Chapter 238 New partners continue the voyage"Let me reintroduce myself. I was once a captain of a certain country's guard, then joined the Rumbar Pirate Crew, becoming its swordsman, musician, and acting captain. My bounty is 33 million Berries, and I am known as Soul King Brook. Today, I entrust my life to Captain Luffy of the Straw Hat Crew. Even if I have to risk my old bones, I won't hold anyone back!"Brook, with his skull afro, placed his bounty poster on the ground and addressed the members of the Straw Hat Pirate Crew.At this moment, the Straw Hat Pirate Crew gained a new companion.Luffy, who had just woken up, nodded, and a feast was finally drawing to a close.The Straw Hat Pirate Crew and the people whose shadows were returned finished their last drink together.Arthur felt that feasts were inherently strange things; they represented both meeting and parting.Half a day later, Brook had buried his former companions on this island, and Zoro had also buried his former sword, Yukihira, given to him by the old owner of the sword shop.On the other side, Franky had already repaired the ships for those who had lost their shadows.Seeing Franky help them so much, Lola, the Pirate who had become good friends with Nami, said to Franky, "Franky, you've helped us so much, I can't repay you. How about we get married?"Upon hearing this, Franky adjusted his light blue hair."Although you have some charm, I am too super, so we are not a match. I'm truly sorry."Franky didn't know that at this moment, he had lost the opportunity to become the son-in-law of a Four Emperors.However, Franky was also a person with great opportunities.After all, he almost became a crew member of the former Pirate King Roger.And now, he inexplicably ended up on the ship of Luffy, who might become the Pirate King in the future.Arthur heard Franky's words and looked at Lola beside him.Heh heh, that bloated, plump figure, perhaps that's what he meant by "some charm."Subsequently, the Straw Hat Pirate Crew was waiting for everyone to arrive, then preparing to set sail.Meanwhile, Arthur, led by Franky, arrived at the laboratory Franky had built for him.The current Thousand Sunny was quite a bit larger than in the original story.So Arthur's laboratory was also very large. It was in the most secluded part of the ship, which was at the very bottom of the vessel.Because of Ghost Princess Perona, all the items that had been taken from the Straw Hat Crew were moved back, and inexplicably, a lot of food was added. The Sunny didn't need much tidying up at all.As Arthur entered the laboratory, he heard Frankyexcitedly say from beside him."How is it? The laboratory I built for you is pretty good, right? Although I don't know what experiments you want to do, I collected a lot of things needed for a laboratory from the black market. I wonder if these are what you need."Arthur nodded; the laboratory's setup was perfect.Nutrient solutions, petri dishes, all sorts of bottles and jars, and many mechanical devices.It couldn't be more perfect."Thank you, Franky. I truly love the laboratory!"Hearing the praise, Franky adjusted his hairstyle, which he called "super," once again."You're welcome. This was a request from our Captain Luffy, and of course, I agreed without hesitation."Arthur nodded, then, under Franky's gaze, he opened the nutrient solution and petri dishes.Arthur currently stored many good things, but after careful consideration, the first thing he planned to research was the curse mark he now possessed.His body itself was the mother version of the curse mark!Was there anything more interesting than researching his own body?Seeing Arthur absorbed in thought, Franky slowly exited the room.On the deck of the Sunny at this time, Zoro and Sanjimoved the piano that Brook had just played there."Brook, is it okay to put the piano here?"Brook nodded."Yohohohoho, it's fine here. If everyone wants to listen to music, you can find me anytime.""That's great, we already have a musician on our ship!" Luffy smiled.The first person he wanted to find when he set out to sea was a musician.In his eyes, sailing would be boring without a musician.And then he remembered someone, an older sister he once had a very good relationship with.Her singing was captivating."I wonder how Uta is doing now?"Luffy then lowered his head and looked at the burning Vivre Card on his Straw Hat.Lola had just explained to them that if a Vivre Card burned, it meant that the life of the person who gave him the Vivre Card was fading.However, Luffy didn't care, because they were Pirates, adventurers by nature. If there was no danger to life, then what was the point of being a Pirate!Moreover, Ace would have his own adventures, and he believed Ace would definitely be fine!Just then, all the members of the Straw Hat Pirate Crew had returned to the Sunny."Everyone's here, let's set off!"Luffy said to everyone.At this moment, Zoro shook his head from side to side, then asked, "Where did Arthur go? Why haven't I seen him?"Zoro stroked his chin, that guy wouldn't have… "Oh, him, he saw the super laboratory I designed for him and was captivated by my design. He's still in the laboratory."Franky said proudly."In that case, let's set sail. We've been delayed here for a long time, but the harvest is quite good."Zoro looked at black blade shusui at his waist and smiled.And just then, Brook's hands rested on the piano.Yohohoho YohohohoYohohoho YohohohoYohohoho YohohohoYohohoho YohohohoDeliver Bink's Sake to youLike the sea breeze, at will, riding the wavesOn the other side of the seaThe sunset is also boisterousThe birdsongDraws circles in the skyGoodbye harbor, land of silkLet's sing a song, a song of setting sailGolden waves and silver waves, also turn into splashing foamWe leave, only because of the oceanDeliver Bink's Sake to youWe Pirates, cleave through the wavesPillowing on the waves, home is on the shipSkull sail, skull flag, flying in the windUnder the boundless sky, fierce winds rageWaves dance, drums rumbleIf you're scared, you're finishedIt's not that there won't be tomorrow's sunriseYohohoho YohohohoYohohoho YohohohoYohohoho YohohohoYohohoho YohohohoDeliver Bink's Sake to youDay after day, in the twilight of dreamsNever again will I see that waving figure bidding farewellWhy are you so worried?The moonlight will still be there tomorrow nightDeliver Bink's Sake to youLet's sing a song, a song of the seaNo matter who it is, everyone eventually becomes bonesEndless, aimless, just a laughing matterYohohoho YohohohoYohohoho YohohohoYohohoho YohohohoYohohoho Yohohoho(This chapter does not contain filler lyrics; this chapter is 2500 words.)As Brook's song began, the Sunny started sailing against the sea breeze.In the laboratory, Arthur also heard the music from above, and he promptly abandoned his experiment and came to the deck.Looking at the Straw Hat Pirate Crew, who were constantly laughing, Arthur also showed a sincere smile.This ship was always pretty good; at least everyone could live as themselves, not bound by so-called rules.Perhaps everyone who chose to go out to sea as a Pirate thought this way: under the constraints of the World Government and nobles, they chose another path.A path that, while dangerous, was unconstrained.Arthur believed that the life of a Pirate was not wrong, because the word "justice" encompassed too much; there was no such thing as true justice, and he was also someone who disliked worrying about management. It was better to live as himself.What is justice?Is benevolence justice?Are the rules set by the World Government justice?Is the rule of national nobles justice?These can all be considered justice, yet they are not justice, because everyone has their own standard of justice in their hearts.Moreover, justice itself is contradictory.If you act according to the rules of the World Government, that's justice, but then you cannot tolerate benevolence. If you act benevolently, then you ignore the rules.But without rules, nothing can be accomplished, and the rules themselves are not wrong. Are the rules of the World Government necessarily wrong?Many people use whether or not civilians are killed as a standard for judging good and bad people.But everyone has never thought that there is inherently a problem with the World Government, which sets rules to bind and rule the world, and the Marines, who enforce the World Government's rules. Aren't these powerful individuals using the banner of justice to enslave civilians worldwide to obey them? If you touch their rules, you will be punished.What's the difference between this and Pirates collecting protection money from civilians?To be protected, you must obey; if you don't obey, you won't be protected and will also be punished.It's all the same.Of course, this is not wrong either; this world, full of Pirates and Marines, is just like this.Without managers, it would only become more chaotic.Anyway, his brain isn't suited to figuring out these things.So, since he came to this world, it's best to live as himself. Why worry about so much?(The protagonist's personal understanding, unrelated to the author.)
