answer, Namihad no choice but to return dejectedly. She looked at Zoro beside her and sighed that they were the only two who hadn't been tempted.As the sun slowly set, "The banquet begins!"On the distant cactus mountain appeared a Sea Otter riding a vulture. If Mr. 9 and Ms. Wednesdaywere there, they would be able to recognize who these two animals were at a glance.The appearance of the two seemed to bring some bad news to the town.The moon came out, and the welcome banquet at Whiskey Peak continued.Usopp, holding a wine glass, drunkenly bragged to the audience in front of him."At that moment, I coolly said, 'Damn Sea Kings, don't you dare touch my companions!'"The young girls listening to his boasting looked at him with admiration, hearts appearing in their eyes, and said in unison, "So majestic♦—Captain Usopp!"Seeing that everyone liked it so much, Usoppcontinued."But regarding that great escape from the Calm Belt, even I was trembling a little... but that was trembling from excitement."Hearing this, the others raised their glasses together and shouted, "Long live Captain Usopp!"Compared to outside, the tavern was even livelier; Zoro had single-handedly drunk nine strong men under the table.When the last person threw down his glass and shouted, "I give up," the person next to him exclaimed, "Wow—ten people drunk under the table in a row."Even Nami raised her glass and let out a breath of stale air, "Haa—ya—"At this point, she had drunk twelve people under the table in a row! Many people cheered, calling her the Wine Saint.Luffy and Alex's voices penetrated the building."Refill!""Another bowl of ramen!"The chef next to them was so tired he collapsed on the table, shouting, "Spare me."Another chef also said, "Please let us go, our arms are already aching."Similarly, others exclaimed, "The Captain is amazing, he finished all the food for twenty people."Others also exclaimed about Alex's terror, "This little kid finished three whole bags of flour!"On the other side, Sanji began to indulge himself, proposing to twenty women all at once!Someone looked at these guys and exclaimed, "Who on earth are they!"Igaram saw the scene before him and sighed happily, "Hahahaha, what a pleasant... fast... *cough cough*! Ma—ma—ma~~ pleasant night... It's great that everyone is so happy... It's great... As long as everyone is happy, that's all that matters..."In a room not far away, Mr. 9 and Ms. Wednesday, who had escaped from the going merry, were sitting in a room, writing something furiously.Mr. 9 said as he wrote, "Uh... due to the above reasons... the task of procuring food for the town ended in failure... In order to restore our reputation, we successfully lured their group to this Cactus Island... Hereby reporting....Writing in haste, excuse the scrawl. Baby."After finishing writing, Ms. Wednesday took a look, confirmed it was correct, and then put the letter into an envelope."Good... as long as we deliver this letter to the Boss, we will have made up for our mistakes."Ms. Wednesday nodded and said, "Yes, then I will immediately put this letter into the Unlucky Messenger BOX. They will deliver it for us... to the Boss..."Looking closely, the logo on the envelope was exactly the animal combo that blew them both up; it seems these two animals are called the Unluckies.On the other side, in the tavern, Zoro threw down his glass and collapsed on the table; it looked like he had drunk too much."No, I'm not drinking anymore.""Oh! The young man fought to the thirteenth person and finally fell, unable to hold his liquor!"On the other side, Nami just gave a slight hiccup and then finished the beer in her glass.Opposite her was a person wearing a nun's habit.The commentator on the side saw that Nami was still going, "She's already on the fifteenth person, her opponent is a nun!"Nami glanced sideways at Zoro and muttered discontentedly, "Zo...Zoro, he's really useless."As she spoke, she downed the beer in her glass and picked up a new one again.The nun opposite Nami saw her state and began to tease her, "You should stop drinking too; it's not good for your health..."
Chapter 100: Murderous Intent RisingOn the other side, Luffy held his stomach and collapsed onto the ground.Luffy lay on the ground with his belly distended, groaning, "Ah—thanks for the meal, I can't eat another bite."Similarly, Alex was also rubbing his round, bulging stomach, slumped over the table."This meal was truly satisfying!"After saying this, Alex also fell asleep.Only Nami held up her wine glass, pointing at the two of them and laughing wildly."Ahahahaha! Hahahaha!"This was clearly the look of someone who was drunk.On the other side, a group of musicians pointed at Luffy and Alex and said,"The Captain is truly amazing, he exhausted three chefs!""That young man over there isn't bad either; he managed to finish five bags of flour."After finishing her last glass of wine, Nami also passed out, slumped over the table.Muttering to herself, "Ah... feels, so