Chapter 469 - 308

Chapter 309: Hope!Thud.Rebecca was gently set down on the ground.She stumbled for a moment before steadying herself, her cherry-red eyes full of dizziness.The acceleration just now had been too fast, so fast that her vision had blurred completely, with only the whistling wind in her ears. By the time she regained her senses, she was already in a dark alleyway.This was the backstreet area of Dressrosa, a stark contrast to the bustle of the main road.On both sides were towering brick walls with peeling plaster, revealing the dark red bricks beneath."Sorry, sorry!"Luffy let go of her mouth and grinned with his trademark smile."I almost got exposed just now! Good thing I reacted fast!"Rebecca took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.She looked up and re-examined the man in front of her.Without the fake beard, that face was so clear it made her heart skip a beat.Black short hair, deep eyes, and that smile forever hanging on the corner of his mouth, as if he feared nothing in the world.—That's right, it's him! Straw Hat Luffy! A bounty of four billion Berries! One of the Four Emperors!"You..."Rebecca's voice was a bit dry."Are you really... Straw Hat Luffy?""Yeah!"Luffy nodded, smiling without any guile."You guys recognized me! And here I thought my disguise was perfect!""Perfect..."The corner of Rebecca's mouth twitched."That beard... anyone could tell it was fake...""Eh? Really?"Luffy touched his chin, looking regretful."I thought it looked pretty real."At this moment, Kyros finally regained his senses.He jumped up abruptly, his metal arm snapping toward Luffy as his button eyes bulged."Straw Hat Luffy! Why are you here! What do you want with Rebecca!"His voice was full of hostility, his tin body leaning forward slightly in a combat stance.Luffy blinked."What do I want? I don't want anything."He scratched his head."I just ran into you on the street and brought you here because I didn't want to be recognized.""Liar!"Kyros shouted sternly."You're one of the Four Emperors! Would you wander the streets for no reason? Would you save a stranger who bumped into you for no reason?""Speak! What is your purpose! Do you also want the Tremor-Tremor Fruit!""The Tremor-Tremor Fruit?"Luffy tilted his head."Oh, you mean that. I'm not interested.""Not interested?" Kyros was stunned."Yeah."Luffy nodded, speaking as if it were a matter of course."I already have the Rubber-Rubber Fruit; eating another would kill me. Besides, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was that Whitebeard old man's ability, right? It's powerful, but I don't need it."Kyros fell silent.His button eyes stared intently at Luffy, trying to find any trace of a lie on that face.But he couldn't find any... Luffy's expression was too open, his eyes too clear—so clear that they made one believe he was telling the truth."Then why did you come to Dressrosa?""Well..."Luffy grinned."It's a bit complicated. Anyway, I'm not here to steal the fruit."He paused, turning his gaze toward Rebecca."But you, running so fast on the street saying you'd join the competition to use the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power to defeat Donquixote Doflamingo... was that true?"Rebecca's body stiffened.She hadn't expected Luffy to ask directly. Even more, she hadn't expected that Luffy had heard the entire conversation between her and Kyros."...It's true."She bit her lip, the fire reigniting in her eyes."I'm going to enter the Gladiator Tournament! I'm going to win! I'll use the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to take revenge on Doflamingo!""Revenge, huh."Luffy touched his chin. "You have a grudge against him?""Yes."Rebecca's voice dropped low."Ten years ago, he stole this country! He killed my mother! He made the people of this country forget the truth and live in a hypocritical peace!"She raised her hand, clutching the leather straps at her chest."For ten years, I've thought about revenge every single day. But Doflamingo is too strong. He's a Shichibukai, a String-String Fruit user, has powerful officers under him, and controls the entire country... my strength alone isn't enough.""So you want to borrow the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.""Yes."Rebecca nodded."That's the fastest and most direct way. As long as I get Whitebeard's power, I can defeat him. I can... take back this country."The alleyway fell into a brief silence.Only the faint clamor from the main road and the sound of rats scurrying through the alley could be heard.Luffy looked at Rebecca.He looked at the fire burning in her eyes, her clenched hands with white knuckles, and her slightly trembling but upright back.Then he smiled."Interesting.""Eh?" Rebecca was taken aback."I said, it's interesting."Luffy put his hands on his hips, smiling brightly."You want to defeat Doflamingo, right? What a coincidence, my partner wants to defeat him too.""Your... partner?""Yeah."Luffy nodded."Law—Trafalgar Law, have you heard of him? He has a grudge against Doflamingo that goes back over ten years. We came to Dressrosa this time specifically to take that guy down."Rebecca's breathing quickened.Trafalgar