On the other side — the hot spring hotel
The men were enjoying a comfortable bath.
"Fish-Man Island actually has a place like a hot spring hotel, yohohohoho… This is unbelievable."
Brook, completely naked, was holding a glass of milk and drinking it.
This was way too explicit!
Aside from his explosive afro, there were only bones left on his entire body.
After finishing the drink, his skull-like face seemed to glow with satisfaction.
Luffy sank into the hot spring water and sighed.
"It's a shame the mermaids don't offer massage services."
Puff!
Sanji sprayed blood from his nose and quickly covered it.
Chopper shouted, "Stop it, Luffy! Don't say things like that! Sanji! Stop imagining it right now! What doesn't exist doesn't exist! Fantasy isn't reality!"
Zoro, disgusted, moved to another pool and sat next to Luffy.
"Control yourself, you pervert! The pool water is full of your nosebleed now—disgusting!"
"Hahahaha."
Luffy laughed and teased, "Sanji, let's go to Wano in the future. I heard the girls there are really great."
Puff!
Sanji's nosebleed became even worse as he roared angrily, "Luffy, are you trying to kill me?!"
"Don't worry. A nosebleed won't kill you. If you lose too much blood, just have someone give you a transfusion."
There were five million people on Fish-Man Island—plenty of people with the same blood type as Sanji.
Usopp climbed out of the pool and opened his eyes, only to be shocked by the red-tinted water.
"What happened here?!"
Franky laughed. "Sanji's nose is bleeding. Sanji, you're not a virgin, right?"
Lies don't hurt—hold a knife.
That knife didn't just stab Sanji; it wounded innocent bystanders as well.
Usopp, Chopper, and Brook were stunned.
Brook—who was literally just bones—was still a virgin?!
Everyone looked at him with shocked, sympathetic expressions.
Sanji suddenly felt much better.
Then he noticed Zoro relaxing comfortably in the hot spring and stared at him in disbelief.
"Green moss-head, you too?! Don't deny it!"
"Women only interfere with my training."
Zoro said it without mercy.
Everyone exchanged glances, then all turned to look at Luffy in unison.
It turned out only Luffy and Franky weren't.
"Come on, let's get away from these two. This is going to traumatize us."
Sanji left in a daze, dragging the others away with him.
In the blink of an eye, only Luffy, Zoro, and Franky remained.
"What's so great about women anyway? Is everyone in heat?" Zoro shook his head, speechless.
"Hahahaha, exactly!"
Luffy nodded in agreement.
"You're really not one to say that, Luffy." Franky's mouth twitched. "I can't soak for too long—it'll be bad if I rust. The banquet outside is really lively, Luffy. You two should head over early too."
He left as well.
Zoro closed his eyes and began to meditate.
"Luffy, is the next step moving Fish-Man Island to the sea near Elegia?"
"Yeah. I'm also looking for an elephant along the way."
Luffy looked up at the star-filled sky.
"I actually searched before, but I couldn't find it."
Back when he was flying around the New World, he had tried to look for it too—but failed and ended up getting lost.
"An elephant?"
"A really big elephant with a country on its back called Zou. There's a Road Poneglyph there."
Luffy explained, "Once we get that piece, we'll go after Kaido for the third one. Then we'll find a way to locate the fourth. Once we have them all, we can reach the final island."
Hearing that, Zoro smiled.
"It won't be long then. When you become Pirate King, I'll challenge Mihawk."
Luffy shook his head.
In terms of Haki, Zoro already surpassed Mihawk.
In the original history, Zoro trained under Mihawk for two years, causing his swordsmanship to advance by leaps and bounds.
As for the current Zoro, his sword skills were still inferior—but his Haki was incredibly powerful.
"I'll find you a teacher. Rayleigh can't teach Haki anymore, but teaching swordsmanship shouldn't be a problem."
Rayleigh was in Elegia.
"He used to be Roger's right-hand man. He should be able to teach you something."
"Really? Thanks, Luffy!"
Zoro smiled, removed the towel from his head, stood up, and said, "I'm going back to train. Enjoy the bath."
Training after a bath? Then why did you even come?
Luffy couldn't help but complain internally. He shook his head and didn't dwell on it.
Leaning alone against the edge of the hot spring, he quietly admired the starry sky above.
He didn't know how much time passed before his Observation Haki sensed someone approaching.
"Luffy…"
Monet entered, wrapped in a bath towel.
"You must be exhausted from carrying the island. I'm here to help you relax."
Luffy raised an eyebrow.
Was this an order from Doflamingo?
He chuckled softly and shook his head.
"Come here," he said, opening his arms.
He wasn't the type of man to refuse free food.
Soon, the sound of splashing water and soft moans echoed through the hot spring.
---
A/N: I could've written something here, but I chose not to.
---
Two days later
Fish-Man Island continued flying slowly toward Elegia.
Banquets were still being held on the island, and it was estimated they wouldn't stop for another week.
The island passed through Big Mom's Totto Land waters without drawing attention.
Now—
About thirty kilometers ahead of Fish-Man Island, a dense fog filled the sea.
A colossal elephant was walking through the ocean.
"Joy Boy… Drums of Liberation…"
On its back stood another country.
Yet despite the elephant's call, the people of that country couldn't hear it at all.
At that moment, in the sea near the giant elephant, the Germa Kingdom was moving slowly.
"Reiju, what are you doing here?"
Inside a castle corridor, a pink-haired woman stood by the window, gazing into the thick fog.
Princess of the Germa Kingdom, eldest daughter of the Vinsmoke family—Vinsmoke Reiju.
Behind her, a man with blazing red hair walked closer.
The eldest son of the Vinsmoke family—Vinsmoke Ichiji.
"We've been in the New World for a while trying to find Sanji, but does it make sense to search aimlessly? And even if we find him… so what?"
Reiju parted her lips slightly, then suddenly narrowed her eyes.
"Ichiji, there's something in the fog. Did you hear that cry?"
"A cry?"
Ichiji's expression didn't change. As a genetically modified human, he possessed no unnecessary emotions beyond combat.
"I heard it."
The siblings stood side by side at the window, staring into the dense fog.
The massive black silhouette gradually became clearer.
Reiju opened her mouth in shock, while Ichiji showed no reaction and immediately put on his combat suit.
"What are you doing?" Reiju quickly stopped her brother.
"Ending it."
Ichiji finished equipping his battle gear and shot forward with a burst of air, flying toward the source of the sound.
Reiju stared at his retreating figure, speechless.
It was like an ant challenging an elephant.
---
Meanwhile — Fish-Man Island
Luffy pressed a hand to his forehead.
A voice kept echoing inside his head.
"What's wrong, Luffy?" Vivi, sitting beside him, asked worriedly.
"Did you hear that just now?"
"Hear what?"
"…Nothing."
Luffy frowned slightly, then, after parting from Vivi, immediately left the city and flew toward the source of the sound.
Beneath Fish-Man Island, within the dense fog, an island could faintly be seen…
"Zou?"
He froze for a moment, then immediately entered Gear Fifth.
The sound of the Drums of Liberation resounded.
The next instant, the giant elephant across the sea trembled violently and let out a piercing cry.
"Joy Boy! I can hear you! I hear the Drums of Liberation!"
---
(End of Chapter)