Luffy looked up at the pirate flag fluttering on the mast and grinned broadly at Alex.
"Alright, let me show you my new hunting method."
Alex took two fishing rods and accessories from Usopp. He had previously handed these to Usopp for modifications, and now they were finished.
"What's that?"
Luffy's eyes sparkled as he saw the devices strapped to Alex's wrists.
"You'll find out soon," Alex chuckled. The watch-like gadgets on his wrists were attachments for the fishing rods.
"That big bird in the sky looks familiar—have we seen it before?"
Luffy, trying to touch Alex's wrist device, suddenly spotted two large birds flying nearby.
"Aren't these the same kind of birds that carried you two away last time?"
Zoro glanced at the sky and addressed Alex and Luffy.
"What's this about you two being carried off by birds?"
Usopp and Nami leaned in with gossipy curiosity.
Zoro then recounted in detail the previous incident where Alex and Luffy were abducted by giant birds.
"You two are such idiots—getting kidnapped by birds, that's hilarious!"
"Yeah! One's the captain, and the other claims to be the world's greatest hunter—yet even birds bully you! Hahaha!"
Nami and Usopp laughed so hard they could barely breathe, their words turning Alex's and Luffy's faces dark as coal.
"Why do I suddenly feel unhappy seeing them laugh?"
Luffy picked his nose, watching them bend over in laughter.
"Do you even need to ask? They're mocking us."
Alex muttered, wishing he could whack Zoro into the sea. The usually quiet swordsman had, with just a few words, exposed one of his most embarrassing moments.
"You watch carefully—I'm taking down those two stupid birds right now!"
Alex merged the two fishing rods and looked up at the birds nearly forty meters above. His voice was firm.
"They're flying high. Are you waiting for them to swoop lower so you can net them? But you don't even have a net now."
Luffy recalled regretting not eating such birds last time—this time, he wanted a taste.
"No need for that hassle. I'll just go up and grab them."
As he spoke, Alex extended the fishing rod and anchored it into the deck.
Under Nami and the others' stunned gazes, the rod rapidly lengthened until it reached about forty meters. Alex then gripped the rod's tip and swung himself into the air—now nearly eye-level with the incoming birds.
"Whoa, that looks fun! Go for it, Alex!"
Luffy was excited; even his own arms couldn't stretch that far.
"What if he falls?!"
Nami clutched her head in panic.
"Don't damage the ship, Alex! Or I'll pound you!"
Usopp shouted after noticing a small hole in the deck where the rod was anchored.
"Even if he's at their altitude, it's not easy to catch them…"
Zoro murmured as he watched.
Alex swore to himself that this time he'd erase the shame of losing to birds. The two bald birds noticed him and shrieked, rushing in from both sides with beaks wide.
"Come at me!"
Their wingspan was nearly fourteen meters. As they closed in, Alex braced his feet on the rod and launched himself toward them.
"What's he doing?! If he lets go, he'll fall!"
Nami's face turned pale as Alex leapt from the forty-meter-high rod.
"Awesome! Knock them out, Alex!"
Luffy cheered from below.
"This is reckless. I modified his gear, but it's his first time using it. If anything goes wrong…"
Usopp looked uneasy.
"What did you modify?"
Zoro asked while watching the aerial clash.
In midair, Alex aimed his right wrist device at one of the birds—shoo! A massive net shot out, trapping it instantly. Grabbing the net, he aimed his left wrist device at the fishing rod—zip!—a fine line shot out and stuck firmly to the rod.
Now dangling in the air, holding both the net and the line, Alex spun in circles using the rod's pivot. The crew below stared in disbelief.
"Why is he shooting strange nets and lines from his hands?!"
Nami was shocked.
"That's amazing! Can he shoot it from his butt too?!"
Luffy's eyes sparkled—though his comment earned him a punch from Nami.
"That's actually pretty handy," Zoro admitted.
"Of course! I made him a net launcher and a fishing-line shooter. With my expert guidance, he's already mastered them!"
Usopp began bragging.
The second bird came at Alex again. Unable to fight effectively while holding the first one, he reeled in the line, punched the netted bird unconscious, and dropped it onto the ship. Then, swinging up with the line, he kicked the second bird in the head, knocking it out too.
Before it could fall into the sea, he quickly switched hands—firing a line from his right hand to the rod, and a net from his left to catch it.
But suddenly, Alex felt himself plummeting—his line was still attached, but the fishing rod had tilted under repeated stress. If it fell further, he'd end up in the sea.
Quickly retracting the line, Alex gripped the rod as it shortened, hauling himself and the netted bird toward the ship.
Unfortunately, the rod retracted too fast. Alex didn't have time to react before he crashed into the deck—right into Luffy and the others, who had just dodged the first bird.
BOOM!
The Going Merry bounced on the sea from the impact. Alex, Luffy, and the rest lay sprawled out like starfish, eyes spinning, unable to get up…
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