Chapter 107: The Aggressive Honey Queen!
Nami's guess was correct.
The Trump Pirates indeed came with ill intentions.
Even more pitiful was Usopp, who had stayed behind on the Going Merry to repair the ship. He was the first to bear the brunt of the surging malice alone.
"Scary... way too scary..."
Usopp stood dumbfounded on the deck, hammer still in hand, his eyes fixed straight ahead.
Watching the eight approaching Trump Pirate ships.
Especially the flagship in the middle, with a bear head carved on its prow.
More precisely, he was staring at the woman on the bow of the flagship who was currently.... taking a bath.
Yes, taking a bath.
In broad daylight, under the clear sky, in full view of everyone.
The woman was soaking in an open-air bathtub on the bear's head, humming a tune while splashing water on herself.
As everyone knows, one doesn't wear clothes while bathing.
What was even more fatal was that she was leaning over the railing, half her body exposed, waving toward the Going Merry.
"Hey─—!"
"Mister Long Nose over there—!"
Under the bright sunlight, the two dazzling headlights of the other party immediately stunned Usopp.
Usopp's brain completely crashed.
He was a country boy from a small village in the East Blue. When had he ever seen such a scene?
"Mister Long Nose?"
The woman called out again, her voice tinged with laughter, "Can you hear me?"
"Ah! Ah? Ah!"
Only then did Usopp snap back to reality. He frantically threw the hammer aside and puffed out his chest.
"Y-yes, I hear you!"
He shouted in response, "W-who are you?!"
"Me?"
The woman laughed.
She stood up from the bathtub,
"I am Honey Queen, an officer of the Trump Pirates!"
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the Going Merry, then over the distant beach.
"This cute little ship with the sheep's head... must be the ship of the Straw Hat Pirates, right?"
Usopp gulped.
According to his usual personality, he should have started boasting first, something like "Our ship has eight thousand crew members" or the like.
But today, the other party's presence was too overwhelming, too powerful.
"T-that's right!"
Usopp nodded vigorously, his voice cracking slightly from nervousness, "This is our Straw Hat Pirates' ship! The Going Merry!"
"Good."
Honey Queen smiled, "Then we haven't come to the wrong place."
She picked up a newspaper from beside her and unfolded it, reading aloud.
"Straw Hat Pirates, Captain 'Straw Hat Girl' Lufia, first bounty 30 million Berries, the highest bounty record in the East Blue in recent years."
She put down the newspaper and looked at Usopp.
"And your vice-captain... has an even more impressive reputation."
A hint of amusement crept into her tone.
"Rumor has it, the genius swordsman who defeated the world's greatest swordsman, Dracule 'Hawk Eyes' Mihawk, with a single move in the East Blue, the nameless swordsman Ralph. Single-handedly took on the entire Navy's 8th Branch, killed Branch Commodore Nelson Royal, hijacked a warship, abducted an important figure..."
Her voice suddenly rose.
"The latest bounty has been announced—35 million Berries! Even surpassing your captain!"
Usopp's breath hitched sharply.
35 million?
Ralph's bounty surpassed Lufia's?
This...
Just then, the other companions also rushed back.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?"
Lufia was the first to charge onto the Going Merry, her straw hat nearly flying off as she ran, "Usopp, what are you shouting about—Whoa!"
She also spotted Honey Queen bathing at the ship's bow.
Then, her attention was immediately captured by what Honey Queen had just said.
"What did you say?"
Lufia widened her eyes, pointing at Honey Queen, "You said Ralph's bounty... surpassed mine?!"
"That's right."
Honey Queen smiled faintly, picking up a piece of paper and flicking it gently.
"This is the latest wanted poster. See for yourself."
Lufia immediately jumped up, stretching her arm to catch the paper mid-air.
After landing, she eagerly unfolded it.
Then—
"Ahhhhh—!!!"
A scream.
"35 million Berries?!"
Lufia's face flushed bright red, her eyes round with shock as she pointed at the number on the wanted poster, "How could this be?! Mine is only 30 million! How could Ralph surpass me?!"
She lifted her head, looking at Ralph, her eyes filled with grievance and resentment.
"Ralph... You... you..."
Her voice even carried a hint of tears.
Ralph had just jumped onto the Going Merry when he saw Lufia in this state.
He hurried over.
"Lufia, let me explain..."
Lufia clenched the wanted poster tightly, "Why is your bounty higher than mine! I'm the captain! I'm the one who will become the Pirate King! How could... how could..."
The more she spoke, the more upset she became, her eyes genuinely reddening.
Ralph sighed, gently patting Lufia's shoulder.
"Bounties..."
Ralph's voice was very gentle,
"Actually, they're quite easy to increase."
Lufia looked up at him, her eyes blurred with tears.
