Chapter 70 DeterminationChapter 70: DeterminationAfter Ace left, everyone was very interested in the piece of paper in Luffy's hand.They held it and examined it closely; it was no different from an ordinary piece of paper."It's a Vivre Card," Luke explained. "A Vivre Card is a type of paper that represents its owner's life force. People usually tear it and give a piece to family or friends who are about to part ways, and the torn pieces will attract each other. A Vivre Card shrinks when its owner is weak and returns to its original size when the owner recovers.""So it's an incredible piece of paper!" Luffyexclaimed.Since this piece of paper was a gift from Ace to Luffy, Nami helped sew it into the red ribbon on Luffy's hat so it wouldn't get lost easily.They were now not far from the rebel city of Yuba. They would reach it once they passed the rocks in the distance. Everyone quickened their pace, intending to arrive at Yuba before dark.In the evening, they finally saw the city of Yuba.However, strong winds were blowing over Yuba.And the city of Yuba, like the Green City they had encountered before, had been completely corroded.Looking from afar, Yuba was deserted. Repeated sandstorms and three years without rain had turned the city into a ghost town.Koza, the leader of the rebel army, and his troops had long since evacuated from here.Entering the city of Yuba, it was no different from the previous Green City of Alabasta.The only living person they saw was an old man.The old man was constantly digging the soil with a shovel, hoping to find water underground."Are you travelers? The desert journey must be tiring. I'm sorry, this city is already dry, but please rest well. There's a hotel in this city, it's the best place here," the old man said."Excuse me, I heard the rebel army was in this place?" Princess Vivi asked."Those fools are no longer in this city," the old man said.Everyone was greatly surprised by this.Which meant they had traveled for nothing these past few days.As everyone groaned, the old man suddenly heard Princess Vivi's name and immediately walked over excitedly."Are you Vivi? You're still alive! That's wonderful! It's me, don't you recognize me? It's no wonder, because I've lost some weight," the old man said, tears of excitement streaming down his face."Uncle Toto!" Vivi suddenly remembered, covering her mouth in disbelief.It wasn't just a little weight loss; it was a lot.This old man was Toto, Koza's father, the leader of the rebel army. Princess Vivi had met him when she was a child, and at that time, Toto was a big Fat Man. Now he was skin and bones.Toto had originally brought Koza here, hoping to build a beautiful oasis, but years later, it had evolved into this situation.Toto strongly opposed his son Koza forming a rebel army. He always believed in the King, even when many around him began to hate the King."I believe in His Majesty; he would never betray the country, right?"As Toto spoke, old tears streamed down his face, and the pent-up grievances and sadness in his heart poured out as tears."I believe in His Majesty the King, and so do most of the people. I've tried to persuade them many times, but nothing I said worked. I still couldn't stop the rebellion. Their stamina is almost at its limit, and they should make a decisive move in the next attack. They've been pushed to a dead end; they've long held a resolve to die. Please, Vivi."Toto recounted the current situation of the rebel army; the situation was very grim."I will definitely stop the rebellion," Vivi said firmly.The moon was high in the sky, and that night, everyone stayed at Uncle Toto's house.The night passed without incident, until the next morning, when they prepared to set off again.According to Princess Vivi's idea, she still wanted to find Koza, the leader of the rebel army, to stop the rebellion.But Luffy refused; he thought it was pointless."I want to defeat Crocodile. Even if you stop the rebel army, can you stop Crocodile? Even if we go to the rebel city, there's nothing for us to do, because we are pirates! It's better not to go," Luffy said coolly, sitting there.Sanji commented, "This guy often hits the nail on the head, even without thinking."Usopp said, "Are those words from that foolish Luffy?"Luffy then said to Princess Vivi, "You hope that no one will die in this war—the citizens, and all of us. Our enemy is a Shichibukai member. This is already a riot involving millions of people, yet you still hope that everyone will be safe and sound. Don't you think that's too naive?"Luffy's intelligence was online. Luke silently smoked a cigar nearby, witnessing another moment of Luffy's great wisdom appearing as foolishness.Is this guy pretending to be stupid? He clearly knows everything. Is this the legendary great wisdom appearing as foolishness?After hearing these words, Princess Vivi felt very angry.Yes, her desire to protect everyone from harm was commendable, but in this situation, solving the problem without anyone getting hurt was impossible.Because of this, Princess Vivi and Luffy argued."What's wrong with it? I don't want anyone to die. What exactly is wrong with that?" Princess Vivi said.Luffy calmly said, "Everyone dies eventually."Princess Vivi, unable to contain her anger, slapped Luffy directly."Shut up! Don't say such things! If you say that again, I won't forgive you. The fault isn't with the rebel army, the King, or the citizens of this country. Why must someone die? It's all Crocodile's fault."Luffy was also indignant and punched Princess Viviin return."Then why are you risking your own life?!" Luffyroared."Hey, Luffy, that's too far!" Usopp said.Sanji rolled up his sleeves: "Luffy, you bastard!"Luffy loudly said to Vivi, "Look at this country; your single life isn't enough to bet.""Then what should I bet with? What should I bet with?"Vivi sat on Luffy, continuously hitting him.Luffy reached out and grabbed Vivi's arm. Vivideflated like a punctured ball: "I have no other capital to bet with.""At least bet our lives too! Aren't we nakama?" Luffysaid.The word "nakama" once again shook Princess Vivi's heart, just as it had shaken Nami back then.When a person is in despair, if someone is willing to risk their life to help them, in the name of nakama, anyone's heart would be touched.Princess Vivi began to cry loudly. After all, she had been carrying pressure unsuitable for her age.Since childhood, this country had been in dire straits. Her father was blamed by the citizens, and the rebel army was causing chaos. Alone, she ventured into Baroque Works to find the truth, hoping to save this country by herself, only willing to bet her own life, not wanting anyone to die. She was just like a kind princess from a manga."Luffy is right. I've made up my mind. Let's go to Crocodile," Princess Vivi said, crying.
Chapter 71 Rain BanquetChapter 71: RainbaseThe place where Crocodile resided was called Rainbase, a beautiful oasis.Once the destination was decided, it was only a day's journey north.However, with the sand sleds, they would arrive in less than half a day.Riding the wind and sand, everyone arrived at Rainbase on their sand sleds.From a distance, the city looked magnificent, with orderly buildings and abundant vegetation; Crocodile had planned his city very well.Therefore, the people here held immense respect for Crocodile."Meat! Meat!"Seeing the city, Luffy shouted and rushed in, disappearing from sight.No need to worry, he would definitely be found in a restaurant.The city was very prosperous, and the buildings were tall and grand. From afar, one could see the towering structure, a casino named Rainbase, which was also Crocodile's base.Since Luffy went to eat, Luke decided to check out the casino.Luke had never been to a casino before and wanted to see how it was played.Passing by a restaurant, Luke saw Luffy devouring meat inside, and at the same time, Luke also saw two familiar figures.Colonel Smoker and Tashigi were also at that restaurant. Unsurprisingly, a chase would soon ensue.Luke didn't care about these things and walked directly towards the casino.The casino was surrounded by a wide river, with a bridge in the middle, and giant Crocodiles were kept in the river.Pushing open the casino door, a lively scene unfolded inside.There were various gambling machines, and beautiful ladies were dealing cards online.The place was bustling with noise, and everyone was focused on gambling. Luke was also attracted by this lively scene.Luke went to the front desk and bought one million Berries worth of game tokens.Then, he went to a game machine and inserted a token.He pulled the lever, and three patterns spun continuously before finally stopping, but he didn't win.Indeed, winning was a low-probability event.After inserting ten tokens consecutively, he finally won, and five game tokens were dispensed.Luke decided to appraise this game machine, wondering if he could appraise anything strange from it.Without further ado, he took a deep breath and activated All Things Appraisal on the slot machine."Ding! Appraisal successful. The game machine has been appraised as a 'Never-Ending Token Dispensing Game Machine'."A flash of light passed, and the slot machine began to continuously spit out game tokens. These tokens could eventually be exchanged for Berries at the front desk.The machine continuously dispensing tokens, this miraculous situation attracted many people to gather around. Everyone began to scramble for the game tokens on the ground, as these were all money.The unusual activity here attracted the attention of the guards, but Luke was drawn to the card dealer.Her graceful figure was indeed captivating, and Lukeunknowingly found himself beside the gambling table.Three people were sitting at the gambling table, all looking fierce."A kid, do you have money?" one of them asked.Luke took out one million Berries worth of game tokens and placed them on the table, shocking everyone."Consider yourself to have some money, then let's begin."One of them winked, and the other two understood, intending to win all the game tokens Luke had brought.Luke didn't quite understand the other game rules, so he just played 'compare sizes'.First, the young lady dealt the cards online.The first card was ordinary, a seven of hearts.Everyone received one card, and then the betting began.Luke bet one hundred thousand Berries.The three men were somewhat surprised; to bet so much on the first card meant either a very good hand or not knowing how to play.Evidently, Luke belonged to the latter, purely playing for fun.The other three also matched the one hundred thousand Berries.Then came the second card, Luke had a nine of spades.His luck was really a bit bad. A flush was impossible; he could only hope for a seven-eight-nine straight. At worst, a pair of sevens or nines, and if even that failed, it might just be a high card, which would surely mean a loss.Luke continued to bet one hundred thousand Berries.The three men swallowed hard and matched the one hundred thousand Berries."Kid, it seems you've got a good hand," one of them said.Luke smiled slightly: "It's alright, until the last card, you can't say who wins or loses."Next, the third card was dealt. Fortunately, it was an eight of diamonds, completing a seven-eight-nine straight.Luke felt more confident and pushed forward three hundred thousand Berries worth of game tokens.The three men exchanged glances. Those who lived here were not particularly wealthy, and three hundred thousand Berries was not a small sum for them.The three men's eyes met, and they decided their hands weren't good enough, so none of them matched.This meant Luke won the first round of gambling.When the cards were revealed, the three men saw the seven-eight-nine straight."What! I thought it was a straight flush!""I thought he got a three of a kind, I was tricked!""My cards were JQK, you hateful kid!"Among the three men's cards, two of them had hands better than Luke's, but Luke still won, leaving them feeling disgruntled.Having won four hundred thousand Berries in game tokens, there were now one million four hundred thousand on the table. The feeling of winning a gamble was truly satisfying.Seeing Luke's contented expression, the three men grew angry."Again!" one of them said, unconvinced."Bring it on," Luke also got excited.It was just like before, but this time, Luke's hand was even worse than last time.First card, four of diamonds; second card, three of diamonds.If he got a five of diamonds, that would be perfect, a straight flush, with a very high chance of winning.As before, everyone had now bet two hundred thousand Berries in game tokens.Next, the third card was dealt.Luke decided not to look at this third card."If we're going to do it, let's make it exciting."Luke pushed all the remaining one million two hundred thousand Berries worth of game tokens onto the table.This audacity stunned the three of them.The three men hesitated for a moment.However, one of them somehow received information and knew Luke's card information.All three of them knew that Luke had a three and a four, which were among the smallest cards in 'compare sizes'.Although both were diamond cards, the best outcome would be a two-three-four or three-four-five straight flush of diamonds.However, among the three of them, one already had a three of a kind (three fives), and another had an eight-nine-ten straight flush.In other words, the three of them were confident of victory and could not lose.Luke didn't know what they were thinking, only seeing their expressions change from tense to extremely smug, looking as if victory was assured.The three of them pushed all their remaining game tokens onto the gambling table."We're in, show your cards!"The three men sat there, already seeing the dawn of victory.With a slightly trembling hand, Luke picked up the last card dealt and carefully examined it in his palm.A seven of hearts, this was truly terrible. Three-five-seven, and not even a flush. He could basically declare GG.Seeing Luke hesitate to reveal his cards, the three men grew anxious."What's wrong? A bet's a bet, quickly let us see your cards!"Their three cards were already revealed: a three of a kind and a straight flush, both bigger than his. What to do?Since that was the case, Luke decided to activate All Things Appraisal.He pressed his hand on the three cards, blew a breath, and silently chanted Chow Yun-Fat's name."Kid, what are you doing? Can you rub out something fancy?"The appraisal finished, and Luke threw the three cards onto the gambling table."Three of a kind, you lose!" Luke said, hands on hips.The three men stared in shock at the three cards Luke had revealed on the table.Three Kings, and all were Jokers."What the hell? How can there be Kings in 'compare sizes', and three Jokers at that? Report, someone's cheating here!"The three men roared in unison.Luke put all the game tokens into his storage ring and then took off running.There was no other way; who made the appraisal reveal three Jokers? And he had to take the money; wealth shouldn't flow to outsiders.