Chapter 239 Experiment, CurseThe Sunny had already set sail, and the ship was filled with a joyful atmosphere, but none of this concerned Arthur at the moment."What's wrong with that guy Arthur? Why did he lock himself in that laboratory as soon as he returned?"Luffy said to everyone, holding a piece of meat in one hand."Who knows? Maybe he discovered something interesting."Zoro kept swinging the fitness equipment in his hands, while Chopper below was enjoying the breeze from Zoro all by himself."Yohohoho, an experiment? What kind of experiment could it be? That sounds like something interesting.""Miss Nami, Miss Robin, I've brought you your special drinks."Sanji handed a special drink to Robin and Nami, then said to everyone, "Your drinks are in the kitchen. If you want one, go get it yourselves. I'm going to see what Arthur has been doing, locking himself in his room all this time."Sanji walked towards the laboratory below the Sunny, holding a drink in his hand."Arthur, Arthur, I've brought you a special drink. If you're tired from experimenting, you can rest for a while.""May I come in?"Sanji had arrived at the laboratory door and spoke softly to Arthur inside."Come in, it's fine."Then Sanji gently pushed open the laboratory door and entered.Inside the laboratory, Arthur was wearing a black base layer and an off-white trench coat-style outer garment, with a purple cord tied around his waist.This was the outfit Orochimaru often wore, which Arthur had drawn in a single lottery.He felt this outfit was quite comfortable, and it didn't feel out of place on him at all.At least it was much better than those women's clothes.On the laboratory table, there was a huge container filled with various biological organs.Even Sanji was startled by these things, as they reminded him of his past."Arthur, what's inside these things?" Sanji asked."When I was at Little Garden, I caught quite a few dinosaurs. These are important organs from the dinosaurs. Of course, there's also some unprocessed dinosaur meat that can be made into barbecue for Luffy and the others to eat."Arthur pointed to the dinosaur meat nearby. The meat hadn't rotted; he had just taken it out.Arthur didn't turn his head while speaking, but instead stared intently at the container in front of him.Inside the container was a black mass of flesh.This was refined from Arthur's own cells, and through research, he discovered that every part of his body had the ability to fuse Sage Art Chakra.In other words, if he thoroughly studied the cells from his own body, he could gain the ability to replicate the Cursed Mark."This drink is for you. I've put it on the table. I'll take this dinosaur meat now," Sanji said to Arthur.Arthur nodded."Sanji, thank you."Arthur stretched and looked at Sanji with a smile, then picked up the drink and took a sip."It's really delicious, Sanji. Your cooking is getting better and better. Even a special drink like this is a treat for the taste buds."Sanji couldn't help but burst out laughing at Arthur's praise."Of course! I'm the best chef on this great sea!"After Sanji left, Arthur had finished the drink, and Sanji had taken the cup back.Arthur turned his head back to the black flesh ball."It shouldn't be difficult to create a cloned Cursed Mark using my body's cells, but if I'm not mistaken, many people won't be able to withstand the power of the Cursed Mark."At this point, Arthur thought of the Cursed Mark on Zoro's body.Because that Cursed Mark was given by the system; although it required enduring great pain, there was no danger of death.The success rate of transplanting the Cursed Mark refined from his body was very low, and the chance of fusing with the Cursed Mark was less than 30%. Moreover, fusing with the Cursed Mark had nothing to do with willpower; it was purely related to the body.After all, it was about forcibly transplanting his own cells into other people's bodies. How could such power be so easily achieved?"It looks like I need to call Zoro over and take a good look at his body."Thinking this, Arthur immediately began to act.He was now very decisive in pursuing the results of his experiments.If this experiment didn't achieve his desired results, he probably wouldn't choose to leave the laboratory at all.Arthur then went up to the deck, and everyone's expressions became strange when they saw him.After all, he was a rare visitor on deck now.Ever since they started sailing, he hadn't come out here once, practically living in the laboratory day and night."Ah! Arthur, you actually came out of the laboratory!" Luffy saw Arthur and immediately stretched out his arm to hug him.Arthur immediately stopped Luffy's movement, then said to Zoro, "Zoro, can you come to the laboratory with me? I need your help with something."Zoro heard Arthur's words and turned his head, a little surprised."What is it?"Arthur nodded."It's something very important to me. I need your body.""!!!!""Yohohoho, young people are indeed full of vigor, but if I remember correctly, you two are both men, aren't you?"Arthur turned his head to Brook."I don't know what you're talking about. I just need his body. What does that have to do with being a man or a woman?""..."In the end, Zoro still agreed to Arthur's request and went to the laboratory with him.In the laboratory, Arthur had Zoro sit on the experimental bed."Zoro, you can take off your clothes first.""!!!!"For some reason, Zoro's face inexplicably flushed."Take off my clothes? Why do I need to take off my clothes?"Zoro looked at Arthur with some wariness. Had this guy gone crazy from being cooped up in the lab?Meanwhile, outside the door, Sanji, Usopp, and Nami were carefully listening to the sounds inside the laboratory.They had, of course, heard the conversation between the two.At this moment, their worldview seemed to collapse.Were the two going to do something strange in the laboratory?Arthur, inside, was now extremely eager to uncover the truth. Seeing Zoro unmoved, he directly reached out to take off Zoro's jacket."What are you doing! I'm not that kind of person!"Zoro immediately dodged, but Arthur was a step faster and directly grabbed Zoro's shirt.Rip~Perhaps due to too much force, Zoro's shirt was torn by Arthur.Just then, the laboratory door suddenly opened, and the three eavesdroppers fell into the laboratory."!"For a moment, the laboratory was silent."You guys..."
Chapter 240 The Curse is Completed"You…"The three people eavesdropping outside the door pointed at the two lying on the bed, their eyes wide with shock.It was as if their worldview had shattered.When Zoro saw everyone approaching, for some reason, he pushed Arthur away.However, his action appeared as a different scene in everyone's eyes.He admitted it! He implicitly admitted it!Arthur also noticed everyone's arrival. He then got off the bed and said to them, "Why are you here? Is something wrong?"He completely failed to notice their gazes.An innocent person has a clear conscience. He hadn't intended to do anything; he just wanted to study the cursed seal on Zoro.Hearing Arthur's words, everyone immediately shook their heads."We didn't see anything!""We just got lost and ended up here."Arthur nodded."After all, this is a new ship, right?"The three immediately nodded when they heard Arthur's words."Ah, yes, yes, yes.""We'll go first. You two continue, you two continue."Seeing this, Arthur no longer paid attention to the three, but instead turned to look at Zoro, who was completely stunned."Quickly take off your clothes. I remember I left a cursed seal on you before. Now I need to study that thing, so please bear with me."After Arthur finished speaking, the three people nearby looked a bit disappointed.They thought there was some big gossip.That's it?"For just this, did you need to make such a big fuss just now?" Zoro was a bit helpless, but this time he took off his clothes, revealing the Heavenly Cursed Seal Arthur had once left on him.Arthur didn't hesitate, placing his palm above the cursed seal. Then, a surge of energy emerged from Arthur's hand, eventually transforming into a small black fleshy ball.What was strange was that the cursed seal on Zoro's shoulder showed no change; he only felt a slight pain in his body."Alright, you can go now. I have already separated a portion of the cursed seal's power."Upon hearing this, Zoro immediately put on his clothes, then left the laboratory with the three who had been peeking.After everyone left, Arthur placed the newly extracted cursed seal into a petri dish."By combining the origin of the cursed seal in my body with the cursed seal power in Zoro's body, if all goes well, I can create a method for implanting cursed seal abilities without risk."It's important to know that while the cursed seal implanted in Zoro's body has a success rate, even if the implantation fails, the person implanted will not die as a result.If he masters this power, then in the future, people in this world might all be able to use the power of Chakra.Even if they can't use it, if an ordinary person successfully has a cursed seal implanted, it might allow her to possess power beyond her own limits.Arthur then summoned a few small snakes, letting them devour the two forces. The two forces continuously merged within the small snakes' bodies.Half a day later."Has it succeeded?"Arthur smiled. It seemed his experiment had succeeded, but he wondered what the results would be?Because he himself was the origin of the cursed seal, theoretically, he could indefinitely place cursed seals on others.But to see the results, he would have to experiment on living people.Although Arthur was somewhat impatient to prove the results of the experiment, he held back the next second.After all, this kind of thing carries risks, and experimenting on the Straw Hat Pirates would be somewhat inappropriate.If he were to experiment on ordinary civilians, he would feel a bit uneasy.After all, not everyone possesses the great willpower of Zoro.If the cursed seal is not controlled well, it could easily cause disaster in this world.Although he didn't care about these things, his human personality stopped him."Some things are like transactions; if someone buys, someone sells."Thinking of this, Arthur made a decision. Next time he met someone, he would say, "Young man, do you want to possess power?"Then he would tell the other party that this power comes with risks. If the other party agreed, he would place the cursed seal on him.If they didn't agree, then… never mind. After all, doing business isn't about forced buying and selling.He then looked at the genetic data of the dinosaurs nearby. This data differed too greatly from human data. If genetic recombination could be achieved, then humans would possess the powerful strength of dinosaurs.Perhaps for monsters like Luffy, the strength of dinosaurs might not be as strong as imagined.But compared to ordinary people, dinosaurs are already an unconquerable force; even ordinary people with common knives and guns cannot defeat dinosaurs."This is a huge project. To complete this research, it will probably take a very long time. For now, let's put it aside. Next, I need to thoroughly test the effects of the cursed seal."Science is divided into many types, but Arthurbelieved that the most interesting research was the study of life, exploring the mysteries of life, which was the truth of this world.— — — — — — — — —Marine Base."Kuma, with your strength, I don't believe the Straw Hat Crew would escape from your hands. You didn't feel compassion for those pirates, did you!"There were three figures in the room: Tyrant Kuma, one of the Shichibukai, Vice Admiral Garp, and Fleet Admiral Sengoku of Marine Headquarters."Hahahaha, Sengoku, don't talk about these meaningless things. After all, Luffy is my grandson, hahahehe, he truly is my grandson!""And my grandson isn't someone who would boast everywhere just because he defeated a Gekko Moria."Hearing Garp's words, Sengoku became even more annoyed."Shut up! There isn't a single worry-free person in your family!""Am I not worry-free?" Garp said, while taking out a packet of tea leaves and placing it in front of Sengoku."Sengoku, I brought you new tea leaves! Quickly hand over your senbei!"Kuma remained silent.He hadn't revealed anything about Hancock, nor had he told Sengoku how the Straw Hat Crew had escaped.But the fact that Gekko Moria was defeated by Luffywas an undeniable truth.Straw Hat Kid, that Luffy fellow, possessed astonishing cohesive power.Sengoku sighed when he saw Kuma's silence."Forget it. Our Marine's pursuit of the Straw Hat Crew absolutely cannot stop. And now, compared to the Straw Hat Kid, our Marine is about to face the true king of the seas. For now, let's focus on dealing with that person!"Hearing Sengoku's words, even Garp put away his joking expression."Sengoku, have you really decided? That guy isn't easy to deal with."Sengoku nodded."Now, justice needs to be renowned across these seas, and that guy will be the stepping stone for our Marine to proclaim justice!"
