"I just hope nothing goes wrong if they come here at a time like this…" Duval muttered, a headache forming.
If they got intercepted by the Marines halfway there, they might run into an Admiral.
Just thinking about that made his scalp tingle.
Still, he had to admit it—he respected the Straw Hat crew for being willing to risk themselves just to avenge their companions.
After all… only those who care about their comrades will be cared about in return.
"Hahaha, Boss, if Ninja Bro says it'll be fine, then it should be fine," Loyle said with a grin.
Duval sighed. At this point, that was the only way he could look at it.
Hopefully… the Straw Hats wouldn't run into that Marine who had questioned him earlier.
That guy did not look easy to deal with. His strength was probably no joke.
Just then, a voice came from behind them.
"Hey~"
"We're here!"
"Hm?"
The entire Flying Fish Riders turned around at the sound—
and their eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
"A water dragon… carrying a chunk of land?!"
"What the hell is that?!"
From their perspective, a massive water dragon was racing across the sea, while atop its head rested a huge slab of earth—
and on top of that earth stood the full Straw Hat crew.
The one who had just shouted at them was none other than Straw Hat Luffy, captain of the Straw Hat Pirates.
"Water… dragon…" Duval snapped out of it and muttered, "So that's what that Marine was talking about…"
Using a water dragon to travel… that Blood-Eyed Ninja's method of transportation was way too extravagant.
That was a legendary Water Style ninjutsu!
To use Water Style just to travel…
For a moment, Duval did not even know what to say.
Very quickly, Jin guided the water dragon over to Duval's side, transferred his companions onto the Flying Fish Riders' vehicles, then dismissed the dragon.
"Water Style is way too incredible…" Loyle swallowed hard.
"If it wasn't that powerful, why would the Marines think Jin is such a pain?" Nami said with a smile.
"That's true."
"Hahahaha."
"Come on, take us to that guy," Luffy said.
Anyone who dared mess with their friends deserved a proper beating!
"Got it, I'll take you there," Duval said with a nod.
As he spoke, he twisted the throttle and slowly started forward.
Luffy: …
Looking at the Flying Fish bikes pulling ahead while Duval's was lagging behind, Luffy stared blankly.
"Hey! Drive faster!"
The others were already rushing ahead. What was this guy doing creeping along like that?
Could this fun-looking thing really be that slow?
"Sorry, this is already Motobaro's top speed," Duval said helplessly.
"Huh?"
"That really is its max speed," Sanji said, sounding annoyed. "I rode with him on the way here."
He genuinely couldn't understand it.
The boss of the Flying Fish Riders, yet somehow the slowest of them all.
If this guy hadn't headed straight to Grove 1 before, he would never have made it to the battle in time.
"Then I shouldn't have ridden with you," Luffy said.
Duval just shrugged and said nothing.
"Leave it to me."
Franky grinned and pulled out a wrench.
"What are you trying to do?"
"Obviously, I'm upgrading this bike," Franky said. "I'm an amazing shipwright. Modifying this thing is no problem for me!"
As he spoke, he crouched down and got to work.
Very quickly, under Franky's hands, the bike's speed shot up dramatically.
"Huh?!"
Duval stared at Franky in shock.
How had he managed to upgrade Motobaro in such a short time?
No, forget the skill—where the hell had the materials even come from?!
"Phew~"
"Looks good."
Franky wiped the sweat from his forehead and smirked.
"My skills are still the best."
"Hahahaha, that's amazing, Franky!" Luffy laughed.
"As expected of our shipwright!"
Sanji also gave Franky a thumbs-up, openly acknowledging how absurdly capable he was.
"Hahahaha!"
"SUUUPER!"
Praised by his crewmates, Franky burst into laughter and struck his signature pose.
For a shipwright, there was nothing better than having his craftsmanship recognized.
"Alright!"
"Motobaro, catch up to those Flying Fish!!"
"It's Motobaro, not Motoguru."
Duval corrected him, then grinned.
"But… now that it's got this kind of power, I really should test it properly."
