Chapter 62: Unexpected SituationThe other chefs were shocked by Zeff's actions, as this part wasn't in the script.Everyone started discussing it."The boss… actually hit someone!" "I saw it, he didn't kick." "He definitely used his hand."Sanji lay on the ground, looking up at everyone present with hateful eyes."Damn it!"He gritted his teeth and ran out of the dining hall, then slammed the door shut.Luffy walked over, ladled a bowl of soup, and drank it."…This soup is incredibly good!""Luffy, they only said that to make Sanji leave this place, right, Boss Zeff?""Hmph—" Zeff let out a cold snort. He neither confirmed nor denied it, which was as good as admitting it.After Sanji left, everyone's expressions changed, no longer appearing so aggressive."We know about that." "Ah—that scared me to death, that guy really got angry—" "We all acknowledge Sanji's excellent cooking skills!"Zeff nodded on the side."The white-haired kid over there is right. If we hadn't done that, that idiot wouldn't listen… Hey, kid… take that brat… with you. …Going to the Grand Line… is that guy's dream."Meanwhile, the other chefs continued to complain."The boss is really something, making us do such a troublesome thing." "Exactly, I was scared to death just now." "I want another bowl of soup!"Sanji, hiding behind the door, heard everything inside."…I heard it all… A bunch of idiots! Bastards!"In the dining hall, Zeff told Luffy to take Sanji with him."Take Sanji… with me? I refuse!"Luffy replied with a firm expression, while Alexwore an 'I knew it' look."What!"The chefs were shocked; after all, this kid's purpose for coming here was to find a cook.Zeff was also surprised by this answer."What do you mean, kid! Isn't your ship in need of a cook? Are you not satisfied with him?"Luffy replied while eating."How could I not be satisfied? I also hope he can come with us. But he said he wants to continue being a cook here! So no matter what you guys say, I can't take him."Zeff understood what Luffy meant."You mean, you need him to agree to it himself, right?"Luffy nodded, confirming, and handed over his bowl. "Another bowl."Zeff was now in a difficult spot."…What you say makes sense, but will that stubborn guy actually say it honestly…"Outside, Sanji, leaning against the door, was also thinking about how he should say it.After hearing Luffy's request, several chefs began to tease Sanji's temper."Of course he won't say it, he's a stubborn idiot!""Another bowl." "I want one too, and please prepare some paper and a pen for me."Alex and Luffy finished their soup and asked for another bowl, and at the same time, Alex thought of something and asked for some paper.Sanji was smoking and looking out at the sea when suddenly, a strange sound reached his ears."Ah wawawa ahhhh ahhhh wawawa wawawa ah! Ah wuwuwu wuwuwu wuwu aya ah wuwuwu wuwu ah!"The cry was so miserable that it was hard to listen to.Sanji looked up and saw a huge shadow burst out from the sea and leap into the air.Seeing the flying fish in the air, even Sanji, who was used to all kinds of ingredients, was stunned."Hmm? Ah? Ahhhhhh!"The giant fish smashed through the door and knocked Sanji inside along with it.Looking at Sanji, who was pinned under the giant fish, the chefs started discussing."Sanji!" "What is this?" "A Fishman?" "Did it come all the way from Fish-Man Island to eat our cooking?" "Idiot, this is a human and a shark!"Luffy and Alex looked over and discovered that the person in the shark's mouth was Yosaku."Damn it!" Sanji crawled out from under the shark.Yosaku heard someone calling him, looked up, and saw Alex and Luffy."…Luffy… Big brother… Xi… Where is Big brother Alex?""Why are you alone! Where are the others? Where is Nami? Alex is right here, Yosaku, answer my question quickly, Yosaku, Yo…""Stop calling him, Luffy, he has passed out. It looks like he just fell asleep from exhaustion."Hearing Alex's words, Luffy finally dragged Yosakuout of the shark's mouth.Alex came over to treat the wounds on Yosaku's body, while also picking up a bowl of soup and feeding it to him little by little.After eating some food, Yosaku recovered and sat on a chair, wrapped in a blanket.After he woke up, Alex first told him about his own situation, and then Luffy asked where the others were and if Nami had been brought back."So that's how it is. Sorry, Big brother Luffy, although I didn't catch up to Big sister Nami, judging from her sailing route… I pretty much know her destination."Luffy breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that her destination could be confirmed."Oh—then we can bring her back."However, Yosaku's words made both of them feel a sense of unease."But… Big sister's destination… if I'm not mistaken, it's a terrifying place… I'll explain the details in a moment! Please come with me! Anyway, I need the help of both you big brothers."After listening to Yosaku, Alex asked Luffy."What do you think, Luffy? Why don't you stay and see if you can convince Sanji, and I'll go with Yosaku.""No, although I don't know what happened… Got it! Let's go!"Luffy wanted to say something, but then changed his mind and agreed to Yosaku's proposal."Wait a minute." A voice came from behind them.It was Sanji, who was leaning against the wall, smoking while looking at Luffy and the others."I'm going too. Take me with you!"Everyone was shocked that Sanji would actually take the initiative to ask; this was truly unexpected."However, I'm not joining you on your route to become the Pirate King; we both share that stupid dream. I'm going for my own purpose. I'll take on the role of the cook on your ship, yes or no?"Sanji's meaning was clear, and Alex looked at Luffywith a smile.Luffy also jumped up with joy upon hearing Sanji's words."Yes! That's awesome!"Then, Alex was pulled over by Luffy, and they danced on the spot with Yosaku to celebrate adding a new crewmate.Yosaku joined in the celebration too."That's great, Big brother Luffy! Big brother Alex!""Yeah!""Definitely good."Sanji turned and looked at the chefs on the side."That's how it is, everyone… I've caused you all a lot of trouble."Seeing this, Patty crossed his arms and said with dissatisfaction."Hmph, so annoying! I wanted to drive you away with my own hands, I didn't expect you to decide to leave so easily—"Hearing Patty's words, Sanji didn't back down and brought up what had just happened."I'm really sorry, making you all act in such a lousy play!"Hearing Sanji's words, everyone asked Sanji."You knew everything!"Sanji turned his head away in dissatisfaction and replied."I heard it all, because you guys are too stupid."After hearing Sanji's words, everyone became angry and loudly asked Sanji what he meant by that.Sanji didn't answer but pointed at them and pressed them."…Anyway, you guys really wanted to drive me away, right? Right, old geezer."Patty, hearing Sanji still using that tone, questioned him with dissatisfaction."Why can you only talk in that tone, you bastard!"Zeff stopped Patty and used the same tone to mock Sanji."That's right, you brat, I've always hated kids. Not a day goes by that I don't regret saving such a boring guy, you brat!"Hearing the old geezer's words, Sanji didn't back down."Hmph… well said, old geezer, then you enjoy the rest of your life!"Alex watched the two of them from the side, using insults to comfort each other, and found it quite funny.However, he still had one important thing left to do.Yosaku recovered and left with the chefs to the back of the restaurant, where a beautiful little boat could be seen."Wow, what a great boat! Can we really take it?""This is Sanji's boat, of course you can."Luffy came to the storage room to pick out food; he first emptied half of the place, and then had someone pack a large bag.When they heard Luffy wanted even more, the chefs couldn't help but complain."You're still taking more!""Yeah, pack some more meat for me.""How many days are you actually planning to sail for?""I don't know."At this moment, Alex was cutting up the golden armor that had fallen off Don Krieg.These irregularly shaped pieces of armor were cut into small portions, and he also collected that diamond gauntlet.After organizing everything, Alex took out a small bag of treasure and walked towards Patty and Carne."You two, this bag is for the food expenses for Luffyand the others, and the money to buy food from you…""Listen, kid, you're underestimating us. If you hadn't driven Don Krieg away, we wouldn't even know if we'd survive. Besides, it's just some food; take as much as you want."Patty refused the money bag Alex offered, and Carne did the same, indicating they couldn't accept it.Seeing this, Alex had no choice, so he took out a stack of paper from his person and handed it to them."This is a recipe for two dishes I wrote. Of course, these aren't ordinary recipes. This one is for Vegetable Stew, which can quickly help people recover their physical strength. This one is for Smoked Ribs, which can enhance personal physical fitness. Of course, it's not an infinite boost, but it can raise it by one or two levels."After listening to Alex, Patty and Carne were stunned in place.To be honest, just a recipe that can quickly restore physical strength would be enough to buy the entire Baratie, let alone the one that could enhance strength."Xi… Mr. Alex, are… are these two recipes real?""Is the ef… effect really, really as powerful as you say?"Hearing their inquiry, Alex knew they didn't believe him."Then how about I make a serving for you to taste."Then, they went to the kitchen and started preparing the two delicacies.On the other side, Zeff was lying on the bed, while Sanji was sitting at a table in the dining hall, smoking.Both of them started to recall the things that had happened, and although they claimed to hate each other, they had long been like father and son
