"Oh... I see," Orochimaru replied to Kin'emon, a rare occurrence for him.
Kin'emon subconsciously nodded, then turned his gaze to Luffy and the others, a hint of trepidation in his expression and a somewhat hesitant tone: "So, can we continue sailing with you all?"
After all, just thinking about confronting Kaido made Kin'emon feel that the matter was truly Tricky.
Luffy pushed down on his straw hat, a bright smile blossoming on his face, and said without hesitation, "Of course! Didn't Orochimaru just agree?"
Agree to what? Kin'emon suddenly snapped back to reality, his entire body frozen in shock.
Just now, Orochimaru had actually spoken to him!
This was a first! Not only did he speak to him, but he also answered his question!
Kin'emon's eyes reddened with excitement; he spun around, gripping Raizo's shoulders tightly, shaking him vigorously while bursting into tears: "Waaahhh... Raizo! Lord Orochimaru finally spoke to me!"
His cries and actions were as if a long-cherished wish had finally come true... though in reality, he had only known of Orochimaru's existence for half a day.
"So annoying ( ´ - ι _- ｀ )"
Just then, this thought appeared in everyone's minds without warning.
The others exchanged glances; now they finally understood why Orochimaru couldn't be bothered with this group.
Kin'emon's overly excited demeanor and his unending cries were truly too annoying.
After understanding the situation, everyone chatted casually as they slowly left the Whale Forest.
Sunlight filtered through the dappled leaves, falling upon them, but the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.
Raizo walked at the back of the group, his gaze fixed on the ravaged Zou.
The once vibrant island was now a scene of utter destruction, with massive ravines, fallen trees, and grim evidence of battle everywhere.
Raizo's eyes instantly reddened, his lips trembled, and he finally couldn't hold back his tears, bursting into sobs.
His cries were filled with grief and self-reproach, his shoulders shaking violently: "It wasn't like this... when I arrived..."
Inuarashi walked over to Raizo, patted his shoulder, everything unspoken.
Next, the group shifted their conversation to the story of Oden and Whitebeard setting sail, with the Cat and Dog as their retainers.
In an instant, everyone seemed to ignite with enthusiasm, opening up their hearts and eagerly reminiscing, one after another.
Luffy excitedly jumped around, asking about Shanks.
When Nekomamushi mentioned Crocus, he was all smiles.
"The ship doctor Crocus, that guy was always looking for a certain Pirate Crew."
At this moment, Brook suddenly squeezed in, pointing to himself with his skeletal hand: "Ah... that was my Pirate Crew; they were all wiped out long ago."
As soon as these words left his mouth, Nekomamushi's eyes widened in shock, his tongue involuntarily wiggling, his face filled with disbelief.
In this lively atmosphere, Orochimaru, however, was sprawled boredly on Nekomamushi's tail, his eyelids lowered, his gaze casually sweeping over the crowd, a complete lack of interest on his face, almost to the point of yawning.
Looking at Inuarashi, who was still holding an umbrella for him even while chatting, Orochimaru awkwardly wanted to rub against a tree; it really wasn't necessary! His color was natural!
When everyone returned to Zou and stepped onto the familiar land, Orochimaru's gaze swept over the scene and landed on Bege, who was next to a wailing Pekoms.
Orochimaru's eyes immediately lit up, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly upward. He appeared! His runaway tool-person!
Pekoms also spotted Luffy and his group at this moment, tears streaming from his eyes. With a solemn expression, he slowly knelt, bowing respectfully to Luffy, his voice choked with sobs yet incredibly sincere: "Thank you so much for saving my homeland! I, Pekoms, will never forget this kindness."
Luffy's face was full of confusion; he tilted his head to the side, scratched his head, and asked with a blank expression, "Who is this?"
The surrounding residents of Zou all wore kind smiles. One older resident stepped forward and patiently explained:
"This is Pekoms. He was a mischievous and troublesome child from a young age, always giving everyone headaches.
As he grew older, he yearned for the sea and left his hometown to become a pirate.
I heard that he's now working for someone called a Great Pirate. Those people next to him should be his companions."
Luffy nodded, still not fully understanding, a bright smile on his face.
"I see, no need to thank me."
To welcome Pekoms home, Zou once again bustled with activity, and a grand banquet commenced.
Since there were no urgent matters at hand, Luffy and the others fully immersed themselves in the joyous celebration, having a wonderful time.
Their time together had allowed them to become familiar with the residents of Zou, blending in completely.
Especially Charlotte, a Rabbit Mink Tribe member, who absolutely adored Luffy and his crew, bouncing around among everyone, constantly asking about things on the sea.
Orochimaru stood to the side, watching with interest as Chopper was being hugged by a Reindeer Mink Tribe female.
Chopper's small face was flushed crimson, and his eyes had turned into two large hearts, looking utterly adorable.
Orochimaru's lips curved slightly upward, and he stealthily pulled out a camera, snapping a picture to capture the moment.
"The child has grown up ヾ(•ω•`. ), so he's not interested in human females. Is it because he's a Reindeer?"
Although the banquet was incredibly lively, Orochimaru's gaze remained fixed on Bege. He watched as Bege casually approached Sanji and whispered something in his ear, causing Sanji's face to instantly turn very grim.
Orochimaru's expression remained outwardly calm, but his heart was already blooming with joy.
It's here! It's here! The Totto Land invitation he had been longing for!
As soon as he thought of Totto Land, Big Mom's Soul-Soul Fruit came to mind—an ability that could create the wondrous life forms known as Homies.
And Cake Island, in his eyes, was a treasure island filled with precious materials!
He secretly plotted in his heart that he must steal a few Homies.
Of course, directly trading with Big Mom to customize a few Homies was also feasible.
After all, according to that Blue Star person's memory, Big Mom was quite easy to appease if certain conditions were met.
And if the trade conditions were enticing enough, cooperation might even be possible.
As these wonderful "blueprints" came to mind, Orochimaru could no longer suppress his inner excitement. It was as if imaginary flowers began to float above his head, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curved upward, revealing a smile of assured success.
The eyes of the group turned towards Orochimaru, even Sanji was no exception... This snake... was acting up again.
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