Chapter 111: Frenzy Island and the Rookie Pirate Crew
"They probably ended up here by accident. Ignore them," Luo Han said to Cole after scanning them with his mental sense.
He then carefully guided their ships upward, moving them onto the island itself. Leaving them floating in unfamiliar waters below felt unsafe — one rogue wave in the night could cause serious trouble.
As the ships ascended along the island's cliffs, strange sounds grew louder — sometimes deep and guttural, other times shrill and high-pitched, like the cries of wild beasts locked in constant battle.
Ooooh!
Grrruuh!
Rikk-rikk!
Grruu!
…
"Maybe we should just not go up there, Luo Han…"
Toki clung to Luo Han's arm, trembling as her big doe eyes began to glisten with tears. Clearly, the sounds from the island were starting to scare her.
"We're here to help you find clues about returning to Wano. If you've changed your mind, we can leave right now," Luo Han said seriously, staring at her.
"Ugh… fine, let's go up." Toki pouted and released his hand before turning and stomping back to the cabin. Bang! The door slammed shut.
"Hehe, seems like our little miss is quite attached to you, Luo Han-kun," Spoon-jie chuckled from the deck as she watched.
Luo Han didn't respond, shaking his head slightly as he used his mind to scan the island.
"It's not that big, but all the animals seem completely berserk. If they're not fighting, they're on their way to a fight…" he thought to himself.
Meanwhile, the other pirate crew — seemingly newcomers — had noticed Luo Han and his team.
"Captain Vitas, isn't that the Blue Demon and the Beastman from the Rocks Pirates?" said a towering 4-meter-tall man with braided hair, staring at Luo Han and Cole on deck. "Why are they here? Isn't the Rocks crew at war with the Navy?"
Beside him stood a cocky young man with shoulder-length red hair. Vitas narrowed his eyes, watching Luo Han's ship rise toward the island.
"Jinbin, don't you see? This is an opportunity." Vitas' lips curled into a faint, excited grin.
"What do you mean, Captain? That's the Blue Demon! Are we really going to challenge him now?" Jinbin was stunned. They'd just arrived in the New World and were already thinking of going head-to-head with one of the top dogs?
But Vitas didn't flinch. "Luo Han and Cole are both under twenty. How strong could they really be? They just rely on weird Devil Fruit powers. Don't worry."
"…Alright. If the captain says so, then we go." Jinbin, though still hesitant, was swayed by his captain's confidence. His voice was unsure, but his resolve gradually strengthened.
"Haha! Then it's settled! We go up, kill Blue Demon and Beastman, and make our debut in the New World. Let's go, brothers!" Vitas shouted.
His crew responded in unison — full of trust in their captain. So far, their journey into the Grand Line had been smooth. With no bitter defeats yet, their arrogance remained intact.
"Captain, I'll climb up first and lower the rope afterward," Jinbin said, tying a rope around himself and leaping at the cliff. Crunch! His steel-like fingers dug into the stone, climbing upward like an ape.
…
On the island, Luo Han and his crew had reached the largest and lowest level of the tiered landmass. They were now looking for a suitable spot to land their ships.
The island resembled a tropical rainforest — dense jungle, irregular terrain, and patches of open grassland.
"Let's land over there," Spoon-jie pointed at a grassy clearing occupied by a herd of mountain goats. It was surrounded by trees and looked relatively flat.
"Alright," Luo Han nodded, guiding the ships in that direction.
Thud thud! The ships landed softly on the grass. Everyone disembarked, greeted by an eerie chorus of heavy breathing and growls — like a pack of wolves preparing for a hunt.
But something about the animals on this island seemed… off.
"What's with these goats?" Luo Han asked as he levitated a few of them into the air with his telekinesis.
"No idea. Maybe they think we've intruded on their territory and that's why they attacked us so suddenly…" Spoon-jie replied uncertainly, eyeing the goats with glowing red eyes.
The moment they had landed, what were once peacefully grazing goats suddenly charged at them, bleating wildly.
"Whatever. They attacked us, so… roast goat it is!" Luo Han said with a grin. With a thought — crack crack — the goats' eyes returned to normal.
Tucker and his men walked over, grabbing the goats with practiced ease. The ship's cooks began preparing for a feast right there in the clearing.
"Luo Han-kun, I'm going to scout ahead," Spoon-jie said, putting on a flower-patterned round hat and heading alone into the jungle.
"Call me if anything happens, Spoon-jie!" Luo Han called out after her, then turned to Aishi , Sora, and Toki. "What about you three? Want to explore?"
"No thanks. I'm cooking something special for Big Sis," Aishi replied with a huff, walking off to join Tucker's group.
"So tsundere," Luo Han chuckled inwardly, then looked at Toki.
"I… I'm going back to the ship." Misinterpreting his gaze, Toki bolted back on board, thinking he was going to drag her into the forest. Her steps were like someone fleeing a pack of wolves.
In the end, only Luo Han and Sora remained. Cole had already joined the feast preparations.
"Are you going somewhere, Lord Luo Han? Sora would be happy to accompany you," she said sweetly, like a gentle big sister.
Luo Han caught a glint in her eyes and shook his head.
"Nope. I've got to conserve energy for the incoming nonsense."
With that, he flew back to the ship, leaving Sora blinking in confusion.
…
Deep in the jungle, a group of people stood back-to-back, breathing heavily. Each of them bore cuts and scratches, eyes scanning the dense surroundings. They looked like prey under the gaze of predators.
Rustle rustle… The sound of something large moving through the underbrush echoed around them. From between the trees and shrubs, pairs of glowing green eyes emerged.
Clang! Clang! The sound of blades clashing filled the air.
"They're coming. Be ready!" warned the red-haired young man in the group, eyes fixed on the advancing shapes.
The foliage parted, revealing giant… mantises?
Jet-black, four meters tall, drooling as they approached. Their legs were long and powerful, and their arm blades gleamed like sharpened steel.
One glance was enough — these creatures were clearly not to be trifled with.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Bankai10