Chapter 72 Training ConferenceChapter 72 Training ConferenceLuke began to dart around the casino hall, followed by a team of security personnel in pursuit."Stop!""Halt!"Since he was cheating, how could he possibly stop and wait for his demise?With so many game tokens to take back and slowly appraise, who knows what good stuff might be identified.Luke's agile footwork caused exclamations from the people in the casino, and the casino had no choice but to intensify its pursuit of Luke.Just as Luke was about to leave the casino named Rainbase, the casino's main doors opened.A familiar figure, a familiar scent.Luffy stood at the doorway, raising his arm and shouting, "Crocodile, get out here! I've come a thousand miles to punch you!"Following Luffy were Usopp, Nami, and Zoro.Behind them was one more person, the persistent Colonel Smoker."I caught up to you, Straw Hat! How dare you run around everywhere!" Smoker strode forward in pursuit."It's Smoker!" Luffy immediately took off running."Run!" Usopp exclaimed."Damn it, why did that Smoker come to Rainbasetoo?" Usopp asked a soul-searching question.Zoro smiled knowingly, "It seems he really likes you, Luffy."The appearance of Luffy and his group attracted the casino's security personnel, giving Luke a chance to catch his breath.Luke hid in a corner, casually put on a jacket, and stood there quietly, unnoticed by anyone.Just then, a graceful figure emerged from a passageway next to Luke.Robin appeared and spoke to the security captain in an elegant voice, "Please escort them to the VIP room. This is Mr. Crocodile's order."Luke stood nearby, his collar turned up, hoping no one would notice him.Observing Robin up close, he found her figure indeed excellent: long legs, a perky bottom, and…As he watched, Luke's gaze met Robin's."Sir, it seems you are looking at my body?" Robinsaid in a soft tone.Luke covered half his face with his collar and coughed twice, "No.""No? But I feel like I've seen you before?""No," Luke shook his head."Then I must have mistaken you for someone else, hehe. I hope you enjoy your time here."Robin smiled slightly and turned to leave.Luke breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like he had been recognized, yet also not.But it didn't matter. Luke looked towards Luffy's group.Ahead of Luffy and his companions, several waiters stood on both sides, scattering petals to welcome them into the VIP room."Please come this way.""This is the VIP room."This was clearly a trick by Crocodile; the so-called VIP room was actually a trap, and running into it would lead them into a prison cell in the basement.Upon hearing it was the VIP room, Luffy and his group immediately accelerated and charged in, with Smoker close behind."Hey, you guys, wait! That's a trap! Listen to me!"No sooner had Luke spoken than they had already rushed into the VIP room, and then the door of the VIP room closed.Luke stood at the VIP entrance, looking shocked. These guys' intelligence had definitely been led astray by Luffy; they just rushed into such an obvious trap.Presumably, they were now in the Sea Stone prison cell that Crocodile had set up in the basement.What to do now? Luke was also at a loss.Since they were chatting in the basement, Lukedecided to stir up some trouble; otherwise, it would be a bit boring.Luke walked up to the front desk and knocked on it.The front desk lady asked, "May I help you?""Robbery." Luke placed his scimitar on the lady's neck.He was too bored, so Luke decided to rob this casino.A gentleman loves wealth and acquires it ethically. Luke felt that the assets of this gambling establishment could be taken."Help!" the lady shrieked.The lady's cry attracted the attention of the security personnel, who rushed over with muskets."What are you doing, you bastard? This is Mr. Crocodile's establishment! Put down that dagger immediately!" the security personnel shouted.Luke put away his dagger. Just as everyone thought he was about to surrender, Luke threw a punch.Fierce flames erupted, knocking all the security personnel flying, leaving them collapsed and unable to get up."Don't point your guns at me." Luke extinguished the flames on his hand.He looked back at the front desk; the two ladies were huddled together, trembling in fear."Don't be scared, hand over all the money." Lukewinked at the two ladies.This sudden incident instantly threw the casino into chaos."Oh no, someone is attacking the casino!""It's a Devil Fruit user!""Run!""Quickly report to Mr. Crocodile!"Seeing the gamblers scrambling to escape, Lukesmiled slightly, picked up a musket from the ground, and with a quick stride, arrived at the door, blocking everyone's path.Luke fired three shots at the ceiling, and the hall immediately fell silent."Don't move! This is a robbery! Everyone, cover your heads and squat down!"A few hotheads were not convinced."Everyone, charge! He's just one person!"With that shout, many people followed and rushed towards Luke.Luke threw away the musket and, relying solely on his physical combat skills, quickly knocked these hotheads to the ground."Anyone else?"Luke looked around and found no more challengers; the situation was basically under control.Seeing so many gamblers, Luke felt a chill in his heart. Why gamble when there are so many other things to do?"Next, I'm going to give you some training. Everyone, follow me and shout loudly. Anyone who doesn't open their mouth…" Luke then fired a shot, "will get a bullet."Luke cleared his throat."One person gambling, the whole family suffers; many people gambling, it's hard to reach prosperity.""One person gambling, the whole family suffers; many people gambling, it's hard to reach prosperity," the gamblers all chanted after Luke."Louder! Haven't you eaten?"Luke fired a shot at the ceiling, knocking down a chandelier, once again startling everyone."One person gambling, the whole family suffers; many people gambling, it's hard to reach prosperity."This time, everyone's voices were noticeably louder."Very good, keep chanting: If you don't gamble and I don't gamble, harmony and happiness will follow me!""If you don't gamble and I don't gamble, harmony and happiness will follow me!""Very good, continue: Stay away from gambling tables, stay away from darkness, cherish life, embrace the sunshine!""Stay away from gambling tables, stay away from darkness, cherish life, embrace the sunshine!""Very, very good!"Luke clapped and cheered."Remember these admonitions. This counts as a gambling addiction training session for you, and training fees are required. Take out any valuable items or strange things you have on you. Each person must take out at least one item. If you can't, you'll be shot on the spot."Luke wasn't cruel enough to actually shoot them; he was just trying to scare them.Luke, holding the musket, began collecting training fees around the venue."Sir, this is a treasured pocket watch," a gambler said tremblingly, afraid Luke would be dissatisfied."Very good, next."Luke happily put the pocket watch into his storage ring.
