Chapter 99: The Pirate Gathering at Hachinosu
On the calm sea, two pirate ships sailed steadily, one following the other.
"Damn it! Why can't I catch any fish?!" Tucker reeled in another empty hook and roared in frustration. He raised the rod and flung the line back out with all his strength.
Not long after—
Splash! A five-meter-long tuna landed on deck, flopping wildly.
Tucker and Cole turned to look, both wearing identical expressions of dismay.
Luo Han calmly stepped up, gave the fish a swift slap on the head, removed the hook, baited it again, and cast his line in one smooth, practiced motion.
"Amazing! Lord Luo Han is powerful even at fishing!" Pirate Long exclaimed in awe.
"Yeah! Yeah!" echoed Pirate Tao eagerly.
Luo Han's rod twitched slightly, and he quickly blocked out the background noise from the extras.
"Boss Luo Han, how come you're the only one catching fish?" Tucker asked, confused.
"Young man, don't be so hasty! Fishing is about entering a realm. Only when your heart is calm can your energy flow peacefully, and only then will the fish not sense your hostility and take the bait," Luo Han explained solemnly.
"You and Cole, on the other hand, radiate nothing but hunger. Of course the fish avoid you like the plague."
He said it so seriously he almost believed it himself.
"Really? Okay…" Tucker muttered, skeptical but too polite to argue. He pursed his lips and tried to reach that supposed "realm of fishing."
"If only someone had heard me," muttered the tuna lying on deck. "One moment I was chasing the girl of my dreams deep in the ocean, and the next, some invisible force yanked me to the surface and shoved that nasty bait in my mouth. And just like that… my fish life ended."
Luo Han glanced at the tuna. "Did I just hear someone yelling about a girl?" Must've been my imagination. He scratched his head and went back to fishing.
"So, what kind of fish should I go for next?"
Through his spiritual sense, he could feel the joyful fish swimming beneath the surface—it was hard to choose.
"Yes! Truly masterful! Lord Luo Han's fishing realm is unmatched!" exclaimed Pirate Long again.
"Yeah! Yeah!" Pirate Tao chimed in once more.
"Shut up, you two idiots. From now on, you're not allowed to speak," Luo Han snapped, annoyed. Ever since his bounty hit 800 million berries, these two had followed him everywhere, worshipping him like cultists.
No matter how many times he tried to drive them off, they never left.
Of course, Luo Han knew their secret—they were spies sent by the World Government. If he hadn't figured that out, he might've thought they were his most loyal fans.
"At least knowing who they really are helps me stay alert," Luo Han thought. Better the devil you know.
"Han bro! Something's flying this way!" Cole pointed toward the horizon as a dark figure grew rapidly in size.
"Let me see," Luo Han said, scanning the area with his spiritual sense. He detected a tall and... very shapely presence.
"Who's that?" Tucker asked. As they got closer, a voluptuous woman nearly as tall as Cole rode in on a white cloud.
Tap tap. Charlotte Linlin landed on the ship and looked around.
"Where's Whitebeard?" she asked.
"Here!" Luo Han called out.
Whitebeard emerged from the cabin, jug of alcohol in hand. Clearly, he had been hiding inside drinking.
"Linlin? You come to my ship for something?" he asked gruffly, clearly annoyed at having his drinking interrupted.
"I saw your ship ahead and dropped by. But mainly, I wanted to see Cole," Linlin replied casually. Her eyes sparkled with interest. "I see your body's grown stronger in just half a year."
"Have you made up your mind? Want to join my crew?" she asked Cole directly, her tone filled with desire.
Faced with her intense gaze, Cole looked helpless and didn't answer.
"This woman's got a thing for giants, huh?" Luo Han thought. He said aloud, "Hey, Linlin—we're still part of Rocks' crew. Maybe keep that to yourself for now?"
Linlin's eyes narrowed. She threw a punch at Luo Han. "And what makes you think you can talk to me as an equal?"
"This lunatic…" Luo Han grumbled. With a thought, he activated Mind Force Armament and punched upward.
Clang! Zzzhhmm! A shockwave mixed with Conqueror's Haki exploded between them, knocking pirates across the deck—many fainted on the spot.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Cole and Tucker half-transformed and struck from behind.
Clang! A massive blade blocked their punches. After a brief clash, the two retreated to Luo Han's side.
"We're nearly at Hachinosu. Save it for when we arrive!" Whitebeard barked. Then he glared. "And you, Linlin—this is my ship. Want me to toss you overboard to feed the fish?"
Splash! Linlin retracted her punch and leapt onto the hovering white cloud. "Zeus, let's go!" she called out, but not before casting a glance back at Luo Han.
"How curious… Two voices… What could they be?" she murmured, flying off. Luo Han watched her, deep in thought.
"Kid, once we reach Hachinosu, be careful. A lot of people there won't be friendly," Whitebeard warned as he returned to his cabin to drink.
"Heh… doesn't matter," Luo Han shrugged. "By the way, that counterattack earlier—well done!" he said to Cole and Tucker.
"Of course! Anyone who messes with the boss messes with me!" Tucker pumped his fists.
Cole just smiled silently.
"You guys keep fishing. I'm heading to the bow," Luo Han said, waving as he walked off.
He reached the bow and looked into the distance. A small black dot appeared on the horizon—likely the Rocks Pirates' headquarters: Hachinosu.
"So fast… We've already reached the pirate gathering. Once it's over, I can go home," Luo Han sighed.
Ever since he used telekinesis to drown Garp and cause massive navy casualties, Garp had been glued to him—relentless. With spies on board, they couldn't shake him no matter how hard they tried.
"But in a way, that pressure pushed me. The constant high-level battles these past few months have made my telekinesis way stronger. Soon, even Whitebeard's attacks won't faze me."
Now, all that remained was to survive the Hachinosu gathering—and return to Ring Tree Island. For days now, Luo Han had been having eyelid twitches—both sides. Something bad was coming.
(END CHAPTER)
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