182: Chapter 182 The Sea Monster AppearsIn the previous chapter, we mentioned that Luffy had completely forgotten about Aokiji on the Grand Line.If he hadn't suddenly remembered, Aokiji would probably have been chasing the ship for miles!At this moment, Aokiji sat at the bow of the ship, looking around at everything, appearing somewhat lonely and isolated.The other crew members kept their distance, afraid to approach him.Only Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper remained in place.
Usopp and Chopper hid behind Luffy, warily watching Aokiji.Usopp shouted, "I'm warning you, don't move!Otherwise, I'll make you regret it!I'm Captain Usopp, the captain of an 8,000-strong pirate crew!" Despite his inner fear, Usopp tried to maintain his courage and use threats to protect himself and his crew.However, Luffy was unfazed and even rolled his eyes.Then, he stood up, walked over, sat down next to Aokiji, and began to chat with him.
Luffy asked curiously, "Seriously, I've always been curious, why did you join us?Don't tell me you didn't want to be a Marine, I don't believe that nonsense!"
Faced with this question, Aokiji remained silent for a moment before honestly answering, "Not wanting to join the Marines is only part of the reason.More importantly, I'm dissatisfied with Akainu's behavior.He's too radical and extreme, which doesn't align with my values.Furthermore, I also want to take this opportunity to observe the pirates' modus operandi, and your crew fits my criteria perfectly." As he finished speaking, a resolute glint appeared in Aokiji's eyes.Luffy, seeing that Aokiji wasn't lying, patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Alright, since that's the case, I won't press you further.As long as you're happy, that's all that matters.After all, everyone has their own choices and pursuits!And now that you've joined us, you're one of our crew!Let's celebrate properly when we reach the New World!"
Hearing this, Uta leaned close to Luffy's ear with some concern and whispered, "Luffy, are you really going to trust him so easily?Aren't you worried he might betray us?" Luffy pinched Uta's cheek, gave her a reassuring smile, and said, "Uta, don't worry.I can feel Aokiji's sincerity and determination, so I believe he won't deceive us." He then winked, indicating his confidence.
However, at that moment, the pirate ship that had been dragged away by the manatee suddenly returned.The crew members were shouting excitedly, demanding the release of their captain.Meanwhile, Caribou, trapped in the ice, was in tears, clearly deeply moved.
Caribou stared in horror at the scene unfolding before him.A gigantic octopus tentacle descended from the sky, crashing down like a mountain.He tried to escape, but it was too late.The tentacle clung tightly to his pirate ship, like a giant beast seizing its prey.
Then, the octopus tentacles began to tighten forcefully, emitting a chilling creaking sound.The pirate ship's hull gradually deformed, the planks and metal twisted together, and finally it was squeezed into pieces.Caribou's men fled in panic, but they could not escape the octopus tentacles' grasp, like flies trapped in a spider web.
Karibu's brother was thrown into the sea in the chaos, his body floating limply on the surface, lifeless.Karibu watched all this in despair, his heart filled with helplessness and fear.He knew he had lost everything and there was no way to turn the tide.
However, the giant octopus didn't stop.After destroying the Caribou pirate ship, it turned its attention to the Sunny on the other side.Its tentacles lashed out with immense power and malice, lashing out fiercely at the Sunny.
The crew of the Sunny watched all this with tense expressions.They realized that if they didn't take action, they might face the same fate as Caribou.The newly joined Aokiji stepped forward, gathering a chilling aura in his hands, preparing to unleash ice pillars to attack the octopus.
But Luffy smiled and waved his hand, indicating to Aokiji that he didn't need to fight.His eyes gleamed with excitement, as if he were anticipating the battle.He told Aokiji that he was itching to fight and wanted to face the giant octopus himself.He also planned to use the octopus as their mount on their journey to Fish-Man Island.
Upon hearing this decision, the crew of the Sunny were all surprised.They had never imagined taming such a ferocious monster as a means of transportation.But Luffy firmly believed he could do it; he had absolute confidence in his strength.As the octopus's tentacles drew closer, a slight smile played on Luffy's lips, a sly glint in his eyes.With a gentle wave of his arm, an eight-pointed light wheel appeared out of thin air in the sea, radiating a sharp aura.Under Luffy's control, the eight-pointed light wheel spun rapidly like lightning, easily severing the attacking octopus legs.
"I wonder if this stuff would taste good as takoyaki." Luffy muttered to himself, stroking his chin as he looked at the severed octopus legs.It was as if he could already see the delicious takoyaki right in front of him.
However, what happened next stunned everyone.A thin black film suddenly appeared around Luffy, and then he vanished from his spot as if by teleportation.The next moment, he appeared where the octopus legs had fallen, and collected them all into his system space.
"Seriously, that idiot!" Nami sighed, rubbing her forehead, utterly speechless at Luffy's behavior.Robin, standing nearby, chuckled softly, seemingly quite used to Luffy's peculiar actions.She knew that if Luffy didn't act this way, he wouldn't be the real Luffy.
Just then, the giant octopus discovered the culprit that had severed its leg.—Luffy, brazenly appearing before it.It was instantly enraged, baring its fangs and claws as it lunged at Luffy, wanting to tear him to shreds.
However, Luffy remained unfazed.He swung his arm again, and a gigantic figure crackling with lightning suddenly appeared behind him.This figure was tens of meters tall, radiating a powerful aura that was awe-inspiring.The octopus naturally sensed this aura as well.It was about to flee, but at that moment, the giant suddenly stretched out its palm, and several massive bolts of lightning descended from the sky, striking the octopus.These lightning bolts were incredibly powerful, causing the octopus to let out a mournful cry, its body charred black.
However, the giant showed no sign of stopping.He stretched out his palm again, unleashing several more bolts of lightning at the octopus.Faced with such a powerful attack, the octopus finally realized it could not escape, so it quickly raised its two tentacles in surrender.
Then, the octopus swam over to Luffy and gently touched him with its tentacles, as if trying to please him.Luffy looked at the giant octopus and nodded in satisfaction.