Chapter 82: Scepter of HorusChapter 82: The horus scepterNext, Luke began to appraise the four ancient items.First, the golden dagger.This dagger has an exquisite scabbard, both the scabbard and the blade are made of pure gold, and a small, lifelike sphinx is engraved on the scabbard."Hurry up and appraise it, Luke!" Luffy watched from the side with expectant eyes.Luke placed the golden dagger in his palm and used All-Things Appraisal.A golden light flashed brightly."Ding! Appraisal critical hit! The golden dagger has been appraised as the yang flame dagger. The wearer can absorb sunlight and convert it into their own energy. The stronger the sunlight, the more energy available for use, reaching its peak at noon."Good heavens, this is practically a human solar charging panel.Wearing the yang flame dagger, the sunlight shone on Luke's body, and he felt incredibly comfortable.He could feel every cell in his body absorbing the sun's energy, nourishing his entire being. Even without cultivation, his bodily functions were slowly evolving."This dagger doesn't look strange. Next, appraise the next one quickly!" Luffy said impatiently from the side.Luke took out the Scarab Amulet, which resembled an ancient coin, with alternating black and gold patterns, somewhat like a small black-gold turtle shell.Luke used All-Things Appraisal on it."Ding! Appraisal critical hit! The Scarab Amulet has been appraised as the Cleopatra Scarab Amulet. The wearer's charm value increases, and they can use a charm skill on enemies with weak mental strength, making them obey their commands for a period of time. For female use only."For female use only. There are only two women on the ship, Robin and Nami. Let's see who needs it.Luffy, however, snatched the necklace and put it around his neck."Xiao, what does it do?" Luffy asked."It increases charm and allows the use of a charm skill, but it's for female use only," Luke replied."Female!? Will I turn into a female after wearing it!?"Upon hearing this, Luffy immediately took off the necklace and put it around Sanji's neck."Idiot, I don't want to turn into a female either!" Sanjiimmediately took off the necklace and put it on Zoro's head."Go to hell, you stinky cook! If I turn into a woman, you'll be the first one I chop down!"Zoro immediately took off the necklace and threw it towards the sea.Nami suddenly appeared, catching the necklace with quick reflexes."Are you all idiots? Didn't Xiao say it's for female use only, not that you'll turn into a female after wearing it!" Nami was worried about their reading comprehension skills."Ah! ~ Miss Nami, I don't know why, but after wearing this necklace, you've become even more beautiful and captivating. As long as I'm with you, whether it's becoming a pirate or a devil, I'm ready for anything now." Sanji stood beside Nami, swaying like seaweed, with a lecherous expression.Luffy also rubbed his eyes: "It really seems to have changed."Zoro said: "After that woman put on the necklace..."With that, Zoro's face flushed slightly, and he shifted his gaze to the sea.Robin covered her mouth and chuckled: "This is much better than skincare products. Luke, I hope you can appraise one for me too, I'll find a way to repay you ~""If I appraise one later, I'll definitely give it to you."Such an item, for female use only, was useless to Luke. It was better to arm the Straw Hat Crewmembers so he could slack off more happily.Then there was the dog-head mask. As the name suggests, the mask was shaped like a black dog's head, somewhat resembling Beerus the Destroyer, although Beerus is a cat.He immediately appraised the dog-head mask."Ding! Appraisal critical hit! The dog-head mask has been appraised as the Tengu Mask. It enhances the wearer's Observation Haki perception and training, and increases the clarity of the wearer's long-distance vision."The most absurd thing was that the nose of this Tengu Mask was as long as Usopp's nose. This mask was perfectly tailored for Usopp.Usopp put on the Tengu Mask, and it perfectly fit his face."Hey, no way, I can see birds several kilometers away, and even their feathers!"After adjusting his goggles, Usopp was shocked by the clarity of the scene he saw.Sanji also tried wearing it: "This is like an enhanced telescope. A mask actually has such a magical effect.""Usopp, it's yours!" Luke waved his hand generously."Really? Really? Really, really, really?" Usoppexclaimed."Don't want it? Then I'll give it to Luffy.""I want it, I want it, I want it!" Luffy reached out to grab the Tengu Mask, but Usopp nimbly dodged him.Usopp shouted at Luffy: "Hey, Luffy, don't forget I'm a sniper, a sniper!"Luffy scratched his head: "Oh, I see. Then I don't want it."Usopp breathed a sigh of relief, then put on the Tengu Mask."Nee hahahahaha! I, Captain Usopp, from Syrup Village in the East Blue, a great warrior of the sea! Everyone, listen to my command, charge!"Usopp drew his Gale Katana and pointed forward, exuding an air of looking down on the world.Unfortunately, only Chopper cheered for Usopp: "So cool, Usopp!""You know how awesome I am now, Chopper," Usopp wiped his nose."Mhm!" Chopper nodded seriously.Next was the last item, the Pharaoh's Scepter.This Pharaoh's Scepter looked very valuable at first glance. It was made entirely of gold, with a huge ruby embedded in it.Luke began to appraise the Pharaoh's Scepter.Everyone stared at the Pharaoh's Scepter, while Nami stared intently at the large ruby, praying that the gem wouldn't disappear after appraisal.Golden light shot out again, and Luke knew it was another critical hit."Ding! Appraisal critical hit! The Pharaoh's Scepter has been appraised as the horus scepter. It can designate two people or objects with Devil Fruitabilities to exchange their Devil Fruit abilities with each other. Can only be used once!"Holy cow! What the heck!What kind of effect is this!?Luke stared at the horus scepter, his mouth agape in shock."What kind of effect did it appraise? You look so surprised!" Sanji asked.Luke shook his head in disbelief and explained the scepter's effect."What!" Sanji's cigarette fell directly to the ground.Zoro also frowned: "This appraisal ability is truly terrifying!"Upon hearing Luke's description, Robin even felt it was impossible. How could there be such an outrageous scepter that could exchange Devil Fruitabilities?For example, if one was Alvida, who ate the Sube Sube no Mi, and next to her was Kizaru, one of the three Admirals, the horus scepter could be used to exchange their Devil Fruit abilities. Kizaru would become a Sube Sube no Mi user, and Alvida would become a Glint-Glint Fruit user.With this scepter, Luke even wanted to go directly to Kizaru, eat a Yeti Devil Fruit, and then exchange abilities with him.
Chapter 83: Legend of Sky IslandChapter 83: The Legend of Sky IslandAfter putting away the horus scepter, Nami returned to her room to draw nautical charts.Zoro was doing physical training, while Usopp, Luffy, and Chopper were having a blast playing with all the interesting items.Sanji went to the kitchen to prepare delicious iced drinks, and Robin quietly read her book.Luke lay in the sun, feeling the yang flame daggercharging him; the solar energy was converted into nourishing energy for his body, and the temperature was just right.Just like that, the Going Merry sailed on the sea for a week.It was a calm week with no major incidents.It's always calm before a storm, and Luke had a premonition that something might happen today.He hoped they could find an island; the ship's supplies were running low, mostly eaten by the gluttonous Luffy.Sanji brought out the iced drinks: "Robin-chan, this is my special lemon drink. Drinking it will make you more energetic for reading!"Robin smiled gracefully: "Thank you, Sanji.""It's my greatest honor to serve you!" Sanji was overjoyed.Just then, strange things began to fall from the sky.Several small wooden blocks landed on the deck."Is it raining?" Sanji asked, puzzled.Immediately after, more and more wooden blocks fell.Luke looked up and saw a giant ship falling from the sky.The wooden blocks and planks were scattered from that ship.To everyone's astonishment, the giant ship crashed into the sea near the Going Merry.The splashing waves almost submerged the Going Merry."Everyone, hold on tight to the ship!" Zoro shouted loudly.Countless wooden blocks fell from the sky, crashing onto the Going Merry's deck.Nami hugged the mast and exclaimed, "What, what is this!?""This is a dream, this must be a dream!" Usopp's eyes were wide open."Something else is falling!" Sanji said.A cloaked skeleton fell from the sky, flying towards Usopp."It's dead bones!"Usopp picked up the skeleton and threw it towards Nami."Idiot! Don't throw it at me!" Nami pushed the skeleton away again."Something else is falling!" Sanji exclaimed.It was another dead skeleton, and Usopp once again pushed it towards Nami."Idiot! Don't throw it over here!" Nami was almost going crazy.After several minutes, the sea finally calmed, and the Going Merry stabilized.The giant ship had already sunk to the bottom of the sea, and scattered ship parts and planks floated on the surface.Luffy rubbed his head and looked up at the sky: "Why would a ship fall from the sky!""It's too strange, but there's nothing in the sky!" Zorosaid.Usopp and Chopper hugged each other tightly: "What kind of hellhole is the Grand Line anyway!"Nami looked at the Log Pose on her arm in surprise; it was shaking abnormally.A part of the pointer was actually pointing upwards, towards the sky."What do we do? The Log Pose is broken, it keeps pointing up!" Nami said.Robin said, "No, I think it must have been attracted by an island with stronger magnetism, so it has changed its record.""What?" Nami was very confused.Robin continued, "Since the pointer is pointing upwards and not moving, it means this Log Pose has had its record taken over by a 'Sky Island.'""Sky Island!?" the Straw Hat Crew exclaimed in surprise."An island floating in mid-air?" Luffy was already getting excited.Usopp said, "Did that ship and the dead skeleton fall from there?"Zoro looked up at the sky but didn't see any island.Robin said, "That's not what I mean. To be precise, what's floating should be the sea."Everyone was confused. Could the sea float in the sky?Luffy didn't care about any of that, pointing at the sky and saying, "So you mean the sea is floating in the sky, and there's an island there, right! Good, let's go check it out right away!"Usopp's morale soared: "Alright, sailors, helm upwards, full speed ahead!"These two noisy individuals had their mouths covered by Robin using her Hana Hana no Mi power.Luke calmly said, "Captain, first you need to understand that the rudder cannot point upwards."Robin continued, "Frankly, I haven't seen Sky Islandmyself, and I don't know much about it.""How can an island float in the sky? The Log Pose must be broken." Nami remained skeptical."No, Miss Navigator, what you should be thinking about now is not what's wrong with the Log Pose, but how to get to the sky. No matter how strange a place this ship gets caught in, or how great the crisis, you must never doubt the Log Pose in your hand. This is an iron rule of navigation. There will always be an island where the Log Pose points." Robin said, pointing at Nami.Nami looked at the Log Pose in her hand, her emotions difficult to calm for a moment.After speaking, Robin went to the dead skeleton and began to assemble the skull fragments."Have you figured anything out?" Luke asked."Not yet." Robin focused on assembling the skull.Sanji watched with interest: "A dead person and a beautiful woman, it's quite an elegant and unique combination, isn't it?"Meanwhile, Luffy and Usopp had already climbed onto the ship wreckage in the sea, looking for interesting things.Seeing the two of them, Zoro felt a huge headache.Finally, Robin-chan finished restoring the skull.There were several small holes in the skull."These holes should be man-made, surgical scars. They should be called 'trepanation' treatment, right, Doctor?" Robin said.Chopper hid far away: "Yes, people in the past, when treating brain tumors, would make a hole in the skull. But that should be a very old medical technique."An old medical technique? Luke was bewildered; in his modern world, they also used such medical techniques.Robin said, "That's right, this person must have died about two hundred years ago, around 30 years old. He likely died of illness during a voyage. Compared to other skulls, his teeth are still relatively intact because they were coated with tar. This funeral custom is a unique tradition in some regions of the South Blue. Judging from the historical timeline, that ship should have belonged to a past expedition team."Robin opened her illustrated history book and found relevant records: "The ship'St. Briss' from the Briss Kingdom, located in the South Blue, set sail 208 years ago. It looks exactly like the ship that fell down."She looked at the illustration in the book, then at the wreckage in the sea; the bow of the ship was identical, and the emblem was the same.This meant the ship had been floating in the sky for about two hundred years."I can't believe you can analyze so much just from bones." Nami exclaimed in admiration."Although corpses don't speak, the information on them cannot escape. If it was an expedition team's ship, it should logically have left various tracking records."Robin wanted to examine the interior of the ship, perhaps to find relevant records, but the ship had already sunk to the bottom of the sea.
