Translator: PapaSmurf0700
"Chopper!" Bepo greeted the Straw Hat's doctor warmly. Though still shy, he had grown quite fond of the small reindeer.
Chopper happily patted Bepo's arm and proudly introduced his "little brother" to Merry. The rest of the Heart Pirates introduced themselves, and the two crews quickly fell into easy camaraderie.
Elsewhere on the deck, Law was looking at another crew member with unconcealed surprise. "You… you joined the Straw Hat Pirates?"
He was staring at Jinbe. Law knew he was a former Warlord of the Sea, a man who had fought at Marineford. But he never could have imagined that a pirate of Jinbe's stature would choose to join this particular crew. With Bai Ye as Vice-Captain, wouldn't that make Jinbe just an ordinary crewman?
As if sensing his thoughts, Jinbe smiled. "It is my honor to serve on this ship."
The simple, sincere answer left Law speechless. It seemed the Knight of the Sea had joined of his own volition.
"Hey, Traffy! What are you doing here?" Luffy bounded up to Law, a wide grin on his face.
"I contacted the Priest beforehand," Law answered, gesturing toward Bai Ye. "I knew you'd be showing up around this time, so I waited." He paused, adding, "There was some pirate scum lurking about, but I dealt with them."
"Is that so? Thanks a bunch, Truffle!" Luffy said, clapping him on the shoulder.
"Don't mention it," Law replied dryly, his gaze shifting to Bai Ye, who was suddenly very interested in the scenery. "After all, your strategist made us wait for three months."
Seriously, Law thought, what's so fascinating about a sea of fire? At least make your act believable.
"Ahem." Realizing he was being called out, Bai Ye dropped the pretense and offered an apologetic smile. "The three-month break was a last-minute decision. I forgot to inform you. That was my oversight." In truth, he really had forgotten. The original course of story had been so thoroughly derailed by his actions that keeping track of every detail had become a challenge.
Seeing the apology, Law let it drop. It wasn't in his nature to dwell on such things, and more importantly, he had a proposition for them.
"Straw Hat-ya. Everyone. If you have not yet decided on your next destination, perhaps you'd be willing to hear my proposal?" He looked directly at Luffy. "Since your goal is to become the Pirate King, your next stop should be Dressrosa."
Law then recounted the painful history between himself, Donquixote Doflamingo, and Corazon. The tragic story silenced the Straw Hats, and they were all deeply moved by Corazon's sacrifice. Zoro, in particular, looked at Law with newfound respect. By laying his hatred for Doflamingo bare, Law wasn't trying to use them as a weapon; he was being honest about his purpose.
Law continued, detailing everything he had learned in the past three months: strange occurrences on Dressrosa, Doflamingo's status as the underworld kingpin "Joker," and his business dealings with one of the Four Emperors, Kaido.
"To become the Pirate King," Law explained, "you must find the red Poneglyphs. Kaido, who rules over Wano Country in the New World, has one."
"Doflamingo is supplying Kaido with the means to increase his military strength. Therefore, taking down Doflamingo will weaken Kaido before you inevitably face him."
After hearing Law's plan, the Straw Hats exchanged uneasy glances.
"Another one of the Four Emperors?" Usopp moaned. "We just got to the New World, and we're already provoking an opponent on that level?"
"Look on the bright side," Nami said with a sigh of resignation. "At least this time we're only going after his business partner. It's a lot better than when Luffy directly declared war on Big Mom."
Law froze. What? They declared war on Big Mom? When did that happen?
Shaking off the confusion, he tried to continue. "Before we head to Dressrosa, there's an uninhabited island we should visit first. It's where—"
"Hey, everyone!"
Luffy, who had run to the bow of the ship at some point, suddenly spun around, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "There's a super weird island up ahead! Let's go have an adventure!"
Everyone turned to see that while they had been listening to Law, the Sunshine Merry had quietly approached an island shrouded in mist and flames.
"Wait a minute, Luffy!" Nami rushed to his side, checking the Log Pose on her wrist. "None of the needles are pointing to that island! It could be incredibly dangerous!"
"Doesn't that make it even more interesting?" Luffy's excitement only grew. "I wonder if we'll find a fire-breathing dragon!"
"Luffy, please, at least respect the navigator's opinion!" Usopp pleaded, grabbing onto his captain.
"What are you talking about? I'm the captain, and I've decided! Our next stop is that island!" Luffy declared, pointing dramatically.
"But-but there's a sea of fire in front of us! Are you sure the Merry can get through that?" Usopp made one last desperate attempt.
"AWOO!" Franky struck a pose. "You underestimate the Sunshine Merry! A mere sea of fire is nothing to our ship! SU~PER~!"
"Then allow me to take the helm," Jinbe said, standing up and making his way to the ship's wheel.
"Yohohoho! Before we begin our new adventure, allow me to play a song for you!" Brook announced, raising his violin.
"If we're going to the island, I'll go prepare some lunch boxes," Sanji said, heading for the galley.
"The first island in the New World… I wonder if I'll find an enemy worthy of three swords," Zoro mused, a hand resting on his katanas.
The chaotic scene unfolding before them left Law and his crew utterly stunned.
"Is this really a pirate crew with a collective bounty of over eight billion?" Shachi, a man with red hair and a green cap, asked in disbelief.
"How did a bunch of lunatics like this make it to the New World?!" Penguin, wearing a hat with his name on it, clutched his head and groaned.
Law simply stared at Bai Ye, the only person on the deck who wasn't moving. His mouth twitched, unable to form words.
Bai Ye just smiled. "Don't sweat the details. Go get your crew ready." He gestured toward the island. "It seems Luffy has accidentally found the place you were talking about anyway."