Chapter 73 Fire and SandChapter 73: Fire and SandAfter walking around the casino, Luke collected over a hundred strange items, including perfume, bags, watches, pipes, lipsticks, and a few small sculptures.In summary, he had a fruitful harvest.Just as Luke was about to take down another person, the VIP room door opened.Crocodile and Robin walked out.Luke observed Old Sand: a scarred face, a mink coat, a cigar in his mouth, and a slicked-back hairstyle, giving him a look reminiscent of a God of Gamblers.Crocodile looked puzzled as he saw his casino in such a state."Look, it's Mr. Crocodile.""Save us, we're being held hostage, Mr. Crocodile!""It's that guy."The gamblers pointed their fingers at Luke, who was collecting "training fees."Crocodile looked at Luke and asked in a hoarse voice, "You, what are you doing in my casino?"Old Sand coming out was something Luke hadn't expected; he must have finished talking with Luffy."I'm collecting training fees.""Training fees?" Old Sand was completely baffled."Training for quitting gambling," Luke shrugged.Hearing this, Old Sand was enraged. "Anyone who dares to make a fool of me has been personally dealt with by me."Crocodile's arm transformed into quicksand and swept towards Luke.Luke punched out with his right fist, and a thick flame blasted away the flying sand, revealing Old Sand's surprised face."Fire, are you also a Devil Fruit user?" Crocodileasked."No.""Don't joke around. I'll give you another chance. I see your potential, and I'm willing to invite you to join our Baroque Works. I can overlook you damaging my casino."Luke shrugged, "No, I refuse."Robin, who was beside him, said, "He is Lightning Hammer Luke, but for some unknown reason, the lightning has turned into flames. This matter is still under investigation."Old Sand took a drag from his cigar. "Straw HatLuffy, merely a pirate with a 30 million bounty. I, Crocodile, a Shichibukai designated by the Marine, isn't such a title enough for you to become my subordinate?""Your perspective is too small, Old Sand. I am the future Vice Emperor, or more accurately, Vice King. How could I become the subordinate of a mere Shichibukai?" Luke also put a cigar in his mouth, his expression calm."Vice Emperor, Vice King." Crocodile laughed, a somewhat unrestrained laugh."You ignorant pirates who have just entered the Grand Line, dreaming of becoming a Four Emperorsor the Pirate King. Now, let me tell you, you can't even get past me."The negotiations broke down, and Old Sandattacked again.Crocodile swung his right arm, and the yellow sand transformed into a crescent-shaped sand blade that slashed towards Luke.Luke retreated several steps, dodging the sand blade's slash. Immediately after, another upward sand blade emerged from the ground.The ground attack was again dodged by Luke.Seeing that single-target attacks had little effect on Luke, Crocodile expanded his attack range.Sand gathered from all directions, forming a sphere that enveloped Luke.Luke's right fist erupted with flames, bursting through the sand sphere and appearing in front of Crocodile, swinging down fiercely.Crocodile raised his golden hook weapon with his left hand, blocking Luke's Fire Fist."Fire and sand, I have a slight advantage in terms of attributes," Old Sand said, who was close by.Immediately, Luke grabbed Old Sand's hook and flew towards the ceiling.The entanglement of fire and sand formed a thick fire-sand spiral, breaking through the casino ceiling and flying up into the sky.Then, Luke kicked out with Armament Haki, sending Old Sand back to the ground."In terms of physical combat, I have a slight advantage."Luke landed in front of Crocodile.Crocodile got up from the ground, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. This kid who could use flames was no less powerful than him and could also use Armament Haki. Defeating him wouldn't be a quick matter.Moreover, the rebel army and the royal army had already started fighting in Alubarna, so he couldn't wait any longer."I have some other things to attend to, so I won't bother with you any longer."Crocodile snorted, then transformed into quicksand and fled.Luke stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded."No way, Old Sand, you actually fled the battle."Old Sand left, but Robin was still there."I didn't expect you to be quite capable, fighting evenly with a Shichibukai," Robin said with a slight smile."Of course. Beautiful lady, are you interested in joining our pirate crew?" Luke invited Robin.Robin chuckled, "I have that thought, but not now. Goodbye."With that, Robin also disappeared without a trace.He was too lazy to chase. Old Sand was Luffy's experience baby, and Robin would also join the Straw Hat pirate crew, so there was no need to worry.Just then, the casino Rainbase shook violently.The stone bridge at the entrance had actually broken, which seemed to be the masterpiece of Mr. Prince Sanji.It was dusk, and the golden sunlight shone on the river, creating ripples.After a while, Sanji, dragging Luffy, emerged from the river.Immediately after, Nami and Princess Vivi, dragging Usopp, climbed ashore.Then came Zoro, pulling Smoker out of the water.Everyone had safely escaped from the basement of Rainbase."Devil Fruit users really do carry the risk of trouble," Sanji said."Zoro, why did you bring Smoker up too?" Lukeasked."I wasn't willing, anyway, he's half-dead," Zoro said.After Smoker came ashore, he coughed continuously. As a Devil Fruit user, he became completely powerless once he touched seawater.If it weren't for Zoro saving him, Smoker would have drowned there.Smoker was very angry and swung his Sea Stonejitte at Zoro, but Zoro blocked it with his sword."Roronoa Zoro, why did you save me?" Smokerdemanded loudly.Actually, just now, when the basement was flooded, Zoro received instructions from Luffy. Luffy told Zoroto bring Smoker.Zoro calmly said, "I merely followed Captain's orders. I don't think you need to thank him; he just acted on a whim, so don't mind it."Smoker, with a cigar in his mouth, looked at Luffy, who was still lying on the ground unconscious, speechless."Then if I carry out my mission now, you'll have nothing to say, right?" Smoker said indifferently.At this moment, Marine soldiers rushed from all directions, surrounding everyone."Where is Crocodile?"Luffy suddenly got up from the ground and shouted loudly, having recovered from his weakened state.Then Luffy saw Smoker: "Ah, Smoker, do you want to fight?"Smoker looked at Luffy, his emotions complex: "How serious is this guy, really?"After a moment of silence, Smoker said, "You can go, but only this time. I'll let you off the hook. Next time we meet, your lives won't be safe."Luke took a puff of his cigar: "Next time we meet, you won't be able to beat Luffy.""Impossible. While I'm in a good mood now, hurry up and leave," Smoker said.Sanji said, "Alright, let's go. Which way is Alubarna?"Princess Vivi pointed to the east and excitedly said, "It's opposite, straight to the east."
Chapter 74 AlbanaChapter 74: Alubarna"Alright, everyone, let's head straight for Alubarna!"They ran in the sunset and soon arrived at the edge of the town.A giant red crab carrying Chopper and the perverted camel, Eyelashes, appeared before them."Hurry up and get on!" Chopper shouted from atop the crab's body.Everyone climbed onto the large crab."This is Eyelashes' friend. Eyelashes grew up in this city, and it has many friends around here, though it's a bit perverted," Chopper said.Nami exclaimed, "How amazing! Moving crabs usually hide in the sand and are known as phantom crabs."Zoro said, "This guy runs pretty fast."Chopper chuckled, "Everyone hold on tight! Okay, let's go, we're off!"The moving crab carried them at an extremely fast pace towards the capital, Alubarna.They traveled from dusk until night, with the bright moon hanging high in the sky.Taking out the map, they saw that the Sandora Riverwas not far away. They had to cross the Sandora River to reach the royal capital, Alubarna."What? This crab can't cross the river?" Usoppexclaimed.Nami explained, "Moving crabs are desert creatures, so they're very afraid of water.""But it's a crab, after all! Crab, this isn't the sea! Think of something!" Usopp said.Soon, they saw the wide Sandora River.It seemed the moving crab could only take them to the riverbank; the rest was up to them."Think of something, Clawsy!" Nami pleaded.Then the moving crab made some grumbling sounds, and Chopper translated, "Clawsy says it loves dancing girls the most."Hearing this, Nami took off her cloak, revealing a dancing girl's outfit, her fair skin and exquisite figure fully exposed."Is this enough?" Nami asked."Almost," Chopper said.Then Sanji's eyes turned peach-colored, as did the perverted camel Eyelashes, and the moving crab's eyes also became heart-shaped. The three perverts were extremely excited.With Nami's encouragement, the moving crab sped up, dashing towards the Sandora River.Surprisingly, the moving crab was able to walk on the water's surface.Simply relying on speed, similar to the legendary 'water-walking' technique, as long as you're fast enough, Newton can't catch you.The moving crab rode the wind and waves, with water splashing on both sides."This crab is too amazing, I can't believe it," Sanjisaid.Luffy shouted, "Moving crab, charge!"Usopp excitedly said, "Great, it's a miracle! Just charge onto the shore! Charge, charge, charge onto the shore! Go, you can do it, go! You're a capable child, the crab can definitely do it. Hey, what's wrong, are we not sinking, are we not sinking? We're sinking, we're sinking, we're sinking, hey!"Amidst Usopp's shouts, the moving crab couldn't escape Newton's gravity and plunged underwater, the river submerging everyone."Why did you sink, crab!" Usopp's head emerged from the water.Luke calmly said, "No time to complain, let's swim!"Luffy, sitting on Luke's shoulder, felt completely powerless: "Sorry, I have no strength at all in seawater."Before they had gone a few steps, a huge creature suddenly burst out of the river.Dull eyes, a huge mouth, sharp teeth.Princess Vivi explained, "This is a Sandora catfish, a once-in-a-century sighting.""Just the explanation will do," Usopp grumbled."And it loves to eat people the most!" Princess Viviscreamed."You should have said that earlier!" Usopp cried tears of sorrow.The Sandora catfish attacked them.Luffy, sitting on Luke's shoulder, was about to throw a punch when he noticed many unknown creatures emerging from the river.Looking closely, they were the Kung Fu Manatees from before.Dozens of Kung Fu Manatees surrounded the Sandora catfish, beat it up, and then bowed to Luffy."Haha, it's the Kung Fu Manatees!" Luffy cheered excitedly.Under the Kung Fu Manatees' relentless beating, the Sandora catfish became very obedient and became their mount.Chopper translated the Kung Fu Manatees' words: "They said it's impossible not to help when master is in trouble."The Sandora catfish carried them, with the Kung Fu Manatees escorting them, and soon they reached the other side of the Sandora River.Everyone waved goodbye to the Kung Fu Manatees.Next, there were still more than ten kilometers of desert to cover. It would probably be too late to arrive before tomorrow morning.Just as everyone was at a loss, the Karoo duck squad arrived.The Supersonic Duck Squadron, led by Karoo, appeared before them."You came to pick us up!" Princess Vivi said excitedly.The Karoo ducks saluted Princess Vivi.Everyone rode the Karoo duck squad and the perverted camel Eyelashes, rushing towards Alubarna, because tomorrow, the battle between the rebel army and the royal guard would begin.They didn't rest all night, running from dark until dawn, as the sky turned a fish-belly white.Finally, Luke saw Alabasta's capital, Alubarna.The rebel army had not yet arrived, so they needed to speed up.At the same time, the members of Baroque Workswere also ambushing at the entrance of Alubarna."Take them down, Mr. 4!"With a shout from afar, Mr. 4 fired a baseball cannonball.The agile Karoo ducks dodged the baseball bomb, which exploded violently upon hitting the ground.Alubarna had five city gates: West, Southwest, South, Southeast, and East.They decided to split up.Luffy charged directly through the West Gate, which was straight ahead, shouting loudly: "Crocodile!"Zoro, Nami, Sanji, and Usopp chose to break in from the Southwest and South.The purpose of this was to attract the attention of the Baroque Works executives, leaving Luke and Princess Vivi behind.The rebel army had not yet arrived, and Princess Vivi wanted to stop them from entering the city from outside.The Baroque Works executives had already been led away by the rest of the Straw Hat Crew, and Luke was responsible for protecting Princess Vivihere."Xiao, are you scared?" Princess Vivi asked."No, I'm not scared," Luke said calmly, standing beside Princess Vivi.Immediately after, the sound of the earth trembling came from afar.Tens of thousands of rebel soldiers appeared on the horizon, riding their mounts and carrying various weapons, rushing towards the royal capital, Alubarna.Luke, Princess Vivi, and Karoo stood there, waiting for the rebel army to arrive."I want to talk to Koza here and make him stop the rebellion," Princess Vivi said, clenching her fists, her eyes firm."With all due respect, Princess Vivi, the two of us standing here to resist tens of thousands of troops might be a bit unrealistic," Luke said."It's absolutely possible! As long as I talk to Commander Koza, the tide of battle can change," Princess Vivi said.
