Chapter 81 A Town Welcomes Pirates? Nami Passes Out Drunk
The Merry sailed along the canal flowing down the Upside Down.
Whiskey Peak, the legendary island inhabited by bounty hunters, finally came into view.
It was an island with an extremely peculiar shape, with huge cactus peaks standing on the sea.
At the foot of that mountain was a rather prosperous-looking town.
However, when the Going Merry slowly entered the port, the scene before them left the Straw Hat crew somewhat bewildered.
Logically speaking, when a pirate ship flying the skull and crossbones flag enters the port, the civilians should have been terrified and fled in all directions.
But now...
"Welcome! Welcome, pirates!!"
"Long live the pirates! The heroes have arrived!!"
On the dock by the shore, a dense crowd of townspeople had gathered.
Holding up welcoming banners, their faces beaming with enthusiastic smiles, they cheered and jumped for joy at the Merry, even playing cheerful music.
Wow!! That's amazing! They even have a welcoming ceremony!
Luffy, perched on the bow of the ship, exclaimed with shining eyes, "The people here are so hospitable!"
"Has my fame spread all the way to the Grand Line? Have I become a hero?" Usopp began to feel smug.
However, Victor, standing at the bow of the ship, watched the scene unfold with a smile.
Those black eyes instantly transformed into crimson Sharingan with three tomoe.
"Buzz—"
Under the Sharingan's insight, the world sheds its disguise.
Those smiling townspeople, those seemingly harmless old people and women—in Viktor's eyes, each one of them seemed to be shrouded in a faint aura of murderous intent.
And hidden in the clothes behind them and in the bouquets in their hands, there was the cold glint of swords and guns.
"Are they all actors...?"
Viktor's lips curled into a mocking smirk, the red light in his eyes fading: "Looks like we've walked into a wolf's den."
At that moment, Nami walked up to him.
As a seasoned thief, her intuition was also giving her a frantic warning.
"Viktor, something's not right." Nami whispered, looking warily at the shore.
"What ordinary person would welcome pirates like this? What should we do?"
"Don't worry, Miss Navigator."
Victor patted her on the shoulder with a smile:
"Since they're so 'enthusiastic,' let's cooperate and put on a good show."
...
Upon reaching the shore, Mayor Icarum—the man with blond curly hair who spoke as if singing—warmly greeted Vivi and the others.
"Welcome to Whisky Peak! A haven for fine spirits and music!"
Ikaram waved his hand and said, "To celebrate your presence, we are hosting a grand banquet tonight! Fine wine and food are plentiful!"
This instantly exposed several of the Straw Hat crew's weaknesses.
"Meat!! I want to eat meat!!" Luffy's mouth watered, and he was the first to rush in.
"Beautiful ladies! So many beautiful older sisters!!" Sanji's eyes sparkled with hearts as he twisted his body into a pretzel.
"I am Captain Usopp, the brave warrior of the sea!" Usopp was so flattered by the praise from the beautiful women that his nose almost reached the sky.
The banquet hall was brightly lit, and the atmosphere was extremely lively.
"Come on! Drink up!!"
Nami then revealed a side of herself that shocked everyone.
"Does winning guarantee a prize of 100,000 Berries?"
Nami stood on a barrel of beer, holding a huge beer mug in her hand, while a group of burly men lay down in front of her, trying to get her drunk.
"Ten more people, please!! I haven't had enough to drink yet!!"
Driven by the prize money, Nami's fighting prowess was off the charts; she managed to drink over a dozen burly men under the table.
"Gurgle, gurgle! Nami, the mighty boss, is awesome!!"
Clay, standing on the table, was caught up in the fervent atmosphere and Nami's imposing presence, flapping his wings and boasting loudly:
"Of course! My eldest sister is the kind of woman who could drink the ocean dry! Hehe!"
"Good heavens! That crow spoke?!"
"How amazing!!"
Clay's words instantly shocked many of the townspeople and bounty hunters who were watching.
"Come, come! Lord Divine Bird, have a drink too!"
Clay got a little carried away by the "coaxing" and jeers of a group of ill-intentioned people.
It struggled to hold a cup of wine with its two wings, and, imitating humans, tilted its head back and poured it into its pointed beak.
"Gulp...cough cough cough!!"
Clearly, a bird's beak structure is not suitable for drinking from a cup.
Most of the liquid flowed down its feathers, with only a tiny amount entering its mouth.
In an instant, the once majestic black crow was transformed into a disheveled "drenched chicken," its feathers clinging wetly to its body.
"Hahaha! This bird is so stupid!"
"It's turned into a drowned chicken!"
The onlookers burst into merciless laughter.
"Gah—!! Foolish human! What are you laughing at!!"
Enraged, Clay violently shook its body like a centrifuge.
"Splash!"
The wine and saliva on the feathers instantly splattered out, directly hitting the faces of the laughing guys.
"Ptooey! Ptooey! This dead bird!"
...
In a dimly lit corner of the banquet hall.
Viktor leaned back on the sofa, a glass of red wine in his hand.
His eyes looked dazed, as if he was already seven-tenths drunk, but the pupils beneath his double eyelids were perfectly clear as he silently observed the scene.
He yawned, hesitating whether he should take the opportunity to rest.
Just then.
A fragrant breeze wafted over.