Chapter 63: Sanji Boards the ShipWhile smoking, he recalled the purpose of the two of them establishing this restaurant."I'm just giving an example, Sanji... No matter how vicious a villain... or a fugitive... as long as there is someone who really, really wants to eat coming to this shop...We have the... meaning to continue fighting in this shop!"Sanji sat on a chair and looked up at the ceiling, smoking while recalling the various things that had happened in the past.That was the Mackerel Head restaurant, also known as Baratie, which Zeff had built by spending all his savings and even borrowing some funds.He recalled the scene when he learned to smoke so that the old geezer wouldn't call him a brat.That was when he had just learned to smoke; he would cough as soon as he smoked, and Zeff had warned him that smoking would affect his sense of taste, but after successfully finishing his first cigarette, he considered himself an adult.Then came the time when Patty and Carne joined as chefs; at that time, Zeff was advertising everywhere that he was recruiting bastard chefs to join.Later, there were times when he was beaten by Zefffor making bad food, and times when he couldn't help but hit people who were discussing Zeff's identity.Even if Sanji threw the first punch, Zeff would always help his staff without hesitation.At this moment, Zeff was lying in bed, and like Sanji, he began to recall the past.He thought of the scene when they were first robbed by a pirate crew.By then, Baratie had already recruited quite a few rowdy chefs.It was also that time that let the world know the prestige of Baratie.Just like that, both of them were immersed in memories of the past, unable to extricate themselves.Over on Alex's side, the smoked ribs were ready."How is it? Come and have a taste."Patty and Carne picked up the ribs and tasted them; the smoky flavor had penetrated deep into the ribs, and the special aroma produced by the fruit wood and medicinal herbs made people more addicted the more they ate.At the same time, the two of them could clearly feel that the strength in their bodies had increased by a large margin; if it were their former selves, they could easily take on twenty people without a problem."Mr. Alex, are you really giving this menu to us?""Yeah, mostly because I'm afraid Sanji will worry about your combat power.This is to put his mind at ease, and it also counts as our food expenses for these past few days. Alright, I'm going to set off now. We'll meet again in the future."Alex used a scroll to put away the treasures, a scene that once again left Patty and the other stunned in place.Alex didn't pay them any more attention and quickly went to the entrance, where he saw Luffy and Yosaku, who were already prepared and standing on the ship waiting for everyone to arrive.Alex jumped onto the ship in two steps and put the food into the scroll; naturally, it still attracted a lot of attention.He reckoned that if Sanji weren't coming over later, these chefs would definitely have come to take a closer look.Yosaku picked up the scroll and observed it carefully, but he couldn't figure out how Alex had put these things away, and in the end, he could only give up on exploring it.After waiting for some time, just as Yosaku was lamenting that the chef big brother was so slow, Sanji walked out.The chefs lined up in two rows to see Sanji off.And Patty and Carne ambushed Sanji from behind."The grudges accumulated over many years!""Die, Sanji!"Although the two had eaten the food, they were still no match for Sanji, but Sanji could feel that their strength had increased significantly.A chef from the side walked over and told the two of them."Stop testing him, you can't beat him."After dealing with those two guys, he put on his backpack and walked forward; everyone was silent along the way."Let's go!"Luffy looked at the family behind Sanji, and then looked at him."Is this okay?... Aren't you going to say goodbye?"Sanji calmly indicated that it was fine.At this moment, Zeff walked out of the room, leaning against the railing and looking down."Hey, Sanji! Don't catch a cold!"This sentence, which couldn't be more ordinary, exploded a bottomless pit in Sanji's heart, completely tearing apart his forced facade.Sanji's eyes were filled with tears as he turned around to face everyone."Zeff!... For so long! I've caused you so much bastard trouble! Your great kindness, I... will never forget as long as I live!"After saying this, his tears could no longer be held back and streamed down.The two who had been knocked down by Sanji also sat up on the deck."We'll be lonely, you bastard!""It'll be so lonely—"The other chefs couldn't hold back either and shouted loudly."It's so lonely!""We'll be so sad, you bastard!"Sanji, still in tears, looked at the family who had grown up with him, and he smiled happily.Zeff leaned on the railing above, watching everything happening before him, wiping away tears while sighing with emotion."...Idiots, really... Men should say goodbye silently!"Sanji shouted while crying: "We'll meet again! You bastard brothers!"Seeing this scene, Luffy stood on the ship and shouted."Set sail! Let's go!"Just like that, amidst the weeping at Baratie, everyone embarked on the journey to find Nami.The ship set off, the weather was good, but someone on the ship was too noisy."Wuwuwu...""Hey, I'm telling you, are you done yet!""Exactly, how long are you going to cry? Cheer up!"Alex was drawing a scroll on the side; he wanted to create a weapon of his own. That piece of metal could be considered completely activated, but Alexstill hadn't figured out that Devil Fruit.However, in order to improve the quality of the weapon, he wanted to experiment to see if he could use a sealing technique to seal the ability of the Devil Fruit.It was just a pity that this technique, which required a quiet environment to operate, couldn't handle someone crying and sobbing next to him."I was moved! It was just too great! That farewell scene, Chef Big Brother!"Sanji, on the other hand, asked Yosaku nonchalantly."Hey, you're definitely steering in this direction, right... Also, thank you, Alex. By the way, Luffy, how come I don't see any food?"Yosaku began to look around, using a compass to determine if the direction was correct.As for why Sanji thanked Alex, it was naturally because of those two recipes; Sanji also knew why Patty and the other's strength had increased so quickly.At the same time, he set his own mind at ease, not afraid that the old geezer and the others would be robbed by pirates because their strength was insufficient.Likewise, Sanji sighed with emotion; he hadn't expected there to be recipes that could increase strength and restore physical stamina. It seemed he really should move around more and take a good look at this world."Food, the food is with Alex."Luffy said, pointing at Alex.Alex also took out the scroll containing the food."Here, the food is right here. It can effectively ensure the storage time of the food and prevent it from spoiling. More importantly, it can prevent Luffy from stealing it."Luffy expressed his dissatisfaction upon hearing this, but it was useless.On the other side, Yosaku finished checking the compass and confirmed that they hadn't gone off course.Alex also untied the scroll to release the food and returned to the side to continue researching the Devil Fruit.Sanji checked the ingredients while marveling at the wonder of Ninja.Luffy stretched."Ah— I really want to bring Nami back quickly and go to the Grand Line!"After checking the ingredients, Sanji walked out, lit a cigarette, took a deep puff, and asked Luffy after hearing what he said."You seem very happy! Even if Nami returns to the team, there will only be six people, right? Are you really planning to go to the Grand Line with just six people? You should know, if you underestimate the sea, you'll have a miserable end!"Luffy didn't care about this."If the crew is gathered, going to the Grand Line is no problem! Because it's Paradise there..."Hearing Luffy's words, Alex also stopped his pen and asked, after all, he had only collected a little bit of information about the Grand Line, which was Reverse Mountain."Luffy, where does the term 'Paradise' refer to?""Paradise? Isn't it the Graveyard of Pirates?"Sanji thought Luffy was joking, while Alex asked where he had heard it."Hehehe! It was when I left the restaurant, the old boss told me. He said that some people also call the Grand Line 'Paradise'."Upon hearing it was Zeff, Sanji didn't care anymore, and then his face became lecherous."...The old geezer said that, huh... Anyway, as long as I have Nami, even if it's just the two of us...""Oh, Zeff, he traveled the Grand Line for a year, maybe it's a term used in certain places. It seems there are no shortage of experts on the Grand Line."Seeing everyone so relaxed, Yosaku couldn't help but shout."You are too naive, big brothers!"Then Yosaku began to introduce the information he knew."Big brothers, you don't understand the Grand Lineat all! Not to mention anything else, just take this time; if they had known about this, Zoro and the others would definitely have come back with me! At the same time, they would definitely understand what a terrifying place Nami went to."Alex didn't care; no matter how terrifying it was, could it be more terrifying than Hawkeye's slash?Luffy had the same thought; at worst, he would just fight his way there and forcibly take Nami away.As for Sanji, he was even simpler; he just purely wanted to see Nami, and if anyone dared to block him, he would kick them to death.After figuring it out, Alex created a Shadow Clone to start practicing Ninjutsu to increase his proficiency, while he himself continued his analysis work.Luffy shouted, "Time to eat!"Sanji extinguished the cigarette in his hand and got up to complete his own job.Seeing everyone so lazy, Yosaku shouted: "Listen to me! You need to know what kind of place we are going to now!"Luffy and Sanji sat back in their original positions to listen to his explanation, and Alex also slowed down his writing speed and began to listen.Seeing everyone gather around, Yosaku continued to explain the terror of the Grand Line."The Grand Line was initially called the Graveyard of Pirates because there are three major forces there. One of them is... the Seven Warlords of the Sea!""Wait a moment, Yosaku, can I ask a question? Are the other two major forces the Four Emperors and the Marine?"Yosaku looked at Alex and nodded."Does Big Brother Alex also know about the Grand Line?"Alex quickly shook his head: "No, I just happened to know some simple intelligence, because I saw the Seven Warlords of the Sea in the archive room at Morgan's place."Seeing that Alex had no more questions, Yosakucontinued to explain the Seven Warlords of the Sea."Simply put, the Seven Warlords of the Sea are seven pirates recognized by the World Government."Sanji was a bit confused: "Why? Why would pirates be recognized by the World Government?""The Seven Warlords of the Sea make a living by plundering undeveloped regions and pirates, and they hand over a portion of their income to the World Government, so their pirate activities can be recognized. Simply put, they are just a group of pirates with legal plundering rights. Moreover, the undeveloped regions are probably planned by the World Government, either countries that do not obey the World Government, or countries that refuse to pay the Heavenly Tribute."Alex roughly described the mechanism of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, as well as the duties they had to undertake.
