Chapter 378: What a Grand "Welcome"Facing the "Bridge Battle."Satoru "flew solo."Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji, sweating profusely, were temporarily pinned down by the muscular brothers of the 55th Unit.Usopp climbed onto the bridge truss, looking down from above. Seeing Luffy and the others suppressed, he spoke without concern."Hey! Why are you guys pinned down?! What's going on?!"Then, a Soldier who had ascended behind him using a grappling hook launched a sneak attack!Usopp's luck was no joke; the long blade scraped past his hair, nearly giving him a receding hairline."Ah!!!""What!!!"Frightened, Usopp scrambled forward.The Soldier behind him raised his sword and chopped down again."Die! Pirate!!"Usopp sensed danger. In the nick of time, he pulled a shell out of his bag and used it to block the Soldier's blade."Ah, so I had the impact dial in my bag."Usopp thought internally; he hadn't realized the impact dial could be used in this way.The blade struck the shell, and the impact was completely absorbed.Of course, everything has its limits.If Hawkeye had been the one swinging the sword, Usopp and the shell would have both been split in two."How is that possible? I put my full strength into that swing."The Soldier said in disbelief, and refusing to believe his bad luck, he continued to chop several more times.But Usopp blocked every strike with the shell.Successfully defending against all those strikes using the shell was proof of Usopp's sharp eyesight.After blocking them, Usopp immediately turned and scrambled away. On the bridge truss, he and the Soldier engaged in a chase—"He flees, he pursues, neither can escape," though if they fell from up there onto the bridge below, they truly couldn't escape... Back on the bridge.Luffy was pinned to the ground, and Soldiers kept piling onto him. He couldn't take it anymore."Gomu Gomu..."He stretched his foot straight up toward the sky.Seeing this, Sanji stopped struggling against the Soldiers holding him, only sighing, "It's over...""Axe!!"The next second, Luffy stomped down forcefully, striking the ground with a single mighty blow. With a bang, the section of the bridge he stomped on instantly shattered, breaking apart in the middle.Everyone fell into the inland sea of the fortress below.Sanji and Zoro, accustomed to such antics, showed no surprise and didn't struggle at all, while Usoppstruggled, but to no avail.Luffy laughed as he fell. Even though he knew it was the sea below, he trusted his comrades would save him, and sure enough, here they came.A dark figure flashed past and caught the falling Luffy.Who else could it be?Naturally, it was Satoru.It was the familiar Princess Carry."You really are reckless, Luffy.""However, it was very effective.""Hehe, as long as we broke free, that's what matters."Luffy replied with a laugh.Satoru smiled back, then looked at the sea surface, nodding slightly to signal Zoro and the others to gather on the shore... "We're completely soaked.""But we successfully made it across."Usopp complained."Seriously, Luffy, you're reckless every single time!!"Sanji pushed his wet hair back and joined the complaining.Zoro, meanwhile, took off his white undershirt and wrung it out; a white undershirt was just more convenient."Oh well, as long as we got across."Luffy held his straw hat and replied with a toothy grin."Hmph, you're fine since Satoru caught you.""If Satoru hadn't been there, you, an Ability User, would have plunged straight into the sea! You idiot."Having said that, Sanji put a cigarette between his lips and lit it with a lighter.It was unclear whether his words were meant to show concern for Luffy, reminding him that as an Ability User he shouldn't jump into the sea, or if he was criticizing Satoru's favoritism."I couldn't help it. Luffy is an Ability User, and I can't catch two people at once."Satoru explained.Zoro put his undershirt back on and steered the conversation back to the main objective."Alright, now is not the time for this. We need to go retrieve the going merry.""Right!! Exactly, the going merry is what's important!! Our clothes are wet, but they'll dry eventually.""I know the way. This way."Usopp absolutely agreed with retrieving the going merry, raising both hands and feet in support, and rushed to the front to lead the way, as he was the only one who had been to Dock 88... "Are you sure this is the right way, Usopp!!"After running for ten minutes and still not reaching the dock, Zoro, the one with the best "sense of direction," spoke up."Yes, this is the right way. Just keep running straight ahead."Usopp replied. Just then, a corner appeared ahead."Yes, turn right at that corner, and Dock 88 is at the end."As they neared the end, Zoro felt something was off. They had run all this way without seeing a single Soldier, which was extremely strange."It feels too smooth; something isn't right."Zoro thought to himself.But Luffy's reaction was:"Great!!!""Charge!!!""Let's get the ship back first."Hearing this, Luffy sped up and ran to the very front.The other four immediately accelerated to match his pace. Soon they reached the final corner, and the five of them turned into it without hesitation.And then they stopped their steps without hesitation.Before them, Drake led the formation. Marines surrounded them from above and below, left and right, with countless muzzles pointed directly at them.Jessica had mentioned earlier that there were over 1,000 Soldiers in this G8 Branch.At least 800 of them were currently ambushing Luffy and his crew... "What a grand 'welcome.'"Seeing such a lineup, the five reacted differently. Satoru smiled.Usopp hid behind the others.Sanji removed the cigarette from his mouth using his thumb and index finger, slightly tilted his head back, and exhaled a puff of "Immortal Smoke."Zoro pressed his hand onto his scabbard, letting out a click, his face expressionless.Luffy bumped his fists together, facing the ambush not with fear, but with a laugh."Surrender immediately!!""Straw Hat Pirates!!""This time, you have nowhere to run!"Drake yelled harshly. He was furious, especially at that bastard Satoru."Hehe.""Run? The going merry is right here. We won't run!""No matter how many people there are...""Huh?"Luffy was still giving his protagonist speech, but unfortunately, his rhetoric skills weren't strong enough. Just as he was speaking, a tear gas bomb was thrown over.Seeing this, Satoru immediately retreated behind the others, moving back into the corridor.The next second, the tear gas bomb exploded, instantly covering Luffy and the others in tear gas smoke."Ah!! My eyes are burning!!"Luffy's eyes were bloodshot as he spoke, pressing on his temples.The other three were the same, except for Satoruwho was in the corridor.As the gas bomb erupted, the Marine vanguard put on protective goggles and charged directly into the smoke to attack Luffy and his crew.However, the next second, the smoke vanished instantly, being sucked toward the corridor entrance, causing the attacking Soldiers to freeze in their tracks.They saw a small black hole on the ground in front of Satoru, emitting suction, and the smoke was being absorbed into it.
Chapter 379: This is what you meant by "not a big deal"?Inside the Marine mess hall, because Chef Sanji had run off, the food was no longer as delicious, and the Soldiers began protesting by banging on the tables.It was only then that the chefs realized they had completely lost.Faced with this situation, one chef pulled out the recipe book Sanji had left behind.Jessica righteously declared that they could not rely on things left by a pirate!!But the protests outside were incessant.Jessica felt overwhelmed, recalling everything Sanjihad done during that short day, and his actions as a chef. She had to admit that, as a professional colleague on the opposing side, Jessica had never seen a chef more excellent than Sanji.Furthermore, she remembered what Lika had said when she first helped out in the kitchen."I'm not a real chef; I just want people to be happy after eating the food I make."And so, Jessica ate her words and posted the recipe book on the wall."Start preparing the dishes according to the steps in the recipe book!!""Remember, even if we've lost to someone now!! That doesn't mean it will always be this way. Since he left the recipe book, don't let him look down on us!!""Yes!!!"The chefs instantly got pumped up and began cooking. They had already memorized the steps in the recipe book.Jessica felt much more relaxed after coming to this realization."The chef of the Straw Hat Pirates, Sanji... I won't forget you!""I wonder how Lika is doing... Never mind, I'll go check on her after work."After murmuring a few words, Jessica also started cooking.Unsurprisingly, Sanji and "Lika" would have a lasting influence on the mess hall battlefield of G-8 Fortress for a long time to come... Returning to Dock 88.As Luffy was boasting loudly, the Marines responded with tear gas and immediately launched a charge attack.But just as they plunged into the smoke, the smoke instantly vanished the next second, absorbed by Satoru, who was using the Dark-Dark Fruit Ability.