"Viktor"
Nami, flushed from drinking too much, staggered over.
Perhaps it was the courage emboldened by alcohol, or perhaps it was a subconscious dependence.
Ignoring the stares of those around her, Nami, emboldened by the alcohol, plopped down on Viktor's lap.
"Hmm..."
Viktor's body stiffened slightly for a moment.
Nami, however, was completely unaware. She reached out and softly wrapped her arms around Viktor's neck.
She pressed her burning cheek against his chest, muttering incoherently in her drunken state:
"Hiccup... Money... So much money... I want to drink too..."
Viktor sighed helplessly.
He adjusted his posture slightly to prevent her from slipping.
Then he reached out and gently embraced her slender waist, saying helplessly:
"Honestly, if you can't drink, just drink less. Why drink so much?"
"Hmm... because... I'm happy..."
Nami mumbled indistinctly, snuggling closer to Viktor like a kitten seeking warmth, and found a comfortable spot to close her eyes.
This scene was witnessed by Zoro, who was not far away.
Although Zoro was also drinking heavily, his other hand, which was holding the wine cup, never left the hilt of his sword.
He glanced at the couple in the corner who were being overly intimate, and his lips twitched involuntarily.
Noticing the gaze, Viktor looked up and met Zoro's eyes through the noisy crowd.
Viktor winked at Zoro and gave him a smile that only the two of them could understand.
Zoro understood immediately and nodded almost imperceptibly.
A knowing, cold smile simultaneously appeared on their lips.
The difference between hunter and prey is often just a thought away.
...
late at night.
The noisy banquet finally subsided.
The banquet hall was filled with people lying haphazardly.
Luffy had eaten so much that he had become a giant ball of flesh, and was now fast asleep on the table, his snot bubbles swirling in and out of shape.
Usopp and Sanji were both completely drunk. Nami, holding Clay, sat down in a chair and fell into a deep sleep.
Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting long shadows.
"Hehehe... Are they all finally asleep?"
The mayor, Ikaram, who had been all smiles, now wore a sinister grin.
He stood up, and behind him, Vivi, Mr. 9, and a large group of originally enthusiastic "townspeople" all pulled out knives, guns, and rocket launchers from the shadows, revealing their ferocious true colors.
They are bounty hunters for the Baroque Works.
"Have you checked it carefully?" Weiwei's innocent and adorable demeanor vanished, replaced by a cold tone.
"Confirmed!"
Icarum pulled out a stack of bounty posters, looked at the numbers on them, and greedily licked his lips:
"Straw Hat Luffy 30 million, Crimson Victor 28 million, and that pirate hunter Zoro..."
"This is a huge success! If we can take them down, our ranking will rise again!"
A bounty hunter raised his large sword, grinning maliciously as he approached Luffy, who was snoring.
"Cut off their heads while they're asleep! That's the easiest way!"
The blade gleamed coldly in the moonlight, about to fall.
Just then.
"Although your wine is just average and your food isn't top-notch..."
A faint voice suddenly came from above everyone's heads, sounding particularly clear in the quiet night.
"Who?!" Icarus and the others were shocked and looked up sharply.
On the roof beam, Victor was sitting with a smile on his face.
He looked down at the group of clowns below, his red eyes, glowing in the darkness, like the gaze of a demon.
"As a token of my gratitude for your hospitality, I will spare your lives..."
Viktor said with a smile, his tone relaxed:
"However, my swordsman doesn't seem to be so easy to talk to."
The words had barely left his mouth.
"Clang—!!"
In a corner of the banquet hall, a sharp, cold glint flashed.
Zoro, who was still fast asleep, suddenly opened his eyes. The drunkenness in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling killing intent like that of a demon.
He slowly drew his sword, a smile spreading across his face as he looked at the group of panicked bounty hunters before him.
"Perfect timing, I'm so full..."
"I haven't exercised after dinner yet."Chapter 82 The Swordsman Who Slayed a Hundred! Quiet down, agents!
The streets of Whiskey Peak, with a full moon hanging high above a giant cactus rock.
The cold moonlight shone on the bluestone road, casting a somber glow over the once bustling town.
"Hmph... Come on, if you want to die."
In the middle of the street, Zoro took off the dark green bandana from his arm and slowly tied it around his head.
He was biting down hard on the white hilt of the knife with the single character inscribed on it.
He then drew two newly acquired sharp blades from his waist—the fine sword "Yubashiri" and the demon sword "Sandai Kitetsu".
Opposite him stood a full hundred bounty hunters armed with weapons.
"Go for it! Those are tens of millions of lives!"
"Kill him!!"
The shouts shattered the tranquility of the night.
However, facing the surging crowd, Zoro did not back down at all, but instead revealed a cold smile.
"Perfect, I'll use you all to sharpen my new sword!"
brush--!
Zoro moved, like a tiger charging into a flock of sheep.
The blade flashed, and blood splattered.
But he wasn't in a hurry to end the fight; instead, he was enjoying the thrill of walking on the edge of life and death.
The black "Snow Walk" in his right hand was so light it seemed weightless, and he wielded it with ease.
The "Sandai Kitetsu" in his left hand, exuding an ominous aura, was like a bloodthirsty beast, each swing carrying a ferocious desire to cut everything in its path.
"So this is the demon sword... It's truly an untamed wild horse."
