Chapter 311: Pure Gold (I)
The lantern fish, with its sharp giant teeth, closed its fishy lips, and the massive mouth plunged into complete darkness.
"Eric , hurry! It's your time to shine."
Eric complained, "My role is just to glow?!"
"Electric light!" Despite the complaint, Eric turned the lightning into light, illuminating the path ahead. The fast-moving sea current was pulling the Invincible, which was rapidly advancing.
Da Vinci activated the ship's spotlight and said, "Alright, Captain, we don't need your human light bulb anymore."
"Be careful not to hit the lanternfish's uvula!"
The giant uvula of the lanternfish split the sea current in half.
The helmswoman, Artoria, asked, "Should we go left or right?"
Akihito, with a dazed expression, replied, "Aren't both routes the same?"
"Then let's go in the middle." Artoria quickly turned the wheel.
The group shouted together, "Hey!"
"Just kidding." Under Artoria's precise control, the Invincible easily avoided the enormous obstacle ahead.
"There's a waterfall ahead that will send us from the esophagus straight into the stomach. Wendy, it's up to you."
"No problem, Eric ! Watch me!" Wendy rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair arms.
Each person carried out their duties. Despite the rush, everyone was doing their job smoothly.
Under Wendy's control, the steel warship safely navigated the esophagus and entered the lanternfish's first stomach without incident.
Da Vinci looked up and noticed a light source above, emitting colorful rays. She said in surprise, "There's light in the lanternfish's stomach? What is that?"
She then focused on a golden beach in the distance and remarked, "There's an island over there? What's going on with this lanternfish?"
Eric shrugged, signaling he didn't know either.
Several large white skeletons stood within the lanternfish's stomach juices. Kuina stuck her head out of the ship's side and looked down at the strange scene below.
"That's the lanternfish's stomach acid, if you fall in, you'll be digested," she warned, instantly scaring the curious Kuina away.
"Captain Eric ," Law asked, holding the ghostly weapon in confusion, "What's the purpose of deliberately entering this lanternfish?"
The members of the Dawn Pirates turned their heads and looked at Eric .
"We're looking for pure gold." Eric glanced around and smiled, "This is the method I know that leads to immortality."
Shaki suddenly exclaimed, "Pure… pure gold?!"
Penguin shouted, clutching his head, "That legendary ultra-rare metal that is said to extend life?!"
"Shut up, both of you."
Shaki and Penguin quickly bowed ninety degrees, mimicking Bepo's actions. "We're terribly sorry."
Bepo, in a very depressed tone, apologized, "I'm terribly sorry."
Law frowned and asked, "Pure gold, really?"
"Now you don't have to worry anymore. I'll let you use your 'surgery' soon," Eric replied.
Law: "..."
The newcomers summoned by Eric were all confused. Kurumi thought pure gold was 100% pure gold, while the others admitted they had never heard of pure gold before.
The learned Robin explained, "The last known mention of pure gold was 190 years ago. A man named Miskea Asie, who worked in Alchemy, was the first to successfully refine pure gold."
"Pure gold is a legendary metal that can shine in the dark. It is said to extend life, which is why it is priceless."
"Priceless?" Kakuzu's green eyes glimmered with greed. "So, we're looking for this?"
Someone asked, "Captain, why don't we go to Alchemy to find pure gold, instead of looking for it in this giant lanternfish's stomach?"
Robin helped Eric explain, "Alchemy suddenly disappeared 190 years ago, and now its name only appears in history books."
"These two things must be connected, right?" Kurumi quickly observed, "Both are related to 190 years ago."
"As expected of Kurumi," Eric praised her, "You're right. This lanternfish was attracted to the light emitted by pure gold. When the pure gold was refined and started shining, Alchemy and the refined pure gold were swallowed by this lanternfish in one gulp."
"I see…" Da Vinci stroked her chin and looked up, saying, "The magnificent radiance emitted here must be related to the light from pure gold."
