Chopper was warmly welcomed into the crew. Having a doctor on board was truly comforting.
Chopper, the talking reindeer, was especially popular.
"Nami, is the magnetic force on this island fully charged?"
As everyone welcomed Chopper, Luffy asked Nami.
Nami looked at the compass on her wrist and nodded.
"After one night, the compass has stabilized. We can set sail at any time. Luffy, are we leaving now?"
"Let's go."
Luffy nodded, turned around, and smiled at the two who were accompanying them.
"Thank you, Dr. Kureha, Mr. Dalton."
"Have a safe journey."
Kureha just smiled as Dalton offered his blessings. Then he remembered something and quickly said,
"A pirate named Ace came here earlier. He left a message for someone named Luffy. He said he'll be waiting in Alabasta for ten days. That person must be you, right?"
"That's me."
Luffy nodded.
Sanji, who was lifting the anchor, looked curious.
"Ace? Who's that?"
"He's Gol D. Roger's son. He's my sworn brother and now the captain of the second division of the Whitebeard Pirates."
Luffy explained casually.
The scene fell silent.
All that could be heard was the wind and the howling snow.
Although they knew their captain had friends and acquaintances all over the world, learning that he was the sworn brother of the Pirate King's son was a shock.
Usopp couldn't handle it and held his head, saying:
"Arrrgh!! The Pirate King's son?! Luffy! How many amazing relatives do you have?!"
Luffy laughed and waved his hand, inviting everyone to board the ship.
"Alright, everyone, let's set sail!"
The group was still in disbelief.
Dalton was also stunned, overwhelmed by the information.
That boy who ate the free meal is Roger's son?
No, how could Roger have a child...
"It's unbelievable. The government back then killed countless pregnant women and newborns around the world. They were all wiped out."
Dr. Kureha muttered thoughtfully, "He really left behind a descendant?"
After some preparations, they were ready to set sail.
At that moment, a large ship with an odd shape approached from outside the river.
With an oval hull, the bow resembled the head of a hippopotamus, wearing a crown.
There was a mast at the center of the ship flying a pirate flag. As it entered the river, many crew members climbed the mast to furl the sails.
There were large gear-like structures on both sides, showing that this ship was not only sail-powered—it was also a steamship capable of moving without wind.
On the three-story ship, a man wearing thick winter clothing jumped off amid the crowd's cheers.
He was fat, with dark purple hair, a huge mouth, and a cylindrical metal chin, even wearing iron armor over his clothes.
After jumping off the ship, he spread his arms and exclaimed:
"I'm finally back, my homeland, my beautiful kingdom—your king has returned!!"
Seeing him, Dalton's expression turned extremely grim. "You dare to come back?!"
Many soldiers disembarked and quickly gathered behind Wapol.
Wapol's joy faded instantly. He blinked his small eyes and spotted Dalton in the crowd, sneering.
"Isn't this the captain of my kingdom's guard?"
Behind him, a bearded man with an explosive hairstyle shouted, "What's wrong with you people? Why aren't you kneeling to your king?!"
"You are Wapol?" Vivi couldn't hold back her anger. She stepped forward, "You still have the nerve to return? Your kingdom was attacked by pirates, and you fled with your people, abandoning your citizens! You have no right to call yourself king!"
"Who is this woman?" Wapol frowned, finding her somewhat familiar.
Luffy patted Vivi's shoulder, jumped off the ship, and walked toward Wapol with a smile.
"You guys better not mess with him. He's a king recognized by the World Government. Alright, I'll lend a hand. After all… I'm a pirate."
Seeing someone approach, Wapol's attitude turned hostile.
His soldiers and two fighters rushed forward.
But before they could move, a wave of Conqueror's Haki swept through the crowd in an instant.
All except Wapol fell to the ground with their eyes rolled back.
"Who… who are you?!" Wapol was shocked.
"Daring to attack me—do you know what you're doing? I'm the king of the Drum Kingdom—"
"I am... your father!" Luffy grinned and threw a punch imbued with Armament Haki, striking Wapol's round chin.
Spitting blood and screaming in agony, Wapol was sent flying hundreds of meters and fell into the sea.
As a Devil Fruit user, he would likely sink to the bottom, becoming a meal for the sea kings.
Dalton stood there, mouth agape in shock.
"No need to thank me. You can report to the World Government that the Straw Hat Pirates attacked the Drum Kingdom and eliminated the former king, Wapol."
Luffy waved and jumped onto the Sunny, smiling,
"Goodbye, future king of Drum Island. The rest is up to you."
Dalton was shaken to his core. "Mr. Luffy..."
"Hahahahaha~" Dr. Kureha laughed and rubbed her forehead. "So pirate-like. Goodbye, Monkey D. Luffy. Stay healthy, Chopper!"
With that final farewell, she said goodbye to Chopper from the Merry.
"Dr. Kureha... Aoo!"
Chopper burst into tears, howling to the sky.
Luffy smiled.
"Let's set off, everyone!"
"Ah!"
