Chapter 47 Whiskey Peak, Welcome to Pirate Town?"I see an island!" Usopp suddenly shouted from the watchtower.
Lake, who was studying the treasure map with Nami in his room, was so startled that he stumbled headlong into a breathtaking panorama. For a moment, Lake felt like he was in heaven.
Just as he was about to suffocate from his reverie, a crisp, pleasant slap, though late, arrived, instantly bringing Lake to his senses.
With a bloody nose and a very obvious handprint, Lake walked out of the cabin. His companions were already used to it, and Nami followed, blushing.
At this moment, Vivi walked over and said, "We're almost at Whiskey Hill, I..."
Lake noticed Vivi's unnatural expression and gently patted her shoulder, saying, "It's a pity you can't come with us. We'll make it up at the next banquet~"
Vivi knew Lake was saying this to put her at ease. Luffy, still confused, asked, "Why can't Vivi come with us? Aren't we going to a banquet?"
Sanji immediately appeared and kicked Luffy, saying, "Idiot! If Vivi-chan comes with us, we'll expose her and she might be in danger. So, in times like this, it's up to me, the knight, to step in!"
Zoro walked past Sanji and said disdainfully, "Be careful you don't get killed, knight~"
Sanji naturally heard this and immediately started arguing with Zoro. At this moment, Usopp climbed down from the mast and asked Lake,
"What should we do next? Do we have a plan?"
Lake, with a casual smile, said, "What's the need for a plan? Everyone's tired from the voyage these past few days. They're throwing us a feast, so let's just enjoy it! Have fun!"
Luffy, hearing Lake's words, cheered and ran around the ship. Usopp knew something was definitely amiss, but since Lake had said so,
he didn't think much of it and joined Luffy in singing a nonsensical song. Nami tugged at Lake's sleeve from behind and asked,
"Are you really alright?"
Lake responded with a confident smile to Nami, saying, "Don't worry, they're just insignificant little guys. There's nothing to worry about."
And so, the Going Merry entered Whiskey Hill, and this so-called welcoming pirate town certainly lived up to its name, with the entrance shoreline densely packed with people.
Everyone was cheering, as if welcoming the return of some hero, chanting slogans like "Pirates are heroes of the sea."
Anyone who had ever traveled to a normal island wouldn't believe what they were seeing. How could pirates be heroes of the sea?
You see, adventure crews like Luffy's, operating under the guise of pirates, are extremely rare on the high seas. Most pirates are primarily engaged in plunder and pillaging.
Soon they arrived at their ship's dock, where a middle-aged man with curly blond hair greeted them.
"W-cough cough~ Mama Mama~ Welcome! My name is Icarus, and I'm the mayor of Whiskey Peak."
Luffy replied casually, "Oh, my name is Luffy. Uncle, your hair is so curly!"
Icarum: "This is a town famous for its brewing and music, Whisky Peak. We take great pride in entertaining our guests. Let's enjoy the feast together, with your adventure stories as appetizers!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji completely forgot about what Vivi had told them about the place and happily responded.
"With pleasure!" they excitedly followed.
Zoro, though sensing something was off from the start, didn't take it to heart since Lake had told them to make themselves at home and followed along.
"Don't forget to bring out the best sake."
Finally, only Nami and Lake remained. Nami held up her Log Pose and asked, "How long does it take to store the magnetic field on this island?"
Icarum didn't answer Nami directly, instead moving closer to change the subject, saying, "Logs~ Let's put such trivial things aside for now..."
He was about to pull Nami into his arms, but Lake had already noticed and simply pulled her into his embrace, saying casually.
"Since they're all ready, let's go relax first. There's no rush to record this."
Nami was about to break free from Lake when she looked up and saw a cold glint in Lake's eyes—a gaze clearly directed at Ikaram.
Ikaram noticed his actions had displeased Lake, so he smiled and apologized, saying, "Sorry, please don't mind... Come on! Everyone, let's start preparing for the banquet!"
Lake ignored him, putting his arm around Nami and walking inside. On the way, Nami blushed and said to Lake, "Is it really necessary? You're so stingy."
Lake replied unhappily, "Tch, if that guy wasn't Vivi's man, he would have been dead just now."
Nami felt a warmth in her heart, looked up at Lake, her face flushed, and softly asked, "Are you really that bothered by others touching me...?"
Hearing this, Lake hugged Nami even tighter and replied, "Nobody!"
Nami lowered her head contentedly at Lake's words, and they walked inside together, the preparations taking quite a while.
The banquet didn't start until around dark, but the liveliness made it seem like it was still daytime; for the Straw Hat crew, this was paradise.
It must have been tough for these people; they thoroughly investigated everyone's preferences. Luffy's group had already eaten enough for twenty people, and the chef was exhausted!
Sanji wasn't far behind, surrounded by over twenty girls, practically living in paradise. Usopp was surrounded by a bunch of people listening to his boasting, showering him with compliments and giving him plenty of face.
Nami and Zoro were participating in some kind of toasting contest, with the winner receiving 100,000 Berries. Although Nami was already quite wealthy thanks to Lake,
who would complain about having too much money? So they were having a great time, while Lake had some desserts in front of him, surrounded by all sorts of people.
Those who flattered him, those who wanted to get close to him, those who wanted to toast him, those carrying various delicacies… but Lake chose to ignore them all, quietly enjoying his desserts.
Indeed, this is his only hobby, along with Nami, but he just likes to eat; he doesn't eat himself to the point of exploding like Luffy.
So the opponent came up with this method: a multi-pronged attack. However, Lake ignored them all. Seeing everyone else either collapsing or sleeping, while Lake remained leisurely eating, Icarum had no choice but to use his trump card.
Chapter 48 Zoro's solo show, Nami takes the initiative for the first time.Not long after, Icarum brought a plate of exquisitely crafted desserts to Lake, saying it was an apology for his behavior that morning.
"These are very precious desserts from the legendary Fish-Man Island! Please try them."
Lake was quite surprised to hear this; he hadn't expected them to be able to obtain desserts from Fish-Man Island. After tasting them, Lake fell asleep contentedly.
Of course, something was added to them. Lake knew this, but seeing how hard they were trying, he naturally felt he had to play along.
Now everyone was quiet. Icarum went outside, and soon the nun who had been drinking with Nami and Mr. 9, whom Lake had previously beaten up, also appeared.
However, Icarum was worried when he saw Vivi wasn't there. He immediately asked Mr. 9 about her situation, and when he heard that Vivi had been captured by Lake and his group, Icarum's expression changed.
Just as he was about to say something, Zoro appeared. Bathed in moonlight, Zoro, holding his sword, sat on the roof and spoke.
"I'm sorry, could you please let them rest? Everyone's been exhausted from sailing these past few days."
After his stylish entrance, Zoro immediately revealed their identities and plans. This place wasn't a welcoming pirate town at all.
It was a bounty hunter's hideout. Their goal was to lull pirates into a false sense of security, then capture and kill them. And the identity of this group...
was Baroque Works. Everyone was astonished when they heard their name. Zoro knew this partly because Vivi had mentioned it beforehand.
Also, don't forget that Zoro used to be a bounty hunter, quite famous for it. He had even received an invitation from Baroque Works, which he had, of course, refused.
Having said enough, Zoro pointed his sword at Icarus and said, "Lake said he'd spare your life for Vivi's sake. If you want to know anything, wait in the back. Be careful I don't accidentally hurt you while testing my sword."
Hearing Zoro mention Vivi's name, Icarus guessed that Princess Vivi's identity might have been exposed. Just as he was hesitating whether to reveal his own identity now...
Zoro had already made his move.
Facing over a hundred bounty hunters, Zoro felt absolutely no pressure. A slight smile played on his lips as he began his personal show, thoroughly testing the strength of the Third Generation's Demon Slayer and the Snow Walker. By then, only a few remained.
Seeing this, the nun from before immediately transformed into a muscular Barbie, ready to attack Zoro. Of course, the green-clad Mr. 9 did the same.
Ikarum, prioritizing the princess's safety, quietly retreated and left. Zoro, of course, noticed this, and now he could act freely.
Turning around, he saw the muscular Barbie hurling a large rock at him. Zoro swiftly swung his three swords, and the next moment...
*Crack*...
The massive rock was sliced into countless small pieces, falling to the ground. Mr. 9, thinking he had seized his opportunity, swung two metal baseball bats at Zoro.
A cold glint flashed in Zoro's eyes as he muttered something under his breath.
"Three-Sword Style - Forward Slash!"
*Sizzle!*
Mr. 9 was instantly splattered with blood. Zoro struck with a bizarre movement, as if passing right through his body, leaving three equal bloody gashes on his flesh.
Seeing Mr. 9 fall in a pool of blood, "King Kong Barbie" screamed repeatedly, then angrily raised a nearby stone pillar and charged at Zoro.
Zorro said somewhat boredly, "Is this all the guys are capable of? How boring."
"Three-Sword Style: Steel-Cutting Flash!"
*Sizzle!*
Zorro, in his stance, became like an indestructible blade, easily destroying the stone pillar in his opponent's hand, and then defeating him in one strike.
Such a swift attack caught "King Kong Barbie" completely off guard. By the time she came to her senses, she only saw a pool of blood in front of her.
These guys were never good people to begin with, so Zoro naturally didn't hold back. It was better that they were dead. The remaining henchmen were also wiped out by Zoro.
Only then did Ikarum slowly emerge. Seeing the scene around him, his legs trembled slightly, but his biggest worry was Vivi.
Zoro, seeing him appear, sheathed his weapon and pointed into the room, saying, "Go ask Lake. I don't want to explain these troublesome things; it's too tiring."
Zoro had sensed from the moment he made his move that at least two people were awake in the room. One was definitely Lake, but he couldn't guess who the other was.
Lake, that cheat code, naturally knew who it was. He had already quietly approached Nami, pretending to be asleep while actually taking advantage of her, embracing her very closely.
This caused Nami to blush instantly upon waking, but she genuinely thought Lake was unconscious, so she was too embarrassed to get angry and could only gently pull away from Lake's embrace.
