Chapter 45: All Rebels at Heart
A crowd of small-time pirates surrounded Luo Han, showering him with tearful gratitude.
Luo Han twitched at the corners of his mouth—this is a bit much.
Ignoring them, he turned to Whitebeard.
"That's my Devil Fruit ability. I call it the 'Mind Mind Fruit'—it lets me use an invisible telekinetic force," Luo Han explained.
"It can be used for attacks or to control things."
"Haha! Sounds a bit like my Float-Float Fruit," Golden Lion said, walking over.
He had to admit—if Luo Han and Cole were willing to be subordinates, they'd be quite useful.
"Luo Han! How about joining my crew in the future?" Golden Lion offered again.
Luo Han was speechless. Dude… you're recruiting on someone else's ship. Again.
And didn't you just say earlier that you didn't approve of us?
"We'll talk about that later," Luo Han replied, brushing it off.
Still, he couldn't help but feel something was off. Golden Lion was awfully eager to recruit—so open about forming his own crew.
Could he be a transmigrator too? Luo Han wondered. Maybe he knows the Rocks Pirates are going to split and wants to build his team now?
But watching Golden Lion's behavior… it didn't quite add up.
"We've spotted land ahead, Lord Newgate," a lookout reported.
Luo Han stood and looked forward. A black dot on the horizon slowly grew larger—judging by the distance, it wasn't a big island.
Soon, the ship docked. The crew began disembarking.
"Take me along, Han-ge," said Sister Shao casually.
…Luo Han gave her a look. Since when were we this close?
Still, Luo Han, Cole, and Sister Shao (lifted by telekinesis) flew toward the island.
As for the others? Sorry—swim for it.
"Oi, boys! Get the food ready! We're having a feast tonight! Ahahahaha!" Whitebeard shouted from the beach, organizing the crew.
They'd been sailing for half a day. The sun was beginning to set.
Soon, the cooks had the food prepared, fires were lit, and the sound of tankards clinking echoed through the night.
Luo Han, Cole, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and Sister Shao sat around one of the fires.
Basking in moonlight, toes in the sand, and good food in hand—this, Luo Han thought, is how life should be.
"Oi, Luo Han—is Cole a Giant?" Whitebeard asked, eyeing Cole's enormous frame.
Golden Lion also looked intrigued.
"Him? No, it's from his Devil Fruit. He started growing after he ate it," Luo Han replied, chewing on meat.
"Damn, that must be one powerful fruit," Whitebeard said.
"What kind of fruit is it?" Golden Lion asked.
"I'm a Kun-Kun Fruit user!" Cole said proudly.
"Yeah—Mythical Zoan, Kun-Kun Fruit," Luo Han clarified.
"Oho! A Mythical Zoan. That's rare," Sister Shao said. "I've never met one before."
"Oi, Luo Han, Cole—how about joining my crew someday?" Whitebeard suddenly offered.
Truthfully, he admired them. Their strength and character stood out, especially when Luo Han saved all those pirates earlier.
They were pirates now, yes—but they still had kind hearts. That mattered to Whitebeard.
"Oi oi, I've been meaning to ask," Luo Han cut in, raising an eyebrow. "You guys are still in the Rocks Pirates, and you're already recruiting for your own crews?"
"You're that confident you'll leave the Rocks Pirates alive?"
It was something Luo Han had been wondering for a while.
"Hahaha! Luo Han, just think about who's on this ship—and then think about yourself," Whitebeard laughed.
"Do you really think you'll stay under Rocks forever?"
Luo Han froze.
If Rocks won at God Valley, if his plan succeeded, would Luo Han stay?
Obviously not. He didn't believe he'd never surpass Rocks. There was no way he'd willingly remain in someone else's shadow forever.
"Haha! You've realized it too, haven't you?" Golden Lion said. "You're not the obedient type either!"
"None of us are," Whitebeard added. "We're all rebels in our own way."
Luo Han and Cole exchanged a look—and for a moment, they even felt a little sympathy for Rocks.
Every guy on his ship was secretly planning to leave once they got strong enough.
No wonder God Valley was doomed to fail. The whole crew would probably be screaming "let's go!" one minute, then scatter the next.
Poor guy, Luo Han thought.
"Well, I'm not like you lot," Luo Han said. "I don't want to be a pirate."
"That's the only thing I'm sure of—for now, I just want to get stronger. Only strength can grant you the freedom to choose in this brutal world."
"Then let's get stronger together! What comes next can wait. Cheers!" Whitebeard raised his cup, looking around at everyone.
"Cheers!" the others echoed, raising their cups.
For now, happiness was enough.
Gulp gulp! Munch munch! Everyone chatted as they ate.
Except Cole, who was too busy devouring food like a machine.
"Ah-lala! Cole's got quite the appetite," Sister Shao commented.
"He's only out at sea because he loves food," Luo Han replied.
Then he paused.
He turned to look at Sister Shao, curiosity piqued. How had she ended up on the Rocks Pirates' ship?
There weren't many women aboard.
"Don't look at me like that, kiddo. I already have someone I love," she said with a wink.
Oof. He hadn't even made a move yet—and he was already friend-zoned?
And who was being so friendly before, huh? Luo Han felt a bit bitter.
"Then… who is it?" he asked.
"Haha! You'll meet him soon enough," Whitebeard chuckled.
Wait… soon? On the next island? Roger Pirates?
Whoa—don't tell me… her lover is on the enemy crew?
Luo Han's mind raced. The idea was… exciting.
...
As Luo Han's thoughts wandered, the feast slowly wound down.
Everyone returned to the ship to rest.
Why not sleep on the island?
Because in the New World, it was common knowledge—you don't sleep on unfamiliar islands.
You never know if it'll still exist by morning.
The island might sink. The sea level might rise. You name it.
It was Sister Shao who warned them—otherwise, Luo Han and Cole would've ended up as a bad punchline.
Thankfully, they were spared that embarrassment.
...
The night passed peacefully. At dawn, Luo Han woke on the deck, rubbing his eyes groggily.
Sleeping out in the open with no cover? Once the sun rose, it was game over for sleep.
Still… five more minutes, he thought, turning over.
Sleeping on a ship was a far cry from the comfort of Ring Tree Island.
"Enemy attack! Marines! We're under attack!!"
The shouting jolted Luo Han out of his dreams.
He leapt up, spiritual sense scanning the surroundings.
The Marines were here—and their auras weren't weak.
"Get up, you bastards! The Navy's here!" Whitebeard's booming voice echoed.
That got everyone moving fast.
Pirates armed with swords and guns rushed out onto the deck.
No one even thought of running. Pirates of this era didn't run from a fight.
When they saw the Navy, their first thought was: Time to brawl.
Soon, three Marine warships closed in.
Then they saw who was onboard—
"Ahhh!! It's that bastard Garp!!" a pirate shouted in panic.
(END CHAPTER)
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