Chapter 51 The Island-Eating Monster Swallows the Ship, Luffy Throws the Ship Away to Escape DangerEveryone burst into laughter at Usopp's comical appearance.
Usopp's face was contorted with frustration, yet his body remained impeccably seated, leisurely sipping tea—a stark contrast that was undeniably amusing.
"The tea...it's...delicious!Ah!"
Usopp spat out the words through gritted teeth.
Amidst the laughter and chatter, the others helped Usopp wipe off the paint.
"Hey! You guys! Can't you have a little compassion?!"
Usopp, now back to normal, loudly protested to the crowd.
The party ended amidst the playful banter.
Having obtained the permanent Pokémon's Apprentice Log, the group quickly packed their belongings and bid farewell to the small garden.
Riverbank.
Dorry and Broglie stood on the shore, their massive bodies like two lighthouses, waving loudly at the departing Going Merry: "Luffy! We're waiting for your good news!"
Luffy stood at the bow, giving a thumbs-up: "It won't be long! Remember to take me to Elbaf when you do, I want to see that legendary strongest nation!"
"It's a promise! Giegiegie!"
"Clap clap clap!"
Everyone stood on the deck, waving goodbye vigorously to the two giants.
Suddenly, Luffy slapped Nami's butt, making a crisp sound.
"Ouch!" Nami screamed, punching Luffy in the face: "You pervert! I hate you!"
Luffy innocently opened his palm, revealing a dead mosquito: "I was swatting a mosquito for you."
Looking at the dead mosquito in Luffy's hand, Nami blushed, snorted, and stormed into the cabin.
Sanji, his eyes red with jealousy, bit his handkerchief: "Damn mosquitoes! Why didn't I notice! I wanted to help Nami swat them too!"
Zoro rolled his eyes: "Are you an idiot..."
Just then, the calm sea suddenly exploded. A gigantic goldfish, the size of an island, burst from the water, its jaws gaping wide.
On the shore, Dorry and Brogy were chatting.
"My friend's ship has set sail."
"Yeah, but there's a monster guarding that area to the west."
"With Luffy's strength, that kind of thing is a piece of cake, right?"
"I think so."
With a loud splash, the Going Merry, crew and all, sank into the mouth of the island-eating monster.
Dorry, Brogy: "..."
Brogy: "Um...it looks like they've been eaten."
Donry: "Don't be silly, Luffy's definitely brewing some kind of big attack."
Brogy: "The goldfish is already sinking."
Donry: "..."
"Holy crap? Our newly-acquainted boss is about to die!?"
Suddenly, the Gedo Mazo, covered in blood, bursts forth from the sea!
A horrifying hole has been ripped open in the island-eating monster's stomach, and the Gedo Mazo, carrying the Going Merry, emerges with one hand.
Nami and Vivi, their eyes rolled back, are slumped in Luffy's arms, foaming at the mouth.
"Let's go!"
Luffy shouts, and the Gedo Mazo strikes a perfect shot put stance, grabs the Going Merry, and hurls it hard in the direction of the Log Pose!
"Luffy! You son of a bitch! Aaaaaah!!"
Desperate screams echoed through the sky.
Donry, Brogy: "..."
"Boss... Zhenyong..."
...
"Idiot! Look where we've been thrown!"
Nami grabbed Luffy by the collar and shook him frantically, her face filled with despair.
Outside the ship, a biting wind howled, and everywhere was covered in snow.
"2604, 2605!"
On the deck, Zoro, wearing only a thin shirt, was swinging a massive barbell, frantically lifting weights.
Sanji, wrapped in a coat, walked past with a look of disdain: "Hey, Moss Head, aren't you cold? It's snowing."
From the moment they set off from Little Garden, Luffy had used the Gedo Mazo for a super-long-range human cannonball attack.
Although the Rinnegan's gravity manipulation allowed the Going Merry to land safely (at sea), it was clear that the force was too great, causing it to veer off course and fly off somewhere unknown.
Vivi, wrapped in a blanket, stared sadly at the previous day's newspaper. The headline read: "Alabasta Situation is Critical; 300,000 of the King's Army have defected to the Revolutionary Army."
"Has the situation really gotten that bad?"
Vivi clenched her fists tightly, biting her lips until they bled.
Luffy broke free from Nami's grasp and poked his head out, saying, "Don't worry, I've already used a Den Den Mushi to contact reinforcements, and they're on their way."
