"Hey everyone, long time no see!"
Looking at these 'familiar' figures before him, Chopper said excitedly: "I've missed you all so much!"
During these two years, he had been missing his companions every single moment, and now... they were finally reunited!
Thinking of this, Chopper became even more excited.
"Everyone has changed so much over these two years!"
"Ah, and Sogeking, so cool!"
"Huh?"
The fake Luffy looked at the excited Chopper with confusion. What was this thing?
A talking doll?
"By the way, everyone..."
After the excitement passed, tears began to form in Chopper's eyes as he said: "Meiser... he's dead..."
"Ah, he's indeed dead." The fake Sanji nodded and said.
That Blood-Eyed Ninja guy had already died two years ago.
Hearing the fake Sanji's words, Chopper immediately broke down, tears streaming down his face.
'It seems this guy really is the Straw Hat Pirates' pet.' The fake Zoro thought to himself.
After exchanging a glance with the fake Sanji, both confirmed their thoughts.
Then, he turned his gaze to the fake Luffy and said: "Captain Luffy, I have important news to report."
"Ah?"
"What is it?"
"Cocoa... no, Nico Robin has been captured..."
"What did you say?!"
The fake Luffy immediately stood up, looking angrily at the fake Zoro as he said: "Nico Robin has been captured?"
"Yes..."
"Bastards, what have you been doing?!"
They had finally found a woman who looked similar to Nico Robin, and now she was captured shortly after arriving?
What kind of nonsense is this, damn it!
"I'm sorry..."
Looking at the sincerely apologizing fake Zoro, veins bulged on the fake Luffy's forehead, wishing he could beat this bastard to death right now.
Chopper also reacted at this moment, then said with an anxious expression: "Luffy, let's hurry and save Robin!"
"Otherwise she might end up like Camie, sold as a slave!"
As if remembering something, Chopper's expression turned very grim.
But unfortunately, the fake Luffy had no intention of paying attention to Chopper, instead continuing to look at the fake Zoro and saying: "Do you know who did it?"
"Not clear..."
"Captain." The fake Sanji leaned close to the fake Luffy's ear and whispered: "It might be Nico Robin's real enemies for all we know."
Hearing this, the fake Luffy's expression immediately changed.
"After finally finding a woman who looks extremely similar to Nico Robin, it ended up having the opposite effect..." The fake Luffy frowned.
"Captain, what should we do?"
The fake Luffy thought for a moment, then shook his head and said: "Forget it, don't bother with her."
"That's that woman's fate, she's just unlucky."
At this point, he couldn't be bothered to care about that guy anymore.
After all... he was about to do something big!
"Alright..."
The fake Zoro and fake Sanji exchanged glances, then nodded and said, "Yes, Captain."
Since the captain had spoken, they couldn't really say anything more.
Still... they couldn't help but feel a sense of shared sorrow.
If they were ever in such a situation, would they be abandoned too?
At this thought, a shadow of gloom appeared in their eyes.
"Alright, let's go," the fake Luffy said. "We should head to..."
"Hey, Luffy!" Chopper angrily interrupted the fake Luffy. "What the hell are you saying?!"
"Robin's been captured!"
Shouldn't they be gathering the crew to rescue her at a time like this?
Just like... just like two years ago!
"What the hell are you anyway?!" The fake Luffy frowned at Chopper. "A talking plush toy?"
Who let out this chattering stuffed animal?
"Plush toy?"
Chopper was stunned. Since when had he become a plush toy?
No, this wasn't the time to dwell on that.
"Luffy, stop joking around and come with me to save Robin!" Chopper pleaded anxiously as he stepped forward. "Otherwise, Robin might..."
"Shut up!"
The fake Luffy angrily cut him off. "What I do is none of your damn business!"
With that, the fake Luffy shoved Chopper aside and began issuing orders to his subordinates, planning to gather all the crew members he'd recruited under the Straw Hat Boy's name to pull off something big!
"Yes, Captain!"
"Luffy?"
Staring at this unfamiliar version of Luffy, Chopper was completely stunned.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he said, "Luffy, have these two years changed you so much?"
"Meiser is already dead... do you want to lose Robin too?!"
"Answer me, Luffy!!!"
Looking at the tearful Chopper, the fake Luffy said impatiently, "If they're dead, they're dead. What's it to me?"
Chopper: !!!
Hearing these words from the fake Luffy, Chopper stood frozen in place.
He never could have imagined Luffy saying something like that.
After a moment of silence, Chopper burst into tears and ran off into the distance, shouting, "You bastards, I misjudged you all!"
