Chapter 63: Usopp's Big Adventure!
Johnny and Yosaku stood by the ship's railing, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on the massive Sea Beast towing the vessel ahead.
Their faces were filled with admiration.
Not for Momoo, of course—what they felt toward the Sea Beast was fear, while their reverence was reserved for Ralph.
"Ralph..." Johnny's voice trembled with awe, "You can actually command such a powerful Sea Beast... That's incredible!"
Yosaku nodded vigorously: "It's like something out of a legend! No, even more amazing than a Beast Tamer! This is a monster from the Grand Line we're talking about!"
Ralph stood at the bow, arms crossed, watching Momoo's hill-like form cutting through the waves.
Hearing their praise, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly:
"Momoo isn't weak, that's true. But if we're talking about 'powerful'..."
He paused, "In the Grand Line, it doesn't even rank."
Johnny and Yosaku froze.
"D-doesn't rank?" Johnny stammered, "But it's so... its strength is so terrifying..."
Ralph turned around, leaning against the railing,
"Do you know why Fish-men can only be slaves in the Grand Line, but come to the East Blue and they can rule like kings?"
The two shook their heads.
"Environment."
Ralph said, "The Grand Line has all kinds of extreme weather and climates. One moment it's clear skies, the next you might encounter a storm. The ocean currents there are unpredictable, magnetic fields are chaotic, and island climates are bizarre beyond imagination."
He gazed at the dark horizon in the distance, as if he could see that legendary sea route:
"In that kind of environment, whether human or Sea Beast, only the truly powerful can survive. The weak get eliminated long ago."
"That's why the Grand Line is called 'a paradise for the strong, a graveyard for the weak.'"
Ralph concluded, "And Momoo... it doesn't even qualify as a Sea King."
"Sea Kings?" Yosaku asked curiously.
"Sea Kings," Ralph explained, "are super-sized Sea Beasts unique to the Grand Line and the Calm Belt. The smallest are dozens of meters long, the largest... are said to exceed five kilometers."
Johnny gasped sharply: "F-five kilometers?!"
"Correct." Ralph nodded, "And Sea Kings have extremely long lifespans, some even possessing intelligence comparable to humans. They're the true rulers of the seas."
As he spoke, a profound light flashed in his eyes:
"If we're talking about powers in this world that could conquer it all... controlling the Sea Kings would definitely be one of them."
These words made Johnny and Yosaku's hearts surge with excitement.
They were originally just ordinary Pirate Hunters from the East Blue, chasing bounties and dreaming of making a name for themselves someday.
But now, Ralph had opened a door to a New World for them.
The turbulent seas, the powerful Sea Beasts, the mysterious Grand Line...
"Besides hunting Pirates," Johnny murmured to himself, "challenging those powerful Sea Beasts... seems like an amazing dream too."
Yosaku nodded forcefully, flames igniting in his eyes: "Exactly! That's real adventure!"
Ralph looked at these two young men and smiled.
Just then, Momoo let out a low "Moo—"
Its speed slowed down.
Ahead, the familiar bay came into view.
They were back.
The Going Merry slowly sailed into the bay, steadily docking in its original position with Momoo's assistance.
Ralph jumped off the ship and patted Momoo's head, where ointment had been applied. The cooling sensation made Momoo squint comfortably.
"Alright, you stay here," Ralph said to Momoo. "Help guard the ship. If anyone approaches, scare them away, but don't hurt anyone, understand?"
Momoo blinked its large eyes and nodded, seemingly comprehending.
Ralph turned to Johnny and Yosaku. "You two stay—" He stopped mid-sentence.
Johnny and Yosaku were looking at him with pleading eyes.
"Big Brother Ralph..." Johnny whispered, "We... we still want to go with you..."
Yosaku added, "Momoo... it's still a Sea Beast after all. We're a bit... scared."
Ralph looked at these two who had been full of bravado earlier but were now as timid as quails, and sighed helplessly.
"Fine."
The three of them went ashore together.
Following the path, they soon saw the familiar orange grove again.
But this time, quite a few villagers had gathered near the orange grove.
About twenty or thirty villagers stood together, talking in low voices.
Their faces were filled with worry and tension, occasionally glancing toward Arlong Park.
Two people stood out in the crowd.
One was a middle-aged man in a sheriff's uniform, his face injured and uniform covered in dust, but standing straight and tall.
The other was the short-haired, tattooed woman they had seen in Cocoyasi Village.
As Ralph and the other two approached, the woman immediately recognized them.
She quickly walked over, her eyes on Ralph:
"You're also companions Nami brought back, right?"
Ralph nodded. "I'm Ralph. These two are Johnny and Yosaku."
"I'm Nojiko," the woman said. "Nami's sister."
She paused, her tone turning serious:
"Is there a long-nosed guy among you? He's been captured by Arlong."
Ralph's heart sank.
Usopp?
"But don't worry," Nojiko continued, "Nami has already gone to rescue him. Until she returns, you mustn't make any rash moves. Arlong is very angry right now, and any provocation could make him go crazy."
Ralph frowned.
Captured again?
How long had it been since they left Arlong Park? It felt like so much had happened in such a short time.
"Could you tell us in detail?" Ralph asked. "How was Usopp, the long-nosed one, captured?"
Nojiko glanced at the sheriff beside her, who nodded and began to recount.
The incident started when Usopp jumped off the ship to lure away Momoo.
Usopp knew he had angered the Sea Beast by adding chili peppers without permission, so he actively jumped off the ship to attack Momoo, hoping to distract it.
He thought: Surely a Sea Beast can't run faster than a human on land?
But he was wrong.
Momoo had the ability to come ashore briefly.
With a slap of its tail against the sea surface, its massive body surged forward like a small mountain, plowing a trench in the ground as it advanced.
Seeing this, Usopp was too terrified to look back, running for his life.
After running for a while, he suddenly turned back and found the giant monster had disappeared at some point.
Relieved to have escaped, Usopp looked around and realized he wasn't far from a town.
Out of curiosity, he went closer to investigate.
Wondering if this might be the village where Nami grew up?
As soon as he entered the village, he witnessed a shocking scene.
A vicious Fish-man was beating a uniformed law enforcement officer.
The one doing the beating was none other than Arlong from the wanted poster.
Many villagers gathered around, but no one dared to step forward to help.
"Weapons breed violence! I warn you inferior humans—stop scheming! All you need to do is work hard and pay your dues on time!"
As he spoke, Arlong spread his arms wider, growing more agitated and revealing his mouth full of sharp teeth.
"The money you pay forms the foundation for my control over the entire East Blue and the establishment of the Arlong Empire!"
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