The Going Merry gradually drew closer to the small island known as Whiskey Peak, and the Straw Hat crew finally got a clear view of the island's full appearance.
The island wasn't large. It featured several peaks that resembled cacti, as if someone had taken a potted cactus, enlarged it, and plopped it down in the middle of the ocean—it looked rather comical. A river split the island down the middle, and it seemed they could sail the ship inland by following that waterway.
As they neared the coastline, Mr. 9 and Miss. Wednesday waved goodbye to the crew, called out a casual "See you around!" and executed a flawless backflip into the water, vanishing swiftly. Nami and Usopp immediately cried out that it had to be some kind of conspiracy.
—Shadow-Projection Mirror.
At a thought from Sherlock, ripples spread across the transparent lenses of his glasses. Moments later, a distant scene gradually materialized on the surface.
"The spines on those cacti are actually gravestones?! How intriguing." Sherlock pushed up his glasses. Based on old rumors and the intelligence he'd gathered, he already had a rough idea of what this place really was.
At that moment, Nami was explaining the properties of the Log Pose to the others.
"So even if there are monsters on this island, we still have to stay here for a while?" Usopp asked Nami, his face twisted in terror. When she confirmed it, his complexion turned deathly pale. He clutched his throat and wailed dramatically, "Aaaah, I can't do it! I've come down with a deadly case of Can't-Set-Foot-on-the-Island Disease!"
"Are you okay, Usopp?! Don't give up on treatment! The doctors on the island will definitely cure you!" The only idiot captain who actually believed the long-nosed liar's nonsense looked at him with genuine concern.
"Are you an idiot?! I just told you it's Can't-Set-Foot-on-the-Island Disease…"
Zoro glanced at the bickering pair, then turned to Nami. "Anyway, we need to be ready for both a fight and a quick escape." She nodded in firm agreement.
"Nami-swan's safety is in my hands!" declared a certain lovestruck cook who had already returned to his usual self.
The Going Merry sailed up the canal toward the island's interior. Under the heavy fog, visibility was abysmal. The Straw Hats spread out along the ship's rails, senses on high alert.
Faint voices drifted from the distance. Usopp swallowed hard in fear, his legs trembling so badly he could barely stand.
A moment later, the Going Merry emerged from the fog into open air. What came into view was an utterly ordinary little town. On the shore, a huge crowd of townspeople had gathered, holding up banners and shouting with surprising enthusiasm toward the arriving visitors:
"Welcome to the Grand Line! Welcome to our humble town!"
"Long live the brave warriors of the sea!"
"Ah, the brave warriors of the sea are so cool!"
"A town that welcomes pirates?" Zoro loosened his grip on Wado Ichimonji, staring at the scene ahead in mild bewilderment.
"Of course it is!" Usopp instantly shed his earlier cowardice—as if his Can't-Set-Foot-on-the-Island Disease had miraculously cured itself. He blew kisses toward the crowd on the shore. "Aren't pirates the brave warriors of the sea?"
"And there are so many beautiful ladies…" Sanji's right eye morphed into a heart.
"Indeed, some people are quite welcoming to rookie pirates like us," Sherlock remarked calmly, glancing at the exuberant townsfolk. In his mind, he added: Like bounty hunters.
The weather was clear, the sky cloudless. More than a dozen Marine warships sailed slowly across the calm sea. On the flagship of this branch fleet, two old friends who hadn't seen each other in years were catching up.
The captain's quarters on the flagship were thick with smoke.
"I never expected you to make it to the Grand Line so soon. Hina is surprised." The speaker was a beautiful female Marine with long, pale pink hair. She wore black gloves, a Marine coat draped over her shoulders, and a purple-red ladies' suit that perfectly accentuated her voluptuous figure.
Hina sat with her legs crossed, pulled out a slim cigarette, lit it, and took a satisfying drag. The smooth motion made the two Marines beside her hearts race.
If Luffy and the others had been there, they would certainly have recognized the pair: the evil hypnotist Jang, who had attacked Kaya, and Fullbody, the former Marine Headquarters lieutenant who had been thrashed by Sanji at the Baratie for wasting food. (If you're curious why they're back under Hina's command, readers are recommended to check the One Piece cover story serials.)
"You should have seen the faces of the guys at Headquarters when they heard your message." Hina exhaled a plume of smoke, her lovely eyes flicking toward the white-haired man in front of her. "Also, who exactly managed to escape from you, the White Hunter? Hina is very curious."
Smoker, cigar clenched between his teeth, raised an eyebrow. Perhaps Hina had hit a sore spot; his expression darkened. He reached toward the female Marine behind him. "Tashigi."
The airheaded swordswoman blinked, tilted her head, and looked at Smoker in confusion, clearly not understanding her superior's intent.
"The wanted posters—for the Straw Hat kid and the sorcerer!" Smoker's face was a mask of exasperation at his dim-witted subordinate.
The bespectacled woman suddenly understood. She hurriedly opened the bundle beside her, fumbled through it, and pulled out two wanted posters, handing them over.