As Zoro parried attacks from all directions, he arrogantly thought to himself, "However, I'll make you obey!"
...
On the domed roof high up.
Viktor remained seated, holding a red apple he had swiped from the banquet. He took a bite, and juice spilled out.
His crimson Sharingan, adorned with three tomoe, slowly rotated in the night, taking in the battle below.
"Not bad swordsmanship." Viktor chewed on his apple, showing no intention of making a move.
However, just as Zoro was getting into the swing of things, he was surrounded by the crowd.
Several figures who had been lurking in the shadows finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"Now! Mr. 9!"
"Okay! Miss Wednesday!!"
A figure wearing a crown and a blue-haired girl riding a fast duck suddenly rushed out from Zoro's blind spot.
Mr.9 wields two metal baseball bats with steel cables attached, performing a series of flashy backflips.
Vivi, meanwhile, brandished her sharp blade called "Peacock Woodbreaker," and the two of them, one on the left and one on the right, headed straight for Zoro's unsuspecting back!
"And I'm going to finish this off with a spectacular finish!"
In the shadows on the other side, Ikaram (Mr. 8) raised his saxophone, which was not only a musical instrument but also a modified deadly firearm.
The dark, gaping tube was aimed at Zoro's back.
"Times have changed! No matter how skilled you are with your sword, you can't dodge a barrage of bullets!!"
Icarus's finger was on the trigger, a sinister smile spreading across his face:
"Saxophone shotgun—"
"Smack."
A crisp snap of fingers suddenly rang out in the night sky.
Before Ikaram could even shout out the name of his move, the figure who had been sitting high up eating an apple vanished into thin air.
The next second.
Mr. 9 and Vivi, who were preparing to launch a sneak attack, suddenly felt a blur before their eyes.
A black afterimage appeared behind them like a ghost.
"Two little mice, why don't you take a nap?"
Viktor's voice was flat and emotionless.
He didn't even draw his sword; he simply stretched out his hands and, with lightning speed, lightly sliced the back of their necks.
"Well..."
Mr. 9 and Vivi didn't even have time to react. They only felt a chill on the back of their necks, then their eyes rolled back and they collapsed limply to the ground.
Instant kill.
"Wh...what?!"
Icarum, who was some distance away, was horrified at the sight, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
But he was, after all, a high-ranking agent, and his reactions were extremely fast.
"Damn it! Where did you come from?!"
Icarum roared, ignoring Zoro, and abruptly turned the saxophone's nozzle towards Victor:
"Go to hell!!"
"Bang bang bang bang!!"
Accompanied by the piercing sound of gunfire, countless lead bullets poured out of the saxophone tube like a torrential rain, sealing off all of Viktor's hiding places.
However, Viktor stood still, without moving an inch.
Under the gaze of those three-tomoe Sharingan, the trajectories of the high-speed bullets were clearly visible, as if they had been slowed down.
"Too slow."
Zheng—
Viktor slowly drew his longsword from his waist, flicked his wrist, and the sword light splashed out like flowing water.
"Ding ding ding ding!!"
A series of rapid metallic clanging sounds rang out.
Amidst the sparks flying everywhere, all the bullets aimed at him were precisely cleaved in two by his sword blade, or deflected directly!
"How...is this possible?!" Icarum stared wide-eyed in horror, as if he had seen a monster.
"Using a sword to block a bullet?! Is that even possible for a human?!"
Before he could recover from the shock...
Victor flashed into the air, activating his Body Flicker Technique.
This time, he covered a distance of more than ten meters and appeared in front of Icarus in an instant.
The cold tip of the sword was firmly pressed against the throat of the curly-haired man.
Viktor's other hand gently pressed against the still-smoking saxophone nozzle.
"Too noisy, curly-haired uncle."
Viktor looked at Icarus, who was covered in sweat, and smiled as he made a "shh" gesture:
"It's the middle of the night, and disturbing the neighbors isn't good."
The words had barely left his mouth.
Victor pushed the tube opening upwards with a sudden movement of his hand.
"Thump!"
The hard metal tube slammed into Icarus's massive chin.
"Puga!"
Icarum's eyes rolled back, and before he could even scream, he was knocked unconscious by his own weapon and collapsed to the ground.
...
Although the commotion here was resolved quickly, Ikaram's burst of gunfire was really too loud.
"Huff huff huff... Meat... Don't run away..."
At the entrance of the banquet hall.
A round, balloon-like figure emerged, rubbing its sleepy eyes.
Luffy was woken up by the noise.
However, when he opened his eyes and saw the scene before him, the drowsiness in his mind instantly vanished.
The streets were littered with the bodies of "kind-hearted townspeople" who had been beaten black and blue and were groaning in pain.
Not far away, Zoro stood holding a sword, exuding a murderous aura.
Viktor had his foot on the "kind-hearted curly-haired uncle" who had given him meat, and he was holding a sword in his hand.
boom--
Luffy's brain circuits instantly switched on.
"Zoro!! Victor!!!"
Luffy's stomach swelled up with anger, and he let out an furious roar:
"You two bastards!! How dare you lay a hand on the kind people who gave us succulents to eat!!!"
"Are you trying to repay kindness with enmity?!"
"Huh?!" Zoro and Viktor turned their heads at the same time, speechless.
"I will never forgive you!!"
