The wonders of the Grand Line finally revealed themselves to the Starry Sky crew.
Only yesterday, the heat had been unbearable under a blazing sun.
And yet, in just one night, huge snowflakes, soft as goose feathers, began to fall from the sky.
The wind howled violently, whistling with bone-chilling force.
Yet, because of Vivi, the Going Merry remained unaffected by the sudden cold. The ship pressed on, moving faster than almost any other vessel, cutting through the icy waters.
Over the sea dotted with chunks of ice, the Going Merry raced like a speedboat, leaving a long trail of white waves behind.
The blizzard didn't relent, even for a second. Soon, the pristine deck of the Going Merry was blanketed in snow, pure and dazzling.
One by one, the crew stepped out of the cabins, marveling at the marvels of the Grand Line.
Luffy squinted ahead, scanning the horizon. Through his superhumanly keen vision, he could just make out the faint, shadowy outline of an island.
"Boooaaaooo~"
Laboon, sensing the shallow waters, let out a sudden bellow from the depths of the ocean.
In an instant, the sea churned, sending countless ripples and waves spraying outward.
A massive, round, black head slowly emerged from the water.
"Bo~ooa~bo~ooa~"
As Laboon surfaced, he squinted at Luffy's group, letting out a curious, questioning call.
Luffy stepped quickly to the railing, reaching out to gently pat Laboon's skin.
"Alright, alright.
Go play somewhere else for a bit. We'll come back for you once we're done."
He sized up Laboon, then added with a teasing smile:
"Though… you've gotten so fat lately, Laboon.
Looks like life on the Grand Line is treating you well!"
"Boooaaaooo~"
Laboon responded cheerfully, flipping nimbly in the water. His massive body leapt, sending a towering wave crashing down.
Ever since Laboon devoured the enormous "Island-Eating Goldfish" near the Little Garden, a fish half his size, his body had been growing rapidly.
It was as if some limit had been released.
Previously, the sea beasts and Sea Kings Laboon had only added to his strength.
But the power from that single goldfish pushed him to his physical limits, forcing his body to expand laterally, increasing his overall size.
With the wave Laboon created propelling them, the tiny Going Merry surged forward even faster toward Drum Island.
…
Usopp and Koby's half-finished snowmen were left behind as the Going Merry slowed, finally anchoring at a snowy, low-lying ridge.
"Phew~ it's even colder here than on the sea!"
Usopp rubbed his hands rapidly. Even layered in a thick coat, he could barely fend off the biting cold.
Drum Island, a permanent winter island in the Grand Line, never experienced temperatures above freezing.
Survival here required more than heavy clothing.
The locals needed a natural layer of fat to endure the harsh winter!
Just as Luffy and the crew stepped onto the coast, nearly a hundred dark gun barrels extended from the snowy hillside.
Behind them stood a group of burly, broad-shouldered men, the Drum Kingdom's self-defense force.
Formed by the former captain of the royal guard after King Wapol's escape, they were tasked with defending the island against marauding pirates.
"Pirates! You're not welcome here! Leave immediately!"
The crowd parted, and a taller man stepped forward.
A crew cut, square-jawed, dressed in a calm green jacket, the leader of the guards, Dalton, former captain of the Drum Kingdom's royal guard.
…
"The nations on the Grand Line really have it rough…"
Zoro muttered, watching the soldiers shiver in the cold while gripping their icy guns, a tinge of sympathy in his voice.
"This is the sorrow of the weak…"
Luffy agreed.
In the original timeline, it had been Blackbeard's pirates who attacked, forcing King Wapol and his soldiers to flee.
It seemed Blackbeard got exactly what he wanted, defecting from Whitebeard's crew.
Why he chose this seemingly dull kingdom among so many, no one could know.
Perhaps his ambitious spirit couldn't tolerate a lifeless nation, so he destroyed it.
Would Ace come chasing after him? Luffy wondered. Ace was strong now, could he defeat Blackbeard?
Shaking off the thought, Luffy focused back on Dalton, tense atop the snowy slope.
"Don't worry, we mean no harm."
"Qualified villains never reveal their intentions beforehand!"
Dalton, determined to protect the people, didn't change his stance, continuing to reject Luffy and the crew:
"This island is off-limits. No one is welcome! Leave immediately!"
Seeing Luffy's calm demeanor, Dalton's tension eased slightly, switching to a more persuasive tone.
But Luffy was here for Chopper, he wouldn't listen.
With a hint of resignation, Luffy glanced at Dalton and said softly:
"Sorry, we're in a hurry…"
"What?"
Before Dalton could respond, a powerful shockwave exploded in his mind.
It felt like a bomb had detonated in his brain.
BOOM!
Dalton's vision blurred, and he collapsed to his knees. His soldiers' eyes turned white, they were completely unconscious.
Because there were so many civilians, Luffy hadn't used his full Conqueror's Haki, just enough to stun ordinary people.
Dalton, stronger than most soldiers, didn't immediately fall, but his furrowed brows and clenched teeth showed he wasn't comfortable.
…
Tread… tread… tread…
Footsteps approached.
Luffy spoke gently beside Dalton:
"Relax. We're just here for someone. We'll be gone soon."
He didn't linger, continuing toward the center of the island.
Step by step, confident yet light, the crew walked over the thick snow and past the sprawled soldiers.
Dalton finally succumbed to the overwhelming force in his mind.
With a heavy thud, he collapsed to the ground.
The howling wind abruptly stopped.
A single pale ray of sunlight fell upon Dalton and his soldiers.
On this frozen island, unchanging for millennia, the ice-laden snow began, ever so slightly, to melt.
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100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
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