Chapter 74: Pineapple Island AnecdotesBefore the night's veil was fully torn, the dark blue sky only showed a sliver of pale white in the east; the going merry glided slowly across the calm sea like a light leaf.The boys' quarters below deck were still bathed in darkness, with only the faint light leaking in from the portholes barely outlining the objects within.Two masts hung from the ceiling, supporting two swaying hammocks—The one on top belonged to Luffy; the boy was sprawled on it, limbs dangling haphazardly, with a thread of shiny drool hanging from the corner of his mouth, perhaps dreaming of a table full of meat.The hammock below was Usopp's; he lay in a spread-eagle position, hands folded over his stomach, breathing steadily, but the tip of his nose was being gently squeezed by a hand hanging down from above—That was Luffy's hand; as the hammock swayed, he would unconsciously give it a couple of pinches, causing Usopp to frown slightly, though he didn't wake up.On the floor beneath the hammocks lay a thick white wool blanket, where Zoro and Sanji were lying like a pair of sulking children.Zoro used his three katanas as a pillow, feet pointing south and brow slightly furrowed, as if he were still practicing his swordsmanship in his dreams.Sanji had two buttons on his collar loosened, feet pointing north and a faint smile on his lips; he was likely dreaming of Nami or Robin.Yet, by chance, their heads were extremely close, their noses just millimeters from touching, to the point where they could feel each other's breath.Despite their 'never to associate with each other' stance, the air was thick with a strange, awkward tension.On the sofa in the corner of the room, Chopper was curled into a small ball, a cream-colored blanket covering most of his body, leaving only the tips of his furry ears twitching slightly with his breath.On the coffee table next to the sofa was a mini nest folded from a gray blanket, and inside was a translucent slime—That was Mark's mini form; his 'body' was sunk into the soft fur, occasionally wriggling slightly.On the quiet deck, Nami was wrapped in a thick gray blanket, curled up on the floorboards.The sea breeze carried a chill, and she pulled the blanket tighter until a piercing light suddenly broke through the sky—The sun was about to rise in the east. Namiinstinctively squinted and raised her hand to block the light, but a dark shadow suddenly caught her eye through the gaps in her fingers.Not far away on the sea, a rounded giant was floating, its back high and arched, looking exactly like a whale lying in the ocean!As a navigator, the excitement of discovering a new island instantly washed away her fatigue.Nami sat up abruptly, rubbed her eyes, and looked again—yes, it was an island! She practically jumped up and shouted toward the lower deck:"Everyone wake up! There's a new island!"As soon as her voice fell, Luffy on the hammock was the first to react. Still dazed and without opening his eyes, he only heard the words 'new island' and instinctively pulled his hand back—this movement was quite forceful.The hand that had been gripping Usopp's nose pulled the man up by his nose and head!"Ow—! Luffy, let go! My nose is going to be ripped off!"Usopp was instantly jolted awake by the pain, tears welling in his eyes as his hands flailed to pull Luffy's hand away, making the hammock creak loudly.Sanji on the floor was also woken up by the noise; in his daze, he only caught the word 'Nami' and became mostly awake instantly.He closed his eyes and puckered his lips, leaning toward the side with a voice as sweet as syrup:"Nami-san~ Good morning! How about a passionate morning kiss~"As he leaned in close, Zoro next to him also woke up. Zoro was already sensitive to movement, and upon opening his eyes, he saw an enlarged, oily face leaning in with puckered lips—who else could it be but Sanji?His pupils constricted in shock, and without thinking, he raised his hand and shoved Sanji's face away with enough force to make Sanji cry out in pain.Sanji finally opened his eyes fully, and seeing it was Zoro, the smile on his face froze instantly as he recoiled in disgust: "What the hell are you doing?!""You're the one!" Zoro sat up as well, rubbing the hand that had been brushed by Sanji's hair, his face full of loathing. "It's a bad omen to see your shitty cook face first thing in the morning!""What did you say? Say that again, Marimo!" Sanjiinstantly bristled."So what if I said it?" Zoro wasn't to be outdone, his hand reaching out to pull at Sanji's mouth.Just as the two were about to start a brawl, Nami's voice came from the deck again, filled with excitement: "It's an island that looks like a whale!"Those words were more effective than anything. Luffy immediately let go of Usopp's nose and bounded off the hammock like a monkey, stepping on Zoro's leg as he rushed toward the deck.He scrambled up the mast using both hands and feet, perching on the thickest yardarm and shading his eyes with his hand, his voice ringing out clearly:"Where is it? Where is it? Where's the new island?"By the time everyone swarmed onto the deck, the sun was just rising from behind the island.The golden glow enveloped the island's silhouette, giving it a shining border. What had looked like a whale's back was actually a series of rolling green hills that looked full of life."Drop anchor! Let's land!"Once they docked near the shore, everyone realized the island was even more peculiar than it looked from afar—it wasn't whale-shaped at all; it was clearly a giant pineapple lying in the sea!The orange-yellow hard shell was covered in spiral patterns; the 'flesh' part was the green hills, and at the foot of the hills was a white sandy beach.On the coconut trees flanking the beach, it wasn't coconuts that grew, but mini versions of 'little pineapples'—They looked exactly like the island, with orange shells and green leaves, swaying on the branches, looking both cute and magical."What kind of fruit is this?" Usopp stood on his tiptoes and reached for one, but couldn't quite get it.Sanji couldn't hold back any longer. He rolled up his sleeves, scurried up the tree trunk, picked a mini pineapple, and cracked it open with his hands—the tender pink flesh dripped with juice, and a sweet fragrance wafted out.He took a bite, and his eyes instantly narrowed in delight: "Mmm! It's got a real kick of sweetness and a great fruity aroma! It's much better than a normal pineapple!"With that, he tossed a few down. "Everyone, try some!"Mark caught one, cut it into small pieces, and ate slowly, nodding:"The sweetness is just right, no bitterness. It's suitable as fruit or for brewing fruit wine. Let's gather more later as stockpile rations."Luffy, however, had no interest in fruit. He grabbed a pineapple, swallowed it whole—skin and all—chewed twice, and gulped it down before rushing toward the woods with his sleeves rolled up:"I wonder if there are any powerful guys like the ones on Small Garden?""Wait!" Nami quickly pulled him back and took out several carved wooden sticks from her backpack. "Someone has to stay and watch the ship. We'll draw lots to decide—it's only fair!"Everyone gathered around to draw lots. Luffy picked one at random—not it. Zoro raised an eyebrow after drawing his and sighed in relief.Finally, Chopper was left holding the longest straw; his ears drooped, but he still nodded obediently:"I'll keep a good eye on the ship..."He leaned against the ship's railing, watching everyone shoulder their bamboo baskets to go ashore, and whispered his instructions:"Take care on the way, everyone! Be careful!"Once everyone's backs had disappeared into the woods, Chopper turned to look at the empty deck, then up at the high lookout tower, and scanned left and right—no one!He realized the entire going merry was his!Excitement instantly washed away his disappointment. Chopper leaped onto the railing, hands on his hips and head held high, and intentionally lowered his voice:"Today, I am Great Captain Chopper!" After shouting, he still didn't feel satisfied, so he hopped to the edge of the lookout tower, gripped the railing, and glared at the empty air:"Luffy! Go mop the floor! No slacking off!""Usopp! Tell me a hundred stories right now! Otherwise, you're not allowed to go to sea with me!""Mark, Sanji! Bring the premium marshmallows to Big Brother Chopper! I want the biggest ones!"He got more and more excited as he shouted, nearly slipping and falling; he quickly flailed his hands to regain his balance. "That scared me! Phew—"Just as he stood firm, his eyes caught the second-floor balcony—Robin was holding a cup of steaming coffee, leaning against the railing with a faint smile, watching him.Their eyes met, and Chopper froze instantly, his face turning red right to the tips of his ears."Go on," Robin said as she took a gentle sip of her coffee, her voice tender. "It's very cute."Chopper 'whooshed' down and hugged Robin's leg, his eyes watery:"Robin, please don't tell Luffy and the others, okay? Otherwise, Luffy will beat me and Usopp will laugh at me!"Robin patted his head and nodded with a smile: "Don't worry, I won't say a word."Having received her promise, Chopper immediately cheered up and went skipping toward the lab: "Then I'm going to grind some rumble balls!"After Chopper's figure disappeared behind the lab door, Robin pulled out a Visual Transponder Snailfrom behind her back and poked its shell with her fingertip, the smile on her lips becoming even more pronounced:"Such a cute moment must, of course, be shared with everyone."In the lab, Chopper was completely unaware that his'social death' was imminent.He wore his small round glasses and held a mortar, earnestly grinding the herbs for rumble balls.Pale yellow medicinal powder floated in the air as he hummed an off-key song, occasionally picking up a candy and popping it into his mouth, feeling absolutely wonderful.Meanwhile, the island was already bustling. Namiwas squatting on the ground surveying the beach, while Sanji stood beside her holding a parasol, occasionally handing her a bottle of water:"Nami-san, if you're tired, take a break. I'll go pick some fruit for you to snack on."Luffy had already plunged into the woods, playing wildly with a group of brown monkeys. The monkeys made faces at him,And he would bared his teeth and make faces back, even snatching the wild fruit from the monkeys' hands, making the branches rustle and startling several birds into flight.Zoro was being ordered around by Nami to pick fruit, and his expression was sour: "Why do I have to listen to that woman?"He carried his katanas toward the hills, and as he passed through the pineapple grove, he was hit by a pineapple falling from above. Instantly furious, he drew his three katanas and gave a loud shout: "Three Sword Style: Pound Phoenix!"Flashes of blade light passed, and the mini pineapples on the trees rained down in a cascade, with several landing precisely on his head. Zoroclutched his head and cursed: "Damn fruit! I'll slice you all up sooner or later!"Mark, on the other hand, had found a quiet freshwater lake. He pulled out a long-unused fishing rod from his backpack, skillfully hooked the bait, and cast the line—the fishing line drew an arc in the air before gently dropping into the clear lake.He sat under the shade of a tree, staring at the float with a smile: "It's been a long time since I've eaten freshwater fish. I've got to catch a big one today and make Braised Fish!"Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, falling onto the lake's surface in shimmering ripples.The going merry swayed gently in the distance, Chopper was still humming and grinding medicine in the lab, and the sounds of bickering and laughter from the island floated on the wind, becoming the most vibrant scenery of this dawn.
Chapter 75: Hooking a Delivery GuyOn the morning of the second day after leaving Pineapple Island, the blue sky was filled with white clouds. The going merry carried a deck full of sunlight as it drifted slowly forward.Zoro was upside down at the very tip of the mast—Using just one index finger, he steadily balanced on a thumb-sized wooden knob just below the pirate flag, performing handstand push-ups by lowering and raising his body."2987.""2989."This was already the three-thousandth one.The muscle lines in his arms were taut and glistening, and beads of sweat slid down his neck, forming a string that splashed onto the deck.His gaze remained locked on the distant horizon; even when the clamor on the deck drifted to his ears, he didn't take it to heart at all.Because his creed was: to become the Greatest Swordsman, daily cultivation is the fastest shortcut.The deck had long since turned into a chaotic mess.Mark squatted by the gunwale, spinning his fishing rod in his hand while mulling over his "glorious deeds" from yesterday on Pineapple Island:"If it hadn't been for the bait running out at the end, tsk tsk, that sixty-pound giant black carp would've been easily taken down by me. Don't you guys disbelieve me..."When he returned fully loaded yesterday, he carried several giant black carp on his back and circled the going merry three times; this was the standard mentality of a fisherman.Today, taking advantage of the stable wind direction, the stung Usopp insisted on dragging Luffy, Chopper, and Mark into a second round of the fishing competition. Mark's showboating was making him fume.Usopp was fiddling with his newly replaced fishing line, his mouth not staying idle either:"Stop bragging, I'll definitely win today! I am the 'Fishing King Usopp',""Facing you three—" Usopp sized the three of them up. "Tsk tsk... total noobs, no pressure at all!"Luffy, Mark, and Chopper responded to Usopp with nothing but a thumbs-down gesture.As soon as the competition started, Chopper took the lead.Standing on his hooves, he raised the fishing rod over his head and with a "swish," cast the line out.The float drew a small arc in the air and sank into the sea with a "thud."Before he could even sit steady, the float suddenly plummeted, and the reel began to spin with a "buzzing" sound."I've got a bite!" Chopper's eyes lit up, and he immediately gripped the rod and pulled back—The fishing rod instantly bent into a full moon arc, the tip almost touching the water's surface."Oh~ look at that curve, it's definitely a big one!" Usopp leaned over, his eyes wide, forgetting to even cast his own rod.Chopper gritted his teeth, his small legs pushing against the deck as he backed up, his brow furrowed:"Come up for me!" With a sudden burst of strength, a silver-glinting sea catfish was flung onto the ship, hitting the deck with a "splat," its tail still twitching incessantly.Everyone gathered around to look, and Usoppmeasured it with his hand: "Good grief, at least eight pounds! Is he really this good?"Chopper immediately put one hand on his hip, pointing at the fish with his other hoof, his tail wagging proudly back and forth:"See that, see that? This is the strength of Lord Chopper! Who says reindeer can't fish? Step forward! Who else?"Luffy reached out to grab the fish's tail, only to be slapped away by Chopper:"Fish for your own! This is my trophy!""What's there to brag about? It's clearly just the beginner's protection period! Just a stroke of dumb luck."Mark puffed out his cheeks and pouted as he cast his rod into the sea, the bait sinking with a "plop.""Wait until I catch a Sea King, I'll give you all a big surprise!"He stared at the float, muttering to himself: "Possessed by the Heavenly Emperor He, Sea King, bite the hook quickly..."As soon as he finished speaking, Usopp's float suddenly sank, so fast it was almost a blur."It's coming, it's coming!" Usopp instantly perked up and yanked the rod—A massive pulling force came from the other end of the line, nearly dragging him into the sea.He quickly squatted on the gunwale, leaning his body back, his arms taut like a bowstring:"Whoa! This strength, it's definitely the king of these waters! It's surely ten times bigger than Chopper's fish!"Luffy and Chopper both crowded the side of the ship to watch, and Mark temporarily forgot his own float, peering over with a face full of envy.Usopp gritted his teeth, reeling in the line bit by bit while shouting a cadence:"King! King! King of the sea!..."The reel turned slower and slower. Finally, a "splash" came from the water as a small shadow was pulled up.Everyone held their breath, waiting to see the true face of the "King"—The result was that Usopp was holding a tiny tuna not even as long as his finger, its tail still gently fluttering.Usopp's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot, his mouth twitching as he stood there awkwardly."Pfft... so this is the 'King' you were talking about."Mark covered his mouth to stifle a laugh and turned back to watch his own float, his tone full of contempt.Luffy picked his nose and leaned in to look: "So small, it's not even enough to get stuck in my teeth.""You have the nerve to talk about me! You haven't caught a single fish! Your rod hasn't even touched the water yet."Usopp hopped around in anger and threw the tiny fish back into the sea."Watch me! I'll definitely catch a super big one!"Luffy wasn't about to be outdone; he grabbed his fishing rod and tossed the tangled mess of bait into the sea, the line flying out with a "swish."Just then, the kitchen door opened with a "creak," and Sanji walked out carrying two exquisite glass cups.The cups were filled with pale green juice. "Miss Nami, Miss Robin,"He bowed slightly. "A special Lime Aloe Beauty Drink. Drinking it will make your skin smoother. Please, have a taste."Nami was leaning against the white railing checking the sea conditions; hearing this, she turned her head and took the glass with a smile:"Thank you, Sanji-kun!"Robin also walked out of the cabin, still holding a book in her hand.After taking the drink, she took a small sip, her eyes crinkling:"Very refreshing, the taste is quite good. Thank you, Sanji!"The fishing quartet's gazes simultaneously shifted to those two glasses of juice, jealousy practically radiating from their eyes."Sigh~ must be nice..."Usopp swallowed hard.Mark stared at the glasses and muttered quietly:"This isn't fair... we want to drink too..."Luffy jumped up and ran to Sanji:"Sanji! I want some too! I want the beauty special drink too!"Chopper also hopped over and tugged at Sanji's pant leg, shaking it:"Me too, me too! I want silky smooth skin!"Sanji puffed on his cigarette and raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over Chopper:"It's one thing for those three to want to drink it, but do you even have skin to care for? More importantly, who is full-body fur maintenance even for?""None of your business! I want to drink it anyway!" Chopper's fur bristled, his hooves on his hips, looking completely defiant.Though Sanji acted dismissive, he still turned back into the kitchen and soon came out carrying four glasses of juice, setting them down heavily in front of them:"Drink up, drink up, stop complaining."The four of them immediately beamed as they took the drinks. Luffy took a large gulp with a "glug-glug" and narrowed his eyes in satisfaction:"Delicious! So refreshing!"After finishing their drinks, everyone turned their attention back to their respective floats.Nami leaned against the railing, looking out at the distant sea and sighing:"The weather is really nice today. It's calm and peaceful, making sailing quite easy."Just as she finished speaking, Luffy suddenly shouted:"I've got a bite!"Everyone was startled and turned to look—only to see the fishing rod in Luffy's hand pulled straight, the line taut and vibrating with a "buzzing" sound.With Luffy's strength, an ordinary fish would have been sent flying long ago, but this fish's strength was startlingly immense; even Luffy's arm was being pulled to the side."What incredible strength!" Luffy's eyes lit up, and he gritted his teeth, pulling back with all his might. "Get up here!"He gave a sudden burst of power. A spiral-shaped black shadow was yanked out of the sea and hit the deck with a "thud."The impact made the deck tremble. This thing was round and plump, its shell covered in spiral patterns, taking up a full half of the deck. It looked like a conch, yet also somewhat like a giant transponder snail.Luffy lay