"Jin, you really are a genius!" Nami said.
"Haha, seriously. The Marines would never guess we're still here at Grove 1, right?" Usopp laughed.
At this moment, they were indeed still at Grove 1—
just underground.
This space was a chamber Jin had created with Earth Release. It wasn't very large, but it was more than enough to fit everyone inside.
"Let them wander around up there all they want," Jin said.
The water dragon he had created earlier was actually being controlled by one of his shadow clones, and the figures on it were all clones transformed to look like real people.
The whole point of it had been to draw the Marines' attention elsewhere.
That way, they would have no time to pay attention to this place.
"Are we just going to stay underground the whole time?" Merry asked.
"Of course not." Jin shook his head. "Once I heal Hachi, the Marines should be gone. Then we'll head to Shakky's place."
Maintaining a space like this underground consumed chakra, so… staying here for three days straight was not very realistic.
And there was no need for it either. Once the Marines left, going to Shakky's would be the better choice.
"Heal?"
"Yeah."
As he spoke, Jin handed Merry over to Chopper, then walked over to Hachi and looked down at him.
"I'm going to use medical ninjutsu to heal your wound. But the process may be painful, and… it will consume a certain amount of your cellular lifespan. Are you okay with that?"
"Cellular lifespan?"
Hachi froze, clearly not understanding what Jin meant.
What exactly was… cellular lifespan?
Seeing that the others were also staring at him in confusion, Jin explained, "The number of times a person's cells can divide in a lifetime is limited."
"And the way medical ninjutsu heals people is by using chakra to stimulate cells into accelerating their division and regeneration, which causes wounds to close rapidly."
He paused, then added,
"To put it simply… it consumes lifespan."
Only after hearing that final sentence did the idiots finally look enlightened.
"You could've just said it consumes lifespan from the start," Usopp complained.
With all those technical terms, they hadn't understood a thing.
"Just because you idiots can't understand it doesn't mean Chopper can't."
"Right, Chopper?"
"Yeah…"
Chopper nodded.
He had understood everything.
The moment Jin started talking about the technical details, Chopper had already followed it all.
As a doctor who had inherited most of Dr. Kureha's medical knowledge, he understood just as much about medicine as Jin did.
But…
"Jin, your ninjutsu can even do something like that?"
"Of course!"
"Yohohoho~" Brook laughed. "I just wonder whether this technique would work on an old pile of bones like me?"
"You…"
Jin looked Brook up and down, then thought for a moment as he rubbed his chin.
"Medical ninjutsu does work on fractures and cracked bones."
He had treated that kind of patient before, and the results had been pretty good.
'Though… Brook's body structure is pretty special. Strictly speaking, he's not a normal skeleton. Mystical Palm Technique might actually work even better on him.'
Thinking that, Jin was reminded again of just how strange Brook's body really was.
He could eat, get lumps when hit, and even cry…
This guy was way too weird.
"Is that so? Then that's wonderful, yohohoho!"
Brook laughed happily.
If that was the case, then he wouldn't have to worry about being injured in battle anymore.
"Can't you just recover by drinking milk?" Usopp complained.
He clearly remembered that back on Thriller Bark, Brook had healed himself that way.
He had literally drunk milk and regrown his teeth.
"But what if there's no milk?" Brook asked helplessly.
He couldn't exactly carry milk with him all the time.
What if it shattered during battle?
"That's… true…"
"Don't worry. I'll heal you when the time comes," Jin said.
"Then I'll be in your care!"
"Yeah."
Jin smiled and nodded, then looked back at Hachi.
"So? What's your answer?"
"Go ahead!"
Hachi showed no fear at all. If anything, he looked eager.
If he could recover his fighting ability sooner, then he wouldn't have to keep being dead weight.
As for the lifespan cost Jin had mentioned…
He had once been a pirate. How could he possibly care about something like that?
Jin nodded, crouched down to check Hachi's injury, then activated Mystical Palm Technique and began healing him.
"At least it didn't hit any organs. And that guy's bullet passed straight through your body, so there's no need for surgery to remove it either."
Looking at the green glow in Jin's hands, Sanji asked in surprise, "So this is that technique that can heal wounds?"
"Idiot, don't interrupt Jin!"
Bang!
"…Right."
After taking a punch from Nami, Sanji twitched.