Chapter 75 The inevitable battleChapter 75: An Unavoidable BattleTens of thousands of rebel soldiers charged towards Alubarna, raising rolling dust clouds that stretched for several kilometers.It was like an unstoppable historical wheel rolling forward.If Luke possessed Conqueror's Haki, a single use might have stunned tens of thousands of people.Princess Vivi suddenly grabbed Luke's right hand, and he could feel the sweat in her palm."Xiao, help me find Koza, please!" Princess Vivipleaded."What are you saying? We're partners. I guarantee I'll find him for you."Luke's pupils widened as he searched for Kozaamong the tens of thousands of soldiers.As a commander, Koza would surely be at the center. Soon, Luke found Koza, riding a camel, wearing small sunglasses, and looking heroic and spirited.Koza led the charge, at the forefront, leading tens of thousands of rebel soldiers."I found him, Vivi," Luke said.Following the direction Luke pointed, Princess Vivialso saw Koza."Rebel army, stop! This battle was orchestrated by someone! Please, listen to me for a few moments!"Princess Vivi shouted loudly at the surging rebel army.But her voice was completely unheard amidst the thundering torrent of thousands of horses.The rebel soldiers continued to charge along their planned route.Princess Vivi stretched out her hands, like a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot: "Rebel army, stop!"As the army approached, members of Baroque Works, lurking on the Alubarna city gates, opened fire on the rebel army.The explosion of cannonballs created thick dust, obscuring Luke and Princess Vivi's vision.The figures of the two, already tiny among tens of thousands of soldiers, were now completely hidden by the smoke."How foolish, Royal Army!" Princess Vivi looked behind her."They are infiltrating members of Baroque Works. They are in both the Royal Army and the rebel army. Their goal is to instigate a fight between the two armies," Luke said."How can this be? No, everyone stop! Xiao, do you have any other ideas?" Princess Vivi was extremely anxious."I'll try!"Luke took a deep breath, standing amidst the rolling dust, and spread his arms."Flame Full Power!"With Luke's roar, surging, thick flames burst from his gauntlets, rapidly spreading outwards from his two arms in a 180-degree arc.The fierce flames blew away the smoke, traveled several kilometers, and formed a fire wall several kilometers long outside Alubarna, blocking the rebel army's path.The rebel army's advance was forced to stop. Kozaalso noticed the two figures at the front of the battlefield and quickly rode his camel to them."Vivi, what are you doing?" Koza demanded loudly."Koza, all of this is Crocodile's conspiracy! Please, stop!" Princess Vivi shouted."What!" Koza's expression was shocked."All the bad things you've heard my father did over the years were orchestrated by Crocodile. And the city of Yuba, the storms for the past three years were all caused by Crocodile. Do you think the storms would accurately hit Yuba every single time?" Princess Vivi said loudly.Koza's body trembled. This was the first time he had heard such a thing, and it came from Vivi's own mouth.Koza was silent for a moment, then slowly raised his right hand. No one knew what command he would give next.However, just then, members of Baroque Workshidden within the Royal Army opened fire. Several shots accurately struck Koza."Koza!""Leader!"Amidst everyone's exclamations, Koza fell from his camel.This sudden situation forced Luke to stop the flames in his hands and immediately went to Koza."You liars!"Several rebel army cadres were furious, placing their long swords on Luke and Princess Vivi's necks."You'd better remove your swords. I'm about to save your leader. If you don't want Koza to die, get lost."Luke's voice contained an irresistible authority, pushing the rebel army cadres back several steps.Luke took out a healing pill and put it into Koza's mouth."In a little while, your leader will wake up. All of this is a deception. I hope you can open your eyes."Luke said to the rebel army."It's impossible now, it can't be stopped! We believe our own eyes. We've been waiting for this day for a long time. Koza will fight with us when he wakes up! Charge, brothers! Break into Alubarna and liberate Alabasta!"The rebel army cadres raised their arms and cheered, leading their troops into Alubarna.The sound of hooves passed by, once again stirring up thick smoke, but still failed to stop the rebel army.At the West Gate of Alubarna, the rebel army and the Royal Army engaged in a direct confrontation.Everywhere were the roars of battle, the clash of cold weapons and firearms.Princess Vivi held the unconscious Koza and cried bitterly: "Why is this happening, why!"Standing in the midst of the battlefield, Luke silently took a puff of his cigar. This was the first time he had so urgently desired Conqueror's Haki, a power that could stun tens of thousands of people at once.Luke exhaled slowly, the smoke clearing his head and calming him down."Princess Vivi, there's still a chance to avoid the battle. I'll take you back to the palace. Standing on top of the palace, your voice can reach across the entire battlefield," Luke said.Neither the rebel army nor the Royal Army was truly righteous or evil; Crocodile was the one stirring up trouble.So many people dying in this unnecessary war was also something Luke didn't want to see."Mmm!" Princess Vivi bit her lip and agreed.Just then, Usopp rode up on a horse."Xiao, Vivi, so you're here! It should still be in time, hurry up and get on!"Usopp waved to the two.Luke rushed over and kicked Usopp fiercely in the face with a foot imbued with Armament Haki, sending him flying to the ground, unable to move."Mr. Luke!" Princess Vivi exclaimed.Just then, Usopp, who was lying on the ground, revealed his true form. It turned out to be Mr. 2 Bon Clay in disguise.Bon Clay opened his mouth, a large bump on his head, lying there unconscious."Let's go, back to the palace!"Luke tugged the reins, taking Koza with him, and amidst the horse's whinny, galloped towards the Alubarna palace.Princess Vivi jumped onto Karoo and followed closely behind.Luke charged into Alubarna through the West Gate. Battles were everywhere, and the sounds of fighting were incessant.Not far from the entrance, Luke saw Luffy's figure."Crocodile, come out!"Luffy was like a headless fly, searching everywhere for Crocodile's whereabouts.Luke came before Luffy."Follow me, I'll take you to Crocodile," Luke said."I will definitely beat him up!" Luffy's expression was serious.Luke led Luffy and Princess Vivi, successfully arriving at the Alubarna palace.The guards, seeing Princess Vivi return, let them pass all the way.Soon they reached the interior of the palace and met the Royal Army officer.Chaka, the deputy commander of the Royal Guard, said: "Your Highness Vivi, you have grown so much in two years. After this war ends, I would love to host a grand dinner party with these pirates.""Chaka," Princess Vivi murmured.Following this, Princess Vivi proposed her plan: to blow up the top of the palace, which would attract the attention of those fighting in the capital.This plan was immediately rejected by Luke.So many treasures in the palace, and you want to blow them up? How uneconomical.Luke took out a large megaphone from his storage ring and turned the volume to maximum."Sharpen scissors, clang cleavers!"A huge sound erupted from the megaphone, almost shattering everyone's eardrums."Take this, it's better than blowing up the palace!"Luke threw the megaphone to Princess Vivi.Holding the megaphone given by Luke, everyone walked to the top balcony of the palace.Standing there, Alubarna was visible in its entirety.The entire city was filled with the sounds of battle, and the scene was a mess.Princess Vivi held the megaphone, standing on the edge of the balcony."As long as I stand here and shout loudly, people will stop fighting and focus their attention on me, and I can personally tell them the truth!" Princess Vivi said.Next, Princess Vivi picked up the megaphone.But Luffy snatched it away. Luffy shouted loudly into the megaphone: "Crocodile, come out!"Luffy's booming voice spread throughout the entire capital, successfully attracting everyone's attention.At the same time, Old Sand, Crocodile, was also drawn to them.A stream of quicksand descended from the sky, transforming into the human-shaped Crocodile, appearing before everyone.Luke leaned close to Luffy and whispered: "His weakness is water or blood. The faucet is over there. When you fight later, remember to get water from there."Luffy nodded: "Okay!"Then Luffy left the top of the palace. The rest was up to Luffy. As long as he could overcome this hurdle, Luffy would gain a lot of combat experience, and Luke could go rummage for useful treasures in the palace.There were no guards left in the palace. The guards had either gone to the top of the palace or gone outside to fight. Luke happily strolled through the palace.When he saw interesting items, he directly put them into his storage ring.He heard that the ancient weapon Pluton was in Alabasta, but it was actually in Wano Country, so Luke didn't expect to find such a thing here.He walked through various rooms of the palace and took many exotic items.There was a pharaoh's scepter, a dog-head mask, a scarab amulet, and an exquisitely carved golden dagger.These items were rare treasures. With the All-Things Appraisal skill, the rarer the item, the higher the chance of an appraisal critical hit.He put these treasures into his storage ring, waiting to appraise them after the battle ended.In addition, Luke also found a black gemstone ring, which looked very cool.Luke eagerly appraised the black gemstone ring."Ding! Appraisal critical hit! The black gemstone ring has been appraised as a Jumbo Spatial Ring, a thousand-cubic spatial ring, worth owning!"That's awesome! A hundred-cubic spatial ring on his left hand and a thousand-cubic spatial ring on his right hand. This way, he finally wouldn't have to worry about not having enough space.Luke propped his chin and suddenly pondered whether he was acting like a thief.No, Princess Vivi had promised that as long as he could deliver her to the palace, he could take any treasures he wanted from the palace.However, taking someone else's things without permission was still a bit rude, so Luke returned to those rooms and left ordinary treasures of equivalent value."This way, it's a fair exchange!" Luke clapped his hands and said.