Chapter 84 Salvage the King ApeChapter 84: Shoujou, the Salvage KingBefore long, Luffy and Usopp returned from their exploration of the sunken ship wreckage.More accurately, they were salvaged, and Luffyfound a map of Sky Island within the wreckage.This map of Sky Island greatly uplifted their spirits, indicating a high probability of Sky Island's existence; otherwise, why would such a detailed map of it be drawn?Luffy and the two other clowns had already started dancing."Don't get too excited. This only represents a possibility. There are many deceptive maps in the world," Nami said.As Nami finished speaking, the faces of the three clowns instantly became extremely dejected; their beautiful dream was shattered.Nami quickly corrected herself, saying, "Ah, I'm sorry. Yes, yes, yes, I think it should exist!"The trio's expressions instantly returned to normal.Ever since learning about the clues to Sky Island, Luffy continuously urged Nami to sail the ship to Sky Island.For this, Luffy and Nami got into an argument.The discussion ended with a large bump on Luffy's head.Luke said, "What we need now is the information Robin just mentioned. If even a large ship like that can go to the sky, then there must be a way for the Going Merry to go up too. In short, we need to find the records and clues left by that ship.""But that ship has already sunk," Usopp said.Nami clenched her fist, "If it sank, then we'll salvage it!"Luffy and Usopp each grabbed a fishing net, "Alright!"Of course, salvaging with fishing nets was impossible. Eventually, a plan was devised: three diving barrels were made, and Luffy, Zoro, and Sanjiwould dive to the seabed to try and salvage it.Ropes were tied to the barrels, and the three were lowered into the sea using the roller on the deck.Luke and Usopp were responsible for pulling and releasing the ropes.Through a special speaking tube, they could hear the voices of the three.Just then, a large ship approached from a distance.The crew members on the large ship chanted in unison, "Salvage well, salvage well, salvage well!"Luke looked closely; it was Shoujou, the Salvage King.He is the leader of the Shoujou Pirates, with a monkey-like appearance. Besides his astonishing lung capacity, he possesses the incredible "ShoujouIron Fist" capable of knocking out Sea Kings with a single punch. He helped the Straw Hat Piratesmodify the Going Merry. He is Masira's brother and, out of admiration for Montblanc Noland from a fairy tale book, followed Montblanc Cricket. When people say he looks "like a monkey," he takes it as a compliment, meaning "what a true man," and becomes proud.The Shoujou Pirate ship, chanting its slogans, arrived near the Going Merry. Their target was the sunken ship from earlier."Prepare for salvage operations! All sunken ships belong to the Shoujou Pirates, which means they belong to me, Shoujou, the Salvage King!" Shoujoudeclared loudly from the ship's bow.This Shoujou was a true Shoujou; he was robust, his face looked exactly like a monkey's, and he even had a tail, essentially a strong, talking monkey.Shoujou saw the crew of the Going Merry, "I ask you, what are you doing there? This is my territory!""Your territory?" Luke raised an eyebrow."That's right, all sunken ships in this sea area belong to me, your grandpa. You haven't touched anything, have you? Hmm?" Shoujou said."How dare you call yourself grandpa? Believe it or not, I'll turn you into a roasted whole monkey!"Luke pulled out the Demon Binding Rope and swung it in his hand, preparing to ensnare Shoujou.Nami stopped Luke."Don't be impulsive. That person also seems to want to salvage that ship. We can wait for them to salvage it, then reap the benefits," Nami winked."Good point." Luke put away the Demon Binding Rope.Shoujou said, "What's a roasted whole monkey? Don't whisper over there; answer my question quickly."Nami said, "Excuse me, may I ask you a question first?""I asked you first! Never mind, ask whatever you want quickly!""Are you members of a salvage crew?" Nami asked.For some reason, when Shoujou heard the word "crew members," his face actually turned red. He might have misheard it as "ship monkeys.""Do I really look that monkey-like? That means a true man, don't you think?" Shoujou said narcissistically.Luke took out the Demon Binding Rope again, but Nami pinched Luke's waist, so he had no choice but to put the Demon Binding Rope away again."Mmm!" Nami gave a professional fake smile with flattery.Hearing Nami's affirmative answer, Shoujou was so happy that he blushed and scratched his head.This made Luke understand a principle: the world is not about fighting and killing, but about human relations."Are you going to salvage it?" Nami asked."Of course, I'm going to salvage it! I'm a true man who salvages ships sunken at the bottom of the sea, making them float up, then sink again, then salvaging them again! There's no ship in this world that we can't salvage!" Shoujou said.Nami looked at Shoujou with expectant eyes, "Then, could you let us witness it?""I understand, you probably haven't seen salvaging before and think it's a very rare thing, hahahaha, no problem, I'll let you see!" Shoujou seemed very happy.Nami gently nudged Luke with her elbow and whispered, "Just observe the situation for now, okay? Don't always think about fighting and killing.""Understood, Navigator-sama," Luke said weakly.Shoujou raised his arms and shouted, "Minions, quickly set up the salvage baskets! Prepare to begin salvaging!"The crew members behind him responded in unison.Under Shoujou's command, the crew members, wearing alloy diving suits, submerged into the sea.Because of Luke and the others watching, they became full of enthusiasm."Ship Hunters, move out!""Yes, sir!"Following the monkey's slogan, their ship's bow extended forward and then plunged into the seabed.After the bow successfully connected with the device previously set at the bottom, the next step began."Excellent, start blowing air!" Shoujou said."No way, he's planning to blow air into it by himself to make the ship float? That's too ridiculous!" Namiwas shocked.Seeing this scene, let alone Newton, even Galileo's coffin lid couldn't stay shut.Using his powerful lung capacity to blow bubbles downwards, then having the crew pull upwards at the opportune moment.A perfect battle plan, equivalent to the three steps of putting an elephant in a refrigerator.Is there a scientific explanation for this phenomenon? Yes, it's that he can really blow, equivalent to the refrigerator being very big, so you can put an elephant in it.In short, with a continuous supply of air, the sunken ship was gradually being salvaged.Just then, the salvage operation suddenly stalled."Boss, the crew on the seabed, it seems there's someone in this sunken ship, ah!""Ah! How dare someone lay a hand on my subordinate, who is it?!" Shoujou was furious.Shoujou struck a pose, even creating a background frame, full of artistic flair."Boss, help!""I'm coming down immediately! Don't stop, continue the operation!"Shoujou leaped into the sea to check the situation
Chapter 85 The Huge ShadowChapter 85: The Enormous ShadowShoujou had been down for about five minutes, and Usopp kept pumping air into the pipe to ensure the three underwater had enough oxygen.Just as he was getting bored, a massive shadow suddenly appeared beneath the sea.This shadow was as enormous as an island, and Luke, who had seen the plot, knew it was a colossal Sea Island Turtle.The Sea Island Turtle mistook the sunken ship for food and took a bite out of it.At this time, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Shoujou were inside the sunken ship.The four, along with the sunken ship, were swallowed whole by the Sea Island Turtle.Immediately after, the Sea Island Turtle surfaced, making the Going Merry and Shoujou's pirate ship look like tiny toys in front of it."What is this! What in the world is this!?"Nami covered her head in shock at the sight of the behemoth."What a huge turtle," Luke exclaimed."Boss! Boss!" the crew members of Shoujou's pirate ship shouted loudly.It was visible that remnants of the sunken ship still clung to the Sea Island Turtle's mouth, and several ropes were clamped in its jaws, connecting to the Going Merry and Shoujou's pirate ship.These air pipes were originally connected to Luffyand the others; now, with them in the pirate's mouth, there was no doubt they had been eaten.In One Piece, anyone who gets eaten always comes out alive.Nami was still marveling at the Sea Island Turtle's immense size: "What is this, is it land?"Usopp was too scared to look: "I don't know, I don't know, I didn't see anything, this must be a dream!""A dream, really?" Chopper rubbed his eyes, but reality was cruel.Robin calmly stated, "They must have been eaten along with the ship; the air pipes are in its mouth, so they definitely got eaten."Chopper started running around the ship: "Luffy and the others must have been eaten!"Suddenly, the Sea Island Turtle began to move, and the ropes in its mouth pulled the Going Merry and Shoujou's pirate ship forward together."If we don't cut the air pipes, we'll also be dragged into the deep sea," Robin said."Luke, aren't you very capable? Quickly think of a solution!" Usopp exclaimed.Luke took a puff from his cigar: "There's no way, it's too big."Luke also wanted to taste the Sea Island Turtle's meat, but the thing was too enormous to even begin."Usopp, Luke!" Nami suddenly shouted."Here!""Cut the air pipes, ensure safety!" Nami said."Are you a devil?" Usopp grumbled.Chopper also grumbled: "A devil!"Just then, another anomaly occurred.The sky suddenly darkened, turning directly from day to night."No way, it's not even night yet!" Nami wondered.As everyone was wondering, Luffy was thrown out of the sea.Nami went to the unconscious Luffy and kept slapping him: "Luffy, how are you, are you dead?"The slaps looked painful.Then Zoro and Sanji climbed up along the ship; they were all safe and sound, each carrying a bag filled with items from the sunken ship."Zoro, Sanji!" Usopp said."Hurry and set sail, let's get out of here!" Zoro said, panting."Just get away from this turtle!" Usopp said."Turtle? I was talking about that Shoujou in the sea. Luffy was chatting happily with him, probably because they're the same kind, and then he suddenly got angry when he saw the things we found from the sunken ship. He was practically a rampaging gorilla!" Zoro said."That's