But at this moment, Lake was in a playful mood and wouldn't let Nami escape so easily. As if he was uncomfortable in his sleep and turned over, he directly pinned Nami down beneath him.
Nami completely lost control. She was paralyzed, unable to move, and could feel his breath even at such close range. This made the young girl's legs go weak.
Lake, of course, sensed Nami's reaction and was about to increase his force when suddenly…
Thump!
"Mr. Lake! That very powerful swordsman sent me to find you. He said you're still awake."
Icarim's sudden appearance exposed Lake's pretense of sleep. Nami's shyness instantly turned into embarrassment and indignation, her eyes fixed on the still-closed Lake.
Caught out, Lake awkwardly opened his eyes, avoiding Nami's gaze. He smiled, pretending not to know anything, and said, "Huh? Nami, why am I here? Did you fall? That's so clumsy. Let me help you up."
But this time, Nami's reaction stunned Lake. She blushed, unsure whether it was embarrassment or anger, her large eyes fixed on him.
Lake realized he'd really messed up and could only quickly apologize and beg for forgiveness. But then, Nami suddenly grabbed his neck and...
"Ugh...hmm?"
That was Lake's last reaction. Icarus, seeing this, quickly turned away, realizing he'd come at the wrong time.
Once he regained his senses, Laker went berserk and immediately retaliated, tightly embracing Nami and relentlessly attacking her. Nami was terrified by Laker.
Taking a breath, she quickly pulled away from Laker, then tremblingly moved to the sofa, turning her head to one side, and said breathlessly, "Let's talk."
"Okay! My dear little Nami~" Laker responded instantly, without the slightest hesitation.
Chapter 49: Luffy the Gorilla, Lake's Swordsmanship ShowAlthough Lake was somewhat annoyed that Nami had escaped, he glanced at the spot where she had left and noticed a small water stain on the once dry floor.
After licking his lips in satisfaction, Lake slowly walked up behind Icarum and coughed twice. Only then did Icarum dare to turn around.
He immediately inquired about Vivi. Although Lake was annoyed at being interrupted, he knew it wasn't the right time, or at least the environment wasn't suitable.
So he didn't complain too much to Icarum and told him about Vivi's situation. Icarum was very excited to learn that they were willing to help Vivi.
He bowed deeply to Lake to express his gratitude, but he still wanted to see the princess as soon as possible to confirm her safety. Lake agreed. They had nothing to linger over and prepared to leave.
However, something interesting seemed to be happening outside. Lake had sensed someone else waking up earlier—Luffy had gotten up to pee.
The result, naturally, was a horrifying sight of the carnage. He was stunned, and learned from one of the dying men that Zoro was responsible.
Luffy, disregarding the reasons, blinded by his simple-mindedness, assumed the group hadn't treated him well, so Zoro killed them all.
Enraged, Luffy confronted Zoro, and they fought. Initially, Zoro didn't fight back or explain, but seeing Luffy's unreasonable behavior, he became enraged.
They clashed head-on, both using Armament Haki. However, Zoro quickly sensed something was wrong. Luffy's fighting became increasingly fierce, and his body seemed to be changing.
Suddenly, Zoro remembered something, looked up, and saw a new moon appearing in the sky. Luffy, seeing Zoro look up, also looked up.
And then, nothing happened. Luffy transformed, and moments later, a giant ape appeared, wreaking havoc.
Lake hadn't expected things to turn out this way. He immediately told Nami to wake Sanji and Usopp, and take Icarus to the Going Merry to meet Vivi.
He himself rushed to deal with the situation. By the time Lake arrived, Zoro was already exhausted, panting heavily and looking rather disheveled.
His hand gripping his sword was trembling. Seeing this, Lake sighed helplessly, "Seriously, if you're going to fight, fight! How did it get like this?"
Zoro didn't want to explain anymore. Lake simply took off his Zangetsu sword from his back and said, "I'll hold him off. You find a chance to cut off his tail."
Zoro nodded, and once out of Luffy's sight, Lake let out a long sigh and said, "It's nighttime now. Without the power of solar magic, I don't know how far I can go."
Before he finished speaking, the ape's attack was already at his face. Despite his enormous size in ape form, this guy was incredibly agile and fast.
Lake almost didn't react in time, but luckily, at the crucial moment, his Zanpakuto moved on its own, alerting him.
This blocked Gorilla Luffy's attack, but it wasn't easy to catch; Lake instantly felt like his hands weren't his own anymore.
As expected, his own strength was somewhat lacking without the ability to use Divine Vision and Solar Magic, but restraining this guy shouldn't be a problem.
Thinking this, Lake raised Zanpakuto high, unleashing a burst of blue energy and shouting.
"Getsuga Tenshou!"
The blue energy gathered at the tip of the blade before being released by Lake, a crescent-shaped blade flying towards Gorilla Luffy.
Bang!
Gorilla Luffy instinctively raised his arms to block the attack, but the immense impact still knocked him back several steps, though it didn't break through his defenses.
This was within Lake's expectations. He hadn't learned this move before; he could name it off the top of his head because of Lake's naming magic, and this was Lake's first attempt at it.
Now that the experiment was successful, Lake was ready to play around with it.
"Dragon's Nest Flash!"
"Twin Dragon Flash!"
"Tornado Flash!"
"Dragon Hammer Flash!"
...
Lake unleashed a powerful Flying Sword Style attack with a massive Zanpakuto, leaving Zoro, who was waiting for an opportunity to strike, completely dumbfounded.
This unprecedented swordsmanship was incredibly powerful. Even Gorilla Luffy was stunned by Lake's attack, barely able to stand.
Lake seized the opportunity to signal Zoro. Since Zoro was stunned, Lake had to use Conqueror's Haki to remind him. Zoro, regaining his composure, immediately became serious.
Aiming at Gorilla Luffy's tail, he chanted:
"Three-Sword Style Secret Technique: Gale: Three Thousand Worlds!"
*Sizzle!*
This was an enhanced version of Zoro's original technique, Three Thousand Worlds, primarily using the Gale Secret Technique to increase speed and power. With a single strike, Gorilla Luffy's tail was severed.
His body gradually returned to normal, and he eventually reverted to Luffy's form and fainted. Zoro, seeing this, immediately carried Luffy on his back.
Lake tried to help but wouldn't let him, clearly still doting on Luffy. One second he was fighting like his life depended on it, and the next he was worried about him.
Although the damage was done, the place was now completely destroyed, a total ruin. Lake used his Observation Haki to scan the area.
There wasn't a single sign of life. However, when they returned to the ship, there were two more people, but by the time Lake and Zoro brought Luffy back, the two were gone.
Lake was filled with emotion seeing the two lying in pools of blood. He had thought they had died in Luffy's rampage.
Now it seemed they were quite lucky, though. It was a shame they were so foolish as to dare come back to cause trouble. The man with the afro was Mr. 5, and the woman holding the umbrella was Miss Valentine.
Usopp and Sanji, awakened aboard the Going Merry, excitedly begged to stay a few more days, only to be quickly 'explained' by Nami, bringing them back to their senses.
Just then, Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine arrived. The result, predictably, was that Sanji instantly set the disgusting, booger-nosed man ablaze, causing him to explode.
Usopp showed no mercy to his enemies either. Miss Valentine, flying through the air, became his easy target, being shot down with a single bullet.
However, judging from the location of the hit, Usopp held back. With luck, she might have survived, as would that disgusting booger-nosed Mr. 5.
He lay on the ground, eyes rolled back and body charred black, but not dead. Lake, naturally, wouldn't bother with such a trivial matter; he never cared about the lives of minor characters.
Chapter 50: The Sexy Mature Woman, Nico Robin, Makes Her Debut"There's a river upstream that can get us into the Grand Line quickly," Vivi said anxiously on the ship.
Lake, standing to the side, pondered, feeling he'd missed a lot. Putting aside the duck that suddenly appeared on the ship, where was that unlucky duo?
If those two hadn't appeared, did that mean their identities hadn't been exposed, and Baroque Works wouldn't have sent anyone to hunt them down?
Just as Lake was thinking these things, Luffy woke up, still seemingly disoriented, and challenged Zoro to a duel.
But Nami wouldn't tolerate this. She and Luffy each punched one of them, giving them both a good beating. Finally, Luffy listened to the explanation.
Even after understanding, he remained unrepentant, telling Zoro not to mind. Zoro wanted nothing more than to strangle him. Sanji and Usopp, by this time, were also more sober.
Indeed, the most dangerous place is the gentle embrace. Suddenly, Lake's Observation Haki sensed something, and he looked up at the roof of the second-floor cabin, saying...
"Boarding our boat without permission will incur a charge."
Hearing Lake's words, the remaining companions instantly became alert, turning their gazes towards where Lake was looking. But when Vivi saw the person, she was terrified.
"You...you are! Why are you here! Miss. All Sunday!"
Nami, hearing that familiar address again, asked, "Miss. All Sunday, and who is her partner?"
Vivi bit her lip, her voice trembling, and said, "He's Mr. 0, the BOSS's partner. He was also the only one who knew the BOSS's identity before. I only found out about the BOSS by following her."
Lake naturally knew who Miss. All Sunday was—their future partner, Nico Robin. The current Robin was still quite charming.
The dark-skinned, mature woman with long legs looked absolutely stunning in her denim outfit. Lake suddenly spoke up, "If I'm not mistaken, she did it on purpose."
Vivi looked at Lake in surprise, while Robin chimed in, "Yeah, after all, I saw how hard you were trying, so I figured I'd give you a hand."
Compared to the somewhat emotionally distraught Vivi, Lake appeared relaxed, chuckling, "What a twisted sense of humor."
Robin then turned her gaze to Lake, scrutinizing him before saying, "Lake, the demon described by the Navy as committing a heinous crime deserving of death, doesn't seem so frightening after all~"
As she spoke, Lake sensed what Robin was about to do, as a hand emerged from his back to take his knife. However, to Lake's Observation Haki, this was blatant theft.
The next second, Lake vanished, his speed startling Robin. Before she could react, Lake was already behind her, speaking in a voice only they could hear.
"Why don't you join us, Nico Robin?"
Like's words immediately jolted Robin, who instantly distanced herself from him and unleashed her power without hesitation.
