"Man, that's a really handy ability~"
Watching Smoker's body disperse into thick white smoke as he caught Luffy and the two mysterious figures, Usopp couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
Then he turned to Nami and asked curiously,"By the way, Nami—have you decided whether you're going to eat that Devil Fruit yet?!"
"How could I decide something like that so quickly?!""That's a decision that lasts a lifetime!"
Nami answered hesitantly.
Even though Red had said the fruit might grant a pretty decent Paramecia ability, who knew whether they might encounter an even better one in the future?
Having Triggered the Pickup Ability twice in a row with great results had already filled Nami with anticipation for her future.What's more, with Red's coordination using Pokémon moves, a Devil Fruit ability wasn't a necessity for getting stronger—and eating one would only add the huge drawback of being helpless against seawater and Sea-Prism Stone.
Unless it was a power that perfectly matched her desires, Nami had no intention of eating a Devil Fruit.
Worst case, they could just sell it. That would still be worth at least several hundred million Beli!
"If there were a Devil Fruit good for navigation," Nami mused inwardly, "then maybe I'd consider it."
At that moment, Smoker returned to the deck with Luffy and the other two in tow, and the Straw Hat crew instantly gathered around.
After Zoro and the others delivered a round of "revenge-style" punches and kicks, the battered and bruised Luffy finally woke up.
"Huh? It's morning already?!"
He looked up at the blazing sun overhead and muttered groggily, as if he had just woken from a nap.
"You idiot~!"
Seeing their captain embarrass himself like this, Nami rubbed her forehead helplessly, wearing the expression of someone who wished she didn't know him.
Soon after, everyone's attention shifted back to Red.
Compared to Luffy—who charged ahead recklessly and constantly got them into trouble—their vice-captain was clearly far more reliable.
"So, what do we do with these two?"
With Narukami and Sandai Kitetsu drawn and pressed against the necks of Vivi and Mr. 9, Zoro asked coldly.
The sharp blades instantly drained the color from their faces.
Sanji, watching from the side, shouted in displeasure,"Hey! Zoro, how can you be so rough with a lady?!"
"Shut it, you lovelorn cook!"
Zoro shot him an annoyed glance."One day, you're going to die at the hands of a woman!"
"I'd die happy!"
The moment women entered the conversation, Sanji completely forgot about his wager with Zoro and stood his ground.
In an instant, scorching heat and icy cold surged from the two of them, flames and lightning seemingly dancing in their eyes.
Caught between them, Vivi and Mr. 9 trembled from head to toe.
"H-Hey, now's not the time to fight, right?" Usopp tried to intervene.
Seeing it wasn't working, he desperately turned to Red."Red! Say something to them!"
"Haha, alright."
Red stepped forward and suddenly grinned at Zoro and Sanji."You two—what's the point of just glaring at each other?""Can staring really kill someone?"
"How about a suggestion instead?"
"Huh?!"
Completely unlike someone trying to break up a fight, Red instantly drew their attention.
A mischievous smile spread across his face as he said,"Why not continue that wager you guys made earlier?"
"Isn't the one-month deadline almost up?"
"Let's see who can awaken Observation Haki first."
"Whoever's slower washes the other guy's socks—for a month!"
"Deal!"
Both of them agreed without hesitation.
A sharp gleam flashed in Zoro's eyes as fighting spirit surged. Forgetting all about threatening Vivi and Mr. 9, he rested his swords on his shoulder and laughed loudly."Looks like I'll be changing socks three times a day soon!"
"Then you'd better pay for your sins~" Sanji scoffed,"Not only will you wash mine, you'll be washing your own three pairs too!"
Crack—!!!
This time, their auras actually manifested, sparks of electricity bursting across the deck of the Going Merry.
The next moment—
"Hmph!!!"
With simultaneous snorts of mutual disdain, the two turned away and looked elsewhere.
Usopp (internally): Red, you really are a master at breaking up fights.
Red smiled faintly, then continued,"Usopp, go get the chains we used to bind Smoker. Tie these two up for now."
"Also, Nami, Sanji—search them and see if they've got anything valuable."
As he spoke, Red turned his gaze to Vivi and Mr. 9, smiling calmly as he threatened,"You two would be wise not to make any sudden moves~"
"If I'm not mistaken, you're members of that assassin organization—Baroque Works, right?"
"What?! How did you know?!"
Hearing Red casually reveal their identity, Vivi and Mr. 9's pupils shrank in terror.
"Hahaha…" Red chuckled softly. His all-seeing gaze fell squarely on Vivi as their eyes met."What I know is far beyond what you can imagine."
"If you don't want to suffer too much, I suggest you behave."
"Relax— we're not going to do anything to you."
"You…!"
Vivi and Mr. 9 tried to speak again—
—but at that moment, under Smoker's darkened stare, Usopp retrieved the chains that still carried Smoker's scent.
Smoker: If you're going to tie someone up, then just do it—why emphasize they were used on me first?!Are you deliberately embarrassing me, Usopp?!
