Chapter 548 - 388

AI Model: gemini-2.5-flashChapter 389: Zou's Adventure (Part 1)Wanda's voice cut through the dead silence in the forest.The atmosphere was tense, suffocating.Trafalgar Law, holding kikoku, glanced at the surrounding Mink Tribe warriors whose fur was bristling and whose killing intent was palpable. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.Before he could explain, the situation changed."That... that flag!"A monkey Mink Tribe member, standing guard on a treetop, suddenly shrieked as if he'd seen a ghost.He pointed a trembling finger at a flag fluttering in the wind on the sunny.It was a black pirate flag, emblazoned with a Straw Hat skull!"It's... it's the Straw Hat!""The pirate flag of the fourth emperor, Straw Hat Luffy!"That name exploded like a bomb within the entire Mink Tribe Guardians!Fear, like a plague, spread instantly."straw hat... Crew?""What a joke! Why would a Four Emperorssuddenly appear in our country?!""Could it be... an invasion?!"The faces of the Mink Tribe warriors instantly turned pale.Through the newspapers issued by the World Government, they had heard that name, which was stirring up trouble in the New World, so many times their ears were practically calloused!Defeating Shichibukai Doflamingo, allying with the revolutionary army chief of staff, and being hailed as the fourth emperor, on par with Kaido and BIGMOM Pirates!In their eyes, this ship falling wasn't an accident at all!It was a blatant military invasion from an emperor of the sea, with unknown motives!The wariness caused by the intrusion of strangers instantly escalated into extreme fear that made their souls tremble in the face of the Four Emperors' title!But after the fear, what surged in their hearts was the pride of the combat-loving Mink Tribe, who would never admit defeat even in death!"Gulp..."Carrot, next to Wanda, nervously swallowed.Wanda's eyes, within seconds, shifted from wariness to fear, then to resolute determination. The fire of defending her homeland ignited in her eyes, and her beautiful face was etched with a readiness to die!"Even if you are a Four Emperors, don't even think about stepping on our homeland!"She growled, her voice no longer cold, but filled with burning resolve."Everyone! Prepare for battle!""Oh oh oh oh oh!!!"All the Mink Tribe Guardians members roared together, their faint electric currents erupting violently at this moment!"Crackling-!!!"Dazzling electric light, like blue armor, covered every warrior!Their fur stood on end, their eyes fierce, and a terrifying killing intent, born of desperation, swept across the entire clearing like a gale!This was the strongest combat posture the Mink Tribe could achieve, outside of their Sulong form!They were ready to shed their last drop of blood to defend this country, isolated for a thousand years!A great battle was on the verge of breaking out!Just as the string of conflict was about to snap—"Hahahahaha! I'm still the fastest! You two lost!""Bullshit! I clearly got here first!""No! I feel like it was me!"A completely out-of-place, lively, and silly clamor came from afar.The next second, three figures, bickering, ran out from the other side of the forest, crashing right into the center of the tense, murderous standoff.It was Luffy, Zoro, and Yamato."Hmm?"Luffy stopped, tilting his head curiously.He completely ignored the tension that could almost be cut with a knife, his gaze instantly drawn to the fluffy, electrified "creatures" in front of him.His eyes instantly shone brighter than the sun!"Wow-!!! Talking dogs and rabbits! And monkeys and lions! So cute!!!"Luffy let out an explosive cheer of surprise, his face showing the pure, silly excitement of someone seeing rare animals.He even instinctively wanted to rush over and have a close interaction with these "fluffy guys."At this moment, time seemed to stop.The Mink Tribe warriors stared at the straw hatboy who had suddenly appeared.That face, that straw hat, was identical to the arrogant fourth emperor described in the newspapers!And his extremely frivolous remarks, as if he were browsing a pet store, seemed to the Mink Tribe to be the most direct, undisguised mockery from a Four Emperors!"Bastard..."Wanda gritted her teeth, the fire of anger practically spewing from her eyes.Her knuckles were white from gripping the sword hilt too tightly.The command to attack was on the tip of her tongue!"Captain... Captain-!!!"Just then, a loud, familiar voice, tinged with a sob, suddenly boomed from behind the Mink TribeGuardians!Then, a giant white figure, in a particularly clumsy and desperate manner, violently pushed through the crowd and charged towards the center of the standoff!"I'm sorry!!""Wuwuwu... Captain! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have run off!""I got lost! This place is so strange! I can't find my way back!!""I'm sorry-!!!"Under everyone's bewildered gazes, the giant white bear Mink Tribe member, Bepo, while frantically apologizing in his characteristic way, rushed crying to Trafalgar Law.Then, with a "thud," he tightly hugged Law's leg, crying like a three-hundred-pound child."...""...""..."All the Mink Tribe members were instantly petrified.The crackling electricity on their bodies stopped.The burning resolve to fight to the death in their eyes extinguished.The expressions of twisted anger on their faces froze.Everyone's brains completely crashed at this moment.The scene unfolding before them was completely beyond their comprehension.Bepo, their compatriot who, though a bit reckless, was quite strong and could fight evenly with the Guardians elites... was actually... actually a crew member of the cold man with the long sword from the opposing side?!And he was hugging his leg, crying so sadly?!Law's presence, and Bepo's impactful scene, like an invisible sledgehammer, smashed the Mink Tribe's assumption of an "enemy invasion" to smithereens with a "clang."The killing intent on Wanda's face receded rapidly like a tide, replaced by an indescribable confusion and astonishment.She slowly loosened her grip on the sword hilt, but still maintained her final vigilance.Her gaze swept over the sniffling, tearful Bepo, then to Law, whose veins were bulging on his forehead and whose face clearly read "I want to kill this idiot," finally settling on Luffy.She took a deep breath and, with a complex tone mixed with apprehension, doubt, and a hint of bewilderment, asked again:"Trafalgar...""What exactly is the purpose of you Four EmperorsStraw Hat crew?"