"Motobaro, let's go!"
"Moo!!"
With Duval wrenching the throttle hard, Motobaro sped up again, surging forward in pursuit of the Flying Fish bikes ahead.
"Hahahahaha!"
"They look like they're having fun…"
Merry looked back toward Luffy and the others.
"Why does that bike look different now?"
"No idea."
Chopper shook his head. How would he know why the bike had changed?
"Franky modified it," Jin said.
He had glanced back earlier and happened to catch Franky bent over, upgrading the bike.
That scene reminded him of the time Franky had built that bridge.
Franky's engineering style really was kind of similar to a certain wolf king's—
just not nearly as ridiculous.
Still, Jin could understand why.
After all… that wolf king came from a gag manga.
"Eh, Merry, you can move again?"
Chopper suddenly realized something was off.
He looked down at Merry sitting in front of him and saw that she had already regained mobility.
"Yeah, I can move now," Merry nodded.
According to Jin, the effect of the anesthetic had worn off.
That was good. If she could move on her own now, her friends wouldn't have to keep carrying her.
"That's great."
Chopper let out a breath of relief.
Being able to move again was the best outcome.
Especially since… they were still in a very dangerous situation.
"All of you, Grove 8 is just ahead," Loyle said. "Peterman's base is near the shore."
As he spoke, he pointed in a direction, clearly indicating the exact location.
"Good. Take us there," Jin said.
Soon enough, the entire Flying Fish Rider squad arrived and landed by the shore.
"I'll guide you," Duval said.
"Then we're counting on you."
"No problem at all~"
Hearing Luffy's words, Duval laughed.
"You're Black Leg's comrades. No need to be polite."
As he spoke, he even pulled out a rose and threw Sanji a wink.
Straw Hat crew: …
"Can you stop winking already?!"
Duval did not get angry at being rejected. Instead, he just laughed.
"Come on. It's right ahead."
When he reached the higher ground, Duval pointed toward a strange building in the distance.
"That's it."
"They really know how to pick a location."
Robin stared at the building and said, "From there, they can observe the surroundings really well… Is that so they can spot passersby in time?"
"Exactly," Duval said. "After all… they're human traffickers."
The moment those words fell, everyone's expressions turned cold.
Human traffickers…
They deserved to die.
"Shing~"
Drawing Wado Ichimonji, Zoro said icily, "Let's kill them all. That way they won't be able to kidnap anyone else."
His words were met with unanimous agreement.
These bastards had dared lay hands on their little girl. There was no chance of mercy.
"Even if it won't erase slavery completely, at least… it'll solve part of the problem," Robin said.
"Why?" Chopper asked in confusion. "Wouldn't beating traffickers solve it?"
"It's not that simple, Chopper," Jin said. "Because… the World Nobles are the real source."
As he spoke, Jin turned and looked toward Grove 1, his gaze growing colder.
As long as those damned Celestial Dragons remained alive, human trafficking would never truly disappear.
After all… they were the World Nobles.
When the World Nobles themselves permitted something, who would dare stop it?
That was probably why the Marines turned a blind eye to Auction House No. 1.
Heh. The Marines, who were supposed to exist to protect the people, had now become nothing more than claws and fangs for the Celestial Dragons…
The Navy had truly rotted to the bone.
Thinking that, Jin let out a mocking snort.
"The source…"
Those who understood followed his gaze toward Grove 1, a shadow passing through their eyes.
It was exactly as he said.
If the root of the problem remained, killing a handful of traffickers would change nothing.
"That's not something we should be worrying about right now," Nami said softly.
Killing three Celestial Dragons had already been enough to blow the sky apart.
As for wiping out the Celestial Dragons completely… that kind of problem could be left to Luffy's father.
At the end of the day, they were just pirates.
The others nodded and said no more.
Then, without another word, they headed toward the distant building—
killing intent surging from every one of them.
…
Inside that strange building in the distance, Peterman's subordinates were lounging casually by the front entrance, occasionally raising their drinks and taking a swig, all wearing thoroughly relaxed expressions.