flat on his back by the gunwale, panting as he scratched his head:"What on earth is this thing?"Usopp leaned over, squatting beside it to examine it for a long time, then reached out to touch the shell:"It looks... a bit like a transponder snail? But transponder snails aren't this big, are they?"Chopper hid behind Luffy, showing only half his head, and said softly:"It's, it's so big... will it bite?"Luffy climbed up and reached out to pat the big fellow's shell, his eyes shining:"Whatever it is, it's definitely edible, right? It's so huge!""Are you sure this is something edible?"Usopp frowned, reaching out to knock on the shell, which produced a "thud-thud" sound.Sanji also walked over, rubbing his chin and thinking seriously:"If we pry the shell open, grill the meat inside, and sprinkle some spices on it, it should taste pretty good.""Hey! Sanji, why are you thinking about eating it along with Luffy!"Usopp complained, reaching out to swat Sanji's arm.Just as everyone was gathered around this strange giant fellow discussing how to eat it,The shell suddenly emitted a "creak-creak" sound of metal grinding, as if something inside was turning.Everyone stopped their discussion and stared at the shell. After a few seconds, a slit in the shell slowly opened.A man wearing a yellow suit, with a pompadour hairstyle and a polka-dot shirt underneath, crawled out from inside.He rubbed the back of his head while laughing:"Oh boy, I was just swept into the sea by a wave and thought I was a goner! Thank you so much for saving me!"He stood up straight and bowed slightly to the crowd. "Allow me to introduce myself.""I am Rice Rice from 'Ladybug Mail Order'. With just one phone call, no matter where you are, we can deliver the goods to your hands!"He grinned, revealing two gleaming white teeth."To thank you for saving me, I'll give you these catalogs. You can choose anything on them, and it can be delivered with just a call.""Can you deliver on the sea too?"Zoro had jumped down from the mast at some point and was leaning against the nearby railing with his arms crossed, asking without much emotion.Rice Rice gave a dry laugh and rubbed his hands together:"That... delivering on the sea is a bit difficult. After all, the waves are too big, it's not safe!""Tch, how useless!"Zoro turned his head away, clearly dissatisfied with the answer.Rice Rice continued to talk incessantly, introducing his mail-order service without end.Mark was getting a bit impatient; he exchanged glances with Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp, and then the four of them crawled into that giant shell together.AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-liteIt turned out to be empty inside, filled with quite a few packaged boxes; they looked like mail-order merchandise."Wow, there are actually so many things in here!"Usopp said in surprise, reaching out to open a box that contained several brand-new pieces of clothing.Mark picked up a black suit, gave it a shake, and felt the fabric: "The quality is pretty good, and the style is quite nice too."The four of them scrambled to move all the boxes out, piling them up on the deck until they formed a small mountain.Seeing this, Rice Rice turned pale and hurriedly ran over: "Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing... what are you doing! These are all our company's latest products, they haven't even been released for sale yet!""Didn't you just say you wanted to thank us? Let's just consider these things our thank-you gift." Usoppsaid while continuing to move the last small box.Holding the suit, Mark said to Rice Rice: "We want all of these things. Name your price. How much? We'll take the lot."Rice Rice was overjoyed, thinking: These guys look like idiots; I can definitely rip them off! He cleared his throat and deliberately raised his voice: "Since you are so sincere, I'll give you a discount. One hundred and twenty million Berries in total!"In reality, he had already calculated everything. As long as the other party countered with fifty million Berries, he would immediately close the deal. After all, these things weren't worth nearly that much.Sanji suddenly pulled out a rope, tied Luffy up, pushed him forward, and said to Rice Rice: "Here!... This guy's bounty is just enough to cover the bill."Rice Rice froze for a moment. He looked up at the Straw Hat pirate flag on the sail, then looked at Luffy, and suddenly realized what was happening. His face instantly turned deathly pale: "...Th-this... this is a pirate ship... Y-you are Monkey D. Luffy? That pirate with a bounty of two hundred and thirty million?"His legs went weak from fear, and he turned to run back into the conch. Mark was quick, grabbing him by the back of his collar and dragging him back. "Trying to run?"Mark narrowed his eyes, tone a bit cold, "We've already moved the stuff out, and now you want to run? Do I look like the kind of person who doesn't pay for things?"Rice Rice was trembling all over and hurriedly waved his hands: "N-no, that's not it! M-my sow at home is about to give birth, I have to go back and watch, otherwise it'll be trouble!""Cut the crap." Mark pointed to the boxes piled on the deck. "Give me the real price. We've got the money!"Seeing the look in Mark's eyes, Rice Rice knew he couldn't escape, so he stammered: "E-eight million Berries... I can't go any lower. Any lower and our company will be losing money."Mark pulled a stack of Berries from his pocket, counted them, and handed them to Rice Rice: "Here is eight point five million Berries. The extra five hundred thousand is a deposit. Whenever we call you in the future, you must deliver the goods immediately, understand? Money is no object."Rice Rice hurriedly took the Berries, clutched them tightly in his hand, and nodded like a garlic-pounding pestle: "Y-yes! Absolutely! Thank you for your patronage, what a kind-hearted lady!""I'm a man!" A vein throbbed on Mark's forehead as he said irritably.Rice Rice shuddered in fear and quickly corrected himself: "Y-yes, sir! I'll remember!" After saying that, he turned and dove into the giant shell, jumped into the sea with a "splash," and vanished in the blink of an eye.Luffy scratched his head, looked in the direction where Rice Rice had disappeared, and said: "That guy is a really good person, selling us these things so cheaply." He turned to look at Mark, "Mark, you're a good person too, for giving him extra money.""I don't want to be given a 'good person' card by you." Mark rolled his eyes and ignored him.Next, everyone started opening the blind boxes. Sanji opened a box containing a brand-new set of kitchenware. He picked up a chef's knife, tested the blade, and nodded with satisfaction: "The steel is good. I just happened to need a boning knife."Nami opened a box filled with a stack of snow-white paper. She picked up a sheet and held it up to the sunlight: "Is this Thousand-Year Paper? There's so much of it! It's perfect for drawing charts. This is really expensive; we've hit the jackpot!"Zoro dug a set of fitness equipment out of the pile of boxes, which included dumbbells, resistance bands, and several discs for balance training. He picked up a dumbbell, weighed it, and the corner of his mouth curled up slightly: "Just right for training."Robin found a box of special books, which contained quite a lot of information about poneglyphs. She opened one and began reading intently, nodding from time to time.Luffy and Chopper found two "wobble balls" — a stick with a black ball hanging from each end. As long as you held it and shook it, the balls would make your body move along with them. The two of them played with the wobble balls on the deck, having a great time.Luffy shook his wobble ball extremely fast, his body swaying left and right, almost bumping into the ship's mast; Chopper shook his carefully, muttering: "So interesting, but my head is getting numb..."Before long, Luffy was so engrossed in playing that his wobble ball accidentally flew out, hitting Nami's chart with a "thud."Nami was drawing a chart at the cabin entrance. Hearing the noise, she turned her head to look and saw a small mark on the chart. She was instantly furious, hands on her hips, glaring at Luffy: "Luffy! Can't you be more careful! This is a chart I just finished drawing!"Luffy shrank his neck in fear and quickly apologized: "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to...""Listen up, if anyone dares to disturb me while I'm drawing charts again, I'll fine you one hundred thousand Berries!" Nami said angrily, then put the chart away and instructed, "I'm going back to the cabin to continue drawing. If that cloud outside changes, remember to call me!" After saying that, she turned and went back into the cabin.At noon, the sun grew hotter. Everyone was tired after playing all morning, so they found places to take a nap. Nami continued drawing charts in the cabin; Robin sat on a chair on the deck, reading a book while sunbathing; Chopper lay on a mat nearby and fell asleep shortly after.Don't know how much time had passed, but Chopper suddenly twitched his nose and opened his eyes wide — he smelled rain.He scrambled up, ran to the side of the ship, and looked into the distance. He saw the sky in the distance covered in thick, dark clouds. A tornado was rising from the sea, sucking seawater up into the air; it looked extremely terrifying."Oh no! There's a tornado! Everyone, wake up!" Chopper shouted, running to Luffy's side and pushing him, "Luffy, wake up! A tornado is coming!"Luffy rolled over and mumbled: "Stop making noise, let me sleep a bit longer..." Chopper went to push Usopp and Mark, but they were sleeping too soundly and didn't react at all.Chopper paced around anxiously. He remembered Nami's instruction to call her if the clouds changed, so he hurried to the door of Nami's cabin. He raised his hoof, just about to knock, when he suddenly remembered Nami saying, "Disturbing me while I'm drawing charts will result in a fine of one hundred thousand Berries," so he slowly lowered his hoof.Just as he was hesitating, Robin walked over and gently patted his shoulder: "Chopper, what's wrong?" Chopper