"Six-Flower Orb: Anchor Flower!"
Suddenly, six arms sprouted from Lake's body, grabbing his neck, arms, and legs, then bending his body backward and breaking his jawbone.
Unfortunately, Robin didn't hear the cracking sound of bones breaking; instead, she felt her attack miss its mark, as Lake turned into smoke.
Seeing this, Robin frowned and said, "A Devil Fruit... does that mean the Marine with the Smoke-Smoke Fruit is dead?"
Hearing Robin's mutterings, Lake thought, "This girl's intelligence network isn't bad; she even knows who the Smoke-Smoke Fruit user is. Perfect, I'll scare her a bit."
Just as Robin finished speaking and was still thinking of a countermeasure, Lake suddenly vanished into thin air, and the next second, Robin felt her body suddenly become uncontrollable.
Lifted into the air by a gust of wind, a bewildered Robin immediately used her ability, trying to use her arms to climb down the ladder of the Merry Tower.
But Lake wasn't about to let her off so easily. He said directly, "Don't rush~ Let me show you what a drop tower feels like."
Robin was completely oblivious to the fact that there was nothing around her, yet she heard Lake's voice, proving that her current state was his doing.
Robin was utterly baffled; this ability was beyond her comprehension. Then, the next second, Lake suddenly reverted to his original form.
The two remained suspended in the air, Lake smiling as he stared at Robin, who was dumbfounded. The sensation of the wind had vanished.
Her body began to plummet uncontrollably. Robin was filled with despair; at this speed, she didn't even have time to unleash her ability.
Then, in the next instant, Lake, seemingly using Moonwalk in mid-air, stretched out his arm and pulled her back. This sudden contrast shattered Robin's image as a cool and aloof woman.
Upon reaching them, she immediately hugged Lake, refusing to let go, seemingly genuinely terrified. Lake, caught off guard, had only intended to play a prank.
This seemed to have backfired. He could already sense the murderous aura emanating from Nami in mid-air, so Lake, no longer daring to be mischievous, immediately vanished into the sky with Robin.
They returned to a giant turtle not far from the Going Merry—Robin's mount. Once back there, Robin finally released Lake.
Her gaze towards Lake became strange, as if she were lost in thought, while Lake responded with an innocent smile.
Lake then proceeded to persuade Robin, successfully turning her to join their fight against her boss, Crocodile.
However, she still didn't agree to join Lake's group, which was expected, given Robin's primary objective was the Poneglyph in Alabasta.
Just like in the original story, Lake planned to wait until Robin was completely disheartened and didn't want to live anymore before rescuing her, so she would willingly join him.
After reaching a temporary agreement, Robin gave Lake a permanent compass to Alabasta, which Lake accepted.
He knew that without it, he might have to store the information for a year before he could continue his journey to Little Garden, so he decided to keep it just in case.
After seeing Robin off, Lake returned to the ship, and his crewmates began to look at him strangely. Lake quickly explained the situation.
Then, to completely clear his name, Lake told his crewmates everything about Robin's past. After learning about Robin's situation, even Vivi didn't hold as much resentment towards her. This was a relatively positive sign.
Chapter 50: The Sexy Mature Woman, Nico Robin, Makes Her Debut"There's a river upstream that can get us into the Grand Line quickly," Vivi said anxiously on the ship.
Lake, standing to the side, pondered, feeling he'd missed a lot. Putting aside the duck that suddenly appeared on the ship, where was that unlucky duo?
If those two hadn't appeared, did that mean their identities hadn't been exposed, and Baroque Works wouldn't have sent anyone to hunt them down?
Just as Lake was thinking these things, Luffy woke up, still seemingly disoriented, and challenged Zoro to a duel.
But Nami wouldn't tolerate this. She and Luffy each punched one of them, giving them both a good beating. Finally, Luffy listened to the explanation.
Even after understanding, he remained unrepentant, telling Zoro not to mind. Zoro wanted nothing more than to strangle him. Sanji and Usopp, by this time, were also more sober.
Indeed, the most dangerous place is the gentle embrace. Suddenly, Lake's Observation Haki sensed something, and he looked up at the roof of the second-floor cabin, saying...
"Boarding our boat without permission will incur a charge."
Hearing Lake's words, the remaining companions instantly became alert, turning their gazes towards where Lake was looking. But when Vivi saw the person, she was terrified.
"You...you are! Why are you here! Miss. All Sunday!"
Nami, hearing that familiar address again, asked, "Miss. All Sunday, and who is her partner?"
Vivi bit her lip, her voice trembling, and said, "He's Mr. 0, the BOSS's partner. He was also the only one who knew the BOSS's identity before. I only found out about the BOSS by following her."
Lake naturally knew who Miss. All Sunday was—their future partner, Nico Robin. The current Robin was still quite charming.
The dark-skinned, mature woman with long legs looked absolutely stunning in her denim outfit. Lake suddenly spoke up, "If I'm not mistaken, she did it on purpose."
Vivi looked at Lake in surprise, while Robin chimed in, "Yeah, after all, I saw how hard you were trying, so I figured I'd give you a hand."
Compared to the somewhat emotionally distraught Vivi, Lake appeared relaxed, chuckling, "What a twisted sense of humor."
Robin then turned her gaze to Lake, scrutinizing him before saying, "Lake, the demon described by the Navy as committing a heinous crime deserving of death, doesn't seem so frightening after all~"
As she spoke, Lake sensed what Robin was about to do, as a hand emerged from his back to take his knife. However, to Lake's Observation Haki, this was blatant theft.
The next second, Lake vanished, his speed startling Robin. Before she could react, Lake was already behind her, speaking in a voice only they could hear.
"Why don't you join us, Nico Robin?"
Like's words immediately jolted Robin, who instantly distanced herself from him and unleashed her power without hesitation.
"Six-Flower Orb: Anchor Flower!"
Suddenly, six arms sprouted from Lake's body, grabbing his neck, arms, and legs, then bending his body backward and breaking his jawbone.
Unfortunately, Robin didn't hear the cracking sound of bones breaking; instead, she felt her attack miss its mark, as Lake turned into smoke.
Seeing this, Robin frowned and said, "A Devil Fruit... does that mean the Marine with the Smoke-Smoke Fruit is dead?"
Hearing Robin's mutterings, Lake thought, "This girl's intelligence network isn't bad; she even knows who the Smoke-Smoke Fruit user is. Perfect, I'll scare her a bit."
Just as Robin finished speaking and was still thinking of a countermeasure, Lake suddenly vanished into thin air, and the next second, Robin felt her body suddenly become uncontrollable.
Lifted into the air by a gust of wind, a bewildered Robin immediately used her ability, trying to use her arms to climb down the ladder of the Merry Tower.
But Lake wasn't about to let her off so easily. He said directly, "Don't rush~ Let me show you what a drop tower feels like."
Robin was completely oblivious to the fact that there was nothing around her, yet she heard Lake's voice, proving that her current state was his doing.
Robin was utterly baffled; this ability was beyond her comprehension. Then, the next second, Lake suddenly reverted to his original form.
The two remained suspended in the air, Lake smiling as he stared at Robin, who was dumbfounded. The sensation of the wind had vanished.
Her body began to plummet uncontrollably. Robin was filled with despair; at this speed, she didn't even have time to unleash her ability.
Then, in the next instant, Lake, seemingly using Moonwalk in mid-air, stretched out his arm and pulled her back. This sudden contrast shattered Robin's image as a cool and aloof woman.
Upon reaching them, she immediately hugged Lake, refusing to let go, seemingly genuinely terrified. Lake, caught off guard, had only intended to play a prank.
This seemed to have backfired. He could already sense the murderous aura emanating from Nami in mid-air, so Lake, no longer daring to be mischievous, immediately vanished into the sky with Robin.
They returned to a giant turtle not far from the Going Merry—Robin's mount. Once back there, Robin finally released Lake.
Her gaze towards Lake became strange, as if she were lost in thought, while Lake responded with an innocent smile.
Lake then proceeded to persuade Robin, successfully turning her to join their fight against her boss, Crocodile.
However, she still didn't agree to join Lake's group, which was expected, given Robin's primary objective was the Poneglyph in Alabasta.
Just like in the original story, Lake planned to wait until Robin was completely disheartened and didn't want to live anymore before rescuing her, so she would willingly join him.
After reaching a temporary agreement, Robin gave Lake a permanent compass to Alabasta, which Lake accepted.
He knew that without it, he might have to store the information for a year before he could continue his journey to Little Garden, so he decided to keep it just in case.
After seeing Robin off, Lake returned to the ship, and his crewmates began to look at him strangely. Lake quickly explained the situation.
Then, to completely clear his name, Lake told his crewmates everything about Robin's past. After learning about Robin's situation, even Vivi didn't hold as much resentment towards her. This was a relatively positive sign.
Chapter 52 Nami's Reward, Troublemakers Arrive"Kabababababa! I am Brogy, the strongest warrior of Elbaf!"
"I am Lake, the treasure hunter of the Straw Hat Pirates. It's nice to meet you, giant uncle."
"A treasure hunter from a pirate crew? Interesting! Do you have any sake?"
"We certainly have sake, but it might not be enough for you."
"Kabababababa! It's alright, I haven't tasted sake in so many years... Ah!"
Brogy suddenly shouted before he could finish speaking. Turning around, he saw a dinosaur biting his rear end. Brogy was just about to retaliate.
Suddenly, a blue crescent-shaped sword aura swept past him, cleaving the giant dinosaur in two. Brogy turned around and saw Lake holding his Zanpakuto.
This scene made Brogy think more highly of Lake. He then held up the dinosaur meat and said, "Now that we have meat and wine, let me entertain you, guests!"
Nami and Usopp, though terrified, decided to go with Lake, feeling it would be more dangerous if they left.
Soon, the three followed Brogy to his usual place. Lake tasted dinosaur meat for the first time and found it quite delicious.
Seeing Lake and Brogy chatting and laughing, Nami and Usopp's fear gradually dissipated. They then learned that there was another giant on the island.
Brogy told Lake about himself; he and another giant had been there for a hundred years.
