"Didn't see this coming, did you? This was our escape route!"
On the deck of the Going Merry, Usopp lay flat at the edge, peeking through the Hyperspace Hole at the stunned expressions of Kizaru and Aokiji below. A grin immediately split his face, the triumphant laughter of a prank well played bursting out of him.
The very next second—
The scenery before their eyes abruptly changed. The vast, open sky vanished, replaced by a small island that looked like a seaside resort.
It was a temporary island constructed within Laboon's stomach world.
Under Issho's Devil Fruit power, the Going Merry emerged from the Hyperspace Hole and descended gently before Buggy and the others, landing without kicking up even a speck of dust.
"Boss Luffy! Boss Red!!! Everyone, you worked so hard!!!"
Seeing the Straw Hats standing proudly on the deck, Bartolomeo and the others rushed forward, their faces flushed with excitement.
They did it.They actually did it!!!
Even though they had believed in the Straw Hat crew from the very beginning, when this world-shaking event was truly completed—with their own participation—
Even a seasoned old pirate like Buggy couldn't suppress the thrill surging in his chest.
The massive Laboon quickly sank back beneath the sea.
Luffy leapt off the ship laughing loudly, immediately shouting for everyone to start preparing a grand feast.
And just like that, a celebration both expected and completely unexpected was held inside Laboon's stomach world.
With Aisa—the living radar—present, they were able to perfectly evade Marine surveillance and swiftly leave the waters near Jaya.
All that remained behind were hundreds of Marine warships bobbing helplessly on the turbulent sea.
Everything settled into silence amid the Straw Hats' laughter.
…
…
"Finally… it's over."
Several hours later.
After eating, drinking, and celebrating to their hearts' content, Red quietly slipped away from the center of the feast and returned to his private domain within the stomach world.
Pulling over a reclining chair, Red sank into it comfortably.
Gazing up at the artificial blue sky and white clouds, he willed his thoughts and opened the system interface within his mind, reviewing the gains and growth his companions had achieved in this battle.
First were Nami and Usopp.
Although they had dealt with the greatest number of enemies, reality wasn't a game—experience points didn't simply increase because an enemy was defeated.
Aside from a few early head-on clashes that gave them some combat experience, they hadn't personally fought much afterward. As a result, their gains were the smallest.
Even so, both of them still leveled up by one—reaching Level 36 and Level 35.
A modest gain, but a gain nonetheless.
By comparison, Chopper—who had completely defeated an injured Marine Vice Admiral—jumped two full levels, reaching Level 38.
Robin, despite taking down three Vice Admirals on her own, only rose one level due to her already high level, reaching Level 43.
But the ones who benefited the most were undoubtedly the three pillars of the Straw Hat crew—
Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji!
Though their levels were already high and leveling up was far more difficult for them than for the others—
The opponents they faced more than made up for it.
Whether it was Zoro and Sanji crossing multiple tiers to confront Marine Admirals head-on, or Luffy fighting solo and defeating a CP0 agent strong enough to rival elite Yonko commanders—
Their effort and rewards far surpassed those of Nami and the rest.
After the battle, Zoro rose to Level 55, while Sanji reached Level 54.
In terms of raw stats alone, the two were nearly equal.
Sanji, once far behind Zoro in level, had steadily caught up thanks to the powerful scientific enhancements within his body.
As for who was stronger now—
That would depend on whether Zoro's sword intent would reach greater heights, or whether Sanji could push his body's potential even further.
Finally, Red turned his attention to Luffy's status panel.
Luffy's level had jumped from the latter half of Level 62 straight to Level 64!
And having defeated a high-ranking CP0 agent without any assistance, even though Luffy's base stats were still not exceptionally high—
With the stacking of buffs and Pokémon move enhancements, he was already capable of trading blows with top-tier Yonko commanders like Katakuri or King.
Even if his odds of victory weren't great, Luffy had officially entered the ranks of the world's strongest.
"So… Ace's been completely surpassed by his little brother now," Red chuckled softly, a strange glimmer flashing in his eyes.
