Chapter 275: Connections
Even though the days of feeling like the universe was personally out to get him were long gone, Zoro still vividly remembered just how absurd his life had been since he first set out to sea.
After learning that Kuina had secretly left, Zoro didn't stay in Shimotsuki Village much longer. He took a Fine Grade sword from Koshiro and left the village himself.
That, however, was only the beginning of his nightmare.
Every time he tried to sail his small boat toward Loguetown, it would inexplicably end up heading in the complete opposite direction. By the time he realized something was wrong, he was even further away.
After banging his head against the wall of solo sailing for a whole year, Zoro finally realized the problem and changed his strategy. He stopped trying to sail alone and started hitching rides on other people's ships.
But if the problem could have been solved that easily, Zoro wouldn't have started to believe some higher power was messing with him.
Although he eventually achieved the unprecedented feat of reaching Loguetown, the ships he took always got lost for various reasons, suffered a suspiciously high rate of attacks, or just inexplicably sank. Most ships started having problems the moment they left Loguetown's harbor.
Before joining the Straw Hats, his best attempt had been on a pirate ship that actually made it to Reverse Mountain. But in the end, even that ship couldn't hold out.
Gradually, every merchant ship in Loguetown, and even passing pirate ships, learned of Roronoa Zoro's reputation as a "Vehicle Killer" and avoided him like the plague. Everyone respected his strength, but everyone was terrified that he might one day appear on their ship.
Occasionally, someone who didn't believe in curses would challenge fate. They all ended up in the ocean, feeding the fish.
It wasn't until recently, while he was at the sea restaurant Baratie tracking Hawkeye, that Zoro met a pirate with a death wish and luck to spare who invited him to join his crew.
That pirate's name was Monkey D. Luffy.
"..."
In the solemn royal palace, the once noisy dining hall fell deathly silent. Everyone stared at Zoro with strange expressions.
"..."
Even Yelena, listening to Zoro's fantastical tale of woe, couldn't help but let her eyes widen behind her gas mask. It was only now that she remembered just how terrifyingly bad this guy's sense of direction had been back in Shimotsuki Village. Even when following someone, he could manage the astonishing feat of taking five wrong turns every ten steps.
What was even more absurd was that he didn't do it on purpose. He didn't even realize he was lost half the time.
Yelena was speechless. Finally, she asked, "Has your condition gotten worse?"
She had assumed Roronoa Zoro had either died in some obscure corner of the world or was quietly growing stronger in the New World. But the truth was, because of this reason, he hadn't even been able to enter the Grand Line and had been trapped in the East Blue the whole time.
And he had successfully evolved from "directionally challenged" to "Vehicle Killer."
Zoro, however, just crossed his arms and replied expressionlessly, "I don't have a condition. It was just a series of small accidents."
"That's a huge problem, okay?!" Ulti, standing behind Yelena, couldn't help but retort, her eyes wide.
Just then, most of the Straw Hats who had been inside the dining hall ran out.
A girl with orange hair and an outstanding figure waved her hand dismissively. "It's actually fine. As long as we don't let him touch the helm, nothing happens."
The Princess of Alabasta was also among them, smiling as she dismissed the surrounding guards.
Suddenly, a young man with short blond hair and curly eyebrows came twirling over. He spread his arms wide, his eyes turning into hearts as he approached Ulti.
"Oh, what a lovely LADY!!"
He completely ignored the admiring look Page One was giving him from the side.
Yelena stared at the man's appearance and his curly eyebrows for a moment. She felt this man looked a bit like those people from Vinsmoke.
Ulti, who was being bombarded by the blond man's fervent attentions, also realized this. She was so surprised she forgot to punch him flying and just stood there, stunned.
Vivi, seeing this, felt her beautiful face darken. She instantly appeared behind Sanji, grabbed his ear, and dragged him back.
"Behave yourself, Sanji! You're standing in front of the second-in-command and powerful officers of one of the Four Emperors!"
At this, the Straw Hats all looked confused. "Four Emperors? What's that?"
Vivi and the two generals of Alabasta nearly fainted on the spot.