Her voice wasn't exactly quiet either, was it?
Still, he didn't argue. He just sat down and silently watched Jin treat Hachi.
"Urgh…"
As the wound began changing, Hachi's brows immediately knit together.
Rapid healing… definitely did not feel comfortable.
"Just endure it," Jin said.
Hachi nodded and said nothing.
There was no other choice besides enduring it.
As time passed, everyone could visibly see Hachi's wound slowly closing.
That sight completely stunned the others.
"T-this is… medical ninjutsu?"
"So… amazing!"
Luffy's eyes lit up as he looked at Jin.
"Jin, how about you try it on me too?"
The moment he said that, Jin shot him a sidelong glance.
"How about I cut you first and then heal you?"
"Huh?"
Luffy froze.
Cut him first?
"Zoro, what do you think?"
"I think that sounds good."
Zoro grinned, and the way he looked at Luffy changed instantly.
Luffy: …
"No thanks, no thanks."
He shook his head furiously.
Getting cut first? Forget it. He was terrified of slashing attacks.
"Then shut up." Jin said irritably. "Can't you see I'm treating a patient?"
Try it on him, my ass.
Did this idiot think this was some kind of fun game?
Too much forced cell division shortened lifespan!
Zoro, on the other hand, looked downright disappointed, as if saying: Why didn't Luffy insist a little more?
That sight immediately made the others laugh.
Thinking about it carefully… Luffy really was pretty punchable most of the time.
…
"Damn it, where the hell did those guys run off to?!" Billman roared.
They had clearly followed the right direction, so why…
why couldn't they find them?
Had those people just vanished into thin air?
At that moment, Billman spotted the Flying Fish Riders floating on the nearby water.
"You lot!!"
"Huh?"
Duvall froze for a second, then turned to look at Billman.
"Marine sir, were… were you calling for us?"
"That's right!"
Duvall: !!!
Don't tell me his face had turned back into the old one?!
Thinking that, Duvall instantly pulled out a mirror and checked himself. When he saw that he was still handsome, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Ah… good. Still handsome."
Billman: ???
Was something wrong with this guy's brain?
Who the hell checked a mirror at a time like this?!
"You brat, are you trying to provoke me?" Billman snapped.
He admitted the guy really was handsome, but what was with that mirror move, damn it?!
"No, no, how could I, Marine sir, I—"
"Enough nonsense. Have you seen a water dragon pass through here?"
"A water dragon?"
Duvall froze.
What kind of weird question was that?
"You don't know?"
"What kind of water dragon are you talking about?"
Seeing that Duvall didn't look like he was lying, Billman frowned.
"That water dragon clearly came this way, and you mean to tell me you didn't see it?"
"Sorry, but… no."
"A bunch of useless trash." Billman cursed irritably.
Then he turned around and left without hesitation, clearly unwilling to waste any more time on Duvall.
Whether he lived or died now depended entirely on how things ended with the Straw Hat Pirates.
Duvall: ???
Watching Billman leave, Duvall was full of question marks.
"What the hell is wrong with that guy?" Duvall said speechlessly.
All he'd done was fail to see some weird thing, and he got cursed for it?
"Hm?"
Hearing Duvall's muttering, Billman turned back and shot him a cold look, immediately making Duvall flinch.
Just then, a Marine ran over and reported, "Rear Admiral Billman, there's been a sighting of the Straw Hat Pirates near Grove 20. I suspect they're trying to move into the legal district above Grove 30!"
"Tch… trying to hide in the legal district?" Billman sneered. "Then they've made a huge mistake."
As wanted criminals, there was no way they could hide successfully there.
No shopkeeper would willingly shelter them.
A bounty worth hundreds of millions of berries—who wouldn't be tempted?
And on top of that, those bastards had killed Celestial Dragons. Anyone who hid them would be guilty too!
So…
they were finished!
At that thought, Billman ordered, "Inform the other Marine units at once! Have them move to the target area and search for the Straw Hat Pirates no matter what!"
"Yes, sir!"
Very soon, Billman led the Marines away again.
"The Straw Hat Pirates?"
Duvall froze, then muttered, "So… that water dragon he was talking about was the Blood-Eyed Ninja's Water Release?"
That man could control tidal waves.
So being able to create a water dragon… was actually pretty reasonable, wasn't it?