a Shoujou called the Salvage King, but you guys actually managed to escape from the turtle's mouth!" Usopp said."Turtle, what turtle are you talking about?"Zoro and Sanji only then looked back and saw the giant turtle."Wow! What is that!" Zoro and Sanji exclaimed in unison."You didn't notice it before? You were eaten by this guy, along with the ship!" Usopp grumbled.At this moment, Shoujou also jumped from the sea onto the Going Merry."You guys, how dare you steal my treasure on my territory? Do you think you can escape?"After Shoujou finished speaking, he realized no one was paying attention to him; everyone was staring in shock at the distance.On the horizon far out at sea, several colossal shadows appeared, blotting out the sky.This scene was like Pangu standing on the sea, his feet on the earth, his head touching the sky, obscuring the heavens.It was this enormous shadow that suddenly turned day into night.In front of this colossal shadow, the Sea Island Turtle wasn't even as big as a fingernail.Everyone was too stunned to speak, gazing at the enormous shadow.If such a monster truly existed, even if Imu came, he wouldn't be able to defeat it; Ultraman isn't even as big as this thing's palm.Actually, this enormous shadow wasn't a monster, but merely the projection of the Sky Island residents, holding spears and having wings on their backs.Luke was actually looking forward to such a monster truly existing; then the Pirate King's plot wouldn't be fantasy but would evolve towards mythology.Even the usually calm Zoro and Sanji were trembling, and Luffy, who always found things fun, gasped in cold air, no longer finding it amusing."There's a monster!" Luffy and Shoujou shouted simultaneously.Subsequently, everyone, as if injected with adrenaline, grabbed oars and began to row with all their might.The Going Merry fled from the enormous shadow at an extremely fast speed; it was the first time Lukehad seen such a unified desire for escape from everyone.If he hadn't known that thing was a projection, Lukeprobably would have been as scared as they were.If such a creature truly existed, it would be like Earthlings encountering Trisolarans, or a nuclear bomb meeting a two-dimensional foil; it's not a fight on the same dimension of power.To defeat him, one would have to call Saitama-sensei.Everyone exerted tremendous effort, rowing desperately, and finally rowed out of the shadow's range.The sky became clear again, and the enormous shadow vanished; this was probably the most united the Straw Hat Crew had ever been."Unbelievably huge!" Usopp lay on the deck.Sanji lit a cigarette: "The Grand Line truly has an endless succession of strange occurrences."Zoro said, "First, a ship fell from the sky."Nami said, "Then the Log Pose pointed to the sky."Usopp said, "Then a strange Shoujou came saying he wanted to salvage a ship."Chopper said, "Then we encountered a Sea Island Turtle that could swallow an entire ship."Robin said, "Then it suddenly turned to night."Luffy said, "Finally, a monster dozens of times larger than the Giant Race appeared!"Shoujou said, "Even I was scared stiff."Everyone suddenly realized Shoujou was also on the ship."Get out of here!" Luke and Luffy kicked Shoujouflying into the sky.The Going Merry continued its journey.Nami untied the packages Zoro and the others had salvaged; they were all old, dilapidated items, corroded beyond recognition.Such things wouldn't have much value even if appraised.Among these items was also a strange octopus.
Chapter 86 Fighting ChampionChapter 86: The Fighting ChampionAmong the salvaged items, no clues leading to Sky Island were found.Just as Nami was at a loss, Robin pulled out an Eternal Pose and handed it to Nami."What is this?""I got it from that Shoujou's ship just now. Just use it for now," Robin said.Nami was so moved she was almost in tears: "Only you understand me."The Eternal Pose was named Jaya, pointing to an island called Jaya.Luke was familiar with Jaya; it was where he could encounter Blackbeard and Bellamy."Full speed ahead to Jaya!" Luffy cheered, raising his arm."Hey, wait a minute! If we go to Jaya like this, will the Log Pose pointing to Sky Island change once we get there? That means we won't be able to go to Sky Island," Usopp said."Stop heading to Jaya!" Luffy crossed his arms and asked Nami, "Hey Nami, what's going on?""The Log Pose has been like this from the start," Nami replied."Alright, I'm the Captain, so I'll decide the course. I want to go to Sky Island!" Luffy declared.Nami calmly asked, "Okay, how do we get there?""We just need to ask someone," Usopp said."That's right, we'll just go to Jaya and ask someone," Luffy said."Then let's go to Jaya!" Nami said."Alright, full speed ahead to Jaya!" Luffy shouted."Isn't that the same as just now!" Usopp grumbled.Robin said, "Even if we go to Jaya, it won't necessarily store the log immediately. As long as we leave Jaya before it stores the log, the Log Pose will still point to Sky Island.""Looks like we'll need some luck," Luke said."Alright, lads, let's go! To the Land of Meat, Jaya!" Luffy pointed in Jaya's direction.The Going Merry sailed on the vast sea, unsure how long it would take to reach Jaya.Looking at the horus scepter in his hand, Lukepondered whether to make a trade with Blackbeard.Then there was Eneru on Sky Island.Weighing the Dark-Dark Fruit against the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Luke ultimately leaned towards the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.The Dark-Dark Fruit is an ability like a black hole, capable of attracting, compressing, and crushing everything. An ability user it touches will lose their abilities, but this requires the user to personally touch the opponent with their hand. The absorption range is limited, and it can only be received through Dark Water by hand. It's useless against long-range, wide-area attacks.The Rumble-Rumble Fruit can be said to be an extremely overbearing fruit, capable of moving in electrical conductors and air in the form and speed of lightning; it can directly discharge attacks, with the highest voltage released reaching two hundred million volts.It can also generate electricity to power machines, or create high temperatures through electrical heat, and can even discharge electricity to stimulate the electrodes of thunderclouds to strike lightning in designated areas. Furthermore, Eneru can achieve a monitoring effect through "radio waves," monitoring the entire God's Island. It can be said that if the Rumble-Rumble Fruit hadn't encountered Luffy, it would be an invincible Devil Fruit ability.A Devil Fruit that can go to the moon certainly wouldn't be bad.As for the Glint-Glint Fruit and the Mag-Mag Fruit, Luke had considered them, but then the problem of how to escape would arise. The full pursuit of Marineford was no joke. Only Eneru was an orphan, so he didn't have to worry about being hunted by other masters.Putting the horus scepter back into his spatial ring, a seagull suddenly fell from the sky.The seagull was already dead. Chopper found a bullet in the seagull's body, indicating it had been shot.However, looking around, no island could be seen, nor could the person who fired the shot, which showed how far the sniper's range was.The person who fired the shot was Van Auger, the sniper of the Blackbeard Pirates, and Usopp's destined opponent in the future.He fired from Jaya, several kilometers away, and took down the seagull in the air.The others on the Straw Hat ship were merely surprised and didn't realize that someone had just shot the seagull from a distance; the range for such a shot would be ridiculous.After sailing for a while, they finally saw Jaya Island.The beautiful town looked like a resort.At the port, there were over a dozen pirate ships docked, which indicated the state of law and order in the town.The ship docked at the port, and everyone began their journey to the island.As far as the eye could see, there were all sorts of people on the streets, most of them carrying weapons and looking menacing.Usopp, Nami, and Chopper stood on the ship, hesitant to disembark.But after some thought, worried that Luffy and Zoromight cause trouble, Nami still followed them.Luke, at this moment, had his hands in his pockets and was leisurely walking down the street.As he walked, he saw Jesus Burgess, the Fighting Champion of the Blackbeard Pirates.He wore a wrestler's mask and had long purple hair. He had a hearty smile, wore the Fighting Champion's golden belt with a bird totem in the center, a black tank top, white trousers, and black arm sleeves.Burgess knocked a pirate to the ground and said, "Too weak, hahahaha."Then Burgess jumped onto a rooftop, constantly flexing his muscles and laughing loudly.According to the people around, this Burgess had already taken down several pirates, but he wasn't very famous, and people didn't recognize him.However, Luke was quite interested in Burgess. Taking advantage of Nami's absence, he decided to fight Burgess to gain some combat experience.He took out the Demon Binding Rope, accurately lassoed Burgess on the rooftop, and then pulled him to the ground.Burgess fell heavily to the ground, then stood up with a bewildered expression."Who did that!?" Burgess roared."It was me."Luke stood in front of Burgess. Burgess was more than half a head taller than Luke and several times more muscular."Chehahahaha!"Burgess laughed heartily: "You, fellow, I don't know how you pulled me down, but you should know what the consequences will be.""What consequences?" Luke was quite curious."That would be my Champion Elbow!"Burgess swung his elbow towards Luke.Luke extended his right hand and gripped Burgess's arm, immobilizing it."How is that possible!" Burgess looked at Luke in astonishment.Burgess's muscles began to bulge as he used all his might to compete with Luke in strength.Passersby on the street all watched, gazing at this battle with a huge size difference, and a result that was even more surprising."That scrawny guy actually caught the Fighting Champion's attack!""No way, that's unbelievable!"Burgess roared: "Ah!~~"The ground cracked, but Luke still stood there, not pushed an inch.Then, Luke grabbed Burgess's arm, stepped forward with his left foot, and used his right hand to deliver an over-the-shoulder throw, slamming Burgess hard onto the ground.Luke clapped his hands: "The Fighting Champion is nothing special."