"Sanji..." Yelena and Ulti heard the name, and their gazes shifted again.
If they were only suspicious before, now they were certain. This man was a Vinsmoke. The Vinsmoke family was missing a Sanji, after all.
Sanji paused for a moment, then belatedly noticed the fully armed figure nearby. In a single glance, he sensed something was wrong.
He dropped his lovestruck act, adopted a gentlemanly demeanor, and became uncharacteristically serious. "My apologies, Lady. Please forgive me for not noticing you earlier—"
"..."
The next second, the temperature in the room dropped visibly.
Behind Yelena, Page One's body swelled, his skin turning rough and dark green. His mouth filled with rows of sharp teeth, and his lazy eyes turned ferocious. He radiated a violent, suffocating aura.
Beside him, Ulti's expression turned icy. Her body transformed into snowflakes, emitting a bone-chilling cold. She stared fixedly at the Straw Hats, ready to silence them at any moment.
The sudden change put everyone on high alert.
Vivi and the others sweated anxiously. "Everyone, what's wrong? Why are you doing this?!"
Just then, "Straw Hat" Luffy, who had been eating and sleeping at the same time in the dining hall, suddenly opened his eyes and walked toward the door.
Yelena saw the tense standoff and raised a hand, signaling the two behind her to stand down. "No need to be nervous. There's someone here who knows me. They know who I am."
Ulti and Page One exchanged a glance, then reverted to their normal forms.
The Straw Hat's "Weakling Trio" instantly breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the cold sweat from their foreheads.
"Scared me to death! I thought I was gonna be eaten by a dinosaur!" waled a furry, antlered raccoon-dog.
The orange-haired navigator hugged herself, shivering. "We just finished fighting a Warlord, and now we have to face enemies this terrifying?!"
"Tch, this is nothing for Captain Usopp!" declared a long-nosed man with curly hair. He stood with his arms crossed, looking proud, but his trembling legs betrayed him.
"Usopp, huh?" Yelena glanced thoughtfully at the long-nosed man. "Another one."
During her two years on Red-Hair's ship, she had often heard Yasopp bragging about his son.
Yelena looked past them, her gaze landing on Sanji. "How did you know?"
Her disguise had been maintained for years, waiting for the right moment to spring a big surprise on the Marines or the World Government. Now, Vinsmoke Sanji had seen through it, and she wondered where she had slipped up.
Sanji silently lit a cigarette, his expression serious. "I would never mistake any Lady."
The "Weakling Trio" behind him gaped. "Sanji didn't go lovestruck?!"
"That's so weird!"
Sanji exhaled a cloud of smoke, looking up at the ceiling. "I had a feeling... if I went lovestruck just now, everyone here would die..."
Yelena raised an eyebrow. Many of the people present had some connection to her, so she wouldn't have actually killed them. At most, she would have hammered Sanji into the royal tomb.
"..."
Hearing this, the trio turned pale. They rushed behind Sanji and pinned him down.
"Sanji, you better shut up!"
"Please stop talking, Sanji-kun!!"
"No more! Don't say another word!"
Page One looked on, impressed. "With guts like that, they actually became pirates?"
Ulti glared with her pink eyes, arms crossed, and said bluntly, "If they dare to talk, we'll just wipe them all out!"
Zoro smirked. "Is that a threat? I'm ready anytime!"
"You shut up too!" Vivi shoved Zoro's head down, having a massive headache. "Why don't any of you even know who the Four Emperors are?!"
Just then, a bandaged Luffy poked his head out of the dining hall. "What's going on? Are you guys fighting the person who saved Cobra-ossan?"
"As captain, I have to keep you in line!" Young Luffy put his hands on his hips, trying hard to look serious. "This guy saved our friend's family! Anyway, she's not an enemy, got it?"
The "Weakling Trio" wept with relief, hiding behind Luffy like he was their savior. They nodded frantically, looking at Yelena's group with terror. Even though they had faced Baroque Works officers, the terrifying aura from the horned man and woman had nearly scared them senseless.
