Chapter 59: Uchiha's Beast Taming Technique, the Flying Duck!
On the sea, a faint aroma of roasted meat wafted through the air.
"Sizzle..."
The giant sea beast Momoo rolled its eyes back, floating on the water like a floating island, its body still twitching occasionally from the residual electric current.
"Meat!! Such a huge piece of roasted meat!!"
Luffy lay on the bow, staring intently at the massive hunk of protein before him, crystal-clear drool hanging from the corner of his mouth like a wolf that hadn't eaten in three days.
"I was thinking the same thing."
Sanji had produced a sharpening steel and a kitchen knife at some point, elegantly rolling up his sleeves, his eyes gleaming with a chef's characteristic cold light:
"Even though it's a bit charred from the electricity, if we slice off the skin, the meat inside should be just right.
"This is top-grade sea beast meat; it'll be absolutely delicious as steaks."
"Yosh! Let's dig in then!"
Luffy cheered, his rubber arms stretching out as he prepared to pounce and start the meal.
Smack.
A hand suddenly reached out, firmly grabbing Luffy's back collar.
"Wait, you two gluttons."
Tatsuya pulled Luffy back with a smile, then looked at the sea beast that hadn't breathed its last yet, shaking his head:
"It would be such a waste to eat it. Our 'shima shima' only has manual oars, and it's far too slow."
He pointed at the still-twitching Momoo, a hint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes:
"Isn't this a ready-made 'motor'?"
"Motor?" Luffy and Sanji both froze for a moment.
Just then, Momoo groaned in pain on the sea's surface, slowly opening its large, bell-like eyes.
It shook its groggy head; the terrifying electric shock from earlier still left it with lingering fear.
When it clearly saw the few humans on the small boat before it, especially the black-haired boy who had just given it 'electrotherapy.'
Its massive pupils instantly shrank to the size of pinheads, and fear flooded its entire body.
"Moo!!"
It let out a terrified roar and turned to dive into the deep sea to escape.
"Trying to run?"
Tatsuya sneered, took a step, and drifted down like light smoke onto Momoo's massive nose.
Hum—
Those pitch-black eyes instantly transformed into the crimson Sharingan, two tomoe slowly spinning, eerie and cold.
A terrifying pressure from the spiritual level instantly enveloped Momoo's not-so-developed brain.
Flap flap!
Clay, who was already poised to move, flew over and landed steadily on Tatsuya's shoulder.
It spread its black wings and shouted, borrowing Tatsuya's authority:
"Quack! Big guy! Look into my master's eyes!"
As an ability user who had eaten the 'Echo-Echo Fruit,' Clay was fluent in animal speech, making him a perfect translator.
Its tiny eyes bulged, and it translated Tatsuya's meaning in its raspy voice:
"My master says! We're going to the island ahead!"
"You have two choices now!"
"First, pull our boat obediently and go at full speed!"
"Second..."
Zzzzt!
Tatsuya cooperatively raised his hand, and the blue-white electric arcs that drove the beast to despair lit up in his palm once more.
Clay added ominously:
"Second, we roast you right now and have our meal! Quack quack quack!"
Looking at the red-eyed boy before it, radiating a demonic aura.
Then looking at the blond cook who wanted to turn it into sashimi, and the Straw Hat kid drooling and wanting to swallow it whole.
Momoo's psychological defenses completely collapsed.
"Moo-hoo-hoo..."
This fierce sea beast that roamed the oceans was now like a wronged puppy, letting out a mournful cry with teary eyes and nodding frantically.
It didn't want to become a whole roasted cow!
"That's more like it, good boy."
Tatsuya deactivated his Sharingan and lightning, patting the massive bovine head with satisfaction.
Then, he found the thick rope originally used for the anchor, skillfully tied a knot, and looped it around Momoo's neck.
The other end was tied tightly to the duck neck at the bow of the 'shima shima.'
"Alright, everyone, hold on tight."
Tatsuya jumped back onto the boat and sat at the bow, tightening the rope like an experienced coachman.
"Full speed ahead! Target—northwest!"
"MOOO!!!"
To save its life, Momoo unleashed unprecedented potential.
It roared, its massive tail slamming against the sea surface as its entire body shot forward like a torpedo.
Twang!
The rope instantly pulled taut.
