The name Joy Boy was unfamiliar to almost everyone present, so when Luffy spoke it, the reaction was mostly confusion rather than shock.
At this point, the Straw Hat Pirates did not have someone like Robin to explain the significance behind that name. Nami, Franky, Chopper, and the others could only stare at each other blankly, completely lost.
Only a few Revolutionary Army cadres reacted differently. Their expressions changed instantly as disbelief filled their eyes.
As one of the higher-ranking members of the Revolutionary Army, Lindbergh had once heard Dragon mention that name before. He frowned deeply and muttered,
"Joy Boy? The one from eight hundred years ago?"
"Luffy" looked toward Lindbergh and smiled faintly.
"I didn't expect someone would still remember me after all this time. That's surprisingly comforting."
As he spoke, he took a deep breath. His neck suddenly expanded, and the force released from his body instantly shook off Franky's restraining grip.
He slowly descended to the ground and stretched his body casually before speaking again.
"I already told you, I'm not your enemy. We should be companions."
Franky immediately snapped back angrily.
"Our companion is Luffy! Who the hell are you supposed to be?!"
"Luffy" let out a helpless sigh.
"You're far too impulsive... but I understand. Right now, it makes sense that you don't trust me."
His expression became serious.
"But you need to understand one thing. In your current state, without me, every single one of you will eventually die at the hands of that Celestial Dragon, and your deaths will be miserable."
The moment those words were spoken, Nami and the others trembled.
Their faces turned pale as memories from Sabaody Archipelago resurfaced in their minds.
Zoro.
Sanji.
The others.
Even now, the scenes of their deaths still haunted them like an endless nightmare. Among them all, Usopp's death had been the cruelest to witness.
That day had become a wound carved deep into their hearts.
Every time they remembered it, they felt grief, hatred, and an overwhelming fear.
And the source of that fear was the same man who seemed more like a demon than a human.
Fleet Admiral Black Dragon.
"Luffy" seemed to notice the fear in their eyes and spoke in a low voice.
"Tenryu is indeed a dangerous variable, but you don't need to panic yet. He still hasn't reached the level Cassilias once did. We still have time."
To everyone present, the name Cassilias sounded even stranger than Joy Boy itself.
This time, however, "Luffy" offered no explanation.
He slowly closed his eyes and quietly said,
"My time is running out. I look forward to meeting all of you again."
By now, Chopper had already returned to his normal form. He clenched his tiny hooves tightly and shouted,
"We don't want you! We only want Luffy!"
A faint smile appeared on "Luffy's" face.
The white flame-cloud ribbons behind him gradually faded away, becoming transparent until they disappeared entirely. His floating white hair slowly returned to black before falling naturally around his face again.
Then his body swayed weakly.
Nami quickly rushed forward and caught him before he collapsed.
A few moments later, Luffy slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was Nami.
"Nami..."
His voice sounded weak, but the moment she heard it, Nami instantly realized that this was the real Luffy.
Tears immediately welled up in her eyes.
"Luffy! You scared me to death!"
Luffy's consciousness gradually cleared. He slowly sat up from Nami's arms, blinking a few times before suddenly jumping to his feet.
"Uncle Lindbergh! Where's the guy who bullied you?! I'll send him flying!"
Lindbergh hurriedly waved his hands.
"You already sent him flying earlier. Right now, you need rest more than anything else!"
"Huh?"
Luffy froze.
Fragments of memory suddenly surfaced in his mind. After remaining dazed for a few seconds, he scratched his head and frowned.
"I think... that's true."
Then his expression became confused.
"But something feels weird. It didn't feel like I was the one controlling my body after I ate those blue balls Chopper gave me."
Chopper instantly became nervous.
"Luffy... exactly how many Rumble Balls did you eat?!"
Luffy tilted his head while thinking carefully.
"I don't know. I just grabbed a handful and swallowed them."
"What?! A handful?!"
Chopper's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
He looked so horrified that it was as if he had just seen a ghost.
After hearing how dangerous the Rumble Balls were from Chopper earlier, Nami became furious. She stepped forward and smashed a punch directly onto Luffy's head.
"You idiot! Why would you eat that many?! Didn't Chopper explain the side effects to you?!"
A massive bump instantly rose from Luffy's head at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Nobody understood how Nami could still hurt a Mythical Zoan user like Luffy.
Yet, unlike usual, Luffy didn't complain or scream in pain.
Instead, his expression became unusually heavy.
He lowered his head and spoke quietly.
"Nami... I know. But I was scared that I still wasn't strong enough."
His fists tightened.
"If I'm too weak, then I won't be able to protect the people precious to me... just like back at Sabaody."
The atmosphere instantly turned silent.
Nami froze.
Franky and the others lowered their heads.
Even Lindbergh and the Revolutionary Army members fell silent.
They all knew about the tragedy at Sabaody Archipelago. After all, the newspapers had openly reported the deaths of Zoro, Sanji, and the others.
And Ace...
Even now, the image of Ace's severed head displayed above Marine Headquarters still left a painful weight in their hearts whenever they remembered it.
No one knew how to comfort the Straw Hats.
They could only remain silent.
After a long time, Nami slowly stepped forward and gently hugged Luffy.
"I'm sorry, Luffy..."
Luffy lowered his head against her shoulder and replied in a muffled voice,
"No... I'm the one who should apologize to everyone."
A bitter look appeared on his face.
"I used to think becoming a pirate was simple. But he was right... being a pirate was never some kind of game."
Nami blinked softly.
"He? Who are you talking about?"
"The person inside my body."
Luffy looked toward the distance.
"You already met him. His name is Joy Boy."
Nami frowned slightly.
"Who exactly is Joy Boy?"
Luffy looked confused himself.
"I don't know... he's gone quiet now."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"The last thing he told me was to find a robot named Emmett."
The moment robots were mentioned, Franky's interest was instantly piqued.
"He did mention that name earlier. So Emmett is a robot? Where is it?"
Luffy frowned deeply and closed his eyes for a moment.
Then he slowly raised his arm and pointed toward the distance.
"...Something over there is calling me."