[You have sailed the Sea of Paradise for 3 days.]
[Reward: 300 Adventure Coins.]
Three days later, in the morning.
Luffy walked onto the deck and stretched lazily in the sea breeze.
According to Vivi's estimate, it would take about 2 more days to reach Alabasta.
He opened the adventure shop, and finally, after days of waiting, found a Haki fruit.
[Armament Haki]: Lv4 → Lv5
This time, not only did his Haki amount increase, he also mastered a new skill.
He had reached the advanced stage of Armament Haki!
Clenching his fist, he enveloped it in Haki. The red energy flowed like liquid.
Emission!
Just like Observation Haki is called "Mind Network" on Sky Island, Armament Haki is called "Emission" in Wano Country.
Of course, Emission Haki and standard Armament Haki differ slightly.
It's an advanced form—a fluid version of Armament Haki.
Upon reaching Lv5, he had comprehended "Emission" and "Internal Destruction", in addition to the basic "Hardening" and "Enveloping" forms.
Let's set Emission aside—what truly stood out was the latter.
[Internal Destruction]: Emits Armament Haki to penetrate the surface of an object and destroy it from within.
This usage is extremely advanced. It's like "true damage" in games—ignores defenses.
Moreover, hardening, enveloping, emitting, and internal destruction can all be used simultaneously.
Luffy's combat power increased tremendously.
Kaido once said: Haki surpasses all!
Whether he ate a mythical zoan fruit or not, the importance of Haki in the pirate world is undeniable.
As he pondered, a commotion rose behind him.
Luffy closed the adventure shop and turned around.
He saw Chopper carrying a bowl of prepared medicine, rushing across the Merry's deck.
"Hey, Chopper, delivering medicine to Kaya?"
"Luffy!"
Startled by the greeting, Chopper almost dropped the bowl.
"He has to drink it every day—only then will she gradually improve."
"Kaya is in the library. Go on."
As Chopper entered the cabin, Vivi and Nami arrived on deck.
"Luffy."
"Good morning, Mr. Luffy."
They greeted him one after another.
Nami closed her eyes, sensing the atmosphere, then smiled.
"The weather is fine today. We should have a smooth journey."
"Don't let your guard down, Miss Nami. Grand Line weather is unpredictable. Only the areas near islands are stable."
"Don't worry, Vivi. We'll reach Alabasta in two days."
"Hmm!"
The two women walked to the ship's edge, enjoying the fresh air, feeling completely relaxed.
Just then, seagull cries echoed above, and a news bird landed.
The intelligent bird had a pouch around its neck.
It pulled out a newspaper and handed it to Vivi, who placed a coin in its beak.
"Thank you. Here's a hundred berries for you."
The news bird flew away happily.
Vivi began reading, but her smile quickly vanished, and her hands began to tremble.
"What's wrong?" Nami noticed.
"Ah… Alabasta, there's a rebellion!" Vivi's face turned pale. "100,000 Royal Army soldiers have deserted. The Royal Army originally had 600,000... the rebel army has 400,000... now..."
The numbers were equal.
Her voice shook: "King Cobra is in danger!!"
Her father assassinated by rebels!?
Nami was shocked.
Luffy walked over, took the newspaper, and nodded.
"It seems Crocodile acted early."
"Because the Drum Island operation failed?" Nami asked. "He gave us the Eternal Pose and arranged assassins in advance. He must know where we are."
The enemy wasn't stupid.
Now that eliminating Vivi failed, they would seize the country before her return and deal with the princess later.
Vivi was frantic. "What do we do? My father might already be assassinated!"
"It's something we expected."
Luffy wasn't surprised.
"The news happened yesterday. No point panicking now."
"Luffy..."
Vivi bit her lip, overwhelmed.
Two days to Alabasta. What if everything is over by then?
What about the navy?
They reported it to Admiral Sengoku! It's been eight or nine days since Whiskey Peak!
No reply!
Vivi looked desperate.
"Luffy," Nami said gently, "You must have a plan. Don't tease Vivi."
Hearing this, a flicker of hope returned to Vivi's eyes.
Wow, she's turning into a fangirl.
Luffy muttered and handed the newspaper to Nami.
"It's too late by boat. I'll take Vivi myself. You guys follow at full speed and catch up."
Nami was startled.
"You're flying there using your Nika form? And carrying someone?! What if your stamina runs out and you fall into the sea?!"
She cared more for Luffy than the fate of Alabasta.
"Luffy!" Vivi was also shocked.
That form… it drained stamina. She saw it in Little Garden.
"It'll be fine." Luffy smiled.
He'd eaten the Sun God Fruit. With sunlight, he could maintain Nika form indefinitely.
"Nami, alert the others. I'm taking Vivi."
With that, Luffy entered Nika form. He grabbed Vivi's hand and leapt into the sky.
The next moment—
White flames burst beneath his feet, like a silvery flash streaking through the sky toward Alabasta.
In a blink, they were gone.
End of Chapter
Give me some power stones there you go~😉