Chapter 87 One after another, Blackbeard attacksChapter 87: One After Another, Blackbeard AttacksAfter knocking Burgess to the ground, Luke was about to leave.Unexpectedly, Burgess grabbed Luke's ankle."What do you want to do?" Luke asked, turning his head.Burgess lay on the ground, blood at the corner of his mouth, but still smiled and said, "You are strong, but our battle is not over yet!"With that, a powerful force erupted from Burgess's body, and he grabbed Luke's ankle, flinging Lukeaway.Luke spun in the air, crashed through a wall, then grabbed bricks on the wall to stabilize his body."It seems if I don't thoroughly defeat you, you won't give up," Luke said."Zehahahahaha, I am the Fighting Champion!" Burgess stood up and laughed loudly.This time, Luke attacked first, a simple punch imbued with Armament Haki coming at Burgess's face."Powerful Punch!"Burgess threw a punch with his thick right hand, and it collided with Luke's fist.According to Burgess's previous battles, he had always had absolute dominance in strength, but today he had met his match.The moment their fists collided, Burgess heard the sound of bones shattering, and they were his own bones.Luke's punch sent Burgess flying, spinning thousands of degrees in the air, crashing through three houses before finally stopping, his arm rendered useless.This scene left the onlookers speechless."This guy is so strong!""Which Pirate crew is he from?""I don't know."The onlookers discussed animatedly.Some people pulled out old wanted posters and saw Luke's bounty, "Lightning Hammer Luke, bounty of twenty million Berries."These were old bounties; after Alabasta, it had already been updated to eighty million Berries, but they didn't know that yet.This time, Burgess was completely knocked out. Luke turned to leave.Just then, a keen intuition told Luke that his life was in danger.Luke's head shifted slightly to the left, and a bullet flew past Luke's hair, leaving a bloody scratch on Luke's ear.There was no need to guess who it was; it was Van Auger, the Blackbeard Pirates' sniper.Luke looked around but did not find Van Auger's figure. Based on the bullet's trajectory, Luke could only roughly determine Van Auger's position.This town was not large, and moving in the opposite direction of the bullet in a short time still offered a good chance of finding Van Auger.Luke immediately moved quickly along the trajectory's direction. He had to find and deal with Van Auger; being targeted by a sniper was not a good thing.At this moment, another bullet shot over. Lukecouldn't dodge in time and was hit in the shoulder.Luke dug the bullet out of his arm with his finger, then took a pill to heal his injuries. The wound began to heal at a visible rate.Based on the trajectories of the two bullets, Lukehad accurately located Van Auger's position.It was about five hundred meters from here; at full sprint, he could reach it in less than ten seconds.Luke's figure swiftly moved through the town. When he was about a hundred meters from Van Auger, a fatal bullet flew over.Luke, who did not yet have Observation Haki, failed to dodge this bullet, and it accurately struck Luke's heart."Fate Coin effect triggered, resisting one fatal injury. Can resist one more!"With the Fate Coin effect triggered, Luke was completely unharmed and had already spotted Van Auger's figure.Van Auger was also astonished. He had clearly hit the heart, so why hadn't this guy fallen?Despite his shock, Van Auger, relying on his strong mental fortitude, aimed his rifle at Luke again.Just as Van Auger was about to pull the trigger, Luke's foot, imbued with Armament Haki, blocked Van Auger's muzzle.The bullet hit Luke's foot, causing Luke to feel a slight pain, but the bullet did not penetrate the Armament Haki."Do you know what happens to a sniper when a warrior gets close?" Luke asked Van Auger.Van Auger swallowed, cold sweat beading on his forehead: "It clearly hit his heart, why?""Asking that shows you're thinking too small!"Luke exerted force with his right foot and kicked Van Auger's sniper rifle, breaking it.Then, Luke grabbed Van Auger's head with his right hand and slammed him hard into the ground.Van Auger's head collided with the ground, creating a large crater.Van Auger's aiming scope was shattered, all his teeth were broken, and he lay unconscious in the large crater."Wasting one Fate Coin effect, I wonder if it was worth it," Luke muttered.However, in that moment of life and death, Luke had a glimmer of understanding regarding Observation Haki. Although not fully mature, it was like opening the door to Observation Haki, which was a comfort to Luke."Zehahahahaha, what's this? Such a formidable guy has appeared here!"A demonic laugh sounded in Luke's ears as Blackbeard appeared at a nearby intersection.He was a burly middle-aged man with several missing teeth, a rugged appearance, dense body hair, and a strong physique. His skin was reddish-brown, his hair black and fluffy, and he wore a bandana.He wore two necklaces around his neck, bracelets on both wrists, and various styles of jeweled rings on all ten fingers. Three flintlock pistols were tucked into his left waist, and a bottle of strong rum was tucked into his right. He wore a white shirt, habitually unbuttoned.One after another, Blackbeard Pirates members appeared, a situation Luke had not anticipated."Do you want to avenge your companion?"Luke looked at this major boss from the story, his fighting spirit soaring. Since this was the case, evasion was useless.He might as well have a fight. If he was lucky, he could take down Blackbeard and bring an early end to the Pirate King saga.Then he would find a peaceful haven to live out his golden years."Zehahahahaha, good skills. Do you want to become my companion?"Blackbeard wasn't angry; instead, he extended an olive branch to Luke."No interest," Luke directly refused."Let's conquer the world together. I've already planned the path to domination. The old era is over, and I will become the Pirate King! First, I'll capture a world-renowned pirate and offer him as a gift to Marine Headquarters!" Blackbeard declared domineeringly."I'm honored to receive your appreciation and for you to tell me your plan, but I've already decided to let someone else become the Pirate King. You should step aside!" Luke said."Someone else? Zehahahahaha, in that case, we are destined to be enemies. To prevent you from growing strong enough to hinder my plan, I can only eliminate you here!"If he couldn't have it, he would kill it. Beneath his rough exterior lay soaring ambition and a cruel, bloodthirsty nature, willing to stop at nothing to achieve his goals."It seems I am an insurmountable chasm on your path to greatness," Luke said, and flames rose around him.Blackbeard chuckled, and black mist enveloped his body.