Even if these jerks had changed, he would rescue Robin himself!
With that thought, Chopper yelled, "Wait for me, Robin!"
Fake Luffy: ???
What's up with this crying plush toy?
Whatever, never mind. Time to head to Grove 46 and meet up with the crew.
Shaking his head, the fake Luffy left with his imposters.
A short while later, a Marine emerged from a nearby alley, holding a Den Den Mushi and reporting, "Target's identity confirmed. It's definitely the Straw Hat Pirates!"
Glancing at the Wanted Poster of Chopper in his other hand, the Marine nodded firmly.
"Received. We're mobilizing to surround them immediately."
"Roger that!"
The Marine nodded, then glanced at the retreating Chopper and said, "What should we do about that pet from the Straw Hat Pirates?"
"A pet with a 50 Berries bounty isn't worth worrying about. Leave it be."
"Yes, sir!"
After hanging up, the Marine muttered, "A pet, huh..."
To be honest, he wouldn't mind having a pet like that himself.
Shaking his head, the Marine left the area.
Meanwhile, the Chopper he'd been talking about dashed out from a side alley and emerged onto another street.
"Wahh... Robin... where are you?" Chopper cried, his heart filled with sorrow.
Just then, Chopper caught a vaguely familiar scent, making him stop in his tracks.
"This smell is..."
"Hey, Chopper, is that you?!" Usopp shouted excitedly from his Bubble Car.
"Huh?!"
"Whaaat?!"
Seeing the man speeding toward him, Chopper's face lit up with excitement. "Usopp!!"
"Hahaha, it really is you, Chopper!"
Usopp jumped off the vehicle, laughing heartily. "You've gotten a lot buffer than before!"
"Hahaha."
"Yeah!" Chopper nodded vigorously. "You've gotten stronger too!"
"Of course! I've been through hellish training these past two years!" Usopp said, giving a thumbs-up.
Recalling the memories of those two years, a touch of emotion flickered in Usopp's eyes. He was a man who had returned from hell, after all.
Then Usopp asked, "You look panicked. What's going on?"
"Oh, right! Now's not the time for catching up!"
Usopp's reminder snapped Chopper back to reality.
He explained, "Usopp, Robin's been captured! And... and Luffy and the others didn't even care..."
At this, Chopper shrank into his tiny form, clinging to Usopp's leg and bursting into tears.
Hearing this, Usopp's expression turned serious. He looked down at Chopper and said, "Tell me exactly what happened."
"Okay!"
Chopper nodded and recounted the events to Usopp.
Usopp: ...
As he listened, Usopp's expression grew increasingly strange.
Could this little guy have run into those imposters?
Remembering what he'd seen earlier, Usopp's mouth twitched.
"Hey, Usopp, let's go save Robin!" Chopper urged anxiously. "Otherwise, she'll be sold as a slave!"
Usopp fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Chopper, why do you think they were really Luffy?"
"Huh?"
Chopper was taken aback. "Do you think I mistook them for someone else? But that's impossible! They looked almost exactly like Luffy and the others!"
Sure, there were some slight differences, but after two years, wasn't it normal for people to change a bit?
"Almost exactly..."
Usopp made a complicated expression.
"So... how exactly does Chopper recognize people anyway?"
With a helpless sigh, Usopp said, "Chopper, they're not the real Luffy. They're impostors."
"The real Luffy hasn't actually returned yet."
"Wha...?!"
Hearing Usopp's words, Chopper froze completely.
Then, somewhat incredulously, he said, "So... I recognized the wrong person?"
"Obviously?" Usopp retorted. "Do you think Luffy would say things like that to you?"
"Don't forget what we did two years ago!"
They had fought desperately to get Robin back—how could they possibly abandon her?
Seeing Chopper fall into thought, Usopp continued, "And... did you smell any familiar scents on them?"
"This..."
Chopper was stunned by Usopp's question.
Then he murmured, "Seems... seems like there weren't any familiar scents..."
Thinking back carefully, he really hadn't detected any familiar smells on those people earlier.
"You were so happy to see your comrades that you overlooked that detail," Usopp said, shaking his head helplessly.
At these words, Chopper's expression turned slightly embarrassed—he really had forgotten about that detail.
But soon Chopper brushed off that feeling because... his comrades hadn't changed!
Thinking this, a smile reappeared on Chopper's face.
Then he asked, "So the one who got captured is a fake Robin too?"
"Robin survived alone in the underworld for twenty years. There's no way she'd get captured in a sack," Usopp said resignedly.
Such crude methods might work on naive people like Camie, but they'd never work on Robin.