Chapter 241: Sailing Half a Circle on the Grand LineArthur was about to go up when he felt the ship start to shake violently.His first reaction was to check his research equipment.Fortunately, the Sunny was extremely sturdy; unless the ship itself was destroyed, his equipment would absolutely not be damaged."It looks like an emergency has occurred; I need to go up and check quickly."Chakra covered Arthur's feet, and he quickly walked up to the deck.Upon reaching the deck, the scene before him astonished Arthur.Around them were countless currents, like water snakes, constantly crashing into each other, making the Sunny extremely unstable."Arthur, hurry and help! We've encountered strange currents! If this continues, our ship will be destroyed!" Nami shouted loudly at Arthur.Just then, a current suddenly surged towards them.Arthur leaped, his hands forming a seal."Wind Release: Severing!"A wind blade flew from Arthur's hand, instantly shattering the current.But the currents did not stop; more currents, like pythons, continuously attacked them.The members of the Straw Hat Pirate Crew each displayed their abilities, constantly striking at the currents rushing towards them.However, such power was insignificant; how could humans collide with the vast ocean?In navigation, the most dangerous thing is not encountering pirates, but rather these sudden navigational crises."Nami, should we use the Sunny's Coup de Burst to escape this sea area?" Franky asked Nami upon seeing the situation.Nami shook her head, then pointed forward."Even if we use Coup de Burst, we won't be able to escape this sea area.Look ahead!"Everyone looked forward, where similar python-like currents were surging continuously.Just then, the previously panicked group heard Luffy's words."Since we can't escape, let's wait here then! Brook, play some music.""Gladly!"Arthur smiled.At a time like this, only Luffy could be so carefree.Before Brook's music could even begin, they suddenly felt the ship shake.The next second, a giant current directly propelled them into the sky.Amidst the swaying, Nami shouted to Franky."Franky, prepare to use Coup de Burst!""Arthur, Zoro, quickly furl the sails!"Everyone began to act."Coup de Burst, go! Sunny!"Then, Arthur only felt a pushing force from behind as a strong burst of energy shot out from the Sunny's rear.Boom!The next moment, the Sunny took flight!"Is this the Coup de Burst? Franky truly is a genius ship designer; such an ingenious design is truly astonishing!"Under the powerful thrust, the Sunny soared over this part of the ocean and directly broke free.Luffy sat at the very front of the Sunny, smiling.Just then, a red cliff appeared before them."This is…""That's right, it's the Red Line!"Seeing the Red Line again meant they had already sailed halfway through the Grand Line.After such a long journey, the Straw Hat Pirate Crew had now grown into a considerable force."Time really flies; we've already sailed halfway through the Grand Line."Arthur looked forward, a smile on his face.He knew about the Grand Line; the latter half was the true world of powerhouses.There would be even more strange and bizarre things there, and it was home to the top powerhouses of this sea.At this moment, Nami looked at the log pose."The log pose's direction is indeed underwater, but how do we enter Fish-Man Island?"Everyone was eagerly anticipating Fish-Man Islandat this point, including Arthur.He had seen mermaids in Cocoyasi Village, and their power, which surpassed that of humans, left a strong impression on him.Moreover, they could breathe underwater; this evolutionary path for humans was not a mistake.In terms of individual combat strength, ordinary merfolk were far more powerful than ordinary humans.Just then, Franky also activated the Sunny's dock system—a small diving shark.Luffy, Robin, and Chopper entered the shark.Arthur had originally intended to go in as well, but because the submarine's space was limited, it would be extremely crowded if he joined, so he ultimately gave up.A moment later, the three surfaced from the water."Luffy, did you see Fish-Man Island?" Nami asked curiously."What? There's no island in the water at all." Luffyshook his head.Just then, a sea monster suddenly flew up.Chopper saw the sea monster and screamed loudly."It actually caught up! It was chasing us just now; if it weren't for it, we wouldn't have surfaced so quickly!"Seeing the sea monster catch up, Luffy smiled."I couldn't attack you underwater, but now that we're on the open sea, do you think you can beat me?"As he spoke, Luffy's arm stretched out."Gomu Gomu Pistol!"Bang!After one punch, the sea monster was directly sent flying, and at that moment, a mermaid was spat out from the sea monster's mouth, then flew towards their direction.Thud!The mermaid landed on no one else but Sanji, who was standing nearby.Sanji was completely captivated by the mermaid's beauty; even after being hit, his face wore an expression of bliss."Sure enough, mermaids exist in this world; they're truly too adorable! If this is real, please send a few more to crush me; I'd be willing!"Hearing Sanji's constant mumbling, Arthur walked over to Sanji with a helpless expression."Hmm, another beauty has arrived.Why does this beauty look a little familiar?""…"Arthur immediately turned and walked away.Haha, this guy might have been knocked silly.At this moment, everyone else also gathered around; after all, this was a strange creature.Upon seeing the mermaid, Usopp said to everyone, "This isn't the first time we've seen a mermaid.Last time in Water 7, Kokoro was a mermaid!"Hearing Kokoro's name, Sanji immediately sobered up.That was his nightmare!At this moment, the mermaid also noticed everyone, and beside the mermaid, a starfish was chattering incessantly."Hey, didn't you notice me?"However, everyone's attention was on the mermaid; who would notice a talking starfish?Wait, a talking starfish?Arthur immediately picked up the starfish."Why can a starfish talk? You're a very interesting creature!""Hmph hmph, I once thought I was human, but later… later… I learned to speak human language!""Who would believe that nonsense!"A starfish can learn human language?Arthur patted the starfish's head.