Peterman himself was reclining in a chair inside, glancing at the clock from time to time, his eyes full of anticipation.
"Ahh~"
"That mermaid should fetch a damn good price this time."
A mermaid's starting bid was already close to a hundred million.
And that wasn't just any mermaid—it was a young, beautiful female mermaid!
Most importantly…
he had heard that Celestial Dragons were present at Auction House No. 1.
If even the descendants of gods were attending, then his mermaid was bound to sell for an absurd price.
Peterman was practically convinced it would go for several hundred million berries.
Several hundred million!
Even after giving Auction House No. 1 and the people who fed him the intel their cut, he would still walk away with a fortune.
"Hahaha, Boss, a product like a mermaid only appears once every few years. It'll definitely go for a sky-high price!"
"That's right!"
"This time, we might really make a few hundred million berries~"
"Ahahahahaha!"
Hearing his men talk like that, Peterman grinned too.
"Once the money's in hand, I'll take all of you out to enjoy yourselves!" Peterman declared grandly.
As a trafficker, he knew he could die any day.
So once he got paid, he always took his men out to indulge themselves.
That not only made them more loyal—
it also let him enjoy life while it lasted.
"Yeah!!"
"Long live the boss!"
The group erupted into cheers.
This was the moment they all looked forward to most.
After all, what they did was extremely dangerous too. They might get themselves killed any day.
That was precisely why they didn't like saving money.
At that moment, Peterman suddenly heard a strange sound—
almost like someone being strangled.
"Urgh…"
"Hm?"
Naturally cautious, Peterman sat up and frowned.
"What was that?"
"What's wrong, Boss?"
"I heard something strange."
"Boss, that was probably your imagination. Hahahaha."
His men had noticed nothing, and instead thought he was just being overly jumpy.
After all, they were one of the most notorious trafficking groups in Sabaody.
Who would dare come looking for trouble with them?
They ranked near the top among all kidnapping groups on the island!
"No. I trust my instincts."
Peterman shook his head, then pointed toward the door.
"You—go check outside and see what the he—"
He did not get to finish.
The wall was suddenly blasted apart, and a body came flying through the opening.
BOOM!!
Whoosh~
Bam!!
The flying subordinate crashed through the floorboards and smashed a hole in the ground.
The expressions on everyone's faces changed instantly.
So someone really did dare come after them?!
"Who is it?!" Peterman barked. "Who dares cause trouble for me?!"
"You don't know who I am?!"
As he shouted, Peterman drew his weapon, fury blazing in his eyes.
How long had it been?
How long since anyone had dared storm his place?
Thinking back, the last time must have been two years ago.
Then Luffy stepped through the opening and glanced around the room coldly.
"Which one of you… is Peterman?"
"You're… Straw Hat?!" Peterman's face changed instantly.
Why would the Straw Hat Pirates come to his place?
How had they found him?
As the dust cleared, Peterman finally got a proper look outside the collapsed wall.
"Duval?!"
"So it was you!!"
Peterman's eyes nearly burst with rage.
Why had this bastard brought the Straw Hats here?!
"Yeah, it's me."
Duval grinned.
"You offended Black Leg's big brother. Naturally, you had to be punished."
Then he pointed and added, "Straw Hat, that's Peterman."
"Bastard, you're ignoring the underwor—"
BAM!!
Before Peterman could finish, Luffy's fist had already slammed into his face, the sheer force distorting his features.
Whoosh~
BOOM!!
Peterman went flying into the junk piled in the back, rolled over once, and blacked out on the spot.
That blow was the signal.
The instant Luffy moved, Jin and the others charged into the room as well.
"You bastards!"
"Wind Slash!"
Slash!
"Yohohohoho!"
"Get them! Kill them!"
Slash!
The group attacked the traffickers without a shred of mercy.
Every strike aimed to kill.
These bastards had dared hurt their little girl—
there was no room left for pity.
Slash!
"AAAH!!"
"Damn it, let's fight them!"
"KILL!"
