Chapter 66: A New Psychokinesis Experiment
After Luo Han returned to the coast, Golden Lion was left in disbelief. He couldn't accept that he'd failed to do anything against a brat who had only just recently set out to sea.
Thinking about the pace at which Luo Han and Cole were growing—especially considering Tuck and his crew—Golden Lion realized he needed to start cultivating his own subordinates. One man alone couldn't handle everything. Even someone as troublesome as Luo Han had crumbled under the combined assault of three CP0 agents and Zephyr.
He couldn't stay with Whitebeard any longer. Golden Lion decided to head off on his own to pursue Roger and, in the process, gather powerful allies in preparation for forming his own pirate crew.
With that decision made, he pulled out a Den Den Mushi and contacted Rocks.
…
On the white sandy beach, a few thin plumes of smoke drifted upward.
"Boss Luo Han, you're back!" Tuck's loud voice boomed as soon as Luo Han landed. He ran over excitedly, holding a pouch of flatbread.
"What's this?" Luo Han blinked, noticing the Green Cross Pirates gathered around baking bread. Where'd they even get flatbread from?
Tuck carefully presented the bread with both hands, his expression full of reverence. "These are the flatbreads Granny gave me. They're really good. Here, Boss Luo Han—try it!"
Uh… Luo Han looked down at what was probably one- or two-year-old bread. Awkward. Accepting it was questionable. Refusing it was awkward too.
In the end, he took it. He's my crewmate. Can't hurt his feelings.
Let's just hope I don't get food poisoning, he thought.
Seeing Luo Han accept the bread, Tuck let out a relieved sigh. Boss Luo Han is a true follower of Granny's teachings. That's it—he's my boss for life.
"What? Something else?" Luo Han asked, interrupting Tuck's trance.
"N-No, nothing!" Tuck quickly turned around and joined the others baking bread.
As he left, Luo Han held the bread and walked over to Whitebeard, wondering whether he should eat it or not.
Well, this act of kindness deserves to go to Brother Newgate—as thanks for standing up for me earlier, Luo Han decided, convincing himself.
"Where's Golden Lion?" Whitebeard sat by the fire, wine jug in hand, asking offhandedly.
Though phrased like a question, he didn't seem all that curious.
"No idea," Luo Han replied curtly. He didn't feel like talking about Golden Lion. What happened today will be paid back slowly. Knowing the story like I do… it won't be hard.
Whitebeard noted Luo Han's cold response. He frowned slightly. Seems something happened between them.
What he didn't expect was that Golden Lion hadn't just clashed with Luo Han—but had tried to cut off his arm and interrogate him.
That kind of calm meant something serious had gone down.
Sitting beside the crackling fire, Luo Han picked up a roasted meat skewer and took a big bite. Delicious.
"By the way, where's Sister Shao?" Luo Han asked, suddenly realizing he hadn't seen her since they landed.
"She went to check out the area ahead," Whitebeard replied, gesturing toward the coastline. Then, without missing a beat, he bit into the flatbread Luo Han handed over.
Hm! Not bad. Whitebeard's eyes lit up.
Luo Han looked down the coast—it stretched endlessly in both directions. This must be a long, narrow island.
"You scouted inland earlier. What'd you find?" Whitebeard asked.
Luo Han thought for a moment. "I flew in about fifty kilometers. After passing through the mist, I reached the mountains. But between here and the mountains—not a single animal sound. Dead silent."
"Sounds like this place gets dangerous at night. Even in the day, nothing dares come close," Whitebeard mused, sipping his wine. "And after that?"
"Beyond the mist, the mountaintop looked like it had been cleanly sliced flat. Pretty good spot for resting," Luo Han replied.
"Hm… and beyond the mountain?"
Uh… Luo Han looked awkward. He didn't check. After his run-in with Golden Lion, he'd just turned back.
"I didn't get the chance. I ran into Golden Lion and… things got tense. So I came back," he admitted.
"Fair enough. We'll go check it out later once we've eaten," Whitebeard said, not pressing the issue.
The two continued their feast.
Just as Luo Han was finishing up, Cole arrived, rubbing his eyes. He plopped down beside Luo Han and let out a massive yawn.
Startled, Luo Han quickly hid his meat behind his back. If Cole sees it, I'm getting a mouthful of drool.
Cole looked confused by Luo Han's reaction and awkwardly grabbed his own chunk of meat, chomping down to hide his embarrassment.
"Lord Cole , we've got more ready!" the ship's head chef called out, clearly prepared for Cole 's bottomless appetite.
Huge roasted slabs of meat, each the size of a pig, were devoured like candy. Bones were spat out moments later.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, Golden Lion finished his call with Rocks. Hanging up the Den Den Mushi, he looked toward the shoreline, a cold glint in his eyes.
He pulled out a Log Pose and checked the direction—then took off toward the far end of the mountain range.
Huff, huff. Back on the beach, everyone lay flat on the sand, stuffed from the meal.
"Boss Luo Han! We've brought the tents and more flatbread! Need anything else?" Tuck stood up suddenly.
"Tents? What for?" Luo Han asked, puzzled. We're not camping, are we?
Boss Luo Han is a little slow, Tuck thought. Tents are for sleeping, duh. What if it rains?
Out loud, he said, "To protect us in case of rain, Boss Luo Han."
"I know that. But no need to haul things off the ship. I'll just move both ships inland with my powers. Got it?!" Luo Han said, standing up and glaring. Don't think I didn't catch that look, Tuck.
"Heh… right, got it…" Tuck laughed nervously under Luo Han's stare.
Luo Han ignored him. He looked down at the white stones on the beach, suddenly deep in thought.
He crouched down, scooped up a handful of pebbles, and rubbed them between his hands. They made a soft crunching noise.
Then he stood, flung the pebbles, and raised his hand. More stones flew over, forming a five-meter-wide floating sphere.
With a thought, he shaped the pebbles into a spiraling stream, swirling around him like falling snow—beautiful and graceful.
Luo Han clenched his right hand into a fist, and the spiraling stones gathered beside it, compressed into a coiled spring-like helix, ready to release.
He punched forward toward the ocean.
The spiral stream of pebbles crackled as they collided in sequence—until the final impact triggered an explosive force.
BOOM! A massive shockwave rang out. Like a sudden landslide or a rockslide missile, the stone stream roared across the sea, carving a 10-meter-wide tunnel straight through the water. The velocity and heat of the stones turned their edges molten, and steam rose along the water's surface.
AHHH!!! Everyone on the shore had been watching Luo Han from the moment he started moving the stones. Now they stood frozen, eyes wide, jaws slack.
That power… Whitebeard stared at the scorched trail through the sea, then back at Luo Han, awe written across his face. This brat… is already nearing rear admiral-level strength. What terrifying progress…
(END CHAPTER)
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