The originally sluggish duck boat felt as if it had been fitted with thrusters in that instant.
Boom!!
The massive inertia caused the bow to tilt high up, nearly perpendicular to the sea surface.
Immediately after, the small shopping boat accelerated wildly across the sea; because of the sheer speed, the hull lifted off the water entirely and began skipping across the crests of the waves!
Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!
The duck boat was like a stone thrown with great force, bouncing frantically across the sea.
"Waaaaaaah!!"
Johnny and Yosaku instantly clung to each other, tears and snot flowing freely, their screams torn to shreds by the wind:
"It's too fast!! We're going to fly!!"
"This isn't a boat at all!!!"
Usopp clung to the mast for dear life, his eyes bulging and his entire face distorted by the powerful wind:
"Tatsuya!! Tell it to slow down!! I'm going to fall apart!!"
"Yahooooo!!!"
Only Luffy, the death-defying Captain, was riding directly on the duck's head at the bow.
Clutching the duck's beak with one hand and waving his Straw Hat with the other, he shouted excitedly:
"Amazing! Amazing! Faster! We're flying! Shishishi!"
And the most miserable one was none other than Zoro, lying in the cabin.
Bang! Clang! Thud!
With the ship's violent jolting, the heavily injured Zoro was tossed around the cramped cabin like a marble.
"Ugh... ow, ow, ow..."
Zoro clutched the freshly stitched wound on his chest, grimacing in pain as cold sweat poured down his forehead.
He struggled to poke his head out and roared at the leisurely figure at the bow:
"Tatsuya!! You maniac!!"
"Are you trying to kill me?! My wound... it's opening up, you bastard!!"
Hearing Zoro's complaints, Tatsuya remembered there was a patient on board and hurried over to help steady him.
Then, glancing back at the screaming crowd, he said with a smile:
"Stop complaining. Isn't this much faster than rowing? At this rate, we'll catch up to Nami in no time."
"It's not a matter of speed!! You red-eyed bastard!!"
Sanji was also being tossed around until he was dizzy, clinging to the gunwale for dear life to avoid being thrown overboard.
...
Under Momoo's desperate pulling, a voyage that should have taken half a day was forced down to just half an hour.
Soon, an island covered in green forests appeared on the horizon.
That was the island where Cocoyasi Village was located.
"We're here! I see it!" Luffy pointed ahead excitedly.
However, Tatsuya soon discovered a serious problem.
This duck boat... had no brakes.
And under the acceleration of Momoo's terrifying monstrous strength, the current speed was already ridiculously high; it simply couldn't stop.
They were about to crash into the offshore reef.
"Moo??"
Momoo up ahead also realized something was wrong, looking back with a terrified expression, as if asking: how do we stop?
"No other way."
Tatsuya stood up, his gaze sharpening as he decisively issued an order:
"Momoo! Use all your strength! Fling the boat onto the shore!!"
"Moo?!"
Although the sea beast was bewildered, under Tatsuya's intimidation, it instinctively complied.
It slammed on the brakes, its massive body coming to a sudden halt in the water; then, using the momentum, its thick neck whipped upward!
Snap!!
The rope tied to its neck snapped instantly.
Losing its tow, the 'shima shima' used that terrifying inertia to shoot straight out of the water!
"Waaaaaaah!!"
"Flying... we're really flying!!!"
Accompanied by the screams of everyone on board (except for Luffy's cheers).
The small boat with the comical duck head was like a cannonball fired from a barrel, tracing a perfect parabola as it flew right over the coastline and the beach.
Rumble!!!
A world-shaking boom echoed.
The 'shima shima' crashed directly into the dense forest near the Village amidst billowing dust, crushing a large swath of trees and startling countless birds.
Dust filled the air.
Tatsuya smilingly set down Zoro, whom he had been carrying in a bridal style.
"Ah, I thought I was dead. You actually have a bit of a conscience, you guy." Zoro landed and tightened his grip on his swords.
"Cough, cough... cough, cough..."
Sanji struggled to push off the wooden boards pressing down on him. "I'm definitely... definitely going to kill that red-eyed bastard..."
And deep in the woods not far away.
The massive commotion instantly alerted several Fishmen patrolling nearby, as well as the villagers living their cautious lives in the Village.
"What was that sound?!"
"Was a cannonball fired at us?"
"I think I saw... a duck?"
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