Luffy doesn't give anyone a chance to explain. Although his body has become a huge ball of flesh, his explosive power is still amazing.
"Rubber Rubber - Human Bomber Tank!!"
He curled up into a ball, like a giant cannonball, rushing madly towards the two of them with a whistling sound.
"You idiot! Listen to my explanation!"
Zoro was forced to turn around and fight, raising his sword to parry.
"Want to fight?! I've been wanting to get back at you for a long time!!" Zoro was also provoked.
"This is really troublesome..."
Victor sighed and easily dodged Luffy's charge by sidestepping.
"Bang!"
Luffy, however, was relentless. He bounced back and headbutted Zoro hard.
Zoro was sent flying by the brute force, sliding several meters on the ground before coming to a stop.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, veins bulging on his forehead, and assumed a serious "Three-Sword Style" stance:
"Fine, you idiot... I'll have to wake you up with a beating!!"
Seeing that the two were really going to get serious, Viktor shook his head helplessly.
"Although I'd love to see the two of you fight, now is not the time for infighting."
brush!
Viktor instantly formed hand seals, and in a flash, he appeared directly between the two men who were locked in a tense standoff.
Facing Luffy charging towards them.
"Water Release: Water Prison Technique!!"
Viktor spread his hand, and a huge spherical stream of water appeared out of thin air, precisely enveloping Luffy's round body completely.
"Gurgle?!"
Luffy was instantly trapped in the water sphere. As a Devil Fruit user, the moment he was enveloped in water, all his strength seemed to be drained, and that feeling of powerlessness made him stop struggling instantly.
"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!!" Luffy was blowing bubbles in the water, flailing his arms and legs wildly.
"Are you calm now?"
Victor maintained the water prison, pointed to the weapons dropped by bounty hunters on the ground around him, and said helplessly:
"Luffy, take a good look."
What are they holding in their hands?
After saying this, Victor left the water dungeon.
"Puha!!"
Luffy crashed to the ground and spat out a mouthful of water he had just drunk.
He lay down on the ground and looked closely.
Sure enough, those "kind-hearted townspeople" had gleaming broadswords, muskets, and even rocket launchers at their side.
Luffy blinked, then blinked again.
A look of sudden realization slowly appeared on his face.
"Ah!! So he's a bad guy!!"
Luffy slapped his forehead, then immediately put on a grinning face and clasped his hands together in apology to Zoro, whose face was full of murderous intent:
"Sorry, Zoro! I thought you guys were bullying a good person! Hehehe!"
"..."
Zoro sheathed his sword, but his hands were trembling with anger.
His face darkened, and he turned to look at Victor, gritting his teeth as he said:
"Hey, Viktor... I want to kill him. Don't stop me this time."
Viktor patted the water off his hands and stepped aside with a smile:
"Please go ahead."Chapter 83 Explosions are art? No, they're illusions!
The smoke of gunpowder still lingers on the streets of Whiskey Peak.
"Hey! You green-haired bastard! Didn't I already apologize to you?!"
"Huh? Should I cut you with my sword and then apologize to you?"
While Luffy and Zoro, these two complete idiots, were still bickering and fighting with each other.
"Da, da, da."
Two figures walked slowly and leisurely from the end of the street, bathed in moonlight.
One of the men was wearing an oversized trench coat, sunglasses, and his hair looked like it was going to explode.
Another woman, holding a lemon-patterned parasol and wearing a brightly colored dress, floated in mid-air.
They are none other than Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, senior agents of the Baroque Works.
Completely ignoring Luffy and Zoro's argument, the two walked straight to Mr. 8 (Ikaram) and Miss Wednesday (Vivi), who were lying unconscious on the ground.
"It's really embarrassing. They were beaten up like this by a bunch of rookie pirates."
Mr. 5 pushed up his sunglasses and looked at the two people on the ground with an icy tone:
"Since the mission has failed and your identities have been exposed... then I have no choice but to ask you to die."
"After all, the boss hates secrets being leaked the most."
Upon hearing this, Luffy and Zoro, who had been playfully fighting, stopped what they were doing and looked at the scene with some curiosity.
"My identity has been exposed?" Luffy tilted his head.
"snort."
Mr. 5 sneered, looking at the girl on the ground as if she were a dead person:
"No need to pretend, Miss Wednesday... no, I should call you Princess Neferutari Vivi of the Kingdom of Alabasta."
"And you, Captain Icarum of the Guard."
"Infiltrating Baroque Works to investigate the boss's true identity...that takes real guts."
As the truth was revealed, the air froze instantly.
Mr. 5 slowly raised his hand and, in front of everyone, stuck his finger into his nostril, casually picking out a grayish-black booger.
"To punish you for your crimes, let this specially made bomb send you on your way."
Just as he was about to pop out that disgusting "bomb".
"Wait a moment."
A voice filled with disdain interrupted.
Viktor had somehow appeared in front of Vivi and Icarus, blocking Mr. 5's view.
Those dark eyes were filled with disgust, as if they were looking at a walking piece of garbage.
"That guy who picks his nose."
Viktor frowned and retorted without holding back:
"Although I am a tolerant person, your actions are absolutely disgusting. Using that filth as a weapon... you have seriously polluted my eyes."
"ha?!"
Mr. 5 froze, veins bulging on his forehead.