turned his head, his eyes red: "R-Robin, there's a tornado in the distance, but everyone won't wake up, and I don't dare call Nami..."Robin smiled and reached out to knock on Nami's cabin door: "Nami, something's wrong." Namiopened the door quickly. Seeing Chopper's anxious state and looking in the direction Robin pointed, her expression instantly turned serious: "Why didn't you call me sooner?"Chopper said with teary eyes: "B-because... I don't have one hundred thousand Berries." Nami froze for a moment, then gently touched his hat, smiling as she said: "Silly child, of course you should call me at a time like this. Charts can be drawn anytime; everyone's safety is the most important thing."She turned and shouted at the deck: "How long are you going to sleep! Get up!" Her voice was loud and imposing, and everyone on the deck woke up instantly.Luffy rubbed his eyes and sat up. Seeing the tornado in the distance, his mouth dropped to the floor: "Wow! What is that?!"Mark climbed up from the deck, stretched, and rubbed his arms: "I was wondering why it felt chilly just now, turns out it's about to rain... Hey!... What is that!"Nami had no time to waste words with them and immediately started giving orders: "Zoro, go furl the sails! Sanji, take the helm and steer straight into the center of the tornado! Usopp, go check the anchor chain! Luffy, protect me! Chopper and Robin, keep an eye on the tornado's movement, and tell me immediately if there are any changes!"Although everyone was noisy and bickering as usual, they listened to Nami's commands when facing danger. The tornado drew closer and closer, the waves grew larger and larger, and the going merry rocked in the sea like a leaf.But under Nami's command, everyone worked together and finally waited for the tornado to disappear, slowly sailing into safe waters. Once the tornado had completely vanished and the dark clouds gradually dispersed, sunlight shone back onto the deck.The going merry sailed on the calm sea. Everyone was so exhausted that they lay scattered all over the deck, panting. Nami looked at their disheveled state, shook her head helplessly, and then couldn't help but laugh: "What a bunch of troublesome guys. You've worked hard, take a rest!"Mark sat up, stretched, and looked at the distant sea: "That was really thrilling just now, but thankfully it ended without any mishaps. By the way, we haven't finished looking through the packages we bought from Rice Rice!"Usopp also sat up, his eyes lighting up: "That's right! Let's go see what other good stuff there is!" Everyone gathered around the pile of boxes again, continuing to open the blind boxes, and the deck returned to its previous liveliness.
Chapter 76 rainbow mist, Ruluka IslandThe azure sea surface was like a huge, flowing gem, shimmering with fine golden light under the bright sunshine.Having just finished the curry teaching session with the Marine brats, Sanji seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood.The "baa-baa" sounds of the sheep seemed to still echo in his ears, but the brand-new chapter of adventure ahead had already slowly unfolded.Time on the ship was quiet and lazy. Zoro leaned obliquely in the small shadow cast by the ship's rail, his three swords held tightly in his arms.In the center of the deck, Chopper carefully pinched a red candy from the small jar he carried with him.He looked left and right vigilantly, confirming that Sanji would not suddenly appear to tell him about eating snacks before meals, before quickly stuffing it into his mouth.On the second-floor deck, Robin sat elegantly on a portable beach chair, her long legs crossed.She held an ancient book titled "Rainbow Island" in her hands.This book was an accidental harvest she found in the ruins of the royal library in Alabasta.Her eyes were focused as she flipped through the secrets buried by time.Usopp stood at the lookout position, holding his "super telescope," looking around with great seriousness.While adjusting the non-existent focal length, he muttered the self-written adventure script:"45 degrees to the port side, suspicious shadow discovered! Could it be the legendary... CaptainUsopp has keenly sensed a crisis!..."His voice rose and fell, full of dramatic tension, although the only audience might be himself.Near the small orange grove at the stern, Nami and Sanji were carefully watering the orange trees.While watering, Sanji praised in a tone that could make people sick:"Ah~ The oranges personally cared for by Miss Nami are so cute!"Nami responded absentmindedly, putting more of her mind on the navigation chart unfolded in her other hand."Hey—Nami—how much longer until we reach the new island?"A drawn-out, bored shout broke the silence.Luffy was like a pile of boneless rubber slime, his whole body slumped on the ship's rail on the other side,his limbs hanging down exaggeratedly, swaying with the rocking of the ship."So—bo—ring—I want to go on an adventure!""What's the rush!"Nami didn't even look up, her tone carrying a trace of imperceptible irritability,"According to this direction and wind speed, it should be soon."She gently tapped the log pose on her wrist, and the needle inside trembled slightly, pointing to the unknown island.As if to verify her words, Chopper, who had been "reconnoitering" on the deck, suddenly widened his eyes and shouted in surprise:"Everyone, look! Over there! There is a shadow of a building! It's a new island! It's definitely a new island!"This shout swept away the lazy atmosphere, and everyone gathered at the bow, even Zoro walked over rubbing his eyes.Where the sea and sky met, a blurry outline was gradually becoming clear.As the going merry approached, the details of the island were presented to everyone bit by bit.The first thing to see was a circle of craggy and steep reef areas,and behind the reefs was a town built against the mountain.The mountain was grayish-brown, dotted with sporadic, tenacious greenery,and rows of white stone buildings extended upwards in a staggered manner along the steep mountain trend.And at the very front of the town, the most eye-catching thing was the milky white tower that pierced the sky.It was several times higher than any other building in the town, making people wonder what was hidden underneath."Wow! What a tall tower!"Usopp's mouth was wide open in shock,Under Nami's precise command, the going merryshuttled through the dangerous waters full of reefs,and finally docked steadily next to a relatively calm reef beach.Chopper was the first to jump off the ship impatiently, squinting his eyes to carefully look at the white tower in the distance:"Huh? So the top of the tower isn't a lamp base... It looks dark, but it looks more like a... factory chimney? But why build the chimney so high and cover it with cloth?""Stop! Outsiders entering the island must pay the docking tax first!"A hoarse and arrogant voice broke the brief silence of the landing.Three soldiers in gray-blue uniforms, holding rifles, rushed out and blocked the Straw Hat.The leader was not tall, but had a round belly, and the rifle in his hand pointed unceremoniously at the few people who had just disembarked."Dock... docking tax?"Usopp was startled by this sudden formation, and bolstered his courage to retort,"We have been to so many islands, and we have ne—never heard of such a rule!""Rules?"The leading soldier sneered,"Here, our word is the rule!"The two soldiers behind him immediately cooperated to surround them, pulling the gun bolts with a "click" sound, full of threats,"Don't even think about stepping into Ruluka Island without paying taxes! If you dare to talk nonsense again, we will throw you and the ship to feed the fish!"Mark, who had been watching coldly, narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone as cold as ice:"Oh? The thing I hate most is someone pointing this kind of fire poker at me—either you put the gun down yourself, or I don't mind helping you 'put it away' personally, it's just that the method might be a bit rough.""Just right, I haven't stretched my muscles for a long time either."Sanji walked forward unhurriedly, crushing the cigarette butt with the toe of his shoe, his eyes like sharp blades."Looking at your posture, you haven't bullied civilians less in the past, right? Daring to be rude to a lady, it seems you don't want your hands and feet anymore."The leading soldier was intimidated by the sharp aura of the two, and was obviously a little guilty:"Don't... don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! We are the collection team personally appointed by Mayor Wetton! You pirates from the outer seas, dare to act wild here?""How much?"The tense atmosphere of swords drawn and bows bent was broken by Nami's question as she stepped forward suddenly.She crossed her arms in front of her chest, her calm eyes swept over the three soldiers who were strong in appearance but weak in reality, and went straight to the core question.The leading soldier obviously didn't expect the other party to ask this, stunned for a moment, until Namirepeated it impatiently"Docking tax, how much per person?", he came back to his senses and stammered, stretching out five fingers:"Five... five hundred Berries! Per person!""Eight people... four thousand Berries?" Nami raised her eyebrows, her face unreadable.She casually took out a stack of 1,000-Berries from the money bag at her waist, counted out five, and handed them over,"Here is five thousand Berries, keep the change."The Berries fell lightly into the soldier's hand. He held the money, seemingly not having reacted from this sudden smoothness.Nami had already turned her head and said proudly:"Trouble that can be solved with money is not trouble. Solving problems doesn't necessarily mean you have to use force.""Ah! Miss Nami is truly the embodiment of righteousness, wisdom, and beauty!"Sanji's attitude changed 180 degrees instantly, the sharp aura around him dissipated, replaced by pink hearts in his eyes, spinning around Nami.Luffy and Usopp leaned close to Mark with shining eyes, and Luffy even poked him with his elbow, shouting:"Hey, Mark! My stomach is starving! You promised before that