Chapter 354: How long will you keep messing around? Until I die!
"When did I first want to go out to sea?"
Even in Luffy's brain, which usually didn't think too much about things, such thoughts would occasionally arise.
Perhaps it was the question Makino and everyone in Fuusha Village asked him when he was a child.
Perhaps it was a question he would occasionally ask himself.
But in short, Luffy wasn't very sure of the answer.
"Yeah, when was it?"
He stroked his chin.
"Why do I want to go out to sea? Isn't it good to stay here?"
"If you go out to sea on such a flimsy little raft, it'll flip over with just a little wave, right?"
"You'll die, Luffy."
"Wanting to become a pirate, is it really because of Shanks?"
Similar questions rang in his ears more than once.
But Luffy always turned a deaf ear.
He didn't deny it—Shanks's influence was among the reasons he went out to sea. That pirate who gave him the straw hat and the promise was his 'mentor'. But he was very certain... the thought itself of wanting to go out to sea had nothing to do with Shanks.
That was a thought that had already sprouted even earlier.
Perhaps it was when he saw the sun dip below the sea level from the small hill outside Fuusha Village, with golden ripples spreading out?
Perhaps it was occasionally at the port, when the sea breeze brushed past his cheeks, bringing the fragrance of flowers from some unknown island?
Perhaps it was when a News Coo occasionally flew by, or when a certain patch of cloud, which he was meeting for the first time yet felt he had seen many times, drifted past?
Luffy didn't remember.
But he knew he was bound to go out to sea sooner or later—it was just a matter of time.
After all... that was the sea!
The endless, boundless sea!
He could laugh if he wanted to, cry if he wanted to, eat if he wanted to, do whatever he wanted to—the sea would always calmly accept every choice and treat every creature fairly.
There are always new and strange things on the sea, there are always interesting people on the sea.
"Do you want to get the ONE PIECE?"
Of course, he wanted to get it—that great treasure said to be able to fulfill all dreams and ambitions, bearing everything of the world.
But to Luffy, what that treasure symbolized was not 'wealth', but 'freedom'.
Once he got it, it meant he was the Pirate King, the freest navigator on this sea.
Once he got it, his ambition could be realized.
That was the ambition he had mentioned to his companions when he first crossed Reverse Mountain.
"I'm going to throw a party—a 'Great Party' where everyone in the world, from all the Four Blues, participates together and can eat their fill!"
"And then, I'm going to use the ONE PIECE to make the sea even wider, so everyone can sail freely!"
"I want to go to more islands, see more interesting guys, eat more meat, make more friends, throw more parties—so the sea... the wider the better!"
"Since it's said it can 'fulfill all dreams', then it definitely can do this too, right!"
He didn't want any wealth or status, didn't want to rule, and had never thought about fame.
So, at that time, he was mocked mercilessly by his companions.
"Wow, sounds pretty good, Luffy!"
"What's good about it, it sounds exactly like a kid's wish."
"To sum it up, don't you just want 'freedom'?"
"Well, but since it's Luffy after all, it's understandable."
At that time, whether it was Nami, Usopp, Sanji, or Zoro, they almost couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Yes.
To Monkey D. Luffy.
Becoming the Pirate King was not the goal, getting the ONE PIECE was not the goal either—or rather, they were just a 'part' of his dream. To him... sailing freely on this sea with his companions was his dream.
After finding the great treasure left by Roger, he would have a new great treasure. After finding the new one, an even newer one would appear—what he needed to do was to sail freely towards that 'great treasure' he would never attain, yet could always pursue.
That was his dream.
So right now, Luffy's words were almost unhesitating.
Stop sailing here?
"I refuse."
He didn't know who the guy wearing the crown and addressing him bafflingly in front of him was.
But in short...
"You're an annoying guy."
Luffy could make such a decision.
Stop sailing, and you can obtain immortality, obtain wealth and status?
"What's the point of having that kind of thing?"
Give up your dream, and you can save your companions who have fallen into a crisis?
"I don't need you, I will go save my companions myself!"
Luffy looked seriously at the black shadow in front of him and raised his fist: "I just have to send you flying!"
That was his consistent style.
His words fell.
The next moment, he sensed a booming pressure and a low chuckle.
That seemed to be the phantom before him claiming to be 'Mu'.
Or perhaps it was the voice of the Handsome Monkey King he was currently possessing, and the gods of the Heavenly Court before him.
"Stubborn and intractable!"
"How long are you going to keep messing around?"
The gods of the Heavenly Court questioned the Handsome Monkey King like this.
Just like Imu's angry roar at Luffy right now.
Thus.
Clack.
That monkey escorted beneath the Lingxiao Palace, as well as Luffy similarly fallen before Imu, both simultaneously emitted a sound from beneath their feet. At this moment, Luffy felt his body seemingly begin to fill with endless power.
Slowly, bit by bit... he stood up!
Zzzt!
Zzzt!
Black-red Conqueror's Haki lightning abruptly surged and burst forth at this moment.
VMMM!
From Luffy's body, the power belonging to Nika surfaced once again.
The surrounding Heavenly Palace and the Monkey King all dissipated, and Luffy's body reappeared.
It was just that right now, his body had once again turned pure white like the first time he awakened, his hair sweeping up like white flames. "Hehehe..."
He covered his face, laughing very happily, and the iconic flame clouds of Zoan fruit awakening on his body also seemed to begin leaping continuously with his laughter. "You ask how long I'm going to keep messing around?"
He raised his head, seemingly giving a matter-of-course answer to that 'deity' who had ruled the world for countless years.
"Of course it's... until I die."
As the words fell, Luffy raised his hand and threw a punch.
That pure white fist instantly became gigantic—before this, he had actually tried it more than once with Rayleigh's help, but couldn't master this power. Whenever he threw a punch, he was either completely devoid of strength or his body tangled up; in short, he couldn't master it no matter what.
But clearly, the situation was different this time.
BOOM!
Luffy could feel that the fist he threw this time was not out of control.
On the contrary.
"Hehehe... feels great!"
He felt that right now, the thoughts in his heart seemed to have reached a certain tacit understanding with that power inside his body.
It was as if their wills were facing the same direction at this moment.
That was... the direction named 'freedom'.
So the next moment...
BOOM!
That illusory figure was abruptly blasted to pieces.
[Congratulations on passing the Special Place of Trial "Mount Huaguo: Pass of Heart Tempering"]
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