As a user of the Blast-Blast Fruit, his proudest ability is to detonate his entire body, yet people say it's disgusting.
"Mortals who don't understand art!!"
Mr. 5 flew into a rage and snapped his finger:
"This is the art of explosion! Taste the feeling of being shattered to pieces! Nasal cannon!!"
Whoosh—!
That seemingly insignificant booger, carrying enough power to blow up a house, whistled towards Victor's face.
at the same time.
"Hehehe, I'll take care of these two idiots."
On the other side, Miss Valentine chuckled and used the power of the Light-Weight Fruit to become light and float, flying above Luffy and Zoro's heads.
"Ten thousand kilograms of pressure!!"
She instantly increased her weight, crashing down on the two of them like a meteorite:
"Go to hell, you idiots!"
"Who are you calling an idiot?!"
Luffy and Zoro simultaneously raised their heads, their faces contorted with rage, and roared in unison.
Meanwhile, on Viktor's side...
Faced with the "disgusting bomb" flying towards him, he stood still and didn't even try to dodge.
In that instant, the three-tomoe Sharingan in his eyes shifted slightly, and a strange mental fluctuation instantly pierced Mr. 5's brain.
"Is an explosion art?"
Viktor's lips curled into a mocking smile:
"No... this is illusion."
[Illusion Technique: The Technique of Seeing the Abyss!]
Buzz—
From Mr. 5's perspective, the world changes instantly.
The booger bomb he had just launched suddenly stopped and split in mid-air.
One becomes two, two become four...
In the blink of an eye, thousands upon thousands of black booger bombs densely filled the entire sky.
Like a swarm of enraged wasps, they turned around and flew back towards him in a massive wave!
"Wh...what?!"
Mr. 5 stared in horror, his eyes widening, cold sweat instantly soaking his entire body.
"No! Don't come any closer!!!"
To outsiders, Mr. 5 suddenly let out a piercing scream.
Like a madman, he clutched his head and frantically jumped and twisted in place, trying to dodge an attack that didn't exist in the air.
"Aaaaaah! This is going to kill me! Get out of my way!!"
Finally, he tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground in a sorry state.
"Smack."
A black boot stepped unceremoniously onto his face.
Mr. 5's screams abruptly stopped.
He opened his eyes in terror, only to see a pair of scarlet Sharingan eyes looking down at him.
"Playing with bombs?"
Victor stomped harder, making Mr. 5's facial bones crack, his tone cold and mocking:
"Since you like it so much, I'll grant your wish!"
Viktor formed hand seals, and his chakra was intensely compressed at his throat.
"Since you like explosions so much, then I'll let you have your fill."
[Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!]
boom--!!
Viktor opened his mouth and spat out a huge fireball several meters in diameter, carrying intense heat, which slammed directly into Mr. 5 at point-blank range!
"Boom—!!!"
The flames instantly ignited Mr. 5's special physical condition as an explosive being, and a violent explosion resounded through the sky, with flames shooting into the heavens.
This agent, who called himself an artist, didn't even have a chance to showcase his art before he was blown to bits.
On the other side...
"Rubber, rubber—balloon!"
"Three-Sword Style: Tornado!"
Luffy and Zoro's teamwork is simple and straightforward.
Luffy deflected the falling Miss Valentine, and Zoro slashed her with the back of his sword, knocking her unconscious.
"Too weak." Zoro sheathed his sword.
The battle is over.
"Cough cough..."
At that moment, Ikaram, who was lying on the ground, was awakened by the loud explosion.
He struggled to open his eyes, saw the two senior agents who had already been dealt with, and then looked at the Straw Hat crew standing in front of him. Tears welled up instantly.
"Please...please..."
Ikaram, ignoring his injuries, knelt on the ground.
He painfully recounted the truth about Vivi, a princess of a nation, who risked her life to infiltrate the enemy camp in order to save her country from crisis caused by Crocodile's theft.
"Our identities have been exposed… those guys will send out countless assassins…"
"Please! Escort Princess Vivi back to her country! Stop the rebellion! Please!!"
Weiwei, who had just woken up from her coma, couldn't help but cover her face and burst into tears upon hearing these words.
Those were the tears of a young girl burdened with the fate of the entire nation, shed in despair.
"good!"
Luffy held down his straw hat, looked at the crying Vivi, and almost without hesitation, loudly agreed:
"Since it's the uncle's request, let's help!"
"Give me a hand!!"
"Bang!"
Zoro punched Luffy on the head without hesitation, roaring with a dark expression:
"Can you please not be so casual? This guy is an enemy! He was trying to kill us just minutes ago!"
"It's okay! Anyway, that uncle treated us to so much meat!" Luffy said matter-of-factly.
"Huh? Is this a problem with the meat? You idiot!"
Just then.
"This deal... isn't necessarily impossible."
Viktor dissipated the fiery aura from his body, regained his smiling appearance, and slowly walked up to Vivi.
He crouched down, looking at the blue-haired princess with tears streaming down her face.
"Did you hear that, Your Highness?"
Viktor held up his fingers, slowly calculating the accounts:
"The previous ship ticket, plus this life-saving favor, and the upcoming escort mission..."
"You guys owe us countless Pelés now."
Vivi froze, staring blankly at the red-eyed man: "I...I'll pay! As long as it saves Alabasta..."
"We'll talk about the money later."