Chapter 242 KemiAfter a farce, everyone learned that this mermaid was named Camie and came from Fish-Man Islandin the deep sea.However, she was swallowed by a sea monster on her way from Fish-Man Island to the coast.And according to her description, it had happened a full 20 times.It's hard to imagine how this fellow survived.Are mermaids creatures with well-developed limbs and simple minds?Arthur shook his head.Just then, Camie suddenly remembered something and took out her Den Den Mushi from the backpack behind her."My friend and I agreed to meet on the sea, but I accidentally got swallowed by a sea monster and was delayed for some time."Everyone nodded."Ah! The dazed Miss Mermaid is truly too cute! Is this my love?"Hearing Sanji's words, everyone shook their heads."This guy is really hopeless!"However, Sanji ignored everyone else's words and revelled in it, showing a doting smile.After Camie took out her Den Den Mushi, she dialed a number.Then, a fierce voice suddenly came from the Den Den Mushi on the other end."Your friend is in the hands of our Flying Fish Riders. If you want him to live, come find us."Flying Fish Riders?Arthur leaned forward.Camie still didn't understand what was happening."What's going on? Why isn't it Hachi's voice coming from the Den Den Mushi?"Hearing Camie's words, Arthur helplessly patted his head."Can't you tell? Your friend must have been captured."There's a limit to being muddled. How is this guy like Luffy?"What? Hachi has been captured!"Camie showed a very surprised expression, her tongue sticking out and forming a wavy line."Hachi?"Hearing this name, and associating it with a Fish-Man, the Straw Hat Pirates all looked serious.Because the hometown of Nami, the Navigator on their ship, was once occupied by Fish-Men, and one of the Fish-Men was named Hachi."I hope it's not him.""Hachi, is he your friend?" Luffy tilted his head and asked.Camie nodded."Yes, Hachi is my friend. He's the owner of Hachi's Takoyaki Shop, and the takoyaki he makes is the best in the world!"Hearing the words "takoyaki" and then the embellishment "best in the world."Luffy immediately became excited."Really? Really? Really? The best takoyaki in the world! Then let's go save your friend!"Arthur sighed. If he wasn't mistaken, there shouldn't be many Fish-Men named Hachi, and with the Straw Hat Pirates' luck, this Hachi must be the one they encountered before.However, Arthur didn't object to saving Hachi, provided Nami didn't mind.Because of the Captain's decision, they decided to go rescue Camie's friend, Hachi.Actually, Nami had already guessed Hachi's name, but she still said to Camie, "We can help you save your friend, but in exchange, you have to tell us how to get to Fish-Man Island."Camie nodded.She then used her ability to communicate with fish to gather small fish and find the location of the Flying Fish Riders."Such a powerful ability! If you were on this ship, could we eat lots and lots of fish in the future?""Luffy, are you an idiot?" Nami said helplessly.With the route, the Straw Hat Pirates began to sail, and at this moment, Camie's pet, Pappag, a starfish, took out a map."This is a map of the Sabaody Archipelago. We can use this map to find the location of the Flying Fish Riders. The Flying Fish Riders have been very popular recently. They keep intercepting Pirates who come here, as if they are looking for someone."The Straw Hat Pirates nodded. They didn't realize the seriousness of the situation at this time.Following the route on the map and the direction provided by Camie, everyone began to advance towards the location of the Flying Fish Riders.Arthur once again took out his old lounge chair, lay on the deck, and felt the sea breeze.Since they were enemies, he could test the power of the Cursed Seal.Arthur's Cursed Seals had no level distinctions, nor did they have the Heavenly Cursed Seal and Earth Cursed Seal classifications that Orochimaru used at the time.But Cursed Seals also had distinctions: one was a Cursed Seal where Arthur split his soul, and the other was a Cursed Seal without soul power added.The power gained from both types of Cursed Seals was the same.However, with the Cursed Seal infused with a soul, even when the Cursed Seal user was not using its power, the Cursed Seal's power was still active, but this power was nourishing Arthur's split soul until the soul could reach a level where Arthur could be resurrected, at which point it would stop.But these had no side effects on the Cursed Seal user's body.And this soul of Arthur would even appear when the Cursed Seal user was about to die, protecting the Cursed Seal holder from being killed.After all, once the Cursed Seal user died, it meant that Arthur's soul parasitic in the Cursed Seal would also disappear.And each time this type of soul-splitting Cursed Seal was used, it had significant side effects on Arthur himself.At least he would be weak for a period of time.Of course, if it was just an ordinary small fry, Arthurwould naturally not be foolish enough to give him a Cursed Seal with a soul."Arthur, don't you think your current clothes are ugly?" Nami saw Arthur wearing clothes she had never seen before and said to him with a smile.Arthur lowered his head, looking at his attire as if there was nothing wrong with it."It's alright, isn't it?"Are these kinds of clothes strange in this world?Nami stroked her chin."Compared to these clothes, I think you look better in my clothes!" Nami said with a giggle.She was just joking with Arthur.But one person took the joke seriously. Sanji, who was nearby, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and then looked at Arthur and Nami and said,"I think Miss Nami is absolutely right!"At this moment, Sanji had a calm expression, as if he were an outsider making an ordinary comment.Although his current demeanor was like that of a normal person, Zoro, who was nearby, didn't think so."Perverted Cook, I didn't expect your lust to have undergone a qualitative change. Arthur is a man, do you still have those strange thoughts about him?"Zoro, who was nearby, said."Zoro, what are you talking about? How can you, a Zoro, understand aesthetics?""Tch, don't try to hide it, you perverted Perverted Cook!"Camie heard their conversation, pointed at Arthur, and exclaimed, "What! The beautiful older sister is actually a man!"Arthur patted his forehead.Heh heh, so they can joke about my gender now?I don't mind, hmm, I definitely can't mind!
Chapter 243 Xiao Ling's Fans"I am a real man!"With Arthur's roar, the Straw Hat Pirates once again filled with a cheerful atmosphere.Just then, Robin, who was nearby, took out a newspaper and said to Arthur."Arthur, there's a report about you in this newspaper. It seems you're quite popular!"Robin had already finished reading the newspaper and a devious smile appeared on her face as she saw the report.At this moment, Usopp took the newspaper and began to read it."Shocking Big News!""Straw Hat Pirates First Mate, Calamity Wind Xiao Ling, resurrected!""Calamity Wind Xiao Ling, who fought five Vice Admirals of the Marine Headquarters, appeared in the East Blue, joining forces with the East Blue Grand Pirate Krieg Pirates to attack the East Blue. However, he was stopped by the rising fame of the East Blue's Sword Saint and God of Blades, and Krieg was captured and imprisoned.""Sword Saint Johnny and God of Blades Joseph, truly the strongest in the East Blue."???Are news reports this ridiculous now?Arthur immediately snatched the newspaper from Usopp's hand, and at this moment, the Straw Hat Pirates gathered around Arthur, all looking at the newspaper together.And the next piece of news was even more absurd, almost making Arthur go berserk!"Straw Hat Pirates First Mate, Calamity Wind Xiao Ling, after our newspaper's evaluation of her by numerous pirates and civilians, in just a few months, her fans on the Grand Line are second only to Pirate Empress Hancock, becoming the new goddess of the Grand Line.""After a fan vote, Arthur received a new title: White Scale Goddess."The four characters "White Scale Goddess" were enlarged, and the background of the newspaper featured photos and portraits of Arthur.One of them was a photo of Arthur from when he was in the East Blue, taken by someone at an unknown time, showing a pitiful and endearing expression.As for the portraits, there were various versions, including his wanted poster photo, which had been altered to depict him as a cold and captivating figure.Bang!Arthur threw the newspaper directly onto the ground."Robin, in the future, it's better if we don't subscribe to these entertainment newspapers. What is all this? It's completely nonsensical!"After hearing Arthur's words, Robin covered her mouth and chuckled softly."I find these quite interesting. It seems your popularity on the Grand Line is surpassing our Captain's."What a joke?There's a limit to how ridiculous things can get!"If I find out which newspaper agency printed this, I will personally destroy it!"After all, this was the vast Grand Line. If he really wanted to prove everything about himself, even if he ran until his legs broke, it would be impossible to refute the rumors."Wow, Arthur, your photo is so cute!"The innocent Chopper said with a giggle after seeing Arthur's photo.Then, he noticed Arthur's gaze on him."Ugh... Arthur, your expression is so scary..."Damn it! Are these guys on the Grand Line so bored?They can come up with such things!At this moment, Sanji picked up the newspaper from the ground, then lit his cigarette, and unknowingly slipped the newspaper into his pocket.The Sunny continued to sail, and the Straw Hat Pirates had now reached the location they were looking for.This was a temporary port, shaped like a