(A quick recap.Clone Bai Yun can choose one of the six devil fruitAbilities replicated by the bracelet.The duration of use during the day is: 15 minutes, and the duration of use during a moonlit night is: 30 minutes.The six abilities currently replicated by Satoru's bracelet are: Bomb-Bomb Fruit, Light-Heavy Fruit, Human-Human Fruit, Mera Mera no Mi, Flower-Flower Fruit, and Dark-Dark Fruit.If presented in the form of bullets, they can be called: Explosion Bullet, Super-Heavy Bullet, Clone Bullet, Burning Bullet, Multi-Bullet, and Black Hole Bullet.)"Satoru!!"Even though Luffy's eyes still hurt badly, he didn't forget to cheer Satoru on.Feeling the gazes of the four, Satoru smiled back, "I know I'm handsome, but right now, the main thing is, let's fight!!!""Hahahaha, exactly!""Gomu Gomu no Gatling!"Luffy replied with a laugh, turning around and unleashing a Gomu Gomu no Gatling.Seeing this, Sanji and Zoro followed Luffy's lead. Now it was their turn to attack.Sanji launched a flying kick, instantly delivering a dozen more kicks.Zoro used a No Sword Style: Tatsumaki (Tornado) to blow away some of the Marines.Usopp stayed in the back firing bullets. This was the proper ADC playstyle—what ADC rushes straight into battle?After this round of attacks from the four of them, the Marine vanguard was repelled.Although Drake was expressionless, he was grinding his teeth and his eyes were full of fury, especially towards that bastard Satoru."Attack!!"Drake shouted sharply again.Soldiers carrying swords and shields charged. As for the snipers above, they were naturally careful to aim clearly so as not to accidentally hit their allies.Facing the dense masses of charging Marines.Usopp was a little panicked, but Luffy and the others showed no fear.Zoro and Sanji instantly rushed forward, their speed identical, neither yielding to the other.Luffy smiled and tightened his straw hat."Gomu Gomu no Whip!""Zoro, Sanji, dodge.""What!!"Luffy kicked out in a massive sweep from right to left. It must be said that before acquiring Conqueror's Haki, the Gomu Gomu no Whip was a very useful move for clearing out enemies.With one sweep, he cleared out a fan-shaped empty space in front of the Marines.But he spoke only after he launched the kick, and combined with being entangled by the Marines, Zoro and Sanji didn't have time to jump and dodge. They were kicked to the left, just like the Soldiers within the attack range... "Warn us before you attack, Luffy!!"Usopp couldn't help but complain.Luffy waved his hands up and down, offering a "cheeky" apology and promising it wouldn't happen again.Sanji and Zoro pushed the Soldiers off themselves. They were practically immune to Luffy doing things like this now."That bastard Luffy."Sanji cursed."You too, couldn't you dodge? Mosshead!"Indiscriminate attack—Sanji declared he just wanted to curse."You hit me and you think you're right, you perverted cook."Zoro cursed back.The two exchanged glances, sparks of love... no, fighting lightning flashed in their eyes, and they started fighting each other.Seeing this, Usopp wanted to cry but had no tears left."Why are you two fighting each other!!""We can only rely on ourselves now, Luffy, Bai..."For the sake of the Merry, Usopp steeled his nerves.But before he could finish his sentence, Drake shot a Net Bullet that instantly covered Luffy. If it were a regular net, Luffy could have broken free with effort, but unfortunately, it contained Sea Stone blocks, and Luffy lost his Fighting Ability.Usopp turned his head to look at Luffy, who was netted, lying on the ground, and leaning against the wall. He had six points he wanted to make."..."Satoru exchanged a look with him and shrugged. He didn't help Luffy tear the net because he heard the sound of wheels rolling.Usopp turned his head back and looked at the Merry, which was diagonally parked on the Launching Ramp. His gaze became resolute."You attack, I'll provide cover.""No choice! We can only rely on us! Bai...""Get out of the way! Get out of the way!! We have an Emergency Patient!!"Usopp was cut off mid-sentence again. Behind him, Nami and Cobart burst in, pushing a Transport Cart. Satoru had heard the commotion earlier and stepped aside to let Nami and the others pass.But Usopp didn't know, and since Nami and the others were charging blindly with their eyes closed, he was hit in the lower back by the top of the Transport Cart, sending him sprawling forward.Five people had arrived.Now, four people were neutralized.Only one was neutralized by the Marines... *Bang*, Usopp face-planted the ground. Chopper, who was hiding under the blanket, couldn't stand seeing his miserable state. He immediately revealed himself, transforming into his Heavy Point form and picking him up, "Usopp!! Are you okay, Usopp!! Bastard!! Who hurt you like this!! Bastard!!"Transport Cart:...Don't look at me.Nami and Cobart calmed down and opened their eyes upon hearing Chopper's shouts. When they saw the scene before them, they were too scared to speak. *This* is what Satoru meant by "not a big deal"!!!
Chapter 380: Utterly ViciousWith the arrival of Nami and Chopper, the Straw Hat Pirates were now only missing Robin for a full reunion.Clone Bai Yun is still Satoru; the enemy wouldn't know. Not only the enemy, but even Luffy and the others might not be able to tell who is the clone and who is the Main Body if Satoru didn't clarify... Namiand Cobart charged recklessly, sending Usoppcrashing face-first into the ground.When they opened their eyes, the dense crowd of Marines before them, with countless dark gun muzzles pointed at them, left them speechless. Nami turned to look at Satoru; she didn't speak, but her expression said everything."This is what you meant by 'not a big problem'?""Bastard!!!""This is a HUGE problem!!"Satoru returned a smile and looked at Cobart. Cobart noticed Satoru's gaze, turned to meet his eyes, and saw Satoru nod.Cobart froze for three seconds, her brain rapidly processing the situation. She understood, and she nodded firmly, signaling, "Leave it to me!"Then, she turned her head back, took a deep breath, and yelled, "Help!!! There are Pirates!!!"The Roar of the River East Lioness.Cobart's scream was earth-shattering and ghost-wailing. Zoro and Sanji stopped their "Elementary School Brawl" because of her shouting, and the Marines opposite them all covered their ears.Meikao, who was climbing toward the control room, heard the commotion and recognized his own daughter."Co... Cobart."Nami was still clever, and she immediately started acting along with Cobart."Ah, that's right!! Help! This big pirate man has taken us hostage!! Help!!!"They had rehearsed this earlier in the Infirmary, but Usopp's injury had made Chopper temporarily too agitated. Now that Nami pointed at him, he understood immediately.He tossed Usopp onto the Transport Cart, took a step forward, and forcefully exhaled, sending two streams of white air from his nostrils. Coupled with his current large body, he really looked fierce. "Cho-beard" made his debut!!"That's right!! It is I, the great one!! I'm the one holding them hostage!!""You better obediently get out of my way!! Otherwise, I won't guarantee what I might do."The acting was pretty good.An endorsement from Satoru, the "Movie Emperor."Zoro stood nearby, of course knowing it was an act, and watched with great amusement, wearing the benevolent smile of an old father. As soon as Chopper finished speaking, Zoro picked up where he left off."That's right, you better do as he says.""This guy is the most utterly vicious.""We can't guarantee what he might do."Drake was so angry his teeth were nearly ground to dust, his eyes wide open."Bastard!!""This trick again! Pirates truly are despicable scoundrels!!""No matter what you say, even if you talk until the sky breaks, your words won't let these two young ladies walk away from us.""You've already had one experience with this. Do I need to say anything more, Major Drake?"Satoru took a step forward and spoke to Drake. Yes, Drake's term for 'himself' (referring to Clone Bai Yunin an earlier encounter) was "Beautiful Young Lady," and for Nami and Cobart, it was "these two young ladies."It was unbelievable. Seeing Satoru, Drake looked ready to breathe fire, but he still tried hard to suppress his rage."What should we do, Major Drake?"The Adjutant beside him asked quietly.Drake took a deep breath, knowing he had to remain calm."Wait a moment. When they walk past, arrange for someone to..."..."Everyone put away your weapons and clear a path!!!"Drake shouted sternly. As a Marine, he couldn't act like Akainu.But acting like this made him a qualified Marine.The Soldiers carried out the order. There were no Soldiers present who thought they were born protagonists who could save Cobart and the Nurse from Satoru and his crew and mess things up; every one of them obeyed the command.They ran to both sides and lined up neatly. The first rows on the left and right faced each other, meaning many eyes would be watching Satoru and the others as they passed through.The Soldiers cleared a path. Seeing this, Zoro drew his sword, walked up to Luffy, and swung it up and down twice, instantly shattering the net surrounding Luffy.The net was just an ordinary net; it was the Sea Stone pieces that made Luffy feel powerless."Thanks, Zoro."Luffy grabbed Zoro's hand and used the leverage to stand up. With the Sea Stone gone, his back straightened, and his smile returned.Zoro didn't answer immediately. First, like a Cold, Aloof Male God, he returned his sword to its sheath before replying."Let's go.""Yeah, let's go!"Luffy replied and led the way. The others followed, with Zoro and Satoru voluntarily taking the rear. Chopper didn't forget to hoist Usopp onto his shoulder... With preparations complete, Luffy began walking forward.The scene was extremely quiet, with only the sound of Luffy and the others' footsteps.The Soldiers on both sides stood ramrod straight, like statues.Zoro felt that something abnormal was definitely going on. "Listen to me, we'll just run in a moment...""Click!"Before Zoro could finish, a sound came from the left. A Soldier had dropped the rifle he was carrying on his shoulder.This noise, interrupting the silence, combined with Luffy and the others' heightened attention, made them instantly turn their heads to look.The Soldier hurriedly bent down, flustered, trying to pick up the rifle, acting as if nothing had happened.But then a scream rang out, "Ah!!!" It was Cobart's voice.From the perspective of the Marines, as soon as Luffy and the others were distracted by the commotion on the left, a Soldier immediately popped out from the right and carried Cobart away.Cobart's scream redirected Luffy and the others' attention back to the right.Repeating the trick, a Soldier emerged from the left and lunged toward Nami, but Nami noticed him and immediately delivered a left hook."Noooo!!"The punch sent the man's front teeth flying—that was the power of Nami's Fist."That was one of ours!!"Seeing this, Drake shouted, his face turning into a Shark Face in anger. He didn't know Nami was part of the Straw Hat Pirates and thought she was just an ordinary Nurse."Run!!"The situation was bad, so Zoro immediately shouted, reminding everyone to run quickly.Drake also had no choice but to give the order: "Attack!!"Just then, the going merry slid off the Launch Ramp and crashed onto the sea surface, the massive sound startling everyone.Moments ago, while Luffy and the others were passing through the "Soldier Path," Meikao finally climbed into the highest control booth.Looking at the Control Lever in front of him, he hesitated slightly.However, he saw that his daughter was also helping Luffy and the others. He could tell whether his daughter was truly scared or just pretending.Furthermore."People who can give birth to the legendary Ship Spirit on a ship.""Such people truly shouldn't spend the rest of their lives in prison; sailing the high seas is their true path.""I hope I haven't made a mistake!"Thinking this, Meikao resolutely pulled the Control Lever down. The Steel Plate holding the going merry retracted, and under inertia, the going merryslid directly down.