"That's good... that's good," Chopper nodded.
He was relieved it wasn't the real Robin.
Then Chopper asked, "But why are they impersonating us?"
"Because of the reputation of our Straw Hat Pirates, of course!" Usopp declared.
Never mind the others—just the things Meiser and Luffy had done were enough to make these guys take the risk.
"Because of our reputation?"
Chopper froze for a moment, then a faint blush appeared on his cheeks as he said, "Then... then we're like celebrities?"
"Damn it, you bastards, I'm not happy about it at all!"
Watching Chopper wriggle with excitement, Usopp also broke into a smile. "We really are celebrities now."
"Ehehe, then I need to think about how to sign autographs!"
"Hmph, I've already figured it out!"
"Wow, as expected of Usopp!"
"Hahahaha."
Hearing Chopper's words, Usopp proudly lifted his head, immensely pleased.
In that moment, he rediscovered that familiar feeling from two years ago, and it made him very happy.
But before he could say anything more, he noticed Chopper's mood suddenly drop.
"What's wrong, Chopper?"
"If only Meiser were still alive..." Chopper said with teary eyes. "Then he could have been a celebrity too."
The thought that his companion had died two years ago made Chopper burst into uncontrollable sobs.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't cry."
"Meiser is dead, why can't I cry?"
Watching Chopper weep bitterly, Usopp fell into complete silence.
Without saying another word, Usopp placed Chopper onto the Bubble Car and quickly rode away from the neighborhood.
Once they reached the outskirts, Usopp scanned the area to ensure no one was around before turning to Chopper. "Chopper, why do you think Meiser is dead?"
"I saw it in the newspaper!" Chopper cried. "If it was in the paper, he must be dead!"
Usopp: —
This little guy was even more naive than he had imagined.
Shaking his head helplessly, Usopp said, "Chopper, actually, Meiser isn't dead."
"Huh?"
Chopper froze at Usopp's words, his crying abruptly cut short.
Then, grabbing Usopp's arm excitedly, he exclaimed, "You mean—"
"Shh!"
Usopp covered Chopper's mouth and whispered, "Meiser's current situation isn't something to be revealed, so keep your voice down, okay?"
"Mhm, mhm!"
Seeing that Chopper understood, Usopp removed his hand.
"You're saying Meiser is still alive, right?!" Chopper whispered excitedly.
"Yes."
"That's great... that's great!"
Tears streamed down Chopper's face again, but this time not from sorrow, but from joy.
Seeing Chopper's reaction, a smile spread across Usopp's face. "Don't worry, that guy isn't so easy to kill."
"Remember the nickname the World Government gave him."
Undying Ninja!
That was what the World Government called Meiser after the Summit War!
"Undying Ninja..."
Chopper thought for a moment, then looked up at Usopp. "So you never believed that newspaper from the start?"
"Of course not."
Usopp puffed out his chest. "How could our companion be so easily killed by the World Government?"
He trusted Meiser completely and refused to believe the World Government could have killed him.
"Where is Meiser now?" Chopper asked. "Has he arrived?"
"Not yet."
Usopp shook his head. "But from what Merry said, he should be here soon."
"He'll be coming here with Luffy."
"They're together?!"
"They were together during the Summit War, so of course they're still together now," Usopp said with a laugh.
"Then they must both be super strong by now!"
They were already so powerful two years ago—they must be unbelievably strong now!
"Two years have passed; they're definitely stronger than before," Usopp agreed.
"I can't wait!"
Seeing Chopper's eager expression, Usopp grinned and gave a thumbs-up. "Chopper, I've gotten pretty strong myself, you know!"
As he spoke, Usopp pulled a small pellet from his pocket.
Then, without hesitation, he activated his Devil Fruit ability.
"Hum."
The next moment, the tiny pellet that had been no larger than a thumb suddenly grew many times in size!
"Eh?!"
Chopper stared dumbfounded at the object in Usopp's hand.
Then he asked incredulously, "Usopp, how did you do that?"
"Is it magic?"
"Of course it's not magic." Usopp shook his head. "This is my Devil Fruit ability."
"You actually ate a Devil Fruit?"
"Yeah."
After casually putting the restored pellet back in his pocket, Usopp said, "I did eat a Devil Fruit."
Recalling his experience with eating the Devil Fruit, Usopp's expression became somewhat complicated.
He hadn't originally wanted to eat a Devil Fruit because it would make him unable to swim, so he never intended to find one for himself.
But who would have thought a Devil Fruit would be hidden in the food he ate after training...
Thinking of this, Usopp sighed quietly.