Chapter 76 That Guy WonChapter 76 That Guy WonLuke looked around the palace, found there was nothing good to loot, and peered out the window.The Straw Hat Crew had already gathered below.They had each defeated their Baroque Worksenemies, and now they were just waiting for Luffy to defeat Crocodile.While Luffy and Old Sand were fighting, Princess Vivi used a megaphone to explain Crocodile's conspiracy.Her loud voice echoed throughout the capital, and the soldiers who were fighting stopped one after another, looking towards the palace."You said it's over?""What a joke, it's not something that can just end like that.""Exactly, we personally witnessed the Royal Army attacking Nanohana.""That's right, Koza was also shot and wounded by the Royal Army. How do you explain the Royal Army's outrageous behavior so far!""Can those who fell in this rebellion just laugh it off?""Exactly!"The rebels roared in the plaza.Just then, Igaram, who was mistakenly thought to have been blown up, appeared.Igaram held an injured child, a child who had witnessed the true nature of the royal attack.It was an attack carried out by the king, who had been impersonated by Bon Clay, purely a frame-up.The child's words shocked everyone."That's right, this war was designed from the beginning," Igaram said.At this moment, Koza also woke up, took Princess Vivi's megaphone, and shouted to the rebels, telling everyone to stop fighting.The rebel fighting finally ceased.Now everyone's attention was focused on Luffy, who was fighting Old Sand on top of the palace.But Old Sand revealed a piece of information to everyone: he had prepared a special super bomb.The bomb had an explosion radius of five thousand meters and would detonate in five minutes in the plaza before them.At this time, the plaza was full of people. If it detonated there, both the Royal Army and the rebels would be wiped out.No one knew where the bomb was, except for Luke.Princess Vivi was very anxious and asked the Straw Hat Crew for help in finding the giant bomb.Luke pointed to the nearby clock tower and said, "The only place that can store and launch a giant bomb must be there!"Following the direction Luke pointed, everyone's eyes lit up.Princess Vivi excitedly hugged Luke's neck and kissed his cheek."Bastard, how dare you accept Princess Vivi's kiss!"Sanji, furious, kicked at him, but Luke easily blocked it.Luke wagged his finger at Sanji: "I forgot to tell you something, Miss Nami also kissed me before, tsk tsk tsk!""Nani!"Jealousy disfigured Sanji's face."Miss Nami hasn't kissed me, and Miss Vivi hasn't kissed me either. Did I do something wrong?"Sanji spoke as he half-knelt on the ground, his right hand repeatedly pounding the earth.Now that they knew the location of the bomb, everyone rushed towards the top of the clock tower.Pell, the vice-captain of the Royal Guard, led the charge. He was a Bird-Bird Fruit – Falcon model user, spreading his wings and flying to the top of the clock tower.At the top of the clock tower, two members of Baroque Works were hiding: Mr. 7 and Miss Father's Day.The two claimed to be snipers, but they were actually terribly bad.Pell opened the clock and gave the two inside a good beating.Immediately after, everyone else arrived at the top of the clock tower and saw the hidden large cannon.The fuse of the cannon had not been lit, but a ticking sound could be heard.Looking into the muzzle of the cannon, they found a timer installed on the cannonball."Let me!"Pell pulled the giant cannonball out of the cannon."Pell, what are you going to do?" Princess Viviexclaimed."Throw this bomb out of the city!"With that, Pell pulled the giant bomb and flew towards the sky."Pell!" Princess Vivi shouted loudly."Don't worry, the timer still has over four minutes," Luke comforted her from the side.Time passed by second by second, and everyone waited quietly at the top of the tower.Four minutes later, a shocking explosion occurred in the desert far outside the city.A huge mushroom cloud rose into the sky, its power comparable to a small nuclear bomb.Pell's figure flew back from the sky, perfectly unharmed, and landed in front of everyone."You had me worried, Princess Vivi!"Pell said, kneeling before Princess Vivi."Pell!"Princess Vivi's eyes welled up with tears as she rushed over and hugged Pell.The Royal Army and the rebels ceased fighting, and the bomb was defused.The only thing left was the battle between Luffy and Crocodile.Their battle was also nearing its end.Although Old Sand had fallen for the diarrhea trap, he still pushed Luffy to a desperate situation.The scorpion venom-laced stinger made Luffy dizzy and struggled to stand.Crocodile angrily said to Luffy: "This country shouldn't have anything you want, should it? For the goal of unrelated people, what do you gain by throwing your life away like this?"Luffy propped himself up with his fists: "That's why I said it, you wouldn't understand. Vivi, that guy clearly said he didn't want anyone to die, but he's always the first to sacrifice his own life to save others.""So I told you to throw away that troublesome burden!""I don't want her to die. Aren't we nakama?"Hearing Luffy's roar, Princess Vivi burst into tears.Luffy slowly stood up and glared at Crocodile: "You won't win against me."Old Sand gave a sinister smile: "Is that all you can squeeze out? For a stray dog about to die, bluster has no basis."Old Sand walked towards the poisoned Luffy, a complex, indescribable expression on his face.Luffy roared: "I am the man who will become the Pirate King!"Their final round finally began.Crocodile's attack was blocked by Luffy, who then kicked away Crocodile's poison hook.Then, with a powerful punch, he sent Old Sandflying into the sky.But this blow was not fatal. Old Sand unleashed his ultimate move from the air, Desert Spada.Converging sand condensed into a sharp blade, flying towards Luffy.Luffy took a deep breath, twisted his body into a rubber ball, then jetted air downwards, bouncing up into the sky."Gomu Gomu no Storm!"Accompanied by Luffy's roar, he shattered Old Sand's Desert Spada with a single punch.Then, like a torrential storm, punches rained down on Crocodile's body, punch after punch, hitting him hundreds of times before stopping.Old Sand's body flew into the sky like a kite with a broken string, then plummeted straight to the ground, lying there in an 'A' shape, unconscious."That guy won!" The Straw Hat Crew cheered happily.Luke silently lit a cigar. Finally, the experience monster was taken down.