Chapter 381: Because I'm Very SmartDrake still had some wisdom; he wasn't foolish enough to just let Luffy and the others pass.Instead, he used distraction to rescue the hostage. Distraction is a common method in rescue operations; otherwise, a Soldier who can't even hold their gun steady would probably have to go back to scrubbing toilets.However, Drake never expected that Nami, the nurse, was also fake. His plan succeeded, but only halfway.Just as the two groups were about to fight again, the going merry slid down from the launch ramp, accurately arriving in front of Luffy and the others, as if to welcome them... The huge commotion caused by the going merry stunned both groups."Hurry!"Satoru spoke, waking everyone up, then he grabbed Sanji under the armpit and stepped into the air, flying up first."Hehe, that's right, everyone, run!"Luffy said with a smile, one arm stretching out to embrace the others, the other extending to grab the going merry. The next second, they all shot up.Zoro's head accurately hit the ship's railing with a thud, and only then did everyone return to the deck.Hmm... it seems the reason for Zoro's terrible sense of direction has been found. Was he knocked silly like this?He wanted to cut Luffy; Satoru could understand that... "Uh...""Why?"Satoru put Sanji down. Sanji was still bewildered, his cigarette almost falling from his mouth. He asked, puzzled, why he was brought up. Of course, coming up like this was good, but why him?Satoru returned a smile."I don't just save Luffy, you know."After speaking, Satoru extended his hand. Little White jumped down from the crow's nest and accurately coiled around his wrist.Satoru's answer reminded Sanji of what he had said by the bridge.So that's why.Exhaling a puff of smoke, Sanji thought to himself that he had only said it casually."Bastard! We're mere mortals; you'll kill us all eventually by doing things like this!"Nami got up and punched Luffy on the head.But she was too modest; if they were truly mere mortals, they would have died countless times over."Alright, we've got the going merry back, let's go.""Stand firm."Satoru said. As he spoke, he was already pushing the manual oar. His Air Compression Techniqueburst forth beneath his feet, and with its impact, the manual oar spun rapidly. The going merry left the dock at a very high speed... "Damn it! Damn it!""They escaped again!"Drake was as furious as an enraged Masira.Mecao also came down and approached Cobart."Cobart, are you alright?""You certainly had quite an experience today.""I'm fine, Father.""It was indeed a wonderful experience."Cobart replied.The Straw Hat Pirates' escape was largely due to the father and daughter's help."You're the one who lowered the ship, aren't you, Mecao!""You know, helping pirates means facing a military tribunal!"Drake shouted at Mecao.Old Man Mecao was not to be outdone in spirit and roared back."I just know my precious daughter is in the hands of pirates!""Am I supposed to stand by and watch my precious daughter die?!""Uh..."Drake was once again left speechless by Mecao."Can that ship be used?""They're all here, take your pick!"Mecao replied."Board the Marine ship, we must capture the Straw Hat Pirates!"Drake shouted his orders... "Hahahahaha, we're out!"Feeling the sun on his body, Luffy spread his legs, raised his hands, and happily shouted.Vaguely seeing the fluttering pirate flag, Usopp also fully recovered."Great, did we get the going merry back?""Ahahaha.""As expected, under my brilliant leadership, everything is insignificant."Zoro lowered the sails.The going merry sailed with the wind, with Chopperat the helm.Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke with the wind, and Nami stood on the second deck, leaning against the railing and sighing, "Yes, we're finally out.""But it's not over yet!"It was indeed not over yet.At this moment, Luffy noticed Jonathan on the balcony and smiled at him."Hehe, I told you, Fortress Uncle, I said if I wanted to leave, I could leave.""Oh, so you're leaving now?"Jonathan asked."Once Robin comes back, we'll leave."Luffy replied honestly."Then I wish you success."Jonathan turned and returned to his room... Inside Jonathan's office.He rarely left his office, yet he always seemed to have everything under control.First, he called Drake, telling him not to worry and to fire freely; the nurse opposite was fake and part of the Straw Hat Pirates.Hanging up the phone, Jonathan looked at the king chess piece on the board that represented Luffy."You think you can checkmate me like this?""It's not that easy, Straw Hat Luffy.""No, no, no, perhaps many things become simpler once you know them."No sooner had Jonathan's voice faded than Satoru's voice followed.In Jonathan's view, Lika pushed open the door and walked into the room."Lika.""Mmm-hmm~""No, I should call you Satoru, Long-Haired Bai Yun, right?""Don't you already have the answer?"With this back-and-forth conversation between Jonathan and Satoru, Jonathan confirmed that this "girl," supposedly persecuted by pirates, was herself a pirate, Long-Haired Bai Yun.Originally, it seemed like Luffy and the others had won, but Jonathan had a contingency plan, a trap to lure them in.All the gold Luffy and the others brought down from Sky Island was now in his office, and Satoru was currently looking at this gold."I never would have thought, a clone ability?""I overlooked that.""Jessica will be very sad."Jonathan saw Satoru staring at the gold.He spoke, and Satoru's gaze returned to him."Hmm, please tell her I'm sorry and thank you. She's a good chef, a good big sister.""You're really making things difficult for me."Jonathan replied."However, I don't understand.""You came and took nothing, so you must have genuinely stumbled in.""Why did you come ahead of time?""Does this mean you separated from them earlier?""How did you know they would come here?""And why did you know the gold was in my room?"Jonathan questioned and deduced, able to infer that Satoru had separated from Luffy and the others earlier. He was indeed clever.As for his opponent's answer, Satoru stated,"Because I'm very smart."