The two had long forgotten the reason for their duel, remembering only the honor of being warriors and believing that the gods of Elbaf would favor the victor.
Nami was confused, but Usopp was unusually excited, deciding to become Brogy's apprentice, wanting to be like them.
This led Brogy to believe Usopp wanted to become a giant; Usopp had already made Elbaf his faith.
While everyone was chatting, the volcano in the middle of the island erupted as if as a signal, and Brogy immediately got up to fight.
Usopp kept cheering him on, but Nami wasn't happy at all, because she had learned from Brogy that the magnetic energy storage here would take a year.
But how could they stay here for a year? Vivi's country might be finished by then. Lake noticed Nami's worried face.
He approached with a mischievous grin, but Nami, not in the mood for playful banter, gave him a token push and sighed.
"What do we do now? Are we really going to have to stay here for a year?"
Lake, still grinning mischievously, whispered in Nami's ear, "Actually, I have a plan, but you have to give me a reward first, right?"
Nami's face lit up with surprise at the first part, but the second part made her blush. However, remembering their earlier frankness in the cabin,
Nami gritted her teeth and said, "Fine! I'll see what your plan is!"
Lake, hearing Nami's agreement, immediately pulled her into the forest, not forgetting to tell Usopp they were going to find some herbs.
Seeing the two of them, Usopp waved his hand and muttered to himself, "Nami looks like she's already fallen for him. Does that mean Lake will be in charge on the ship from now on?"
Soon, Lake led Nami to a more secluded spot. Nami frowned and warned Lake beforehand,
"What are you doing?! I'm telling you beforehand, this place isn't hygienic, I don't agree!"
Lake couldn't suppress the smirk at Nami's words. He stopped and grinned mischievously, saying, "I noticed you didn't seem to like dinosaur meat, so I specially found you something else to eat."
Nami looked at Lake with a puzzled expression. Before she could say anything, Lake suddenly forced her to squat down. Nami then understood what Lake was up to.
Since it was a promised reward, Nami naturally wouldn't go back on her word.
...
After Nami finished eating, Lake, looking satisfied, led her back. Nami, watching him resentfully, had a slightly swollen mouth.
Nami looked at the Alabasta Eternal Pointer Lake had given her on her other wrist, growing angrier the more she thought about it, determined to get revenge later.
Soon, the two returned. Brogy had just finished a fight, bearing some injuries, but judging from his appearance, it seemed to have little effect.
Usopp, seeing Lake return, immediately excitedly recounted how exciting Brogy's battle with the other Titan had been.
However, Lake had no time to listen to Usopp, because his Observation Haki sensed a little mouse preparing to do something offensive.
Just then, Brogy was about to give some of Lake's and the others' sake to Dorry when Lake suddenly appeared on Brogy's shoulder.
Brogy asked, "What's wrong, Lake? Are you going to come with me to meet another Titan? I heard from Dorry that he met some interesting guests there, probably your companions."
Lake nodded and said, "Probably, but I have something else to discuss with Uncle Brogy..."
Lake then whispered something in Brogy's ear, and Brogy visibly became angry, though not at Lake.
Seemingly enraged by something, he crushed the sake barrel with one hand, suddenly...
Bang!
The barrel of sake that Brogy had crushed suddenly exploded. Usopp was startled, realizing what would have happened if Brogy had given the sake to another giant…
Just like Brogy, Usopp was instantly enraged, yelling for Brogy to lift him up. He quickly reached Lake's side.
Seeing Usopp remove the Destruction weapon, Lake understood what the guy was up to. He closed his eyes and used his Observation Haki to its fullest extent.
Moments later, Lake's Observation Haki covered an area of ten miles. He saw Luffy and Vivi eating meat and chatting with another giant.
He saw Sanji kick a giant dinosaur to the ground, and Zoro sparring with a Triceratops using his Three-Sword Style, defeating it…
"Southeast," Lake suddenly said.
Usopp aimed directly in that direction. His Observation Haki quickly located a white house through the scope. Stimulated, Usopp's Observation Haki reached an even higher level.
It reached the level of Dressrosa two years later in the original story; the white house gradually became transparent in Usopp's eyes.
The four people inside also became clearly visible. Before Usopp could act, Lake said in advance, "Don't hold back on those two guys we let go before. We gave them a chance."
Bang!
Usopp responded to Lake's words with a gunshot.
The white cabin stood out conspicuously in the forest, where four people were discussing their plan. Two of them were bandaged.
These were Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, the ones who had caused trouble at Whiskey Peak earlier; they both seemed to have survived.
The other two were a little girl with a giant number three on her head and a drawing board; these two were also high-ranking agents from Baroque Studio.
Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek had received orders from the BOSS to eliminate Lake and his crew, and coincidentally encountered the other two survivors.
So they planned this elaborate scheme. The original plan was for Brogy to give the sake to Dorry, who would then drink it and suffer an internal explosion, severely injuring himself.
Finally, they could easily defeat the Titan. Their reason for doing this was, of course, because they had unearthed the bounties of two Titans from a hundred years ago.
Red Oni Brogy, Bounty: 100 million Berries. Blue Oni Dorry, Bounty: 100 million Berries. The arrogant Mr. 3 completely disregarded the Straw Hat crew, these kids.
But the next second they paid the price. While the four were talking, suddenly Mr. 5's afro was pierced by a bullet, blood splattering onto the faces of the remaining three.
They were completely stunned. But that wasn't the end of it. The next second, the same scene unfolded: Miss Valentine was pierced through the temple and collapsed.
This scene completely terrified Mr. 3, but he quickly recovered and stepped in front of Miss Goldenweek, proving he wasn't entirely useless.
After Usopp killed the two, Lake told him to stop. It must be said, Usopp is ruthless when he's angry; he shows no mercy to his enemies. After giving Usopp a few instructions, Lake disappeared.
He appeared like a gust of wind in the blood-stained candle hut, casually sat down, and picked up a cup of tea, saying,
"Alright, no need to be so tense. If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead already."
Mr. 3 then noticed Lake, the suddenly appearing living person. As the mission target, he naturally knew who he was, and immediately took two steps back, shielding Miss Goldenweek behind him.
"I never thought I'd fall into your hands. What do you want me to do if you don't kill me?"
Lake blew on his black tea, took a sip, and frowned. "I really can't stand this stuff. Oh, don't get me wrong, this plan to incite infighting among the Titans was your idea, wasn't it? Based on that alone, you won't leave here alive today."
Before Lake could finish speaking, someone attacked him, sending colorful paint flying towards him.
Lake instantly transformed into white smoke, covering the entire candle hut. Mr. 3 was about to activate his ability when Lake grabbed his neck.
Lake's body was now entirely smoke, lifting Mr. 3 by the neck with one hand. Miss Goldenweek, standing nearby, was completely enveloped in smoke, only her head visible.
Faced with such a disparity in strength, Mr. 3 had completely given up resisting and pleaded with Lake, "Please...please...let...her go..."
Although being choked by Lake, Mr. 3 still managed to utter the words begging Lake to spare Miss Goldenweek. Lake glanced at the little girl struggling in the smoke and smiled.
"Who told you I was going to kill her? Did she do anything wrong? You did, so you have to pay the price. I've always been fair."
Then, Lake suddenly reverted to his original form and sat back down on the stool. He took out a small plate of dessert from his spatial ring and handed it to Miss Goldenweek, asking, "Want some?"
The little girl was completely bewildered. Not understanding what was going on, she accepted the dessert from Lake and even thanked him.
While eating his dessert, Lake said, "Well then, I see the child is quite attached to you, so I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself. Since you were sent to hunt us down, you should know our purpose."
Mr. 3 was very nervous listening to Lake's words, while Miss Goldenweek, standing beside him, didn't think much of it; after all, she was just a child, enjoying her dessert.
Lake quickly finished his dessert and continued, "Our main goal is to help Vivi's country. We don't need you to deal with the culprit. You should set off for Alabasta now. We'll need you to come out and clear Vivi's name at the last minute."
Mr. 3 understood that Lake didn't intend to completely release him. If he did as Lake said, he would definitely be captured by the Navy and spend the rest of his life in Impel Down.
"But this is better than dying here now," Mr. 3 couldn't help but ask Lake, "Aren't you afraid I'll just run away?"
Lake chuckled and said, "Running away is up to you. But if you run away, don't forget your identity. Your organization will definitely keep sending people to hunt you down. After the Alabasta rebellion is resolved, the Kingdom's army probably won't let you off the hook, you high-ranking Baroque agent. So, it's up to you whether you want to be hunted for half your life or spend the rest of your life in Impel Down."
With that, Lake left, disappearing like the wind. At this moment, Miss Goldenweek, who hadn't spoken until now, asked,
"What do we do now, Mr. 3?"
Mr. 3 thought for a moment, then sighed and said, "Let's go back to Alabasta. It seems I can't stay with you anymore."
Miss Goldenweek didn't say anything, but her mood was clearly downcast. Then the two left the small garden.
Lake watched them leave before heading back, but he was surprised to find everyone there, except for Sanji and Zoro, who were out at the hunting competition.
The entire group was gathered together. It seemed the two giants were very grateful for Usopp and Lake's help, so they decided to have a good time together.
Luffy, seeing Lake, excitedly shouted, "Lake! Come quick! The giant uncle is preparing a feast!"
Lake smiled but didn't immediately join in. Instead, he turned and said, "I'll go get Zoro and Sanji."
Then he vanished again in a gust of wind. A moment later, Zoro and his Triceratops, and Sanji and his Tyrannosaurus Rex, suddenly took to the air.
Only Lake landed gracefully, while the other two were dazed and confused. Zoro, about to unleash a torrent of curses, noticed Lake's expression was off.
Nami was supporting him. If he dared to say anything in this state, Nami would surely give him a severe beating. Zoro could only glance at Sanji beside him and change the subject.
Chapter 54 Double Gold Treasure Chest, System UpgradeWith everyone present and Sanji's culinary skills, the banquet in Little Garden quickly began. The two Titans said they hadn't been this happy in a long time.
This was Vivi's first time attending a Straw Hat reunion banquet, and it was the happiest she'd ever been. Lake's pale face was due to overuse of his Hollow Vision.