Chapter 77: The Drizzling Rain and the Pirates' BanquetChapter 77: Drizzling Rain and the Pirates' FeastThe battle ended, and suddenly, rain began to fall from the sky.The capital, which hadn't seen rain in a long time, was now experiencing a refreshing downpour.Koza lay on the ground, feeling the raindrops, his mind recalling his father's words, "Don't doubt it, Koza, the rain will come."The heavy rain gradually cleared the smoke and dust from the battlefield, and the people's bewildered eyes began to show light.Princess Vivi stood on the tower and declared to everyone, "The rain falling now will fall again, just like before, because the nightmare is completely over."Crocodile's defeat signaled the victory of the Alabasta campaign.Luffy lay on the ground, revealing his bright white teeth, a radiant smile worth protecting.There was no need to worry about how to deal with Crocodile; the Marine would soon arrive.Tashigi approached Crocodile and calmly stated, "We just discovered a Baroque Works artificial rain ship carrying Dance Powder. Secret criminal organization, Baroque Works' president, Shichibukai, Desert Crocodile, in the name of the World Government's Marineford, I hereby revoke all your licenses, titles, and powers."The Marine took Crocodile and the Baroque Worksmembers from the battlefield.The rain continued to fall, and Koza sat there with a heavy expression.He felt deeply remorseful because he was the leader of the rebel army, commanded this battle, and caused the deaths of many innocent lives.King Cobra walked over and said, "It's natural to feel regret, and it's natural to want to make amends.""King!""Your Majesty!"Cobra said, "The losses were so heavy, yet we gained nothing. However, this is a completely new beginning. No matter who the opponent was in the battle, the war has begun and ended. No one can erase what happened in the past. Let us rise from this war and continue to live! Oh, AlabastaKingdom!"Cobra's speech re-energized everyone.This war, which would be recorded in history but was certainly not worth celebrating, finally came to an end.The Straw Hat Crew lay in a corner, all sleeping soundly from exhaustion, letting the rain fall on them, feeling a unique coolness.The heavy rain, which hadn't fallen in three years, made the country lively again.It rained from afternoon until late at night, still without stopping.The Straw Hat Crew were carried by soldiers to the bedrooms in the palace, each sleeping soundly on a comfortable large bed.They slept until they woke naturally the next morning.Luke stretched, looking at the sunlight outside the window; the air was fresh and moist.He had been running in the desert for days and finally got a comfortable sleep, fully recovering his spirits.On the other side, Marineford, to cover up the Straw Hat Pirates' heroic deeds, specifically attributed the success of this campaign to Smoker and Tashigi.The Marine would certainly not publicize the fact that Alabasta's crisis of annihilation was resolved by pirates.However, Smoker disdained to attend the medal ceremony, meaning he directly defied orders from above and left with a "Go to hell!"Meanwhile, Luke woke up and went for a walk with Sanji and Usopp.The country began its reconstruction; people started repairing collapsed houses, their faces beaming with smiles."This country is truly strong," Usopp said."Because the princess is adorable," Sanji said."Princess Vivi and Miss Nami are both adorable," Luke said.Sanji suddenly remembered, "Speaking of which, why have both Princess Vivi and Miss Nami kissed you? This is definitely an illusion, fake, fake!""That's the trouble with being handsome," Lukeshrugged."You bastard Luke, I am Mr. Prince Sanji! I will eliminate you on behalf of all the beautiful ladies you've deceived! Take this!"With that, Sanji launched a flying kick.Luke swallowed his breakfast and started fighting Sanji in the street.Usopp looked helpless; he had seen this scene many times and was used to it.After fighting for a while and getting tired, they both turned their heads, snorted, and returned to the palace.Arriving at Luffy's room, they found Luffy had already woken up, sitting there full of vigor.Princess Vivi sat beside Luffy, happily watching him. "That's great, Luffy, you're so energetic.""Energetic? I'm always energetic," Luffy said.Nami, beside him, retorted, "You idiot, you had a high fever and were in a terrible state. Vivi and Chopper were taking care of you the whole time.""Really? Thank you all!" Luffy said."Luffy, you're awake," Luke said.Luffy greeted Luke, "It's Luke! Long time no see!""Long time no see... Long time no see?" Luffy kept repeating the phrase, feeling a bit strange.Why would he say 'long time no see'? Luffy had just said it instinctively.Usopp, beside him, said, "It's normal to feel that way, after all, you've been asleep for three days."Luffy was very surprised, "Three days? I slept for three days? I missed 15 meals!"Nami retorted, "Why are you so quick at calculating that!"Usopp added, "And he's calculating it based on five meals a day."As everyone was chatting, the bedroom door was pushed open.Igaram had a servant bring in a cart full of fruit.Looking closely, it wasn't Igaram, but Igaram's wife. Their outfits were almost identical, and they looked so similar that everyone almost thought Igaram had a cross-dressing fetish.Zoro looked shocked, "Are you kidding me? There's a limit to how much a married couple can resemble each other."Igaram's wife said, "I heard you all eat a lot, so before dinner, you can have some fruit to tide you over.""Got it!"Luffy nodded, then swept his right hand across the cart. The next second, all the fruit on the cart was gone.Perhaps in just a few tenths of a second, a cartload of fruit was swallowed by Luffy.Luke looked confused, "Is this a magic trick?"Finally, dinner time arrived.The long table was laden with all kinds of food: rice, meat, fruit, fish, desserts, and fine wine.Having not had good food in a long time, everyone began to devour it ravenously.The guards around the dining table were astonished."Completely lacking in elegance.""It should be quieter during a feast in this grand dining hall.""This dinner table is too noisy.""I can't watch anymore, it's so uncivilized!"The soldiers who had guarded the palace for many years witnessed such a scene for the first time.Luke's chopsticks also moved without pause. The table was filled with Alabasta's national banquet dishes, with no two dishes repeated.King Cobra sat there, not even daring to pick up his chopsticks, his expression as shocked as the guards'.Princess Vivi, however, burst into laughter, thoroughly delighted.
Chapter 78 FarewellChapter 78: FarewellAfter dinner, it was time for a pleasant bath.The King, Igaram, and the male members of the Straw Hat Crew were all in the left bathhouse.In the middle was a tall partition, and Nami and Princess Vivi were bathing on the other side of it.In the large bathhouse, Luffy and Usopp were happily playing in the water, having a great time.Even the King remarked that they could make any activity feel like a banquet.Zoro was helping Chopper wash his antlers.Sanji brought up the crucial question: where was the women's bathhouse?"It's just on the other side of that wall!" the King said, pointing to the wall.Led by the old pervert, everyone climbed onto the wall.Through the faint mist, they could see Princess Viviscrubbing Nami's back.Princess Vivi happily said as she scrubbed, "There are giants and dinosaurs, cherry blossoms bloom in snow countries, and there are many things on the sea that are beyond my imagination."Nami glanced back and saw everyone, revealing an indescribable smile.Princess Vivi also saw everyone perched on the wall: "I say, everyone, what are you all doing?""Those guys."Nami's expression was serious: "Listen up, 100,000 Berries each!"Nami suddenly stood up, faced everyone, and declared, "Happiness Punch!"Immediately after, Nami actually opened her bath towel, revealing her perfect body to everyone.Her proud peaks, S-shaped curves, and mysterious area were all exposed."Nami!" Princess Vivi was shocked.As expected of Nami, she was incredibly open.Seeing Nami's figure, everyone spewed blood and collapsed.Sanji finally achieved his dream, lying on the ground, ceaselessly spewing blood: "So much love!"After bathing, everyone decided to leave Alabastatonight.The Marine had many ships patrolling nearby; if they didn't leave soon, they would be in trouble.At the same time, Igaram received the latest bounty information: Luffy's bounty had become 100 million Berries, Luke's 80 million Berries, Zoro's 60 million Berries, and no bounties appeared for the others.Under the bright moon, everyone rode the Karoo unit towards the Going Merry by the sea.Nami's expression wasn't quite right; she looked sullen.Everyone thought she was thinking about Vivi, but Nami's words were startling: "I've given up. After all, it's for Vivi, 1 billion Berries!"Everyone's worries were completely unnecessary; Nami had merely decided not to charge Vivi 1 billion Berries for escorting her."Of course, you can't take it!""You're doing it for money!"The Straw Hat Crew complained.Arriving at the shore, the Going Merry was safely docked there.Bon Clay appeared on the Going Merry."Long time no see!" Bon Clay stood there and greeted everyone.This island had been completely blockaded by the Marine, and Bon Clay had helped them protect the going merry.Luffy, deeply moved upon learning this, reconnected with Bon Clay, happily dancing on the ship."Let us, in the name of friendship, fight together with one heart!" Bon Clay shouted."Alright!" Usopp, Luffy, and Chopper shouted in response.As dawn broke, the Going Merry prepared to set sail.However, the Marine had formed a blockade, surrounding the Going Merry and Bon Clay's Swan Ship.The Marine's cannonballs were made of specially designed black spears, and one after another, these black spears pierced into the Going Merry from all directions, a sight that was somewhat heartbreaking."If it's continuously attacked by these spears, it's only a matter of time before the ship sinks," Lukesaid.Luke currently had no tools that could defend against these black steel pipes.Wave after wave of attacks made the Going Merrystruggle to hold on.A large Marine warship appeared, led by MarineCaptain Hina.Hina was a sexy beauty with long pink hair, a user of the Cage-Cage Fruit, who could pass her arm through others' bodies and leave iron bars to imprison them. She joined the Marine at the same time as Marine Vice Admiral Smoker, and the two had a good relationship. She was one of former Marine Admiral Zephyr's students."Hurry and escape! If you break through that point to the south, you can escape with minimal losses!" Bon Clay shouted.But everyone remained unmoved.Because they had made an agreement with Princess Vivi before leaving to meet at East Port at 12 o'clock; if Princess Vivi wished to board, she would do so the moment they passed by.Hearing that everyone was risking their lives to meet a friend, Bon Clay was deeply moved and decided to help them break through the encirclement.Bon Clay turned his back to everyone and shouted towards his Swan Ship: "If I flee this place today, I am not Bon Clay. These people are risking their lives to meet a friend. If you ask me to abandon them, will your food taste good tomorrow?"Next, Bon Clay proposed a plan to cover their escape.They found a few people on their ship, dressed them to look very similar to the Straw Hat Crew, and used the Swan Ship to draw fire.This seemingly bizarre plan actually succeeded, thanks to Bon Clay's excellent imitation ability, which confused the Marine's