"What?! Really?"
Vivi looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with surprise and disbelief.
"Of course."
Luffy straightened his disheveled collar, a confident smile playing on his lips. "Don't forget, we're the Marines. As long as we don't give up, there's always a way."
Let the clock rewind a few hours.
"Huh? Why should I take orders from you, you brat?!"
Through swirling smoke, Smoker's temples throbbed with veins, his gaze fixed on the Den Den Mushi mimicking Straw Hat Pony's expression, his cigar nearly snapping in two from his teeth.
"Don't get so worked up."
Luffy's languid voice, the kind that makes you want to punch him, came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
"It's just asking you to go to Alabasta to maintain order a little. It's an easy job."
"Are you kidding me! That's a member state of the World Government, the territory of an ancient royal family that's been passed down for twenty generations. How can the Navy just interfere in their internal affairs?!"
Smoker was furious, his lungs practically bursting, and he roared into the receiver.
"This is a huge achievement that fell from the sky! Just think about it, that Shichibukai Crocodile is using the guise of a hero to try and seize a country. If this facade is torn off, how much of a favor will the World Government owe you?"
"Alright, stop dawdling. Before that sand crocodile completely succeeds, get moving."
With a snap, Luffy abruptly hung up the call.
"Hello?! You damn bastard!"
Hearing the dial tone, Smoker angrily slammed the Den Den Mushi back down.
Tashigi, hearing the noise, peered in from outside the cabin, clutching documents, looking bewildered.
"What happened? Colonel Smoker, you look terrible."
"Who else could it be but that bastard Straw Hat Luffy? Nobody dares to order me around like this!"
Smoker cursed and took a deep drag on his cigarette, the thick smoke instantly filling the room.
"A Shichibukai? Crocodile? Hmph, since he's delivered himself to our doorstep, he's prey worth a fight."
"Pass down the order! Turn the ship around immediately and head for Alabasta at full speed!"
Smoker waved his hand, his cloak fluttering wildly.
Tashigi, still stunned by the mention of Luffy's name, snapped back to reality, hurriedly agreed, and rushed off to relay the order, sword in hand.
The scene shifts back to the present, the deck of the Going Merry bathed in bright sunlight.
"Hey, do you guys really think humans can walk on the high seas like it's nothing?"
Zoro lowered his binoculars, his brow furrowed, his gaze fixed strangely on the shimmering surface of the distant sea.
"How could this be? Are you hallucinating or not?"
Usopp casually retorted while wiping his slingshot, following Zoro's gaze and looking straight ahead in confusion.
The next second, a clown carrying a longbow and dressed in comical attire actually appeared in his sight, riding on the waves.
Usopp's hands froze, and he stood there petrified.
He rubbed his eyes hard, refusing to believe it. "What the hell? Am I seeing things too?"
"Ah! We finally met."
Luffy sat cross-legged in the VIP seat, stroking his chin and grinning broadly.
"What kind of weird thing is this?!"
Nami looked at the bizarre clown, feeling a chill run down her spine, and on the verge of tears.
Just then, the calm sea seemed to boil over, churning up towering waves.
A colossal sphere, completely encased in thick steel, crashed down from the sky with a dull thud, slamming heavily onto the water.
"What is that thing?!"
Zoro stared wide-eyed at the massive iron lump that had suddenly surfaced, his mind reeling.
With a piercing metallic scraping sound, the enormous iron sphere peeled away layer by layer, like a lotus flower blooming.
A ridiculously shaped hippopotamus prow slowly rose, followed by an enormous steel warship looming before them, casting a massive shadow.
"That's actually a ship?"
Everyone stared in disbelief at the sea behemoth that had appeared out of nowhere, as a pirate flag emblazoned with a skull and crossbones creaked and groaned as it was hoisted onto the mast.
"It's a pirate ship! We're from the same industry!"
Usopp stared at the black flag fluttering in the wind, his teeth chattering in terror.
The deck of the steel warship was densely packed with soldiers clad in thick cotton-padded coats, all armed.
A burst of arrogant, maniacal laughter pierced the sea breeze.
"Hahahaha! Scared out of your wits, aren't you? Intimidated by my massive underwater raiding ship—the White Iron King!"
"So noisy, my ears are about to fall off."