By the time Lake finished dealing with his business, the sun had already set. Without the replenishment of solar energy, Lake's stamina was simply not enough to sustain his efforts.
Because he had used Dragon's power, the consumption was enormous. Otherwise, Lake had actually wanted to ensure everyone landed safely, but in the end, he simply couldn't hold on any longer.
Therefore, Lake spent most of the banquet resting on Nami's lap. He turned his face to the side because if he looked up, the hills would block his view, and he couldn't see anything.
Sanji was grinding his teeth in frustration, but everyone had clearly seen the relationship between Lake and Nami, so all he could do now was envy.
...
The day after the banquet, the two Titans returned to their previous state, while Lake led all his companions on a treasure hunt.
Since he wasn't sure if Vivi and Karu counted as part of the partner bonus, Lake decided to bring them along anyway—the more people, the more good stuff, right?
Searching in the dense, primeval jungle of Little Garden was quite difficult. It took them almost half a day to finally find the locations of the two buried treasures.
Even Luffy, who was initially full of enthusiasm, was now completely exhausted, showing how much effort had been put into the search. Fortunately, they finally found them.
"Treasure discovered! Grade confirmed... Lucky Partner +8 bonus in progress... Congratulations, host, you're blessed with incredible luck! Chain reaction triggered! All treasures upgraded to gold!"
Double gold! Although it wasn't red, Lake was still quite pleased with the result. Vivi, seeing this phenomenon for the first time, exclaimed repeatedly.
The other companions were much calmer, but judging from Nami's eyes, which were practically shaped like money, she was just hiding her feelings.
Lake, as usual, swept everything away with a wave of his hand, deciding to deal with it later back on the ship. However, this time, Lake hadn't expected the system to be affected as well.
"Congratulations, host, for obtaining a golden exclusive treasure, Paramecia-type Silence-Silence Fruit (Enhanced Version): Fixed fruit ability, no side effects, cannot be developed."
"The system has detected that the host has obtained a Devil Fruit ability. The system will make a more reasonable plan based on the host's current situation. This upgrade will take one hour…"
"1%…2%…3%…"
Lake was somewhat bewildered by the system's sudden interruption. He had been about to marvel at how his Devil Fruit ability had been unlocked, but then this happened.
However, the Silence-Silence Fruit, and the inability to develop it, while it might not improve his combat abilities, was quite good for Lake. With this thing, he could sneak into Nami's room at night.
Thinking this, a lewd smile appeared on Lake's face, which Nami noticed. She grabbed Lake's face and gave him a threatening look.
Rex, jolted back to his senses by the pain, immediately begged Nami for mercy, though he didn't know what he had done wrong, and he had already collected all the treasure.
They finally prepared to leave. Nami had the permanent compass to Alabasta that she had obtained from Rex, so they didn't need to stay any longer.
As they departed, the two giant men came to say goodbye, but besides saying goodbye, they also said something else, implying that they should trust them to continue straight ahead.
Rex naturally knew what they were, and just imagining the scene was truly spectacular. Luffy didn't know the reason but simply agreed to their request.
Soon, the Going Merry set sail, and the sea began to become turbulent. Suddenly, a gigantic goldfish appeared in front of the Going Merry—literally gigantic!
The Going Merry wasn't even as big as one of its teeth. It was a legendary island-eating goldfish, said to devour islands, and its droppings were said to be the size of an entire island.
Usopp, standing nearby, felt a strange sense of familiarity. Nami and Vivi were terrified, clinging to each other, while Luffy kept shouting, "Straight ahead!"
When this thing appeared, everyone glanced at Lake. Lake simply smiled and nodded without saying anything, and they understood.
It's unclear when it started, but Lake had become the brain of the ship, while Luffy was merely its outward appearance.
Whenever a decision needed to be made, everyone's first thought was Lake. This time, Lake didn't panic or suggest changing course.
The meaning was clear: straight ahead! And so, the Going Merry sailed directly into the giant goldfish's mouth, just as everyone was about to lose all sight.
"Hagakure!"
Boom!
A powerful impact, like a cannonball, pierced through the giant goldfish's body, and the Going Merry regained its sight, making Luffy and Usopp's eyes light up.
From afar, Lake saw Brogy and Dorry's weapons shatter into pieces, yet the two remained unmoved, pointing into the distance as if bidding farewell to Lake and his companions.
Thus, the adventure in Little Garden finally came to an end. However, Lake suddenly remembered something he had overlooked.
Without a word, Lake pulled Nami into her room. Nami was somewhat bewildered and didn't react immediately; she hadn't expected Lake to be so bold.
He just pulled her away in front of all his companions, which surprised them as well, but they clearly misunderstood Lake.
Lake simply wanted to check if Nami had been bitten by insects. Of course, checking thoroughly required checking her entire body, something he didn't want to trouble Vivi with.
Lake felt more at ease doing it himself. After about an hour of this, Lake finally emerged from the cabin, only to find everyone staring at him with strange looks.
Lake said without batting an eye, "The environment of the Little Garden's primeval jungle is prone to some extinct poisonous insects. You should also check yourselves to see if you have been bitten by any of these insects. Don't blame me for not warning you, we don't have a ship's doctor yet, and if something happens, you could die."
Thanks to Lake's thick skin, his actions immediately made his companions forget his earlier behavior, and they all rushed back to their rooms to check for injuries.
At this moment, Nami emerged from behind Lake. Looking at this shameless guy, Nami wanted to kick him, but she couldn't muster the strength.
Lake was indeed thoroughly examining her, though his hands were a bit restless. Of course, Lake had been honest and allowed Nami to check him, and he was being very thorough.
Chapter 55 System Panel: Is Vivi Sick?"System upgrade complete! New function panel added, please check."
"That's it? Just an updated panel? I thought you had some new features! Speaking of which, did my double gold treasure chest only contain a Silence-Silence Fruit?!"
"Congratulations, host, on obtaining the treasure, Hidden Weapon: Peacock Feather: One of the seven weapons, symbolizing confidence. When released, it's as beautiful as a peacock spreading its tail feathers, brilliant and dazzling, easily penetrating steel."
"Congratulations, host, on obtaining the treasure, Zoan-type Dragon-Dragon Fruit: Ancient Zoan, Tyrannosaurus Rex Mode: Can transform into a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex."
"Congratulations, host, on obtaining the gold exclusive treasure, Wolverine's healing factor: The body can naturally recover at a speed exceeding that of any normal human. The regeneration speed is proportional to the damage caused. Immune to poisons, anesthesia, etc."
Emmmm~
After hearing the system's notification, Lake fell into deep thought. His first thought was, "That's it? Double gold, and you're telling me that's it?"
But thinking about it carefully, it seemed alright. Lake even started to wonder if he was getting too cocky, now looking down on all these things.
It's obvious that one of those treasures belongs to Vivi and the other to Karu. Who would have thought a duck could one day become a Tyrannosaurus Rex? That leaves only two exclusive treasures.
Looking at it this way, it really isn't great, but there's nothing I can do about it. I can only blame my bad luck for not getting a red one. However, the system upgrade panel is worth checking out.
"System, bring up the panel."
Name: Lake
Age: 19
Weapons: Zangetsu (Bankai available), Ebony and Ivory
Physical Talents: Hollow Vision, Healing Ability
Special Abilities: Solar Magic, Naming Magic
Mastered Abilities: Navy Rokushiki, Arlong Fish-Man Karate, Zoro Three-Sword Style (weakened version), Hawkeye Black Blade (weakened version)
Mastered Haki: Observation Haki (intermediate), Armament Haki (beginner), Conqueror's Haki (beginner)
Devil Fruits: Nikka-no-Fruits (weakened version), Chop-Chop Fruit (weakened version), Smoke-Smoke Fruit (weakened version), Wind-Wind Fruit (weakened version), Silence-Silence Fruit (enhanced version)
"Ding! The system has improved Hollow Vision to a version more suitable for the host. Hollow Vision will no longer retain copied techniques, but it will copy them 100% in battle without any cost. Hollow Vision now has a daily cooldown."
Lake carefully examined his panel. He hadn't realized how much he had mastered, mainly due to the weak enemies and the sheer number of techniques.
Lake often forgets things he doesn't use frequently, and the system probably noticed this, so it changed his Divine Vision ability.
However, the fact that it's costless is incredibly convenient. It means Lake doesn't need to worry about time anymore; he can basically be invincible against any enemy at any time.
Furthermore, combined with his own special abilities, he can easily defeat his opponents. It's just a pity that it can only be used once a day; from now on, Divine Vision will be a trump card.
It's this trump card that makes it impossible for Lake to lose once he uses it. Suddenly, he feels invincible, and his mood improves considerably.
To raise his skill ceiling, Lake decided that in future battles, he would first use his existing abilities, only resorting to Divine Vision if he was truly outmatched.
Overall, Lake was quite satisfied with the system upgrade. In a cheerful mood, he immediately gave the Peacock Feather to Vivi and explained how to use it.
Then he fed Karu the Devil Fruit. As soon as Karu ate it, it tried to transform, but thankfully Lake reacted quickly and punched it back.
If it had transformed on the Going Merry, the ship would probably have sunk, since the system had previously considered Vivi and Karu as allies.
Therefore, regardless of whether they boarded the ship later, Lake would treat them as allies and wouldn't hold back after giving them the treasure.
Lake then took Vivi and Karu to the Haki awakening device. Vivi's awakening level was similar to Nami's; her Observation Haki was normal, but she couldn't even use Armament Haki's Black Hand.
Surprisingly, Karu, this duck, while lacking in Observation Haki, possessed remarkably impressive Armament Haki. His newly awakened level was almost on par with Luffy's, surpassing half the crew.
This scene prompted Lake to exclaim, "Look! Look! A duck's Armament Haki is stronger than yours! This is because you didn't follow my methods properly..."
Before Lake could finish speaking, Nami appeared behind him and punched him to the ground, a blow that was excruciatingly painful.
This further confirmed Lake's belief that Nami had a special advantage when attacking her companions on this ship. Afterwards, Lake, like a dead fish, was dragged into the cabin by Nami.