Chapter 64 Arlong Park"Brother Alex is right. Furthermore, for other pirates, the Seven Warlords of the Sea are more like lapdogs of the World Government.And that Hawkeye Mihawk who defeated Brother Zoro is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."Hearing Yosaku say that Hawkeye was just one of them, Alex felt that there were simply too many experts in this world. The Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Four Emperors, the three Admirals—that made for at least fourteen top-tier experts, not to mention the World Government, that massive organization capable of overseeing both the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the Marine forces.It seemed the journey ahead would definitely not be easy.Luffy didn't care about that; he felt more excited the more experts there were. As for failure, that was not something he considered.Sanji, on the other hand, was wondering if there were any beautiful ladies among the Seven Warlords of the Sea, completely forgetting Hawkeye's power.Only Yosaku was worried on the side."The problem is, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea... is Jinbe, the leader of the Fishman Pirates!""Fishman? I haven't seen one yet!""Speaking of Fishmen, Fish-Man Island on the Grand Line is a famous tourist spot, right? I hear the most beautiful Fishmen in the world are there."Luffy was mostly curious about Fishmen, while Sanjiwas purely fantasizing.Alex saw what Sanji meant and quickly pointed out his mistake."Sanji, what you're talking about are mermaids. Fishmen are beings whose upper bodies are primarily fish-like, and who have human limbs."Sanji, who had been fantasizing about a mermaid lady, saw the image of the mermaid in his mind change after hearing Alex's words.The beautiful figure vanished, and that gorgeous tail disappeared along with it.In its place were human limbs and the appearance of a fish.Just as Sanji was feeling a bit disgusted, Luffy's voice dragged him further into the abyss."Alex, Alex, is the Fishman you're talking about like this?"Luffy held up a drawing board. On it was a fish with limbs, especially with eyes full of despair.Sanji couldn't believe this was the Fishman he had fantasized about, but Alex's next words cast him into an even deeper hell."Hmm, Luffy, you drew it wrong. The lower part of a Fishman isn't like that..."Alex saw the mistake and quickly took it to make corrections. Before long, a more realistic-looking Fishman appeared before everyone's eyes.This Fishman was drawn exactly like a Deep One from Cthulhu."Oh, it looks pretty cool!""What's cool about that? And is this even a Fishman! It's a monster!""I actually think it's quite cool..."Sanji grumbled on the side. Of course, there was one person who didn't join in."Can't you all focus!"Fortunately, Yosaku's voice was loud enough to attract the attention of the three.But they only took one look. It seemed they didn't care at all.That was Yosaku's thought, but never mind."I won't talk about those complicated combat experiences or past events. I'll just say directly whose territory we are going to.The place we are going to now is Arlong Park!Arlong is a Fishman pirate who is on par with the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Jinbe! And his strength is far above that of Don Krieg.""In that case, this guy named Arlong shouldn't be weak. If we really end up fighting, leave this enemy to me, Luffy.""Hmm." Luffy nodded, effectively agreeing.Sanji asked Yosaku while smoking, as he found that some things didn't add up."Hey, didn't you return halfway? Then how do you know where Nami is going? Maybe she's just going somewhere else in the same direction."Regarding this question, Yosaku and Johnny had also thought about it. Many details indicated that Nami was indeed heading there."Chef, you're right, but we observed through some details that Nami is indeed going to that Arlong Park.After all, back on the ship, the bounty poster that Big Sister was looking at was Arlong's.It was also only after we mentioned that the Arlong Pirates were active again that she took all the treasure and left by boat.Looking at it now, this is not a coincidence, but caused by some reason."Alex and Sanji were listening intently, thinking about the cause and effect. Meanwhile, Luffy had finished his own version based on Alex's Fishmandrawing and showed it to Sanji."Look! How about this?"After looking at it, Sanji said there was no difference from what Alex drew. Moreover, didn't it look just like the one he drew before, just with the legs put at the bottom?Then Sanji wondered if Nami had any connection with them; maybe Nami was a mermaid.Hearing Sanji's words, Luffy wrote the name 'Nami' on the drawing, meaning that this Fishman was Nami.After seeing it, Sanji yelled at Luffy: "Watch me kill you!""That's wrong, Luffy. Nami should be a mermaid, so it's like this..."Alex drew a figure with a human head and fish legs, with the name 'Nami' written on it."You stop it too!" Seeing Alex's drawing, Sanji felt even worse.Yosaku looked at the three people in front of him, still so carefree, and couldn't help but worry."Big Brothers, did you understand what I just said!""There's a very strong Fishman.""Nami is there.""Find Nami to become our navigator, then go to the Grand Line."Hearing the three's answers, Yosaku thought it was over, everything was over."Well! Anyway, let's eat first. What do you all want to eat?""Ribs!""Beef noodles!""I want stir-fried bean sprouts!"Hearing the three's requests, Sanji rolled up his sleeves and shouted."Alright! Leave it to me!"Sanji walked into the kitchen and started preparing the food. Before long, he came out with a large portion of stir-fried bean sprouts, a plate of ribs, and a bowl of beef noodles.The three took their respective food and started eating."Delicious, hmm—it's really great to have a chef!""I want another serving of noodles!""I want a big plate of bean sprouts!""Compared to cooking for you guys, I'd rather cook for Nami sooner."Although Sanji said that, his movements were not slow at all. Before long, another large bowl of noodles and stir-fried bean sprouts appeared on the table.Seeing Yosaku liking stir-fried bean sprouts so much, Alex even suspected that he had been scared by the scurvy from some time ago.Just as the four of them were heading towards Arlong Park, inside Arlong Park.Colonel Nezumi of the Marine 16th Branch was trading with Arlong.Colonel Nezumi was true to his name; his face had six whiskers, with a small tuft of beard on his chin, and his overall appearance was no different from a rat.Not to mention the hat he was wearing also had rat ears.Looking at the Berries in front of him, Colonel Nezumi smiled happily."Squeak squeak squeak... You really understand the ways of the world... Then I will accept it without being polite... Squeak squeak squeak."The person sitting opposite Nezumi was the protagonist of Yosaku and the others' discussion—Arlong.He had a long nose like a saw, fierce eyes, hair that lay on the back of his head like a frizzy mess, and his body was dark blue."Hahahahaha! Why be polite now! Money is a good thing! It's the most reliable thing, right?"Colonel Nezumi agreed, and then he said that the matter was finished and he was ready to go back.Arlong sent Hatchan to see him back to the ship. Not long after Nezumi left, another figure arrived at the gate.The person who came was a boy. His father and the people in the village were killed by Arlong, and he came here to take revenge.Unfortunately, before he even saw Arlong, he was knocked to the ground. That person threw down a stack of money and told him that Arlong had no time to deal with small fries like him, and then this person walked into the park.Arlong, who was sitting on a chair, heard someone coming and looked up."Oh! You're back, you've been gone for so long...""This place is still the same, security is lax!"Arlong didn't mind the other person's complaint."Hmph... Who do you think I am! How was it, what was the harvest this time?""A big harvest... but for some reason, I feel very empty inside."This person was Nami, and right now, the Arlong Pirates' mark was clearly tattooed on her left arm.Hearing Nami's words, Arlong laughed disdainfully."Hahahahahaha! When did you become so sentimental, Nami?"Seeing that Nami didn't say anything, Arlongshouted loudly."Hey, comrades, our partner is back, prepare for a banquet!"Outside Arlong Park, a ship was docked there. Zoroleaned against the ship's side, while Usopp and Johnny were lying on the ground, scared, looking inside.At the same time, on the shore, Alex was still drawing scrolls."Finally, finally finished!""What? What?""It's done, let me see, Alex!""Don't move, don't move!"After Alex finished drawing the scroll, Luffy and Yosaku surrounded him. They wanted to see what it was that Alex valued so much.Seeing everyone so expectant, Alex didn't delay any longer."Ahem, everyone watch closely. This scroll was made by me to extract the power of a Devil Fruit, although I don't know why.But I can indeed feel a trace of will, or perhaps a wish, in this fruit.In short, I can use this bit of will as a catalyst to seal the fruit's ability into the scroll.""So amazing, so what is it used for?"Luffy praised Alex's creation with an admiring look, but what was this thing used for?"So amazing, a method to transfer Devil Fruitabilities?"Sanji heard it from the side. Transferring Devil Fruitabilities—what a powerful ability."That's right. More importantly, if it were just to transfer the ability, it wouldn't be worth all my trouble. The most critical thing is this—tada!"Alex took out the perfectly crafted piece of metal."Oh, you got that from the rare-item uncle, right? I wonder how he is doing...""Yes, I obtained a special meteorite at the time, and then I used my own blood and Chakra to modify it.The quality of this metal has reached its peak.Next, I am going to use this metal and the Devil Fruit to forge my item."Luffy's eyes lit up like light bulbs when he heard half of it."Alex, Alex, I... can I..."Before Luffy could ask, Alex quickly agreed: "Yes, but Sanji, Yosaku, please help me keep an eye on him."He knew Luffy's personality; if he refused, it might cause him to make an even bigger mess, so it was better to just agree and ask Sanji and the others to look after him.Sanji nodded, then extinguished the cigarette in his hand and waved his hand to disperse the surrounding smoke.Yosaku also nodded and walked to a distance to watch.As for Luffy, he covered his own mouth, while widening his eyes, staring intently at every moment to come.