you would treat us to local delicacies when we arrived at the next island! You can't go back on your word!""When did I say that..." Mark just wanted to refute, but was hooked by the neck by Luffy."Just a week ago! You lost the fishing competition the worst, and didn't even catch a decent fish! You said it yourself, 'Next time we dock, I'll pay the bill!'"Luffy vividly imitated Mark's appearance, which might have been a bit annoyed and chuunibyou at the time, and even exaggeratedly made a movement of flicking non-existent long hair.Mark was strangled until he rolled his eyes, and helplessly patted Luffy's arm away:"Fine, fine, count me unlucky! I'll pay the bill today—but it's settled, we only eat local specialties, don't think about using this excuse to order a table of weird things!"Just as everyone was about to head to the town on the mountain, another person rushed out from behind the reef next to them.Looking closely, it was the strange old man everyone had subconsciously ignored just now.He was wearing a coat, carrying a strange-looking radar device on his back that kept making a faint "beep" sound.His face was full of wrinkles, his hair and beard were gray, and a pair of old glasses slid to the tip of his nose, looking extremely excited.He grabbed Luffy's red vest and said very quickly:"Young man! You are from out of town, right? Great! My name is Henzo, I am a scientist on this island! Let me tell you a story, it's about the rainbow mist! That is the mysterious mist that can lead to the legendary city of gold 'Ruluka'! I have studied it for thirty years, and now I have almost found its trace!""Hey... don't go, just listen to two sentences! Just two sentences!"The Straw Hat looked at each other, and all saw the same two words in each other's eyes— "helpless".Especially Luffy and Usopp, whose faces showed lingering fear.Since the last time they were pulled by Apis's grandfather on Warship Island to listen to stories for three whole hours,their first reaction now when seeing this kind of enthusiastic old man who wants to "tell a story" as soon as he opens his mouth is to want to hide far away."Ah! My mom called me home for dinner!"Almost at the same time, the group ran towards the town with great tacit understanding,leaving only a trail of smoke, leaving the chattering old man Henzo stunned behind.The streets after entering the town were quite lively, with shops lined up on both sides, and hawking sounds endless.Adhering to the principle that "the taste won't be too bad where there are many people," they found a small restaurant that was bustling and looked the most grounded.Pushing open the door, a warm aroma of food mixed with noisy laughter rushed toward them.In the long restaurant, simple wooden tables and chairs were placed on both sides, full of diners who were eating heartily, the sound of bowls and dishes colliding, slurping noodles, and loud laughter intertwined."Boss, bring us all the specialties you are best at on the island!"Mark found a bright seat by the window, casually draped his coat on the back of the chair, and shouted."Alright! You've come to the right place!"A middle-aged boss wearing an apron and a simple face responded with a smile,"The specialty of our Ruluka Island is rainbow hollow pasta! The sauce is boiled with local rainbow fruits, the color is beautiful, the taste is unique, guaranteed to be delicious!"Not long after, several plates of steaming hollow pasta were brought up.Mark was the first to fork a ball into his mouth, chewed it carefully for a few times, but his brows frowned slightly:"The sauce is too sweet and greasy, covering up the taste of the ingredients themselves, and the noodles are a bit overcooked, lacking chewiness. Sure enough, for the specialties of this kind of small town restaurant, you still can't have too high expectations.""Sigh, this can't be helped." Usopp sighed, poking the noodles in the bowl with a fork,"Who let our taste buds be spoiled by that perverted cook Sanji long ago!""Delicious! Sweet!" Luffy didn't care about any delicate taste evaluation. For him, food only has the difference between "delicious" and "very delicious"."Chopper, why aren't you eating? It's sweet and super delicious!"Luffy said to Chopper vaguely with his cheeks full of food.Chopper held a bowl larger than his face, raised his head upon hearing this, and said euphemistically:"It's... it's okay. However, it's really not as delicious as what Sanji makes.""Old man, at your age, eating so much at once, can your stomach handle it?"Sanji leaned on the back of the chair, lit a cigarette, and looked at Henzo, who didn't know when he had followed again and sat opposite them unceremoniously, with a look of doubt.Five empty bowls had already been placed in front of the old man, and he was currently competing with Luffy for speed, crazily devouring the sixth bowl of hollow pasta.Henzo didn't even look up, his mouth full of noodles, and answered vaguely:"Don't worry! I am a genius scientist! High-speed brain operation requires a lot of energy! Boss, another bowl!"After he finished sweeping away the food, he put down the empty bowl and said mysteriously:"Have you... ever seen the rainbow mist when sailing at sea? It's the kind of colorful mist that suddenly appears on the sea surface. It is said that everyone who enters it will disappear mysteriously.""rainbow mist? I don't think I've seen it with my own eyes." Usopp shook his head, showing a thoughtful look,"I've only heard Robin mention this name, it seems to be something legendary.""According to the records in this ancient book "rainbow mist"," Robin, who had been reading quietly, gently closed the book in her hand,Capturing everyone's attention, she continued, "It might be an extremely rare supernatural phenomenon, also known as a 'mirage of the sea.' However, older legends suggest it is the gateway to the Kingdom of God, 'Aeldog'—or what people commonly refer to as the 'City of Gold.'""The book also mentions," Robin continued, using her smooth and magnetic voice, "that the rainbow mist seems to possess the strange property of distorting space-time. Once one inadvertently enters it, it is very likely they will be trapped in another dimension with a different flow of time, making it difficult to escape."The restaurant suddenly fell silent, leaving only the faint, distant clamor from the street.A rapid and powerful "thump-thump-thump" of military drums suddenly echoed from far down the street, growing closer and closer.The lively atmosphere in the restaurant changed in an instant. The diners, as if hearing an alarm, hurriedly sped up their eating, muttering nervously while chewing, "Eat fast, eat fast! The collection squad is here! If they target us, today's work will have been for nothing!"In the blink of an eye, the previously bustling shop was reduced to nothing but the sounds of frantic swallowing and clattering dishes. Even the owner hid nervously behind the counter, not daring to make a sound."Bang!" With a loud crash, the restaurant's thin wooden door was kicked open violently from the outside.Three men in black uniforms with cold, stiff expressions strode in. Unlike the soldiers in gray-blue uniforms encountered earlier, their uniforms were much sharper, and their expressions were even more arrogant.The leader was a tall, thin middle-aged man with a meticulously groomed handlebar mustache. He was the Captain of the collection squad, one of the most capable lackeys of the greedy Mayor Weton.The Captain's gaze swept across the room, finally landing on a villager in the corner who was preparing to pay the bill and leave. In front of that person sat a large glass of beer that had barely been touched.The Captain curled his lips into a cold sneer, strolled over, kicked the leg of the man's chair with the toe of his boot, and drawled, "Oh? Drinking a large beer, are we? Life is pretty comfortable, isn't it?"The villager shuddered in fear, "Ca... Captain, I, I only had a small sip, I'll leave right away, I'll leave right away!""According to the new regulations of Ruluka Island, enjoying a large glass of beer requires paying an additional large-glass consumption tax."The Captain snapped his fingers, and the two subordinates behind him immediately pounced like wolves, snatching the worn-out wallet the villager was clutching tightly without a word of explanation.The Captain took the wallet, weighed it, and showed a sneer of disdain, "Just this much? It seems you didn't work very hard today.""No! Don't! Captain! That's what I just got from selling my grain; it's the living expenses for my whole family this month!"The villager struggled desperately, trying to snatch back his wallet, but was held down tightly by two strong subordinates and dragged outside like a dead dog. His shrill cries echoed throughout the street.The Captain ignored this, skillfully stuffing the wallet into his pocket as if he had just done something trivial. His gaze swept the room again and quickly landed on Luffy.In front of Luffy sat a special soup bowl larger than his face. Although the noodles were almost finished, the massive bowl itself became the target.The Captain's eyes lit up. He walked over quickly, a fake smile plastered on his face, rubbing his hands together as he said, "Oh~ young man, you've got a good appetite, eating from a large bowl, huh?""Yeah! It's super delicious! Although it's not as good as Sanji's cooking, the portion is huge!"Luffy, completely unaware of the approaching danger, was still licking his lips with lingering satisfaction, poking at the last few noodles in the bowl with his fork."Very good. Enjoying a large bowl of noodles requires paying a 'large-bowl special tax' of 100,000 Berries."The Captain revealed his true colors, his eyes flashing with undisguised greed. He had long known through his subordinates' reports that some foreigners who looked wealthy and like pirates had arrived, and he had come personally just to extort a huge sum from them."Why do I have to pay?" Luffy asked, chewing the last bite of noodles, his face full of genuine confusion."Why? This is the rule of our Ruluka Island!" The Captain stiffened his face, assuming