Chapter 382: Wish You Sweet Dreams"The Straw Hat Pirates have recovered their ship and escaped! Everyone, immediately board the warships and pursue them."Robin, inside the study, heard the conversation of the Soldiers running outside.The corner of her mouth lifted slightly. "They truly are a dependable bunch.""In that case, it's time for me to go too."She secured the map. This was the only valuable thing Robin had found during her time spent in the study.Then, Robin left the study and received the same treatment as "Captain Taikula," only slightly upgraded.Four Soldiers aimed their guns at her."Lieutenant Colonel Shepard, may I ask, where are you intending to go?"It was the same question, but Robin's answer was even more domineering than Satoru's."Where am I going? Are you qualified to ask?"Hearing her arrogance, the Soldier grew angry. He already knew through Jonathan that this Lieutenant Colonel Shepard was fake; otherwise, he wouldn't dare speak to a Marineford Lieutenant Colonel like this even with ten times the courage. Luffy and the others had recovered the going merry, and the reason he wasn't pursuing them was that Jonathanhad ordered him to keep an eye on Robin no matter what."Hmph. Regardless, please remain in the study. You are not allowed to leave without Commander Jonathan's orders."The Soldier forcefully motioned for Robin to return to the study, his finger twitching on the trigger, a clear threat.Robin smiled in return, raised her hands, and crossed them. "Apologies, but I probably won't be able to fulfill your wishes.""Click!"Arms sprouted from the four Soldiers, grabbed their heads, and twisted, instantly taking them out."It seems my identity has been exposed without a doubt.""Then this outfit is no longer necessary."Robin muttered to herself, then immediately took off the Marine officer uniform she was wearing, feeling much lighter... On the sea within G8 Fortress, the going merry sailed. Although they had recovered the ship and left the dock, Drake and the others were already chasing them in warships, firing cannons at the going merry.Therefore, they had to leave quickly. Luffy could block cannonballs, but if there were too many, he wouldn't be able to stop them all.But the problem lay here."Where is the exit?"Satoru said."Exactly, Satoru is right. We don't know where the exit is! Plus, Sister Robin hasn't returned yet."Nami added."Speak of the devil.""What?"Satoru spoke a proverb, but Nami clearly didn't understand its meaning. She looked up at Satoru, only to see him looking to the left. She followed his gaze and saw Robin swinging on a rope, flying toward the going merry."Robin!!"Nami shouted joyfully.Sanji also transformed into an "octopus" with heart-shaped eyes."Miss Robin is so cool!!!"Approaching, Robin let go of the rope and jumped down, landing perfectly, returning to the going merry to meet up with everyone."Has everyone gathered?"Robin asked."Only Satoru is missing."Satoru raised his hand to indicate that Satoru was still missing.Robin smiled in return. "Then there's no need to worry about him. Satoru is very reliable, isn't he?""Miss Navigator, this is the layout map of G8 Fortress."Robin handed the map to Nami.Nami opened it and quickly found the exit."That's great!!""As expected of my only confidante, Sister Robin, you're amazing."Nami praised her excitedly.Robin was slightly overwhelmed by such enthusiasm and could only respond with a couple of laughs."Haha..."Nami clenched her fist. "Alright, Chopper, turn the rudder right! We're heading for the exit."..."Because I am very smart."Returning to Jonathan's office.Facing Jonathan's question, Satoru said with great confidence (shamelessly)."Hmph~ You are indeed very clever, Long-Haired Bai Yun.""But you didn't think I earned this position as Commander just by using my brain, did you?""If you only have brains and no martial prowess, you won't get promoted in the Marines.""Are you confident that you alone can defeat me and break through the encirclement to leave?"Jonathan rose from his chair, walked to the front of the desk, and confronted Satoru."Although I am confident I can defeat you, it is true, as you said, that it would take some time.""I don't want to drag my comrades down.""So?"Jonathan asked, unbuttoning his cuffs. He was certain a fight was imminent, but now he was curious how this Long-Haired Bai Yun, after such arrogant words, intended to defeat him quickly."Therefore, I wish you sweet dreams.""Slumber!"Satoru looked up and met Jonathan's gaze. His eyes emitted a blue light, and his pupils transformed into a swirling vortex shape.This was the Sleep-Sleep Devil Fruit Ability of the young female pirate worth 5 million Berries whom Satoru and Luffy had encountered just before setting sail. Since he used it now, it was gone; after 30 minutes, if he wanted to possess it again, he would have to re-replicate it. But that girl was probably already living in Impel Down... The moment Jonathan met Satoru's gaze, he felt his head weigh a thousand pounds, and drowsiness surged over him like a tidal wave.However, the Sleep-Sleep devil fruit is not a rule-based devil fruit; it doesn't mean you are guaranteed to fall asleep just because you've been hit.It depends on individual willpower. Jonathan bit his lip, using the pain combined with his own willpower to resist it.Just like when Luffy was hit, Satoru immediately woke him up with a gong sound. It causes sleep, not unconsciousness.But this was enough to weaken Jonathan's consciousness for a few seconds.In that gap, Satoru instantly flashed over, pulled something out of his pocket, and jabbed it into Jonathan's arm. He had even unbuttoned and rolled up his own sleeve beforehand—I could cry over his gullibility.After Jonathan fought off the drowsiness, his vision recovered, and he saw the syringe on his arm. The liquid inside had disappeared; it was definitely injected into his body.Jonathan looked up at Satoru, who was standing right in front of him. Before he could speak, Satoruknew what he was going to ask."A strong anesthetic used for sea beasts, which I found in the infirmary."Jonathan was speechless. Satoru had even used an anesthetic meant for giant sea beasts. How highly did he regard him? The ordinary kind would have been enough."I didn't expect to be checkmated by you.""Long-Haired Bai Yun.""Clones, diverse devil fruit Abilities—you are more dangerous than Straw Hat."Jonathan braced himself against the desk with his arm, speaking to Satoru before the anesthetic took full effect.Hearing this, Satoru merely shrugged, walked around the desk, and pulled a chair over for Jonathan.Jonathan glanced at the chair, then looked back at him. "What is the meaning of this?""Consider it my repayment for Big Sister Jessica's care.""You decide for yourself: when the Soldiers find you, do you want this Commander to be lying on the floor, or sitting in a chair?"Jonathan sat down on the chair without hesitation. The anesthetic was taking effect, and he could no longer stand.
Chapter 383: Do You Believe It?Satoru was someone who had a script.Of course, he knew that the gold brought down from Sky Island had been taken by Jonathan to his office. This meant that even if Luffy and the others escaped, they would eventually return. Putting pirates aside, who doesn't love money?Therefore, Satoru's clone came out to act. First, it was to conceal the identity of "Lika," and second, it was to use this identity to retrieve the gold, saving Luffy and the others from having to take another risk.Even though Jonathan was formidable and intelligent, he definitely couldn't compare to Satoru, who had both a script and the Replication Fruit. These two abilities combined resulted in flawless acting.Thus, Jonathan was checkmated. Even though his strength wasn't weak, the potent anesthetic used for sea beasts was enough to keep him asleep for a while... His consciousness was gradually eroded, and his vision grew blurrier. Jonathan sat on the chair Satoru claimed to have brought him to repay Jessica for taking care of him, watching Satoru lift the packages containing the gold one by one and walk toward the window.He knew he had already lost, feeling no resentment or unwillingness; he was simply outmatched and had to accept it.Satoru walked to the window and pushed it open with one hand.From this vantage point, he could see the going merry fleeing toward the Gate, with Drake's warship relentlessly pursuing them from behind, firing cannons and bombing.Satoru looked toward the going merry. "Hmm, everyone is present. Then it's time for me to go back.""Well then, have sweet dreams, Commander Jonathan. G-8 Fortress is indeed a good fortress; at least the officers and Soldiers are relatively normal."After speaking, Satoru jumped onto the windowsill, stepped into the air, and flew away.Just before Jonathan's consciousness finally faded, he murmured."Relatively normal..."... "Fire!!""But, Captain, there are still people on the ship...""That's a fake! Commander Jonathan said that none of the nurses in the infirmary are missing. That person is a member of the Straw Hat crew!""Ah! Yes, sir!!"This was the conversation between Drake and the Soldier after he pursued them in the warship.Without the help of Mekao and the Maintenance Team, Drake and his men only managed to sail out one warship, but they still had cannonballs to attack the going merry.As for the cannonballs and gold on the going merry, they had all been moved away by Jonathan."Damn it, all the cannons on the ship have been moved! We can only take the hits passively."Usopp clenched his fist and angrily pounded his thigh.However, it wasn't a major problem. In the pirate world, bullets and cannonballs are often "human body outlines" (misses). Although many cannonballs came flying, few actually reached the going merry. Luffy could handle those, and the rest fell into the sea."What do we do now! If we don't have ammunition, we won't be able to blow up the mountain wall and escape!!"Nami said anxiously.Robin had already told Nami what Satoru had said to her.Although the Gate of Justice couldn't be blown open.The mountain wall could be, but without ammunition now, how could they blow up anything?!"Calm down, Miss Nami. We don't have any, but others do."Satoru comforted her, reaching out and grabbing the going merry's manual rudder wheel, causing the ship's speed to slow down.Ahead was the base gate, and on the defensive ramparts built into the mountain wall, the muzzles of several large cannons were already aimed at the going merry.However, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and even Robin all looked very calm.Because they all understood what Satoru's words meant."Hehe, Satoru is right. We don't have any, but they do! Since we've made it this far, how could we not get out?""Fire!!""Gum-Gum Balloon!"Luffy squatted on the sheep figurehead and replied with a smile. Meanwhile, a dozen cannonballs simultaneously struck from the defensive rampart. Luffy took a sharp breath, turning into a Gum-Gum Balloon, catching all the cannonballs, and then bouncing them to the right side of the gate. A dozen cannonballs exploding in the same spot—the power was self-evident.The firelight illuminated the faces of everyone on the going merry, while the sound of the violent explosion and the smell of gunpowder filled their ears and noses.When the firelight faded, smoke billowed, but looking at the edges, it was clear that a large hole had been blasted through the mountain, leading outside."So this works too! Great, then hurry..."Nami couldn't help but be happy seeing an exit. Once they sailed out, they would have successfully escaped from inside a Marine base.But suddenly, remembering something, her expression instantly changed, becoming utterly terrified."Oh no! Oh no!!"She immediately scrambled down from the second-floor deck with great speed, arriving at the warehouse door in the stern of the first floor. Tearing the door open, she saw that the several bags of gold previously stored in the center of the warehouse were all gone."The gold!!!"Nami wailed."What's wrong, Miss Nami!!"Sanji ran over and asked. Of course, the others followed, except for Chopper, who was steering."The gold is gone.""All the gold we brought down from Sky Island is missing.""The Marines must have taken it."Nami slumped onto the floor, looking utterly devastated."What!!"Luffy looked very surprised."That's utterly despicable!!"Usopp cursed.Zoro and Sanji remained silent.Robin cast her gaze toward Satoru, who returned a smile."Nami, if you wish for the gold to return right now, maybe it will. Do you believe it?"Satoru said.Nami looked up at him. "Things are like this, and you're still joking around! How could..."Before the word 'possible' left her mouth, Nami saw everyone staring behind her. She couldn't help but turn her head to look curiously.She saw Lika Satoru slowly descending from the sky, his hair dancing in the wind, magnificent light shining behind him. His white chef's uniform looked sacred, like an angel descending from heaven.But the most important thing was the three packages full of gold he was carrying in his hands."Surprise.""I wasn't too late coming back, was I, everyone?"Satoru landed completely on the deck, smiled, and asked, placing the three bags of gold onto the deck as well.Nami looked at the gold, then at Satoru, and excitedly stood up to give Satoru a hug."This is wonderful! Wonderful! I'll give you an extra share when we divide the money later, Satoru!!"Amusingly, Nami's voice was slightly choked when she said this; she was crying tears of joy.With the gold back, everyone was naturally happy.Sanji, however, was different. Nami hugging Satorumade him so jealous his teeth were practically grinding to dust."Hahaha, I'll be very happy about that.""For now, let's focus on getting out of here. Our tour time at the Marine base should be ending soon."Satoru replied, while extending his right hand toward Taikula Satoru. Taikula Satoru was sucked over and merged into a bracelet, and Little Bai also coiled itself onto his hand.