Hina took the posters and examined them closely. "Monkey D. Luffy, 30 million berries. An impressive rookie. Hm? And this one isn't…"
The poster showed a handsome young man with black hair and black eyes, wearing silver-rimmed glasses. Behind the clear lenses, his gaze was gentle; his expression calm and composed, with a faint, charming smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Below was written: Sarsalian Sherlock, Bounty 70 million berries.
"Who would have thought the sorcerer who made the top brass at Navy Headquarters furious enough to jump up and down would be this handsome." Hina studied Sherlock's image on the poster, the corners of her mouth lifting.
"Hina likes him!" As soon as those half-joking words left her mouth, two faint sounds of hearts breaking came from behind her.
Indeed, just looking at the photo on Sherlock's wanted poster, anyone would think he was a refined noble youth. It was impossible to connect him to the rumored ferocious, demonic sorcerer.
"If you encounter him, be extremely careful of his abilities. They're very troublesome…" Smoker warned his old friend with a grave expression.
The White Hunter carefully recounted all the intelligence he had on the man to Hina. Then he exhaled a cloud of smoke and asked, "By the way, what brings you to these waters? If I remember correctly, this should be Crocodile's territory."
"I'm just here on orders to capture a pirate crew—the Hungry Wolf Pirates. Their captain is truly… Never mind, no more shop talk. Let's chat about something else." Hina stubbed out her finished cigarette and began idly conversing with Smoker.
Tashigi silently watched the beautiful female Marine who was chatting animatedly with her superior. She couldn't help but think:
(Black Cage Hina, Colonel at Navy Headquarters. What a beautiful and powerful woman. When will I ever be like her?)
A spark of longing flashed in Tashigi's eyes. Beyond reclaiming the famous swords stolen by villains, her dream was to become an outstanding Marine.
Behind Hina, Fullbody and Jango glared bloodshot eyes at Sherlock's wanted poster on the table.
"Straw Hat kid… and that damn glasses guy. Just you wait till I find you!" ×2
Night swallowed the last rays of the setting sun. The curtain of darkness descended like a stage blackout.
The festivities at Whiskey Peak continued.
Sherlock finished the last piece of grilled meat on his plate and set down his knife and fork. He was about to wipe his mouth when a woman beside him beat him to it, drawing discontented murmurs from the surrounding ladies.
"Here, wipe your mouth." The glamorous woman gave Sherlock a flirtatious smile. Her eyes flicked to the towering stack of empty plates in front of the bespectacled man, and a bead of cold sweat trickled down her back. She thought to herself: (This glasses-wearing guy is pretty handsome and acts so refined, but how can he eat so much? I've never seen anyone put away food like him!)
"Ahahaha! Sherlock, I win again this time!" Luffy's triumphant laughter rang out from across the table.
Luffy had fully utilized the power of the Gum-Gum Fruit, stuffing himself until his body was a round, bloated ball of flesh. From the look of it, he could still keep battling the food on the table.
(Okay, their captain eats even more. Are they seriously not the Glutton Pirates or something?? The cooks are about to pass out!) The glamorous woman weakly complained in her mind.
Sherlock pushed up his glasses with a pained expression. He figured this idiot Luffy was worried that Sherlock, the new crewmate, might steal his glorious title of "Straw Hat Pirates' Number One Eater." So every meal, Luffy went all out and insisted on competing with Sherlock to see who could eat more.
Well, maybe Luffy had always loved challenging people to eating contests; it was just that Zoro and the others could never keep up with him.
In the distance, Sanji was buried in a pile of women, blissfully oblivious to the world. Usopp stood on a raised platform, excitedly spinning one of his tall tales—versions Sherlock had heard countless times but which somehow changed every retelling—to an enthralled audience.
Zoro had probably drunk too much and was snoring face-down on the table. Beside him, Nami—the seemingly delicate woman—was boldly locked in the final round of a drinking contest with a dark-faced nun, vying for the championship. The power of that 100,000-berry prize was no joke.
"Hey, hey, handsome, why aren't you drinking?~" A beauty sitting next to Sherlock leaned her ample figure toward him and poured him a brimming cup of liquor.
Sherlock shifted slightly to put some distance between them and smiled. "I can't drink. Terrible things happen when I do."
It was the truth. Sherlock got drunk almost instantly, and according to Anna and a few other close confidants from years ago, his drunken behavior was shockingly bad. He hadn't touched alcohol since.
Yet sometimes the truth was the least believable. The ladies around him didn't give up; they unleashed every trick in the book—flirting, pouting, acting cute—determined to get him drunk.
Sherlock merely smiled, turned his head, and gazed out the window.
The night was starlit and beautiful, a bright moon hanging high in the sky. The gigantic cacti in the distance gleamed dreamlike under the pure moonlight, utterly enchanting.
"After tonight, I wonder how many people will never see a night sky like this again." Sherlock sighed, then suddenly grabbed the cup and downed it in one gulp amid the cheers of the surrounding beauties…
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