Chapter 88 Dark FruitChapter 88: Dark-Dark FruitWatching the flames rise from Luke's body, Blackbeard thought of Ace."Flame ability, what exactly is the difference between yours and Ace's?""There are many differences, you need to experience them firsthand," Luke said."Zehahahahaha, you can't win. The most ferocious power in Devil Fruit history is this one, the Logia-type Dark-Dark Fruit. I am a Dark Human. I'll show you how strong this power is right now."Blackbeard's hands glowed with black mist, and then he slammed his palm into the ground. The black mist began to rapidly spread across Mock Town.This move was called Black Hole, using the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit to release darkness over a wide area on the ground. Anyone or anything touched by the darkness would be absorbed, pulled down, compressed, and crushed. It was like a small black hole, and its range was very wide.As Blackbeard was casting Black Hole, Lukeunleashed a Fire Fist.If so many people in the town were sucked in, it would be over. Besides, Robin and Nami were shopping in this town, and he couldn't let them be affected.The surging flames reached Blackbeard, interrupting his Black Hole spell.Immediately after, Blackbeard used the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit to envelop the surging flames, devouring them completely."Darkness can swallow everything, be it bullets, swords, punches, or flames. Unlike you, my body absorbs several times more pain than an ordinary person, but in exchange for this risk, I can absorb something else: Dark Water!"With that, dark energy burst forth from Blackbeard's hand.The Dark Water skill uses the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit to pull the opponent towards him. When it comes into contact with an ability user, their Devil Fruit power will be nullified. It can also absorb fruit attacks, but only small-scale ones.A powerful gravitational pull sucked Luke's body towards him.Blackbeard's thick hand grabbed Luke's neck, looking confident of victory.Blackbeard lifted Luke into the air."Cough cough!"Luke coughed twice, feeling some difficulty breathing and a slight catch in his throat."How is it? You've noticed it, haven't you? Your abilities have disappeared, you can't use your Devil Fruit powers anymore, Zehahahahaha!" Blackbeardlaughed maniacally."Noticed what, exactly? Besides a slight catch in my throat, I don't feel anything else!" Luke said calmly.Luke's answer greatly surprised Blackbeard."Impossible! You're still talking tough even on the verge of death! The other thing my Dark-Dark Fruitcan absorb is the power of Devil Fruits! That means when I touch your body, the ability user cannot use any of their powers—Logia, Zoan, Paramecia. All the strong individuals in this world who are overly confident in their abilities, I have obtained an attack power that they cannot defend against! Nothing can escape the darkness's gravity!" Blackbeard declared."I'm sorry, but the Dark-Dark Fruit doesn't seem to suppress my abilities much."Luke grabbed Blackbeard's arm, and soaring flames erupted from his gauntlet, scorching Blackbeard's face and enveloping his entire body.The intense pain made Blackbeard release his right hand, and he rolled on the ground, trying to extinguish the flames on his body.How could Luke let him have his way? He aimed both gauntlets at Blackbeard, who was rolling on the ground, and the flames relentlessly roasted him.A faint smell of burnt meat gradually emanated from Blackbeard."Barbecue, not bad. Full speed ahead!"The flames in Luke's hands grew thicker again, roasting Blackbeard's entire body."It hurts, it hurts, ah!~~~"Blackbeard's continuous screams of agony came from within the flames."You dared to choke my neck? Watch me roast you into a duck neck!"Luke quietly squatted beside Blackbeard, carrying out his barbecue plan.The Dark-Dark Fruit's doubled pain brought a different kind of pleasure to the barbecue, allowing him to hear Blackbeard's miserable screams.After roasting him for a full ten minutes, Lukeextinguished the flames.Blackbeard's health bar was too long. Although his pathetic screams indicated he was in great pain, most of the elemental damage was absorbed by the Dark-Dark Fruit.Luke watched from the side. During this interval, Blackbeard continuously rolled his body, extinguishing the flames on him. He was drenched in sweat, his body had shrunk significantly, and he had consumed a lot of energy; his big belly was gone."Why? Why can an ability user touched by the Dark-Dark Fruit still release flames?!" Blackbeard asked, gasping for breath."I told you, your Dark-Dark Fruit has nothing to do with me; it can't interfere with my abilities," Lukeshrugged."Damn it, did I miss something? Or is there a type of Devil Fruit that isn't countered by the Dark-Dark Fruit?" Blackbeard began to doubt his life."You're right, you did miss something. There's a real Devil Fruit Encyclopedia that records higher-level Devil Fruits. I told you to read more, but you had to go and become a pirate," Luke said.Luke was, of course, making things up. Whether Blackbeard believed him or not was up to him. His main goal was to shatter Blackbeard's worldview and make him doubt himself."A real Devil Fruit Encyclopedia? Then what you ate must be the higher-level Mera Mera no Mi recorded in the real encyclopedia, which isn't countered by the Dark-Dark Fruit. No wonder your ability is the same as Ace's. If that's the case, there should also be a higher-level Dark-Dark Fruit, which would then be able to counter all ability users. Damn it, I should have eaten the advanced Dark-Dark Fruit!"Blackbeard angrily punched the ground, actually believing it."That's right, the real Devil Fruit Encyclopedia is in the hands of someone named Imu. You can capture him and interrogate him."Flames began to surge in Luke's hands.Blackbeard wiped the sweat from his forehead, watching Luke warily as if facing a formidable enemy.The ten minutes of barbecue hell had left Blackbeard with lingering fear.The advantage of countering all Devil Fruit users was completely gone in front of Luke, making Blackbeard feel immense pressure, a situation he had never imagined."We don't need to end up hurting each other. If we work together, the world will be ours!" Blackbeardsaid."I'm not interested in the world; I'm only interested in farming."Luke strode towards Blackbeard."It seems there's no room for discussion. Today, it's either you or I!"Blackbeard shouted and used Dark Water again, repeating his old trick.The powerful gravitational pull made Luke's body involuntarily fly towards Blackbeard.Just as he was about to reach Blackbeard, Blackbeard pulled out the pistol from his waist and fired several shots at Luke."Taste my Sea Stone bullets, the bane of all ability users, Zehahahaha..."Before he could finish speaking, Luke kicked Blackbeard in the cheek, knocking him to the ground.His right hand, imbued with Armament Haki, loosened, and three Sea Stone bullets fell out of it.Blackbeard lay on the ground, looking at Luke in fear."Wait, you're lying to me! Sea Stone doesn't affect you either! You're not an ability user, you haven't eaten a Devil Fruit at all!" Blackbeard finally understood."You have two choices: either call me grandpa and leave, or die here!"Luke took out the Hero's Sword and placed it on Blackbeard's neck.
Chapter 89 Break Your Arm"Grandpa... Grandpa!" Blackbeard said, humiliated, as he lay there."Louder! Didn't you eat?" Luke never expected that there would be a day when Blackbeard would call him grandpa."Grandpa..."Blackbeard paused, then said, "Go to hell!"Facing Luke, who was within arm's reach, Blackbeard launched a sneak attack.His sharp nails grazed Luke's calf, leaving three bloody scratches."Holy crap!"Luke delivered a kick, sending Blackbeard flying into the sky, then threw the Demon Binding Rope to pull him back in front of him."The scar on Red Hair's face, that was from a sneak attack like this, wasn't it?" Luke asked.At this moment, Blackbeard was dizzy and couldn't hear what Luke was saying."I thought your physical combat was amazing. You injured Red Hair over ten years ago, and now he's one of the Four Emperors. If you had that ability, you wouldn't have to wait for two Devil Fruits, would you?" Luke backhanded, grabbing Blackbeard's neck and lifting him into the air."Why do you know I want two Devil Fruits?" Blackbeard asked in a hoarse voice."There's a book called Pirate King that Imu has; it can see the future," Luke said.With that, Luke took out the Hero's Sword: "As a gift for your defeat today, it's not too much to cut off one of your arms, is it!""What!?" Blackbeard frantically tried to escape, but his body was bound by the Demon Binding Rope, making it impossible to break free for a while."You wasted one of my Fate Coins, BlackbeardTeach!" Luke grinned, raising the Hero's Sword and slashing towards Blackbeard's right arm."Ah!"With a scream, Blackbeard's right arm was severed by the Hero's Sword.Seeing Blackbeard clutching his arm and wailing on the ground, Luke covered his forehead and burst into laughter: "Ze ha ha ha ha ha, this demonic laughter is quite addictive, ze ha ha ha ha ha!""Goodbye, Blackbeard. I look forward to our next meeting!"Luke waved his hand and walked towards the Going Merry.He left Blackbeard clutching his right arm, gasping for breath on the spot.Blackbeard watched Luke's receding figure and let out a long sigh: "I escaped death!"Blackbeard limped to his feet, using his sole left arm to support Van Auger, and walked in another direction.Anger and unwillingness filled Blackbeard's heart; he was determined to become stronger and then defeat Luke.Seeing Blackbeard's stubborn retreating figure, Lukegave a wicked smile. This was going to be interesting.Soon after, Luke returned to the Going Merry, having bought some fruit along the way.Back on the ship, he saw Zoro looking dejected, covered in bruises, and Luffy was the same, with several injuries on him.Seeing this, Luke knew that they had been beaten up by Bellamy of the Hyena Pirates in the tavern. For some reason, Luffy chose not to fight back, and Zoro followed suit, not retaliating. Both of them were beaten for nothing, and Nami was present at the time."You're all making me so mad! What the heck? Damn it, a man should beat back guys who come looking for trouble! No, we should beat this irritating town, people and all, into oblivion!" Nami couldn't understand Luffy and Zoro's actions at all.Zoro said, "What did you say earlier?""Earlier was earlier! If you bring up 'earlier' again, I'll hit you!" Nami said angrily, pointing at Zoro.Usopp looked calm: "Why is someone who's completely unharmed so angry? Oh, where did Lukego just now?"Nami said wildly, "He went to fight! And he fought three people! I only found out by asking passersby! None of you three give me a moment's peace! It's infuriating!""Oh? So that black mist in town just now must have been related to Xiao," Usopp said.Luke stretched: "I met a tricky guy. We'll meet again in the future.""Nani nani, was he a strong guy?" Luffy asked curiously."It was Blackbeard Teach, the one Ace is looking for," Luke said."Blackbeard Teach!"Everyone was shocked."So where is he?" Sanji asked."I cut off one of his arms!" Luke shrugged."Demon!" Usopp exclaimed."Butcher!" Chopper said.Luffy chuckled, "It's fine, Ace will catch him.""By the way, have you heard any news about Sky Island?" Chopper asked.Nami looked gloomy: "Who knows about such a crazy thing? The whole store burst into laughter when I mentioned Sky Island, as if I said something hilarious. What was so funny?"Usopp was already so shaken by Nami's Haki that he feigned unconsciousness, and Chopper also used his Fur Guard.Just then, Robin walked onto the ship, carrying a briefcase."Why is it so lively? What's everyone so excited about?" Robin asked as she walked.Seeing Robin, Sanji waved continuously: "Robin-chan, welcome back! Would you like to eat first or take a bath first?"Luffy asked, "Robin, where did you go?"Robin picked up the bag in her hand: "I went to buy clothes, and also to gather information about Sky Island. Here, Captain."Robin raised her right hand, and a map appeared before Luffy."A map of where?" Usopp leaned closer."Of this island. The small town on the left of the map is Mock Town, where we are now. Across from it, do you see that 'X' mark? I heard that an eccentric old man, Montblanc Cricket, lives there, someone rejected by the people of Jaya Island for talking too much about dreams. We should be able to get along with him."After Robin finished speaking, she walked back to her cabin."Then let's go see him," Luffy said, looking at the map.Usopp said, "Hey, Luffy, wait a minute. It's best to be careful now, right, Chopper!"Usopp looked at Chopper, only to find that Chopperhad jumped into the sea.Chopper, terrified by Nami's formidable pressure, had jumped into the sea and was then pulled back by Luke using the Demon Binding Rope."What are you doing?" Usopp asked, looking at Chopper in confusion.Chopper lay there, still shaken: "I thought I was going to die! It's all Nami's fault!""What's wrong? What did I do now? Do you want to call me naive and stupid too?" Nami was already furious."Ah!" Chopper was nearly scared to death.The Going Merry began to head towards the island opposite Mock Town.Halfway through their journey, they encountered another strange pirate ship.The Masira Pirates appeared before them. Their leader somewhat resembled Shoujou, the Salvage King."Why do we keep running into these weirdos as soon as we set sail? But it doesn't seem to be the same guy as before," Luffy said."What are you guys blabbering about on that ship? Seriously, I thought it was someone important; you had me worried for a moment." A guy resembling a gorilla appeared at the bow of the ship.This guy was the Captain of the Masira Pirates, and the brother of the previous Shoujou. He admired Montblanc Noland from a fairy tale book and followed Montblanc Cricket. His appearance matched his name, but he was human.