Chapter 65: Tool CreationAlex took out the prepared scroll and opened it, revealing the contents inside; the entire scroll was covered in incantations.Alex then placed the Devil Fruit in the center of the incantations. As Chakra was infused, the incantations seemed to come alive.Seeing this, Luffy was about to shout, but was silenced by Sanji covering his mouth.Before long, the incantations detached from the scroll and attached themselves to the fruit. At first, nothing happened, but soon the scroll began to shake violently.The next second, the fruit began to rot, and finally, it was blown away by the sea breeze into a puff of smoke.Patterns like those on the fruit appeared on the outside of the scroll, and its color turned white."Whew... The first step, extracting the Devil Fruitability, is complete.""Alex, let me see! I'm curious where the mouth of this thing is.""So Alex, what ability does this fruit have?""Amazing! Big Brother Alex is too amazing. I've never heard of anyone being able to transfer a Devil Fruit ability to an inanimate object."Luffy stretched his neck to examine the scroll; after all, in his understanding, one had to eat the Devil Fruit to gain its ability.So how does one eat this scroll?Sanji, on the other hand, was curious about what the fruit's ability was.As for Yosaku, he had simply never seen such a technique and was amazed."The scroll itself doesn't eat; I used incantations to simulate a mouth while extracting the ability to store it in the scroll. As for the fruit's ability, during the extraction process, I only sensed a consciousness. That consciousness was worshipping plastic? Perhaps this fruit is the Plastic Fruit?""Regarding this technique, I feel that it must exist on the Grand Line; after all, it's just simulating a mouth or using other technologies to replace it.""So amazing! Hey, hey, Alex, can this scroll eat meat?""Plastic? Fruit? What kind of ability is that? Oh well, as long as it's not that one, it's fine.""Mm, what Big Brother Alex said is indeed very reasonable."After answering the three's questions, Alex began to recover his Chakra; he needed to proceed to the next item.The speed of his Chakra recovery was extremely fast; in just a few minutes, the consumed Chakrawas replenished."Alright, recovery complete. Next is the main event. Sanji, I want to draw some things on your ship, is that okay? Of course, I will be responsible for cleaning it up."Sanji nodded, indicating it was fine.After confirmation, Alex bit his index finger and began to draw on the deck.Before long, a jutsu formation occupying the entire deck was completed."Preliminary preparations are done."Luffy, Sanji, and Yosaku watched Alex, who was bleeding while drawing, and couldn't help but sigh; after all, his current body was less than 1.5 meters tall.And this deck, to say nothing else, could easily fit five or six Alexs.However, seeing the bloodstains covering the entire deck, Sanji couldn't help but worry."Xi... Alex, are you okay? Do you want me to make some blood-replenishing food...""Oh, no need. I just ate two blood-replenishing pills, don't worry. Alright, I'm going to start now, don't disturb me."Declining Sanji's kindness, Alex began to observe the huge jutsu formation he had written.The entire jutsu formation consisted of three parts, overall shaped like an inverted triangle. The left and right sides were covered in a large number of incantations, while the center of the incantations was blank, clearly left for placing items.At the bottom was a more complex jutsu formation, with the three formations connected by a symbol.Alex placed metal on the left and the scroll containing the Devil Fruit ability on the right.Shen—Si—Zi—Wu—Xu—...—ChenAlex performed dozens of hand seals in a row. As the final Chen seal was formed, Alex shouted."Ninjutsu—Nine-Turn Technique!"This was a forging technique Alex created, inspired by the Nine-Turn Refined Iron from ancient mythology.As the hand seals were completed, the jutsu formation on the deck came alive. First, the side with the metal: the formation wrapped around the metal and began forging. After nine consecutive forgings, the originally one-meter-sized metal was compressed to the size of an orange.The scroll was also gradually dismantled by the surrounding incantations. After the metal was forged nine times, the scroll was also completely dismantled.Finally, the metal and the Devil Fruit ability flowed along the connection to the final place, where Alex's will took over.Under his will, the metal began to deform, and the Devil Fruit ability gathered onto the gloves. As for the scroll that could carry the Devil Fruit ability, it slowly merged into the gloves.Finally, a pair of gloves emitting a white light appeared before Alex's eyes.The gloves were fingerless, pure white with no impurities, and shone brilliantly under the sunlight. More importantly, it was impossible to tell they were made of metal, as the gloves were exceptionally soft."Whew... finally finished, heh heh."Even Alex, upon seeing the gloves completed, was as happy as a 1.5-meter-tall child.Luffy's eyes were almost popping out, and his mouth was covered by Sanji like a balloon. The moment he heard it was finished, Sanji finished his task and let go of Luffy's mouth."Awesome! Alex, let me see!"Luffy dashed in front of Alex, wanting to see the gloves he had made.Unfortunately, he was stopped by Sanji."Alex, what kind of ability does this glove have?""Hmph, ability, you say? Everyone, look closely."Alex put on the gloves, showed that his hands were empty, and then...He clenched his left hand, leaving an opening, and inserted his right fingers into it, then quickly pulled out.Each time he pulled, colorful plastic ribbons appeared."How about that? Isn't it amazing?""So amazing! Alex, how did you do that?"After seeing Alex's performance, Luffy's eyes brightened even more, and even Yosaku looked over."Hmph, of course, it's because of these gloves.""So, that's all it does!"Sanji was too shocked to speak, but then he shouted at Alex."Are you an idiot? You used so much effort just to create this piece of garbage!""What, Sanji? How can you call such a cool thing garbage!""Yeah, yeah! Big Brother Cook, you're going too far!""You two, shut up!"After yelling at the two troublemakers, Sanji took a deep breath and asked Alex what other functions the gloves had."Besides pulling out colorful plastic, I can also blow plastic balloons.""Oh..." Before Luffy and Yosaku could say they wanted to see, Sanji silenced them with just a look."What other uses are there besides plastic!""Besides creating plastic, it can regulate the flow of Chakra in my body, thereby increasing the power of Ninjutsu. Also, these gloves are extremely hard; even Hawkeye's slash can be blocked. Oh right, the gloves can also absorb three additional substances and manifest the abilities of those substances. As for the most important part, it's extracting Natural Energy.""Natural Energy? What's that?"Sanji was fine with the previous points, but what did extracting Natural Energy mean?"Natural Energy is the energy radiated outward by the entire planet; it is a very powerful energy. Simply put, with these gloves, I can absorb external energy to strengthen myself.""I see."The three of them nodded; although they didn't understand the other things, in the end, it was about strengthening themselves.In fact, this was not just about strengthening power; this was the first and most important step to unlocking Sage Mode.One had to know that there were no such sacred places here as Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, or Shikkotsu Forest.To cultivate Sage Mode, one must perceive natural Chakra and harmonize it with one's own Chakra in a certain proportion.If this step was done wrong, it would result in death, which is why Alex chose to make these gloves as a storage tool.He would store the normally absorbed Natural Energy inside, and once he figured out the adjustment ratio, he could slowly absorb the Natural Energy from the gloves to activate Sage Mode.Of course, these were things to consider later; for now, Alex should think about how to clean the bloodstains on the deck.Meanwhile, things were miserable for Usopp's side.Zoro and the others followed Nami to Arlong Park, but no matter how they looked, they couldn't find the going merry."We're here... but where on earth did Nami park the ship..."Facing Johnny's question, Zoro drew his sword and replied coldly."We'll charge in!"Hearing Zoro's words, Usopp and Johnnycomplained."Idiot! We don't have any clues right now!""Big Brother Zoro, why would you think that!"To prevent Zoro from causing trouble, the two tried to play a trick to tie Zoro up.Unfortunately, if Zoro's injuries hadn't been healed by Alex, they might have actually been able to tie him up, but now?"Hey, Zoro, we were just joking!""Yeah, let us go, Big Brother Zoro!"That's right; facing these two, Zoro chose to tie them both up on the ship, while he himself entered the park ahead to investigate.Not long after Zoro left, Usopp quietly took a small file out of his sleeve and began filing the hemp rope."Heh heh, Zoro doesn't know yet, but I, Usopp, am known as an escape artist. Trying to tie me up with this kind of rope is pure fantasy."Johnny, watching from the side, shouted loudly, "As expected of the escape artist, Big Brother Usopp, that's truly amazing!"Before long, Usopp filed through the hemp rope and broke free from his restraints."Haha, do you know the power of the escape master Usopp now!""Long live Big Brother Usopp!"The two, having escaped from their bound state, glanced at the long-departed Zoro but didn't pay any mind to him.After all, they trusted Zoro's strength, not to mention their main goal now was to find the going merry.Usopp stood at the bow of the ship, holding binoculars to look around. After scanning for a round, he spotted the going merry."Got it! Found the going merry! It's actually parked in a place like that!""It is indeed parked in a strange place."Johnny pointed at the map while saying this, and Usopp stepped forward to observe."But this is a bit off from Cocoyasi Village."However, fortunately, it wasn't Arlong Park, so the two didn't take it to heart.So they put away the map and headed in the direction of the going merry.Knowing it wasn't Arlong Park, Usopp was in high spirits and began bragging to Johnny.Johnny just complained from the side. When the ship approached the going merry, Usopp and Johnny saw several Fishmen standing on the dock."Fish... Fishmen!""Johnny, full speed ahead!""Yes, Big Brother Usopp!"
