Meanwhile, in the dense jungle of the Island of God, "Upper Yard," the reunited Straw Hat Pirates were enjoying a wilderness cookout.
It had to be said that Vivi, the beautiful princess who had long since learned the habits of the crew, had guessed exactly what these guys would be doing with near-perfect accuracy.
"Hey, Curly-brows, my blades aren't your kitchen utensils."
Zoro held his arms out level, the sharp edges of Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu crossed in an 'X' shape. Balanced atop them was a large, flat stone heated by a roaring fire. Judging by the steady, unshakable stance of the green-haired swordsman, his arm strength had clearly far surpassed that of an average man.
"Shut it. If you dare annoy the chef, you can expect to go hungry," Sanji retorted, blowing a smoke ring. He glanced at a certain dimwitted captain who was currently devouring an unidentified bird leg with gusto, and his curly eyebrow couldn't help but twitch.
"Hey, Luffy, do you really not need me to prep that weird roasted bird for you? It smells alright, but there are definitely parts that aren't cooked through yet."
According to a certain blue-nosed reindeer who was in the know, this roasted bird—now part of the "Straw Hat Deluxe Lunch"—seemed to have been the mount of the Priest who had attacked him. For some reason, it had ended up in this state and was promptly "accepted" by the gluttonous captain, who was never one to be a picky eater...
"No need! As long as it's meat, it's delicious! Shishishi!" Luffy managed to mumble through a mouth full of food before burying his face back into his meal. The size of this "Three-Zhang Bird" was actually quite impressive.
(This massive glutton has nothing but meat on the brain...) The others thought in unison, a collective black line appearing over their heads as they sighed.
On the other side, Dr. Chopper was conducting an extremely meticulous examination of the Enchanter's body.
"His physical condition is still normal—even a bit better than before—but he's fallen into a deep sleep. It looks like Sherlock took Insomna again to fight that Priest. He's being way too reckless! He'll definitely be asleep for a long time this time."
Removing his stethoscope, a look of self-reproach flickered across the furry face of the reindeer doctor. "This is all my fault. If only I were stronger, Sherlock could have recovered in peace, and the Going Merry wouldn't have..."
"That's enough, Chopper. Don't blame yourself anymore. You did a great job," Usopp said, gently patting Chopper's small head to comfort him. He then looked toward Sherlock's hair and murmured, "But look, more of Sherlock's hair has turned silver."
"Eh? You're right." Everyone present was once again drawn to the strange transformation of the Enchanter's hair.
Unlike the small, needle-like silver strands hidden within the ink-black hair before, Sherlock's hair now looked as if it had been given professional highlights. Several thick locks of brilliant silver hair had appeared, creating a sharp, striking contrast between black and white. It looked incredibly stylish.
"Though this hair color does look pretty good on him..."
The curly-browed cook gestured for Zoro to toss the red-hot stone into the pot. He then rubbed his chin and murmured, "But if it all turned that silver color, he'd probably look even better. I've never seen such a brilliant silvery-white before."
"Yeah, yeah," the others nodded in agreement.
At that moment, a mature and charming figure emerged from behind a large tree, carrying a basket of food.
"While I was looking for supplies, I happened to stumble upon the 'remains' of that Priest," Robin said with a smile, her words carrying a rather haunting undertone.
"'Remains'? Plural?"
The navigator, who was focused on drawing her map, immediately caught the implication in Robin's words. "Robin, do you mean...?"
"Yes. Believe me, you wouldn't be interested in seeing it." The charming older sister walked calmly toward the group and sat down. Looking at the Enchanter's peaceful sleeping face, she said with a smile:
"It seems Sherlock must have been in a very foul mood when he woke up. I suspect he has quite the 'morning crankiness.' Hehe, he's actually quite childish in that regard, isn't he?"
(Childish? Robin, have you ever seen a 'child' do something that terrifying?!) The "Cowardly Trio" thought simultaneously, swallowing hard as cold sweat poured down their faces.
"That woman..." Zoro rolled his eyes. Even someone with a will as toughened as his felt speechless toward this "Child of Darkness" who loved making horrifying statements with such a calm face.
"Ohhh! Dark Robin-chan is so cute too!" cried a certain love-struck cook.
A short while later.
A wonderful aroma filled the air. The "Stone-Stewed Vegetable Soup" that Luffy had been longing for was finally ready. The Straw Hat crew sat around the campfire, eating the delicious food while discussing their plan of action.
"Alright! Since Sherlock, our strategist, is fast asleep, then I—the resourceful Captain Usopp—shall analyze the situation! Everyone, a round of applause!"
Clap, clap, clap... After speaking, the long-nosed man started clapping enthusiastically for himself.
"Oh! Awesome!" The dimwitted captain and the blue-nosed reindeer cheered along cooperatively.
"..." The other four offered no reaction, looking at him as if he were an idiot.
The atmosphere became slightly awkward.
"Cough. Alright, first, let's review what each of the three groups experienced."
Usopp, whose skin was as thick as a fortress wall, didn't feel the slightest bit of embarrassment. He pointed exaggeratedly at the curly-browed cook. "Let's start with you, Sanji."
"Me? You already know," Sanji said, taking a sip of soup. "The three of us ran into a Priest named Satori. He fought using strange shells and clouds, and he could predict our attacks before we made them. It must be that 'Observation Haki' Rovick mentioned before."
"Observation Haki?" Zoro's interest was instantly piqued. "Was he strong?"
Sanji shook his head. "No, but that ability to predict attacks is definitely tricky to deal with. Oh, and on our way here, we ran into a group calling themselves Shandia warriors. One of them was that masked guy who attacked us at the very beginning!"
"Excellent." Usopp nodded, looking as if he had everything under control. "Chopper, your turn."
"Oh! I stayed behind to guard the Going Merry. I encountered a Priest named Shura. I couldn't beat him, so I blew the whistle to summon the Sky Knight."
Chopper glanced at Gan Fall, who was lying near Sherlock, and continued, "In the end, even the Sky Knight was defeated by that Priest, and we were forced into the water. After that, the Priest must have been defeated by Sherlock."
"Oh, so Sherlock saved you, Chopper?" Usopp rubbed his long nose and murmured.
"No, when I woke up, Sherlock was already unconscious on the deck," Chopper shook his head. "I was saved by several giant Southbirds. And according to them, the Sky Knight is their 'God'."
"GOD?!"
A certain rubber idiot, who had already finished countless bowls of stew, could no longer stay calm. He pointed at the still-unconscious Sky Knight and cried out, "Then doesn't that mean I have to kick that old man's ass?!"
Swish—! Pierre, the "Three-Zhang Bird" that had eaten the Horse-Horse Fruit, hurried to flap its wings to protect its master. In its frantic rush to shield him, its large wing accidentally brushed against Sherlock's face, knocking his glasses askew...
"Shut up, you single-minded idiot!" Nami yelled with a black line over her head, turning toward the Sky Knight. "How could that old man be... Eh? Sherlock? You... You're awake?!"
To everyone's shock and delight, the man in glasses—whom Chopper had claimed would be asleep for at least three to five days—wobbled as he sat up from his sickbed. With a signature gesture, he gently straightened his "true essence"—his glasses.
"Oh my... you're all here..."
Sherlock looked around with a hazy gaze. Once he confirmed there was no danger, his lips curled into an elegant arc. "Now then, can someone tell me exactly what our current situation is?"
"I have far too many questions to ask you all."
(Right back at you! We have plenty of questions for you too, Sherlock!) Nami and the others thought in unison, their inner voices screaming in synchronization.
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