Luffy casually picked at his ear, looking disgusted.
Standing at the bow was Wapol, the former king of the Drum Kingdom, the coward who abandoned his people and fled after being terrified by Blackbeard, now the captain of the White Iron Pirates.
"Men, charge! I'm going to devour that little wrecked ship, people and all!"
Wapol waved his hand, his face practically drooling with greed.
A long staircase creaked open beneath the hippo's bow, and countless pirates surged out of the White Iron King like ants, charging menacingly towards the Going Merry.
"Heh, these days, people actually dare to rob the Marines. I've never seen anything like it."
Zoro's lips curled into a cold smile. With a flick of his wrist, the Snow Walker and Sandai Kitetsu were drawn, their blades gleaming coldly.
Sanji calmly exhaled a smoke ring, his eyes indifferently watching the horde of small fry charging towards him.
Luffy, meanwhile, leisurely donned the cloak of justice symbolizing a Marine admiral, shaking his head.
"What a pity, these guys don't look like they have any bounties, otherwise I could have captured them for some pocket money."
On the other side, Vivi stared at Wapol's bloated face, her brows furrowed tightly. She felt she had seen this figure somewhere before.
"Lord Wapol, something's wrong. That cloak over there... looks like it belongs to the Marines!"
The clown Jess, wading through the water, spotted Luffy's cloak and whispered a warning to Wapol.
"So what if they're Marines? We're lawless pirates now! They don't even have a proper warship. They're probably just imposters or low-level thugs."
Wapol waved his hand impatiently, his stomach rumbling loudly.
"Stop talking nonsense! I'm starving! Take them down, I need to eat!"
The soldiers, originally from the Drum Kingdom, had no choice but to steel themselves, brandishing their weapons and shouting as they charged towards Luffy and his crew.
Luffy simply found a comfortable recliner and slumped down, not even bothering to lift his eyelids.
"Wipe them all out, leave no one alive."
Zoro and Sanji exchanged a glance, revealing ruthless, wolf-like smiles, and their figures instantly plunged into the enemy ranks.
Usopp, though trembling behind the door, didn't stop firing his slingshot. "Gunpowder Star" attacks rained down like a machine gun, sending his henchmen sprawling.
"A bunch of good-for-nothings! Shoot the one sitting there!"
Walpo, his face as black as the bottom of a pot, watched his men fall like wheat being harvested, pointing at Luffy on the recliner and yelling wildly.
Jes the Clown, the top marksman of Drum Kingdom, immediately drew his bowstring taut, three arrows whistling through the air towards Luffy's face.
Luffy didn't even change his stance, merely letting out a cold snort.
"Shinra Tensei!"
An invisible repulsive force suddenly erupted, instantly deflecting the three arrows before they even reached him, shattering them into pieces in mid-air.
The battle on the deck had reached a fever pitch, or more accurately, a one-sided massacre.
Zoro's blade flashed without hesitation, blood splattering.
Unlike the more subtle approach in the original work, Zoro, under Luffy's tutelage, shows no mercy to pirates.
He understands that mercy towards villains is cruelty towards civilians; letting one pirate go could shatter countless families in the future.
Luffy is well aware of the lessons from the original work: villains who are let go often return with a vengeance, and there's no such thing as being redeemed.
Therefore, Luffy's only principle in dealing with scum who enjoy plundering the weak is to eliminate them completely.
Along their journey, those small pirate crews that foolishly stumbled upon them all became nourishment for this sea.
In chaotic times, harsh measures are necessary, and Luffy, as a Marine, held a justice that was never cheap.
Nami, who had been enslaved by Arlong for eight years, felt no remorse watching the pirates fall; her eyes were filled with only pleasure.
Before long, the soldiers of the White Iron Pirates were routed, fleeing like headless flies on the deck, completely losing their will to fight.
Wapol roared in fury, suddenly standing up, opening his blood-red maw, and biting directly at Sanji's leg!
"Holy crap! What kind of monster is that?"
Sanji was startled, instinctively dodging to the side.
With a loud crack, a large chunk of the White Iron King's sturdy deck was bitten off by Wapol.
Wapol's mouth seemed to open into a black hole; he crunched on the iron and wood a couple of times, then swallowed it whole.
"Is this guy a reincarnated starving ghost? He can even eat iron?"
Zoro watched this, his brow furrowed in disbelief.
