Chapter 38: Little Garden – Usopp Awakens the Bomb-Bomb Fruit & Preparations for Alabasta
"Damn it—what kind of monsters are those guys… that final shockwave was completely beyond reason!"
Mr. 3 gritted his teeth, carrying the blood-soaked, near-death Mr. 5 as he desperately fled the battlefield. Miss Golden Week and Miss Valentine followed closely behind.
Aside from Mr. 5—who was fatally injured—the other three had only suffered minor wounds. That was already a stroke of luck amid misfortune.
In the moment Sol clashed with Dorry and Brogy for the final time, the four of them hadn't retreated far like the Straw Hats. Instead, they lurked near the center of the battlefield to observe, planning to swoop in and clean up once the three had exhausted each other.
But no one expected the earlier fighting to be mere warm-up—the last wave hit them like a truck. At the critical instant, Mr. 3's instincts screamed in warning. Without hesitation, he activated Candle Wall, shielding Miss Golden Week and Miss Valentine inside.
Mr. 5, however, scoffed at the precaution. Arrogantly convinced his Bomb-Bomb Fruit made him immune to any impact, he even stepped forward to meet the aftershock head-on.
Reality slapped him hard—that terrifying shockwave didn't just carry raw destructive power; it was infused with Haki! In a single instant, Mr. 5 was blasted dozens of meters away, bones shattered, dying on the spot.
"Idiot…" Mr. 3 panted, cold sweat soaking his back. "That wasn't a normal explosion… it's a force that can tear the earth apart!"
At the shore, the group escaped back to the Natural Strategy Maru. Mr. 3 and the others frantically tried to save Mr. 5—but between the grave injuries and massive blood loss, the arrogant explosive man finally breathed his last under his companions' eyes.
"Damn it…" Mr. 3 cursed through clenched teeth, watching helplessly as Mr. 5's life slipped away. And in the instant of his death, an invisible force quietly stirred—the Devil Fruit ability began searching the sea for a new host.
Meanwhile, Dorry and Brogy returned to camp carrying mountains of game and various fruits, their hearty laughter echoing through the trees.
"Hey, giant uncles! Help us out!" Luffy waved and shouted at them.
"Yahahaha! Even if you say that, there's not much we can do!" The two giants set down their haul and spread their hands helplessly.
At that moment, Sanji came running up excitedly: "Vivi! Nami! Everyone's safe—thank goodness!" He glanced at Dorry, momentarily mistaking him for Mr. 3 and nearly attacking—before realizing in time.
Afterward, Sanji was dragged over to act as temporary chef, grilling meat while proudly recounting his earlier adventure.
"What?! You were talking to Mr. 0?!" Vivi's eyes widened in shock.
"Yep—that guy thought I was Mr. 3, so I went along with it and told him we'd already escaped. That way they won't send more pursuers." Sanji deftly flipped the meat, a sly smile on his lips.
"That's great!" Vivi breathed a sigh of relief, but quickly became dejected again. "But even so… we're still stuck on this island for a whole year…"
"Who said anything about being stuck for a year?" Sanji suddenly stopped moving. From his pocket he pulled out something shiny—an Alabasta permanent pointer!
"Th-This is…!" Everyone's eyes widened instantly, erupting into cheers.
"Sanji! You're amazing!!" Vivi leaped forward and hugged him tightly.
"Ah Vivi-san!" Sanji instantly turned into heart-eyes, floating in bliss. "Being useful to you is my honor~!"
The crew cheered joyfully and decided to set sail immediately after this big meal. They sat around the bonfire, devouring grilled meat and fruit, the atmosphere lively and warm. But just as Usopp casually picked up a fruit from behind him and took an unguarded bite—
Next second—"Urgh—!!" He dropped to his knees, retching violently, face turning blue.
"Usopp?! What's wrong?!" Everyone rushed over immediately.
"This… this fruit… tastes awful!" Usopp pointed at the half-bitten, strangely patterned fruit on the ground, clutching his throat in agony.
Sol looked down and recognized it instantly: "That's not some bad-tasting fruit—that's a Devil Fruit. It must have just respawned on that fruit you bit!"
"Devil Fruit?!" Everyone shouted in unison.
Usopp blinked blankly, slowly looking down at his hands: "Wait… so does that mean I'm…"
"Yes, Usopp—you're now a Devil Fruit user. Though I don't know what power it is yet," Sol said, taking a big bite of roast meat as he explained.
After recovering a bit, Usopp stared at his hands and muttered: "It… feels like the Bomb-Bomb Fruit ability?"
"Bomb-Bomb Fruit?! Isn't that Mr. 5's power?" Vivi's pupils shrank. "Does that mean… he died?"
The group exchanged looks and shook their heads—they had no idea. Even Sol, who was there, looked puzzled—he hadn't used Observation Haki during the fight, so he naturally hadn't sensed the distant change.
After long discussion, everyone could only conclude Mr. 5 probably died from an accident during the battle.
"Hehe—let me try it out!" Usopp excitedly pulled a lead bullet from his bag and loaded his slingshot. "Sure-Kill: Explosive Star!"
The bullet whistled out—and the instant it hit the ground—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Consecutive explosions kicked up dust, instantly creating several blackened craters.
"Sugoi! Usopp!" Luffy's eyes sparkled as he bounced and cheered.
Usopp immediately puffed out his chest, hands on hips, laughing wildly: "Wahahaha! See that? This is the power of me—Captain Usopp!"
But Nami stared at the half-bitten Devil Fruit on the ground, heartbroken: "My 100 million Berries… bitten into just like that…"
Zoro's mouth twitched: "Hey, money-grubber—is this really the time to think about that?"
After the meal, Nami and Vivi—covered in dust—found a clear lake to wash up simply.
Sunlight scattered across the water's surface, making the two girls' figures hazy and beautiful.
"Phew… finally feel better." Nami wrung out her wet hair and let out a long breath.
Vivi gazed at the starry sky and said softly: "Next… we head straight for Alabasta."
Nami patted her shoulder with a firm smile: "Don't worry—we'll definitely stop Crocodile's plot!"
When they returned to the ship, they heard Sanji and Zoro arguing from afar.
"Idiot moss-head! My T-Rex was clearly bigger!"
"Your eyes on the soles of your feet? My Triceratops is obviously bulkier!"
The two dragged Sol over as judge, demanding he decide whose catch was heavier. Caught in the middle, Sol helplessly held up both for comparison and finally declared:
"Same weight."
"Tch!" Both turned their heads away at once and finally quieted down.
Afterward, Sanji skillfully carved off the fattiest cuts and had Zoro carry them back to the kitchen fridge for storage. Luffy crowded over eagerly: "Sanji~ Bring all the meat! I promise I'll eat everything!"
"Idiot!" Sanji chopped him on the head. "You want to sink the Merry under the weight?!"
--------------------------
Support us on patreon (+Gain access to 100 chapters in advance)
patreon.com/inkshield