Nami only felt her temples throbbing, and her eyes were slightly red, almost on the verge of tears.
The fire in her heart flared up instantly. She knew Luffy was an idiot, but he couldn't be this idiotic. Didn't he see what kind of occasion this was? Was this something he should be saying?
At this moment, Zou had just experienced a horrific disaster. Ruins were everywhere, injured people were still groaning in pain, and the air, filled with sorrow and despair, had only just begun to dissipate.
Luffy, on the other hand, blurted out those inappropriate words without a care, not thinking if it would cause more trouble or make the atmosphere even worse.
Wanda seemed to catch a subtle sound; her ears twitched abruptly, her eyes filled with disbelief, and following the direction of the sound, her gaze fell directly on Luffy.
Seeing this, Nami glared fiercely at Luffy, thinking, 'This can't go on; I have to do something to make this guy shut up quickly.'
But before she could act, Brook was a step faster. Brook shouted, "Bone Hand Strike!"
With a swift motion, a hand chop knocked Luffy to the ground, and he lay flat.
Seeing this, Nami and Usopp immediately rushed up, one from the left and one from the right, and started punching Luffy's mouth. Brook was responsible for finishing him off with hand chops, and after the beating, they took turns covering his mouth, afraid he would say something shocking again.
Wanda's face was solemn, her gaze sweeping back and forth among them. She asked, "Ninja, are you referring to the warriors of Wano Country? Do you know something?"
As soon as she said this, Robin and Franky looked like thieves caught in the act, turning their heads away guiltily.
Even the usually composed Zoro looked up at the sky in embarrassment, pretending not to hear.
Nami, while punching Luffy, narrowed her eyes and forced a stiff smile at Wanda, "You must have misheard. We're just teaching him about physical intimacy. Don't mind us, haha."
Wanda wouldn't be so easily fooled. She frowned, her tone certain: "No, I definitely heard him say 'Ninja' just now."
Nami's smile stiffened, and she inwardly groaned but maintained her composure, letting out a few dry chuckles, "Oh ho ho." Then she gritted her teeth and shouted at Sanji:
"Sanji! Give me your treasured bounty poster of Orochimaru from Alabasta!"
This time, Sanji became the embarrassed protagonist. His face instantly flushed crimson, and he stammered as he looked at Nami, his eyes filled with panic and helplessness.
"Nami-san, I don't treasure it... it was really just left by accident..."
Nami had completely lost her patience by now, revealing her characteristic shark face and roaring at Sanji, "Hurry up!! Give me the bounty NOW!"
Her high-decibel roar made the surrounding air vibrate, scaring everyone else into silence, afraid of drawing her wrath.
Sanji, with trembling hands, held the bounty poster and handed it to Nami.
Nami darted forward to take it, then stomped heavily on Luffy's stomach, making him yelp in pain.
The next second, Nami's face was again full of smiles, as if her previous fierce demeanor was just an illusion.
She took a few quick steps and handed the bounty poster to Wanda, trying to make her tone sound natural: "This is what we were talking about. Look, this is Orochimaru, the one who's currently treating your boss."
Nami continued, pointing at the bounty poster with her finger, trying to divert Wanda's attention:
"At first, the Marine got his gender wrong (they didn't), and even gave him the nickname'Seductive Ninja.' That's what we were just discussing; it's quite interesting, sorry."
Wanda looked suspicious, slowly lowered her head, and stared intently at Orochimaru in a woman's dress on the bounty poster.
After examining it for a moment, she suddenly understood, lightly slapping her forehead and saying, "Ah, so that's what you were talking about! That really is a big misunderstanding."
But just then, Luffy, still lying on the ground, wasn't giving up. He struggled to reach out, muttering indistinctly, "Nin... Nin..."
Nami, Usopp, and Brook simultaneously gritted their teeth.
In an instant, the three felt as if their fists had a will of their own, clenching involuntarily, with a faint black aura seemingly adhering to them, as if the accumulated anger of the group had materialized.
Immediately after, the three struck at the same time, "Bang, bang, bang," three heavy punches landing on Luffy's head.
Luffy's head tilted, and he became completely still, finally bringing this farce to a temporary close.
The successive twists and turns had completely exhausted everyone's energy; everyone was utterly fatigued.
The previously lively atmosphere gradually quieted down as weariness set in, leaving only soft breathing sounds.
At some point, Wanda seemed to find a support, slowly leaning against Nami. Nami's body stiffened slightly, then relaxed, and she adjusted her posture to make Wanda more comfortable.
The others also gradually couldn't hold on. Usopp collapsed nearby, his arm casually draped over his face;
Sanji leaned against the wall, legs stretched out, head tilted slightly back, emitting even snores;
Brook sat in a corner, holding his violin. Although he didn't truly sleep, his still posture seemed to be immersed in this rare tranquility;
Chopper curled up beside Luffy, his furry body rising and falling with his breath;
Zoro held his sword, his head bowed, feigning sleep.
Luffy, on the other hand, lay sprawled out, mouth open, sleeping without any regard for his image.
A group of people lay scattered on the ground like this. The moonlight filtered through the dappled tree shadows, casting a sense of serenity over their brief rest. Exhausted, they finally found a moment of solace in this fleeting calm.
Moonlight, like water, spilled over this land that had just endured hardship. Orochimaru finished his long and focused treatment; Nekomamushi's injuries were finally stable.
Orochimaru straightened up, stretched his sore shoulders, and looked towards the distance.
He saw the group of people lying scattered on the ground, in various sleeping postures, fatigue clearly visible on their faces.
Orochimaru sighed softly, then turned and quietly pulled out a pile of blankets, approaching gently and carefully covering Luffy and the others. His movements were gentle, yet carried a hint of complexity.
At this time, Franky and Robin had already consciously made their way to the edge of the cliff where they had come up. This was the main route to Zou, and also where Kin'emon and the others would appear.
Brook walked over quietly, his footsteps even lighter as he looked at the sleeping group.
Arriving at the cliff edge, he silently sat beside Robin. Although no words were exchanged, the three stood quietly like this, intending to prevent Kin'emon and his companion from entering.
They believed that the Ninja and Samurai had brought disaster to this country. Even if the Mink Tribe people were cheerful, they would be angry if they knew they had brought Samurai in. If possible, they did not want to fight with the Mink Tribe.
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