Thinking that, Duvall nodded to himself.
"Boss, I'm back!"
"Hm."
"Did you deliver the message?"
Duvall already knew what Lyle had gone to do. The man had updated him through Den Den Mushi earlier.
"I did." Lyle nodded. "Boss, what do we do now?"
He had already learned from the others that the Straw Hat Pirates had killed Celestial Dragons.
Honestly… that crew was terrifying. They killed Celestial Dragons just because they felt like it.
"We can't do anything now…" Duvall sighed. "They've already made it to Grove 20."
All the Flying Fish Riders could do for the Straw Hat Pirates now was act as transportation.
Since the Straw Hats had already escaped to another area, their own usefulness had naturally dropped.
"Then let's go avenge the Straw Hat Pirates, boss!" the fat man said.
"Avenge them?"
"Yeah. On my way back, I found out the one who kidnapped Miss Camie and Miss Merry was Peterman from Grove 8."
He just hadn't mentioned it because the Straw Hat Pirates had already gone to Grove 1 to rescue them.
"Heh, not a bad idea."
Duvall glanced at the sign marked Grove 7 nearby and grinned.
"Those bastards definitely deserve a beating!"
With that, Duvall immediately turned his Flying Fish around, ready to go kill the traffickers.
But just as he was about to rev the throttle, the Den Den Mushi in his coat suddenly rang.
"Bero bero bero~"
"Bero bero bero~"
"Bero bero bero~"
"Click."
"It's me," Sanji said. "You guys okay?"
"Ah~"
"It's Black-Leg-sama!" Duvall laughed loudly. "We're fine. No one's giving us any trouble."
"Good." Sanji let out a sigh of relief.
After all, it had been the Flying Fish Riders who had delivered members of the Straw Hat crew to Grove 1.
If the Marines traced that connection, things could get ugly.
Especially since this time, the dead were Celestial Dragons.
No one knew whether the Marines might decide to arrest the Flying Fish Riders too.
"Ahahaha, is Black-Leg-sama worried about me?" Duvall laughed. "I'm honored~"
"Cut the crap. Leave this place immediately. Go back to your base, or head out to the countryside or something."
"Mm. I'll leave after I help you get revenge."
"Revenge?"
Sanji froze.
Then his eyes narrowed.
"Revenge for what?"
"I just got word. It was Peterman's gang that abducted the two young ladies!" Duvall said. "So I'm planning to go kill them."
The moment he said that, Sanji's side fell silent.
"Damn it, I'm gonna beat those bastards into the sky!" Luffy shouted.
"That's right!"
"Anyone who lays a hand on our people is gonna pay!"
It was one thing when they didn't know.
But now that they knew, there was no way they would spare those bastards.
Hearing his crewmates yelling in the background, Sanji smiled faintly and asked, "Where are you?"
"Ah…"
"We're on the sea west of Grove 7. We're heading for Grove 8."
After saying that, Duvall hesitated before asking, "Are you really coming over here?"
You just killed Celestial Dragons. Instead of running, you're actually coming here to get revenge on Peterman?
Were their guts really that big?
"Grove 8, huh." Jin glanced at Sanji's Den Den Mushi and said, "Fine. It's on the way."
They were heading to Shakky's at Grove 13, and one of the routes there would pass through Grove 8. They could kill Peterman on the way without any trouble.
Hearing that, Sanji nodded and said, "You heard him, Duvall. Wait there for us."
"…Alright."
Duvall sounded a little helpless.
Since they had said it that way, he had no choice but to accept.
Though… could they really cross all the way from Grove 20 to here without getting intercepted by the Marines?
That wasn't a short distance.
"Good. That's it."
Click.
After hanging up, Sanji returned the Den Den Mushi to Jin.
Taking it back, Jin looked at Hachi and said, "Alright. You can move now."
"T-that fast?"
Hachi stood up in disbelief and touched the spot where he had been wounded.
"It really doesn't hurt anymore…"
How long had it even been?
And yet, he was already healed?
This was the power of a ninja?
"So fast?!"
Pappag stared at Jin excitedly.
"Your ninjutsu is way too amazing!"
"It's amazing, yes, but it's not suitable as a standard medical treatment." Jin said. "It's only meant for battlefield emergencies."
If conditions allowed it, slow healing was still the better option.