Law.Of course she had heard of him. One of the Supernovas, the Ope-Ope no Mi user, with a bounty of 630 million Berries. After the Golden Lion Shiki arrest incident, his name had spread across the world alongside Straw Hat Luffy's."You guys... are going to defeat Doflamingo?" she asked cautiously."That's right."Luffy said matter-of-factly."Although the plan hit a bit of a snag. Law went to the palace alone last night and ended up being attacked by an Admiral and Mingo, getting seriously injured. But it's fine; once he recovers, we'll keep going."Rebecca's heart was already pounding wildly.Straw Hat Luffy.Trafalgar Law.A Four Emperors' pirate crew was going to defeat Doflamingo?!This was possibly the best news she had heard in ten years."Then... then the Tremor-Tremor Fruit..." she murmured."Oh, that."Luffy scratched his head. "To be honest, I don't think you can get it."Rebecca's body stiffened."Wh-Why?""Because there are too many people coming to steal the fruit."Luffy counted on his fingers."Big Mom's people, Kaido's people, and a bunch of random pirates and Underworld guys. And..."He paused and looked at Rebecca."Do you really think Doflamingo would just honestly hand over the Tremor-Tremor Fruit?"Rebecca was stunned."That competition might be a trap from the very beginning."Luffy continued, his tone uncharacteristically serious."A guy like Doflamingo would never offer something so important as a prize! He definitely has another plan! If you join the competition, even if you win, you probably won't get the fruit in the end and might just get yourself killed instead!""B-But..."Rebecca bit her lip."That's my only chance...""Only chance?" Luffy tilted his head."Because I'm all alone!"Rebecca's voice rose, carrying the grievances and anger she had suppressed for ten years."I have no crew! No power! No one I can rely on! I can only rely on myself! I have to grab every straw I can, even if that straw might lead to my death!"She panted, her cherry-red eyes welling with tears."What do you know... You're one of the Four Emperors... You have powerful crewmates... You can easily do things I can't... How could you possibly understand my despair..."In the alleyway, only her suppressed sobbing could be heard.Kyros silently walked to her side, his tin arm gently resting on her trembling shoulder.Luffy watched her quietly.He watched for a long time.Then he said:"Then come be my crewmate."Rebecca's sobbing stopped abruptly.She looked up, her eyes misty with tears as she stared at Luffy."Wh-What did you say?""I said, come be my crewmate."Luffy grinned, his smile as clean as the sky after rain."Aren't you alone? Then come be my crewmate! We'll defeat Doflamingo together! You don't need the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, and you don't need to borrow anyone else's power—we'll use our own strength."He held out his hand."How about it? Want to join my ship?"Rebecca stared blankly at that hand.At the open smile on Luffy's face.At the unreserved sincerity in those eyes.For the first time in ten years.Someone had said to her, "Come be my crewmate."It wasn't exploitation, it wasn't pity, it wasn't charity.It was "crewmate."She opened her mouth, wanting to say something.But her throat felt blocked, and she couldn't utter a single word.Only tears flowed uncontrollably, sliding down her cheeks."I..."She choked out, her hand trembling as she reached out.Just as her fingertips were about to touch Luffy's palm—BOOM!!!!In the distance, from the direction of the Dressrosaport, a deafening explosion rang out.Followed by a second, then a third.Flames soared into the sky, and thick black smoke billowed up, clearly visible even from the alleyway.Luffy snapped his head up."Is that... the port?"Kyros's button eyes turned toward that direction, his tin body tensing."Something's happened!!"Rebecca wiped away her tears and also looked toward the port. Vigilance reappeared in her emerald eyes."An explosion at a time like this... could it be...""Other factions are making their move."Luffy withdrew his hand, his expression turning serious."Looks like some people don't want to wait for the competition to end."He turned, preparing to dash toward the port, but after two steps, he stopped and looked back at Rebecca and Kyros."You guys find a safe place to hide first. I'll go check out the port.""Wait!"Rebecca called out to him."It's too dangerous to go alone! It might be—""It's fine."Luffy grinned, revealing his snowy white teeth."I'm the man who's going to become the Pirate King. This level of danger is nothing!"With that, he exerted force with his legs.Boom!An air blast erupted from the ground again.Luffy's figure turned into an afterimage, disappearing from the alley entrance.Leaving only Rebecca and Kyros standing there in a daze.After a long while, Kyros spoke in a low voice."Straw Hat Luffy... just like the rumors say, he's an incredible man."Rebecca didn't speak.She just looked down at the hand that had almost touched Luffy's palm.Her fingertips were still trembling slightly.But in her heart, something was taking root and sprouting.For the first time in ten years.Something called 'hope'...