an air of righteous authority, "What, you're not convinced? Want to taste the consequences of defying the rules?""But," Luffy suddenly stopped chewing, as if remembering something very important. He suddenly pointed his finger at Mark, who had been leaning back in his chair watching the show, and said loudly, "He's paying for this meal! If you want money, you should ask him!""Great, the show has turned on me." Mark sat up straight, a fleeting flash of cunning and anger crossing his eyes.The cynical expression on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a slightly naive and innocent smile. He stood up, enthusiastically patted the Captain on the shoulder, leaned into his ear, and whispered mysteriously in a volume only the two of them could hear, "Captain, why bother with someone who's just eating? What's 100,000 Berries? That's too small-time. I have a big treasure here, definitely worth a huge price! It's worth a hundred times more than 5,000 or 100,000 Berries! It's on my ship, do you want to come and see it with me?""Oh? Really?" When the Captain heard "big treasure," his eyebrows shot up in joy, and he immediately threw the tax collection matter to the back of his mind, his face full of interested smiles, "Kid, you're quite sensible! What kind of treasure is it? A treasure from the sea? Or...""Hehe, you'll know when you get there, I guarantee a surprise!" Mark winked mysteriously, "There are too many eyes and ears here, it's not convenient to talk.""Good, good, good! You're smart!" The Captain was overjoyed and immediately started following Markoutside, not forgetting to turn back and instruct his two subordinates, "You wait here, keep an eye on these guys, I'll be back in a jiffy!"Sanji watched the Captain's blinded-by-greed back, curled his lip in disdain, lit a new cigarette, and muttered, "A bunch of brainless idiots. The calmer that kid Mark smiles, the harder he hits when he strikes."As if to confirm Sanji's words, not long after he finished speaking, a dull sound of punches and kicks and the thud of objects hitting the ground came from a nearby alley outside the restaurant, followed by the Captain's screams, which shifted from arrogance to terror, and finally to pure pain: "Ouch! My face! Don't hit my face!" "Stop! Stop, good man! Money! I'll give you all the Berries! Spare me!" The voice was clear at first, but soon became muffled, growing weaker and weaker, until it finally disappeared completely, leaving only deathly silence.A moment later, Mark slowly pushed the door open and walked back in, brushing the non-existent dust off his hands with a relaxed expression. He walked to the counter, slapped a stack of Berries that was noticeably thicker onto the table, and said loudly, "Boss, check! By the way, count it, there's an extra 500,000 Berries. For all the guests still here today, their bills are on me!""Re... really? That's great!" The guests jumped up in excitement.Nami's eyes lit up instantly. She immediately sidled up to Mark, pulling out a densely written shopping list from her pocket as if by magic, with the sweetest smile on her face, "Um... big spender Mark, can the expenses for my shopping trip later also be reimbursed? When I entered the city earlier, I saw several nice clothing stores, and in the window of a jewelry store...""Go ahead, go ahead. I'm in a good mood today; I caught a fat sheep." Mark waved his hand, appearing very generous. He calculated in his heart that once the rainbow mist was found, the gold treasure inside would surely be countless. The little money spent now was just a drop in the bucket, and it was very cost-effective for maintaining team harmony (especially for soothing Nami)."Great! Chopper! Sanji! Let's go!" Nami excitedly pulled up Chopper, who was still sipping water, and grabbed Sanji, who was about to light a cigarette."Eh? Why do I have to go too!" Chopper's ears drooped instantly, looking reluctant, "I want to stay here and wait for Luffy and the others... maybe there's something interesting...""At your service, Miss Nami~!" Sanji immediately put away his disdain for Mark, his smile blooming like a flower, and elegantly straightened his bowtie, "It is my supreme honor to accompany Miss Nami on her shopping trip.""Chopper is responsible for carrying the bags, and Sanji is responsible for my safety and providing aesthetic references." Nami winked mischievously, making the arrangements crystal clear."Tool... I don't want to be a tool!" Chopper huffed, arms akimbo, expressing his protest."After shopping, there's an extra 100,000 Berries in pocket money, you can buy cotton candy." Namithrew out the condition nonchalantly.The next second, Chopper had already grabbed Nami's hem, rushing towards the door with glowing eyes, faster than Nami: "What are we waiting for! Let's go, let's go! If we're late, the good stuff will be bought by others! I also want to buy the latest cotton candy and fruit-flavored lollipops!"Sanji watched Chopper, who had instantly changed his attitude, couldn't help but laugh and shake his head, and quickly followed. Before leaving, he turned back and warned Mark, "Hey, Mark, keep an eye on that idiot Captain, don't let him cause any trouble we can't handle."Not ten minutes after Sanji and the others left the restaurant, a loud exclamation suddenly came from the street: "Go look! The harbor! A super big, weird ship is docked at the harbor! It's red!""Could it be..." Henzo, who had been sitting in the corner of the restaurant in a trance, heard the words "red big ship" and, as if struck by an electric current, sprang up from his seat!He grabbed the strange radar placed by his feet and rushed out of the restaurant regardless of everything, shouting excitedly and incoherently: "It's it! It must be it! My partners! They're back! They finally came out of the rainbow mist! Fifty years! They're finally back!""A big red ship? Super big?" Luffy's attention was instantly completely captured. He pushed away his empty bowl and jumped up excitedly, "Sounds fun! Let's go see it too!""Hey! Luffy, wait for me! Don't run so fast!" Usoppalso hurriedly grabbed his slingshot and followed."Let's go," Mark shook his head helplessly and stood up, "If I don't follow this kid, who knows, he might dismantle someone else's ship thinking it's a new playground. Robin, want to go take a look together?"Robin stood up elegantly and smiled, "Of course, I am also very interested in this ship that might have come from the legendary mist."The group hurried to the harbor, encountering many islanders who were also curiously flocking to the harbor. Everyone was whispering and discussing the sudden, out-of-place big red ship.Meanwhile, on the going merry, our swordsman Mr. Zoro was still sleeping soundly in the cabin.The wooden pier by the harbor was already crowded with onlookers. Everyone was crowded by the railing, pointing at the sea in the distance and discussing. Mark and the others pushed through the crowd and finally saw the ship that had caused such a stir. It was a behemoth, dark red and weathered, its size more than a dozen times that of the going merry, quietly moored in the deeper water further away, like a sleeping ancient beast."It really is it!! Nothing has changed!" Henzo's murky tears gushed out uncontrollably, sliding down his wrinkled cheeks.Henzo jumped onto a hovercraft and sped toward the big red ship. Luffy, attracted by the adventure, kicked off the pier, stretched his rubber arm to wrap around the mast, and swung onto the deck of the red ship. Usopp was anxious and jumping up and down. Mark told him to steer the going merry and used fishing line to wrap around a wooden pile to prevent getting lost.Henzo searched for his partners out of familiarity. He pushed open the cabin door to see old beds and navigation tools, but it was empty. He finally squatted on the deck, trembling in disappointment. Luffy checked a few empty cabins and, just as he was about to call out, suddenly pointed to the sea in the distance. Henzo looked up and saw colorful mist churning a few nautical miles away—it was the rainbow mist he was searching for! He instantly jumped onto the going merry and pushed Usoppaway from the helm. He steered the going merrytoward the rainbow mist.
Chapter 77: Replacement SpaceAt the end of the commercial street on Ruluka Island, Sanji looked just like a "Christmas tree" hung with gifts. He was almost buried under bags and bundles of all sizes, his swaying blonde hair only barely visible through the gaps between the merchandise.Chopper, maintaining his reindeer form, looked at the pile stacked high on his back and couldn't help but think: It's truly a waste of talent that Nami didn't go into architecture; the sense of balance in this stack of packages is nothing short of art."Nami... do we really need to buy more?"Chopper panted heavily, beads of sweat forming on the tip of his nose. He rested his head against the pile, causing the mountain of packages to sway slightly. "If you keep stacking them, I won't be able to see the road! I'm going to bump into people!"He struggled to turn his head and glanced at the light-footed Sanji beside him—the man had three paper bags hanging around his neck and was cradling several boxes in his arms, yet he was humming a tune with his eyes closed, looking completely intoxicated.Chopper couldn't help but retort: "Is this the 'romance of shopping with a beautiful lady' you were talking about—being treated like a walking shelf?""You're still too young, Chopper, you don't understand this kind of romance~" Sanji snapped his eyes open, hearts seemingly dancing in them. "Being able to carry bags for Nami-san and feel the lingering warmth of her happiness while shopping is supreme bliss!""Is this what Mark calls a'simp'?" Chopper suddenly remembered that back on the deck of the going merry, Mark had pointed at Sanji, who was chasing after Nami, and whispered to him: "Look, this is typical'simp' behavior—sacrificing everything while being self-moved. Don't you ever learn from him.""I'm back!" Nami rushed out of the shop carrying another stack of items. With a "whoosh," she precisely piled them onto the top