"Now that Hachi's healed, let's move," Luffy said as he stood up. "We're going to get revenge for Merry and Camie!"
"Yeah!"
"Everyone…"
Looking at them, both Merry and Camie's eyes filled with emotion.
"Hachi, once we get out, you're taking Camie and Pappag into the sea and getting out of here as fast as possible." Jin said.
"Huh?"
"I can still fight too—"
"Hachi." Jin interrupted him. "You know exactly what happens after killing Celestial Dragons."
"You might be able to fight, but what about Camie?"
"What about Pappag?"
"You should at least think about them."
If they were unlucky enough to run into the Marines, then they might end up clashing with an Admiral.
And against that kind of opponent… Hachi staying behind served no real purpose.
So it was better for him to leave with Camie and Pappag.
"So that's why you healed him first." Nami said.
"Yeah."
Nami nodded and said nothing more.
She understood Jin's reasoning now.
As for Camie and Pappag leaving alone… those two idiots would probably get eaten by some giant sea beast before they even got away from Sabaody.
So Hachi had to go with them.
"I…"
Hachi opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.
"Listen to Jin," Nami said.
After a pause, Hachi finally nodded.
"Alright. I understand."
In the end… he was still too weak.
"Jin, get us back up there," Luffy said.
"I'll go up first and take a look."
Using Earth Release, Jin returned to the surface and scanned the area. When he confirmed there were no Marines nearby, he brought the others back up from underground.
"Good. It's safe outside." Jin said. "No sign of the Marines. Looks like they all went chasing us elsewhere."
So his diversion plan had worked well enough.
At least they no longer had to worry about being surrounded.
"Alright, let's hurry to Grove 8!" Luffy shouted.
As soon as he said that, he started running toward the distant bridge.
"You idiot, stop right there!"
Jin grabbed Luffy's arm and stretched it absurdly long as he pulled him back.
"Jin, what are you doing?"
Luffy looked at him in dissatisfaction.
Why was he stopping him?
"I've got a faster way there. So stop being an idiot and wait a second."
"Huh?"
"Oh…"
Hearing that, Luffy immediately stopped struggling and walked back obediently.
After letting go of Luffy's arm, Jin pointed at the nearby sea.
"Hachi, you can go now."
"Got it."
"Everyone…"
Camie and Pappag looked at everyone with watery eyes, completely unwilling to part.
"It's not like we'll never meet again," Nami said with a smile.
"That's true." Hachi said. "We still have to take you guys to Fish-Man Island."
The underwater tunnel was far too dangerous for humans.
If he wasn't there, he really couldn't relax.
Thinking that, Hachi said, "Three days from now, I'll come find you here."
"Alright. Then we'll meet again in three days."
"Yeah!"
"Jin, everyone… see you later!"
"See you."
Splash~
Watching Hachi dive into the sea with Camie and Pappag, everyone finally relaxed.
Once Fish-Men entered the sea, they weren't getting caught again.
Now that they no longer had to worry about that, it was time to deal with other matters.
"Jin, what are you planning to do?" Nami asked.
"Simple." Jin grinned. "We'll move across the sea. It's faster, and a lot less likely to be noticed."
"You can't mean…"
"Relax. I'm not putting you all in the water this time."
After saying that, Jin walked behind the group and suddenly leapt up, slashing with his sword.
"Gale Slash!"
Pfft!
The sharp slash cleanly cut a chunk of ground off from the shore.
And that section of earth—
was exactly where the Straw Hats were standing!
"Huh?!!"
Looking at the sea rushing closer beneath them, Usopp froze in terror.
"Oi, Jin, what are you trying to do?!"
"Obviously, we're taking off!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Boom!
The moment Jin finished speaking, a water dragon surged up from the sea and caught the falling chunk of land beneath them.
Bang!!
"Everyone, hold on tight!" Jin landed and grinned. "The Water Dragon Express is now departing!"
Boom!!
"AHHHHH!!"
"Damn it, Jin, slow down!"
"Hahahahaha!"
"Hm?"
Sensing movement above, Camie looked up instinctively—
and immediately saw the enormous water dragon racing through the air!!
"T-this…"
Camie was stunned.
"Traveling like that?!"
"As expected of Jin…" Pappag said with feeling.
The power of a ninja…
was just way too cool!
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