Chapter 66: FishmanUnfortunately, the Fishmen's hearing was also excellent; the sound of the two rowing the boat still attracted three Fishmen over at the harbor."Where did that boat come from? I haven't seen it before."Then, two Fishmen jumped into the sea and swam toward Usopp and his companion.Seeing the Fishmen approaching, the two immediately abandoned the boat and came ashore to the town.After catching up to the boat, the two Fishmen discovered only a few broken ropes; there was nothing else.Seeing this, they assumed it was an abandoned wreck, so they dove into the sea and smashed it to pieces in a few swift moves.Usopp and Johnny reached the land and saw a horrifying sight.The houses here were all overturned, and the streets had been gouged with a long, deep trench that stretched toward the end."How tragic... The houses have all been overturned!"Looking at the scene before him, Johnny recalled a rumor he had heard."I heard that Fishmen are born with ten times the arm strength of humans!""...This must be the strength of people from the Grand Line...""The fate of a town that opposes Arlong."Usopp and Johnny sighed at Arlong's terror, but neither noticed that a Fishman who had been patrolling the harbor was walking toward them."You almost got away... You must be the owner of that empty boat. I didn't expect you to abandon ship and flee..."A massive figure blocked the sunlight behind Usopp.When Usopp turned around, he saw a mouth full of sharp teeth and fins on its head; no matter how he looked at it, it was a Fishman."Waaaaah!" Seeing it was a Fishman, he took off running. His speed left the Fishman dumbfounded.Seeing Usopp run, the opponent immediately gave chase, completely forgetting that there was someone else standing beside him."That was close..." Watching the two figures disappear, Johnny wiped the sweat from his forehead and silently prayed for Brother Usopp's safety.Afterward, he found a place to wait for Luffy and the others to arrive.Meanwhile, Usopp ran forward while mocking his pursuer in his mind. He didn't notice a child appearing in front of him at all.Upon seeing Usopp's long nose, the child stuck out a leg and tripped him.Then, shouting that he wanted to avenge his father, he swung the steel blade in his hand down.This boy was the one who had previously gone to Arlong Park and been sent back by Nami."Don't attack the Fishman!" Before he could strike, he was interrupted by a woman who appeared behind him."Look closely. Even though he looks a lot like Arlong, he is actually a human... Barely!"Hearing the woman's words, Usopp was just about to have a word with her. Unfortunately, the sound coming from behind forced him to swallow his words and stand up."You guys, get back! I can't abandon women and children. It's just one Fishman; I can still handle it.""Suspicious character! Finally accepted your fate, have you?" Seeing the Fishman quickly approaching, Usopp pulled back his slingshot and aimed at him."No, I'm just prepared! Take this! Special Move!..."Before Usopp could finish shouting, he felt a pain in the back of his head and then fell down stiffly."I told you not to go against the Fishmen!" The iron hammer in her hand was still smoking; it was clearly she who had knocked Usopp out.On the other side, Zoro finally arrived at Arlong Parkall by himself."Hey! Is anyone there? I'm here to find a woman. I saw her walk in here!"Zoro's shout excited the Fishmen; after all, it had been a long time since a human had come here to throw their life away.The gate slowly opened, and Zoro ignored the group of Fishmen and walked up to Arlong.After all, his intuition told him that the person before him was the boss of these Fishmen."Hahahaha! It's been a long time since a human dared to walk in here so brazenly. I'm in a good mood today, so I'd like to hear your purpose.""Didn't I say it? I'm looking for a woman, you half-fish bastard!"Hearing Zoro's words, Arlong laughed even louder."Hahahahaha... An inferior human actually said something like that... I'll spare you the first time! But don't say 'half-fish' again.""You should know that we Fishmen are the evolved form of humans who have learned to breathe in the sea. Our fish abilities alone are far superior to yours!""The many superhuman abilities we are born with are proof! Remember this: the masters of all things are Fishmen! For humans to resist Fishmen is equivalent to resisting the laws of nature!"After Arlong finished speaking, a figure walked out of the room. "I'm already sick of hearing your stupid theories, Arlong."The moment Nami appeared, even Zoro was a bit shocked.Arlong, on the other hand, looked at Zoro with a happy expression while simultaneously soothing Nami."...Don't make such a scary face! You're the exception, Nami! You are the cartographer our Arlong Pirates are proud of; you have created very accurate nautical charts for us!""My brain structure is different from you guys. It's only natural that I'm smarter than you!"Zoro watched Nami chatting freely with Arlong. Although he had had similar suspicions, seeing it for real was hard to accept.But Luffy's order was to bring her back, which meant..."Hey, half-fish, your rambling is annoying. And you, Nami, go wait quietly to the side. Watch me cut down these half-fish and take you to Luffy."As he spoke, Zoro placed his sword at his left waist and lowered his body. "One Sword Style: Iai Slash!"A swift strike slashed toward Arlong. Originally wanting to play around with his opponent, Arlongsuddenly felt like he might die from this slash.Arlong gave up on a head-on collision and ducked to dodge the slash.Nami looked at Arlong in disbelief; she hadn't expected the day to come when Arlong would dodge an attack. In the past, he would always tank others' attacks to show off his strength."Hmph, talk is cheap, but you still dodged, didn't you?"As Zoro sheathed his sword, the marble pillar behind Arlong snapped, and even the wall behind it showed a slash mark.It looked like Zoro had figured out some techniques after seeing those two flying slashes from Hawkeye."Tch, just a couple of special existences. We Fishmen are the strongest race! Water Shot!"Arlong swung his hand forward. Zoro couldn't see what it was, but immediately, countless wounds appeared on his body."Damn it, what is this? Is it a Devil Fruit?""Heh heh, this is the strength of a Fishman. I just put water in my hand and then flicked it out, like this."As he spoke, Arlong went to the pond in front of him, scooped up water with his hand, and swung it at Zoro.Under the boost of Arlong's powerful arm strength, this water flew out like bullets.Seeing this, Zoro jumped to the left, dodged the move, and then swung his sword to attack again.Facing this move, Arlong didn't dodge; instead, he swung his head and used his long, saw-like nose to clash with Zoro's sword."What's wrong, boy? Is your stamina running out?"Zoro endured the pain in his body and swung his sword again, but unfortunately, he was blocked by his opponent. Just in the gap of the third swing...Arlong bit down on Zoro's shoulder; the force was so great it shattered Zoro's shoulder blade."Ugh!" But Zoro's counterattack followed immediately; a powerful strike directly slashed a wound on Arlong identical to his own.Arlong also opened his mouth in pain."D... Damn it! You lowly human, how dare you hurt me!"Arlong dove into the water, aimed at Zoro, and immediately accelerated as he charged toward him."Shark Dart!"However, Zoro, on the shore, looked into the water; he didn't understand why Arlong had run away.But upon seeing Arlong's figure, he couldn't dodge in time, and his left ribs were pierced by Arlong.Looking at Zoro lying on the ground, Nami walked over."What? Nami, do you know this guy?"Arlong didn't understand that Zoro had come for Nami; he thought the guy was a relative of some woman he had accidentally killed."Don't say stupid things. He's just prey. I swindled quite a bit of treasure from them this time, so I just wanted to collect his corpse."Hearing this, Zoro wanted to get up and confront Nami, but Arlong stepped on his wound, causing blood to spurt out again.Even the previously healed wounds were kicked and began bleeding again."That's enough, Arlong. I want to have a word with him to make him give up."Nami spoke up to stop Arlong from continuing to attack Zoro."I know you guys were chasing me on the way here, but I didn't expect you to chase me all the way here... Although your strength is not bad, unfortunately..."Hearing Nami's words, Zoro endured the excruciating pain and looked at her."Don't look at me with those eyes. I am an officer of the Arlong Pirates; I've always been a pirate!"Hearing Nami's words, Arlong added a few sentences to twist the knife."Hahahahaha, you've been fooled by her from beginning to end. For money, this person can even forget the death of her parents. She is a cold-blooded witch!"Nami looked down at Zoro, but after hearing Arlong's words, the killing intent in her eyes couldn't be hidden from Zoro.It seemed this woman was truly extraordinary. Thinking of this, Zoro lay on the ground and fell asleep."Nami, since this guy came for you, how do you want to dispose of him?"Arlong took the hemostatic medicine sent over by his kin and asked for Nami's opinion.Nami looked at the fallen Zoro and kicked his wound hard.Even though he was asleep, Zoro felt a pain in his body and couldn't help but twitch."Lock him up! I'll deal with him!"At this moment, a lackey ran over to report to Arlong that a long-nosed one had escaped. Arlongdidn't care about this at all."He probably ran to Cocoyasi Village. Since that's the case, everyone go there. It just so happens I have something to do."A few lackeys stepped forward, tied Zoro up, brought him to a room, threw him on the ground, and left.As for Zoro's swords, they were naturally placed to the side; they completely didn't believe Zoro had the strength to escape.Arlong, meanwhile, led his kin toward Cocoyasi Village.On the other side, Usopp had already woken up. "Ouch, ouch, ouch. Damn it, who knocked me out? And where is this?"Usopp muttered to himself while rubbing the back of his head."You're awake. This is my house."Usopp rubbed his eyes and saw a beautiful woman with brown skin and blue hair before him."You just said your house, then who are you? And the Fishmen?""The Fishmen left long ago. I am Nojiko, and I grow tangerines here."The awakened Usopp finally realized that he had been knocked out by the woman in front of him."Damn it, did you knock me out? And here I was trying to save you guys! Are you a lackey of the Fishmen?"Facing Usopp's questioning, Nojiko impatiently stated."It was me who saved you, actually! That's why outsiders are such a hassle."Hearing the other's words, Usopp also calmed down and sat down next to the child.Afterward, during their conversation, they learned that this child was from Gosa Village. Because his father and some of the residents had died at the hands of the Fishmen, he wanted to go alone to confront the Fishmen and avenge everyone.