Lake had originally planned to take advantage of the situation and devour Nami, finally getting a chance to use his new Devil Fruit ability. However, an incident quickly occurred on the ship, interrupting Lake's plans.
Frustrated, Lake could only quickly get dressed and rush out to investigate. Nami also quickly tidied herself up and followed him.
As soon as they reached the cabin door, they saw Vivi in obvious pain. Sanji was supporting her, calling out in alarm to Lake. Seeing Lake emerge, Sanji quickly asked what was wrong.
"Lake! Vivi suddenly said she felt dizzy and wanted to rest, but she couldn't walk straight. Is this what you meant by the poisonous insects?!"
Lake frowned upon hearing Sanji's words. He quickly went to Vivi and checked her temperature. Sure enough, she had a high fever.
Nami also rushed over. Seeing Vivi's condition, she said seriously, "Sanji, quickly take Vivi to her room."
Sanji nodded repeatedly and carefully helped Vivi into the cabin. Lake stood there, lost in thought. He hadn't expected that what was supposed to be Nami's storyline would turn into Vivi's suffering.
It seemed that no matter how the butterfly effect changed, the gears of fate would always correct everything. But that was for the best; Lake knew the unchanging path better than anyone.
Afterwards, Lake quickly told Nami to go to the room to take care of Vivi, and then instructed Luffy and Usopp, who were playing around outside, to keep their voices down so as not to disturb Vivi.
Sanji then immediately told him to prepare nutritious meals for the patient. After some time, Vivi's condition stabilized, and Nami finally came out.
After questioning, they learned that Vivi had discovered her wounds when Lake had them examine her earlier, but to avoid wasting time,
she chose to hide them. She just wanted to get back to Alabasta as quickly as possible, and now she was in this state. Lake hadn't expected her to be so stubborn.
However, there was nothing they could do now; they could only continue sailing, searching for nearby islands to see if there was a doctor.
Chapter 56: Lake's Self-Prepared Medicine and Minor Medical SkillsOn the Going Merry, Lake draped a thick coat over Nami, saying, "It's getting colder, don't stay outside too long."
Nami smiled and leaned against Lake, saying, "It's okay, I just came out to check."
The two were practically inseparable, their relationship exceptionally close. After a while, Nami went back to take care of Vivi.
Lake, meanwhile, leaped to the top of the watchtower. Since Vivi fell ill, Usopp had been stationed there all day, the sniper with the best view.
This made it easier to locate the surrounding islands, so Usopp had lost some weight in the past few days; his dark circles and bloodshot eyes showed he hadn't been slacking off.
Seeing this, Lake was relieved and said, "The weather's getting colder, which means we're probably near Winter Island. Just keep an eye on the sea; fog might be rolling in in the distance, so don't wear yourself out."
Usopp nodded in response, "Don't worry, Lake. I'm Captain Usopp, commanding eighty million men! This is nothing."
Lake smiled and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "I believe you."
Lake then left, and Usopp immediately focused intently on the surrounding sea, completely forgetting about the cold weather.
Back in the cabin, Luffy and Karu were leaning against Vivi's bedside, talking.
"Vivi~ You've been lying in bed for days, time to get up~"
"Gah! Gah gah~"
"Sanji said we'll have a feast when you get up, all meat!"
"Gah gah gah!"
"Vivi, aren't you hungry? Sanji's patient meals are really delicious, but I've noticed you haven't eaten much. Is it not to your liking?"
"Gah gah! Gah gah gah~"
...
Lake, exasperated, pulled the two aside and said, "Alright, if you have nothing to do, go keep watch for Usopp and observe the sea. Don't bother Vivi here."
Hearing Lake's words, Luffy immediately rushed out with Karu, but as soon as he went out, he immediately came back, sluggishly exclaiming, "It's cold!", then put on a thick coat and rushed out again.
Lake sighed, looking at Vivi on the bed. "All my previous words were wasted. I know you were anxious, but you have to know your limits! You even hid things from me. I should have examined you myself! Then you'd know how powerful I am!"
Lake assumed Vivi was asleep, so he was just talking to himself. But to his surprise, Vivi opened her eyes and forced a smile as soon as he finished speaking.
"If Nami heard this, she'd definitely punish you..."
Lake scratched his head awkwardly, but who was he? His skin was thicker than iron, and he continued.
"Well, I'll say it too! Don't think I won't punish you just because you're a princess. Even princes are subject to the law, and princesses get spanked for disobeying!"
Vivi looked shy, closing her eyes to avoid looking at Lake. After a while, hearing her even breathing, Lake knew Vivi must be asleep.
So he started sitting down on a stool and quietly reading a book. Because Vivi had been sick, Lake had made it a habit for himself.
That was reading. From the day Vivi fell ill, Lake began poring over various medical books, even attempting to concoct medicine twice, both attempts ending in failure.
The first time, Lake nearly died while testing the medicine himself. Luckily, Sanji was there and prepared emetics, saving Lake's life.
The second time, Lake secretly had Karu test the medicine. Karu immediately bristled, turned green, and began to transform. Lake kicked Karu into the sea before it could fully grow.
When they pulled Karu out, Karu was already alright, which made Lake temporarily abandon the idea of concocting medicine, even though it seemed quite unreliable.
However, Lake's earnest efforts to study and help Vivi were noticed by his companions, so no one bothered him; they were all doing what they could.
Another night passed, and Lake continued his research 24/7, because today was already the fourth day.
Lake wasn't sure if Vivi had contracted the same virus as Nami in the original storyline. If so, she was truly in danger.
Kaschia, also known as "5-Day Disease," is caused by a sting from a venomous tick called "Kaschia," which lives in hot jungles.
Bacteria enter the wound and incubate for five days. The patient first experiences a high fever exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, followed by symptoms such as myocarditis, arteritis, and encephalitis, suffering excruciating pain until death after five days.
Although everything was still following the original storyline, Lake couldn't guarantee when he would find Drum Island, and he couldn't gamble with Vivi's life.
So, after more than thirty hours of agonizing struggle, the berserk Lake successfully concocted the third potion. This time, Lake had already tasted it beforehand.
There were no side effects or adverse reactions, just a slightly bitter taste. Good medicine tastes bitter, but it's good for the disease; Lake believed he had succeeded this time.
So, witnessed by his companions, Lake fed Vivi the potion he had concocted. Moments later, the pain on Vivi's face visibly lessened.
Her temperature had also dropped slightly, a good sign, and everyone cheered. Only Lake remained frowning; after all, he had made some progress in his medical studies.
He knew his potion could only provide short-term suppression, not a true cure, so now was not the time to rest.
Seeing Lake turn to bury himself in his research again, Nami considerately tidied his disheveled clothes and hair, then stood on tiptoe.
She gently touched Lake's lips with concern and said, "Don't overwork yourself."
Lake paused, feeling a warmth in his heart at Nami's caring gesture. He nodded and returned to his room to continue his research.
Not long after returning, Lake suddenly heard Luffy's voice outside.
"Look! There's someone standing on the sea! That person looks so strange!"
Hearing Luffy's words, Lake instantly appeared, immediately asking Luffy where he was. Luffy had never seen Lake so excited before.
Just as Luffy was about to point in that direction and say something, Lake suddenly vanished. A moment later, his crewmates came out to ask what had happened, and suddenly...
Boom!
A sudden, deafening roar echoed from the seabed, as if something had exploded. Moments later, a massive, wrecked ship, unrecognizable from its original form, floated ashore.
Lake was on it, clutching a chubby, round man in his hand.
"I'll say it one last time, the permanent pointer of Drum Island."
"You devil! Who is it anyway? You just want the pointer! I'll give it to you!"
Chapter 57 Arrival in the Drum Kingdom, A Journey to Seek HealingAfter receiving the pointer, Lake's murderous expression softened considerably, though a chilling glint remained when he looked at the object in his hand.
The man Lake was carrying was Wapol, the former king of Drum Kingdom. When his country was attacked by the Blackbeard Pirates, he abandoned his people and fled to the sea to become a pirate, concealing his identity as the "White Iron Pirates."
He was originally an incompetent ruler, and the once-great medical nation of Drum Kingdom was reduced to its current state of decline because of him.
Lake didn't kill him outright, but instead knocked him unconscious and brought him back to the ship, locking him in place with Seastone.
These Seastone stones were ones Lake had obtained from treasure chests, and now they came in handy. Afterward, Lake briefly explained the situation to his crew.
Then, he handed the permanent pointer to Nami, and the Going Merry began its full-speed journey towards Drum Kingdom. Lake could finally rest a little.
His intense study over this period had left him somewhat delirious. The only reason he kept Wapol around was to use him for a deal with the people of Drum Island.
They were pirates, the kind nobody liked, and to avoid conflict and the sight of Luffy kneeling, Wapol was the perfect solution.
After determining their direction, the Going Merry sped off. They weren't far off; the change in weather earlier meant they had entered Drum Island's territory.
This was a winter island, perpetually shrouded in white. The Going Merry quickly arrived at the port, where a group of people immediately appeared.
This time, however, they weren't welcoming them; they reacted like normal people. Although frightened, they all brandished guns, threatening to force Lake and his crew to leave immediately.
To save time, Lake simply tossed the immobile Wapol to their leader, a tall man in green.
Lake, of course, knew who he was: the captain of the Drum Kingdom's guard, the one Wapol had abandoned when Blackbeard invaded.
Dalton, the kind-hearted man, took over Drum Island, preventing it from descending into chaos and quickly winning the people's trust.
When they saw Wapol thrown at them by Lake, Dalton and those around him were stunned. After a moment, Dalton ordered Wapol to be taken away first.
Then he led Lake and the others to the village. Vivi was currently on Lake's back—a request she made, otherwise Lake would have been killed by Nami's death stare.
On the way, Dalton explained the current state of the Drum Kingdom. The Drum Kingdom was now practically defunct; the once-great medical nation now only had one doctor left.
If they wanted to find a doctor, they could only go to that person, the legendary witch who had lived for over a hundred years, Dr. Kureha.
She lived in the highest castle on the mountaintop, the former castle of Wapol. The townspeople usually had to wait for her when they were sick.