Chapter 384: Special TrainingJust as Satoru said, the exit was blasted open, everyone was gathered, and the gold was retrieved. Their time visiting this Marine G8 Branch Base was over, and it was time to leave... Since they were leaving, and given the situation, the clone was no longer necessary, so Satoru recalled the Taikula Clone.Nami let go of Satoru. "What you said is exactly right, Satoru."Luffy stood with his hands on his hips, shouting cheerfully."Hehe.""Full speed ahead! It's time for us to leave!"The Captain gave the order, and everyone immediately sprang into action.Chopper continued steering.Usopp climbed up to the crow's nest to look for direction.Luffy returned to the sheep figurehead.Robin sat back down in her chair. Now she could read in peace. On the table was a book left behind by Taikula Satoru, taken from the Marine study.Zoro and Sanji pushed the going merry's manual oars, increasing the going merry's speed.Nami, meanwhile, took the gold into her room; only then could she relax.Only Satoru was left with nothing to do.Just then, he noticed a gaze coming from behind him, so he turned to look.Since a moment ago, no more cannonballs had struck from behind, because the commanding officer was stunned.That's right, the gaze belonged to Drake."Li... Miss Lika..."Drake still couldn't understand why Lika was on the Straw Hat Pirates' ship, and why she was on such good terms with them, talking and laughing.Also, did Long-Haired Bai Yun just disappear?!Satoru looked at his expression and returned a smile, stripping off the apron he was wearing and letting it fly away on the sea breeze.Next, he peeled off the gauze over his left eye and tossed it away; there wasn't a single injury on his left eye.Finally, Satoru pulled a blue hair tie from his pocket and bound his hair, which was fluttering in the wind, into a ponytail.Throughout this, Drake watched, his eyes widening the longer he looked, until now, Miss Lika across from him had transformed into Long-Haired Bai Yunstanding there."L-Long-Haired Bai Yun!!!"Drake looked as if he had seen a ghost, completely unable to believe what he was seeing.Satoru struggled to hold back his laughter."That's right, believe what you see.""My apologies, Major Drake. My heart has long belonged to the person with infinite fries at the dock at the end of the world.""Goodbye. I believe you won't want to see me again, though I feel much the same."Having said that, Satoru resolutely turned around and walked back toward the bow of the ship.Drake was petrified, his brain crashed, and his worldview was severely damaged."Major Drake!! What should we do next!?""Major Drake?""Hey, hey!! Major Drake!! Are you alright!!"A Soldier merely touched Drake lightly, and Drakefell straight down like a statue. The Soldiers immediately caught him, all looking lost.The Commander was asleep.The Major officer was "petrified."Without a leader, the Soldiers of Fortress G8 were like headless flies.The Straw Hat Pirates thus sailed away directly, with no Marine ships pursuing them... "Everyone, snap out of it!!!"After an adventure touring the Marine base, the Straw Hat Pirates returned once again to the free ocean.The sky was blue, and so was the sea. The gentle sea breeze made everyone feel like relaxing.But "Head Coach" Satoru wouldn't allow it."Luffy, you still want to eat!! Can you use Armament Haki freely yet? Talk about eating after you can!!""Zoro, stop sleeping!! How can you sleep at your age!! You mastered Cutting Iron, so you're skipping Armament Haki, huh?! Hagoku is up to you, but you definitely have to practice Armament Haki.""Also, Sanji, you've completely mastered Air Compression Technique, right? How long can you fly? How fast?""Finally, Usopp, as a Sniper, Observation Haki is the most crucial thing!! Don't think about slacking off!!"Satoru lay in the crow's nest, sunbathing and enjoying the sea breeze, occasionally "motivating" Luffy and the others who were training with four clones.Luffy trained Armament Haki. Clone No. 1 Satoruused Armament Haki to spar with him, allowing Luffy to personally experience what it felt like to be hit by an Armament Haki fist, which would greatly help him become familiar with it.Clone No. 2 Satoru used a mix of HawkeyeSwordplay and Red Hair Swordplay, overlaid with Armament Haki, to practice with Zoro, which greatly excited Zoro.Sanji and Clone No. 3 Satoru competed to see who could fly faster and higher. Sanji had already learned Air Compression Technique; it was just a matter of getting used to it.The training Clone No. 4 Satoru gave Usopp was especially simple. Clone No. 4 Satoru stood northeast of Usopp and fired a shot forward. What Usopp had to do was fire a bullet that hit the bullet shot by Clone No. 4 Satoru. If he hit it, the special training was successful. Simple, right?With the clones handling the special training assistance, Satoru lay in the crow's nest, allowing him to marvel, "This is the life." If the clones' training could also feed back into the Main Body, like a certain village's forbidden technique, that would be even better... "Ding-a-ling~"It was noon, and the lunch bell rang.The only two people on the ship who could cook were:Sanji was undergoing special training;Satoru was contemplating life (anyone lying down is considered to be contemplating life).So who cooked the meal?Of course, it was Clone No. 5 Satoru.This was the limit, because Clone No. 6 was currently with Ace... "Food's ready!!"Hearing the dining bell, Luffy immediately perked up like a dog whose ears had shot up. Clone No. 1 Satoru took the opportunity to land a punch right on his face."Oops, I couldn't stop my hand. Are you okay, Luffy? (～￣▽￣)～"The simple-minded Luffy believed him."N-no, I'm fine.""Let's hurry up and eat."...Zoro witnessed this scene, turned to sheath his sword, and started heading to the kitchen. With his back exposed, Clone No. 2 Satoru immediately brightened his eyes and raised his sword.Zoro felt a chill down his back and immediately spun around to look.But he saw Clone No. 2 Satoru's smiling face, his sword already sheathed."What's wrong ^ω^? Hurry up and eat."Zoro: "..."...In the sky above, Sanji and Clone No. 3 Satoruwere still facing off.After a morning of moving up and down, Sanji could generally stand stably in the air."Did you hear that?"Clone No. 3 Satoru said.Sanji lit a cigarette. "What?""It seems you really still don't know Observation Haki."Clone No. 3 Satoru reached out, patted Sanji's shoulder, and replied.He then instantly flew upward, stepping on Sanji's shoulder with his foot to knock him down, while thoughtfully explaining to Sanji."Food's ready!!"...Over here, during the special training between Clone No. 4 Satoru and Usopp, Usopp also immediately sighed in relief upon hearing the dining bell. His eyes were nearly blind from straining, and his arms were almost worn out from pulling. All morning, he hadn't even managed to graze the flying bullets, let alone hit them."Then let's go eat first."Clone No. 4 Satoru turned and said to Usopp.But suddenly, he fired a shot.Usopp immediately flashed to the right, but in reality, even if he hadn't dodged, the bullet wouldn't have hit him.Seeing his movement, Clone No. 4 Satoru smiled and said."It looks like there's been some progress after all."