Chapter 90 Rolando's StoryChapter 90: The Story of RolandPlot Recap: After fighting Blackbeard and severing one of his arms, Luke set sail for the opposite side of Mock Town and encountered the Masira Pirates."Your facial features are really unique, what kind of species are you?" Luffy asked in surprise when he saw the Masira Pirates' eccentric captain."Human, you idiot!" Masira said angrily."You're too presumptuous! We are the MasiraPirates! Don't you know the great name of Masira-sama, the King of Underwater Exploration?!""You'd better not provoke our Big Boss!"The Masira Pirates' crew members said indignantly.Masira didn't pay much attention to these comments: "It's fine, it's fine. It looks like you're pirates too. Then you should know that ShichibukaiCrocodile has been captured. In terms of strength, I'm not beneath him. Who knows, one day I might take his place. I'm already eagerly awaiting that moment.""If I have any special skill, it's that I haven't cut my hair in 25 years since I was born. How about it, aren't you surprised?"This Masira was only 25 years old, but he looked 50. His long green hair dragged on the ground like a mop."How stupid!" Luffy said, picking his nose."You brat, how dare you disrespect the Big Boss!""It's fine, it's fine. Really, your answer is quite alarming. Listen, if you dare to trespass into my sea territory, it will become a sea of blood!" Masira's face suddenly turned grim."Whatever, we have somewhere we want to go. Move aside quickly," Luffy said.Luffy barely paid attention to what Masira was saying.Masira was furious: "How presumptuous! This entire sea territory is under my control! If you want to pass, leave a toll first!""He sounds a lot like Shoujou," Usopp muttered, hiding behind Chopper.Hearing "Shoujou," Masira became interested: "Nani? Shoujou? What did you say about Shoujou?"Luffy said, with his hands on his hips: "He was just kicked away by us, but...""K-kicked away? Kicked away? You dare to treat my brother like that? Shoujou's enemies are my enemies!"As he spoke, Masira pulled out his microphone."Sonic Wave, Destructive Roar!"Masira began to sing loudly into the microphone.Whether it was good sound effects or Haki mixed in with the sound waves, these sound waves shook the Masira Pirates' crew members one by one, even shattering the ship's planks.Several seconds later, the sound waves finally reached the Going Merry; it was an inexplicable and strange sonic wave.This kind of 'lion's roar' that harms the enemy zero and damages oneself a thousand times over, probably no one would want to learn."Quick, sail the Going Merry away, get away from the sound waves!" Luke reminded.Since escaping Alabasta last time, many parts of the Going Merry were damaged and couldn't withstand such abuse.Under Nami's command, the Going Merry moved away from the Masira Pirates, and they didn't pursue.Luffy, under Usopp's guidance, helped repair the ship, but with one hammer blow, he knocked a large hole in the ship.Usopp roared: "You idiot, are you trying to fix it or destroy it?!"Luffy said: "No, I really intend to fix it!"After saying that, Luffy struck with the hammer again, knocking another large hole in the Going Merry.Luffy was completely the Going Merry's destroyer.Usopp no longer dared to let Luffy repair the ship, snatching the hammer and going to repair the ship himself.The Going Merry turned and sailed eastward, finally reaching the X marked on the map."Montblanc Cricket, that dreamer lives here, right?" Nami said.On the shore, everyone saw a magnificent castle, which was Kurikake's home, like a palace."That guy named Montblanc Cricket is really rich!" Usopp exclaimed.Luke said: "Open your eyes wide and see clearly."Sanji, with a cigarette in his mouth, said: "Calling him a 'dreamer' sounds nice, but he's just someone who cares about appearances."It turned out to be just a large board with a painting on it.Behind the board was a dilapidated small house."It's just a board!" Luffy said, disbelievingly, at this sight.Zoro said: "The real house is only a small part; the rest is plywood.""What dream did he proclaim that caused him to be exiled?" Nami asked Robin.Robin said: "I'm not entirely clear on the details, but it seems that guy claimed there was a huge pile of gold buried on this island of Jaya."Hearing "gold," Nami's eyes lit up, and she immediately went ashore, directing Chopper to dig with his antlers."Chopper, dig faster, there's gold!"Chopper believed her and earnestly dug with his antlers and hooves.Luffy walked directly to the door, opened it, and found no one inside.Nami found an old picture book on the wooden table at the door, titled "The Great Liar Roland."Sanji, who was from North Blue, knew this book."This is a very famous story in North Blue. Although it's a fairy tale, the protagonist Roland actually existed."Sanji told everyone the story of Roland.About 400 years ago, in a certain country in North Blue, there was a man named Montblanc Roland. He was an explorer who always told his adventure stories in a thrilling and exaggerated way. The villagers didn't know if what he said was true or false. One time, after Roland returned from an adventure, he immediately went to the palace to report something to the king, saying that he had seen mountains of gold piled up on an island in the Grand Line.To verify whether it was true or false, the king immediately led two thousand soldiers to the Grand Line. Along the way, they overcame storms and fought various monsters. In the end, only the king and the remaining 100 soldiers reached the golden island, but what the king and his men saw was an empty jungle.Roland was eventually executed by the king for deceiving the monarch. Before his death, Roland said, "I understand now, those mountains of gold sank into the sea." But the king and his men had long since stopped listening to him. No one believed Roland's words anymore. Roland continued to make up stories, trying to deceive the world until his dying breath, and the common people called him "The Great Liar Roland.""Poor liar, he died just like that," Nami sighed.At this moment, bubbles suddenly rose to the surface of the sea, and Luffy squatted there, staring intently.Montblanc Kurikake leaped out of the sea and, in one swift motion, pulled Luffy into the water."Who are you people? How dare you trespass into someone's home? This entire sea territory is my territory!"Montblanc Kurikake, with a cigarette in his mouth, watched everyone cautiously in a fighting stance.Seeing Luffy fall into the water, Sanji immediately rushed towards Kurikake: "Xiao, quickly pull Luffyout."Sanji and Kurikake then began to fight.Luke threw the Demon Binding Rope, dragging the drowning Luffy onto the shore.To defeat Sanji, Kurikake even pulled out a pistol and fired several shots, none of which hit.Just as Zoro was about to support Sanji, Kurikakeinexplicably fainted.
