Chapter 126: Lufia: Ralph… Rejected My Request?
Borodo listened to Akisu's words, understood his resolve, and nodded firmly.
"You've really grown up, kid! Alright, let's set sail again! There are countless treasures waiting for us! We're the greatest thief brothers in the world!"
On the Going Merry, everyone watching this scene smiled from the heart.
Lufia stretched out her rubber arm and patted Borodo's shoulder:
"Do your best!"
"Absolutely!"
Borodo wiped away his tears and put his goggles back on.
"Then we'll part ways here! Next time we meet, maybe we'll have stolen something even more amazing than the Diamond Clock!"
"Just you wait!"
Akisu waved his little fist.
The two ships gradually separated in the morning light, sailing toward different directions.
Lufia stood at the bow, holding onto her straw hat as the sea breeze tousled her short hair.
She took a deep breath of the salty air, then shouted with all her might toward the vast sea:
"And my dream is to become the Pirate King! Full speed ahead—destination, the Grand Line!"
Her voice carried far, far across the sea.
The sadness of parting was soon washed away by the routine of sailing.
Usopp mixed paints on the deck, preparing special ammunition pellets.
These would be the punishment Ralph arranged for those who performed poorly in battle!
Nami was drawing nautical charts, occasionally looking up to confirm their position.
Sanji was preparing lunch in the kitchen, the aroma wafting all over the ship.
Zoro slept on the deck, enjoying the sea breeze.
Lufia sat cross-legged on her special seat, complaining about why her new bounty hadn't arrived yet and why they hadn't reached the Grand Line.
"That Akisu kid is really something, having such strong determination at such a young age."
Usopp said while mixing paints, "If he stayed on Clockwork Island, with his parents' status, he'd definitely have a great life!"
"He's actually the lucky one."
Nami said without looking up, "He started as an orphan but found his birth parents. If he fails to pursue his dream and can't become the world's greatest thief, he can still go home and inherit the family business, becoming a respected mechanical engineer."
She paused and smiled self-deprecatingly, "If I fail, I either die with all of you on the Grand Line, or I go home and inherit an orange grove."
Usopp laughed, "Then I can only go back to being 'Usopp the Liar.' Telling the village kids stories every day about 'how I almost became a crew member of the Pirate King.'"
He tossed the question toward the kitchen, "Sanji, what about you?"
Sanji walked out of the kitchen with a cigarette in his mouth, leaning against the doorframe:
"I originally planned to spend the rest of my life repaying the old man's kindness, being a cook at the Baratie forever. But..."
He blew a smoke ring, his gaze drifting into the distance:
"I wouldn't be satisfied with that, and the old man wouldn't be either. After all, All Blue is our shared dream."
"What about Zoro?"
Usopp shouted toward the sleeping green-haired swordsman.
Zoro's eyes snapped open, instantly recalling his master Shimotsuki Koushirou, Kuina, and the dojo of his childhood.
And then the promise he made with Kuina!
"There's no such thing as failure. Either I become the world's greatest swordsman, or I die."
Lufia clapped her hands:
"That's it! There are no other possibilities! I will definitely become the Pirate King!"
Nami and Usopp looked slightly embarrassed—it seemed their commitment to their dreams wasn't nearly as strong!
It's really great to have Lufia here!
Zoro raised his thumb high, "Well said! Without such determination, how could one be our captain!"
Sanji also looked at her with admiration, "As expected of Miss Lufia! Your persistence in pursuing your dreams makes you radiate a unique and captivating charm, like the dazzling sun in the sky, bringing warmth and filling people with hope..."
A vein bulged on Zoro's forehead, "You lovesick cook, I'm already nauseous from your nonsense before even eating!"
"You moss-haired swordsman, do you even deserve to eat? Believe it or not, I'll turn you into a dish and feed you to the fish!"
"You couldn't even protect your comrades and were easily defeated by the enemy! Just wait, I'll take good care of you during punishment time!"
"You only defeated a former loser! You're nowhere near as good as Miss Lufia! You think you're fit to punish me? How about we don't wait for punishment time! Let's just fight right now!"
As they spoke, the two of them, swords drawn and bows bent, entered a "friendly exchange."
Their crewmates on the ship were already used to it!
...
Meanwhile, Ralph was in the cabin.
He was fiddling with a pile of mechanical parts he had brought back from Clockwork Island.
Hearing the topic of discussion outside, Ralph's hands paused.
This question reminded him of a saying:
If you can't become the Pirate King, you can only go home and inherit the family business.
Either join the Navy under her grandfather, a Navy Vice Admiral, and become a Navy soldier.
Or meet her father, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, and join the Revolutionary Army.
Although Ralph knew that Lufia's dream of becoming the Pirate King left no room for retreat.
But her background was just that formidable, and reality was just that absurd—thinking about it made him want to laugh.
As for himself...
Ralph didn't immediately come up with an answer but continued with his work.
Gears, springs, lock cores, encrypted dials... these parts seemed to come alive in his hands, fitting together precisely.
Soon, a plain-looking but structurally complex mechanical treasure chest appeared before him.
Then, holding the chest, he walked out of the cabin.
"Everyone, I..."
Ralph finally spoke, "...also have a problem."
Everyone looked over.
"My belief in pursuing my dreams," Ralph looked at the chest in his hands, then at Lufia, "doesn't seem as firm as I thought."
He placed the chest on the deck and, under the astonished gazes of everyone, retrieved a cloth bundle he had previously hidden under a loose plank.
By its shape, it seemed to contain two round objects.
The cloth bundle was carefully placed inside the mechanical chest.
"If I fail in pursuing Lufia," Ralph closed the lid and turned the encryption lock, continuing:
"It seems... I really have thought of other fallback plans."
"Click."
The chest was completely locked.
Now, no one but Ralph himself could open it.
Everyone on the deck fell into a brief silence.
It seemed there was a bit of a problem between the captain and the vice-captain's feelings.
No, it was the vice-captain's unrequited love that had taken an unusual turn!
As crewmates, what should they do now?
Waiting online, quite urgent.
Meanwhile, Lufia didn't seem to immediately notice Ralph's unusual behavior.
She blinked her innocent big eyes, stretched her rubber neck a little, and leaned closer to the chest:
"Ralph, what did you put inside?"
"Food."
Ralph said.
"Can I have some, then?"
Lufia's eyes sparkled.
Ralph looked at her and remained silent for two seconds.
Then he gently shook his head.
"No, you can't."
Lufia froze.
The expression on her pretty face shifted from anticipation to confusion, then from confusion to disbelief.
She stared at Ralph as if seeing him for the first time.
She had noticed Ralph's unusual behavior!
Ralph… had refused her request?
But so what?
"Ralph, how could you do this!"
Casually complaining, Lufia rushed over, hugged Ralph's box, and tried to open it. Failing that, she started gnawing on it with her teeth!
Ralph: -_-||
I really do have too much knowledge clogging up my brain!
Pretending to grow distant from Lufia to seek her comfort?
I must have some serious illness to play hard-to-get in front of a simple-minded creature like Lufia!