Luffy ran towards the gate of Rainbase, where he saw Zoro, Nami, and Usopp.
"Oh!"
Smoker was chasing from behind.
"Stop, Straw Hat!!!"
The three looked at the figure on Smoker's shoulder, feeling a sense of familiarity. Orochimaru heard the sound, turned his head, and shushed the three of them.
"!!!"
The three covered their mouths, almost spitting. What kind of game was this? And was Smoker blind?
Because Luffy had been running and hadn't looked back, he didn't notice Orochimaru sitting on Smoker's shoulder (Orochimaru was sitting backward, meaning his feet were on Smoker's back... hmm... his posture referenced the famous sculpture, The Thinker).
Along the way, Luffy saw the tragic state of Alabasta and shouted,
"Crocodile! I'm going to punch you out!"
He burst into Crocodile's headquarters, "Rainbase."
"Crocodile!! Come out here! Croco!"
Nami and Usopp gently nudged him as a reminder.
"He's Alabasta's great hero; how could he just come out?"
Turning their heads, Smoker had already caught up, and the group began to flee again. Orochimaru had already started eating senbei, his thoughts wandering.
"(Chew!) Strange, I don't usually eat much. When did I start liking senbei? A human mount that doesn't require me to run is quite comfortable... Should I find a permanent one later?" Orochimaru, lost in thought, began to consider future Companions. Franky? But he belongs to the little sister Robin; I can occasionally borrow him, after all, he has two shoulders.
The others... never mind... I'll just research a robot... Robin conveyed Crocodile's order to lead them into the VIP room. Seeing Robin, Orochimaru waved at her in good spirits.
At this moment, a sign appeared ahead. The left side read VIP and the right side read Pirate. Luffy unhesitatingly turned in the Pirate direction, dragging Smoker with him into the trap.
Orochimaru, still watching the show... fell down unexpectedly.
Luffy, having fallen, looked at the giant iron cage with some admiration. "A clever method."
"Yes, there's nothing we can do," Usopp agreed.
Nami had a shark-like expression, "This could have been avoided!!! Orochimaru finally infiltrated the inside!! Now look, you've dragged him in too. Are you idiots?!!"
"Orochimaru???" Luffy tilted his head in confusion... He looked back and saw Orochimaru sitting cross-legged on Smoker's head, looking somewhat in doubt of his existence.
"Pfft!!!!" Luffy instantly spat.
"Orochimaru!! When were you there?"
Smoker only felt his head was a bit heavy, thinking it was due to the Sea Stone cage. But seeing Luffy talking to him, he was somewhat confused... "Straw Hat, what are you talking about?"
"Genjutsu... Release," Orochimaru's voice came. Smoker suddenly clearly perceived the person sitting on his head.
His veins bulged. "When were you there!" Then, seeing Orochimaru's attire, his face turned crimson. So this first mate was a woman?
"You... you... you! Indecent!"
"I've always been here... Haven't you been carrying him the whole way... If your eyes aren't good, go get them checked." Nami looked at the confused and blushing man, then suddenly understood.
Grinning, she covered her mouth. "Hey, hey, hey... Marine-sama, you haven't fallen for Orochimaru, have you... What a pity... Orochimaru is a man, you know."
"Nami..." Orochimaru looked at Nami, who was still teasing Smoker, and thought, 'She's so bold...' This guy is already red-hot; he'll turn into smoke even without a Devil Fruit now.
"So now we should think... about how to get out."
"A Sea Stone cage?" Luffy was also thinking. Thanks to Orochimaru's constant nagging about cultural lessons since childhood, Luffy had remembered some useful things. The feeling of powerlessness the moment he touched the bars made him realize this, and he was a bit troubled.
"You are Companions who will go to the Yellow Springs together; don't fight among yourselves." A strange voice came from a chair in front.
"Crocodile," Smoker said the opponent's name as he looked at that spot.
As Crocodile turned around, Nami and Usopp raised their hands in fear, babbling incoherently.
Smoker, with a cigarette in his mouth, snorted.
"You have a face even more repulsive than I imagined."
Orochimaru blinked. This person... there was something incongruous about him. He had a suspicion.
"Crocodile...-chan?" Orochimaru tilted his head.
(Crocodile being female is a guess... I personally agree with it more... but my reason is... I've never seen old Croco take off his clothes... he's always covered up tightly... you know, men in the Pirate World... on average, don't like to wear clothes properly.)
!!! Ah!!!!!!
Everyone was shocked. Was Orochimaru acting up again??
Looking at the red-hot, sand-transformed Crocodile, everyone was grateful for the first time... Fortunately, the cage was made of Sea Stone; he couldn't get in... Nami was already so scared that tears were streaming down her face, and she tugged at Orochimaru's skirt.
Orochimaru quickly pressed it down, scared that if it fell, this chapter would be gone.
"What's wrong... Nami?" For the temporarily only girl in the group, Orochimaru was still very fond of her (Author's disdain: Hmph... As if he doesn't dote on others too).
"Orochimaru... don't provoke him anymore."
Alright, alright... Orochimaru spread his hands, pulled a blanket out of the system, and calmly covered himself.
Let Luffy worry about it himself.
Smoker was utterly bewildered. What was all this? What exactly was this Orochimaru?
Luffy, who didn't know how to get out, also lay down. He never worried about such problems.
He started playing cosplay, twisting his eyebrows into circles and pretending to smoke.
"Did you eat the meat?"
Usopp laughed so hard that tears came out, clapping his hands incessantly.
Nami punished them with both fists.
"You two, be serious! What time is it?!"
Luffy, puffing smoke, whined, "Because we can't get out!! I'm too bored."
"It's precisely because we can't get out that it's serious, alright? If this continues, we're going to be killed!" Nami roared, looking to the side.
Orochimaru, sleeping with Zoro, his head on Zoro's lap, and Smoker, smoking.
She punched each of them directly.
"Wake up, all of you!! What are you sleeping for?!!"
Crocodile watched the show, swirling his wine glass. "What an impressively spirited young lady."
While Nami was arguing with Crocodile, the door opened, and Robin entered with Vivi.
Vivi immediately attacked Crocodile without a word, but of course, it was to no avail.
Orochimaru watched indifferently, even brewing a cup of tea and sighing that this broken system's shop was somewhat useful as a life system.
Crocodile spoke of his actions and his plan to usurp the country. Everyone was filled with indignation... Only Orochimaru remained calm, watching the show, finding nothing to be angry about.
"It's truly a lamentable tale; the idea of considering the country's welfare would actually destroy the country."
"I must punch you out!"
Luffy was angry... but what angered Luffy was not his so-called plan to usurp the country, but rather the innocent people who had died. He just wanted to simply beat him once.
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