good."Usopp had also long since collapsed; he leaned against his chair and sighed."Whew—what a great town."Sanji was even lying amidst a group of beautiful women, sighing that this truly was paradise.Watching Alex and his group fast asleep, Igaram sighed under the moonlight."Tired from the commotion... fallen asleep, have you... have a good dream... adventurers... dancing under the moonlight... Cactus Rock... you are still so beautiful tonight..."Just as he finished reciting the verse, a voice drifted over."You really are a poet! Mr. 8..."Igaram turned to look and discovered it was Ms. Wednesday and her partner, Mr. 9."Oh, it's you two..."The two jumped down from the roof and asked, "What about that group?"And the reply they received was, "They have already fallen... into hell..."That's right, Igaram's true identity was Mr. 8.On the other side, the nun stumbled out of the tavern.Walking and complaining at the same time, "Ah, God!...hic, they really are a group that can eat and drink. Even though I was competing with them using foam barley tea, I still nearly passed out in there. But was it really necessary to welcome them so specially? They're just four scrawny brats and one underage kid."Igaram looked at the nun who had walked out and said, "Miss Monday."It seemed the nun's true identity was Miss Monday.Miss Monday saw everyone there and couldn't help but complain to Mr. 8."We should have just taken care of them at the harbor earlier; why go through all this trouble? Plus, this town is short on food... and we weren't expecting to get any whale meat anyway."Hearing this, Mr. 9 and Ms. Wednesday retorted loudly."You don't have to put it like that!""Exactly, we already worked very hard!"Hearing their conversation, Miss Monday couldn't help but roll her eyes at them, but she didn't say anything.Mr. 8 saw that they were about to start fighting, so he quickly grabbed them and explained his plan."Hey, hey, calm down. Anyway, look at this first.""I have thoroughly investigated their background."As he spoke, he took two wanted posters from his pocket and handed them to the three.The moment they saw the wanted posters, the three were dumbfounded because this was truly beyond their comprehension."W-what?! Both... both of them are worth 30 million Berries!"Seeing the three calm down, Mr. 8 began to advise them."Judging pirates' strength by their appearance is truly foolish, M... Ma~~ma~~ Miss Monday."Realizing she was wrong, Miss Monday scratched her head and said, "Shameful, shameful."Conversely, Ms. Wednesday and Mr. 9, who had spent some time with Alex and his group, felt incredible disbelief.Although they had seen Alex's strength, they didn't expect that straw-hat-wearing kid to be so strong as well.Seeing that the others realized their mistake, Mr. 8 didn't criticize them further.Instead, he discussed the next steps of the mission with everyone."It's good that you now know their strength. I was worried we wouldn't have enough manpower, but I didn't expect them to fall into this trap themselves. Of the two strongest, one has eaten until he fell asleep, and the other ate a whole bag of sleeping pills and fell asleep too. The remaining small fry don't need much attention. In short, the matter is resolved. It seems we can give the Boss a good report... Now, everyone, hurry and confiscate the money on the ship, then capture these guys! Remember, do not kill them. If you kill them, the bounty will be reduced by 30%. Because the World Government wants to execute them publicly..."Just as Mr. 8 was discussing the upcoming task arrangements, two voices reached their ears.First was a calm voice: "Hey... excuse me. Can you let them have a peaceful sleep? After sailing all day, everyone is very tired..."From the other side, a slightly more childish voice also drifted over."Zoro is right. Also, the treasure from the ship is with me; there is nothing on the going merry."The owners of these two voices were Alex and Zoro.Seeing that both of them had woken up, everyone became a bit panicked.Not to mention that one of them was an expert with a bounty of 30 million Berries."M... Miss Monday, two people have escaped from the room, I don't know when..."A henchman ran out of the room in a panic to tell Miss Monday the news that the two were missing.But unfortunately, they already knew where they were.Mr. 8 looked at the two on the roof and asked, "You... weren't you dead drunk... and you, why haven't you fallen asleep after so many sleeping pills?!"Zoro sat on the roof, the moonlight shining on him. He held his sword high, looked at the people below, and said dashingly,"As a swordsman, at any time... I wouldn't be stupid enough to let alcohol control me."Alex also stood up and said to them, "You want to use drugs to make a Ninja sleep? That's taking my identity a bit too lightly!"After saying this, the two saw the people below gathering together; these were all the residents from the village earlier.Unexpectedly, they were all