"Now that the story of pure gold is over, we should continue," Eric said, scanning the entire massive stomach with his [Heart Network], and pointed towards the forest. "There are two human presences over there. They should be the targets we're looking for."
◇
A blonde girl, who was picking fruit in the forest, suddenly sensed something. She looked up and saw a steel warship flying towards her.
Startled, she quickly hid behind a tree, cautiously peeking her eyes out to observe the uninvited guest.
"Master Lanternfish actually swallowed a ship, and it looks like the people inside are still alive?" She thought to herself but spoke aloud. Her black and Akame gleamed with a cunning look. "Since they can fly, I can use them to get the pure gold, then escape from Lanternfish's stomach and ditch them. Hehehe..."
"We heard everything you just said."
"Huh?!" The girl was startled and turned around. Behind her was a large white flying bird, with two people riding on its back.
"Eric , is this the kind of crazy person we're looking for?" Deidara expressed his doubt with his facial expression.
"Well, if you had lived here for two hundred years alone, you'd probably become neurotic like this too."
"Huh? She's over two hundred years old?"
"Really rude of you, man!" The blonde girl put her hands on her hips and said, "I've lived here for 191 years. I'm only 197 years old, not even two hundred yet!"
"No, that's already quite surprising," Deidara looked her up and down, "She looks like a little girl, but she's actually an old lady?"
"If I'm an old lady, then you're a grandpa!" The little girl pointed at Deidara in protest. "You look way older than me!"
Deidara shrugged and opened his hands with a regretful expression, "But I've only lived for 21 years."
Eric added, "In parentheses, he died at 19."
"Hey, Eric , which side are you on?!"
"Little girl," Eric ignored Deidara's complaints and put on a friendly face. "What's your name?"
"This silly person looks easy to deceive, just perfect for me to use to escape…"
"Whoosh."
"Ha ha ha..."
Eric was caught off guard, a blade sliding across his face, leaving his self-assured smile frozen. Deidara, laughing wildly on the bird's back, was kicked off by Eric .
Eric wasn't discouraged and continued, "I'm Darren Eric , and you are?"
The little girl reluctantly replied, "Orga."
Eric , along with Deidara with branches and leaves on his head, brought Orga and the water lizard "Elizabeth" back to the Invincible.
"Is she really 197 years old?" The crew looked at Orga with the same eyes one might give to a rare animal, thoroughly examining her from head to toe.
Eric introduced, "Yes, this is Orga. She'll be the temporary tour guide for our Dawn sightseeing group. Treat her well."
"Dawn sightseeing group?"
Orga hid behind Eric , her face serious, pointing at Kakuzu from a distance, saying, "That guy's gaze is terrifying."
"That guy not only looks scary, he's actually dangerous. Be careful."
"Hmph..." Kakuzu didn't care about social evaluations, only caring about money.
Orga looked at the roasted meat in Akihito's hand and the burger in Artoria's hand, swallowing her saliva. "Can I have some roasted meat? I haven't had meat in a long time."
"Here." Akihito handed over a plate of roasted meat, and Orga eagerly dug in, her small body slowly swelling as she ate.
While Orga was eating, Deidara circled the water lizard. "Such an abstract and unique design, this intelligent-looking creature. Does it have intelligence?"
"Ah—!" Elizabeth made a sharp baby-like sound.
Carla lu covered her mouth and laughed, "Pfft... It's insulting you, Deidara."
Kurumi curiously asked, "Carla lu, you can understand what animals are saying?"
"I guessed!" Carla lu fluffed her pink-white short fur. "You can tell from its expression, right?!"
Esdeath clicked her tongue, "Useless, it's just an animal."
"I'm not an animal!" Carla lu shouted loudly, "I'm a transcendent!"
"Eh?" Carla lu's loud voice immediately caught Orga's attention. "This cat can speak human language? How cute!" She grabbed the small Carla lu and rubbed the grease on her pink-white fur.
"Let go of me!" Carla lu struggled desperately.
"Ah... I forgot, I want to eat meat!" Orga let go of Carla lu and continued eating.
Carla lu's angry face, with grease smeared all over, made many people chuckle.
After teasing Carla lu, Esdeath bent down and looked at Orga, continuing the conversation that had been interrupted earlier. "So, Orga, do you know where the pure gold is?"
"Hmph." Orga looked up at the light source, chewing on roasted meat while telling her story, "I was swallowed by Lanternfish 190 years ago—"
"190 years ago, my family lived on Iron Island, Alchemy. But that damn scientist father created pure gold. After that, everything changed: when the news about pure gold spread, pirates invaded Alchemy and killed my mother."
"When I took off this ring, the golden light from it attracted Lanternfish, and it swallowed both Alchemy and the pure gold."
Orga took off the ring from her left hand's middle finger. The inside of the ring shone with dazzling golden light, lighting up everyone's eyes.
Clutching the ring tightly and blocking the light, she complained loudly, "It's all my father's fault. If he hadn't created pure gold, none of this would have happened!"
Kurome asked, "So, your father was also swallowed by Lanternfish? What happened to your father?"
Orga nonchalantly answered, "He must have died when he was swallowed~ He deserved it!"
"The only one who survived is me, living alone in this stomach for 190 years."
"No." Akame denied, "Eric just said he detected two human presences, so the other one should be your father."
"Tsk, so that damn father didn't die?" Orga grumbled, "Forget him. I'll take you to find the pure gold."
"That..." Wendy hesitated, "I think your father must have some unspeakable reason. Otherwise, why would he hide the priceless pure gold inside the ring and carry it with him?"
"Hmph!" Orga threw a childlike tantrum and sat on the ground without saying a word.
"Exactly, I think this needs to be clarified by two people," Eric said. "Communication between people is necessary. Didn't you forget? You were bedridden for a while."
"Bedridden?" As a doctor, Law approached Orga, "Open your mouth, I need to check your oral cavity."
"Ah—!" Orga's expressive face changes were rich enough to win an award for best actress, her expressions shifting from cunning to displeasure, to annoyance, to dislike, all vividly displayed.
Akame asked, "Do you know what disease it is?"
"No." Law replied calmly, "I need to do a full checkup to know for sure. Come with me."
Orga reluctantly followed Law into the ship's infirmary.
"Let's go meet the next person. Wendy, head in that direction."
◇
Several small, pink dinosaurs in a nest were chirping loudly with their mouths open, waiting for the adult dinosaurs to return with food.
A shabby pink plush doll suit with several yellow patches was lying next to the nest, complaining, "So late! How could they only bring food at this time? This is too much!"
The doll's mouth opened, revealing a plump man's head inside, with messy golden beard covering his cheeks. "I'm starving!"
The adult dinosaur returned, opened its giant mouth, and spat out chunks of meat it had been holding.
The plush dinosaur suit and the small dinosaurs rushed at the meat, tearing into it like beasts.
Orga watched this scene on the Invincible, her expression indescribable.
"That plush suit?" Deidara spread his hands, "You didn't notice this? Or do all the animals here act as 'smart' as this lizard?"
"Ah—!" Elizabeth emitted a displeased sound.
"Deidara, bring it up."
"Boom!"
Deidara molded explosive clay and threw the bird-shaped clay puppet down, its giant beak aiming straight at the pink figure.
"Roar!"
The adult T-Rex lunged to protect its young, its sharp-toothed mouth snapping at the flying puppet, but it dodged easily.
"What's going on? What's happening?" The man asked, stopping his eating.
The plush suit tightened around him, and he was lifted off the ground.
"Found, found out?!" The pink plush suit struggled desperately and yelled, "You've mistaken me! I'm your child!"
Unexpectedly, as he flew higher, the man looked down, seeing only the adult T-Rex roaring.
"Roar——!"
The man closed his eyes. "Goodbye..."
Unexpectedly, his body lightened, and he touched the hard ground again.
After 190 years, he finally heard another's voice: "Open your eyes. You've been saved."
(END CHAPTER)
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