Chapter 385: Grand Renovation of the going merryAs the lunch bell rang.The others headed to the kitchen in the ship's cabin. Satoru also flipped down from the crow's nest, recalling his four clones. He was a bit hungry; after all, maintaining six clones was very physically demanding.Hmm, this was his excuse for 'lazing' in the crow's nest all morning... "Food! Food!"Upon arriving at the kitchen, nine meals were already laid out on the dining table, with one extra for Xiao Bai.If anyone dared to say Xiao Bai wasn't qualified to eat at the table, Xiao Bai would gnaw the table to bits.On the Straw Hat Pirates' ship, mealtimes were casual. The head seat wasn't necessarily for CaptainLuffy; others could sit there too. It was either for the cook, or for someone who had something to say. Those with nothing to discuss wouldn't contend for the main seat.As soon as Luffy arrived, he immediately darted to the head seat because the meal there had the largest portion.The others also entered one by one. Nami was second to last, carrying three bags of gold.Finally, it was Satoru and Xiao Bai.After entering, Satoru's Clone No. 5 automatically returned to his bracelet.There were two main seats, one in front and one in back. Luffy took the front one, and everyone left the back one for Satoru.Once everyone was seated, dinner began, though Luffy had already started devouring his food as soon as he sat down.Xiao Bai didn't need a seat and ate directly on the table, just needing to stay far from Luffy to avoid the risk of accidental ingestion.He and Luffy, both of them, had the risk of accidentally swallowing each other; it was just a difference between one getting carried away with eating and the other getting carried away with anger... "Do not speak while eating, do not speak while sleeping."That's for gentlemen.But they were pirates."The Dials we got from Sky Island, except for the Cloud Dials, are all usable."Usopp said.Satoru swallowed the food he was chewing. "That doesn't matter much. We probably don't need Cloud Dials anyway, since we don't have an Ice Blade-type waver.""Hmm... you're right."Usopp stroked his chin, then suddenly remembered something. He pulled a Dial from his bag and handed it to Satoru. "Oh, right, this is the Tone Dial with the golden bell's sound that you asked me to record, Satoru.""You remembered! I was just about to say if you forgot, your afternoon training would double.""Thank you."Satoru took the Tone Dial but didn't rush to press the button to enjoy the bell's sound.Usopp gave him a forced smile, thinking how glad he was to have remembered, otherwise he would have been in deep trouble."But even without an Ice Blade-type waver, there are still regular wavers. But only Nami and I can use them, right, Luffy?"Satoru specifically mentioned Luffy.This morning, he had tried three times against his better judgment and ended up completely soaked.He pounded the deck indignantly, "I thought if it didn't work on Sky Island, it would work in the sea!""Mmmph! I must... mmmph... waver..."Luffy replied while chewing, meaning he absolutely had to learn how to use a waver.Although, he was never seen 'conquering' the waveragain after that... As the saying goes, a hundred steps after a meal, live to ninety-nine.But another saying goes, a nap after a meal, live to eight hundred eighty.Plus, Nami had something to say, so it was now post-meal discussion time."Everyone!""Sorry for the wait. The treasure pirates get is, of course, shared by everyone.""All this gold is worth a lot of money.""YEAH!!!""I've been waiting for ages! I want to buy a bronze statue!"Luffy had an inexplicable obsession with bronze statues."I can buy books!"Chopper was still diligent in his studies; he wanted to buy medical books from various countries."Now we can drink freely."Only when talking about drinking would Zoro's face show a brilliant smile."A new stove and frying pan... cutlery and a large mousetrap."Sanji immediately put on his glasses and took out an abacus to calculate how much money he needed.The first few items were normal, but as for the "large mousetrap," indeed, there was a very large "mouse" with an even larger appetite on the ship.Robin remained silent; what she wanted was history, which sometimes couldn't be bought with money.As for Satoru, he didn't have anything he particularly wanted to buy. Oh, some small accessories, though, he did want to buy—things like pirate hats, eye patches, pirate hooks, and so on. These would be helpful for future character costumes he might have.Everyone was speaking happily, but Namiinterjected."So, first, 80% of it is my personal savings."Nami separated 80% of the pile of gold. Of course, Luffy and the others wouldn't agree! They all extended their right hands."That's not fair!"Seeing their reaction, Nami stuck out her tongue and said, "Just kidding.""This money is for repairing the ship.""The ship?""The Merry?"Luffy took a moment to realize Nami was talking about the Merry."Yes, don't you think it's already falling apart?""Alright! That's it.""Grand Renovation of the Golden Merry! Approved!"Luffy raised both hands, approving the plan.Nami continued from where he left off."Since we don't know how much it will cost to repair the ship, let's wait until it's fixed, then we'll divide the remaining money."With the Captain and the treasurer speaking, everyone else naturally agreed.Satoru tapped the table, thinking to himself, if only the Merry could be repaired, but alas... it was too tired."True, Usopp's makeshift repairs won't last much longer."Zoro complained about Usopp's ship repair skills.Usopp stated, "Just so you know, I'm just a Sniper.""Exactly, it's more appropriate to find a proper shipyard and a professional shipwright to repair it."Sanji said.Chopper still believed Usopp was the best ship repairman in the world, possibly because Usopp had boasted in front of him."What! Is there anyone better at repairing ships than Usopp?!"And when shipwrights were mentioned, a pervert... no, a "robot" figure flashed in Satoru's mind."Two more stops..."Satoru murmured, then glanced at Robin. Robin was puzzled, not understanding what Satoru's look meant, but Satoru only returned a smile.Luffy listened to everyone's conversation and simply made a decision."How about this?""We invite a shipwright to join us!"
Chapter 386: Fighting Illness with IllnessAfter so many adventures, the Merry had long become an inseparable part of the Straw Hat Pirates.So as they talked, the conversation naturally turned to repairing the Merry.Luffy simply suggested,"Let's find a shipwright to join us.""Our journey is still very long, and we already need someone who can repair ships.""The Merry is our home, our life insurance as we sail across the sea.""It protects us, so let's find a shipwright who can protect it."After Luffy spoke, everyone was silent for a second, lost in thought."This kid..."Sanji said, and Zoro picked up his words."Occasionally, he can hit the nail on the head..."Satoru laughed, "Hahaha, Luffy is what you call great wisdom appearing foolish; it's just that he's foolish most of the time.""That's right, this is very important!! I agree!!"As mentioned before, Usopp would always raise both hands and feet in agreement for anything beneficial to the Merry."Alright!! Let's do it!! I hope we can find an excellent shipwright.""I agree!!""And a musician!!""I agree with that too!!"Luffy was very persistent about finding a musician. Satoru himself just preferred that perverted yet gentlemanly skeleton... After eating, everyone went back to the deck. Just then, giant waves taller than the Merry suddenly surged, caused by the Sea Monkeys in the waves.Given everyone's strength, facing such giant waves, they could only paddle desperately to escape.During their escape, a strange pirate ship suddenly appeared ahead. The ship was large, but there was no Captain, no navigator, and the large ship was empty.Everyone was puzzled, but Satoru knew what was happening. Although the previous dungeon was boring, it was the best way to show the camaraderie among the Straw Hat Pirates.Because no one was in command, the pirate ship was overturned by the Sea Monkeys' waves, as expected. However, the waves also stopped, and the Sea Monkeys, having successfully played their prank, chattered and left... "It's finally calm.""Those big waves were actually a prank by the Sea Monkeys, weren't they?"Usopp clutched his chest, still feeling shaken."Yeah, it was really scary."Satoru expressed a soulless sentiment. Usoppturned to look at him, nearly scared to death."B-Satoru! What are you holding in your hand?""Oh, this? It's a Sea Monkey cub I just fished out.""Squeak, squeak, squeak!!"Held by Satoru, the little Sea Monkey showed defiance but couldn't win, and was also very cowardly towards Little Bai."Quite cute."Satoru said. He liked small animals, with emphasis on the word "small"; if they were as big as those adult ones earlier, then forget it.It was cute when it was little, but Little Bai, hearing Satoru say that, immediately wrapped its tail around the little creature and flung it back into the sea with a flick.Satoru had no reaction; he hadn't intended to keep it anyway. That little creature had a monkey head and a fish tail, and couldn't be kept without a fish tank.Back to business.Nami, sensing the air temperature and humidity, spoke professionally."The temperature and humidity in this area are very stable.""We should be entering the climate zone of the next island.""Robin, do you see anything?"Robin put down her binoculars and said calmly,"I've seen the island for a while now."Hearing Robin say that, Luffy and Usopp reacted strongly!!Both of their minds were always equally "sick.""Why didn't you say so earlier!!""You unromantic fellow, when you see an island, you should say...""Broth~ers!!! I see an island!! Hooray!!!""You say it again."Robin would be crazy to say that. "The fog nearby is quite thick.""Fog? Then we don't know if there's danger. Chopper, confirm our heading and alert us immediately if you see anything."Chopper: "Okay~"Nami, hearing Robin's words from below, was the only one concerned with serious matters.Luffy was still "denouncing" Robin, "You, do you know how much I look forward to an island?"So persistent. Although Robin didn't understand, she apologized, "I'm sorry, I'll pay attention next time.""Is that so? If you can correct it, then it's fine."Luffy replied with a grin. He wasn't really angry; his true anger wasn't like this."By the way, thinking back to that pirate ship just now, don't you think it's strange?""No Captain, no navigator, no pirate flag, not even sails. The entire ship's atmosphere was at rock bottom.""It didn't look like a pirate crew at all."Usopp recalled the pirate ship that had been overturned by the Sea Monkeys' giant wave.Zoro replied with his arms crossed, "Maybe they lost in a sea battle, their