Victor interrupted her, his smile widening:
"As a deposit..."
"Tell us all the secrets of this organization called 'Baroque Works,' and that so-called 'boss.'"
Vivi looked into Victor's eyes, which seemed to see through everything, and finally nodded heavily.
at the same time.
In Viktor's mind, the crisp system notification sounded as expected.
[bite!]
[Congratulations, host, for making a minor alteration to the plot.]
[Reward: 1000 Ninja Points.]Chapter 84 The Explosive Bait! The Devil's Son's First Greeting
Amidst the ruins of Whiskey Mountain.
The first rays of dawn struggled through the smoke of battle, casting their light upon the ruins that had just endured a night of fierce fighting.
By this time, the Straw Hat crew had already woken up and were sitting around under a relatively intact roof.
Among them, the former Baroque Works agent, "Miss Wednesday," had now shed her disguise.
She is no longer the blue-haired girl who only knows how to laugh foolishly, but Princess Neferutari Vivi of the Kingdom of Alabasta, who bears the fate of her nation.
"...That's how it is."
Weiwei lowered her head, her voice a little hoarse:
"The mastermind behind Baroque Works is Crocodile. He's attempting to seize the country by instigating a rebellion..."
"Ikaram and I infiltrated here to find out all of this."
After Vivi finished speaking, Icarum, still dressed as a middle-aged woman with curly hair, knelt down with a thud and kowtowed to everyone, weeping bitterly.
"Fellow pirates! Although this request is impolite... please, you must ensure Princess Vivi's safe return home!"
"If we can bring the boss's secret back, Alabasta will be saved! Please!!"
The morning breeze carried a somewhat somber atmosphere.
"Uncle."
Luffy adjusted his straw hat, his face showing no hesitation.
"What are you talking about? Didn't I already agree to everything last night?"
"Miss Vivi!!!"
Sanji, standing to the side, had already turned his eyes into heart shapes, and his whole body was twisted into a wavy noodle as he circled around Vivi.
"Ah! What a noble and strong princess! Please entrust her to me! Knight Sanji is ready to go through fire and water for you!!"
"Heh, since the captain has agreed, there's nothing we can do about it."
Nami sighed, then her expression changed instantly.
"Buzz—"
Her eyes instantly turned into money symbols, and she smiled and moved closer to Weiwei:
"The escort mission is arduous, but we have a very good reputation. After all, it's about saving a country..."
Nami held up one finger.
"100 million?" Weiwei nodded without hesitation.
"Then I'll take 1 billion Berries from you!"
"1...1 billion?!" Weiwei turned pale with fright.
But seeing Nami's devilish smile, he could only nod through his tears: "Deal... as long as the country can be saved..."
Zoro leaned against the wall, holding his sword, and sighed helplessly.
On the other side...
Usopp and Clay were curiously watching Vivi's mount—the silly-looking, fast-running duck named "Karu".
"Caw?" Karu tilted his head, looking at the black crow.
Viktor reached out and stroked Karuna's smooth feathers, saying with a smile:
"Ah. Is this the Alabasta's running duck? It looks like the meat is very firm."
Karu seemed to understand Viktor's words and trembled with fear.
But it still sensibly nudged Victor's palm with its head to show friendliness.
"quack!!"
Upon seeing this, Clay was instantly consumed by jealousy.
It flapped its wings and flew up, landing directly on Karu's head. Its two claws stomped on the duck's head repeatedly, asserting its dominance.
"Giggle! You think you can take over Clay's position?!"
...
After some discussion, in order to ensure Vivi's safe departure, Icarum proposed an extremely dangerous "bait plan".
At the port.
Icarum put on Vivi's dancer outfit, his huge body stretching the outfit to the point of bursting, making him look both comical and tragic.
He placed several mannequins dressed as Straw Hat Pirates on a speedboat.
"Princess Vivi, please take care! You must bring the information back!"
With a resolute look in his eyes, Icarum steered the speedboat out of the harbor like an arrow released from a bow.
"I am Princess Vivi! We have to run away!!"
He roared loudly, trying to draw the fire of the Baroque Works pursuers lurking nearby, so that the real Merry could leave.
The crowd watched the ship sail away from the shore.
However.
The ship had barely sailed out of the harbor when a strange ripple suddenly appeared on the sea.
"BOOM!!!!"
A deafening explosion rang out without warning.
The orange-red fireball instantly engulfed the entire speedboat, and the huge shockwave created waves several meters high.
In the terrifying flames, Icarum didn't even have time to scream before the entire ship was reduced to wreckage on the sea.
"Icaram!!!!!"
Weiwei covered her mouth, her pupils contracted sharply, tears welled up in her eyes instantly, and she let out a heart-wrenching cry.
"How...how could this be..."
Nami and Usopp were also stunned speechless by the sudden death.
The middle-aged man who was talking just a second ago has turned into pieces the next second.
Is this... the cruelty of the Grand Line?
Luffy clenched his fists, his eyes filled with rage.
"What a touching bond between master and servant."
Just as everyone was still immersed in shock and grief, an elegant, mature yet slightly playful female voice suddenly came from the second deck of the Going Merry.
Everyone looked up abruptly.
There, sitting on the railing, was a woman.
She was dressed in a sexy denim outfit, wearing a purple cowboy hat, and her long black hair was flowing in the sea breeze.
