Want to read ahead? Join my Patreon for just $7 to get early access to all upcoming chapters!
› Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations
───────────────────────────
Chapter 117: Heading to Rainbase
"Loguetown?" Nami frowned. "That guy who can turn into smoke?"
"That's him," Usopp nodded with lingering fear. "Luckily he didn't catch up to the ship this time, or we would have been in trouble."
Chopper, who had been listening quietly, blinked his large, round eyes and asked cautiously, "What are Marines? Why are they chasing us?"
The cannonballs whistling past earlier had terrified him.
As a reindeer who grew up on Drum Island, although he had seen Wapol's soldiers, he had never experienced a true naval battle.
"Because we're pirates, obviously!"
Nami explained helplessly, then covered her cheeks with both hands, her expression becoming distressed.
"We're done for. Being targeted by such a powerful Marine... they definitely won't let it go. They might even continue to pursue us."
Thinking about being relentlessly chased by the Navy, Nami felt the future was bleak.
"Don't worry, Nami-san!" Sanji immediately scooted over, knelt on one knee, and held Nami's hand with a serious face. "As your knight, I will protect you! Even if I have to gamble my life—"
Aside from Zoro giving a "tsk," basically no one on the ship paid attention to him.
Nami even pulled her hand back directly and said expressionlessly, "Thanks, but what we need right now is a practical strategy."
"Forget about the Navy for now." Zoro crossed his arms, gazing at the distant coastline. "The urgent matter is deciding where to go next. Alabasta is huge; we can't just wander around aimlessly."
This reminded Nami. She took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and pulled a map from her bag.
It was the detailed map of Alabasta that Vivi had left behind.
"Everyone, come here." Nami spread the map in the center of the deck, weighing down the corners with empty barrels to prevent the wind from blowing it away.
The group gathered around. Even Luffy, who had just woken up and was still dizzy, crawled over, stretching his rubber arm to stick his head directly over the map.
"We are currently here." Nami pointed to a small dot on the coast. "The port city just now is called 'Nanohana.' It's one of the main ports on the east coast of Alabasta."
Her finger moved along the lines on the map. "Vivi said that the capital, Alubarna, is located in the inland of Alabasta. If we want to go there, we need to cross a vast desert..."
Before she finished speaking, Zoro suddenly let out an "Ah," as if remembering something.
He fumbled in his sash for a moment and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.
"This is the note Marianne left before she took off."
Zoro unfolded the note. It had a few lines written on it. "She said Baroque Works will hold a senior executive meeting tomorrow morning in a city called 'Rainbase.' All code-named members must attend."
"What?!"
This news shocked everyone.
"Wait, Marianne already left?" Nami's eyes widened. "When did that happen? Why didn't I know?"
Zoro nodded naturally. "Yeah, not long after you guys went ashore. She said she was going home and got off the ship alone."
"Bastard!" Sanji stood up abruptly, veins popping on his forehead. "You felt okay letting someone leave alone like that? What if she encounters danger!"
"Why shouldn't I be okay with it?" Zoro curled his lip, looking indifferent. "Ultimately, she was just an enemy we captured. What does it matter to us if she leaves? Besides, she's not a child. Someone who can become a senior agent of Baroque Works should have some ability to protect herself."
Everyone fell silent for a moment, feeling Zoro's words weren't unreasonable.
"Forget it, put Marianne's matter aside for now. She is Mr. 3's partner after all; she shouldn't be in danger alone in this country."
Nami waved her hand, turning her attention back to the intel on the note.
"What's important now is the message she left. Baroque Works is holding an all-hands senior executive meeting in Rainbase tomorrow..."
Her expression gradually became serious. "If all code-named members must attend, that means—their Boss will likely appear at the scene too!"
"You mean... that Warlord of the Sea?" Usopp's voice began to tremble, and his body shrank back involuntarily.
The title of "Seven Warlords of the Sea" held too much terrifying weight for him.
Influenced by him, Chopper also shivered in fear, hiding behind the mast with only half his head and a pair of antlers poking out.
Just then, Luffy suddenly popped his head up from above the map. His eyes were sparkling, and his face was written with excitement. "Let's go to that place! It sounds super interesting!"
Nami's expression froze instantly. She was naturally a thousand times unwilling to go to such a dangerous place, so she tried to dissuade him.
"Wait, Luffy, listen to me."
"That place is very likely a Warlord's stronghold. If we just charge in blindly like this, isn't it too risky? It's literally walking into a trap!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Usopp hurriedly agreed. "They're having a meeting tomorrow. If we go now, won't we run right into all their elite members? How many 'Mr.'s' will there be? Just thinking about it is terrifying!"
"Isn't that even more interesting!" Their attempts to dissuade him had the opposite effect. Luffy's eyes grew brighter and brighter, so excited he was almost jumping. "I feel like if we go there, we'll definitely meet something super interesting! Maybe..."
He paused, tilting his rubber head to the side with a thinking expression, then clapped his hands as if realizing something:
"Maybe Ganyu is there too!"
"Ganyu?" ×5
Hearing their nakama's name, everyone's expression changed.
Sanji's cigarette almost fell out of his mouth. He straightened up quickly, his expression becoming incredibly serious. "If it's really as Luffy says, and Ganyu-san might be there... then it looks like we have to go to this place."
The thing he couldn't accept the most was Ganyu possibly encountering danger while he wasn't there to help.
Zoro also nodded meaningfully, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword at his waist.
"Regardless of whether that woman is there or not, with so many elite agents, and even the Warlord himself... aren't you guys curious? Don't you want to see them?"
His eyes were filled with an eager fighting spirit.
He was now only a fine line away from that realm. He just needed one battle to reach the level his master had spoken of.
"Not interested at all!" ×3
Nami, Usopp, and Chopper shouted in unison, shaking their heads like rattle drums.
Zoro choked, rolled his eyes speechlessly, and simply shut up.
"Sigh..." Nami looked at the three men who had already made up their minds and let out a long sigh.
She knew that once Luffy made a decision, backed by Sanji and Zoro, the matter was basically settled.
She massaged her temples, compromising helplessly. "Fine, fine... It looks like we have to go to Rainbase. But we need to act according to a plan, we can't just charge in recklessly like before—"
"Shishishi!"
Seeing the navigator agree, Luffy waved his hand happily, preempting her to issue the captain's order:
"Then let's—head for Rainbase!"
.....
Several hours passed. The sky gradually darkened, estimating the time to be around five or six in the afternoon local time.
The Merry crossed an Alabastan river and arrived at a landing point on the opposite bank.
Here, they encountered quite a few strange animals native to Alabasta.
Among them, a species called "Kung Fu Dugongs" challenged Luffy, but Luffy defeated them all. These dugongs promptly knelt and bowed to Luffy in worship.
According to Chopper's translation, they were taking Luffy as their master.
After this delay, the group left some food for the Kung Fu Dugongs and asked them to watch the ship. Then, they all went ashore and entered a vast desert covered in yellow sand.
───────────────────────────
Support this fanfic by leaving reviews, comments, and Power Stones!
For advance chapters, visit:
› Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations