Chapter 329 - 168

Chapter 168: Vampire Fruit.The night sky, like a piece of velvet soaked in ink, descended heavily.The outline of the remote island was blurred in the darkness, with only the ceaseless waves crashing against the shore reefs, emitting hollow whimpers.Trafalgar Law stood on the damp, cold beach, his brows furrowed into a tight knot.He looked around, seeing only twisted withered trees and shadowy strange rocks; the sky was thick with clouds, not even a sliver of Moonlight could penetrate."Tsk," he cursed inwardly, "This damn place doesn't look good at all."In stark contrast to his vigilance, Yamato, standing beside him, seemed to have stepped into a New World.She wore an elegant moon-white kimono, with cloud-scroll patterns like hidden currents embroidered in silver thread at the hem.At this moment, she was tightly clutching Luffy's arm with both hands, her red eyes astonishingly bright, like two clusters of starlight ignited in the gloom.For her, as long as she could escape the steel cage of Onigashima that had imprisoned her for over twenty years,No matter where she went, she breathed the air of freedom and saw the scenery of paradise."Luffy," she gently swayed Luffy's arm, her voice soft and sweet, filled with unconcealed excitement, "Let's go on an adventure!"Her silvery-white long hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall, rippling softly with her movements.The kimono fabric clung to her tall and voluptuous figure, her full chest rising and falling slightly with her somewhat rapid breathing,Outlining a breathtaking curve in the dim light."This place looks so fun!" she pointed to the eerie depths of the distant jungle, her tone full of excitement as if discovering treasure."Alright, alright!"Luffy responded almost immediately. He felt the excitement emanating from beside him, and the usual flame of curiosity in his eyes flared up even brighter.Without another word, he gripped Yamato's delicate wrist with one hand,And casually pulled out an Eternal Pose from his pocket with the other, glancing at it.The needle was trembling slightly, pointing towards a certain direction deep within the island."This way!"He grinned, showing a brilliant smile, and pulled Yamato, striding towards the depths of the withered forest.His steps were so light, as if he wasn't going to explore an unknown perilous land, but to attend a lively festival."Uh...?"Law's forehead instantly broke out in several clear black lines, and his mouth twitched uncontrollably.He had long known that his Captain was a fearless "big idiot" who acted on instinct,And hadn't held out much hope for him to act cautiously.But he never expected that this new companion, Miss Yamato, who had just joined the ship not long ago and seemed heroic and exceptionally strong, would also be like this!What was the difference between this eerie, wind-swept, half-buried skeletal place, with an ominous smell in the air, and Onigashima where she had stayed for twenty years?!No, it might be even worse!His gaze swept past the two excited figures, looking into the depths of the withered forest.There, the black silhouette of an ancient castle stood silently, its spires piercing the low-hanging dark clouds like sharp swords.Law sighed helplessly and heavily, then resignedly lifted his feet and followed.He couldn't really let these two guys run wild in such a strange place."Hold on."A leisurely, casual voice, imbued with the mellow richness of age, suddenly came from the side.Moonlight, at some unknown point, had managed to tear a sliver through the clouds, perfectly illuminating the figure sitting on a smooth reef.Rayleigh held up a large sake gourd, taking a comfortable sip; the clear liquor trickled down his grizzled beard, dripping onto the rock.His eyes held a knowing smile that saw through everything, and he slowly said:"Young people have their own fun; let's not spoil it for them."Law's steps halted, and he looked at Rayleigh.The latter merely winked at him, then tilted his head back for another gulp of sake, his posture as relaxed as if he were on vacation by the sea... The ancient castle stood in the center of the island, like a sleeping giant."Tsk tsk, it looks really scary!!" Yamato stood with her hands on her hips in front of the two heavy, eerie wooden doors riddled with wormholes, yet there was no trace of fear in her eyes.On the contrary, her red, starry eyes gleamed with burning excitement, and even a few unruly silver-white strands of hair by her temples trembled slightly with anticipation."Yeah, yeah! Maybe there's a vampire living inside?!" Luffy couldn't wait any longer; his rubber arm stretched out,And with a "creak," he pushed open the heavy wooden doors, pulling Yamato, and unhesitatingly rushed into the thick darkness... The interior of the ancient castle was even more desolate and dilapidated than it appeared from the outside. The massive hall contained only broken stone pillars and thick dust.Moonlight slanted in through holes in the dome and cracked windows, forming several hazy beams of light; one of them happened to illuminate something on the central stone altar."So, what's so fun about this place?"Luffy kicked a small stone at his feet, his tone a bit bored,"Where's the vampire? Where's my vampire?!"His expression was somewhat disappointed.He had always been interested in legendary demons and monsters; his experience on the ghost ship had excited him for a long time.At the center of the altar, where the Moonlightconverged, a Devil Fruit lay quietly.It was about the size of a fist, dark purple, and as round as a ripe cherry tomato, yet its surface was entwined with strange spiral patterns.The stem was curved like an inverted bat, and four sharp protrusions extended from the bottom of the fruit, dull in color, but faintly glowing with a crimson luster, like fangs.It was indeed the Animal-type, Mythical Zoan, Vampire Form Devil Fruit!But Luffy's enthusiasm remained low. He pouted:"Only a Devil Fruit?"The ghost zombies of Thriller Bark were products of ability users.Now, in this place that should have real vampires, he only found a Devil Fruit.Could it be that there really were no interesting monsters in this world?He casually picked up the rather sinister-looking fruit, weighed it in his hand, then carelessly tossed it into his system space, his tone full of impatience:"Let's go, Yamato, this place isn't fun at all! Nothing but dust and rocks, and a strange fruit.""Yamato?" Luffy turned his head in confusion.He saw Yamato trembling slightly all over, her fair face drained of color,She was staring intently at the deep darkness above her head, her lips pressed white."The ceiling?" Luffy's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly looked up.Beneath the dark dome, without warning, countless crimson light points suddenly lit up!One, two, ten, a hundred... densely packed, silent, like an inverted crimson galaxy,Or like countless malicious eyes opening simultaneously in the darkness.The sight was enough to make anyone with trypophobia's scalp tingle and blood freeze."Screech—!!!"The next moment, a sharp flapping sound, loud enough to pierce eardrums, tore through the castle's deadly silence!Those crimson light points suddenly moved, transforming into a surging black torrent, diving down from high above!It was bats, countless bats!They crowded together, their wings rubbing against each other, emitting a terrifying sound wave that blotted out the sky,Like a materialized nightmare wave, sweeping towards the two people by the altar!Just as this black torrent was about to engulf them—"Crackling—!!!"Black and red electric arcs burst forth without warning! Not from Luffy, but from beside him!A violent, domineering Conqueror's Haki, filled with destructive aura, erupted from Yamato like tangible thunder!The black and red lightning instantly spread out radially, brutally sweeping across the entire castle hall!Thick electric arcs jumped and struck the walls and stone pillars, leaving scorched marks,Illuminating the dome in a crimson glow, and even the diving bat swarm paused under this invisible king's pressure, emitting chaotic screeches.Luffy's eyes widened,He turned his head to look at Yamato beside him, who was enveloped in tangible black and red Hakilightning, her silver hair fluttering without wind, her eyes sharp as knives, like a demon god descended,He completely lost his composure and blurted out:"Hey, hey, hey! It's just a bunch of bats, do you really need to use Conqueror's Haki?!""Luffy—!!!"A tearful cry responded to him.That snow-white figure, which had just been overflowing with Haki, rushed over with a "whoosh" faster than the diving bats,Carrying a fragrant breeze, and directly crashed into Luffy's arms,With such force that Luffy instinctively stepped back half a pace before steadying himself.Luffy's mouth twitched slightly, and he instinctively reached out his arms, wrapping them around Yamato's slender waist.His hands met the smooth fabric of the kimono and the taut, elastic skin beneath.He could clearly feel the trembling of the body in his arms."You're so strong... and yet you're afraid of bats?" Luffy's tone was filled with incredulous helplessness.Hearing this, Yamato's delicate body trembled violently.She slowly raised her face, her red eyes brimming with glistening tears, her long eyelashes wet with tears, clumped together, trembling with her soft sobs.She looked at Luffy with such a pathetic, pitiful expression, her voice thick with a nasal tone and obvious grievance:"I, I'm afraid of all... ugly things!!"As soon as she finished speaking, she nestled even more tightly into Luffy's embrace like a seeking cub,Her cheek buried deep in his firm, warm chest, her hands tightly wrapped around his back.This action completely compressed the full, soft curves of her chest between them, outlining a breathtaking and blood-stirring arc.It was as if only by clinging tightly to this broad, secure embrace,Could she block out those hideous creatures that made her skin crawl, and find a sense of peace and protection she had never experienced before."Uh..."Luffy was a bit at a loss for a moment, his free hand hesitated,Finally, he gently raised it, with a hint of comfort, and stroked Yamato's cool, smooth silver-white long hair.The moment his fingertips touched her silky hair, his expression became somewhat dazed.If before, Yamato's particularly enthusiastic actions and following gaze had only made him vaguely guess,Then at this moment, with this wholehearted reliance, unreserved closeness, and the vulnerability and affection in her eyes that only appeared when facing him... even Luffy, no matter how slow, could now be 100% sure:—Yamato definitely liked him.This wasn't him being narcissistic.Nami would occasionally show her reliance on him in times of crisis,Robin would watch him with that gentle and profound gaze when quiet,Luffy was not entirely unaware of these subtle expressions.As for Hancock... the Empress of Amazon Lily's enthusiasm was like a volcanic eruption, directly skipping all preliminaries.Lost in thought, Luffy subconsciously adjusted his posture,Making Yamato more comfortable, and even unconsciously rested his chin gently on her soft hair.A faint fragrance from her hair, like ice and snow mixed with a cold floral scent, lingered at his nose.He had to admit... Yamato was truly beautiful.Her tall and graceful figure, combining strength and softness, her captivating beauty, plus her silver-white long hair flowing down to her waist... every part of her seemed to perfectly align with his vague aesthetic.However... Luffy couldn't help but mutter to himself, when did the romantic encounters around him start to flourish so much?He never had this kind of treatment back in Foosha Village.Images flashed through his mind: Nami with her hands on her hips calculating accounts, Robin's meaningful smile, Hancock's burning gaze,And now this... well, this "little brother" who looks like an older sister but seems a bit afraid of ghosts and ugly things.Luffy silently crossed himself in his heart, only able to pray that there wouldn't be any trouble at home.After all, he was the man who would become the Pirate King; adventure and comrades came first!When encountering such complicated matters, the only thing he, Monkey D. Luffy, could do was indeed let nature take its course!...After an unknown period, the bats inside the ancient castle, whether completely scared away by the Conqueror's Haki or having lost interest, their flapping sounds gradually faded, leaving only an eerie silence.Luffy gently patted Yamato's back, his voice softer than usual:"Alright, the bats seem to have flown away."Yamato slowly raised her head from his embrace, her cheeks still flushed, her eyes slightly red,But her gaze had cleared, though when she looked at Luffy, her eyes held a new, shimmering softness that wasn't there before.She softly "hmm-ed," and released the hand that was tightly hugging him,But her fingertips quietly slid down and hooked onto Luffy's finger.Luffy looked down at their intertwined fingers,Then looked up at Yamato's red eyes, which held a hint of shyness and more reliance,He grinned and clasped her hand tightly."Let's go, it's time to head back, otherwise Rayleighand Law will be getting anxious."He led Yamato, and the two walked side by side, treading on Moonlight and dust, step by step out of the eerie ancient castle.The atmosphere was completely different from the pure excitement of exploration when they arrived; the air was filled with a silent, subtly sweet intimacy... "They're back."By the shore, Law leaned languidly against an gnarled, ancient tree, his demon sword kikoku in his arms.The hem of his black coat fluttered slightly in the salty sea breeze, accentuating his tall figure, exuding an aura of aloofness and detachment.His eyebrow twitched slightly; his sharp mind, combined with his keen Observation Haki,Had long since "heard" the footsteps of the two from afar, and had also caught the atmosphere between them, which was distinctly different from the "Captain and admiring junior" dynamic before entering the ancient castle.It was a closer intimacy, imbued with subtle understanding and silent communication.Law couldn't quite pinpoint what had changed, but he just felt... inexplicably annoyed.This made an indescribable emotion, similar to "what the hell?", well up in his heart, as a calm, rational single man.On a reef not far away, Rayleigh was still squatting,The sake gourd in his hand gently swayed, the amber liquid inside reflecting the sparse Moonlightthat had finally broken through the clouds.He took a sip of sake, his gaze gently falling upon the two young people walking out of the withered forest side by side,A faint, knowing smile played on his lips, yet he tacitly chose not to reveal anything... The sea breeze blew more fiercely, lifting Yamato's waist-length silver hair, which danced freely in the air like flowing Moonlight.A faint blush, not yet completely faded, still lingered on her captivating cheeks,And the fear from before had long vanished from her eyes as she looked at Luffy beside her,Replaced by a brighter, softer sentiment, as if filled with starlight.She gently leaned against Luffy's side, her delicate body slightly tilted forward with his steps, seemingly mustering her courage to say something important.She looked up, her red eyes intently gazing at Luffy's profile, her voice soft as the sea breeze's whisper:"Luffy, I—""Brrr brrr~ Brrr brrr~"A crisp and urgent den den mushi ringtone suddenly sounded without warning,Abruptly interrupting Yamato's words, which she had finally gathered the courage to speak."Hmm?" Luffy's eyes lit up, his attention instantly captured.He immediately pulled out the den den mushi with the straw hat-shaped shell from his pants pocket, a cheerful and somewhat expectant smile on his face,"It's Sanji's call!"He pressed the answer button without hesitation.However, the image projected by the den den mushi was not the familiar figure of the blond chef with the Curly Eyebrows."straw hat boy—!!! Help me!!! Come and save me—!!!"A sharp, shrill cry, filled with extreme despair and panic, almost breaking through the den den mushi's transmission limit,Suddenly exploded, instantly piercing through the receiver, clearly echoing across the entire silent coast of the deserted island.