Chapter 550 - 390

Chapter 391: Adventure in Zou (Part 3)Yamato's self-introduction, comparable to a nuclear bomb, successfully sent the thought modules of every living being present into overload protection.The Mink Tribe warriors crashed collectively, mouths agape and eyes glazed over, like plush dolls with their souls sucked out. The only proof they were still alive was the wisps of smoke rising from their heads due to CPU overheating."Hey, what's wrong with you guys? Why are you looking at me like that???"Yamato tilted her head curiously, completely unaware of the massive mental shock her words had caused."I really am Kozuki Oden!!! Don't you recognize me?!"This follow-up question became the final straw that broke the camel's back."Thud."An older Sheep Mink warrior rolled his eyes and fell straight back, muttering unconsciously:"Lord Oden... turned into a great beauty... My youth is over...""Hey!!! Elder Bari!!!""Medic! Quick!!! Elder Bari was knocked unconscious by Lord Oden's Haki!!!"The scene instantly turned into a chaotic mess.Trafalgar Law watched all this with a stony face, one hand already supporting his forehead. (-_-|||)He regretted it immensely now—regretted why he had teamed up with this group of people with abnormal logic in the first place.Amidst this chaos, the only one who could still remain calm was Wanda.She took a deep breath, forcing her logic back into place.Her brain worked at high speed:Doubt one: The Straw Hat suddenly fell down.Doubt two: Their target is Kaido.Doubt three: A great beauty claiming to be "Oden."Doubt four: The Captain is an idiot who can't move when he sees something fluffy.Conclusion:Although these people look extremely unreliable, the enemy of an enemy is a friend. The fact that their target is Kaido is the greatest common interest at the moment.As for that "Oden," she could be temporarily regarded as some kind of... uh... performance art?Thinking of this, Wanda made up her mind.With a wave of her hand, she ordered all the Guardians:"Everyone, stand down!!! They are allies, not enemies!!!""Oh..."The Mink Tribe warriors responded listlessly, putting away their weapons one after another, but the way they looked at the Straw Hat was still full of scrutiny, as if looking at freaks."I am the Captain of Duke Inuarashi's Sharpshooters, Wanda."She walked up to Law and Luffy and performed a Mink-specific chest-touching salute. Although her expression was serious, her fluffy dog ears still twitched slightly due to emotional fluctuations."Since your target is Kaido and you are looking for Duke Inuarashi, then please follow me.""I will take you to Kurau City in the Right Belly Forest to meet the King of the Day.""Oh!!! We're going to see the big doggy? Great!!!" Luffy clapped his hands excitedly.The corner of Wanda's forehead twitched almost imperceptibly."Before we set off, I will assign a guide to you."Wanda said, turning back and calling out,"Carrot!""Here!"An energetic voice rang out, and in the next second, a small figure leaped from the treetops with a "whoosh," landing lightly in front of everyone.It was a girl wearing an orange short skirt with a pair of long rabbit ears, her big red eyes full of exuberant curiosity.She was the most agile Rabbit Mink in the Guardians and the one most familiar with the forest, Carrot."Carrot, your mission is to lead the guests through the forest and ensure they don't get lost," Wandainstructed seriously."Leave it to me, Wanda!"Carrot gave an energetic salute, then her curious gaze fell on Luffy.She tilted her head, her pink nose twitching slightly like a little rabbit's, as if sniffing a strange scent.Then, before anyone could react, she lunged forward, stretched out her fluffy little hand, and with a speed too fast to see—Poked Luffy's cheek."Boing~"Luffy's cheek was poked into a deep indentation, then it bounced back.Carrot's eyes lit up instantly, as if she had discovered a new continent!"Wow! So soft! And it bounces back!"She seemed to have become addicted, reaching out both hands and giving Luffy's face a frantic kneading and pulling."Eek! It's turned square!""Whoa! It can stretch this long!""Garchu~!"She even excitedly took a bite out of Luffy's stretched cheek, leaving a neat row of small tooth marks."Hahaha! That tickles! This is so fun!"Instead of getting angry, Luffy found this "rabbit" extremely fun and let her play with his face like it was modeling clay.This scene made the Mink Tribe warriors, who had finally regained their composure nearby, almost pop their eyes