Chapter 441 - 280

Chapter 281: No Boys Allowed![In the original work, Caesar returned to Punk Hazard to begin his experiments a year after the Marineford War] →→My private setting→→[Caesar has already started artificial Devil Fruit experiments, but has not yet begun gigantification experiments]——————————Beneath the deep sea,the thousand sunny was steadily enveloped by a clear blue light curtain, slowly rising upwards."Tsk, no matter how many times I see it, I have to say this ship is truly outrageous."Law leaned against the ship's railing, his gaze sweeping over the gigantic Sea Kings swimming outside the light curtain, his tone filled with undisguised admiration.If it were an ordinary coated ship, it would probably be in a frantic mess by now.A slight mishap would lead to the ship's destruction and everyone's demise. How could they leisurely enjoy the scenery like this?"Naturally!"Franky patted his chest and let out a loud laugh, his metal joints clanking."This is the ship of dreams that I, your great self, spent three whole months building, combining the pluton blueprint and Vegapunk's experimental data!"Whenever this guy mentions the sunny, he gets all excited, brimming with pride."Pluton..."Law's fingertips gently stroked his chin, his eyes darkening as he fell into thought... Meanwhile, in the men's bathhouse!"This hot spring built by Franky is truly amazing—!!!"Luffy tore off his loose bathrobe and casually tossed it onto the dry bank.His body, honed by years of training, was slender and well-proportioned, with smooth but not exaggerated muscle lines.Barefoot, he slid into the steaming hot spring like a nimble fish."Whoa—!!"The warm spring water instantly enveloped his entire body. The perfect temperature seeped through his skin, thread by thread, and a sense of complete relaxation rushed straight to his head.Luffy comfortably narrowed his eyes, his entire face crinkled into a satisfied bun."So comfortable... I really don't understand why Usopp and the others refuse to come?"He mumbled softly, recalling the horrified expressions on Usopp and Chopper's faces when he invited them earlier, as if they had seen a ghost, frantically waving their hands in refusal. A hint of confusion arose in his heart.However, this confusion only lasted for a second."Well, whatever!"He shook his head, splashing water droplets. He quickly found a rockery in the steamy pool and comfortably leaned against it, burying most of his body in the water, revealing only his head and shoulders.'I won't think about it anymore! Having the entire hot spring to myself is simply super enjoyable!!'He thought happily, closed his eyes, and decided that whenever he had the chance in the future, he must come here to soak more often.The pool water rippled quietly, with only the faint sound of flowing water and the distant low hum of the sunny's engine. Luffy was almost lulled to sleep by this tranquility and warmth.After an unknown amount of time, "Splash... splash..." two clear sounds of entering the water echoed almost simultaneously near him, breaking the silence."Hmm?"Luffy subconsciously opened his eyes. In the hazy steam, what greeted his sight were two dazzlingly white, curvaceous figures breaking through the water and approaching his position.The rising heat coated their beautiful silhouettes with a soft glow, yet it added an even more breathtaking visual effect."Luffy, you scoundrel, you didn't even wait for us to soak in the hot spring!"Accompanied by a crisp, laughing complaint, an orange-haired figure gracefully swam closer like a mermaid, and without a word, squeezed into Luffy's embrace, her soft, smooth skin pressing against him without any barrier.Nami casually rested her wet head on Luffy's shoulder, her face showing the unique relaxation and enjoyment of soaking in a hot spring.On the other side, the water gently rippled as Robin elegantly waded over. Through the faint steam, her eyes held a smile as she gently watched them.Luffy: "!!!"Feeling the incredibly tender, smooth touch and astonishing elasticity from his chest and arms, Luffy instantly froze, his brain seemingly stopped by the hot spring's steam.His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly agape, and visualized question marks and steam seemed to rise from his head."Did... did I... go to the wrong bathhouse?!"His voice was a bit dry, and his eyes had become his characteristic, confused dot-eyes.Could it be that he was so comfortable soaking that he was already too muddled to distinguish the signs for men's and women's bathhouses?!But when he came in earlier, he clearly saw "Men's Bath"!"Could Luffy be... shy?"Nami, resting on his shoulder, slightly turned her face. Her nose almost touched his chin, and her warm breath brushed his neck."You didn't go to the wrong place, Luffy."Robin's voice came from the other side, gentle and clear, "This is indeed the men's bathhouse."She paused, looking at Luffy's even more bewildered expression, a mischievous smile curving her lips. As she spoke, she moved closer and sat down right next to Luffy, wrapping her arms around his."But~"She drew out her words, her smile deepening,"Occasionally... changing the rules and experiencing a'special service' isn't so bad, is it?"Seeing Robin's familiar, dark smile, which always signaled "trouble is brewing," Luffy's body trembled almost imperceptibly.But... the warm, smooth touch came from both sides, and his nose was filled with Nami's faint citrus scent and Robin's unique, serene aroma of books and cool fragrance... Luffy blinked, and his dot-eyes slowly returned to normal.He looked down at the two beautiful bodies pressed against him, then looked up at Robin's smiling yet undeniable gaze, and Nami's 'of course' contented expression.'...Forget it!''Who cares!'He stretched out his arms and simply, generously embraced their slender yet strong waists, pulling them closer into his arms, completely accepting this absurd situation of being "surrounded by women."Anyway, they were already the women he recognized!Physical intimacy... actually... doesn't seem like such a big deal after all!!...Meanwhile, in the hallway outside the bathroom.Sanji, Brook, and Usopp stood side by side like three soulless stone statues, rooted before the tightly closed sliding door of the men's bathhouse.Their gazes were uniformly fixed on a neatly taped, elegantly written note on the curtain of the door, right above the clear "Men's Bath" sign.The note read:[No Boys Allowed.Especially Curly Eyebrows, Long Nose, and Skeleton.Violators... bear the consequences!!!]—N & R(N & R are clearly the initials of Nami and Robin's signatures)The hallway was eerily quiet, with only the faint vibrations of the sunny sailing and distant, indistinct sounds of water."..."Usopp's lips trembled as he extended a shaking finger, pointing at the line of text, then at his own Long Nose, his face pale as if he had seen a ghost.Brook remained frozen in the act of adjusting his hat, his hollow eye sockets fixed on the note.As for Sanji... his knees buckled, and he collapsed directly onto the cold floor with a "thud," as if all support had been pulled out from under him.His hands braced against the ground, his golden bangs falling to cover most of his face, but a dense, almost palpable aura of gloom and despair enveloped his entire being like a dark cloud."Why...""Why..."His volume suddenly rose, filled with incomprehensible, unacceptable, heartbreaking grief and indignation:"Why can that rubber idiot, that savage Captainwith no gentlemanly manners...""—soak in the hot spring with Miss Nami and Miss Robin, ahhhhhhhh!!!!"The final lingering sound echoed through the hallway, full of heartbreak and unwillingness.The three of them, whether kneeling or standing, formed a static sculpture titled "Despair and Envy" before the "No Boys Allowed" sign, creating a tragically tear-inducing contrast with the faint, water-blurred whispers of laughter vaguely emanating from within the door.