Peterman's gang's eyes turned red too.
They knew there was no way this could end peacefully, so all they could do was fight.
If they managed to kill the Straw Hats, not only would they survive this crisis—
they would gain over a billion berries in bounty rewards.
The thought made their eyes burn with greed.
But unfortunately for them, against a crew like the Straw Hats, their resistance was utterly meaningless.
In less than a minute, every last one of them had been cut down.
Looking at the traffickers collapsed unconscious all over the floor, Luffy adjusted his hat and turned away.
Thus, Peterman's entire gang was wiped out.
"I hope their deaths serve as some kind of warning," Franky said.
"Unlikely."
Jin shook his head.
"After all… money makes the world turn."
Hearing that, Franky sighed.
"That's true."
Catching even a single fish-man could sell for an outrageous amount.
Getting people like that to give up really was unrealistic.
Once they stepped back outside, Jin turned around and slapped both palms onto the ground.
"Earth Style: Fissure Split!"
BOOM!!
As his words fell, the earth suddenly trembled, and the ground beneath the building split open like a giant mouth—
swallowing the entire structure whole.
Then the earth sealed shut again, returning to silence.
The others in the Straw Hat crew said nothing.
At the end of the day, they were just dead traffickers. Buried underground was fine.
As for Duval, after witnessing the scene, his jaw nearly hit the ground.
"E-Earth… Earth Style?!"
This man not only commanded Water Style—
he could manipulate the earth too?!
How many kinds of ninjutsu did he actually know?
"Interesting, right?"
Jin walked over and looked at Duval.
"Want to try it?"
"Ahem… I'll pass…"
Duval coughed lightly.
He had no interest in being buried alive by Earth Style. That had to be a horrible way to die.
Thank god I only ever targeted pirates…
Otherwise, I might've ended up getting buried too…
That thought flashed through his mind, and he felt incredibly grateful for his past choices.
"Duval, thanks," Sanji said, looking at him.
"Ahahaha, Black Leg-sama, don't mention it~"
Duval scratched the back of his head with a grin.
"You're the one who practically gave me a new life."
If anyone ought to be grateful, it should have been him.
After all, Sanji had changed his face, made him handsome!
That let him shake off the Marines and bounty hunters, and made him way more popular with the ladies too.
So… he truly was grateful to Black Leg Sanji.
"At the end of the day… I was the one who was being unreasonable…"
"I won't waste words," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette. "Just get your people and leave Sabaody already."
"Otherwise the World Government might grab you and vent their anger on you."
"Understood. I'll take them and go right away," Duval nodded.
Still…
now that the moment of parting had actually come, he found himself strangely reluctant to separate from them.
For some reason, he really had come to like this crew.
Seeing the look in Duval's eyes, Sanji laughed and cursed,
"That's enough, idiot. If you cry, I'm kicking you."
"Ahahaha, no way I'd cry."
Duval tilted his head back.
"I'm the proud leader of the Rosy Life Riders. There's no way I'd cry."
"Ahahahahaha!"
"Big guy, make sure you stay strong from now on~" Merry said.
Hearing that, Duval suddenly felt his nose sting.
Then he nodded firmly.
"Don't worry. I'm the mighty Duval. I'll stay strong."
"Anyway… everyone!"
"May the wind stay at your backs!"
"Yeah!!"
Watching Duval flee without looking back, the Straw Hats all smiled.
No matter what…
they truly were grateful to that group.
Without them, they would never have made it to Auction House No. 1 so quickly.
As Duval returned, Loyle looked at him strangely.
"Boss, your eyes…"
"Shut it," Duval snapped. "We're leaving."
If he had noticed, then he had noticed. Why did he have to say it out loud? Didn't Duval have any dignity left?!
"Oh…"
"Men!"
Once seated again atop Motobaro, Duval swept out an arm grandly.
"We've repaid our debt. It's time to head back to the countryside."
"And now…"
"Rosy Life Riders—move out!"
"Yes, handsome!!"
"Hahahahaha!"
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