Bounty Hunterss.Seeing this, Zoro tilted his head: "In other words, this is a Bounty Hunters nest, is that it?""It seems you use these methods to round up those arrogant pirates who have just entered the Grand Line. Quite a clever tactic."Alex and Zoro looked at the people below who had just been drinking and making merry with them, and now were staring at them with fierce expressions."There are about a hundred of you Bounty Hunterss, right? Zoro, how about we split them? It's perfect, you want to test your new sword, and I want to test my new Ninjutsu."Hearing Alex's question, Zoro responded calmly, "Fine."After all, for these small fries, whether it was fifty or a hundred people, they were just ants to Zoro."Then my partner and I will keep you company, Baroque Works."Hearing Zoro say their company name, the people below were shocked.Mr. 9 asked Zoro in surprise, "You... how do you know our company name..."Alex also looked at Zoro; he also wanted to know how he knew about this organization.Zoro didn't avoid the question and explained why he knew about their organization."Back when I was in this line of work... your company tried to recruit me... of course, I refused... but I also learned some of your company's secrets. Employees don't know each other's true identities, only referring to each other by code names. Of course, the Boss's whereabouts and true identity are also a mystery to the employees. Just a criminal group that faithfully executes orders, Baroque Works. Heh... that's the secret of your company, right?"After Zoro finished saying this, the people below clearly became panicked.Mr. 8 looked at the two with a gloomy face."Truly shocking! Since you know our company's secrets, we have no choice but to kill you to silence you... Another tombstone will be added to Cactus Rock!"Mr. 8 pointed at the roof and shouted, "Kill them!"Just as the gunmen raised their guns, they realized there was only the figure of the kid with the scroll on his back; as for the swordsman, his figure was completely invisible."He's gone! The swordsman is gone!""Everyone split into two groups! One group shoot at the person on the roof, the other group search for that swordsman!"Mr. 8's order was given, and a gunman raised his hand to fire.Pop! An object struck the guy about to fire at high speed. He collapsed, and the firearm in his hand fell to the side.The people nearby looked over and discovered a cork on his forehead—it was the cork from Alex's gourd."Oh my, oh my, are so many of you going to attack a child?"At this moment, Zoro also revealed his position; he had moved into the middle of the crowd."Well... shall we begin?""Damn brat, how dare you look down on us!""Fire!"The people surrounding Zoro raised their guns, aimed at him, and pulled the triggers.Zoro accelerated and moved away again, causing their bullets to hit their own companions."Waaah!"On the other side, the Bounty Hunterss surrounding Alex saw their companions had already started, so they forced themselves to gather their spirits and began firing."Don't be afraid, everyone! It's just a green kid. Even if he has a 30 million Berry bounty, maybe he got it through other means.""Oh, you choose not to run, but to attack me instead!"Alex crossed his arms, looking down at them from above.Bang, bang, bang! The Bounty Hunterss below, as if they hadn't heard Alex, pulled the triggers.Bullets rained down on him like a storm.The next moment, a stream of fine red sand poured out from the gourd at Alex's waist. The amount was so great that the people below thought a blood-colored mist had appeared in the sky.This sand seemed to have a consciousness of its own; it came before Alex and blocked the bullets. A clinking sound rang out in front of Alex."You've attacked, so now it's my turn."Alex gathered the sand into the air; the blood-red sand looked particularly eerie under the moonlight.As the sand gradually gathered, it loomed over their heads.Some people saw that there was no defense in front of him, so they picked up their firearms and attacked again.Watching the incoming bullets, Alex spun around on the roof.Kaiten!After blocking the bullets, Alex raised his hand and gently pressed it downward.Sand Shower!The red sand in the sky fell rapidly; every drop was like a bullet. In less than a moment, these Bounty Hunterss were wiped out by this move, not a single one left.