"R-Really?"
"Of course, it's true."
Ralph said,
"Look at me, didn't I catch up quite easily?"
He looked into Lufia's eyes.
"If you want to catch up, it's simple. Just defeat stronger enemies, do more sensational things, and let the Navy and the World Government see your 'threat.'"
Lufia froze for a moment, then wiped her eyes forcefully.
"You're right!"
She straightened her back again, clenching her fists.
"I'm the woman who will become the Pirate King! How can my bounty be lower than my own crew member?!"
Her eyes reignited with fighting spirit.
"I need to catch up quickly! Next time... next time, I'll definitely make my bounty surpass Ralph's!"
"That's more like it."
Ralph smiled.
But just then—
"Not so, not so!"
A sharp voice rang out.
Everyone looked up.
From the Trump Pirates' ship, a... ball jumped out.
No, it was a person.
A chubby man with a round, plump figure, like an oversized meatball.
The hat he wore was embroidered with a pig pattern, and a prominent letter "J" was printed on his chest.
The fat man landed on the deck of the Going Merry, causing the entire ship to shake upon impact.
After steadying himself, he cleared his throat and spoke in an artificially deep voice:
"It's quiz time—"
He extended a stubby finger, pointing at Lufia.
"Question: Who will become the Pirate King?"
Lufia immediately replied:
"Of course, it's me!"
"Wrong answer!"
Boo Jack shook his head, "The one who will become the Pirate King is our leader, Bear King! The strongest man in the East Blue!"
"Nonsense!"
Lufia retorted defiantly, "I'm the one who will become the Pirate King!"
"Not so, not so! It's our leader!!"
"It's me!"
"It's our boss!"
The two were arguing back and forth like children squabbling.
Finally, Honey Queen grew impatient.
"Enough, Boo Jack."
She cut off their argument, "No need to waste words with them."
She stepped out of the bathtub, looking down at everyone on the Going Merry from her elevated position.
"After all..." Honey Queen's voice turned cold, "The dead have no right to chase dreams."
Her gaze swept over the Going Merry, over each member of the Straw Hat Pirates.
"I thought the much-hyped Straw Hat Pirates were something special..."
Her voice dripped with undisguised contempt, "Turns out they're just small-time punks with a little sailboat."
She raised her hand and snapped her fingers.
"Men—"
Her sweet voice carried across the entire sea.
"Burn their ship, kill them all."
Yet the orders she gave were terrifying,
"Let them know that not every third-rate pirate is qualified to compete for the title of 'Pirate King'."
As her words fell.
"Ooh—!!!"
Deafening shouts erupted from the eight poker pirate ships.
Cabin doors opened, deck covers lifted, and people climbed down from the masts.
A dense crowd of people.
At least two to three hundred of them.
They surged off the ships like a tide, flooding the beach, rushing toward the Going Merry.
"All that talk..."
Lufia clenched her fists, not a trace of fear on her face, "Turns out you're just here to cause trouble!"
She grinned, revealing her white teeth.
"I'm not afraid of you!"
Fresh from training and brimming with fighting spirit, she charged out without another word.
"Gomu Gomu no..."
Her arms stretched backward.
"—Pistol!"
"Bang! Bang!"
Two punches sent the two grunts at the front flying.
"Three Sword Style—"
Zoro moved too.
Three swords drawn simultaneously.
A flash of blade light, and three grunts went flying backward, deep wounds left on their chests.
"Rankyaku: Gaicho!"
Ralph directly used Geppo to rise into the air, then continuously kicked with both legs mid-air.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!!!"
Pale blue vacuum slashes fell like rain.
Each slash that hit the ground blasted away a group of grunts.
Just like an aerial bomber.
"Dammit..."
Sanji gritted his teeth, his expression grim.
He was at a disadvantage.
Because he had been applying sunscreen to Nami earlier, he was wearing a shirt and beach shorts, and... barefoot.
And for Sanji's kicking techniques, being barefoot reduced their power by at least thirty percent.
"Miss Nami!"
Sanji turned, shielding Nami, "Let's get back to the ship first! It's too dangerous here!"
Nami realized the problem too.
She was still wearing her bikini, with nowhere to hide weapons.
Her golden staff was still in the ship's cabin.
"Let's go!"
Nami made a quick decision.
The two struggled to move toward the Going Merry through the besieging grunts.
Meanwhile, the situation on the Going Merry wasn't optimistic either.
"Waaaah—!!!"
Usopp's screams echoed across the deck.
At least twenty grunts had already climbed onto the Going Merry.
They brandished swords and began damaging the ship's hull.
"Don't you touch our ship—!!!"
This Going Merry was the one he brought from Syrup Village, the first ship of their Straw Hat Pirates!
He'd fight anyone who dared damage it with his life on the line!