giant crescent moon, with countless buildings on it.In the center of the crescent, an octopus fish-man was tied in a cage."Hachi!"Seeing the octopus fish-man, Camie shouted loudly at him.And the Straw Hat Pirates fell silent after seeing the octopus fish-man Hachi.They were right, Hachi was the Hachi they knew.At this moment, the Straw Hat Pirates looked at Nami.Although they had promised to help Camie rescue someone, the person to be rescued was someone their Navigator had once hated to the bone.To save or not to save still depended on Nami's opinion.Although Luffy really wanted to eat Hachi's takoyaki, this time he did not act rashly.He still clearly distinguished between food and comrades.And Hachi, seeing the Straw Hat Pirates, also showed a surprised expression. After all, he had just been captured by others, and the people who came to rescue him were once his enemies.Where could he find such luck?Nami said after careful consideration: "Everyone, let's help Camie rescue Hachi."In fact, Nami now understood things very clearly. The person she hated was only Arlong; there was no need to categorize all fish-men into one group.Seeing the Straw Hat Pirates' flag, a tall figure riding a sea bull walked out angrily."Hahahahaha, Straw Hat Pirates, I've finally been waiting for you! Do you know? I've been waiting so bitterly for you! Black Leg Sanji, I truly hate you!"Hearing the tall man's words, all the Straw Hat Pirates looked at Sanji."Sanji, is this guy your former enemy? Or did you provoke someone, and he's here to get revenge on you?"Luffy asked.Sanji frowned, stroking his chin with one hand, constantly thinking."It shouldn't be! When I was in the East Blue, although I did a lot of excessive things, there shouldn't be anyone who hates me this much. And after coming to the Grand Line, all my enemies, you should also know, I haven't provoked anyone!"But the tall man didn't care what Sanji thought. He immediately ordered his subordinates to ride flying fish and charge towards the Straw Hat Pirates.The speed of flying fish in water is quite impressive. A minion quickly attacked them.Before anyone could act, Arthur came to the front."Leave these guys to me, I'm very angry right now!"The next second, Arthur lightly leaped and stood directly on the water."Isn't that the White Scale Goddess Arthur?"The strong man riding a flying fish nearby saw Arthur and his eyes lit up with excitement."Goddess, I'm your fan, but even though I'm your fan, I still have to obey our boss's orders!" Although he said that, he still whistled.Damn it.He's really hitting a sore spot!A vein popped up on Arthur's forehead, but his face maintained a strong smile."Oh, a fan of mine. I recently had a research breakthrough that can grant people great power. Would you like to try it?"The strong man heard Arthur's words and agreed without thinking.And in the next second, he saw a giant python attacking him. The python opened its bloody maw and bit directly into his shoulder."Ah!!!"Along with the man's scream, the man felt the pain spreading through his body like venom.Then the man held on for a while, then foamed at the mouth and passed out.And the next second, Arthur smiled, and countless small snakes bit towards the members of the Flying Fish Riders who were riding flying fish
Chapter 244: Plastic Surgery and Kick TechniquesA moment later, all members of the Flying Fish Riders were floating on the sea, foaming at the mouth.Arthur slowly walked up to a member of the Flying Fish Riders and felt his life force."It seems my experiment was successful. Although these guys couldn't withstand the power of the Cursed Seal, their life force didn't diminish. They just lost all their strength."Afterward, Arthur was still a bit uneasy, so he called Chopper over to examine them."Their bodies are fine, but Arthur, what move did you use to defeat them? They are severely exhausted, but fortunately, they are only on the verge of death, with no risk of dying."Hearing Chopper's confirmation, Arthur was even more convinced of his success. He then suddenly realized that even though none of these guys were in mortal danger, not a single one of the dozen or so people had successfully accepted the Cursed Seal.If that's the ratio, wouldn't the success rate be zero?But Arthur felt that this Cursed Seal definitely had a success rate; it just required certain conditions.Clearly, these guys were not strong.The members of the Flying Fish Riders, seeing how strong Arthur was, already had thoughts of retreating.Just then, the leader of the Flying Fish Riders, who had been motionless, slowly rode forward on a giant ox."Black Leg Sanji, do you know how much I've suffered during this time?"The leader of the Flying Fish Riders wore a huge helmet, making it impossible to see his face, but from his physique, this guy's strength should be far superior to ordinary people.As he spoke, the leader of the Flying Fish Ridersslowly took off his helmet.His subordinates, seeing their leader's action, exclaimed, "Leader Duval is actually taking off his mask? He's never taken it off before. Why now?"As Duval moved, the mask slowly came off.At this moment, everyone from the Straw Hat Pirate Crew gasped, and even Arthur and Zorounconsciously covered their mouths.The resemblance, it was too striking!And upon seeing his face, Sanji's body burst into raging flames.Franky, on the other hand, immediately burst into tears."Brother, you are a true man! I already know what you've suffered during this time! I can suddenly understand why you're so angry after seeing Sanji!"After Duval removed his mask, his face was revealed before everyone.It was a face that looked exactly like Sanji's wanted poster.That's right, exactly the same."I can't believe there's someone in this world who looks like a mosaic!" Arthur muttered to himself."What a joke?" Sanji stared intently at Duval's face.The wanted poster had always been his biggest annoyance, and now something even more annoying had appeared.The person hand-drawn on that wanted poster actually existed, and this person had even come looking for him."Damn it."Thinking this, Sanji immediately used Moon Walk to appear before Duval.Seeing this, Arthur returned to the Sunny.The rest of the Straw Hat Pirate Crew also stopped interfering, as this was essentially a farce.They had no reason to fight, and even if there was a reason, it was due to the Straw Hat Crew's debt.Seeing Sanji charging over, Duval immediately ordered the ox beneath him to charge at Sanji.Just as the ox was about to hit Sanji, Sanji flew up again and then kicked Bartholomew to the ground."Damn it! You actually have such a repulsive face!"Seeing their leader kicked away, Duval's subordinates wanted to help but didn't dare to step forward.Because they had witnessed the strength of the Straw Hat Pirate Crew.Sanji and Bartholomew became connected because of a face, and now the two faced each other, both with resentment in their eyes.Sanji hated that face because the face on the wanted poster wasn't him at all.Bartholomew also hated that face; if it weren't for Sanji's wanted poster, he would still be a bully in his village. Why would he take such a big risk to run to the Grand Line?But clearly, Bartholomew's strength was far inferior to Sanji's.Sanji instantly appeared before Bartholomew, then kicked him in the face."Eyes!""Nose!""Cheeks!""Mouth!""Teeth!""Chin!""Plastic Surgery Shot!"Sanji's attacks rained down like a storm, continuously kicking Bartholomew's face.And after Sanji's attacks ended, Bartholomew was directly sent flying.Thud!Bartholomew, who had been sent flying, felt the pain in his face and immediately stood up, wanting to attack Sanji.But just then, one of his subordinates stopped him."Leader Bartholomew, look at your face!"The subordinate stopped him while handing him a mirror."!"Upon seeing his own face, Bartholomew was stunned."Is this... is this handsome guy me?""Yes, Leader!"Sanji silently lit a cigarette nearby."Your current appearance won't attract the Marines' attention anymore, but seeing this face of yours really annoys me!"Arthur, seeing Bartholomew's face after Sanji's work was complete, was equally shocked.When Sanji returned to the ship, Arthur approached him and said, "Sanji, can I ask you for a favor?"After hearing Arthur's words, Sanji nodded without hesitation."Of course, it's my honor to serve a... partner like you."Seeing Sanji agree, Arthur nodded excitedly and said, "Sanji, look at my face. Can you give my face a few kicks with that plastic surgery kick technique you just used?""My request isn't high; I want a resolute and very masculine face!"After hearing Arthur's words, Sanji immediately fell silent.He looked at Arthur's perfect face.If he were to use his kicking technique on that face, how could that even be possible?Even if he could change Arthur's face, he couldn't bring himself to do it!Moreover, if this ship no longer had that face, he would lose a lot of fun.No, absolutely not.After a while, Sanji came back to his senses, placed his hands on Arthur's shoulders, and said, "It's not that I don't want to, but when I see your face, I simply can't bring myself to kick it. Besides, my kicking technique can only make ugly people perfect; it can't change your face any further.""What's more, when have my feet ever kicked a partner!"Hearing Sanji's words, Arthur twitched the corner of his mouth.Just then, Zoro's voice suddenly came, "Perverted Cook, I think that guy's face just now suited you very well, hahahaha!""Zoro!"Accompanied by Sanji's roar, he kicked towards Zoro.Arthur had a face full of black lines.Is this the legendary 'a man's words are a deceptive ghost'?Then he shook his head, "I absolutely cannot be that kind of man."
