Kin'emon and Kanjuro dragged their bodies, heavy as if filled with lead, each step extremely difficult, their footing so unsteady they seemed on the verge of falling at any moment.
Kin'emon, carrying the soundly sleeping Momonosuke in one arm, made his way towards the Village, his face etched with fatigue.
At this moment, a monkey, usually responsible for warnings, was vigilantly looking out from a tree, its keen eyes instantly catching sight of the three uninvited guests.
The monkey's ears perked up, trying to catch snippets of their conversation.
Upon hearing them refer to themselves as samurai from Wano Country, its eyes instantly widened.
In an instant, the monkey's eyes reddened, and tears streamed down its face.
Using all four limbs, it dashed towards the warning tower, striking the warning bell with all its might.
"Samurai! Samurai are here, ah, monkey!" The crisp sound of the bell, accompanied by the monkey's sharp cries, instantly shattered the Village's tranquility, echoing in the air for a long time.
The urgent ringing of the bell instantly broke the Village's peace.
Everyone who was busy heard the bell, put down their work, and their expressions became somewhat solemn.
The urgent bell seemed to carry an unignorable summons, piercing directly into the ears of the day and night rulers—Duke Inuarashi and Nekomamushi.
Duke Inuarashi, who had been deep in slumber, was suddenly startled awake by the bell, his body trembling violently, instantly rousing him from his sleep.
Nekomamushi, on the other hand, had been resting with his eyes closed, and the sudden ringing of the bell jolted him awake.
Almost at the same moment, their expressions hardened, and they quickly rose, relying on years of leader's instinct, and immediately gave loud orders for everyone to gather in the Village.
Although the injuries on Duke Inuarashi and Nekomamushi had not yet healed, and their movements still showed some discomfiture, their eyes were filled with determination and urgency.
The two rushed towards the city like a gust of wind, their figures quickly disappearing in the swirling dust.
The members of the Knights' Order, who served the two kings separately, also followed behind.
For a time, the entire Zou Island was stirred into a frenzy by the sudden bell.
Whether it was the Mink Tribe citizens busy with daily affairs or the patrolling guards, everyone hurried with anxious and somewhat solemn expressions, rushing towards the direction of the town.
Meanwhile, Luffy and his companions were sprawled on the ground, sleeping soundly, their snores echoing all around.
Nami had been immersed in a sweet dream when suddenly, a faint clamor reached her, waking her from her sleep.
She groggily rubbed her sleepy eyes and slowly sat up.
What met her eyes was a group of Mink Tribe members rushing by, shouting, "It's the samurai! Follow the boss!" Their voices were filled with urgency.
Nami instantly sobered up, realizing that things were probably not simple.
Anxious, she quickly turned around, frantically pushing her still-sleeping companions.
When her gaze fell on Luffy, she saw him sleeping without any regard for appearance, a snot bubble expanding and contracting with his breath, sleeping soundly.
Nami was both angry and anxious, and without much thought, she raised her hand and slapped Luffy's face, repeatedly muttering, "Wake up! Wake up!"
Nami frowned tightly, looking at Luffy, who lay on the ground with no signs of waking, feeling an inexplicable anger rising within her, her molars even itching faintly.
"What time is it, and this guy is still sleeping so soundly! Really, where is Orochimaru at a time like this?"
Luffy was sprawled on his back, sleeping sweetly.
His chest rose and fell rhythmically with his breathing, occasionally smacking his lips, as if having a wonderful dream.
Suddenly, the snot bubble from his nose popped with a "poof," startling him awake.
Luffy groggily rolled over, mumbling, "Orochimaru, what happened to Orochimaru?"
Seeing Luffy's eyelids tremble slightly, showing signs of waking, Nami said nothing, grabbed his arm, and started running.
Sanji and Zoro also quickly supported Luffy from either side, afraid he might lose his balance and fall again.
Luffy was still half-asleep, his feet moving mechanically, constantly mumbling, "Why am I running so early in the morning, I'm so sleepy..."
Nami, running and panting, complained, "I told you, Kin'emon and what's-his-name, those two came up, saying two samurai arrived.
Now the entire Zou is in an uproar, Nekomamushi is leading the Knights' Order towards the town, and I heard Duke Inuarashi also woke up and went with the Knights' Order."
Luffy listened to Nami's words, his mind gradually clearing, his eyes suddenly lighting up, and he excitedly said,
"Is it another feast? Two days in a row, I have no objections! Haha, maybe there will be lots of delicious food again!"
As he spoke, his previously limp body instantly regained strength, and he dashed forward.
Nami's entire face contorted with anger, and she grabbed Luffy's cheek tightly, pulling hard.
"No! It's resentment!...Resentment...!" she yelled at Luffy, her face overflowing with anger.
After shouting, Nami's expression suddenly turned serious, her brows furrowed, her eyes filled with worry. She slowly spoke, her voice low and heavy:
"There must be resentment, after all, everyone was implicated by the samurai and suffered a catastrophe for no reason."
Just as Nami fell into thought, the atmosphere on Zou Island grew increasingly tense.
Urgent footsteps and shouts intertwined, and the island's residents surged like a tide towards the damaged town.
For a time, dust flew everywhere, and the entire Zou Island seemed to tremble, propelled by this surging crowd.
In a moment, everyone had gathered densely in front of the town's ruins.
Nekomamushi's brows furrowed into a "river" shape, his gaze sharp, quickly surveying his surroundings, then he roared with a hoarse voice, "Where are they!"
A member of the Knights' Order quickly scanned the area back and forth, then hurried to report to Nekomamushi: "Going to find them immediately! But the citizens have already gathered in the city one after another."
With that, he turned and quickly left with a few companions, his figure soon disappearing into the bustling crowd.
At the same time, Pekoms nimbly climbed to the top of a building, his keen gaze searching back and forth between the streets.
Nekomamushi anxiously asked, "How is it, Pekoms! Have you seen them?"
Pekoms, who was investigating, suddenly looked serious, staring intently at Duke Inuarashi's group in the next street, cold sweat uncontrollably breaking out on his face, and he muttered to himself,
"No good, they're about to meet."
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