out.The combatant Carrot, who in their eyes had impressive fighting power and could tear through steel with one claw, was actually acting like a little kid who had seen a new toy!And that's the legendary Fourth Emperor! Is he just letting people rub his face like that?! Where is the dignity of the Four Emperors?!"Cough cough!" Law couldn't stand it anymore and coughed heavily.If this continued, his prestige as the ship's doctor & chief strategist would be pulled down to the Mariana Trench.Wanda also felt the scene was getting a bit out of control and quickly pulled away the still-excited Carrot."Alright, Carrot, it's time to go!""Okay!"Carrot reluctantly let go, then skipped to the front of the group, turned back, and waved to Luffy."Hey! Rubber-man! Let's race to see who gets there first!""Sure! I won't lose!"Luffy's competitive spirit was instantly ignited, and he dashed after her.Thus, the group officially embarked on their journey through the Whale Forest in this strange atmosphere.Along the way, the Straw Hat thoroughly experienced the wonders of this thousand-year-old ancient country."SUPER!!! The way these buildings are connected actually utilizes the natural growth patterns of living trees! It's simply masterfully crafted biological architecture!"Franky's eyes gleamed; he couldn't wait to transform the sunny into a tree on the spot."Hey, hey, look, that kind of mushroom has eyes! It's staring at me!"Usopp shouted in terror while frantically drawing on his map.Robin appeared very calm, walking elegantly through the woods, her gaze sweeping over plants she had never heard of, softly saying to Law beside her:"The civilization here seems to have achieved a perfect symbiosis with nature, which is unimaginable in the outside world."Law held kikoku, saying nothing, but his increasingly sour face betrayed his true thoughts:So noisy, I want to go home.Just then, a slight, rhythmic vibration suddenly came from the ground.Immediately after, a huge roar like thunder came from above everyone's heads!!!"Enemy attack! Is it an enemy attack?!?!" Usoppwas so scared he jumped directly onto Zoro's back."Get off me!"Zoro looked displeased, his hand already on his sword hilt."Everyone, look! It's the Eruption Rain!"Carrot, running at the very front, stopped excitedly and pointed at the sky, shouting.Everyone looked up in confusion.They saw the pillar-like Zunesha slowly raise its sky-blotting trunk, the tip plunging deep into the sea of clouds below, making a huge water-sucking sound.A few seconds later, it raised its trunk like a giant living fire cannon, aiming at the highest point of the sky—"Pshhh—!!!"An unimaginable amount of seawater was suddenly sprayed out!The water column rushed up ten thousand meters into the air, instantly bursting under the sunlight and turning into billions of crystal-clear water droplets, fluttering down.A super spectacular man-made rain covering the entire country thus descended!!!The seawater refracted rainbow-colored light in the air, forming a huge rainbow across the sky. The warm rain watered the ancient forest, nourishing this isolated land."Whoa—!!! It's raining! What an amazing fountain!!!"Luffy, Yamato, and Uta, who had appeared from nowhere, watched in awe, then let out a cheer, like three children who hadn't grown up, excitedly running, spinning, and playing in the rain."SUPER!!! This is the ultimate romance!!!"Franky spread his arms, letting the rain wash over his steel body, letting out a heartfelt exclamation.Trafalgar Law silently expanded his ROOM, using his ability to deflect all the rain above his head, maintaining his last bit of dignity.This spectacular and magical Eruption Rain was not only a visual party but also allowed the Straw Hat to personally experience the unique ecosystem of this country's symbiosis with the giant elephant "Zunesha."The rain washed away the fatigue of the journey and completely melted the last bit of estrangement between them.The simple Carrot and the equally simple Luffy had completely started playing together."I'll run to that big tree first!""I won't let you get your way!"The two chased each other through the woods, racing to see who could reach the destination first. Their crisp laughter and noisy sounds echoed in the forest after the rain, adding countless cheerful vibes to this magical journey.Seeing this harmonious scene, the serious expression on Wanda's face finally softened.Perhaps...This group of people who seem so out of place might really bring new hope to this country.