Chapter 245 BarudyAfter the matter with the Flying Fish Riders was resolved, Bartholomew was also rescued, and the Straw Hat Pirates did not stop there, nor did they kill the Flying Fish Riders.The Sunny continued to sail on the sea.And the Straw Hat Pirates also ate takoyaki made by Hatchan, the octopus fish-man.Arthur put a piece of takoyaki into his mouth."As expected of takoyaki made by an octopus, the taste is really excellent."Hearing Arthur's praise, Hatchan's arms waved continuously."Thank you for your compliment.Ever since you told me about takoyaki in the East Blue last time, I decided to fulfill my dream, so from that time on, I stopped being a pirate and opened a takoyaki shop.Business is really booming."When he mentioned the East Blue, Hatchan unconsciously looked at Nami."Nami, is the takoyaki I made delicious?"After all, the Arlong Pirates had deeply hurt Namiwhen they were in the East Blue.At this moment, everyone who was eating takoyaki also stopped and waited for Nami's answer.Nami took a bite of takoyaki, and now her mind was deep in thought.Although the fish-men had hurt her hometown, her hometown was now liberated, and the person she hated was only Arlong, so there was no need to kill all the fish-men."It's really delicious!"Hearing Nami's answer, the Straw Hat Pirates no longer had any worries."Hatchan, make some more, I want to eat more!" Luffy shouted loudly.Hatchan nodded, the past was now a new chapter, and there was no longer any need to worry.At this moment, he looked at Zoro and Arthur and said, "I'm really sorry for what happened back then, I injured both of you."Hearing Hatchan's words, Zoro immediately retorted proudly, "Heh heh, how could you possibly injure me?The one who injured me was Hawkeye Mihawk.If I hadn't been injured, I could have dealt with you with just one sword."Arthur, on the other hand, waved his hand.He was indeed seriously injured at the time, but it seemed he gained a lot of emotion points, which could be considered a blessing in disguise."Hmph, it's impossible for me to be injured.Being pierced through the body by you at that time was merely our strategy."Arthur also said proudly.After hearing Arthur's words, Usopp immediately patted his chest."That's right, all of this was my, Usopp's, arrangement.How could a small fish-man be a match for my, Usopp's, strategy?"Usopp said to Brook, who was beside him."Yohohoho, so you're such an amazing person!"Usopp didn't hesitate at all and nodded directly."That's right, Arthur at that time wasn't who he is now.He was very timid back then, even more timid than Chopper is now, but under my leadership, you see how he's completely different from before, right?"Brook took a bite of takoyaki and nodded."So you guys have such interesting histories?"Just as everyone was about to finish eating, Bartholomew arrived riding his buffalo that could swim in the ocean.Bartholomew's appearance had completely changed now.Sanji saw them arrive and said to them, "I've already changed your appearance, why are you still coming here?"Bartholomew wanted to give everyone a flirtatious wink, but because his newly done cosmetic surgery wasn't particularly stable, he couldn't quite pull off the wink."It's like this, I, who had originally become the most handsome person in the world, planned to return to the countryside to continue my bully life, but then I suddenly remembered that it was you who made my face the most handsome face in the world.If I don't repay you, I'll feel guilty, so I'm giving you my contact information.If you need anything, you can contact me."Saying that, Bartholomew handed a string of phone numbers to Sanji, then took out a mirror and continued to admire his face."Oh, by the way, there's one more thing."Then Bartholomew looked at Arthur, who was beside him."White Scale Goddess, we Flying Fish Riders are all your fans, and even I have admired you for a long time.You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen on this sea, and I am the most handsome person in this world.Given that, I think we can...""I refuse!""Get lost!"Arthur and Sanji shouted simultaneously."And one more thing I need to tell you, I'm a man!" Arthur shouted loudly.Then, he no longer paid attention to these idiots.A joke has its limits, right?At this moment, he held an even greater grudge against those gossip-loving newspapers."I knew you were refusing me because you're shy.Because there's no one in this world who can resist my handsomeness.Never mind, I'll give you some time to think, because when you see my handsome face, you probably won't be able to think clearly."After speaking, Bartholomew gave Arthur his strangely flirtatious wink, then left the place."..."Is this guy sick?Who gave him such confidence?Finally, after seeing Bartholomew off, Nami looked at Hatchan and asked."Hatchan, how exactly do we get to Fish-Man Island?"Hatchan nodded and said to everyone."Because the Grand Line is divided by the Red Line, there are only two ways to enter the New World.The first is to get permission from the World Government and enter the New World from above the Red Line.And the second is to reach Fish-Man Island, which is ten thousand meters underwater.""Ten thousand meters underwater? How do we reach that depth?" Arthur asked curiously."That's not difficult for us fish-men.But if humans want to reach Fish-Man Island, they can only dive ten thousand meters underwater by coating their ships.""Coating?"Hatchan heard everyone's questions and nodded."There's an island nearby made of trees, the Sabaody Archipelago.Because it's made of trees, it has no magnetic force, so it's hard to find that island.On that island, there are masters who specialize in coating ships.Because you need to dive ten thousand meters underwater, you need a highly skilled master.As a reward for saving me, I happen to know an old master, so I'll take you to the Sabaody Archipelagoto get your ship coated!"Hearing this news, Luffy smiled.Arthur also stroked his chin, he also wanted to see what this so-called coating was.Even submarines made of steel find it difficult to dive ten thousand meters underwater.They had such a submarine on their ship, but it could only dive to about five thousand meters underwater at most.And this coating could allow an entire ship to dive ten thousand meters underwater.How interesting.
Chapter 246 Sabaody Archipelago"Sabaody Archipelago is made up of 79 giant mangroves. Because it is made of trees, there is no magnetism here. Each tree here has a number, and as long as you follow the numbers, you won't go wrong."Arthur looked at the beautiful island scenery with a hint of surprise.Bubbles continuously emerged from the ground of the island, an environment more beautiful than one could imagine."Click!"Arthur took a group photo for everyone, commemorating their arrival on this island.In fact, Arthur had been taking photos of their experiences all along the way, and unknowingly, they had already completed half of their journey on the Grand Line.The Sunny slowly approached the shore, and everyone suggested exploring the island."This island isn't as beautiful as you imagine. There are many lawless areas here, with a large number of Bounty Hunters, Marines, and kidnapping gangs. Moreover, these guys aren't small fry; after all, how could anyone who makes it this far be mediocre?" Hachi continued.After Nami heard Hachi's words, she showed a sly smile and said, "If it's this dangerous here, we can't feel at ease leaving our ship. And many of my clothes are on this ship, so I need a warrior to guard these things for me."As soon as Nami finished speaking, someone bravely stepped forward and said, "Miss Nami, I want to be your warrior! Leave these things to me!"Seeing Sanji's performance, Arthur was a bit speechless, but he also didn't plan to go to the island right now.After all, if he went now, he would definitely go with Nami, and he wouldn't fall for that trick."I've decided, I'm going to rest for a while first!"Arthur immediately voiced his decision.He decisively refused to land on the island now.The Straw Hat Crew finally decided that Franky and Usopp would stay behind to repair the ship and replenish its lost beverages. Sanji would stay to guard Nami's treasures. Zoro was currently sleeping and didn't hear everyone's decision at all.Meanwhile, Arthur turned and walked towards the laboratory.The others were now landing on the island.Arthur came into the laboratory, where an unformed body lay within a container filled with nutrient solution."This body's growth has reached a sufficient level now."This was a body Arthur had previously cultivated, which he considered relatively perfect. This body was merely a clone of Arthur's body with the power of the Cursed Seal added, without any other elements.Therefore, this body was relatively easy to replicate.Because he had been researching the Cursed Seal during this time, this body had not received special care from Arthur, but it seemed to have developed quite well, and it wouldn't take long for it to grow into an adult.But at this stage, Arthur no longer needed him to continue growing.He then summoned a small snake and used sealing jutsu to seal the body inside the snake.He planned to find a suitable candidate for the Cursed Seal, and then seal this small snake and body together within the Cursed Seal.This would be a perfect resurrection point.After all, they were pirates, and Arthur himself wasn't sure when he might be killed, so it was correct to be cautious and leave some contingencies.Of course, the more such resurrection points, the better.Back then, Orochimaru left Cursed Seals on Sasuke and Anko. The Cursed Seal on Sasuke was removed by Uchiha Itachi, but the Cursed Seal on Anko remained, so he could still be resurrected.Arthur also intended to do the same.However, the power of the Cursed Seal was something ordinary people simply couldn't withstand. He speculated that anyone capable of bearing the Cursed Seal would at least need to be at Zoro's level.And he must also possess a firm will.Just as Arthur was deep in thought, a female voice came from outside the door."Arthur, are you in there?"After Arthur heard this voice, he was a bit surprised."Why is she here?"This voice wasn't from anyone in the Straw Hat Crew, but from Empress Hancock, whom he had just bid farewell to a while ago.But why would Hancock appear here?Arthur walked to the door and opened the laboratory door. Hancock stood outside, shyly."Long time no see."Arthur nodded."Why are you here? Shouldn't you have returned to your country?"Seeing Hancock's arrival, Arthur was a bit surprised."Me? I originally wanted to return to my country, but halfway, we encountered a group of pirates and we hijacked them. We couldn't take all their abundant supplies with us, so we stopped here for a while to figure out how to take those supplies with us."Hancock herself didn't believe what she was saying.In reality, she was just waiting for Arthur here.However, what she didn't expect was that Arthuractually believed her, as he simply nodded.He then stroked the little white snake on his neck. After all, Hancock had saved him before, so he could still help with such a small favor.But he was now thinking about something else.His experiment had progressed to this stage; he had already confirmed that the Cursed Seal would not cause death. It should be fine to test the power of the Cursed Seal on Hancock, right?Although doing so might cause some inner guilt, if it succeeded, Hancock's strength should also improve, as the power bonus of the Cursed Seal is based on one's own inherent strength."Hancock, I want to ask you for a favor? But the process might be a bit painful?""?"Upon hearing Arthur's words, Hancock's face immediately turned crimson.A bit painful?A favor?Does he mean... This isn't good, should I refuse?No, this is developing too quickly, I must refuse."I agree!"Hancock said, looking excited.Seeing Hancock's current appearance, Arthur's sense of guilt increased by another notch.After all, she trusted him so much."Hancock, have you thought it through? What I need is your body, and the pain involved might be unbearable. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?"Arthur reminded her once more. Faced with her quick agreement, he didn't want to feel too much guilt in his heart."Of course, no problem. As long as it's you, I... am very willing.""!!"Seeing Hancock's current appearance, Arthur was somewhat at a loss. He couldn't help but feel that she might have misunderstood?However, he thought about it again; only he possessed the Cursed Seal in this world, and furthermore, only he could implant such a Cursed Seal.Besides me, who else could it be?Seeing Arthur not speak, Hancock said shyly, "Then what should I do next?""You can take off your top first."Hancock covered her face.Is it really like this?Just as I thought, I'm so excited!