judgment.All Marine warships were dispatched to pursue Bon Clay's Swan Ship, while the Going Merry took the opportunity to head towards East Port at 12 o'clock.Soon, the Marine warships caught up with the Swan Ship and engaged in a fierce close-quarters battle.Amidst the chaos, everyone heard Bon Clay's voice: "The way of a man is thus, and the way of a woman is also thus. Only the way of humanity must be righteous. Wither, together under this sincere sky. Bloom, the way of the okama, by Bon Clay!"Bon Clay left a dashing figure, and the distance between him and the Straw Hat Crew grew.Seeing Bon Clay's dedication, the Straw Hat Crewwas deeply moved, tears streaming down their faces.Luffy shouted loudly, "Bon-chan, we won't forget you!"Afterward, everyone arrived at East Port as agreed, awaiting Princess Vivi's arrival.On the shore, everyone saw Princess Vivi and Karoo.Princess Vivi shouted, "I can't go with you all. Thank you so much for everything so far. Although I still want to go on adventures, I truly love this country, so I can't go! I... I... I will stay here, but if we meet again someday, will you still call me a friend?"Princess Vivi stood on the shore, weeping loudly.To prevent the Marine from knowing that Princess Vivi was associated with pirates, everyone remained silent.The way to respond to Princess Vivi was simple: the X mark on their left arm.Removing their bandages, everyone stood in a line on the deck, their backs turned, raising their left hands to reveal their X mark of companionship.A thousand words converged here, no need for more.At the same time, Princess Vivi and Karoo also raised their left arms, revealing their X marks.Finally, this adventure in Alabasta ended, but the friendship with Princess Vivi would last
Chapter 79 Robin SauceChapter 79: Robin-chanAfter an immense effort, they finally escaped the Marine's pursuit.But no one seemed happy; they all looked listless.When asked why, the answer was loneliness.Princess Vivi had not boarded the ship, and they felt an unbearable loneliness, as if something was missing from their hearts.There was nothing to be done; no banquet in the world lasts forever.As the sole heir to the throne, Vivi would still need to manage the nation's affairs in the future.Zoro was very calm: "Since you all don't want to be separated from her, why not just bring her along?""Ah, barbarian!" Chopper retorted."How awful!" Nami retorted."Moss-head!" Sanji retorted."Lost!" Luke retorted."Three-Sword Style!" Luffy retorted."Wait, Luffy, Three-Sword Style isn't an insult!" Lukesaid."Four-Sword Style!" Luffy said."Adding one more sword doesn't change anything!" Usopp retorted.Just as everyone was feeling unbearably lonely and ridiculing Zoro, a pretty figure pushed open the cabin door on the ship."It seems we've finally left the island. Good work!" Robin suddenly appeared.Seeing Robin appear, everyone reacted as if facing a formidable enemy, while Luke leisurely went fishing with his rod.Zoro gripped his sword with one hand: "Are you here to avenge your organization?""Why are you here?!" Nami exclaimed."Enemy attack, enemy attack!" Usopp shouted into a megaphone.Sanji, as always, had red hearts in his eyes: "What a beautiful big sister!""When did you get on the ship?" Nami asked."I've been here all along. These are your clothes, right? Let me borrow them for a bit." Robin appeared very calm.Nami shouted: "What exactly do you want, Baroque Works?!"Robin took out a lounge chair, walked to the other end of the deck, opened the lounge chair, and then sat on it, looking at everyone."Let me be your comrade!" Robin said elegantly, resting her chin on her hand.Everyone was astonished."I have nowhere else to go, so please let me stay on this ship!" Robin said.Luffy said: "Is that so? Well, there's nothing for it then. You can.""Luffy!" Nami and Usopp exclaimed.Luffy showed his characteristic smile: "Don't worry, she's not a bad person!"The only one cheering in the Straw Hat Crew was Sanji; everyone else watched Robin warily.Usopp placed a round table on the deck and started a round table conference, interrogating Robin face-to-face."Don't look around. Answer my questions honestly. I'll ask again, what's your name? Uh… I'm Usopp, pleased to meet you." Usopp said."My name is Nico Robin.""Very well, Nico Robin, what is your profession?""Archaeologist.""Archaeologist?""Our family has been like this for generations."Usopp took out a pen and paper, recording: "I see, such a family background. And then?""I became an archaeologist, and I was wanted by Marine Headquarters when I was 8 years old. For the 20 years since then, I've been living by constantly hiding.""Since you were eight, have you always been alone?""Although I said that, a child wouldn't survive at sea, right? So, to protect myself and as a means to achieve my goals, I've dealt with various villains up to now. That's how it is.""So Crocodile was just one of them?""Exactly. To find the Poneglyphs, thanks to them, my behind-the-scenes work became smoother and smoother. I can certainly be of help to you all."Usopp's mouth curved upwards: "You're full of confidence. What are you good at?"Robin said in a gentle tone: "Assassination."Upon hearing this, Usopp immediately fell off the round table."Luffy, according to the interrogation results, it's clear she's a very dangerous woman."However, at this moment, Luffy and Chopper were playing with the hands Robin had conjured, not listening to Usopp."Hey Luke, Luffy isn't listening. As the oldest veteran on the ship, you should also voice your opinion, hey!" Usopp said, pointing at Luke who was fishing."My opinion? Didn't Luffy already say it? He allowed Robin to board the ship. I have no opinion." Lukecontinued to fish calmly.Usopp's ears drooped, feeling that this group was beyond saving.Finally, Nami stepped in.Nami leaned on the railing: "Honestly, to be played for fools by her, how useless. That woman has been the Vice President of a criminal company until now, you know? How could such a woman become our comrade? Even if you can fool those idiots, I won't be tricked. If you dare to cause trouble, I'll be the one to kick you off this ship."Usopp applauded Nami's speech enthusiastically.Robin smiled gently: "Hmm, I'll keep that in mind. By the way, I brought some of Crocodile's jewels with me."Robin took out a bag of jewels and placed it on the table.Then a miracle happened, a change of face in a second.Nami, with money in her eyes, came to Robin: "I love you, big sister!"Sanji was captured from the beginning, and now Nami was also taken down."Ah, love, wandering love. I am but a burnt black body lying with the waves, a driftwood moved by your beauty and caught in a swift current. This is a snack."Sanji served Robin the prepared snacks and tea.Immediately after, Usopp was also amused by the two arms conjured above Luffy's head, identical to Chopper's antlers.Those two arms were also the effect of Robin's Hana Hana no Mi. Usopp also succumbed, joining Luffy and Chopper's joyful army.Next, Robin came before Zoro: "This ship is really nice. Is it always this lively?"Zoro said indifferently: "Yes, it is.""Is that so?" Robin smiled slightly at Zoro.Zoro looked surprised. Although he didn't understand what this woman was doing, his favorability towards her inexplicably increased.Luke, who was fishing, was also silently observing Robin. This woman's ability to win people over was too strong.After talking to Zoro, Robin silently walked over to Luke's side."By the way, Mr. Fisherman, is your fishing going smoothly?""Nothing." Luke said, pointing to his empty bamboo basket.Robin pursed her lips and smiled: "It seems your fishing skills aren't superb. If you need, I can help you fish."Luke's eyebrows raised slightly. She actually said his fishing skills weren't good."Miss Archaeologist, saying that will make my favorability drop.""Is that so? Then… how about this?"Robin came close to Luke's ear and gently blew, making Luke shiver all over, even blushing a little.Seeing Luke's reaction, Robin covered her mouth and chuckled: "It seems your favorability has risen back up."Luke shook his head helplessly. She truly was a charming and mature woman.
Chapter 80 CourierChapter 80: The DeliverymanLuke, Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper sat side-by-side, fishing.An hour had passed, and they hadn't caught anything.Usopp and Chopper were almost falling asleep from fishing.Only Luffy and Luke were enthusiastically staring at their hooks."Miss Nami, I've prepared a juice for you that helps with beauty and makes your skin even smoother," Sanji said, bringing the juice to Nami.Hearing this, everyone looked at Sanji; even Usoppand Chopper woke up."I want some too!""Smooth!""No, what do you guys need such smooth skin for?"Although Sanji said this, he still went back to the kitchen to prepare juice for everyone.Drinking the delicious, ice-cold juice, everyone felt incredibly refreshed.Suddenly, Luffy's fishing rod twitched."I caught something!" Luffy exclaimed.Immediately after, a giant conch broke through the water and was dragged onto the deck by Luffy.Luke saw it and realized, "Isn't that the deliveryman?""What is this?" Luffy asked, curiously looking at the giant conch."It's so big!" Chopper exclaimed."Hey Luffy, what in the world did you catch?" Sanjiasked.Everyone gathered around the giant conch, examining it, having never seen anything like it before.Usopp said, "But is this really a conch? How are we supposed to deal with it?""Can we eat it?" Luffy was already drooling."Grilled conch?" Sanji wondered.Just then, the shell in the middle of the conch automatically opened.A man in a yellow suit walked out from inside."I thought I was a goner this time," the man said, rubbing his head with an apologetic expression."Who are you?" Luffy asked."Excuse me, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Lessless from Ladybug Mail Order, who can be called upon with just one phone call to deliver goods to you. Please take care of me," the deliveryman, Less, said."Ladybug Mail Order? What's that?" Zoro asked, looking puzzled."While I was transporting goods on this ship, the Escargot, I encountered a strong typhoon. It blew me east and then west, and finally, I was shipwrecked. Thank you for saving me. To express my gratitude, I'll give you some service catalogs. Just make a phone call and it will be delivered," Less said.Zoro said, "That's convenient. Can it be delivered even at sea?"Less said, "That would be a bit difficult."Zoro frowned, feeling like he wanted to draw his sword and cut the guy down.Less continued, "Our company's motto is safety and practicality, good quality and low prices..."While Less and Zoro were talking, Luke and Luffywere already standing next to the giant conch.It was truly spacious inside, filled with many strange and wonderful things, like a high-end general store.Luke took out a black stick from within, with two round balls at each end that kept shaking."What is this?" Luffy asked curiously.Less was shocked to see everyone rummaging through his goods: "What are you doing!"Less snatched the black stick from Luke's hand and then said, "Today, I'm going to introduce you to this highly popular product, the Shaky Stick. The Shaky Stick is our company's top-tier product, and today I'm bringing you its latest model. I'm sure everyone has used this Shaky Stick before, but because it's always been very expensive, while the dads among you might not feel much pressure, it's a burden for children who want to buy it.""Although I don't quite understand, it looks so interesting!" Luffy's eyes sparkled.Chopper found an ab roller from the conch. It was shaped like a pink