of the "little mountain" on Chopper's back. The stack of packages swayed dangerously but ultimately held steady."This is the last bit! If I buy any more and Markdoesn't reimburse me, I'll be making a huge loss—oh right, I forgot one piece of clothing!" She whirled back into the shop like a tornado, then immediately emerged carrying an exquisite shopping bag, which she handed to Sanji. The latter immediately opened his mouth, gently gripped the ribbon handle with his teeth, and mumbled incoherently, "It is my honor to serve Nami-san.""Why aren't you carrying anything?!" Chopperasked, pouting as he looked at Nami's empty hands, and stomped his feet."Because I'm cute~" Nami stuck out her tongue playfully, turned around, and ran lightly toward the seaside, her short orange hair bouncing in the sunlight.But just as she rushed to the reef where the ship had been docked, the smile on her face froze instantly. Her feet seemed nailed to the spot, and her short orange hair stood on end in shock—the sea surface where the going merry had been moored was completely empty, with only the waves tirelessly lapping against the bare reef, creating a hollow echo."Where's the going merry?!" Nami panicked instantly, grabbing her short hair and going crazy on the spot. Her voice rose in pitch, "Where is my huge ship with the cute sheep head on the bow? Wasn't that idiot Zoro supposed to be guarding the ship? Could he have hugged his swords and fallen into a dead sleep, not even noticing the ship drifting away?""That Marimo bastard must have fallen into a dead sleep! The ship might have been swept away by the waves while he was still snoring!" Sanji hurriedly and carefully placed the shopping bags hanging on his body and held in his arms onto a flat stone slab nearby."Look over there!" Chopper suddenly pointed at the distant horizon and shouted. At the junction of the sea and sky, strange colorful mist was churning, as if a giant had overturned the sky's paint cans. It was unpredictable and ever-changing, making that area of the sea look bizarre and fantastical."Isn't that the rainbow mist that Miss Robinmentioned? The place that legend says is hard to escape once you enter! It would be terrible if the going merry accidentally drifted in!" Sanji narrowed his eyes, lit a cigarette, and his expression darkened instantly.Just then, a villager wearing a faded headscarf approached, sighed with worry, and pointed at the rainbow mist: "That mist appeared without warning just now, and a strange-looking large ship drifted out from it. Then, Dr. Henzo and a few young people drove that sheep-headed ship right into it.""Henzo?" Sanji slapped his thigh. "That eccentric old man! I knew it—Luffy plus a strange doctor equals trouble! We're in big trouble now!""Move aside, move aside! Get out of my way!" A rude shout suddenly exploded, causing the onlookers to scatter like frightened birds. The pot-bellied Wetton rushed over aggressively with a dozen armored guards. His black official uniform was trimmed with garish gold, and the golden skull emblem on his collar shone with arrogance in the sunlight.He grabbed the villager who had just spoken by the collar, his eyes fierce enough to devour someone: "You said Henzo and a few people went into the rainbow mist?" Spit almost sprayed onto the villager's face."Y-Yes, Mayor!" The villager was so scared that the fishing bucket in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter," spilling fish and shrimp everywhere. "There was also a young man wearing a Straw Hat... and a green-haired one, holding three swords, who seemed... seemed to be sleeping...""Damn it!" Wetton was so angry that he kicked over a wooden box filled with fishing nets nearby. "Without my order, no one is allowed to enter the rainbow mist! The treasure inside is all mine! It should have been mine fifty years ago!"He turned his head abruptly and roared at the guards, "Go! Inspect my 'Tally-Ellison'! That's the pirate ship with the double-horned bow that just drifted out of the rainbow mist! See what kind of treasure is on it!""Yes!" the guards replied in unison. Just as they were about to move, one of them suddenly pointed at the log used for tying ropes on the dock and shouted: "Mayor, there's a fishing line here!""This is Mark's fishing line! He usually uses this kind of colored nylon line when fishing!" Chopperimmediately said to Nami and Sanji."Oh?" Wetton narrowed his eyes, a cunning glint flashing through them. "Perfect, that saves me the trouble of finding the way!""This road is closed!" Nami stepped forward and swung her clima-tact. The small water ball at the tip of the staff quickly gathered into a small dark cloud, with tiny electric snakes crackling and flickering within the cloud layer. "You want to enter the rainbow mist? Get past me first! You want to steal my treasure? Not a chance!" Her eyes were sharp, like a lioness protecting her cubs.Deep in the rainbow mist—the scene before them was breathtaking. This was an endless ocean of shipwrecks—broken masts like the ribs of a giant were slanted into the gray-black, silent seawater, and the tattered sails were covered with dark green seaweed, like soul-summoning banners.In the distance, the dense, colorful mist was like an endless wall, completely sealing off this sea of death and isolating it from everything outside."T-This is basically a pirate graveyard, right?" Usopphugged the mast of the going merry, his teeth chattering and his voice trembling. "It's t-too scary! I feel like a ghost ship is going to pop out of the mist any second!""A ghost ship?" Luffy's eyes lit up instantly. He didn't catch the fear in Usopp's words at all; instead, he got excited. Before anyone could react, he ran to the side of the ship with a "thump, thump, thump," stretched out his rubber arm, and leaped directly onto a nearby abandoned three-masted sailing ship that still looked relatively intact."Crack—whoosh!" The deck beneath his feet couldn't support his weight at all and instantly cracked open a large hole, with wood splinters flying everywhere.Luffy let out an "Eh?" as his body lost balance. Just as he tried to steady himself, half his body sank in. He had no choice but to crawl on the remaining deck using his hands and feet, moving forward like a nimble large monkey, looking around curiously."Doctor, did you know beforehand that this was what it looked like here?" Robin turned to Dr. Henzo, who was standing at the ship's railing with a complex expression—he was gazing at the layers of shipwrecks in the distance, his eyes filled with a mixture of nostalgia and an indescribable sense of melancholy.Henzo snapped out of his trance and nodded gently: "Yes, fifty years ago, I was fortunate... or perhaps unfortunate, enough to catch a glimpse of this place."On the other side, Mark was squatting next to Zoro, who was sleeping like the dead. He used a foxtail grass in his hand to mischievously sweep across Zoro's nose and ears, his tone full of teasing: "Hey, Marimo, stop sleeping! Get up! We're rich! There are treasures everywhere!"Zoro frowned and impatiently waved his hand to swat away the grass leaves disturbing his dream. His palm touched the fuzzy grass spike, and he couldn't help but sneeze. He buried his head deeper into the wado ichimonji he was holding in his arms, mumbled something, and continued to sleep."Heh, can't I deal with you?" Mark rubbed his chin with a wicked grin and deliberately raised his voice, shouting loud enough for everyone around to hear: "Hey! Zoro! Look! That woman Tashigi is here! She even brought a Great Grade sword I've never seen before!""What? That woman? A famous sword?" Zoro sat up with a "whoosh" as if a spring switch had been pressed. His eyes were wide open, and all sleepiness was gone.He grabbed Mark by the collar right in front of him, almost lifting him off the deck, his voice urgent: "Where? Where is the sword?"He quickly looked around, but all that met his eyes were swaths of decaying shipwrecks and eerie colorful mist. He looked confused. "Wasn't I sleeping on the going merry? Where's Nami? Where's that perverted cook Sanji? My stomach is empty.""Don't get hung up on those details." Markstruggled to pry Zoro's hand off, straightened his wrinkled collar, and pointed not far away. "Go help Luffy and Usopp move things; there's something in it for you."Zoro raised an eyebrow, crossed his arms, and wore an expression that said, "You can't fool me": "Move what? Speak clearly."Mark pursed his lips toward that direction—Luffyand Usopp were working together to drag a large, heavy-looking wooden box covered in seaweed from an abandoned ship onto the going merry."Liquor money. Enough for you to drink for a good while.""If you had said so earlier, I wouldn't have been sleepy." Zoro's eyes lit up instantly, comparable to seeing a peerless sword. All laziness was swept away, and he neatly rolled up his sleeves, ready to jump over there.But just as he stepped onto the edge of the deck of the abandoned ship next to him, there was a crisp "crack," and the long-decayed wooden planks couldn't support his weight and shattered in response.Zoro let out an "Ah" and fell "plop" into the gray-black seawater, splashing up a large spray."Cough, cough! Ptooey! What kind of crappy ship deck is this! It breaks the moment you step on it!" Zoro popped his head out of the water, wiped the seawater from his face, his Marimo-like hair sticking wetly to his forehead, looking a bit disheveled. "Where the hell is this ghost place anyway? There isn't even a decent piece of wood!""Oops, I forgot to tell you," Mark stood at the railing of the going merry, holding back a laugh, a faint shimmer of light appearing in his palm. "The wood here has been soaked by seawater and time for decades; it's long since rotted through."As he spoke, a flat, solid wooden platform quickly formed beneath the surface of the water where Zorohad fallen, lifting him out of the water."Look, now we have a place to land. Don't thank me, just remember to buy me a drink later.""You bastard! You should have said so earlier!"Zoro climbed onto the wooden platform, huffing and puffing, and shook his hair and body