In the end, he could only swallow his anger.
After all, the more he reacted, the more humiliating it would be.
Moments later, Usopp once again showcased his incredible rope-tying skills, securely binding Vivi and Mr. 9.
Meanwhile, Nami kicked Sanji away when he tried to pat down Vivi and pulled a round object from her pocket.
"This is… a Log Pose?!"
Comparing it with the newly purchased, still-unstable Log Pose from Loguetown, Nami realized that unlike hers, this one pointed firmly in a single direction.
Thanks to Red's previous lessons, she immediately understood."This is a Log Pose that's already recorded a destination?"
She leaned in and saw small lettering engraved below.
"Whiskey Peak? Is that the name of one of the islands along the Seven Routes?"
Red, having noticed it, said to her seriously,"A Log Pose to Whiskey Peak? You'll want to keep that safe."
"I think there's a pretty high chance Luffy will choose this route."
"After all, it might be the only route in the first half of the Grand Line where you can encounter one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"What?!"
Luffy, who had been thinking about how to communicate with Laboon, suddenly perked up.
Even Zoro's expression shifted."A Warlord? Pirates with the same title as Hawk-Eye?!"
"Well… compared to Hawk-Eye, they're definitely weaker," Red replied thoughtfully."But there's one guy whose combat power, if he goes all out, can almost reach the level of a Yonko."
"A… a Yonko?!"
In an instant, shouts of shock echoed across the Going Merry.
Smoker stared wide-eyed at Red."Hey! Kid, you've got to be kidding me, right?!"
As a Marine, he knew the Seven Warlords' intel inside and out.How had he never heard of someone like that?!
"I said 'almost,' didn't I?" Red smiled."And that state isn't stable. All things considered, he might actually be the weakest among the Warlords."
The Warlord Red was referring to, of course, was Gecko Moria after absorbing a thousand shadows.
Though his mind couldn't sustain that power for long, the sheer force of a single strike capable of splitting an island absolutely reached Yonko-level standards.
If, in the original timeline, he hadn't been so arrogant and furious—insisting on absorbing all the shadows instead of maintaining 500 to 800—
whether the Straw Hat crew could have defeated him would truly be debatable.
Snap!
Taking Red's words to heart, Luffy clenched his fists, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Sounds fun!!!"
In the next second, he locked onto the Log Pose in Nami's hand and shouted,"Alright! Whiskey Peak, huh?! Let's take that route!"
"A new Warlord…"
Zoro grinned slightly, the blades at his waist humming."Yeah—only enemies like that are worth getting excited about."
Sanji said nothing, merely lighting a cigarette in silence.
"U-Um… we decided that fast?!"
Usopp's legs trembled, but seeing everyone else unfazed, he hurriedly grabbed Red's arm."Quick! Red, tell me everything you know about the Warlords!"
"I need to urgently develop a new batch of weapons!!!"
If resistance was impossible, then all he could do was adapt.Usopp planned to face the dangers ahead in his own way.
"H-Hey! Are you guys serious?!"
Seeing the Straw Hats not only fearless but seemingly eager to fight a Warlord, Smoker nearly dropped his cigar.He shouted in disbelief,"That's a Warlord of the Sea!"
"Pirates handpicked by the World Government to rule the Grand Line!"
"Do you even know what you're talking about?!"
"Huh?" Luffy tilted his head in confusion."Of course we do!"
"A Warlord, right? It's not like we've never seen one."
"Wait!" Smoker froze, suddenly recalling something."I heard a rumor a few days ago… that you fought the world's greatest swordsman, Hawk-Eye…"
"That rumor—don't tell me it's true?!"
"Hehe~"
Luffy just laughed, neither confirming nor denying it.
After all, he wasn't sure whether that counted as a fight—or a lesson.
Zoro, however, subconsciously touched his chest.
That day, his body had been cut down hundreds of times—forgetting it was impossible.
And yet, it was that very battle that allowed him to grasp the key to training Armament Haki.
Thinking about it this way, Red really was the true devil aboard the Going Merry!
To force Zoro to master Armament Haki as soon as possible, he had even come up with that twisted plan.
Zoro glanced at Red—
only to see the gentle-looking guy laughing heartily, saying,"Don't look so uncultured, Colonel Smoker."
"You're lowering our crew's prestige!"
"Bastard! Don't lump me in with you lunatics!" Smoker roared.
But Red had already turned away, pretending not to hear.
"Alright, Luffy—figure out how to communicate with Laboon, then get ready to set sail!"
"Got it!!!"
Luffy looked thoughtful again.
A moment later, his eyes lit up, and he immediately inflated into his Gear Third giant form.
Compared to the massive island whale Laboon, it was like going from a tiny ant to a large cockroach—
but it was more than enough to catch Laboon's attention.
Leaping into the air, Luffy shouted toward Laboon's eye,"Heeey—Laboon!!!"
"Come be my partner!!!"
"I know where Brook is!!!"
"Let's go find him together!!!"