Chapter 247 The Second Curse is SuccessfulInside the laboratory."You only need to take off your top, no, you only need to expose your shoulder."Arthur said, covering his forehead, as he looked at Hancock, who was about to completely remove her top.It's just planting a cursed seal; there's really no need to take off her entire top."Is that really okay? But doesn't that sort of thing require being completely naked?"Hancock's face was filled with shyness."No need!"Arthur used both hands to pull up Hancock's clothes, only exposing her shoulder.Then he brushed aside Hancock's hair."I'm going to start now. It might hurt a lot, so you must endure it."Hancock nodded, her face flushed with shyness.Doing it with clothes on, is that really possible?Never mind, as long as he likes it.Then Hancock closed her eyes, waiting for Arthur's next move.At this moment, a snow-white, transparent small snake appeared in Arthur's hand. This snake was the one he had just sealed from that body. If Hancock's experiment succeeded, then this would become a perfect resurrection point.The small snake slowly raised its head and approached Hancock's body."Ah!"Hancock only felt a sudden sharp pain on her shoulder, and then the pain quickly spread throughout her body."This…"How was this different from what she had imagined?"Hancock, you must hold on. If the planting is successful, you will not only gain power, but this cursed seal is also a clone of mine. I sealed it into your body, so even if I die in the future, I can be reborn through your power."Arthur did not hide anything from Hancock.What?Did he mean?Ah! How embarrassing! What am I thinking?No, even if it hurts, I must endure this power!At this time, the perfume yuda was docked next to the Sunny, and Sanji had already infiltrated the Kuja Pirates."Beautiful ladies, these are the desserts I prepared for you."Sanji politely delivered desserts into the hands of every Kuja Pirates member."Damn it! Why wasn't it a Pirate Crew like this that asked me to join back then? This is simply my paradise!""What? Your country is an Amazon Lily inhabited only by women?"Sanji learned about the existence of the Amazon Lilyisland through a member of the Kuja Pirates.After hearing this news, Sanji lit a cigarette."Although I already have a dream, to find the legendary All Blue, this is no longer my only dream. I now have a new dream that I must fulfill: to visit the legendary Amazon Lily in my lifetime!""This is truly amazing!"Sanji was already lost in his fantasy, dreaming of life in Amazon Lily."If possible, after the voyage ends, I hope to settle there!"At this moment, the Snake sisters looked at Frankyand Usopp and said, "Is your companion okay?"Usopp waved his hand."He's always like this. Whatever you ask of him, he will agree without hesitation."And at this moment, a powerful energy emanated from the bottom of the Sunny, spreading outwards.This energy did not target anyone specifically but directly targeted everyone.Even Sanji, who was immersed in his fantasies, was unconsciously shocked by this power, and cold sweat constantly dripped from his forehead."This is… Conqueror's Haki…"That's right, he had witnessed this power before; it was Conqueror's Haki.Among the Kuja Pirates, some weaker members fainted from the influence of this Conqueror's Haki.And at this moment, Zoro, who had been sleeping, suddenly opened his eyes."Is it an enemy?"Then he saw the flag of the Kuja Pirates, got up, and stretched."I feel pretty good now; I should go out for a walk."Then his gaze turned to the bottom of the ship.If he hadn't guessed wrong, the Haki below must have been caused by Arthur and them.Moreover, there was the Kuja Pirates' ship next to them, and he knew that the Kuja Pirates and Arthurwere friends, so he wasn't worried about this place."Zoro, where are you going?"Seeing Zoro get off the ship, Sanji immediately said."I want to go for a walk on the island. Don't worry, I'll be back soon.""…"I'll believe you when pigs fly."What are those expressions? Don't you trust me? There are numbers on these trees, so how could I get lost?"Hearing Zoro's words, Usopp said, "I didn't expect this guy to have such wisdom. In that case, go ahead."Zoro pouted and turned to leave. Then he looked at the numbers on the trees."This is tree number one, right? With these markings, how could I possibly get lost?"As Zoro left, the bubbles stuck to the trees burst, and the large numbers "41" appeared in everyone's sight.After Zoro left, Chopper immediately treated the members of the Kuja Pirates."They just fainted from the energy fluctuation; there's no danger. But what was that energy just now?"Sanji, nearby, lit a cigarette."That was Conqueror's Haki, a king that appears with a one-in-a-million chance."The Snake sisters nodded. They hadn't expected the Straw Hat Pirates members to understand Haki."The Haki just now must have been from Big Sister."Meanwhile, inside the laboratory.Arthur kept clutching his head, the intense pain almost making him faint.Because it was his first time personally splitting a soul, he seemed to have split too much of it.One-third of his soul was sealed in the cursed seal on Hancock.Now his head was splitting.He was closest to the Conqueror's Haki just now. Although he didn't faint, being impacted by that power left him in a very bad state.At this moment, the pain on Hancock's body slowly receded. A black mark appeared on her arm.The cursed seal was successfully planted."Arthur, what's wrong?"After the pain subsided, she saw Arthur clutching his head and immediately asked with concern."I… I'm fine, don't worry. Let me rest for a while."Arthur took a deep breath. Because too much of his soul had been split, he could now clearly feel another body within Hancock's cursed seal.Although his soul was currently damaged and might take a long time to repair, with Hancock and Zoro as resurrection points, he thought that very few people in this world could kill him anymore.Arthur shook his head, then, feeling the weakness in his body, he said to Hancock."I'm fine. I'll help you solve the problem of too many supplies. Let's go up first."