"What's wrong?" Chopper looked at Usopp curiously. "Are you unhappy with your ability?"
"Of course not, I'm very satisfied with my ability." Usopp said. "I was just thinking about my past experiences."
"Oh..."
Chopper nodded, then asked curiously, "So what ability is this?"
"It should be the Doubling Fruit." Usopp said while stroking his chin.
This Devil Fruit ability could not only multiply inanimate objects but also increase his speed and strength,
so it must be the Doubling Fruit.
Well, that's what Teacher Heracles said anyway, so it must be correct!
"Doubling Fruit?"
"That's amazing!"
Chopper looked at Usopp with starry eyes. "So you can multiply cotton candy?"
"Of course, hahahaha!"
Usopp laughed heartily. "When we get to Shakky's place, I'll make you a giant cotton candy!"
"Wow!!"
As if imagining the scene, Chopper couldn't stop drooling.
"Slurp..."
Seeing little Chopper's adorable reaction, Usopp smiled and reached out to rub the little guy's cheeks.
Then Usopp said, "By the way, Merry has changed quite a lot too, so you should prepare yourself."
"Merry?"
Chopper was taken aback, then asked curiously, "What happened to Merry?"
"Did Merry eat a Devil Fruit too?"
If that little guy who was even smaller than him didn't eat a Devil Fruit, there shouldn't be any major changes.
"No, Merry didn't eat a Devil Fruit." Usopp shook his head. "She awakened powerful strength on her own."
Chopper: ???
What does "awakening powerful strength on her own" mean?
Seeing Chopper's confused expression, Usopp gave him a mysterious smile. "You'll find out soon."
"Ah"
"The scenery of Sabaody Archipelago is really beautiful."
Sanji, who was taking in the street view, had hearts in his eyes.
"I love Sabaody Archipelago!!"
Passersby: ???
This guy must be crazy.
Thinking this, everyone instinctively moved away from Sanji, afraid he might cause trouble.
But Sanji didn't mind, continuing to enjoy the scenery in his own way.
A moment later, Sanji shook his head and said, "No, this isn't the time for that."
"Anyway, we've bought almost everything we need, so let's go find that bastard Moss Head at the beach!"
As if struck by a sudden thought, flames seemed to ignite in Sanji's eyes.
Without looking back, he dashed toward the end of the street.
"Whoosh."
Soon, Sanji arrived at the seaside area Shakky had mentioned.
After scanning the coastline, Sanji muttered, "I don't see anyone fishing here."
Just then, an old man nearby cried out.
"Ah!"
"This is terrible!" The old man grabbed his hair anxiously. "That Moss Head kid and the cute little girl seem to have boarded a pirate ship!"
"Moss Head?"
Instantly alert at the term, Sanji immediately turned and approached the old man.
He then asked, "Old man, did you just say Moss Head?"
"What happened?"
"And you are...?"
"Assuming no mistakes were made, I'm likely a companion of the two people you mentioned," Sanji replied.
Hearing this, the old man's face grew even more distressed.
"Don't be afraid, please explain what happened first."
The old man nodded and said, "Earlier, a green-haired man carrying three swords came here with a little girl. They said they were bored being the first to arrive and wanted to go fishing out at sea."
"So I told them to wait for me on my fishing boat, and I'd take them out fishing later."
"But... but they didn't go to my fishing boat. Instead, they boarded a pirate ship nearby."
Sanji:
Listening to the old man's account, Sanji made a complicated expression—it had to be Zoro and Merry.
But... what was that idiot thinking, boarding a pirate ship?! Damn him!
And didn't Merry try to stop him?
"Do you know them?" the old man asked.
This time, Sanji didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pulled out Zoro's wanted poster and showed it. "You're talking about this guy, right?"
"Yes."
"Then he's someone I know."
Sanji then looked out at the sea with a headache. "So... this idiot took Merry out to sea, is that it?"
What the hell was that moron thinking?!
"Unless something went wrong... they probably went with that group to Fish-Man Island," the old man said. "They might even be..."
At this point, the old man's expression darkened, his eyes filled with guilt.
If only he had been clearer in his instructions, those two might not have...
"Ah, don't worry, old man. They won't die," Sanji reassured him.
With that idiot Zoro around, Merry's safety was at least somewhat guaranteed.
"Young man, how can you be so optimistic? You..."
Before he could finish, the sea suddenly trembled, and then... a massive pirate ship, cleanly severed, burst out of the water!!
"Boom!!"
"Wha—?!!"
Everyone on the shore stared in shock at the surfacing ship.
"What happened? Why is that pirate ship that just set sail in such a state?"