Chapter 67: Nami's Sister, NojikoAfter the child's description, Usopp heard that the Fishmen also had a type of giant creature."Wait a second, that giant monster you mentioned—is that long trench on the ground caused by it!?""That's right, that's the trace left by the monster's passing, and I heard it was brought here from the Grand Line."Hearing the boy's words, Usopp's mouth hung open. He had thought the Fishmen in Arlong Park were terrifying enough, but he hadn't expected them to have an even larger, more terrifying creature.Ignoring Usopp's shock, the boy continued his story. He went to Arlong Park and met a witch at the entrance. Although he wanted to kill her, he unfortunately couldn't do it.Hearing this, Nojiko coldly interjected."Then go ahead and get yourself killed!"Usopp, who was drinking water nearby, spat it out instantly."Try your best, and once you lose your life, you won't have any more worries.Knowing you're going to your death but doing it anyway is indeed a good way to get revenge.But there's one thing you must remember! The witch from Arlong Park and I stopped you, and because of that, you were saved twice!"After saying this, Nojiko stood up, told the child to finish his tea and leave quickly, and added that she hated naive people.Usopp couldn't just watch."Hey! Aren't you being a bit too harsh on a kid?""Regardless of whether it's a kid or anyone else, if someone wants to throw their life away, let them!Anyway, he doesn't have the will to live!""What did you say!" Upon hearing Nojiko's words, Usopp looked at her, gritting his teeth.Nojiko also shouted back at Usopp."I... know a child who always keeps their eyes on the future... who would rather choose to live in pain!So, I hate people like him who only think about dying all day!"The child sitting on the side burst into tears."Wuu... What, what should I do..."Seeing this scene, Usopp and the other two stopped arguing. Nojiko realized that the child had just lost his father and wanted to avenge him.Thinking of this, her tone softened."Where is your mother?""...She should still be alive...""She must be very worried about you. Go back quickly."The child nodded at Nojiko's words and left the room.Seeing this, Usopp's opinion of her improved significantly."You're actually... a good person, even if you have a tattoo!"Facing Usopp's words, Nojiko also relaxed."Prejudice! Although I don't know your background yet."At this moment, Usopp realized he hadn't introduced himself yet."Oh, that's right, my name is Captain Usopp...Currently, I am looking for a woman named Nami."If Alex were here, he would definitely expose his lie. "Captain Usopp"? Isn't that just copying the title of Commander Don Krieg? And aren't you afraid that Luffy will fight you for using that name?Unfortunately, Alex wasn't here, and Nojiko didn't know about Don Krieg.Afterwards, through his exchange with Nojiko, Usopp learned about Nami's situation."What! Nami is with the Arlong Pirates?"Facing this piece of information, Usopp's mouth hung wide open. He really couldn't understand why Nami would be with the Arlong Pirates."That's right, she is very famous in this area.Didn't the boy earlier say so? There is a woman who is like a witch.What will surprise you even more is that this is the home of that witch!And she and I are sworn sisters."Usopp was stunned on the spot by the barrage of information. The sheer volume of information caused his brain to overload.After some simple processing, Usopp digested the information."In other words, this is Nami's home, and you are Nami's sister.""That's right... Nami and I are both orphans, taken in and raised by this family.But our foster mother has already passed away..."Speaking of this, Nojiko's tone became somewhat sad.Perhaps not wanting to dwell on the memories, Nojiko continued Nami's story."In the past, the three of us lived a harmonious life here in Cocoyasi Village."Hearing this, Usopp realized that Nami lived here, this Village had been attacked by Arlong, and Namihad joined Arlong."Then, why did Nami join the Arlong Pirates who rule this Village?Did that woman betray her own Village?"Nojiko rested her face on her hand and replied indifferently."Pretty much, she is indeed a witch, isn't she?By the way, what do you want with that witch? Captain Usopp."Although the title made Usopp feel satisfied, he couldn't bring himself to be happy when he thought about everything Nami had done before."What else could it be but to take her back? Now that I hear you say this, we have been deceived by her all along...That woman was eyeing our treasure from the very beginning!Just thinking about it... that woman is really infuriating!She once helped us defend our hometown... and she smiled so happily on the ship!It turns out she was full of bad intentions and was calculating us the whole time..."Hearing Usopp's account, Nojiko didn't care at all. On the contrary, the phrase "Nami was very happy" made her look at him properly.Usopp didn't notice; he continued to curse Namiwhile feeling angry."That Nami really makes me furious! The only way to deal with someone like that is psychological warfare! Ignore her! Ignore, ignore!"Nojiko was also left speechless by Usopp's childish display.But seeing that he didn't plan to go to the Fishmen for revenge, she felt much more at ease.It would be better to ask him just in case."You mean you won't take action against the Arlong Pirates, right?"Hearing the question, Usopp looked at her with an expression that said, "You really think highly of me.""Of course, I'm not Luffy or Alex. My intention is just to get the ship back and everything will be OK. Once I find the ship, I'll leave here immediately."Nojiko breathed a sigh of relief, confirming that he wouldn't go to his death. Wait, what did he mean by "You are not Luffy and Alex"?"Then who are this Luffy and Alex you mentioned? And judging by your tone, your crew doesn't seem to listen to you much, Captain Usopp."Facing this teasing question, Usopp knew that his previous words had exposed his lie. Helplessly, he had to tell the truth."You're right, I'm not really the Captain; Luffy is. However, I was invited by the two of them, and the purpose, naturally, is that they appreciate the great name of me, the Brave Warrior of the Sea, Usopp..."Usopp probably hadn't bragged in a long time, and now that someone was willing to listen, he told the whole story of their journey.Just before Nojiko couldn't take it anymore, Usoppstopped and carefully introduced Luffy."Luffy is my Captain. He is determined to bring Namiback, even if it means going to war with the Arlong Pirates."Hearing this, Nojiko was about to mock him, but was stopped by Usopp."I don't know what kind of people you've met before, but Luffy and Alex are definitely different from them. Their strength is considered top-tier even on the Grand Line."Nojiko was about to retort, but didn't see any lies in his eyes, which meant he really believed it."Forget it, you can't talk sense into someone who wants to die. By the way, you said your goal is the ship; is it that one over there?"Usopp looked in the direction Nojiko was pointing. Through the window, at the end of the road, he saw their ship—the going merry!But how could he see the going merry from here? He thought back carefully.He had first arrived at Arlong Park, then continued forward and saw the going merry, and at that time, he was near the port of Cocoyasi Village.Cocoyasi Village is located to the right of Arlong Park, and further to the right is Gosa Village.So his current location was on the edge of Cocoyasi Village.Figuring this out, Usopp finally understood his location.As for leaving, it wasn't that urgent. He prepared to make some defensive tools here first.After all, the physique of the Fishmen, which rivals ten times that of an ordinary human, was too scary. Ordinary lead bullets probably wouldn't work.At the very least, he needed to make one or two Fire Star rounds."Um, could I borrow your kitchen? Of course, I'll pay for it afterwards."Nojiko nodded and led Usopp to the kitchen.Not long after, Usopp finished making several Fire Star bombs, left Nojiko's house, and headed towards the port.They hadn't gone far before they heard some bad news.Arlong had entered Cocoyasi Village. Upon hearing this news, the villagers dared not speak out despite their anger."Hey, did you hear? Arlong has come to the Village!""What! Didn't he just collect the tribute? Why is he here again?"Just as everyone was discussing it, a voice came, answering everyone's confusion."It's probably about... the fact that they discovered I was hiding weapons, right? Alright, everyone, get inside quickly.""Genzo..." Although they were worried about him, everyone listened and quickly returned to their respective houses to hide.The streets became quiet. Not long after, Arlongarrived in front of Genzo with a large number of Fishmen."So it was you, the bastard who was caught hiding swords three days ago."Sitting under a sun umbrella, the man covered in scars with a pinwheel on his head was Arlong's target, the man the villagers called Genzo, whose real name was Genzo.The wind blew the pinwheel on his head, making a whirring sound. The atmosphere had reached a tense, hair-trigger moment."Yes, that's right. Under your rule, is even collecting not allowed?"Regarding Genzo's statement, Arlong adopted an attitude of "You don't understand, this is all for your own good" and explained it to Genzo."Sigh, it's such a headache. Weapons only breed evil thoughts and violence!They are the root cause of endangering peace!"Usopp, who had just walked out of Nojiko's house, also encountered Arlong himself.After seeing the other party's strange appearance, Usopp shouted."Wow... That's Arlong! He looks really strong, but I don't see Nami. Where is she?"Nojiko, hiding on the other side, took a look at the scene and immediately concluded that Nami must be at the headquarters.Arlong looked at Genzo and said in a low voice."We have notified a total of twenty Villages, and as administrators, it is very troublesome when rebels appear among those under our rule.Therefore, hiding weapons is considered rebellion to us. Of course, that also includes Villages that cannot pay the tribute.For these places, we naturally have to suppress the rebellion. As for the consequences of the suppression, just look at Gosa Village and you'll know."