Captain was killed, and their belongings were plundered?"Usopp waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, no, I observed carefully just now. That ship had no signs of battle at all, yet things as important as life to pirates were completely absent from the ship.""Maybe they aren't pirates? No need to worry."Sanji replied.Usopp narrowed his eyes, "Hmm... I just have a feeling they are pirates.""I have an ominous premonition.""When have you ever had a good premonition?"Sanji retorted."Putting aside premonitions, we must go to the island, otherwise the log pose won't update."Satoru added."Satoru is right.""I wonder if there's a town on the island. It would be great if there was a place to build ships."Luffy flipped onto the sheep's head, already looking forward to the adventure on this island."Land ahoy!! Prepare to drop anchor!!"As soon as he got up, Luffy saw the outline of the shore and shouted excitedly.Zoro was silent but efficient, already holding the anchor, waiting."Wait, everyone, I..."Hearing that they were about to go ashore, Usoppimmediately clutched his chest, feigning a look of pain.Before he finished, Sanji knew what he was going to say."Chopper, Usopp has contracted the 'Can't Go Ashore Disease'.""Ah, there's no cure for that."Chopper replied.Satoru came over and flicked Chopper's horn, "Not necessarily, Chopper.""I'll teach you.""Sometimes, an illness doesn't have to be treated with medicine, like Usopp's psychological illness.""In that case, you can fight illness with illness.""I've contracted the 'If Usopp doesn't go ashore, his training will be increased tenfold' illness.""I think Usopp should 'cure' me, right?""Right, Usopp."Satoru smiled as he looked at Usopp.Usopp broke out in a cold sweat, "Well, this, this... Of course, hahahaha, how could I stand by and do nothing?"Satoru looked triumphantly at Chopper.The naive Chopper rubbed his chin, "Satoru is amazing, so it can be done like this."Sanji gave Satoru a look that said, "You just love to tease them."Satoru returned the smile.Stopped🔊
Chapter 387: Long Ring Island"I see an island!!"Through the thick fog, Long Ring Island appeared before Luffy and the others."There's nothing here!!"Before them was an endless grassland with trees, but nothing else was visible for now.Moreover, these trees looked somewhat like "thin dogs," so thin and long that one might suspect a strong gust of wind could snap their trunks."This is a great place! Awesome!! An endless prairie."For Luffy, as long as there was adventure to be had, it was a good place.Sanji, biting on his cigarette, described the place as, "What a desolate place.""I wonder if anyone lives on the island."Robin said, this question depended on whether it was a deserted island."Great grassland!!!"Luffy couldn't care less, stretching his arms to grab two trees and flying off.He took Usopp and Chopper with him."I'll go check on them."Satoru said, then jumped off the ship to find Luffyand the others.Nami sighed, "I'm really fed up with them, always barging so recklessly into strangers' territory.""The island is empty, so there shouldn't be any danger. Satoru is somewhat reliable, nothing will happen."Zoro said as he secured the anchor. He knew Satoru's strength, after all, he had been tricked many times. What surprised him the most was when Satoru fought Hawkeye to a standstill at Baratie... Satoru followed Luffy and the others to the center of Long Ring Island and finally saw other creatures.It was just very peculiar."Wow!! A person?!!"Chopper was even more surprised to see the long, "thin dog" bear walking past him."Idiot, how can a person have so much fur? That's a bear."It was rare for Luffy to call someone an idiot."This bear is so long!!"Usopp couldn't help but exclaim, it was completely different from a normal bear."Too long, too thin, like a bamboo pole, not cute at all."Satoru's affection for animals depended on their cuteness.Xiao Bai seemed greatly offended by these words. What's wrong with being long and thin... what's wrong with being long and thin... "Upon closer inspection, even the trees and fruits are long and slender."Satoru said, looking around.Luffy stretched out his hand to pick a fruit, and by its smell, he knew it was an apple."Look, this apple is so long too!! Munch~"With that, Luffy unhesitatingly put it in his mouth.If he hadn't said anything, Satoru would have thought it was a large chili pepper."Don't just eat anything!!"Usopp warned, it looked strange, be careful or you'll turn long and slender too.However, Luffy's evaluation was, "Delicious!!"...Whoosh~The scene changed, and all four of them were eating these long apples, with Luffy directly clutching a pile in his arms. As he said, they were indeed delicious.Just then, Usopp, wearing glasses, spotted a house not far ahead."Look, there seems to be a house ahead.""It's true, I wonder if anyone's there?"Everyone looked in the direction Usopp pointed, Luffy said while chewing his apple."We'll have to go see to find out."Satoru replied."Hehe, then let's go see, let's go!!"Luffy smiled and led the way.Along the way, they saw long deer, long foxes, long birds, and long dogs, making the four of them feel like they were about to turn long too.However, they finally arrived in front of this yurt-like house... "Hello, sorry to bother you!!"Luffy was polite, but not overly so, and pushed the door open directly after speaking.Usopp immediately pulled him back, "Danger! You can't just open the door and go in!!""Wait, Luffy, the owner of this house must be the owner of this island. You'll soon see a snake-like monster man!!"Hearing this, Xiao Bai couldn't stand it.Who are you implying things about!!It jumped over and smacked Usopp's left cheek with its tail. Usopp fell to the ground with a thud, a red mark still smoking on his face."Hahahahaha, alright, alright, Xiao Bai, Usopp didn't mean it, hahahahaha."Satoru laughed as he brought Xiao Bai back. Xiao Bai glared at him indignantly, finding it very funny, did he!!Satoru: Yes, very funny."Eh... there's no one inside."The house was small, and everything could be seen at a glance, but there was no one inside.Hearing Luffy say there was no one, Usopp"revived.""Is that so? No, no, no, maybe he's hiding.""Hmm, Luffy, Satoru, Usopp!!"Suddenly, Chopper's shout came from outside."That's Chopper shouting."Satoru said, turning around and going out first, followed by Luffy and Usopp.Before Chopper stood a white horse, a white horse with a very long neck.It was pure white, its mane smooth and shiny, so beautiful."Wow!!!"Luffy let out a sound of interest."Hiss hiss!!"The white horse neighed twice.Chopper translated."It's not a giraffe, even though its neck is very long, it's a horse, a long white horse.""So you're a horse."This was Chopper's own sudden realization."Look, it has a saddle on it, so someone really lives here."Usopp discovered an important clue.However, Luffy and Satoru were concerned about something else."What a beautiful horse!!""Yeah, truly beautiful. If it had wings, this would be a true Pegasus.""Riding it into battle would certainly be majestic."Satoru imagined the scene of riding this white horse into battle, that would truly be majestic, that would be a Pegasus.Pierre:...Xiao Bai was disdainful, this is majestic? You haven't seen truly majestic yet!!"It says its name is Shirley, and it's a mare."Chopper said, rubbing his face against Shirley."Hmm?"Luffy's protagonist radar went off. He suddenly noticed a bamboo stalk growing abruptly ahead, two solitary stalks, while the rest were other trees. It was a bit strange."Usopp, there's bamboo growing over there.""Ah, oh, oh."Usopp replied, what about the bamboo? On this long, slender island, the bamboo actually seemed normal.The two came before the bamboo.Its top soared into the clouds."Wow!! This bamboo is really long."Usopp exclaimed."No, no, look closely, this bamboo...""It's moving!!"Luffy leaned in, squinting, and the bamboo really moved, even hitting him.Luffy was caught off guard and kicked down.
Chapter 388: Foxy PiratesThe Straw Hat Pirates arrived at the wondrous Long Ring Island.Regarding this arc, the only person Satoru cared about was the Admiral, Aokiji. As for the others... were there even any others?The current situation was that everyone had split into two groups.Luffy, Satoru, Usopp, and Chopper went to explore the island.Meanwhile, Zoro, Sanji, Robin, and Nami stayed behind on the going merry, waiting for Luffy and the others to bring back news... At least Satoru probably wouldn't mess around with Luffy, right...That was really hard to say!!...In the center of the island, there was a yurt-like house.Luffy and the others didn't find anyone, but they did discover a beautiful white horse with a neck as long as a giraffe's.If it could fly, Satoru would have even considered making it his mount.Next, Luffy noticed two bamboo stalks growing abruptly among the numerous fruit trees. To his surprise, the bamboo could move, and he was single-handedly defeated by it, getting slapped hard."Luffy, be careful!!" Usopp shouted."That's some impressive bamboo; it would be perfect for making clogs." This was Satoru's thought.Luffy leaped up with a kip-up. He could get fired up for a fight even against a bamboo stalk."How could I possibly lose to a bamboo stalk?""Gum-Gum Whip!!" Luffy kicked, and the bamboo snapped instantly."Whoa, whoa, whoa!! I kicked the bamboo and broke it!!!" Luffy shouted excitedly.Usopp was very supportive, "Great, Luffy won!!"Satoru raised his hands and applauded "enthusiastically," "Clap, clap, clap. Amazing, amazing, as expected of Luffy.""Just watch out for your head.""What?" Luffy asked, confused. With a thud, a figure landed squarely on his head.As for people falling from the sky and landing on others, Satoru actually had some experience with that...."Bang!!!" Over here, Chopper was still chatting with Shelly, asking if she knew where her owner was.Over there, there was a loud bang. Well, the owner had arrived, only Chopper didn't know it."What's wrong!!!""It might be an enemy, you should hide first.""What happened?!"Chopper didn't forget to remind Shelly to hide while running. Once he reached behind the house and saw Luffy and the others, he asked.Luffy turned his head, looking puzzled, "I'm just as confused.""After I kicked the bamboo and broke it, a spirit fell from the sky."Although Luffy had been hit on the head by the figure, after being trained by Garp's Fist of Love, this was nothing.Also, you have to admit, as Satoru looked at Shelly's owner—the nomad old man whose name he had forgotten—the man's appearance really did have a bit of that "spirit from beyond the mountains, beyond the sea" vibe."A spirit?" Chopper walked over. Clearly, since Luffytold him it was a spirit, he believed it was a spirit."Because he came out after I broke the bamboo," Luffy explained.Satoru thought to himself, "Good grief, Kaguya-hime, is that it?""Old man, are you okay? Old man?""How many toes is this?"Satoru called out to the old man twice and held up two fingers in front of him. The old man was still staring blankly at the sky."