Chapter 101: Gentle Fist ArtOn the other side, the moment Alex made his move, Zoro also began his fight.Seeing these guys only attacking their own people, Mr. 8 couldn't help but get angry."You idiots... Hurry up and kill him! He's just a swordsman..."Before Mr. 8 could finish, Zoro flashed behind him. He pierced through his curly hair with his sword and held it against his neck."I'd like to ask you, will adding two tombstones be enough?"After Zoro finished speaking, the Shigure on Alex's side had already struck down, and everyone who had just attacked Alex fell to this move."Heh, it seems my partner has answered my question."Seeing Alex's bizarre attack method, the other Bounty Hunterss flocked to Zoro's side.After all, compared to that monster who only needed to wave his hand to kill, the swordsman in front of them was easier to deal with."Found him, that swordsman is here!"Mr. 8 was also scared by the opponent's attack method, but the biggest problem now was the cohorts in front of him.Because they had already raised their guns and aimed at Zoro, which of course included him in front of Zoro; yes, it seemed these people were preparing to kill Mr. 8 and Zoro together.Seeing this, Mr. 8 shouted to stop them."You... you idiots, stop! Do you want to kill me too? Stop it!"Unfortunately, these Bounty Hunterss acted as if they hadn't heard him. Seeing this scene, he realized that these people really wanted to kill him too. Thinking of this, Mr. 8 could no longer endure it, and ignoring Zoro behind him, he directly took out a saxophone to face the guys pointing guns at him.Miss 8 took a deep breath and blew out: "Spiky Horn!"A large number of bullets shot out from the saxophone's mouthpiece, wiping out all the Bounty Hunterss in front of him.Zoro also took the opportunity to hide behind a nearby table to block the attack."Whew... so that was a shotgun. He's holding a dangerous thing."Seeing Zoro escape, and glancing at Alex standing on the roof, Mr. 8 spoke cautiously to the others."Judging by this, even for us to deal with these two, we need to be on high alert."As they spoke, the group acted as if they hadn't seen Alex and walked into the distance, shouting as they went."Where did that swordsman and that brat go! Where are they hiding!"Alex squatted on the roof, watching the people below searching for Zoro. Was this a sign they were looking down on him?"Hey—you guys, are you pretending not to see me on purpose! If that's how it is, take this!"After saying this, Alex put the sand back into his gourd and appeared in front of several Bounty Hunterss.Looking at Alex who suddenly appeared in front of them, they couldn't pretend not to know him anymore. They either raised their guns or drew their swords.Alex set his stance, activated his Byakugan, and prepared to have some real fun with them."Heh heh, five people? Alright, come on! Gentle Fist Art, Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"Then, in the blink of an eye before they could react, Alex came before the two Bounty Hunterss with swords at the front.He raised his palm, and then Alex struck the nerves in their arms with a strange posture.Although there were no Chakra pathways in this world, the basic neural network still existed. After striking the nerves in their arms, Alex turned and walked towards the three people behind.Those two who were struck didn't feel anything at first, but immediately after, they found that they couldn't lift their arms.This was because Alex had severed all the nerves in their arms. Unless there was someone with extremely superb medical skills to help them reconnect the nerves, these two would have to live with their arms hanging limp for the rest of their lives.The three in the back hadn't even seen what happened before they realized Alex was already in front of them.He raised his hand to strike again, but compared to the first two, these three were much more miserable; this time, Alex was striking their internal organs.One was struck in the heart and lungs, and that person died on the spot.One was struck in the kidneys and stomach, and now he was lying on the ground, incontinent.As for the last one, Alex didn't torture him much, but killed him with one blow to end his suffering."Whew... looks pretty good. Next, I'll find some more people to test out other moves."After speaking, Alex walked in another direction.In contrast to him, on Zoro's side, perhaps realizing that the white-haired boy was not easy to deal with, they swarmed to search for Zoro.At this moment, he was under an eave watching the Bounty Hunterss moving around.Seeing so many people looking for him, Zorogrinned: "...Oh, this is a good opportunity to test my new sword in actual combat. Let me start a massacre."As he said this, he prepared to draw yubashiri.At this moment, someone poked their head out from the roof."Aha! I found you!"Realizing he was being targeted by a gun, Zoroimmediately hid inside the house.Just as he stepped into the house, the person fired. If it weren't for Zoro's quick reflexes, his thigh would probably have been shot by now.Seeing Zoro dodge his attack, the Bounty Hunterssaid with dissatisfaction."Tch... he hid in the house!"However, the sound of the gun was too loud, letting the Bounty Hunterss searching for Zoro know his location."Hey... found him!"The next moment, countless guns were aimed at the room. Just as they were about to fire, they heard a voice from behind."Gentle Fist Art, Eight Trigrams One Hundred and Twenty-Eight Palms!"It was Alex. He had also followed the sound of gunfire and arrived. Seeing a group of