Chapter 68: Arlong's AmbitionUsopp was lying nearby, eavesdropping. When Arlong mentioned the "tribute," he curiously asked Nojiko what a tribute was."It means paying tribute money. We use money every month to buy our lives from them! Whether it's for adults or children!""And... as long as there is one person in the Villagewho cannot pay the tribute... even if it is just one person.""Arlong will raze that place to the ground, just like he razed Gosa Village."Hearing this, Usopp felt that the other party was truly going too far."Just because of one person, he would destroy such a large town!"Regarding Usopp's surprise, Nojiko appeared very calm; this calmness was a manifestation of having seen it so often that there was no way to resist."That is Arlong's rule... As racists, they don't consider killing to be a big deal at all!"After threatening Genzo, Arlong spoke to the others hiding in the houses."Listen up, those hiding, you inferior humans! Don't think about anything else; just work hard and pay up!""I need massive funds! And your tribute will become the foundation for me to rule the East Blue and build the Arlong Empire!"On the other side, at Arlong Park, Nami sneaked to the place where Zoro was being held, carefully opened the door, and walked in.Then, she saw Zoro sitting in the room. The ropes on his body had long been cut, and his injuries had mostly healed."You... what is going on here!"Nami was shocked to see Zoro's state. What was going on with him? Wasn't he seriously injured? Why had he recovered so quickly?A barrage of questions flooded Nami's mind."Heh, it seems our guess was right. For someone like you who can't even watch one person die without helping, stop pretending to be cold."Upon hearing Zoro's words, Nami's face turned red for a moment, but then she punched Zoro."Stop talking so much and run away while Arlonghasn't returned. And let me tell you, if you get involved with me again, you're dead! Remember not to come looking for me again."After delivering her harsh words, Nami left the room.Zoro watched her leaving figure, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly."Sharp tongue, soft heart. However, I won't listen to you. Although I can look around, Luffy did order me to bring you back."Not long after Zoro walked out of the room, he was discovered by a Fishman."Hey, how did you escape? Come quick, there's..."A Fishman saw Zoro walking out swaggeringly and was about to call for help, but he was cut down by Zoro with one slash.In the time that followed, Zoro didn't know what was going on; every place he went, he would see three or four Fishmen piled up, and at the same time, there were injured personnel lying on the ground nearby."Damn, have I come here again? Is this their hospital? Everyone is here recuperating."Zoro cursed inwardly.If the Fishmen could hear Zoro's inner thoughts, they would want to curse him. It was clearly this human who would leave after cutting down two or three, and as soon as we went to save people, he would run over from the side and cut us down again. This cycle had repeated until he had cut down more than ten of our companions.But Zoro was completely unaware of this. After running for a long time, he finally arrived at the square.Seeing that there were still Fishmen in the square, Zoro drew his sword and cut them all down, then lay down on a lounge chair to rest.Compared to the sense of leisure Zoro felt while sunbathing, Usopp was so shocked that he couldn't speak."Arlong Empire? Does that guy want to create a country! He basically wants to turn the East Blueinto a Fishman empire! By then, my hometown will also become a Fishman paradise! Damn it!"As for Usopp's worries, Nojiko didn't show much expression."Let nature take its course. Right now, we can only endure it silently...""Right now? Then..." Usopp clearly heard that the other party knew something. Just as he was about to ask, he was interrupted by a voice."Ugh!"The two quickly looked over and discovered that Genzo had been grabbed by Arlong.Arlong also looked at him with a sinister grin, while simultaneously announcing the crimes the other party had committed."Possessing weapons is the most serious act of rebellion and is an important factor in disrupting stability. To ensure that rebels like you do not appear in the future, we must execute you on the spot; it is also a warning to the villagers of other Villages."Hearing Arlong's judgment, Usopp almost snapped the corner of the wall. He really couldn't understand how merely collecting swords would lead to a death sentence.After hearing Arlong's words, Nojiko ran out from behind the wall."This is outrageous, Arlong! For these eight years, we have been obediently paying the tribute on time! How can you suddenly say we have thoughts of rebellion now? So, let go of Mr. Genzo immediately!"Similarly, after seeing Genzo being attacked by Arlong, the villagers ran out of their homes one after another to stop the other party's actions.But upon seeing Nojiko's actions, they couldn't help but worry. "Wait a minute! Nojiko! Don't be impulsive!"Arlong, however, didn't care about this at all and looked at Nojiko and the other villagers."I have said before that possessing weapons means having thoughts of rebellion. To maintain order in the ruling zone, this man must die today! Or do you want the whole Village to disappear! Don't forget, as long as one of you takes action, the entire Villagewill be razed!"Genzo, who was grabbed by Arlong, said to the villagers who had come out, while in the air."Everyone, go back into the houses! If we resist at this time, our eight years of effort will be wasted! If we wanted to resist their rule by fighting to the death, we would have done so eight years ago! But everyone should have sworn an oath; we must fight a war of endurance! In order to survive!"Although that was said, the villagers couldn't help it a bit and one after another stepped forward to surround Arlong.Arlong did not care about this at all and continued to grab Genzo with his hand."What a fine speech! Well said. That's right, staying alive is the most important thing. You can only enjoy happiness if you are alive. But when people live, they must act according to their status. This guy understands that resistance is meaningless!"Having said that, he violently threw Genzo against a nearby pillar. The other party's forehead was broken, and blood sprayed out continuously.Logically speaking, Arlong could easily kill Genzo, but he kept torturing the other party; he was probably using him to intimidate the others."You must realize that all living things are not born equal, hahahahaha!""You just need to live like humans!"Having said that, he threw Genzo to the ground with force again.Seeing this, one man could no longer endure it; he rolled up his sleeves, preparing to fight the other party."Stop! Cough, cough.""But, Mr. Genzo!""You absolutely must not take action! Do you hear me!"Even in this state, Genzo was trying his best to suppress the villagers' actions; they could not let this eight-year-long plan fail.The villagers followed Genzo's advice and shouted at Arlong."He didn't even use a weapon!"Arlong looked at the angry crowd and asked softly, "Do you want to rebel!"Hearing this, Genzo stopped everyone."If everyone dies, everything is over! Even if I die, you must not stop fighting!"The villagers looked at Genzo, who was forcing himself to hold on. If he hadn't stopped the fight that had lasted for eight years even in this state, then what reason did they have to give up?Suddenly, a hand grabbed Genzo, who was lying on the ground, and then lifted him high above his head."If you have even the slightest evil thought, just look at what his fate will be. Watch closely, humans!"After Arlong finished speaking, he threw Genzodirectly toward the ground. If he were really thrown, not to mention anything else, Genzo would definitely be turned into a meat patty."Gunpowder Star!"An attack interrupted Arlong, and then an explosion suddenly occurred on his face. The power of this bomb was extremely strong; even with Arlong's physique, his mouth corner was blown bloody, and there was a large area of trauma on his face.The intense pain made the other party let go, and Genzo was able to escape.Several Fishmen saw Arlong being attacked and quickly stepped forward to check the situation."Lord Arlong! Are you okay!"Other Fishmen were responsible for finding the culprit, and not long after, they discovered Usoppstanding on the roof."Found him, he's there, on the roof.""Who are you!"Seeing that he had been discovered, Usopp no longer hid. At this moment, he put on the goggles on his head and looked down with a smug face."My name is the brave warrior of the sea, CaptainUsopp!""Usopp? Never heard of this person?"The Fishmen pondered who in the East Blue was named Usopp.The villagers were also asking who the other party was. Only Nojiko knew this person, but she didn't expect the other party to show himself."The whole world fears me, calling me, the person who came from the Demon Realm, the Great Demon King Usopp! If you run away now, I will let you go! I have eight thousand subordinates!"At this time, a Fishman who had chased Usopprecognized him and shouted at Arlong."Lord Arlong, it's him! That guy is the one who slipped away just now!"Arlong stood up from the ground, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and rubbed the torn skin on his face.Upon hearing this kid bragging about having eight thousand subordinates, rage suddenly surged in his heart. Did he really think he was made of mud!"It doesn't matter even if you bring tens of thousands of people, because I will kill them all without leaving a single piece of armor."Usopp, standing on the roof, was scared silly upon hearing Arlong's words.The eight thousand people were just something he bragged about, but this Arlong really didn't seem to fear an army of ten thousand. What kind of monster was this?Also, that Gunpowder Star was a formula found on Alex's scroll, and its power was much stronger than what he had researched. Even so, it only caused a small wound on his face. Was this guy's skin really that hard?Likewise, Arlong looked at Usopp on the roof, becoming angrier and angrier, until in the end, even his reason was burned away."You humans! You lowly humans, how dare you resist me! Ughhhhhh!"Arlong came to the bottom of the house where Usopp was, used his arms with strength, and forcibly pulled the entire house out of the ground.Usopp on the roof felt the shaking under his feet and couldn't help but exclaim in his heart about what kind of terrifying power this was.The other Fishmen saw this and one after another tried to stop Arlong from continuing like this."Lord Arlong, please wait, do you want to raze the Village again?""Although razing a human Village is a very simple matter, our goal is to rule them!""This will be like Gosa Village, making us lose another place that pays tribute to us!"