Chapter 91: Manly Montblanc KulikChapter 91: Montblanc Cricket, The ManKurikake, who had fainted, was helped onto the bed. According to Chopper's diagnosis, he had decompression sickness.When ascending from the seabed to the surface, due to pressure issues, a certain element originally dissolved in the blood cannot remain dissolved. In such a situation, bubbles form, causing damage to blood flow, muscles, and joints."In short, it's a strange phenomenon." Luffycategorized everything he didn't understand as a strange phenomenon.This meant that Kurikake's frequent diving led to the onset of this condition."Why is he pushing himself so hard?" Nami asked."Montblanc Noland, Montblanc Cricket. He is a descendant of Noland. Even if he doesn't fully believe it himself, he is a man who bets his life and fights against fate to prove the existence of the Golden City," Luke said."How do you know so much?" Nami exclaimed."Just a guess." Luke lit a cigarette and silently walked out of the room.As Luke exhaled a smoke ring, he saw Shoujou and Masira rushing over from not far away.Frightened, Luke immediately threw out a Demon Binding Rope, tripping them both to the ground."What are you doing running here?" Masira asked."What good things did you do to the boss?" Shoujousaid."We are taking care of the sick Kurikake. You two, get out of the way," Luke said indifferently.Usopp exclaimed, "Idiots! They'd never listen to you! Don't forget they're wild animals, wild animals! Everyone, escape through the window!"An unexpected situation occurred: Shoujou and Masira actually shed tears."Boo hoo hoo, you really are good people!" Shoujouand Masira said in unison."They actually believed him!" Usopp complained.Next, everyone got along well with Shoujou and Masira.The two of them explained their relationship with Kurikake. This house was the base of their Saruyama Alliance, but they usually slept on the ship; this room was too small for them, and they couldn't even fit through the door.After chatting for a while, Kurikake woke up."Uncle Diamond, I have something I want to ask you."Luffy called him that because Kurikake's head was shaped like a diamond.Luke was curious that Luffy even knew what a diamond shape was.Kurikake, who had just woken up, had a cigarette in his mouth, also an old smoker who never let go of his cigarettes."I've caused you trouble. I thought you were also treasure-hunting idiots deluding yourselves into finding gold. What do you want to ask me?""Uncle, we really want to go to Sky Island. Please tell us how to get there," Luffy said with an expectant face.Hearing the words Sky Island, Kurikake involuntarily smiled, and his smile turned into a loud, skyward laugh: "You really believe there's a Sky Island!"Hearing this laughter, Nami couldn't help but want to punch Kurikake, but Usopp held her back tightly.Mainly, Nami had been ridiculed by a group of people today at the bar when she asked about Sky Island, and Luffy and Zoro didn't fight back when they were beaten. Now Kurikake was still laughing, and Nami's temper flared up."Is there really no Sky Island, Uncle?" Luffy asked.Kurikake mused, "I don't know either, but I know someone who strongly believed in the existence of Sky Island. However, that person became a world-renowned great liar in legend, and his descendants will forever live with their heads bowed."Speaking of liars, Luffy looked at Usopp, as if asking if that person was him.When Usopp saw Luffy looking at him, he immediately explained, "It's not me, you idiot!""Anyone from North Blue should have heard this old fairy tale, 'Noland the Great Liar,'" Kurikake said."Huh!!!" Luffy looked at Usopp again."I told you it's not me! Our last names aren't even the same!" Usopp explained again.Kurikake explained to everyone that he was a descendant of Noland."He's my grandfather's grandfather's grandfather's grandfather. I don't know how far back, but it's a very distant and complicated relationship. At that time, the Montblanc family was exiled, living with their heads bowed, and they are still constantly cursed. But no one in our family hated him, because Noland was more honest than anyone else."Usopp said, "I get it! Uncle, you are determined to find the gold at the bottom of the sea to clear the Montblanc family's name!""Idiot! When did I ever say that!"Kurikake fired a shot at the nearby wall, scaring Usopp so much that his legs trembled."He has nothing to do with me! Just because I have some blood relation to that idiot, I was cursed by strangers. Can you understand the feelings of a wronged child? I grew up in such an environment!"After his outburst, Kurikake became calm again: "That's right, for these 400 years, countless people have gone to sea to find evidence to clear the Montblanc family's bad name, but in the end, they all went missing. I always felt ashamed to have such a family, so I ran away from home alone and became a pirate.""Actually, I didn't particularly want to be a pirate. The reason is simple: I just wanted to escape Noland's curse. Unconsciously, I also became the captain of a pirate crew and ventured into the Grand Line. Unexpectedly, 10 years ago, by chance, I came to this island. It felt like fate. I, the person in the Montblanc family who hated Noland the most, was the only one who reached this island. The island was just as depicted in the drawings, but there was no Golden Island. I couldn't help but feel that this was fate.""I can't run away anymore. Whether it exists or not, I'm not doing this to prove Noland's innocence. This is a duel with the man who disrupted my entire life. Before I die, I will get to the bottom of this."After hearing Kurikake's story, everyone was deeply moved, and Usopp was already crying profusely.As for why Shoujou and Masira became Kurikake's companions, the reason was simple: they were fans of that picture book."But what I want to know isn't this! What I'm asking is, I want to go to Sky Island, Uncle!" Luffyexclaimed.Kurikake took out a book, which was Noland's logbook, Noland's handwritten diary from 400 years ago.Kurikake turned to a page and asked Nami to read its contents."Sea Calendar 1120, June 21, clear weather. Set sail for the prosperous Vera Town. According to the Log Pose, after the ship departed from the port, it headed straight in the northeast-east direction. Today during the day, I bought a peculiar item from a passing boat seller. It's a single-person boat called a Waipa, shaped very much like a snowboard. It can ride the waves even on windless days. It's a truly marvelous little boat.""How interesting! I want one too!" Nami became very interested in the Waipa described in the diary."However, its power source seems to come only from Sky Island. I heard there are many strange things like this in the sky. My explorer friends even showed me lively Sky Fish. They were truly wonderful fish that amazed me. Although Sky Island is a new, unknown territory for us, as a sailor, I truly hope that one day I can also go to the Sky Sea and broaden my horizons.""He also mentioned the Sky Sea!" Nami said excitedly.While everyone was looking at the diary, Kurikakewalked out of the room and started talking to Shoujou and Masira."They seem to want to go to Sky Island no matter what," Kurikake said."There's only one way to get there," Masira said.Shoujou said, "But if they go by themselves, they'll surely die!""That's why I'm asking you two if you're willing to give them a hand!" Kurikake said.Chapter 92 BellamyChapter 92 BellamyKurikake called everyone outside; he had something to tell them."Listen carefully, all of you. I will now tell you everything I know about Sky Island. I can't guarantee its authenticity, so believe it or not as you wish," Kurikake said.Sometimes, strange phenomena occur in this sea area. It could be daytime, but in an instant, it would be enveloped in night, just like the situation they had encountered before.As for the truth behind the sudden arrival of night, it's due to an extremely thick layer of dark clouds called Cumulus Imperator. It's not a typical cumulonimbus cloud; it forms at high altitudes, and no matter how thick it accumulates, it won't generate air currents or turn into rain. Once Cumulus Imperator covers the sky, the clouds are so thick that even sunlight cannot penetrate, turning even the brightest day into night."Listen up. That's why I suspect, if Sky Island truly exists, the only possibility is up there," Kurikake said.Luffy stood up, a goofy smile on his face: "I see, I understand! We just need to go up to the clouds! Everyone, full rudder towards the clouds! Old man, thank you for telling us!"Luffy started gesticulating wildly."The problem is how to get there! How many times do I have to say it?!" Nami shouted, pointing at Luffy."The next part is the key. Don't say I didn't warn you, but you must be prepared to die. There's an upward-flowing ocean current. If you follow that current, it's like catching a ride to the sky, understand?" Kurikakesaid.Kurikake continued, "The upward-flowing current, to put it plainly, is a disaster. It's a natural killer that people usually avoid at all costs. As for its principle, it remains an unsolved mystery, and no one is foolish enough to risk their life investigating it. However, there is a conclusion: there's a large hollow in that sea area. Cold water entering a high-temperature hollow creates immense steam pressure, causing the current to erupt upwards into the sky.""The current will continue to ascend for about one minute. The eruption point is different each time, and it happens five times a month."Usopp asked, "Will we be smashed to pieces if we fall?""Who knows.""You mean, even if we catch that current, we might not reach Sky Island?""Exactly. It's success or death. Once you fall from the sky into the sea, everyone will just be buried at the bottom of the ocean!" Kurikake said indifferently.Hearing this, Usopp looked shocked: "Alright, everyone, give up on Sky Island!"Luffy, however, was very happy to hear it, grinning non-stop: "It's fine, let's go!"Looking at the Going Merry, its damage was already quite high; it couldn't take much more abuse."Given the condition of that ship, even in brand-new condition, it would be difficult to escape safely. Considering speed, weight, and strength, the current's impact would likely disintegrate the hull. But you don't need to worry about that; Shoujou and Masira will accompany you to sea as escorts. Of course, preliminary reinforcement work on the ship is also necessary," Kurikake said."Leave this matter to us!" Shoujou and Masira said.They could stay on Jaya Island for one more day at most. After one day, the Log Pose would no longer point to Sky Island but to the next island.So, all preparations had to be made within one day.Coincidentally, there would be an upward current phenomenon tomorrow at noon.Evening had already arrived, and Sanji had prepared a lavish dinner.A small banquet was held in Kurikake's room.Sanji's cooking was beyond words; everyone ate and drank heartily, having a wonderful time.During the pleasant banquet, Kurikake spoke about the contents of his diary."Upon reaching that island, we heard strange bird calls from the forest, and a very loud, truly enormous bell. It was a giant pure golden bell, and its chimes echoed across the land and through the clouds, as if an ancient capital of old was boasting of its past prosperity."The civilization nurtured by the vast sea over a long period ultimately could not withstand the passage of time.Kurikake took out three small golden bells: "These are just bell-shaped castings. We found three of these at the bottom of the sea."Shoujou also took out a small golden bird casting.Speaking of birds, they had to find a South Bird. It had a type of magnetism within its body that could guide them in the correct direction of the current.In the middle of the night, everyone prepared to set off for the forest to search for the South Bird.Luke, however, told Luffy to stay here, because Bellamy would be arriving soon, saving them the trouble of having Luffy go find them later."Why? I want to go on an adventure in the forest, an adventure, to find the South Bird!" Luffy complained."Enemies will come soon. You need to protect the old man. We're going to find the South Bird, got it?" Luke said."Luffy, you're staying here this time!" Nami said."I want to find the South Bird, the bird!" Luffydrooped his ears, looking unwilling."Enemies? Then I'll stay here. I'll cut down however many come!" Zoro said."Alright, Zoro, then you stay here. I'm going to find the South Bird!" Luffy cheered and ran out.Everyone looked helpless and finally decided to leave Zoro alone to protect Kurikake.After walking for a while, Luke returned the way he came. There wasn't much point in looking for birds at night anyway. He decided to check on Zoro and Kurikake.As Luke returned near Kurikake's house, he saw the Hyena Pirate Crew's ship docked at the entrance from afar.The Hyena Pirate Crew, Zoro, Kurikake, Shoujou, and Masira were in a standoff."I advise you not to provoke us brothers!" Masirasaid."You guys aren't here to loot gold under the cover of night, are you? Little runts, go home!" Shoujousqueezed his fists.Bellamy burst into laughter: "You're the guard monkeys, and that green-haired swordsman who took a beating without fighting back earlier today! And I didn't expect you to be here too, Kurikake. I heard your Mont Blanc family's tragic story at the bar; it's truly touching. But snatching the treasure you risked your life for, that's a different kind of pleasure!"After saying that, Bellamy took off his jacket and licked his lips with his long tongue.Then Bellamy's calves transformed into springs."Spring Snipe!"Bellamy flew out at an extremely fast speed, punching Shoujou in the back. Masira was knocked down with one hit.Then Bellamy bounced off Shoujou, punching Masira and knocking him down.In a flash, he landed again, bounced up, and punched towards Kurikake.Just then, Zoro acted, blocking Bellamy's attack with wado ichimonji.Zoro looked at Bellamy with a grim expression.Bellamy licked his tongue: "Hey, hey, you're the swordsman who took a beating without fighting back this afternoon, hahahaha! It would be a miracle if a good-for-nothing like you could fight! You were beaten to a pulp this afternoon, and now you want to protect others, you coward!"