Because that place is generally inaccessible to ordinary people, and Dr. Kureha always came down in a sleigh like Santa Claus, pulled down by a reindeer.
After getting a better understanding of the situation, Lake had Nami secure Vivi to his back and prepared to set off. Sanji, worried, insisted on accompanying him.
Luffy, wanting to see the reindeer, also insisted on coming along, so the three set off together. Along the way, Sanji repeatedly warned Lake not to interfere.
Vivi was currently very weak, so he and Luffy were responsible for handling anything they encountered. Lake nodded, knowing the importance of safety.
Soon they reached the mountain climbing section, surrounded by a vast expanse of white. If it weren't for their monstrous physical abilities, they would have given up halfway.
Lake, having acquired Wolverine's physical abilities, not only possessed monstrous regenerative abilities but also enhanced his body.
After walking for some time, their obstacle finally appeared: a group of white rabbits, but these rabbits were unusually large.
These rabbits, resembling bears, were called Laban, animals unique to the Drum Kingdom, as Dalton had told them beforehand.
They were usually gregarious and extremely aggressive, attacking without warning. Sanji and Luffy immediately rushed to fight.
With their combined strength, they quickly dealt with most of the rabbits, but unexpectedly, these creatures began to act without any regard for protocol.
They actually planned to trigger an avalanche! Lake frowned upon seeing this; his control over Conqueror's Haki was too weak, and releasing it directly would inevitably affect Vivi behind him.
Sanji lit a cigarette and said, "Lake, you take Vivi and be ready to go to the sky at any time. Luffy and I will clear the way for you."
Luffy nodded and stood beside Sanji. He was reliable in times like these; with Lake carrying a patient, he naturally obeyed orders.
Boom!
The horde of giant rabbits quickly triggered a terrifying avalanche. Faced with natural disasters, human strength often seems so weak. Sanji and Luffy unleashed their full power.
"Diable Jambe: Mutton Shot!"
"Armored Gum-Gum Gatling Gun!"
Sanji used the blue flames of Diable Jambe combined with his rapid kicks to fend off the oncoming avalanche. However, what surprised Lake the most was Luffy.
Luffy had unexpectedly developed such a technique. Previously, Luffy could only achieve this flame effect by using enhanced Armament Haki and the jet-like speed of Gear Second.
Now, Luffy could do it simply with Armament Haki and rapid strikes. Soon, their flames merged, and a new combination attack was born.
"Mutton Gatling Gun Cannon!"
Boom! Whoosh!
With a deafening roar, the terrifying avalanche was actually blasted open by the two of them. Although they were now struggling to breathe...
However, they immediately sprang into action, running ahead to clear a path for Lake, who naturally followed without hesitation. The three of them finally reached a higher slope before the avalanche subsided.
Now, only the final stretch remained. Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, Lake immediately used Moonwalk to begin his ascent, while Luffy and Sanji had no choice but to climb.
However, the two needed to rest first, so Lake led Vivi to the mountaintop. As soon as their feet touched the ground, Lake saw the castle, now buried under snow.
Lake immediately rushed over and shouted, "Doctor! Where's the doctor! I have a patient here!"
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a kitchen knife flew towards him. Lake dodged it with a quick turn, inwardly cursing Dr. Kureha's fiery temper.
Chapter 58 Treatment Ends, Lake's Intentions"Who gave you permission to shout here, brat!" Dr. Kureha's voice quickly rang out.
Lake finally saw the true face of this legendary witch. He had to admit, for a woman over a hundred years old, Dr. Kureha didn't look like one at all.
Being a polite person, Lake naturally wouldn't be as impulsive as Luffy. With an apologetic expression, he said, "I'm sorry, but my friend is sick, very seriously, so I'm quite anxious."
No one would speak rudely to a polite person unless that person was a jerk, and clearly Dr. Kureha wasn't.
She saw the girl on Lake's back, walked over, lifted Vivi's head, glanced at her briefly, and then frowned, saying,
"Hurry up and take her to the bed inside! Chopper, go prepare antibiotics."
Hearing Dr. Kureha's words, Lake quickly led Vivi to a room inside the castle, then gently placed her on the bed. Seeing her pained expression, Lake felt a pang of sympathy.
He could only hold her hand to give her some reassurance. Dr. Kureha returned shortly after and immediately kicked Lake out, which Lake naturally complied with.
Silently waiting outside, although there was nothing to worry about now, Lake was still as anxious as he had been outside the operating room.
Finally, after some time, Dr. Kureha opened the door: "Alright, your life is saved, but you need to rest well for a while. Don't even think about going anywhere."
Lake nodded and quickly went to the bedside. Vivi's condition had improved considerably, but Lake still checked her temperature, and only after confirming it was stable did he feel relieved.
Vivi looked at Lake weakly, a smile appearing on her face, about to say something, when Lake pressed his hand to her mouth, saying, "No need for thanks. Just rest well. I'll deal with you when you're better."
Vivi pouted, looking unconvinced, and didn't say anything more, quietly resting there. Then Dr. Kureha spoke again.
"Kid, want to know my secret to eternal youth?"
Lake politely declined with a smile, taking the opportunity to compliment her on how young she looked. This made Dr. Kureha give the polite kid a second look.
"The virus that girl has is Cassia fever. Cassia went extinct over a hundred years ago, I really don't know how you two met."
"Maybe it's because our last island was Little Garden."
"I see, an ancient island, huh? That's certainly possible. Luckily, I still have some antibiotics left, otherwise even if you brought her here, I wouldn't be able to help. But there's something else I'm curious about, are you a doctor, kid?"
"No, not really. I just crammed on medical knowledge for a few days, and didn't want to see my friend suffer so much, so I taught myself to try and concoct some inhibitors."
"Oh? Interesting, you're much more interesting than I thought, kid. I noticed it during treatment; that girl must have taken some very effective inhibitors before, otherwise she wouldn't be in such good condition now. You concocted them?"
"That's right, I apologize for the poor performance. This was my third attempt before I succeeded; the first two almost killed me."
"Only three failures... Kid, interested in learning medicine from me? Your talent is the best I've ever seen."
"Forget it. I'd rather be a free pirate than a doctor."
Suddenly, a voice joined their conversation, asking, "Are you a pirate?"
Lake looked towards the source of the voice. It was an incredibly cute creature, a blue-nosed reindeer in human form—Tony Tony Chopper's next crewmate.
Seeing Lake's gaze, Chopper realized what was happening and hurriedly hid himself, though he seemed to have done it backwards.
Lake smiled and said, "Hello, my name is Lake. You must be Dr. Kureha's assistant. Thank you for helping us."
Chopper hadn't expected this person to be so gentle, and not at all intimidated. He paused, then stood there embarrassed.
Just as Lake was about to say something, a loud commotion erupted outside. Lake immediately recognized the noise as coming from Luffy and Sanji.
The two rushed into Lake's room, and as soon as they burst in, Lake punched each of them, yelling, "Can't you keep your voice down! You're disturbing Vivi's rest!"
Sanji, who was about to retaliate, looked apologetic upon hearing Lake's words and quickly rushed to Vivi's bedside, frantically asking about her condition.
Luffy's attention was drawn to Chopper. After an awkward moment of staring at each other, Luffy suddenly shouted, startling Chopper into a scream.
Sanji noticed Chopper, looking puzzled. Luffy then suggested eating venison, and Sanji naturally began explaining how to cook it.
This immediately scared Chopper away, and the two chased after him. Luffy found it amusing, while Sanji genuinely wanted to make Chopper soup for Vivi as a tonic.
With a helpless sigh, Lake said to Dr. Kureha, "Sorry, my partner got a little too excited."
Dr. Kureha, however, calmly sipped her drink and said, "Compared to you, I think they're the normal ones. Aren't you a little too mature, kid?"
Lake replied dismissively, "I just think different behaviors are appropriate for different situations."
Dr. Kureha, still smiling, said, "Don't pretend, kid. To be honest, seeing how nonchalant you are about everything, I thought you were some ancient monster. You're planning to bring Chopper onto your ship, aren't you?"
Lake didn't deny it and nodded. Dr. Kureha seemed lost in thought and said, "That depends on whether you have the ability to heal that guy's inner wounds."
Afterwards, Dr. Kureha told Lake the story of Chopper. Although Lake already knew it, he still listened attentively until Dr. Kureha finished.
After she finished speaking, Lake asked Dr. Kureha to look after Vivi, and then he disappeared, turning into a gust of wind to find Chopper.
Luffy and Sanji, who had lost track of Chopper outside, were also searching for him. Taking advantage of the terrain, Chopper had quietly reached the top of the castle.
Sitting on the roof, Chopper looked at the sky as if he were talking to someone, recounting the day's events.
Chapter 59 Chopper Joins, A Special FarewellSuddenly, Lake appeared out of nowhere and sat down beside Chopper, startling him.
But seeing it was Lake, he remembered how Lake had treated him before, and quickly overcame his fear, quietly looking at Lake.
Lake then spoke, "I heard about you from Dr. Kureha, Chopper. Your life must have been difficult."
For some reason, hearing Lake's words made Chopper inexplicably want to cry, so he lowered his head as if trying to hide, and nodded his little head.
Seeing this, Lake continued, "Do you know why I wasn't surprised at all when I first saw you?"
Chopper looked up at Lake with a puzzled expression. Lake explained, "Because there are many guys like you on this sea."
Chopper asked, somewhat confused, "Are they all talking reindeer?"
Lake chuckled, patting Chopper's head, "A Devil Fruit. You became like this simply because you ate a Devil Fruit. As for your blue nose, I think it's a unique characteristic."
Chopper looked at his little hooves and repeated, "My...characteristic..."
After a moment of silence, Lake spoke directly, "Hey~ Chopper, join us! Become a pirate and adventure on the sea together, how about it?"
Because of the previous buildup, Lake's invitation didn't scare Chopper away. Instead, he looked into Lake's eyes and seriously considered it.
However, it was clear he was still shaken, repeatedly telling Lake that he was a monster, a talking reindeer, and had a blue nose.