This is a mysterious and charming black-haired mature woman.
At this moment, she was sitting with her legs crossed, holding a curly wig belonging to Icarus in her hand, looking at the crowd below with a half-smile.
Miss. All Sunday (Robin), Vice President of Baroque Works.
"Did you do this?!"
Zoro and Sanji instantly went into battle mode. Luffy also pulled his straw hat down low, his muscles tense.
Despite the killing intent of the Straw Hat crew's three strongest fighters, Robin remained composed, her face still bearing that enigmatic smile.
However.
"It's not just simple explosives..."
A voice broke the tense atmosphere.
Viktor stood on the deck, his black eyes instantly transforming into crimson Sharingan with three tomoe.
Unlike the others, he wasn't angry; instead, he appeared unusually calm, even maintaining that smug smile.
He stared at Robin, his gaze seemingly piercing through her disguise:
"The explosion was violent, but the way it was detonated was quite interesting."
"Your hands are covered in the scent of 'petals'... Miss. All Sunday."
Robin's eyes flickered slightly as he glanced at the red-eyed boy again.
"Hehe, what a perceptive young man."
Robin had no intention of making a move.
She chuckled and casually tossed a glass ball-shaped object to Luffy.
"then."
Luffy caught it and saw that it was a Log Pose, which was pointing steadily in one direction.
"This is Alabasta's 'permanent pointer'."
Robin rested his chin on his hand, his tone as if he were giving directions to a lost kitten:
"This ship is currently heading towards 'Little Garden,' an ancient island where you could lose your life. Since you protected the princess, I'll take pity on you and show you a way to survive."
"With this, we can avoid danger and go directly to Alabasta."
"What? Really?!" Nami was immediately intrigued when she heard that she could avoid danger.
However.
"Snap!"
A crisp sound of shattering glass rang out.
Luffy didn't even glance at it, and with a single forceful movement, he crushed the precious permanent pointer into powder!
Glass shards slipped through my fingers.
"Luffy?! What are you doing?!" Nami and Usopp screamed in despair.
Luffy raised his head, his eyes burning with fire, and stared directly at Robin:
"I will decide the course of this ship!!"
"I don't want your directions!!"
The overwhelming aura and willfulness that emanated from him stunned Robin.
A moment later, she smiled with interest.
"What an interesting captain. Since you're determined to choose the path of death... then good luck to you."
After saying that, Robin stood up, preparing to jump onto the giant pet turtle below that was there to catch her.
Just as she was about to jump.
brush--
A black afterimage flashed by out of thin air.
Victor appeared beside Robin without warning, the two of them so close they seemed to be whispering to each other.
Robin's body tensed instantly, just as she was about to activate the Flower Flower Fruit's power.
But Victor did not attack.
He simply turned his head slightly and whispered something in Robin's ear, in a voice only she could hear:
"The survivor of Ohara… Nicole Robin."
boom--!
Robin's eternally elegant smile froze completely in that instant.
"The journey to find the Poneglyphs... must be tough, right?"
Upon hearing this, her pupils contracted sharply, filled with shock, fear, and disbelief.
Robin turned around abruptly, trying to see the man's face clearly.
However, what came into view was only a pair of scarlet Sharingan eyes that slowly rotated, as if they could see through all her secrets and past.
Goodbye, big sister.
Victor did not linger.
He took a step back, stood on the railing, resumed his harmless smile, and waved to the terrified Robin:
"We'll see you in Alabasta."Chapter 85 Nami's Jealousy, The Little Garden on the Ancient Island!
A gentle sea breeze blew across the deck of the Going Merry.
Victor was lying on his private lounge chair on the second deck, a book covering his face, enjoying a rare afternoon.
"Da, da."
Light footsteps stopped beside him.
Victor didn't remove the book from his face; he merely smiled slightly.
"What's wrong, Miss Navigator? If you want me to help with the work, I'm currently'seriously injured'."
"Who asked you to do any work!"
Nami rolled her eyes at him, then nervously clutched the hem of her clothes, her voice hesitant and awkward:
"Um... I just wanted to ask..."
"What did you whisper in her ear when that woman left?"
After Nami finished speaking, she seemed to realize that asking the question made her seem too concerned, so she quickly waved her hands and blushed as she explained:
"Ah! Don't misunderstand! I didn't mean anything by it! It's just... just out of curiosity about information! Yes! Pure curiosity!"
"Oh? Curiosity?"
Viktor slowly removed the book from his face and opened his dark, deep eyes.
He stared at the somewhat flustered girl in front of him with a half-smile.
"How adorable, Nami."
Viktor said with a smile, his tone carrying a hint of doting affection that only the two of them could understand.
boom--
Upon hearing this direct compliment, Nami's face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple, and even her ears burned.
"Ah! You... what nonsense are you talking about! Idiot!"
To hide her embarrassment, Nami, in a fit of anger, raised her small fist and "angrily" punched Viktor in the chest:
"You! Seriously! I'm never going to care about you again! Just rot here!"
After saying that, she turned and ran.
Although she said those angry words, looking at her departing figure... her steps were much lighter than when she came.
...
The cozy daily routine didn't last long.
Not long after sailing along the Grand Line, the surrounding sea environment underwent a dramatic change.
