The two of them brawled noisily, while Chopper tilted his little head to the side, watching them, and suddenly broke into a smile.
What Lord Xiano said back then was true.
Even if he didn't know the name, once he saw the blonde cook shouting about looking for All Blue, he knew he had met the right companion.
However, there was something that didn't match.
Lord Xiano had clearly mentioned that traveling with this guy should also include someone with a green algae head...
But there was no sign of him at all.
Chopper scratched his head.
Were the two really not traveling together?
How strange, where could that green algae head be?
——————
On a shabby little boat.
"Hahaha, cooking is not that hard, you curly-browed idiot! Even without you, the Two-blade Adventurer Group can still manage just fine!"
The green algae-headed youth pulled back the curtain and walked out of the kitchen, standing with his hands on his waist, laughing heartily, wearing a triumphant expression.
He sat cross-legged on the creaky deck, holding a chipped coarse ceramic bowl.
The black, sticky mess in the bowl could barely be recognized as noodles, with a few charred leaves floating in the broth, emitting a strange odor.
He had just picked up a strand with his chopsticks and stuffed it in his mouth, when out of the corner of his eye, he glanced ahead.
Immediately, his eyes widened in shock, and he spat the noodles out with a puff.
Eh?
Zoro stared dumbfounded at the towering mountain, the lonely lighthouses on either side, and the torrential currents rushing down from the top.
This is…
Inverted Mountain?!!
"How did I end up here again?!"
Tears streamed down his face as he cried out in frustration and pain.
————
Alabasta.
Law adjusted his leopard-print hat, standing at the port of Alabasta, looking out at the vast desert kingdom before him.
This seemed to be where Lord Xiano's fame had begun.
And now, he had finally set foot on this land himself.
Keep moving forward!
Just follow the course that Lord Xiano once took, and complete the first half of the Grand Line.
Then set off for the New World!
He spread his arms and grinned.
Not noticing at all, just a few meters behind him…
Bebo, with his tongue dragging on the ground like he had just left a sauna, covered in sweat, finally reached his limit after managing a few more steps.
He let out a muffled grunt, and with a crash, collapsed to the ground.
————
Whiskey Peak.
"Hey, Kira, if I'm not mistaken, wasn't it here that Xiano killed the Sand Crocodile?"
Eustass Kid stood on the hillside, his fiery red hair billowing in the sunset like flames, as he grinned with his signature wild smile and asked.
"Yes, Kid."
The masked weirdo replied in a deep voice, "I should also remind you, this area is a hotspot for bounty hunters, and it seems we've already been targeted."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Kid raised an eyebrow, glancing around.
Sure enough, he noticed the lights in many homes in the town had gone out, and gazes could be faintly felt from door cracks, alleyways, and rooftops.
"They've taken us for fat sheep."
Kid sneered, "Xiano is about my age. He caused such a big stir as soon as he entered the Grand Line. We can't afford to be outdone, can we, Kira?"
"Even if that's what you say," Kira folded his arms, replying calmly, "there are no Seven Warlords of the Sea here for you to show off against."
"No matter, we can make our name another way!"
Kid slammed his fists together, his eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty light, and laughed heartily:
"This town must have thousands of people, right? Whether they're bounty hunters or not, let's just kill them all! The World Government and Navy Headquarters are sure to be so scared that they'll jack up our bounty several times!"
"Let's go, Kira!"