But Lake ultimately said that none of that mattered; the key was whether Chopper was willing, not to care about others' opinions, and to live for himself.
These were Lake's words to Chopper. Chopper, who had little experience interacting with humans, was swayed after Lake's words.
Just then, Luffy noticed them. Seeing Lake, Luffy smiled and shouted directly to Chopper:
"Hey! Reindeer! Be my partner!"
Compared to Lake's gentle persuasion, Luffy's charismatic personality made his direct invitation much more effective. This sudden display of gentleness
made little Chopper burst into tears. Before, only Dr. Kureha and Dr. Hiruluk had ever treated him this way, but this group of pirates had done the same.
Unlike those others who were terrified and showed disgust, wishing him dead, they gently talked to him, trying to get him to join.
Finally, with Luffy's help, Chopper was moved and agreed to join Lake's crew. This was the first time Lake had actively intervened in his crew's affairs.
Because Wapol had already been dealt with by Lake, there wouldn't have been any incident of him causing trouble with his men, or Luffy desperately protecting the flag.
Therefore, if Lake had done nothing and let things continue, Chopper probably wouldn't have joined their crew. The ship is currently desperately short of a doctor.
Sanji witnessed everything. He silently lit a cigarette and chuckled, "Looks like I'll have to find some more nourishment for Vivi."
Dr. Kureha, also aware of what was happening outside, smiled and muttered to herself, "Silly son..."
Because Vivi needed more rest, they decided to stay a little longer, at least to have a meal. With Sanji there, they enjoyed a delicious and satisfying meal.
Chopper frankly told Dr. Kureha that he wanted to go to sea with them. This time, Dr. Kureha didn't pretend to chase Chopper away.
Instead, she spoke earnestly with Chopper, encouraging him to be himself and become a good man. Chopper tearfully said goodbye to Dr. Kureha.
That night, Lake and the others waited outside with a still somewhat weak but mostly recovered Vivi. Soon, Chopper emerged, carrying his little blue backpack.
Dr. Kureha remained inside the castle, showing no sign of leaving. Chopper was somewhat disappointed, but since they had already said their goodbyes properly,
it was time to go. Chopper then had everyone board the sled, transformed into a normal reindeer, and pulled them away from the iron chain.
After returning to the village and picking up the remaining companions, they all set off for the Going Merry. Just as they boarded the Going Merry, suddenly…
Boom! Boom! Boom…
A series of cannon shots echoed throughout the Drum Kingdom, and the dark night sky was suddenly covered in a pink glow, turning all the white snow pink.
The castle they had left behind now seemed to have transformed into a giant cherry blossom tree. Chopper, watching this scene, couldn't stop the tears from flowing.
He shouted in that direction, as if saying a final farewell. Even Lake was deeply moved by this scene, for it was simply too beautiful.
Finally, the group departed Drum Kingdom with this special farewell. Atop the castle, Dr. Kureha watched the fluttering cherry blossom pirate flag and smiled, saying,
"Dr. Hiluluk, you quack can finally rest easy. Drum Kingdom's ailment is cured, and Chopper has grown up."
Beside Dr. Kureha, Dalton watched the departing Going Merry, lost in thought, when suddenly someone ran up and shouted.
"Mr. Dalton! Oh no! I forgot something, look at this."
Dalton took it and saw it was Luffy's wanted poster. The person continued, "A few days ago, a man with freckles gave this to me. He said if the person on the wanted poster comes, tell him he'll wait for him in Alabasta for three days."
Dalton silently put the wanted poster away, saying, "They've already set off. There's nothing we can do. I believe that if they're truly important people, fate will bring them together again."
Back on the Going Merry, Lake was earnestly introducing Chopper to everyone. Everyone was surprised to hear that Chopper was a reindeer who ate the Human-Human Fruit.
However, Lake then added that Chopper was an excellent doctor and had even researched Rumble Balls, allowing him to undergo seven different transformations.
This earned Chopper everyone's admiration, and the various compliments made him blush and twist his body happily while retorting.
"Damn it~ Even if you praise me like that~ I won't be happy at all~"
Afterwards, to celebrate Chopper joining, the Going Merry quickly became lively. Chopper, attending a party for the first time, was quickly led astray by Luffy and Usopp, but he seemed to be having a lot of fun.
Chapter 60: Encountering a Real Pirate, Getting ExcitedA calm sea, a cool sea breeze, delicious desserts, and the beautiful Nami – this was Lake's most enjoyable time.
Lake had accomplished something significant during this period. Vivi needed rest and recovery, Chopper spent his days playing around with Luffy, Usopp, and Karu.
Zoro spent his days either sleeping or training, while Sanji took on the responsibility of caring for Vivi's diet, which led him to research medicinal cuisine.
This left only Lake and Nami. What they did is obvious, right? With the power of the Silence-Silence Fruit, Lake finally found his opportunity.
He thoroughly devoured Nami, inside and out. His powerful fighting ability resulted in Nami not leaving her room for three whole days afterward. When she came out with Vivi on the fourth day, Vivi had to support her.
Anyone who didn't know better would think Nami was the one who was sick. Thus, Lake finally confirmed his relationship with Nami, and their feelings for each other began to heat up rapidly.
Now, in front of their crew, the two were completely unrestrained. For example, right now, Lake was lying on one deck chair, and Vivi was on another.
Nami was nestled in Lake's arms. Feeling her softness, Lake was already quite aroused, but Nami had warned him beforehand that it wasn't convenient.
So Lake didn't force her. After all, she was already his; she couldn't just run away. Those on the ship with a bit of sense had noticed.
Except for Luffy and Chopper, the two were still completely unaware, which meant Sanji wasn't fawning over Nami anymore.
He acted the same way with Vivi as before, but maintained his gentlemanly demeanor with Nami, which made Lake think more highly of Sanji.
Lake enjoyed the sunshine, the sea breeze, and Nami in his arms, contemplating the fleeting nature of life, when suddenly, trouble struck—someone attacked them!
Although the attack missed, this was the first time since Lake's transmigration. Usopp spotted the attacker from afar and alerted everyone.
"It's a gang of pirates! Looks like quite a few, with three ships!"
Lake vanished instantly and reappeared beside Usopp a second later, observing through his binoculars and confirming it was a pirate flag he'd never seen before.
Then there was nothing to hesitate about. Lake had been thinking about this ever since he first arrived in this world; his understanding was limited to the main characters' storyline.
Are there no pirates anywhere else besides the Straw Hat crew? Impossible. This is the Great Pirate Era; he remembered what the bar owner, Dodd Len, had said.
Since the Great Pirate Era began, anyone who thought they had some strength has gone to sea to become a pirate. And most pirates are villains.
Lake had been waiting to encounter them and experience a real sea battle, and this group perfectly fulfilled his wish.
So Lake shouted to everyone, "Friends! Prepare for battle! The enemy has attacked! Let's show them what the Straw Hat crew is all about!"
This instantly ignited the atmosphere, and everyone became excited. Chopper, beaming with excitement, asked Usopp what he should do.
Usopp smiled at Chopper and said, "When the ship gets close, you'll show them what you're made of, Chopper!"
Chopper responded excitedly, Luffy was equally thrilled, and Zoro, standing nearby, added with a smile, "Hopefully, there'll be someone worth a go!"
Sanji, also in a good mood, lit a cigarette with a smile and said, "Pirates of the Grand Line... perfect for a pre-dinner workout."
Karu came to Vivi's side, acting protectively. Vivi felt a warmth in her heart and patted its head, saying, "Don't worry, Karu, I also have a treasure from Lake. Don't worry about me."
Nami, having changed her clothes (she couldn't fight in a bikini), produced a strangely shaped staff of elemental power from somewhere.
"This is the first time I've used this. Let's test its power."
Before the ship got close, Usopp used his precise sniping to wreck one of the opposing ships, while the Going Merry, thanks to their protection, remained completely unscathed.
Seeing this, the opposing ships quickly closed in. Usopp stopped firing and instead found a good position to prepare for battle.
Soon, the two pirate ships were close to the Going Merry, and a large number of enemies charged forward. Lake, for the first time in a long time, took out two guns, Ebony and Ivory.
Then, he grinned excitedly, "Try not to fight on the Going Merry, or we'll have to wash the deck. Attack!"
"Dance of Scattering!"
Bang! Bang! Bang...
The instant he finished speaking, Lake began firing wildly from all directions with his dual pistols, his movements so fast they were like a dance, making it impossible for anyone to get close.
"Gum-Gum Gatling Gun!"
Luffy used the same technique he and Sanji had used to break the avalanche, his flaming fists crushing through the enemies as he charged towards their ship.
"Three-Sword Style: Gale Tornado!"
A silver-white tornado began to wreak havoc on the enemy ship, swirling in countless enemies who screamed in agony. Suddenly, Sanji attacked simultaneously.
"Diable Jambe: Fried Assorted Platter!"
With this move, Sanji kicked upwards, sending numerous enemies engulfed in Zoro's silver tornado. As Sanji's attack frequency increased,
the silver tornado suddenly ignited, doubling in size and seemingly increasing in power, and even began to move.
Watching the tornado relentlessly devour enemies, Nami said unhappily, "Seriously, I haven't even made a move yet!"
"Elemental Power, Water Flow!"
With that, Nami suddenly transformed—literally, she transformed! Her Great Elemental Staff turned a deep blue, and her entire outfit changed accordingly.
Nami then raised her staff and waved it. Suddenly, the sea began to stir, and a whirlpool appeared beneath the enemy ship. Seconds later, the ship was churned to pieces by the whirlpool.
Zoro and Sanji climbed back from the sea, looking at Nami with resentful expressions. Nami, seeing this, stuck out her tongue sheepishly and silently sheathed her weapon.
On the enemy's last remaining ship, Luffy and Lake were easily defeating weaker opponents, but neither of them used any large-scale attacks. Instead, they calmly and methodically faced each attack.
This was the best training method Lake taught Luffy: using real combat to improve Haki. Even though these people were weak, they were all wielding real weapons that could actually hurt them.
So this method worked. The two were getting better and better. Initially, Usopp was helping by sniping from a distance, but seeing how much more exciting their fight was, he stopped interfering.