...""Alright, he's been knocked silly; he can't even recognize how many toes this is." Satoru retracted his fingers and drew his conclusion."You weren't even holding up toes, you idiot!!!" Usopp retorted.Satoru shrugged, "I can't exactly stick my foot in front of someone the moment I meet them, can I?""..."Usopp was speechless.At this moment, the old man finally reacted, sat up, and looked at Luffy, Satoru, and Chopper, who were crouching in front of him."Of course I still remember you.""Long time no see.""Are you all doing well?"Usopp was confused."Huh?""Do you guys know him?"Luffy and Chopper shook their heads."I don't know him.""Me neither.""Same here.""In my memory, there aren't many old men... I mean, old guys, who leave an impression on me. I've never seen this old man before."The last two answers, needless to say, were from Satoru.After hearing their three answers, before Usoppcould say anything, the old man spoke first."Ah... no wonder you all look so unfamiliar to me."Usopp was astonished. Were there any normal people left in this world?"Ah!! You were just talking nonsense, weren't you!!""So, who are you? Old man."The old man wiped his nosebleed, "My name is Donjotte. Thank you for saving me.""You were the ones who knocked me down from my stilts, right?""Stilts!!?""That bamboo stalk that was so tall you couldn't see the top was your stilts??!" Luffy raised his hands, trying to gesture just how tall it was."Yes, I was standing at the very top of the bamboo," Donjotte said quite calmly, looking every bit the reclusive expert.But the reality was."I've always loved walking on stilts, so I wanted to use the long bamboo on this island to challenge for the world's tallest stilts.""But I didn't expect that once I got up there, I couldn't get back down.""Pfft..." Satoru almost couldn't hold back his laughter. Merit -1."Huh? Are you an idiot? Old man!"Luffy's attitude shifted from thinking Donjotte was a "stilt master" to "are you an idiot?".And Donjotte wasn't finished, "I've been up there for... ten years."This shocked Luffy so much he couldn't help but open his mouth wide. "Idiot" couldn't describe it anymore; he had to add "big." "Big idiot!!!"Usopp was also shocked, doubting he had heard correctly."You stayed on stilts for ten years??!""Yes, and the bamboo kept growing taller and taller, which scared me even more, so I didn't dare come down.""It scared me to death."Donjotte replied. When he mentioned being scared to death, he actually had a fearful expression on his face.He also explained that because there were trees on the island just as tall, he could eat the fruit from them to survive, which was how he managed to live up there for ten years.But Satoru was still impressed. That was ten years, not ten days. Living all alone, exposed to the wind and sun on a pair of stilts for ten years—you have to admit, old man, you are a legendary character.Satoru also wondered, so far they had encountered the old man who lived in a box, and now this old man who lived on stilts; he didn't know if they would collect any other strange "old men" in the future.Under Luffy's questioning, Donjotte also explained why the animals on the island were all especially long: because the place was very vast.Satoru: What kind of logic is that!!!"Alright, come to my house. You are my saviors, and I want to treat you well," Donjotte invited.In Luffy's understanding, "treating well" meant being invited to eat, so he naturally agreed. "Yay!!"Just like that, the four of them went into the house. Meanwhile, on Zoro and the others' side, uninvited guests had arrived—the Foxy Pirates.
Chapter 389: This is Only the Basics"If you want a fight, just come and get one.""Blocking our path? Watch out for your ship."The Foxy Pirates' pirate ship, the Sexy Foxy, appeared behind the going merry. Using giant fox-claw-shaped chains, they anchored their ship to the shore, effectively locking the going merry right between the two chains.This was a blatant provocation.Sanji lit a cigarette, and Zoro gripped the hilt of his sword. If they wanted a fight, they could have one. There was no need for a reason; if they insisted, they shouldn't blame anyone when their ship got sliced in half."We are the Foxy Pirates!""We aren't here for a fight.""We are here for a duel!!"Zoro and the others were confused by this answer."A duel?"Back to the center of the island.Donjotte wanted to offer Luffy and the others the milk he had stored, thinking that was what he had used to treat guests before. However, he had forgotten that he had been on stilts for ten years, and this milk had been sitting there for ten years as well."...This is cheese. I'm not sure if it's to your liking."Donjotte pulled a piece of "cheese" out of the jar. The smell was enough to wake the dead, and even he couldn't look at it while saying that.Usopp retorted, "Don't look away!! This is milk that's been sitting for ten years, isn't it!!""Is... is that so? Let's just sit down and talk first."Donjotte changed the subject and placed the cheese onto a plate, then set it in the middle of the table."Hey, old man, is this cheese really edible?"There wasn't much food that could make Luffyhesitate.Usopp immediately grabbed Luffy's eager hand."You can't eat that!!""It's fine, don't talk nonsense. This cheese has only been sitting for ten years.""I'm different from you guys. I've been living a leisurely life on this island, so my stomach is stronger than yours!!""Young people these days are really weak."Old man Donjotte acted as if there was nothing wrong with it, casually breaking off a small piece and popping it into his mouth.Satoru felt a sudden urge to try it too. "It should be fine, I've had cheese before."So, he broke off a small piece to try it."Satoru, trying everything will only be the death of you!!"Usopp advised.But Satoru didn't care; it wasn't like it would kill him.Immediately, he and Donjotte both put the cheese in their mouths at the same time."Bang!"The next second, both of them were flat on their backs.When Satoru fell, he did so with excessive elegance. He crossed his hands over his chest, lying there so peacefully that it looked like his soul was about to ascend.Old man Donjotte was a different story; he was foaming at the mouth and calling out weakly."Help... call me... a doctor...""Ahhh!! Doctor!! Doctor!!"Chopper panicked at the sight, but then realized he was a doctor and immediately began diagnosing old man Donjotte. Over on the other side, Satoru had already gotten up, unhooked his canteen from his waist, and rushed outside.Chopper's diagnosis came out."It's food poisoning."Usopp's quota for retorts today was officially full."You didn't need to tell us that!!!"After a while, Satoru rinsed his mouth ten times before the taste was finally gone. Good grief, this stuff was almost on par with a Devil Fruit.If you haven't eaten a Devil Fruit, here's another point of reference: it was comparable to douzhi.Old man Donjotte also started to recover.They threw the cheese far away and everyone started talking about serious matters again.Donjotte explained his identity as a member of a nomadic tribe.Because this island is called Long Ring Island, shaped like a long ring, it is usually divided into 10 small islands by the sea.But once a year, there is a massive low tide (influenced by the Aqua Laguna in Water 7), and the island returns to its original appearance for a few hours. The nomadic tribes on the island seize this opportunity to migrate to the next island every three years.So, Donjotte had been on stilts for ten years, and by the time he came down, his tribe had long since left."Moving to a new island every three years, plus the 10 years you spent on stilts... it would take at least 20 years for your people to make it back around, right?"Usopp said.Donjotte had been there for ten years, but he didn't seem that agitated."That's right. Although, it would be great if the horse were here.""It's the most beautiful and fastest animal on this island. Its posture while running across the grasslands is incredibly elegant.""It's the best companion for our nomadic tribe and an essential partner for migrating between islands.""If it were here, I could cross one island a year, and then I could catch up with everyone in five years."Speaking of the horse, old man Donjotte's face was full of pride and nostalgia.And upon hearing about the horse, everyone thought: isn't there a horse right here!"Your horse... could your horse be..."Chopper said.Satoru nodded. "It's very possible."Usopp also nodded. "That's probably it."Luffy also nodded. "Ah, the horse, the horse is here!""Oh! Oh!! Shelly!! Have you been waiting for me here this whole time?""Neigh!! Neigh!!"Luffy and the others brought Donjotte outside to reunite with Shelly.After ten years of separation, this master and servant—these comrades—were both very emotional.Donjotte jumped straight onto the saddle and, for the first time in a long while, galloped across the grasslands."Wahahaha!!""Haha, that horse is so fast. I want to ride it too."Luffy was interested again."It looks so elegant when it runs."A compliment from Chopper."Yeah, it would be great if it could fly."Satoru sighed, but then changed his tone."However, they have a deep bond between master and servant. Taking away someone else's important comrade is the most disgusting thing ever.""Shelly, when the next low tide comes, let's cross to the next island together.""You must have gone through so many windy, rainy, and snowy days. You've really suffered."Old man Donjotte said this while on horseback, looking forward to his future life and thinking about how he must make it up to Shelly. Ten years of waiting was too precious.Shelly responded happily as well; it was a very beautiful scene.But there are always some damn bastards who want to ruin such beauty."Hmm?"Satoru sensed someone approaching, so he stood up. The water chain on his hand transformed into a flintlock pistol, and he stood sideways, holding the gun with one hand."What's wrong?!"Usopp and Chopper said, very flustered.Luffy was still grinning; Satoru must have a reason for doing this.Then they heard Satoru speak."Usopp, didn't you say that hitting a bullet with another bullet is hard and impossible to do?""No, no, no. This is just the most basic thing for becoming a true Sniper. As long as you have Observation Haki, it's not difficult.""Bang!!""Bang!!"After saying that, Satoru fired instantly, but they heard two gunshots.Two bullets were fired from two different positions. In slow motion, they saw the bullet fired from Shelly's left, once it got within half a meter of her, get instantly hit by the bullet fired from behind!!!