Lindbergh and the other high ranking members of the Revolutionary Army quickly surrounded Luffy, calling out to him anxiously.
Luffy's eyes were half-open, deeply sunken, and devoid of focus. His body looked frail enough to collapse completely at any second, as though the slightest breeze could take his final breath away.
Suddenly, several frantic voices echoed across the battlefield.
"Luffy!!!"
Lindbergh and the others immediately turned toward the source of the shouting.
A group of unfamiliar people was rushing toward them at full speed. Leading them was a young woman with orange hair. Her breathing was uneven from exhaustion, and the intense movement caused her chest to rise and fall rapidly.
Kildeo only needed a brief glance to recognize them.
As the intelligence officer of the Revolutionary Army, gathering information was second nature to him.
"They're Luffy's companions," Kildeo said quickly. "The girl in front is Nami, navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates."
Lindbergh and the others nodded in understanding before waving toward them urgently.
"Hurry! Luffy's condition is terrible!"
Hearing that, Nami and the others sped up immediately.
The moment they arrived beside Luffy, Chopper dropped to his knees and pressed his ear against Luffy's chest. His expression instantly became serious.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Under everyone's anxious gaze, Chopper's brows slowly tightened.
Then, with a sudden transformation, his body expanded into his Human-Beast form.
The sudden change startled Lindbergh and the Revolutionary Army members nearby.
Nami hurriedly asked,
"Chopper, what's wrong with Luffy?"
Chopper placed both hands firmly against Luffy's chest while listening carefully to his heartbeat.
"He definitely ate one of my Rumble Balls again," Chopper said grimly. "And from the looks of it, he consumed more than three at once. That amount places an enormous burden on the body. Zoan Devil Fruit users normally lose consciousness after taking that much, then their abilities go berserk until they collapse and die from exhaustion!"
Kildeo frowned in confusion.
"But Luffy looked perfectly conscious during the fight just now. He didn't seem out of control at all."
Chopper froze.
"Huh?"
Lindbergh and the others quickly confirmed Kildeo's words.
This completely confused Chopper.
While continuing chest compressions on Luffy, he muttered to himself,
"How is that possible...? Could different Zoan Devil Fruits react differently to the Rumble Ball?"
Nami crossed her arms and spoke thoughtfully.
"That has to be it. Didn't Luffy say his fruit was the Nika Fruit? That was also Pirate King Roger's Devil Fruit in this world. A fruit like that definitely isn't ordinary."
Chopper, who possessed the Human-Human Fruit himself, slowly nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, Franky clapped his hands together loudly above his head.
"SUPER! Chopper, do you need my help?!"
Chopper shook his head quickly.
But before he could respond, a deep and powerful sound suddenly echoed across Baltigo.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Everyone froze.
The strange rhythm grew louder and louder until it reverberated throughout the entire island like the beating of a giant drum.
Chopper suddenly cried out in shock.
An overwhelming elasticity burst from Luffy's chest beneath his hands, sending Chopper flying backward instantly.
He crashed onto the ground with a painful thud.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
Luffy's chest began rising and falling violently.
A white cloud scarf slowly materialized behind his back once more, while his black hair transformed into flowing white flames.
Then Luffy suddenly sat upright.
A grin gradually spread across his face.
Seeing him wake up, Nami's face instantly filled with relief and joy.
"Luffy!"
She rushed forward and threw herself into his arms.
Chopper also ignored the pain in his backside and hurried over anxiously.
"Luffy! How are you feeling?!"
Luffy maintained that strange smile for several seconds before finally speaking.
"I'm fine."
The voice was deeper than usual.
Nami's expression froze instantly.
Her body stiffened slightly as uncertainty appeared in her eyes.
"You... you're the one from before...?"
Luffy did not answer her.
Instead, he looked down at Chopper and gave him a thumbs up.
"Little guy, the blue medicine you created is truly incredible. It's a masterpiece."
The direct praise immediately made Chopper lose control of himself.
"You idiot! Even if you compliment me like that, I won't be happy at all!"
Despite saying that, his dancing body completely betrayed his excitement.
Then his expression suddenly stiffened.
Realizing the situation, Chopper immediately became serious again.
"No... wait. You're not Luffy."
His eyes narrowed cautiously.
"Who exactly are you?!"
Nami and the others stared intensely at the figure occupying Luffy's body.
Their gazes were filled with suspicion and hostility.
To them, the idea that someone else had taken control of Luffy's body was terrifying.
The man inside Luffy merely smiled faintly.
"What reliable companions," he said softly. "I once had comrades like this too... but they're all gone now."
A trace of melancholy flashed through his eyes.
Then the smile disappeared.
"Don't look at me like I'm your enemy," he said calmly. "If it weren't for me back on Sabaody Archipelago, all of you would already be dead."
Brook frowned deeply.
"It was Lady Kozuki Toki who saved us."
The figure inside Luffy chuckled quietly.
"You mean the little girl from the Amatsuki Family?"
He leaned back slightly while crossing his legs casually.
"Her Devil Fruit ability certainly played an important role, but without my intervention, there's no way she could've activated her power in front of that Dark-Dark Fruit user."
His gaze swept over everyone calmly.
"If you don't believe me, ask her yourselves."
Nami clenched her fists tightly as tears gathered in her eyes.
"Sister Toki still hasn't woken up! How are we supposed to ask her?!"
Silence fell briefly.
Then the figure inside Luffy sighed quietly.
"That's because she forcefully activated her power beyond her limits. The Darkness energy severely eroded her soul."
His expression darkened slightly.
"I underestimated how deeply he had mastered the Dark-Dark Fruit. As expected of a descendant of that man..."
Nami stepped forward immediately.
"Then what about Sister Toki?! Will she recover?!"
"She'll wake up eventually," he replied. "But there's a price."
Everyone's expressions changed.
"What price?"
"She can no longer use her Devil Fruit ability."
The entire group froze.
Nami's eyes widened in disbelief.
"How could that happen?! If we run into the Celestial Dragons again, what are we supposed to do?!"
"The source of her power has already been corrupted by Darkness," he explained. "In my current state, I can't remove it. I need more time to recover... or I need to find Emeth. He still possesses..."
Before he could finish speaking, Franky suddenly exploded.
"Enough already!"
Franky grabbed Luffy by the collar and lifted him into the air.
"Body this, soul that, Darkness power, I don't understand any of your nonsense!" Franky roared angrily. "All I know is that you're occupying Luffy's body right now! Get out of him immediately!"
Nami also snapped out of her shock.
Her gaze sharpened.
"Who are you exactly?!"
The figure inside Luffy remained completely unbothered despite being held in the air.
His expression was composed as he answered calmly.
"My name is... Joy Boy."
===
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