The clown Jess, hiding in the distance, shouted triumphantly, "Scared now! Our Lord Wapol is the Gluttonous Man who ate the Gluttonous Fruit! There's nothing in this world he can't chew or swallow!"
Zoro's eyes narrowed: "So he's a Devil Fruit user."
He crossed his twin swords behind his back, his entire body suddenly becoming incredibly sharp.
"Three-Sword Style: Tiger Hunt!"
The sword light flashed like a tiger descending a mountain. Before Wapol could react, several deep, bone-revealing wounds, like tiger stripes, burst open on his chest.
"Aaaaah! It hurts! It hurts like hell!"
Wapol rolled on the ground in agony, snot and tears streaming down his face.
Zoro stared at the knife in his hand, his expression even more bewildered: "This is a Devil Fruit user? So fragile, like paper?"
The man with the afro, Cromarimon, screamed in panic, "Doctor! Doctor, come here right now!"
Before he could finish speaking, a group of doctors in pink protective suits, behaving strangely, appeared behind him.
"Heal Lord Wapol quickly! Otherwise, they'll all die!"
Cromarimon roared hoarsely.
The twenty doctors, trembling, pulled out various surgical instruments and were about to rush towards the writhing Wapol.
"What's going on now?" Zoro felt his brain wasn't working properly today.
Just then, an incomparably sharp wind blade whistled past.
On the deck in front of the doctors, a bottomless trench instantly appeared, the cut as smooth as a mirror.
"Are you all out of your minds, or do you think we're idiots too?"
Luffy yawned as he walked over, his cold gaze sweeping over the group of terrified doctors.
"Performing surgery in front of the enemy? Aren't you being incredibly disrespectful?"
Cromarimon stared wide-eyed at Luffy, completely dumbfounded.
This isn't how the script is supposed to go! Shouldn't you be watching us demonstrate our superior medical skills, then marveling at the incredible abilities of these twenty top doctors?
"Anyone who dares to move will have their head sliced off by the next wind blade."
Luffy's tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable killing intent.
The twenty doctors were terrified, trembling violently as they shook their heads and retreated, dropping their scalpels.
Looking at this rabble, Luffy impatiently bent down and slammed his hand heavily on the deck.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A puff of white smoke exploded, and the six Paths of Pain appeared before Luffy in their signature poses, their Rinnegan emitting an eerie glow.
"Congratulations, the arrest operation is over. Of course, if anyone wants to resist, feel free to try."
As soon as Luffy finished speaking, the Asura Path's head cracked open, revealing a dark laser beam.
A blinding blue light flashed.
Wapol, who was rolling on the ground howling in agony, instantly stopped moving, a large, charred hole now visible on his head, not even having time to scream.
This ambitious figure, who later established the Dark Drum Kingdom and thrived in the original story, was thus killed without explanation.
The remaining henchmen, witnessing this scene, were instantly terrified, collapsing to their knees in a panic, trembling like leaves.
Nami, her eyes gleaming, approached and grabbed Cromarimon by the collar: "Hey, which one of you has a bounty? Confess!"
Cromarimon, his face pale with fear, shook his head violently: "No! Absolutely not! We're all law-abiding citizens! We were forced to go to sea by that tyrant Wapol! We were originally part of the country's regular army; we only ran away after being attacked by Blackbeard!"
Upon hearing this, Nami's brows furrowed, her eyes filled with utter contempt: "So, you bunch of grown men abandoned your people and ran away to save yourselves?"
Thinking of Vivi's willingness to infiltrate the enemy's lair for her country, and then looking at these guys, they were utter scum.
Cromarimon blushed with shame, wishing he could disappear into the ground.
"What should we do with these useless trash?"
Zoro sheathed his sword, looking at the deck full of prisoners, and asked.
"The Drum Kingdom isn't far ahead. Throw them back to their abandoned citizens; that'll surely be quite a spectacle."
Luffy offered a suggestion with a smile.
Actually, this was just an excuse. His real purpose was to go to that island and recruit Chopper, who had eaten the Human-Human Fruit in his civilian form.
"That works too. We can't just drift around the sea with this bunch of burdens."
Zoro nodded in agreement.
So, under Luffy's intimidation, the group obediently followed the Going Merry in their White Iron King.
Half a day later, Luffy's Observation Haki detected the outline of land.