people bullying one, he immediately activated his Byakuganand joined the battle.He used Gentle Fist Art from the side to punch out a path.Most of those Bounty Hunterss were wiped out, and the remaining ones turned their guns to shoot at Alex.Alex didn't panic, nor did he use his sand for defense; instead, he spun in place.Rotation!A pale blue barrier appeared around Alex, and the bullets were deflected by this spinning blue barrier.Seeing this, Zoro drew yubashiri and joined the battle: "Heh... then I'll give yubashiri a try."After saying this, he came out of the room, holding the sword, and slashed at the people in front of him.Those few people looked at each other and touched themselves, finding no problems.The next second, a large amount of blood appeared on their bodies; clearly, they had been cut by Zorojust now.Zoro looked at the yubashiri in his hand and sighed: "Very light... it's a good sword..."Then Zoro climbed onto the roof to thin out the others. Just as he arrived on the roof, he saw a cannon appear before him."Welcome!"The cannonball was fired, and Zoro quickly leaned back to dodge the attack."That was dangerous!"Seeing Zoro's action, two Bounty Hunterss came to Zoro with swords."Hahaha, you're done for."Zoro quickly stood up, and just as he was about to counterattack, he saw the two standing straight, then falling forward to the ground.At first, Zoro thought they had gone crazy, but after they fell, he saw the dense shuriken in their backs.This was the Shuriken Shadow Clone; Zororecognized this as Alex's technique, so he stretched his neck to look down.Alex just waved at him, then pointed to his back to remind him that someone was attacking him from behind.On the other side of the roof, Miss Monday was holding a huge wine barrel and threw it towards Zoro.Zoro turned around, looked at the incoming wine barrel, picked up yubashiri, and with a few quick slashes, split the barrel into four pieces.Seeing the wine flowing out, Zoro couldn't help but feel heartbroken."Ah—ah—what a waste. Such good wine..."Seeing her move broken, Miss Monday couldn't help but secretly curse, "Bastard!"After confirming the effect of yubashiri, that it was a sword focused on lightness, he directly drew the other sword from his waist.Suddenly, he sensed someone approaching from behind. The next second, Zoro swung sandai kitetsu, slicing the attacking stone axe in two.After casually slicing the opponent away, Zorolooked at sandai kitetsu and sighed."To think it could slice a stone axe in two! It's so sharp! sandai kitetsu. But it only cuts things when the owner wants to cut... This is what you call a famous sword... I see... This sword is a problem child!"Just as Zoro was looking at sandai kitetsu, a child suddenly appeared, rushing towards Zoro with a dagger."Ya!"But he was easily flicked away by Zoro using yubashiri, and the child was so scared he was about to cry.Suddenly, a woman dressed as a nun ran over and hugged the boy."Ah ah, I beg you! God bless, God bless!"Seeing this mother and child like this, Zoro softened his heart and lowered his arm.Seeing Zoro distracted, the woman who had suddenly appeared put the cross in her arms in front of Zoro, then pressed a button, and a large burst of sand sprayed out from the small hole in the cross."God Bless Blinding Sand!"Seeing Zoro hit, the two immediately changed their expressions. The child stopped crying and was about to fire at the sand mist with a gun, and the nun also raised her sword to strike down."This mercy of mine should be used on people with more beautiful hearts."Zoro's voice came from behind the two, which meant there was no one in the sand mist.They were stunned on the spot, and Zoro didn't waste words; he picked up yubashiri, knocked the two unconscious with the back of the blade, and climbed up the ladder beside him."He climbed higher!""Everyone, chase him!"Zoro didn't know why they were suddenly so crazy, thinking it was his actions just now that caused a misunderstanding.He had to explain while climbing the stairs."I used the back of the blade, stop chasing me."Seeing Zoro climb the stairs, all these Bounty Hunterss followed.When they reached the top floor, the person following closely behind mocked Zoro."Hahahaha, there's no way to escape up there!"Zoro sat directly in place and, with a slight push of his hands, pushed the stairs down.These Bounty Hunterss crowded on the stairs fell to the floor below just like that."Ahhhhhh..."The screams were continuous. Of course, Alexwasn't idle either; he patted a Bounty Hunters on the shoulder and asked with a smile, "Do you want to dance?"Just as the other party was confused, Alex used the Konoha Taijutsu.Konoha Strong Cyclone!A large number of Bounty Hunterss were knocked into the air one by one, and Zoro on the roof saw everything below.In order not to let Alex have all the fun, he leaped into the air. The others wanted to shoot at Zoro, but before they could move, they were kicked into the air by Alex.