Chapter 248 Entering the Sabaody ArchipelagoOn the deck.Hancock hadn't lied; there were countless supplies on the shore where the Straw Hat Pirate Crew and the Kuja Pirates were docked.These supplies were already too much for one ship to carry."It's just like you! To get so many things, you wouldn't be able to transport all of this even if you made three trips!" Arthur said, looking at the mountain of supplies."Yes, that's why I've been here for so long. It seems there's really no other way than to sell the supplies here." Hancock said, a little helpless. Then she became shy and continued, "So... Arthur, would you be willing to come with me to sell these things?"Arthur shook his head."It would be a pity to sell so many things, wouldn't it? I have a way for you to take all of these things back with you." Arthur stroked the little white snake around his neck."A way? What way do you have?" Hancock was a little incredulous. She had specifically bought three large ships' worth of supplies to be safe.Around Arthur's neck, the little white snake slowly opened its eyes, then rapidly grew in size, transforming into a snake as large as Hancock's pet."This is my pet, Little White. It's a snake that can store things. Its stomach can hold countless items. These things are nothing in its eyes. Since you managed to get so many supplies, wouldn't it be a shame not to take them back?"Hancock seemed not to have heard Arthur's words."His pet is also a snake?How do I suddenly feel like he and I are such a good match?Is it because he knows I have a pet snake, so he..." "Hancock!" Arthur's voice sounded again."Ah... what did you say?" Seeing Hancock's expression, Arthur helplessly rubbed his forehead.He didn't explain, but instead let Little White grow enormous and swallow all of Hancock's supplies."Hancock, all your supplies are now in Little White's stomach, so all you need to do is take Little White back with you. Little White's stomach is for storing items; it won't digest your supplies. So you can retrieve the supplies once you return to your country."This time, Hancock listened carefully to Arthur's words, and a glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes.She hadn't expected such a magical snake to exist in the world.But then she thought, since Arthur was helping her so diligently, it seemed he genuinely liked her.Ultimately, she agreed to Arthur's suggestion."Arthur, then I'll trouble you." Hancock said dejectedly, then bent down to let Little White crawl onto her hand.Little White was not at all polite, directly coiling around Hancock's body and finally entering her chest.Hancock felt a tickle in her chest. She looked down and saw a clear, translucent little white snake peeking out from her collar.At this moment, Sanji saw Little White's actions and silently shed tears; he wished he could be Little White!Little White was not a male snake, so there was no question of impropriety. The last time it was threatened by Nami, it discovered this auspicious spot on a person's body.It just didn't have an owner then.Finally, Hancock left with Little White, her back looking lonely.The Straw Hat Crew watched the Kuja Pirate Ship depart, and two people were especially reluctant to see it go.One was a dejected Sanji.The other was Hancock, who had already set off.It wasn't until the Kuja Pirate Crew's ship disappeared from everyone's sight that Sanjiwithdrew his lingering gaze."Oh no, Little White isn't my summoned beast..."Although the two had signed a contract, it wasn't a summoning contract."Never mind, although we don't have a summoning contract, we can still sense each other's location. And the system once said that Little White's vitality is strong, so there shouldn't be any problems." Arthur shook his head. Dividing 1/3 of his soul made him feel an unprecedented fatigue.And this was no longer something sleep could fix."Forget it, the environment on this island is so beautiful, and I've been in the lab for so long. Now that the experiment is successful, it's time to go out and relax." Arthur stretched. He decided to take a walk on the island. Anyway, coating this ship would definitely not be a quick fix."Sanji, Chopper, Franky, I'm going to explore the island. I shouldn't be gone for too long; I'll be back soon."The three nodded. After all, Arthur wasn't a directionally challenged person like Zoro, and they knew his strength, so there was no need to worry.After Arthur left, Chopper looked at Arthur's back and said to the other two, "I don't know why, but I feel like Arthur's mental state seems a bit off.""Has his mental illness changed?" Sanji asked."No, I just feel like he seems very tired right now."After hearing Chopper's words, Sanji nodded."After all, he's been in the lab for so long. Anyone would have poor mental health. It's a good thing for him to go for a walk on the island and relax."On the other side, Arthur walked on the Sabaody Archipelago, watching the constantly rising bubbles and taking two photos.Then he held a bubble in his hand and muttered, "These bubbles are so sturdy. It seems to be related to the climate here." He looked up at the sky and saw that the bubbles that flew into the sky would naturally burst, which further confirmed his idea.Due to the weakening of his soul power, he felt dizzy even walking a few steps."Should I be more cautious? In my current state, I can't exert my full strength. If I encounter a powerful enemy, there might really be a problem."However, he soon abandoned this idea.Haha, how could anyone in this world kill him?Why be so cowardly?Immediately after, Arthur bought a map of the Sabaody Archipelago nearby and then entered the island.And after Arthur left, a group of people hidden in the trees emerged."The Straw Hat Crew has now landed on this island. It's normal for their first mate to be here, but he doesn't seem as strong as the rumors say, though he's much prettier than in the photos.""Yes! This isn't just a bounty of 280 million; he also carries the title of 'Goddess.' If we capture him, this guy's minimum price will be at least 300 million. We'll make a huge profit, but it seems we're not the only ones after him."Then, another group of Bounty Hunters emerged from another thicket."This is our prey, a bounty of 280 million."The leader of the kidnapping gang who first emerged subtly shifted his gaze.The target was someone who could directly confront five Vice Admirals. They alone wouldn't be a match."We now have a common goal, and the target is not to be trifled with. How about we cooperate, and we'll split the money evenly?"The Bounty Hunters' leader thought for a while, then nodded.If all of them were defeated, they would not only lose the bounty but also be wiped out.Cooperating with the other party was clearly a better option.
Chapter 249: Xiao Ling is surroundedArthur passed a vendor and bought two candied haw skewers; he really liked this sour treat.Pedestrians came and went on the road, and Arthurquite liked the atmosphere on the island.According to the map, his current location was the tourist area of the Sabaody Archipelago, where countless specialty merchants were hawking their wares.However, no matter how loudly they shouted, it had nothing to do with Arthur.Because he had no money.The gold that Xiaobai had been storing was taken by Hancock, and all he had was a small amount of living expenses given by Nami."Sigh, is it because my soul is damaged? I've forgotten so many things; I didn't even take out all the items from Xiaobai's stomach."He then shook his head, thinking it was best not to cause trouble now, as his strength was severely damaged, and he was constantly enduring the pain of his soul being torn.However, even if he thought so, others did not.When Arthur walked out of the tourist area, he saw a group of people approaching him.Even a fool would know that these guys were probably looking for trouble, and Arthur clearly knew he was a wanted criminal."Is there something you need from me?"Arthur, now tightly surrounded, asked the crowd.He didn't want to fight right now; although he felt it wouldn't be difficult to deal with these guys, in a place like this, it was better to avoid trouble."White Scale Goddess Arthur, we are your most sincere fans. If possible, I hope you can come and sit with us; let me show you some hospitality."He wasn't angry after hearing the title "White Scale Goddess."Perhaps humans are such creatures that they can quickly adapt to something.Evidently, he had already adapted to this title.Because he didn't want to fight, Arthur smiled and said to the crowd, "I'm sorry, I have something to do right now. If it's possible, I will definitely pay you a visit later."After hearing Arthur's words, the burly man in charge was visibly displeased."What, you want to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit? You should know you're just a wanted criminal. Although you have such a high bounty, we're not to be trifled with. Besides, your face would surely be very popular with nobles. It's better to agree to our boss's request and be our guest; maybe we'll be soft-hearted and let you off."Before the burly leader could speak, a subordinate couldn't help but interject.These people looked at Arthur's face and simultaneously thought that if they could, they really didn't want to sell this person in front of them.However, they then considered that if he could indeed be sold for a high price of over 300 million Berries, wouldn't it be better to buy four or five female slaves to play with instead?"Get lost. I don't want to see you right now. If you don't want to die, leave here. I might consider letting you go."Hearing the other party's words, Arthur's eyes hardened and became sinister. Having already killed many people, Arthur carried a chilling killing aura.Feeling the powerful killing intent, those burly men all stepped back a few paces, and just then, another group of people appeared around Arthur. It seemed this group was the companions of those burly men."Hahahaha, you call yourselves a kidnapping gang? People who nearly wet themselves from just a glance are truly a bunch of good-for-nothings!""Huh? Aren't they together?"Arthur looked at this group of people with some curiosity.Although the kidnapping gang was somewhat weak-kneed from Arthur's intimidation, upon hearing the Bounty Hunters' words, their mouths stiffened again."Heh heh, you do it then! Don't let this lovely beauty in front of you fool you; don't forget she's a great pirate with a bounty of 280 million."The Bounty Hunters fell silent after hearing the burly man's words."Since we know she's strong, let's all go together! We're not pretending anymore; we're laying our cards on the table. White Scale Goddess Arthur, you are our prey now. With your looks and your bounty price, you'll fetch a high price at the auction."Arthur heard this."Auction?""Are there many good things at the auction?"Since the other party didn't intend to kill him here, could he use this opportunity to enter the auction and get something valuable?After all, he was so poor right now.And because of the constant throbbing pain from his soul, he felt that the flow of Chakra in his body had become very slow. With so many people, he might really fall here.However, Arthur had no intention of surrendering so easily.Just then, a burly man had already rushed in front of him, bringing the back of his blade down towards Arthur's neck.After all, he couldn't harm this perfect commodity.Arthur saw the opponent's attack and showed a slight smile, then lightly dodged the opponent's great sword.Immediately after, Chakra flowed through Arthur's body, and monstrous strength instantly activated, striking the burly man with a punch.Bang!Arthur's immense strength sent the burly man flying dozens of meters.And the people nearby, seeing this scene, broke out in a cold sweat."Ah!"The next second, Arthur suddenly clutched his head and screamed loudly.Just now, when he used Chakra, his incomplete soul seemed to be tugged, causing an even more unbearable pain."What's going on? Why does this happen when I use Chakra?"Arthur himself didn't know why this situation occurred.Logically speaking, Chakra and soul power are two different kinds of power, aren't they?"System, what exactly is wrong with me?"At this moment, Arthur remembered the long-sealed system."Host's soul power is currently incomplete. The Chakra in the body and the cursed seal has begun to automatically restore soul power. If Chakra is used at this time, it will cause certain damage to the soul."So that's how it is.Without Chakra, Arthur truly became a soft girl.No, a soft guy.The next second, the Bounty Hunters and the kidnapping gang, seeing Arthur's condition, smiled."Lads, it seems the opponent was already injured! This is our good opportunity; quickly bring out the slave collars."In their eyes, anyone fitted with a collar was as good as dead.Even if the opponent was a great pirate, it was no exception.Arthur looked up. If he couldn't use Chakra now, then if he really got kidnapped, he wouldn't have the confidence to pretend to be tied up and go to the auction.In fact, his body itself wasn't particularly strong. Without the enhancement of Chakra, he might not even be a match for this group of people in front of him."No, I need to find a way to escape here. I don't know how long soul repair will take now. If I get caught, then I'll be in danger."