King Cobra, who had been dealing with kingdom affairs, hurried over, looking pained at the scene. "I intended to host them separately... but an accident still happened..."
"But thankfully, it didn't turn into a fight." Cobra saw that both the Snow Monster and Luffy had rationally restrained their subordinates' impulses, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
He walked up to Yelena, smiling apologetically. "My apologies. I was attending to matters of state and couldn't welcome you immediately. Please, follow me. I have prepared a reception in the inner hall..."
Yelena, however, glanced at the Straw Hats, her gaze lingering on the straw hat on Luffy's back. "No need. Right here is fine. I have some things I want to confirm with Straw Hat Luffy and his crew."
"..."
Minutes later, the dining hall, which had looked like a dump, was cleaned up, and plates of fragrant food were back on the table.
The Straw Hats and the Alabasta royals sat on one side, facing Yelena's group of four.
At the table, Usopp poked Zoro in the ribs, whispering, "Zoro, how do you know the second-in-command of one of the Four Emperors?"
The others perked up their ears. After a few minutes of explanation, they now had a basic understanding of what the Four Emperors were: the pinnacle of pirates, the rulers of the New World, just one step away from being Pirate King. They were at least ten times more terrifying than the Warlord they had just barely defeated.
Zoro took a big gulp of sake, wiped his mouth, and said, "Years ago, the 'Four Emperors' Vivi mentioned came to my hometown. This woman and another woman stayed at my dojo for a few days. So, I guess I know her. Also, that war hammer on her back was forged by my master."
He took another swig. "I also have a rival who's in Archangel's crew."
The Straw Hats were stunned. They all looked at the heavy war hammer on Yelena's back.
But in the next second, their expressions turned horrified.
Their captain had somehow appeared right next to the "Snow Monster." Gnawing on a piece of meat, he innocently pointed at the hammer on her back.
"Can I see that?"
"No." Yelena was taken aback by Luffy's sudden appearance.
Luffy took another bite of meat, not the least bit discouraged. "No? Okay then."
"..."
Beside Yelena, Ulti and Page One had dark lines on their foreheads.
Then, under everyone's gaze, Luffy tilted his head, crossed his arms, and looked puzzled. "Why do I feel like I've seen you somewhere before?"
Yelena's eyes flickered. "So you didn't recognize me?"
"Recognize you?" Luffy was confused.
Yelena pointed to the straw hat on his head. "Ten years ago, Louis and I spent two years on Red-Hair's ship. We also stayed one night in Foosha Village."
"..."
Luffy punched his palm, realization dawning on his face. "Ohhh! You're the one who was getting medical treatment on Shanks's ship! I remember now! You and the winged guy and Shanks's daughter only stayed in the tavern for one night before leaving!"
Luffy usually had severe face-blindness, sometimes even failing to recognize his own crewmates. But if it involved Red-Hair Shanks, his memory and recognition abilities improved dramatically. He quickly recalled the scenes from back then.
The most memorable part for him was how the winged man had left Foosha Village in such a cool way.
"Winged guy..." Vivi's eyes went wide. "That... isn't that Emperor Archangel himself?!"
"Luffy, you've met Archangel?! Why didn't you know who the Four Emperors were, or that he was one of them?!"
"And... Red-Hair Shanks is also one of the Four Emperors..." Cobra, sitting nearby, began to tremble involuntarily. His mind was in complete chaos from the overload of information.
Luffy had met two Emperors. Emperor Red-Hair Shanks had a daughter, who was highly likely the world's number one diva.
Cobra didn't know what to say.
"Wait, you were on the Red-Hair Pirates' ship for two years? Then do you know someone..." Hearing something that interested him, Usopp forgot his fear and jumped up, looking at Yelena.
"You mean Yasopp?" Yelena turned, her crimson eyes piercing through her mask to land on the curly-haired, dark-skinned man. "When we were on the ship, he often talked about his son."
Usopp's expression became incredibly complex. "So... he didn't forget me?"
Around him, Nami and Chopper stared at Usopp with wide eyes.
"Usopp, weren't we the 'Weakling Trio'?"