Chapter 93 Heading towards the skyChapter 93: Setting Off for the Sky"I haven't even settled scores with you for what happened during the day, and you've come looking for trouble yourself," Zoro said coldly."You don't really think you can beat me, do you, coward! But I won't give you another chance to say such arrogant things!"After Bellamy finished speaking, his calves transformed into springs, and he began bouncing around."No matter how much you struggle, you can't escape the power of my Spring-Spring Fruit. Are those people your friends? You and that weird old man, the ape brothers, are indeed laughable sorts. You treat the ramblings of a 400-year-old ancestor as treasure, you utterly stupid fools. To hell with your Golden City, to hell with your Sky Island. The era of pipe dreams has long passed. Such disgrace to pirates should be publicly beheaded!" Bellamyroared.Zoro stood there, staring straight ahead, calmly watching Bellamy bounce back and forth, not even blinking."Spring Snipe!"Bellamy charged at Zoro like a cannonball."One Sword Style, Lion's Song!"A flash of cold light, and Zoro streaked past Bellamy.Bellamy gushed blood, a large gash on his front, and fell to the ground unconscious.Zoro, meanwhile, stood there unharmed."Hey, stop joking, Bellamy. You're messing with us, right? Say something!" Sarquiss of the Hyena Pirates couldn't believe what he was seeing.Just this afternoon, they had humiliated this swordsman and the Straw Hat fellow, and now the swordsman had killed him in one strike.Bellamy lay there, eyes rolled back, blood continuously flowing."Bellamy, get up! Keep performing your special move, Bellamy!" Sarquiss shouted.Unfortunately, Bellamy could no longer get up.Zoro pointed his sword at the other members of the Hyena Pirates: "Come at me, all of you!"With that, Zoro put wado ichimonji in his mouth, drew Sandai Kitetsu and Yukihira, and charged into the Hyena Pirates."Ah!~~"Sarquiss was the first to fall, cut down immediately.Seeing their captain and second-in-command defeated, the others began to flee in a panic.Before long, Zoro had dealt with most of them.The members of the Hyena Pirates lay scattered on the ground, groaning.Kurikake was shocked by Zoro's combat power."You scoundrels, you have no right to trample on others' dreams!"Zoro sheathed his swords, his handsome posture in the Moonlight surely captivating countless young girls.Luke walked out of the forest at this moment."Did you find the South Birds?" Zoro asked.Luke shook his head: "I went halfway and didn't feel like going anymore.""You, you really hit the nail on the head. I'm curious whether you're an Appraiser or a fortune teller," Zoro grumbled."An Appraiser with a touch of fortune-telling, known in the Jianghu (jianghu) as the Pirate Jack-of-all-trades!" Luke said."Don't get too cocky. How do we deal with these guys?" Zoro asked.Looking at the fallen pirates, none of them were killed, at most severely injured. Zoro hadn't gone for the kill."Cut them up and throw them into the sea," Lukeshrugged."You're a devil, aren't you!" Zoro grumbled.An hour later, Luffy and the others returned."I brought the South Birds back, hehe. Huh!? Xiao, didn't you say someone would come here to steal the gold? Where are they?"Luffy looked around but didn't see anyone else.Luke stretched: "Zoro chased them away!""Oh, I see, hehe. The magical bird has been found, let's set off for Sky Island!" Luffy cheered, raising his arm.Nami said: "It's tomorrow noon, you idiot!"Sanji took a drag from his cigarette and walked towards the room: "Let's get some rest early, I'm a bit tired.""Me too."After playing in the forest for so long, Chopper was also very tired.Everyone returned to their rooms to rest and recuperate, preparing for the next day.The next morning, Luke woke up naturally.Outside, the sun was bright. He was the third to last to wake up; Luffy and Zoro were still sound asleep."Luffy, wake up, it's time to set sail!" Sanji said as he entered the bedroom.Luffy bit Zoro's arm fiercely, muttering, "Meat, meat!"Zoro was startled awake by the sharp pain and kicked Luffy off the bed and outside."That's my arm, you idiot!" Zoro said, exasperated.Luffy groggily got up from the ground: "It's morning! Right, Sky Island, Sky Island! Let's go to Sky Island!"What surprised everyone the most was that the Going Merry had been repaired and modified by Kurikake, Shoujou, and Masira.Wings were added to both sides of the hull, the hull was reinforced, and a rooster comb was added to the sheep's head, turning it into a chicken head."Amazing!"Luffy was astonished to see the Going Merrylooking so cool.Usopp pointed at the going merry and introduced: "This is the going merry's flying equipment, isn't it great!"Nami, however, looked worried: "The more I look at it, the more uneasy I feel!"Zoro crossed his arms: "That is to say, it shouldn't be a chicken head; it should be a pigeon head. Pigeons fly better than chickens, right?"Zoro was not very satisfied with the Going Merry's chicken head design."Who's talking about that, you idiot!" Nami felt like she and Zoro were on different wavelengths."Alright, we're setting sail! Are you ready, brothers?" Usopp said.On both sides of the Going Merry, the Saruyama Alliance was ready for action. Their mission today was to escort the Going Merry onto the Knock Up Stream.Kurikake watched the Straw Hat Crew board the ship, many scenes of being ridiculed flashing through his mind. His gaze then became very firm."Saruyama Alliance, you must not be careless. Even if the sky falls, we must escort these guys all the way!""Hoo!" the Saruyama Alliance responded in unison.Nami smiled: "Everyone, let's go!"Luke and Sanji pulled up the anchor, and the Going Merry sailed in the direction the South Birds indicated.Kurikake chose to stay on the small island and await good news from them."Little brothers, we say goodbye here, but there's one thing you must understand: the Golden Bell and Sky Island, no one has ever been able to prove they don't exist. Perhaps some people will laugh at me, saying this is twisted logic I've made up, but what's wrong with that? This is a man's romance," Kurikakesaid."Romance!" Luffy said."Exactly. Be careful not to fall from the sky!"Luffy chuckled innocently: "Bye-bye, diamond-faced uncle!""Thank you for your care, Mr. Kurikake!" Nami said.The ship sailed out of the island, heading in the designated direction.It was 7 AM. By this calculation, they would reach the vicinity of that current at 11 AM.After three hours of sailing."Boss, bad news! The Cumuloregalis is coming from the southwest!" a crew member of the ShoujouPirates reported.The Cumuloregalis arrived earlier than expected.Shoujou and Masira immediately dispatched their deep-sea divers to explore the location of the current.Masira took out a microphone and sang a song, and sound waves quickly spread.A deep-sea diver surfaced: "Reflected waves confirmed! A large current has appeared at 12 o'clock!"Another deep-sea diver said: "A giant creature was detected at 9 o'clock, it should be Sea Kings.""At 10 o'clock, there are waves opposite to the current. It's likely a giant whirlpool!""That's it! Turn the rudder to 10 o'clock!" Shoujoushouted.