The Merry sailed into a wide river, where the banks were no longer ocean, but lush tropical rainforests full of primeval charm.
Wow! The trees here are so big!
Luffy looked up, staring in shock at his surroundings.
Every tree here soars into the clouds, as if supporting the sky.
Even the insects perched on the leaves are as big as ordinary birds.
An ancient, timeless aura wafts over you.
Victor also curiously observed his surroundings; had they entered the "Jurassic period"?
"roar----!!"
Just then, a deafening roar erupted from the woods on the shore.
Boom!
Trees fell, and a massive Tyrannosaurus Rex suddenly burst out of the jungle, opening its gaping maw—large enough to swallow a house—and, with a stench, lunged at the Going Merry!
"A...a dinosaur!!!" Usopp was so scared his eyes almost popped out.
Zoro's eyes narrowed, and his hand just touched the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it.
However, before he could even make a move...
"Buzz—!!"
A terrifying shockwave suddenly erupted from the depths of the distant jungle.
It was a visible shockwave that instantly spanned several kilometers.
"Pfft!"
The ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex didn't even have time to scream before its massive neck was severed by the shockwave as easily as cutting tofu!
Blood fell like rain.
Immediately afterwards.
"Hahahaha!"
"Jijiajiajiajiajia!"
Two thunderous, unrestrained laughs echoed between heaven and earth.
Everyone looked up in horror. In the depths of the jungle, two enormous figures, as large as mountains, were faintly visible.
With each movement they made, the earth trembled violently, and the Merry swayed like a leaf on the river.
"What…what kind of monster is that…" Nami's face turned pale.
"This is...this is terrible! I have a condition that prevents me from going to the island!" Usopp clung to Clay in terror, resolutely refusing to leave the ship.
But for some, it's heaven.
"Wow, that's amazing!! Is that a giant? I want to go on an adventure!!"
Luffy's eyes lit up, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and charged straight into the jungle.
"Wait! Mr. Luffy!" Vivi had no choice but to follow along, even though she was terrified, in order to protect Karu, the duck.
"Tch, looks like there are a lot of powerful prey."
Zoro tied his bandana around his neck and revealed a warlike smile.
"We're just short of some meat."
"Hey, you green-haired guy, how about we see who catches the biggest prey?" Sanji lit a cigarette and challenged Zoro.
"Just what I wanted, you lecherous cook."
The two of them then disappeared into the woods, one on the left and one on the right.
Victor originally wanted to stay on the ship to continue resting, but he stood up and looked in the direction where the two giants were.
In the Sharingan's perception, those two life energies were outrageously large, like two burning suns.
"This level of vitality... is truly astounding."
A hint of interest flashed in Viktor's eyes:
"A giant warrior who has lived for who knows how long? It's worth going to see him."
He turned around and formed a "Ren" seal with his hands.
"Shadow Clone Technique".
Bang!
A puff of white smoke dissipated, and an identical Victor appeared on the deck.
"You stay here to protect Nami and Usopp," Victor said to his clone.
"Understood." The clone nodded and sat down on the recliner.
Its true form then vanished into the dense jungle as a fleeting afterimage.
...
Deep in the jungle, beside a huge pile of bones.
Luffy was sitting in front of a huge piece of dinosaur meat, eating with his mouth full of oil.
Opposite him sat a giant wearing a Davidian helmet, with a long beard, and wielding a giant sword.
"Green Ghost" Dongli.
"Hahaha! Little one, you have quite an appetite!"
Dongli laughed heartily, looking at the human boy in front of him who was no bigger than his finger.
"Uncle! This meat is delicious!" Luffy, his mouth full of meat, asked indistinctly, "Uncle, why do you live here?"
Dongli took a sip of his drink, his gaze fixed on the distance, a proud gleam in his eyes:
"I am a warrior from Elbaf. I have been dueling here with another man for a full hundred years!"
"A hundred years?!" Vivi covered her mouth in shock.
"What's the reason?" Luffy asked.
"Reason...?" Dongli paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, "I've long forgotten! Hahahaha!"
"But... this is the glory of warriors! To prove who is the strongest, even if we forget the reasons, the duel cannot stop! This is the test that the god of Elbaf has given us!"
Upon hearing these words, Luffy's eyes revealed deep admiration.
Even if the reason is forgotten, fighting for honor is the romance of a man!
...
Meanwhile, on the other side of the jungle.
Zoro and Sanji also encountered another equally enormous giant—Broki, the "Red Oni" wielding a giant axe.
And at a height that neither of them noticed.
Victor was crouching on a huge tree branch, looking down at everything on the island.
His three-tomoe Sharingan slowly rotated, observing the body structure and muscle texture of the two giants.
"After a hundred years of intense combat, his body can still maintain this peak condition..."
Victor shook his head in amazement:
"Without chakra, they unleash cataclysmic destructive power purely through physical strength. The racial talents of this world... are truly outrageous and enviable."
Just as he was about to look away.
Viktor caught a glimpse of the shadows in the jungle out of the corner of his eye.
Beneath the enormous ferns, several small, furtive figures, clearly not belonging to this ancient island, were moving swiftly.
It was the man with the "3" hairstyle disguised as a candle, and a little girl.
Mr.3 and Miss.Goldenweek.
Victor's eyes narrowed slightly, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips:
"oh?"
"A little mouse has entered the arena!"