Chapter 30: Performance
Grand Line, Twin Cape.
Beside the lighthouse at the exit of Reverse Mountain, a rather interesting performance was underway.
Three silhouettes stood on the red platform beside the lighthouse.
The first was a blue-haired girl in a green coat with a white fur collar, a blue-gray striped inner shirt, gray shorts, white boots, and an iconic high ponytail in the style of Ariana Grande.
Miss Wednesday wore a fierce expression as she glared at the old man in a red shirt, a half-crocus flower sprouting from his bald head.
The old man was tied tightly with ropes, yet he didn't seem afraid or bothered. Instead, he looked at the two in front of him with curiosity.
More precisely, his interest was focused on the girl, who seemed vaguely familiar, rather than the orange-haired clown in a crown with the number 9 tattooed on both cheeks.
The old man struggled a little, then sighed in defeat.
"You little evil girl, why ambush an old man like me? Are you pirates? If so, you're out of luck. I'm just a penniless old tramp—nothing worth stealing…"
The blue-haired girl sneered.
"Old fool, drop the act. You know exactly why we're here!"
The clown in the crown jumped in, dancing on the spot.
"Yes, yes! Don't pretend—we're here for the whale!!"
The old man seemed to recall something and let out a long sigh.
"Are you here for that big whale? Heh… there must be some misunderstanding. I'm just a helpless lighthouse keeper. The whale comes here now and then to bump its head on the mountain. You may not know, but I've been here for fifty-two years—"
Before he could launch into his sob story, the clown smacked him on the head.
"Old man, stop, stop! Who cares about your rambling? You think we just came here by coincidence?"
Miss Wednesday added in a mocking tone:
"We've been watching you for the past few days. We saw you getting all chummy with that whale—and even going inside its body. We also found out you're quite the skilled doctor. Rather than letting that poor whale suffer, why not slaughter it? That way, you'll put it out of its misery. You're not healing it—you're torturing it. We're short on supplies, and whale meat is nutritious. Isn't that a win-win?"
The old man stared at her in silence for a long moment.
The air grew tense as he finally muttered:
"If you keep doing this… an unfortunate accident might happen next."
Both captors tensed at his words, gripping their weapons tighter.
The girl's voice wavered.
"What kind of accident?"
She had the strange feeling things were about to spiral out of her control. She threw a quick glance at her partner, who swallowed nervously and nodded.
The old man looked at them oddly.
"Of course… I'll die. At my age, such intense activities… my poor body just can't handle it. So, would you mind untying me? My heart feels like it's racing, and my breathing's getting tight…"
Miss Wednesday grit her teeth, both furious and relieved. For a moment, she'd thought the intel was wrong and this old man might be some hidden powerhouse—but no, just a lousy, irritating old man.
The clown sighed in relief too—then flared up again, smacking the old man's head in resentment.
"Of course you feel this way! That's just the side effect of the drug we used to knock you out!"
The girl shot her partner a sharp glare before grabbing the old man by the collar.
"Listen, old man. Either you follow our orders—lead us into the whale's body and help us kill it—or we'll slaughter you and toss your corpse to the sea monsters. You may be old, but your flesh might still be a delicacy for them…"
The old man looked unfazed—if anything, mildly intrigued.
"You're one cruel little girl… You'd actually kill me."
For a brief second, she looked ashamed—but her face hardened again. She tossed him onto the ground.
The old man writhed pathetically, squirming like a worm, which was honestly disturbing to watch.
Miss Wednesday ground her teeth and shot her partner another glare.
"Loosen his old bones. Make him volunteer to help us."
The clown cackled strangely and hopped comically, dragging his two metal bats along the ground with a jarring screech.
An old man wriggling in mock despair, a clown with twin bats looming behind him, and a fierce girl trying not to look nervous—together, it almost looked like a bad comedy act.
And then—
SPLASH!!!
A massive burst of water echoed, followed by the imposing shadow of a black ship with golden lines, towering over them.
It cruised slowly toward the shore, a fearsome goat figurehead at its bow. Standing there, tall and imposing in black attire with a brown hat, was a man watching the scene unfold.
Miss Wednesday exhaled in relief. For a moment, she had thought the whale itself had come to punish them—but thankfully, it was just a pirate ship.
…Pirates?!
The clown froze mid-step. Even the old man paused to glance at the approaching menace.
His eyes caught the Jolly Roger fluttering above.
He muttered in surprise:
"Straw Hat…"
As the ship drew closer, its Jolly Roger now clearly visible, the two captors tensed.
The old man's muttering only added to their unease.
Straw Hat? The name rang a faint bell, but they couldn't recall any famous pirate crew with that title.
Miss Wednesday wanted to ask the old man what he meant, but her body wouldn't relax.
Too tense… Move… Damn it, move…
Normally, pirates fresh to the Grand Line weren't taken seriously—but this ship was too intimidating, and the man standing at its bow radiated waves of invisible pressure.
Even looking at him took courage.
The three of them found it difficult to breathe, let alone move.
Crocus's expression shifted to shock as he inspected the newcomer. His eyes widened, amazement flashing in their depths.
"What an intense presence… far greater than any veteran Conqueror's Haki user going all-out… What a fearsome spirit. As expected of the ultimate will of D's inheritor… Roger, it seems the future will be far more turbulent than you ever imagined…"
Miss Wednesday began trembling. She didn't fully understand the old man's words, but if this terrifyingly handsome teenager—whose very face made her heart race with both fear and girlish admiration—was some big shot…
Oh my god… I'm doomed, aren't I?!
The clown in the crown had already collapsed on the ground, trembling, foaming white bubbles from his mouth, his eyes rolling like he was having a seizure.
At that moment, a commotion broke out aboard the black ship.
Girls in hastily thrown-on clothes came rushing to the deck, clinging to the boy from all sides.
"Captain, tone it down! We're sorry!"
"Luffy, are you angry? Did someone do something to make you mad?"
"Oh my god, I thought I was going to die… Luffy's presence is scary…"
Only then did the suffocating pressure vanish.
Luffy looked at the frightened girls with mild surprise.
"Was I scary just now?"
The girls nodded frantically.
Zala, cold sweat on her forehead and bra straps hanging loose—her underwear barely covering anything—spoke first.
"It felt like my instincts were screaming at me to run… but I couldn't move. Only after some self-brainwashing could we snap out of it…"
Luffy chuckled.
"It's fine. I was just enjoying a rather interesting performance and forgot to hide my presence. It's okay now."
His habit of using the "freedom" concept meant he didn't think much about suppressing himself. He hadn't expected that even without Haki, just his sheer biological field could have such an effect.
If I had used Conqueror's Haki… maybe the entrance to Reverse Mountain would have gotten bigger.
Even the girls—each at top vice admiral level—could only approach him without fear because they were his.
At that moment, the old man spoke again, his tone carrying the weight of a riddle.
"Straw Hat boy… you are more terrifying than the legend…"
Luffy turned toward him, the girls following his gaze.
"Is that so? A legend is a legend… but the real thing can be far scarier, can't it?"
The old man was silent for a moment, then broke into a hearty laugh.
"The more terrifying, the better… Straw Hat boy, welcome to the Grand Line."
As he said this, the ropes binding him snapped apart with ease.
Miss Wednesday's eyes went wide and teary.
Oh my god… I'm already doomed?! This old man was playing tricks the whole time?!
Sob, sob… Mom, I want to go home…