vigorously to get rid of the water droplets, looking like a drowned rat.At this moment, Luffy and Usopp finally managed to hoist the large wooden chest onto the deck of the going merry.Unable to wait a second longer, Luffy ripped off the rusted lock, which snapped with a sharp "click."He flipped the lid open with a "clatter"—instantly, a dazzling golden light burst forth.The chest was filled to the brim with gold coins, various gemstones, and antique gold artifacts.They tumbled out with a "clinking" sound, piling up into an enticing little mountain on the deck.The sunlight filtering through the rainbow mistshone upon the pile of treasure, reflecting a dizzying, dazzling brilliance that was almost blinding."Whoa—hahaha! So much money! I can buy a mountain of meat with this!"Luffy cheered and pounced on it, rolling around on the deck while hugging the gold coins, scattering the glittering currency everywhere."A truly shocking amount."Dr. Henzo stepped forward, crouched down, and carefully picked up an old, worn-edged gold coin, examining the patterns on it closely."The legend of the Pirate Graveyard might be an exaggeration, but the 'treasure everywhere' recorded in ancient texts doesn't seem to be a lie."Robin also crouched down, her slender fingers picking up a gold ring set with a large ruby, turning it gently."Hidden within these silent shipwrecks, I fear there is more than just gold and silver; perhaps there are ancient documents from lost eras or rare nautical charts. It is worth a thorough exploration."Just as everyone's attention was captured by the treasure, "ding-ding-ding... ding-ding-ding..."A crisp, eerie sound of a triangle rang out without warning.The sound seemed to drift near and far, as if piercing through the thick fog, carrying an ethereal yet unsettling rhythm that struck at everyone's heartstrings.When the sound came to an abrupt halt, a low voice with a hollow echo drifted through the mist:"Those who disturb the slumber of the dead... put down the treasure at once... leave this place... otherwise... you shall be tainted by the curse of the dead... trapped here for eternity... to rot with us... and turn into bleached bones upon the sea...""See! I told you there would be ghost ships!"Usopp was scared out of his wits, clinging to the mast like a koala.He pointed behind Luffy, his voice trembling and cracking, "Lu-Lu-Luffy! Look behind you! There, there's a white thing! Floating! It's a ghost!"Everyone turned their heads in response—sure enough, floating on the main mast behind Luffy was a "white ghost."In reality, it was just an old, faded bedsheet with two crooked, round black circles drawn in ink as eyes, looking rather comical."Oh! You mean this?"Luffy reached out and pulled the sheet off the mast with ease, spreading it out in front of everyone with an innocent expression, "See, it's empty. There's nothing inside, just a rope hanging there.""It's even scarier because it's empty!"Usopp screamed, retreating completely behind the mast, only daring to peek out with half an eye."Whoosh—"An arrow suddenly shot out from the window of the largest shipwreck in the distance, which looked like a ghost castle, piercing the air with a sharp whistle, aiming straight for Luffy's back!Zoro's eyes sharpened. Before anyone could even see him move, wado ichimonji was already drawn from his waist. A cold glint flashed like lightning, and then it was precisely sheathed."Clatter!"The arrow snapped in two in mid-air and fell limply onto the deck of the going merry."It was fired from the window of that large ship." Robin calmly looked in the direction from which the arrow had come.In that dilapidated window, a yellow figure flashed by extremely quickly, leaving only the slightly swaying window frame behind."You dare ambush me?"Luffy's eyes widened, anger rising. He grabbed the "ghost bedsheet" from the deck.His rubber arm suddenly stretched out, grabbing the edge of the nearby shipwreck's lookout tower, and he gave it a hard tug—"Ah! Help! Stop pulling! I'm going to fall!"A boy wearing bright green clothes was dragged out of the lookout tower in a panic.He reacted quickly, grabbing a dangling cable nearby and swinging toward the going merry like a trapeze artist.His legs kicked wildly in mid-air, shouting, "No! I don't want to walk right into a trap!""Special Attack: Firebird Star!" Although Usopp was scared, the fact that his companions were attacked gave him courage.He pulled out his slingshot, aimed at the cable the boy was holding, and fired a projectile wrapped in flames with precision."Pop!"The cable snapped on cue, and the boy in green let out a startled "Yikes!" before landing hard on the deck of the going merry.He landed on his backside, wincing in pain, tears welling up in his eyes as he rubbed the sore spot repeatedly."Achibi! Are you okay?""Wait, Rondo! Don't be impulsive!"Immediately after, two figures, a boy and a girl, quickly jumped down from the large shipwreck and landed lightly on the deck of the going merry.Both looked nervously at Achibi, the boy in green who had been knocked silly, their eyes full of worry and vigilance."Don't anyone move!"A boy with white hair, wearing linen-colored clothes, also jumped onto the going merry right after them.He held a round, black object that looked like a bomb high above his head with both hands.His face wore a feigned fierce expression, but his voice was somewhat nervous:"I am Labani, Captain of the Pumpkin Pirates! If you don't want to be blown away, release my companion Achibi immediately! Otherwise... otherwise I will detonate this 'Thunderbolt No. 3'! We'll all go down together! Nobody is leaving this place alive!"His gaze swept across the Straw Hat Crew, lingering especially on Luffy and Zoro."Thunderbolt No. 3?" Dr. Henzo suddenly stepped forward, looking at the so-called "bomb" in the boy's hands with deep nostalgia.Labani was visibly stunned, almost dropping the "bomb" in his hands. He quickly steadied it with both hands and asked, stammering:"H-how do you know that name? This is the secret weapon of our Pumpkin Pirates! No one knows about it except us! You... you must be Wetton's lackey! You're here to capture us, aren't you!""Because," Dr. Henzo reached out and gently pressed an inconspicuous little switch on the "bomb," his tone gentle and full of memories, "this is a little gadget I invented many years ago."He pressed it lightly, and a small puff of white smoke emerged from the top of the "bomb," accompanied by a faint "hissing" sound, "It's just a smoke toy used to scare people; it won't explode at all."The white smoke spread, carrying a strange smell that made Labani and the girl beside him cough uncontrollably, rubbing their eyes incessantly.The smoke dissipated, and the "bomb" was unscathed, without even a spark.Mark leaned against the railing of the going merry, watching this slightly dramatic scene, and couldn't help but roll his eyes: "Tch, kids playing house. Boring. Better to focus on researching this rainbow mist."He leaped onto the wooden platform he had created earlier with his ability and extended his fingertip, cautiously touching the slowly flowing rainbow mistbeside him.He concentrated and whispered, "Decompose!" intending to use the power of the Munch-Munch Fruit to analyze this strange substance.However, the mist continued to flow slowly, showing no signs of being decomposed."As expected, no reaction, just as I thought. This mist is more like a manifestation of some rule or energy, rather than ordinary matter."Mark was not discouraged; he reached back and pulled out "Ink Meteor," which he always kept tucked at his lower back.He pointed the lion head at the rainbow mist in front of him, took a deep breath, exerted his Munch-Munch Fruit ability to the fullest, and whispered, "Devour!"An amazing scene unfolded! The once ethereal rainbow mist was now actually being drawn in by an invisible force, turning into ribbons of color that surged into the lion's open mouth with a "gurgling" sound!As the mist flowed over the metal teeth, it made a faint "hissing" sound, as if it were being chewed and ground.Even more miraculously, the lion head's once dull eyes suddenly lit up with a dark red glow, flickering like a living creature breathing, and a misty, colorful halo began to glow inside the lion's mouth."It actually works? The Munch-Munch Fruit can absorb even this kind of energy substance? That's awesome!"Mark felt a surge of ecstasy, his heart pounding. This unexpected success gave him hope of controlling this mysterious space.Just then, a crisp "ding" sounded in his mind, and the long-lost, cold mechanical voice of the system rang out:[Ding! Special spatial energy substance (rainbow mist core fragment) detected, energy purity 91%.][Current time-space can be replaced with the system-exclusive bound space. Execute replacement operation?][Yes/No]"Yes!" Mark confirmed in his heart without hesitation.Opportunities like this were once in a lifetime.[Replacement operation requires 300,000 energy points. Current energy balance is 98,433 points. Insufficient energy, replacement operation failed.]"Damn, that expensive?" Mark's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but curse inwardly, "300,000 energy points! That's enough for me to push my physical strength to a terrifying level! Is this damn space made of gold? System, you're such a ripoff!"He stroked the lion head of "Ink Meteor," thinking about what it would mean for the Straw Hat Crew's future voyage if this rainbow mist space could be absorbed by the System Space. He knew it all too well.It would be an excellent shelter, training ground, and even a strategic base.He turned to look at the boundless graveyard of shipwrecks before him, then looked at his companions who were laughing, playing, and exploring the treasure nearby. His eyes gradually became firm, and he gritted his teeth: "I must take this rainbow mist space! For the future safety of everyone, what is this little investment!""Do it!" Mark clenched his fists, steeling himself, "It's just 300,000 energy points, isn't it? At worst... I'll just squeeze dry everything in this 'Pirate Graveyard' that can be decomposed!"