"How did you suddenly turn into the son of an Emperor's officer?!"
Yelena ignored them and looked back at Luffy. "More importantly, I want to know why Shanks gave you that straw hat. Also, we saw in the news that Shanks lost an arm in the East Blue. Later, we heard from the keeper at Twin Cape that he lost it saving a little boy from a Sea King."
Luffy fell silent. He took the straw hat off his head and placed it in front of him, his eyes full of memories. "Yeah, that's right. Shanks saved me from bandits, and from the Lord of the Coast. He gave me this hat to keep safe for him."
"We made a promise." Luffy put the hat back on, a brilliant smile on his face. "When I've sailed around the world and become Pirate King, I'll give this hat back to Shanks!"
Zoro and Sanji smiled.
Vivi and Cobra's expressions changed again.
The "Weakling Trio" trembled, but in the end, they didn't tell their captain not to say those words.
"Pirate King, hmm?"
"A good dream." Yelena didn't have a strong reaction. Someone Shanks saw potential in wouldn't even survive Reverse Mountain if they didn't have at least that much ambition.
Behind her, Ulti and Page One also had no reaction. They both knew Louis wasn't striving for the title of Pirate King. So, hearing Luffy say he wanted to be Pirate King didn't trigger anything in them other than maybe a little amusement.
Ulti's pink eyes landed on Sanji, showing a hint of disgust. "Hey, you. Sanji!"
"What can I do for you, LADY?!" The blond man instantly started spinning, hearts in his eyes.
Beside him, Zoro shook his head. "He's hopeless."
Ulti watched the hearts in Sanji's eyes, her disgust deepening. "You're even grosser than those other guys! You definitely are 'Stealth Black' of the Germa Kingdom! Ichiji, Niji, Yonji, and you, Sanji—it fits perfectly."
"I remember that woman, Reiju, said she once had a younger brother who died. Looks like you faked your death to hide!"
Sanji's lovestruck expression vanished instantly, replaced by a grim look.
Ulti's words confused the Straw Hats.
"What's the Germa Kingdom?"
"What's 'Stealth Black'?"
"Didn't Zeff adopt Sanji and raise him at the Baratie?"
"But those names... they really are the same type as Sanji's..." Nami realized belatedly, turning to look at him.
She found Sanji with his head lowered, fists clenched, completely silent.
His crewmates' unintentional questions were like sharp knives stabbing into him, making him pale.
"Germa Kingdom..."
He thought he had completely escaped them, severed all ties. But today, he realized the world was vast, but the circle of monsters was very small.
"Sanji?"
The closer you got to that level, the more you would know. And similarly, the higher-level predators would pay more attention to you.
Sanji understood now. The people of Germa would notice him again.
"Sanji!!"
A shout snapped him out of his thoughts. He realized all his crewmates were looking at him with worry.
He turned to them, forcing a reassuring smile.
Then, Sanji took a deep breath and met Ulti's playful gaze head-on.
"I have nothing to do with any Germa. Ichiji, Niji, Yonji... they aren't my family. Lady, you've got the wrong person!"
Ulti's playful look deepened. "Is that so? I think Reiju would be very interested in this..."
"Reiju..." Sanji turned his head away, avoiding her eyes, his heart pounding.
Having learned what she wanted to know, Yelena lost interest in staying.
"Cobra, Vivi, can I have a moment of your time?" Yelena looked at them.
Cobra hesitated, but considering the vast difference in power, he nodded. If they wanted to do something, Alabasta couldn't stop them anyway.
With his permission, Yelena snapped her fingers. No. 1 instantly activated her ability, teleporting Yelena and the two royals away.
In the endless golden sea of sand, Cobra and Vivi looked back in shock at the distant capital.
Before they could react, a gentle female voice spoke from behind them.
"I want to know... who was the person who came here for help back then? And did they leave anything behind?"
Cobra turned. Looking at the incredibly beautiful young woman with her long, smooth hair pinned up, he felt a sudden sense of familiarity.
If he remembered correctly... the person who came here back then looked somewhat similar to the woman before him.
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