"Did the coating fail and the pressure crush it?"
"Idiot, that was clearly cut by a blade!"
"Don't talk nonsense—who could slice a ship that big in half?"
This has to be a joke!
"But it's..."
"Hey, look! There are people on the ship!"
"Bastard..." The pirate captain glared furiously at Zoro. "You actually cut our ship in half?!"
Their dream of reaching the New World...!
Zoro merely cast a calm glance at them before stating indifferently, "Blame your own bad luck."
"What did you say?!"
"Hm?"
The pirates fell silent...
Under Zoro's icy glare, they immediately shut their mouths, not daring to utter another sound.
After all... this was a terrifying Sword Master capable of splitting their ship with a single strike!
Ahem ahem
Merry, tucked under Zoro's arm, coughed vigorously, clearly trying to expel the seawater she'd inhaled.
Hearing this, Zoro looked at her with concern and asked, "Are you alright?"
"Cough... I'm... fine."
After clearing her throat, Merry looked up and said, "Zoro, let's make sure we check properly before boarding next time."
A trace of embarrassment flashed in Zoro's eyes as he nodded. "Alright."
He then brought Merry back to shore.
"You moss-headed idiot!"
Sanji rushed over, scooped up Merry to check her condition, and only relaxed after confirming she was unharmed. He then glared at Zoro irritably. "What were you thinking?"
After a moment's silence, Zoro replied, "Wrong ship."
Sanji: ???
Is that even an excuse?!
"Sanji, don't blame Zoro," Merry interjected. "We didn't realize it was a pirate ship either."
"Hah?"
"You didn't see that huge pirate flag?"
"We weren't paying attention..." Merry admitted awkwardly.
The old man had pointed at the large vessel claiming it was his fishing boat, so neither she nor Zoro had questioned it. After Zoro dozed off out of boredom, she'd leaned against him and fallen asleep too.
And then...
"I don't even know what to say." Sanji facepalmed in exasperation.
"Thankfully neither of you are Devil Fruit Ability Users, or you'd have drowned in seawater."
He then added, "Remember to verify things clearly before acting next time, understood?"
"Mm, got it," Merry nodded.
Zoro offered no rebuttal, tacitly acknowledging his fault this time.
Sanji nodded before turning to Zoro with a glare. "Now, moss-head, let's discuss another matter."
Flames of rage flickered in Sanji's eyes as he recalled Perona. The thought of Zoro spending two years with a beautiful companion while he struggled to survive among okamas made his blood boil!
"Oh?" Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Does the seventh contestant to arrive at Sabaody Archipelago have more to say?"
Sanji: ???
Crack!
Veins bulged on Sanji's forehead upon hearing Zoro's remark.
He bared his teeth like a shark and roared, "Why are you bringing up rankings?!"
He'd suspected this might happen, and... it actually came true! This bastard really would use their arrival order against him!
The mere thought made Sanji's head throb with frustration.
"Did I say something wrong, Number Seven?" Zoro picked his ear casually.
Sanji fell silent for a moment before wordlessly setting Merry down on the ground.
After finishing that task, Sanji turned and charged toward Zoro, shouting, "You bastard, let's settle all our old and new grudges right now!"
"Bring it on!"
Zoro drew all three of his weapons and yelled back, "Who's afraid of who?!"
Though he didn't know how he had offended Sanji this time, since this idiot had challenged him, he couldn't back down!
With that thought, Zoro didn't hesitate to start fighting Sanji.
Clang clatter bang!
They were thoroughly enjoying their brawl!
"Huh?"
The Old Man stared in shock at the two fighting and said, "Why are they fighting?"
"Don't mind them, Old Man." Merry floated over to his side and said, "This is just their way of showing affection."
These two had always interacted like this two years ago, so Merry wasn't surprised at all.
Since Merry said so, the Old Man didn't comment further.
"You bastard!" Sanji said furiously, "Why do you get to have beautiful women around you too?"
"It pisses me off!!!"
"Hah?"
Zoro, who had blocked Sanji's long leg with his sword, suddenly had a question mark pop up over his head. He then looked at Sanji with disgust and said, "You're picking a fight with me over something like this?!"
"What do you know?!!"
Sanji's entire body seemed to burn with flames as he said, "You have no idea what kind of hell I've been through..."
Recalling some of his experiences from two years ago, pain flashed in Sanji's eyes.
Then he glared viciously at Zoro and said, "Just die, you bastard!"
BOOM!!
At that moment, Sanji's body seemed to ignite with flames, stunning Zoro for a second.
Was... was he transforming?
What the hell had this guy been through these past two years?
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