Even if Ace's talent was no weaker, under the dual boost of protagonist luck and Red's own "cheats"—
By the time Ace could perhaps rival a Yonko,
Luffy might already possess the ultimate power to throw punches at the Five Elders themselves.
"As expected, fighting strong opponents really is the fastest way for Luffy and the others to grow."
"Though… it's a bit risky."
Closing the status panels, Red sighed quietly.
But he soon pushed those thoughts aside.
Because next, he had something even more important to take care of.
…
…
"Buggy, Bartolomeo—these people will be members of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet from now on."
"They'll inherit the name Akatsuki that we established in Sky Island and will be responsible for intelligence work."
"Exchange contact information and Vivre Cards with them later. If there's any intelligence-related matter, contact them directly."
On an empty island within the stomach world, Red pulled Buggy and Bartolomeo away from the feast and gestured to the five CP agents behind him, all successfully hypnotized.
After careful consideration, Red had ultimately decided not to hypnotize the CP0 agent defeated by Luffy.
One reason was that his strength was too great—hypnosis might not succeed.
More importantly, intelligence work valued overall competence, not pure combat power.
Thus, after weighing his options, Red chose to hypnotize the three CP9 agents instead.
From what the anime showed, their strength might be average, but their skills as agents were flawless.
"Lord Red, this is…"
Buggy and Bartolomeo stared in astonishment at the CP9 members behind him.
If their memory served them right—
Weren't these guys just locked in the stomach world's prison by their subordinates?
They surrendered that fast?
World Government agents really had no backbone, huh?
Both Buggy and Bartolomeo wore strange expressions.
Red, however, had no intention of explaining. With a faint smile, he simply let them begin interacting.
His hypnosis had already instilled in these CP agents a loyalty to the Straw Hats even stronger than their allegiance to the World Government.
So even the arrogant agents lowered their pride upon learning Buggy and the others were part of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet, managing a relatively amicable exchange.
Seeing this, Red smiled in satisfaction.
At the same time, the thought surfaced—he should hurry and increase his own strength, hypnotize all the agents.
There was no better set of tools in this world than them.
The night passed without incident.
After the noisy celebration ended, the Straw Hat crew welcomed a rare period of peace.
Even Zoro, who usually insisted on daily training, was stopped by Red.
Because next, Red intended to thoroughly discuss their future route with everyone.
…
…
"Water 7?"
"I remember… that's the island right after our current route, right?!"
Inside a conference room woven from green vines within the stomach world—
Upon hearing Red name their next destination, Nami immediately picked out an Eternal Pose labeled "Water 7" and unfolded a world map.
Although the Grand Line's climate was chaotic and unreliable,
A famous island like Water 7 could still be found on ordinary maps.
Very soon, Nami pinpointed their sailing direction.
Red continued, addressing everyone:
"That's right—Water 7."
"It's an island that gathers the best shipwrights in the world. Buggy and Bartolomeo's ships were seized by the Marines, and they can't stay inside Laboon forever…"
"So we'll build two new pirate ships for them there."
"And also…"
Red paused, sweeping his gaze across the Straw Hats, a mysterious smile on his face.
"If possible, I want the best shipwrights there to help us remodel the Going Merry!"
"The Merry?! Remodel?!"
The Straw Hats froze in unison.
Red continued, "The New World is different from the first half of the Grand Line."
"Destructive natural disasters can erupt at any moment."
"With her current hull, the Going Merry simply can't handle those seas."
"So remodeling her is the most important thing for us right now."
Although the Merry had become Red's Pokémon and could grow sturdier by leveling up—
She wasn't human or a normal living being. Unable to cultivate strength, her growth rate was far slower than the Straw Hats' pace of adventure.
And once the World Government fully uncovered the Straw Hats' identities, their situation would no longer be so peaceful.
Remodeling the Going Merry was no longer optional—it was inevitable.
"…Yeah."
After hearing Red's explanation, everyone nodded.
Zoro spoke in agreement, "Considering the enemies we'll face in the future, the Merry really does need an upgrade."
Having crossed blades with Admiral Kizaru, he deeply understood how terrifying true top-tier power was.