mouse, with four wheels at the bottom and supporting rods for the arms on both sides."This is so fun!" Chopper said, playing with the fitness roller.Less said, "This is the well-known Smooth Slider, our company's number one product, re-released after various modifications."Sanji quipped, "What's the difference between 'number one' and 'top-tier'?""Who knows," Luke said.Usopp then took out another strange device from the conch. One could lie on it, and there were two spring balls on either side that continuously tapped the body. Usopp lay on it, enjoying it comfortably."Our company's best-selling product is this one, the Golden Bouncing Ball, especially suitable for people who lack exercise. All the weight loss products mentioned above can be purchased in bulk. If you buy today, you'll also receive 20 bottles of sweet Little Sweetheart Cantaloupe from West Blue, a 26-volume set of encyclopedias that will definitely come in handy, and a pair of binoculars. How much does all of this cost? The total price must be expensive, right? Please rest assured, everyone, this time, out of gratitude for saving me, it's a loss-making clearance sale, only 23,800 Berries!""It's for sale!" Zoro exclaimed.Luke took a product catalog. It contained all sorts of goods, with illustrations and prices. The prices were indeed reasonable, just like browsing an online store, but unfortunately, delivery at sea was inconvenient.Sanji opened the catalog: "You even sell kitchen knives?"Less took out a chef's knife: "This is a top-grade product handmade by skilled artisans from the Gaoshan tribe. Look at its flexibility; the sharp blade will never dull. A set of 12 kitchen knives, plus versatile scissors that can cut anything, a fruit knife, and an electric knife sharpener, all for only 2980 Berries if you buy now."Less then pulled out a bar of soap, recommending the Slippery Soap to Robin."This Slippery Soap is best for the ladies! After using it, your skin will be as fair and smooth as a boiled egg."Robin was surprised: "You really do sell everything.""Yes, from mineral water to cannonballs, we sell everything," Less said proudly."Do you sell paper? Large and tough paper that won't tear even if blown by the sea wind?" Namiasked."Leave it to me!" Less became instantly excited when he saw someone interested in buying.Less took out a stack of paper from the conch: "Ladybug's proud product, the highest quality Millennium Paper. This Millennium Paper is made from Millennium Cedar trees growing on Eight-Nine Island. It's immune to insects and won't discolor even after a thousand years in the sun. It's perfect for making family genealogies and drawing treasure maps.""Can it be folded into paper airplanes?" Luffy asked curiously.Less nodded: "Yes, but that would be a terrible waste.""How much?" Nami asked."It's not easy. This is a very rare and valuable item. Even if you order now, it will take 5 to 10 years to receive the goods.""Can you sell those to me first? I'll pay whatever the price," Nami said.Everyone was astonished. Nami, who would skip meals to count money, Nami, who valued wealth above all else, actually said she would pay whatever the price.It was clear how important drawing sea charts was to Nami.Less feigned a difficult expression: "I understand. Since you put it that way, a set of one thousand sheets of Millennium Paper, with a market price of 60 million Berries, I'll give it to you for a discounted price of 48 million Berries this time."That worked out to 48,000 Berries per sheet, which was an astronomical price for paper, but if the quality was truly as Less described, it was acceptable."Lower the price a bit more!" Nami pleaded."Then let's give you a discount, 47.5 million Berries!" Less said."2 million Berries!" Nami said."4.8 million Berries!" Less said.Luke exclaimed, "Isn't that a broken bone discount!"Usopp quipped, "Such a huge drop!""Do you sell swords?" Luke asked."Of course, handsome!"Less carried out a large bundle of swords from the conch."These famous swords are all top-grade products forged by master blacksmiths hired by the company at high prices. They are sharp and will never dull, the dream product of many swordsmen."Among these products were double-edged swords and katanas. Since coming to the world of pirates, Luke had rarely seen double-edged swords."How much are these swords?" Luke asked."One million Berries each. For twenty swords, I'll charge you twenty million Berries!" Less said."Two million Berries!" Luke mimicked Nami's 'broken bone' negotiation style."Five million Berries!" Less said."Three million Berries!""Four million Berries!""No more arguing, 3.5 million Berries!" Luke calmly took a puff of his cigar."No problem, customer, I'll package them for you," Less said with a smile.It seemed like he still felt he had lost out.
Chapter 81 The Brave SwordChapter 81: Hero's SwordAlthough Luke was extremely wealthy, Nami didn't have much money.Nami was still there, pitifully haggling with the merchant.Seeing this, Luke waved his hand, about to grandly declare, "I'll buy all these goods!"But Sanji beat him to it: "Bought!"Sanji stood with his hands in his pockets, looking like a diamond bachelor."Sanji!" Nami looked at Sanji in surprise."Do you have money?" Zoro asked."No!" Sanji replied righteeously.Immediately after, Sanji pulled out a rope and tied up Luffy."If we hand this guy over to the Marine, it'll be more than enough, with some to spare," Sanji clapped his hands.The tied-up Luffy looked astonished: "Nani!?""Forgive me, Luffy, everything is for Miss Nami," Sanji said.At this moment, the merchant, Reis, suddenly realized something was off: "Luffy? Could it be that Monkey D. Luffy?""Yes, it's me," Luffy answered calmly.Reis looked stunned, cold sweat visibly pouring out: "That Monkey D. Luffy, from the one-hundred-million-Berries notorious pirate crew!"Immediately after, Reis glanced at the pirate flag; the enormous Straw Hat blinded him."I actually missed such important information. Uh, I just remembered I have an important appointment. I'll take my leave!"Reis swiftly burrowed into the giant sea snail, then activated the device and submerged into the sea, sailing hundreds of meters away in the blink of an eye."Hey, you forgot your stuff!" Zoro reminded him.But Reis didn't look back.Reis didn't take any of the goods he had displayed earlier. One could say he got everything for free this time."Saved 3.5 million Berries," Luke put the money he had taken out back into his pocket."What's wrong with that guy?" Luffy was utterly bewildered.Robin calmly replied, "He was probably scared by you."No one paid much attention to the departing Reis, but they all had a great time with the items he left behind.Nami took the Millennium Paper, intending to draw her world navigation map, and instructed everyone not to disturb her unless the weather changed.Luke also decided to appraise these so-called famous swords to see if any good treasures could be found.Thirteen katanas and seven double-edged swords; Luke began appraising them one by one."Ding! Appraisal successful. Katana appraised as 'Vampiric Katana.' It can absorb the enemy's flowing blood into the wielder's body and convert it into energy. Only usable by vampires!"Luke directly threw this katana into the sea. What nonsense was this? Where would he find a vampire?But on second thought, there indeed seemed to be a vampire, Red Earl, whose strength was formidable, on par with Whitebeard and Golden Lion.He glanced at the sea again; the katana was already gone. He had acted impulsively.Next was the second katana."Ding! Appraisal successful. Katana appraised as 'Gale Katana.' It can release small wind blades to attack enemies."Luke took out the Gale Katana and swung it. A small wind blade flew out, creating a small crack on the deck.Wind attribute wasn't bad, but unfortunately, its power was too small and not very effective.Luke was about to throw away the Gale Katana when Usopp snatched it."A katana that shoots wind blades! As a brave warrior of the sea, a personal sword is indispensable. Give this sword to me!" Usopp's eyes sparkled.Luke nodded: "You can have it.""Thanks, haha, Chopper, behold my Wind Blade!"Usopp swung the sword, and a tuft of Chopper's fur was cut off by the wind blade."Ah! My fur, Usopp!"Chopper immediately transformed into his larger form and gave Usopp a beating.Next, Luke began appraising the third one."Ding! Appraisal successful. Katana appraised as 'Fluorescent Katana.' When swung at night, it can bring a visual impact."This katana directly turned into a glow stick, suitable for concerts."Xiao, can I have this?" Chopper stared at the Fluorescent Katana."No problem, take it.""Thank you so much, haha, Usopp, taste my Fluorescent Katana!""Gale Blade!"Usopp and Chopper started brawling.Luke didn't get discouraged and continued appraising. He had appraised many such ordinary items and was accustomed to it.He continued to appraise several more katanas, all with ordinary attributes, with no critical hits.Luke began appraising the double-edged swords.These double-edged swords were similar to the swords in Wuxia novels; sword immortals often wore something similar."Ding! Appraisal successful. Longsword appraised as 'Vibrating Longsword.' It comes with a vibration effect during attack. Please hold it firmly, or it might injure yourself."Luke swung it and found the blade started shaking, but the frequency was average. It would probably be great for cutting watermelons or meat."Ding! Appraisal critical hit! Longsword appraised as 'Hero's Sword.' This sword is a growth-type weapon. Based on the number of battles and the wielder's Haki, it will gradually grow into a top-tier weapon!"After appraisal, this sword still looked very plain, but it had a few golden patterns on it.Growth-type weapons were rare, and one that could grow into a top-tier weapon made Luke quite curious about how powerful it could become.He could keep this sword for now and use it in close-quarters combat.Continuing the appraisal, Luke finished appraising all the remaining katanas and double-edged swords, none of which resulted in a critical hit.This meant that out of twenty swords, only one had a critical hit; the probability was touching.Luffy picked up the swords Luke didn't want, one in each hand, and one in his mouth."Zoro, behold my Three-Sword Style!" Luffybabbled.Zoro looked disgusted, unable to watch.Immediately after, Luke took out the four treasures he had plundered from Alabasta.The Pharaoh's Scepter, the Dog-Head Mask, the Scarab Amulet, and the Golden Dagger.These were all very exquisite and rare items, with a high probability of a critical hit.Without even appraising them, just bringing out these items attracted everyone's attention.Even Robin, who usually didn't care about external affairs, leaned in: "These are all ancient artifacts from Alabasta, with high collection value.""Xiao, where did you get these?" Nami asked.Luke was momentarily at a loss for words: "Uh, from the palace."Sanji exclaimed, "From the palace? So you stole them! You dare to steal treasures from Princess Vivi's home? Take my Waist Meat Kick!"Luke narrowly dodged Sanji's kick: "I didn't steal them, brothers, listen to my explanation. I exchanged them. I traded a large amount of treasure for them."Nami suddenly grabbed Luke's clothes, which made Luke a bit confused."What's wrong, Nami?"Nami said through gritted teeth, "Why didn't you call me when you were stealing!"Everyone almost fainted upon hearing this.Nami shrugged: "Don't forget, the one billion Berriesfee for escorting Princess Vivi hasn't been paid yet.""You still haven't forgotten that!" Zoro complained."A woman obsessed with money," Usopp said.