Chapter 69: Nami's WishHowever, Arlong, having fallen into a state of blind rage, ignored all of this; at this moment, he only wanted his opponent dead."If the number decreases, we can just increase it again! After all, we are the superior race!"After saying this, Arlong used a shoulder throw to send the entire house flying.Seeing Arlong's display, the villagers cried out that the Village would be destroyed this time.Instead, Nojiko became worried about Usopp's safety.At this time, Usopp was fleeing in another direction, taunting Arlong as he ran in an attempt to lure them away.But deep down, he was terrified.Several Fishmen heard Usopp's taunts, looked in the direction of the sound, and spotted Usopp."He's still alive!"Upon hearing this, Arlong roared at those around him."Chase him! Don't let him get away, catch him for me! I'm going to teach him a lesson!"A group of Fishmen received Arlong's order and began to pursue Usopp.The remaining Fishmen looked at the furious Arlong, then at the Village."Hey! Let's go back to Arlong Park; if this continues, the Village will definitely be destroyed!""Alright, let's do that."The two Fishmen supporting Arlong whispered to each other, then took a few people to bring Arlongback to the park to rest.The other Fishmen followed them, but as they left, they didn't forget to threaten the residents here."Consider yourselves lucky; we'll come back another day. You've escaped with your lives."Watching the Fishmen leave, the residents of Cocoyasi Village realized that a stranger had saved Genzo.After confirming all the Fishmen had gone, everyone rushed forward to check on and treat Genzo's injuries.Meanwhile, the Fishmen pursuing Usopp were having a much harder time.While chasing Usopp, they had to take rotten eggs or chili sauce to the face every now and then, which made their lives miserable.Not to mention accidentally swallowing some; chili sauce was fine, as it could be solved with water, but the rotten eggs—that fishy, smelly, viscous stuff—swallowing that was awful.Thinking of this, the Fishmen increased their speed, but unfortunately, when it came to running, Usoppclaimed that if he was second, no one would dare claim first.They could only look angrily at the long nose in front of them and eat his exhaust.As for the villagers, after checking Genzo's injuries and confirming there were no major issues, they finally breathed a sigh of relief."Sorry, I've caused trouble for everyone."Hearing Genzo's words, some people were unhappy."What kind of talk is that? This isn't your fault.""Exactly, those guys are unreasonable; no one could stand them."After comforting Genzo, the others asked him if he knew that boy or if he was a friend.Genzo searched his memory for a long time but couldn't recall who the person was: "No, I don't know him.""Everyone, long time no see."Seeing that it was Nami who had returned, everyone lowered their heads and went back into their houses, as if they didn't know her, and displayed an expression of intense dislike for her.Watching everyone leave, Nami didn't say anything, but instead walked toward Genzo with flowers in her hand."What's wrong? I didn't expect you to pass through the Village."Facing this scene, it was Nojiko who first broke the silence.Nami looked at the collapsed house nearby: "...Because I heard a very loud noise. It was Arlong, right..."Genzo hung his head in silence, the windmill on his head spinning in the breeze.Seeing that no one wanted to see her, Nami walked quickly through the Village, came to a seaside graveyard, and placed the flowers in her hand in front of a tombstone."Seven million Berries left." Nami muttered to herself while looking at the tombstone."Your reputation is still the same as before." A voice came from behind a coconut tree nearby.Just by the voice, Nami knew her sister had come over."Right, because I'm a pirate. But Arlong is really a guy who understands reason. Money can solve everything, and I'm just a little short of the amount I agreed on with him! No matter what, I will earn one hundred million Berries... and buy this Village.""Is that really what you think?"Regarding Nojiko's question, Nami nodded; she had no other way, this was her only option.Meanwhile, at Arlong Park, Zoro was almost asleep waiting for Nami when he suddenly heard a trumpet sound."Momoo! Time to eat!"Zoro stuck his head out to look and saw a Fishmanwith six arms, a long mouth, a sun mark on his forehead, white hair, and a red body."So you're the one blowing the trumpet."Hatchan, who was waiting for Momoo, heard someone calling him from by the wall, turned his head, and spotted Zoro."Ah! Who are you? Me? My name is Hatchan, you can just call me Hachi!"Zoro looked at the other person holding a whole roasted suckling pig, then looked at his body."Are you a Fishman too?"It seemed Zoro wanted to cut him down.Upon hearing the question, Hatchan couldn't help but dance, his six arms waving in the air like seaweed."Of course! I am the beautiful Octopus Man! You look like a human! Are you a Marine or a guest!"Seeing the other person's unique thought process, Zoro gave up the idea of cutting him down."Well, I suppose you could say I'm a guest."Hearing that he was a guest, Hatchan became interested."But, Lord Arlong isn't here right now, is he?""Yeah, he's not here.""Then where did he go?"Seeing the guest was a bit anxious, Hatchan thought there was something important to discuss with Boss Arlong. So he told him about Arlong's itinerary."It seems the long-nosed outsider escaped, but I heard they caught another guy. So Lord Arlong went to Cocoyasi Village to catch the one who escaped!"Hearing "long nose," the first person Zoro thought of was Usopp; surely he hadn't been caught.Thinking of this, Zoro asked Hatchan: "Then how do I get to the Village?"Upon hearing this, Hatchan reflexively pointed to a large water urn nearby and said."You're a guest, right! Get on! I'll take you!"Zoro sat in the urn, half-doubting, and then Hatchan, forgetting about Momoo, began carrying Zorotoward Cocoyasi Village.Deep in the sea, Momoo, who had been sleeping in, burst out from the seabed. Looking left and right, it didn't see Hatchan, and, feeling hungry, it smelled a delicious scent. Following the scent, it swam toward the direction of the sea.On the other side, Alex, who was wiping bloodstains on the deck, watched the others eating and drinking to their hearts' content, and his stomach couldn't help but rumble.As for why this was the case, it was because when Alex was about to use Water Release to wash the deck, he was stopped by Sanji, who said that if he actually washed it like that, the food would definitely get soaked and ruined, so Alex had to wipe it clean bit by bit.Yosaku also wanted to help but was stopped by Sanji: "Alex said he would handle it himself; if you help him, your stir-fried bean sprouts will bid you farewell."Alex had reason to suspect this was Sanji's revenge for using the Transformation Technique to tease him.Helpless, he had to create Shadow Clones to start working. The innermost part was fine because it was drawn last, and the blood hadn't soaked into the planks. However, in the places drawn first, the blood had already soaked into the planks, and he could only use little bits of Chakra to break up and extract the bloodstains.This wouldn't have been a problem, but Luffy, of all times, wanted to eat more. Sanji made another table of food, which resulted in Luffy and Yosaku enjoying the food while a bunch of Alex's clones were lying on the deck dealing with the stains."Waaah!" "So big." "What is this guy doing?" "Hey, what did you guys see? And who is blocking the sunlight... A giant cow? Or a fish?"It turned out that what they saw was the hungry and lost Momoo. It was staring straight at the food on the table."It's a cow! A giant cow!" "A cow? That can swim? It's a hippo, right." "It must be a cow, and a dairy cow at that, but no, wait, could it be a hybrid of a dairy cow and a dugong?" "How could there be such a creature in the East Blue? It's unbelievable! No! This is a creature from the Grand Line!"The three of them didn't care about its size but discussed its species, while Yosaku recognized the information about it.Momoo sniffed the fragrance in the air, then stared intently at the food on the dining table."It was lured here by this food! Quickly give it the food, otherwise, the ship will be flipped over by it.""What!" "Daring to eye our food!""Gomu Gomu no Pistol!" "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"Luffy and Alex, without saying a word, directly knocked it flying."You bastard, I haven't even eaten yet, and you dare to come and snatch it!" "Well said, Alex, don't you touch our food!" "Well done, two big brothers..."Yosaku's praise hadn't ended when Momooemerged from the sea and roared at them. Feeling pain, it wanted to swallow the ship in front of it in one gulp."Waaah! We seem to have angered it!" "Is that so? Then let's hit it again." "Luffy, move aside, watch me roast it!""You bastards! Don't hit someone who is hungry!" Sanji jumped up from behind and kicked toward the heads of Alex and Luffy with both legs. Alex used the Body Flicker Technique to leave, while Luffyreceived the attack squarely."It must be injured and unable to find food on its own. Hey... am I right?"After scolding the two, Sanji carried a plate of food to the side and reached out to place it in front of the creature.Momoo looked at the guy in front of it babbling about something, but it didn't care about that; it would just eat the guy in front of it first. Thinking of this, Momoo opened its bloody mouth and bit toward Sanji.Sanji's expression changed instantly, and he kicked it away with a high leg raise. "Go to hell! You bastard!"Yosaku looked at the suddenly changed Sanji and began to question him loudly, his teeth even turning serrated. "What are you doing!"Sanji also looked angrily at Momoo. "That guy wanted to eat me too!"Momoo was truly angry; it leaped high, preparing to flip the small boat in front of it."Watch this..." "I'll burn you right..." "You guys step back, I'll deal with it." Alex and Luffy had just wanted to attack but were stopped by Sanji.Then Sanji ran to the top of the sail, leaped with all his might, and kicked down at the creature's head. "Mouton Shot!...Hippo"It seemed Sanji still firmly believed it was a hippo, and that powerful kick made the sea monster vomit blood. Then it fell into the sea and floated on the surface, motionless.Seeing that it was defeated, Luffy shouted, "Eat, eat!" Alex had also finished cleaning and was asking Yosaku to pour him a cup of tea.