Luffy raised his head and looked at Red. "Are the guys in Water 7 really trustworthy?!"
The Merry carried their dreams—and was a precious companion.
Even Luffy, who usually trusted Red unconditionally, couldn't help but confirm again.
"Yeah, Red!" Usopp suddenly remembered something. "Didn't you say back in East Blue…"
"Water 7 has World Government people, right? Like the CP organization! Is that really okay?"
"If… everyone's worried…"
Seeing their serious expressions, Red wasn't upset at all. Instead, he grinned and said smoothly:
"If you're all that worried about Water 7's shipwrights…"
"Then how about we recruit an excellent shipwright as a crewmate and have him remodel the Merry?"
"Huh?!"
The Straw Hats froze again.
Robin smiled softly, her eyes curving into crescent moons."So you already have someone in mind, don't you?"
"Oh?! A new crewmate candidate?!" Luffy sprang to his feet, eyes shining as he looked at Red.
Red stopped hiding it and laughed. "I do—and he's in Water 7."
"But his personality's a bit… unusual. Luffy, I'll leave it to you to decide whether to invite him aboard."
"Hehehe~" Luffy grinned. "Alright! Let's go check him out!"
Even so, surrounded by such outstanding companions, Luffy knew it wouldn't be long before new members joined them again.
Because—
Anyone Red recommended was always carefully chosen.
From start to finish, Luffy had never doubted Red's decisions.
Thus, the Straw Hats quickly settled on their next course.
Though it meant missing the fascinating Long Ring Long Land, the first half of the Grand Line was no longer safe.
With limited time, sacrifices had to be made.
Like a colossal leviathan, Laboon swam freely once more, heading toward Water 7 under Nami's guidance.
…
…
"Uncle Issho, this is the World Government's Six Powers training method."
"Koby doesn't seem suited for swords or similar weapons."
"And his Devil Fruit ability favors close combat, so it'd be better for him to learn the Six Powers."
After arranging the crew's plans, Red grew busy again.
He first checked on Enel, who had been imprisoned for days, ensuring there was no chance of escape.
Then he visited the two hypnotized CP0 agents and obtained a manual titled Six Powers Training from Scratch.
Without delay, he went to Laboon's back above the sea and found Issho, who was about to leave with Koby, handing him the precious manual.
"This… Lord Red…"
Holding such a priceless item, Issho once again felt the heavy trust Red placed in him.
First a Devil Fruit, now the Six Powers manual…
Though the ultimate beneficiary was his new disciple, these were treasures of immeasurable value to the world.
And yet Red handed them over without hesitation.
Even knowing Red's intentions, Issho couldn't help but feel deeply moved.
Before he could speak, Red continued:
"Uncle Issho, I know someone like you would never choose to become a pirate."
"But that's fine. Whether it's your help in this battle, or your pursuit of justice…"
"You more than deserve these gifts."
"I only hope you'll continue to uphold your justice—take Koby with you, and walk forward without hesitation."
"I believe that one day, all the darkness before your eyes will turn into boundless light."
"This world will get better."
"..."
Issho fell silent.
Moments later, he tucked the Six Powers manual into his robe pocket.
Though blind, he accurately faced Red, meeting his gaze.
"Lord Red, I understand your intentions."
"I've seen everything you've done."
"Though it's only been a few short days…"
"In your hands, this world is truly changing."
"Perhaps… it's time for this old man to change as well."
Issho activated his Devil Fruit power, retrieving a flask and a small cup from his pack.
After filling the cup, he raised it high and bowed slightly toward Red.
"Time is short. Please allow Lord Red to accept this humble offering on behalf of the Straw Hat Pirates."
"Though I do not intend to become a pirate…"
"I still hope you'll permit my disciple and me to join the Straw Hat Grand Fleet!"
"Just as you trust me, I also believe…"
"The light I seek… is right here!"
…
…
A few minutes later.
After downing a cup of strong liquor, Red watched the two figures fade into distant specks in the sky. He smiled wryly and murmured:
"Actually…"
"That's not what I meant at all~"
(End of Chapter)