Chapter 121Friends who received the news on Sky Island all came to bid farewell.Conis, Gan Fall riding Pierre, and the Shandian warriors led by the War Demon Wyper, all gathered here to send them off.Soon, at the unique whistle blown by Conis, an Octopus Hot Air Balloon, a specialty of Sky Island, slowly emerged from the clouds.Its plump body quickly inflated into a huge airbag, and several thick tentacles skillfully and gently wrapped around various parts of the going merry's hull.Under the astonished gaze of everyone, the Octopus Hot Air Balloon began to slowly ascend, carrying the going merry, steadily detaching from the White Sea and drifting down towards the boundless blue sea below.In the clear blue sky, the going merry was pulled by the Octopus Hot Air Balloon, like a slowly descending colorful balloon.The soft white clouds seemed to be right overhead, within reach.Looking out from the bow, there was a vast, boundless blue ocean, with the horizon drawing a graceful curve in the distance.The going merry seemed to be parallel to the sun in the sky, bathed in golden sunlight.Chapter 172 Haki Enhancement, Flowing Haki"Wahahaha!""It's amazing, we're really flying!"Chopper and Merry ran excitedly on the deck, looking at the approaching sea below, exclaiming in surprise.Beside them, Nika sat cross-legged in the VIP seat, holding a wine pot, displaying the calm demeanor of a well-traveled big sister.Nami stood at the door of the second-floor living room, holding the railing, calculating the speed and direction of descent, a hint of worry on her face:"At this speed, it will take a lot of time to fall from ten thousand meters high to the sea. I always have a feeling something unexpected will happen."If they didn't have accidents, would they still be called the Straw Hat Pirates?"Hehehe, don't worry, Nami, I'm here, aren't I?"Vivi walked over to her with a smile, extending her hand, a gentle whirlwind swirling around her fingertips.She had just acquired the power of the Wind-Wind Fruit, which could come in handy at a time like this, at least to help adjust the angle and posture of descent, or provide some cushioning when approaching the sea surface."Vivi, thank goodness for you!"Nami felt a little more at ease.She looked left and right and asked:"Where's Luffy? Is that guy training again?""There he is."Vivi pointed helplessly in the direction of the deck.Nami walked onto the deck and, sure enough, saw Luffy again, pounding away at the golden stone tablet, his body steaming with heat.Robin, nearby, had already set up a red and yellow parasol, leisurely leaning back in a white lounge chair, reading a book, as if the dull thudding on the deck was the best background music.Zoro also walked over. He didn't immediately join the training as usual, but instead stretched his still aching arms."Where are Usopp and Sanji?"Luffy stopped, wiped his sweat, and asked, "Aren't they coming today?""They trained too hard a few days ago, their muscles are still protesting," Zoro said, looking at Luffy's seemingly tireless fists, feeling a faint ache in his own muscles. "They said they need a few days to recover."That kind of high-intensity resistance training put an immense strain on the body; only a monster like Luffy could do it almost non-stop."Anyway, Zoro, your progress is really impressive," Luffy praised genuinely.He could feel Zoro's sword becoming sharper and his use of Armament Haki becoming more proficient."Far from it, how can I compare to a monster like you!"Zoro retorted fiercely; he was absolutely unwilling to be left too far behind."So, are you ready?""Wait a minute!" Zoro quickly called out, sometimes suspecting Luffy was deliberately trying to punch him."What's wrong?" Luffy asked."Luffy, what was that Armament Haki you demonstrated yesterday that could be projected from a distance?"He recalled the technique Luffy had accidentally displayed yesterday: a punch thrown without direct contact with the stone tablet, yet leaving a clear indentation on its surface. That was clearly a more advanced application of Haki."Oh? You mean that."Luffy thought for a moment, trying to explain in a way Zoro could understand."That should be an application of Armament Hakiafter it's cultivated to the next level.Unlike ordinary hardening and coating, this Armament Haki seems to be able to make power flow, and then release it.It can directly transform into substantial impact force, or form a protective barrier, and can even defend against some invisible attacks."Luffy raised his hand, and the pitch-black Armament Haki on his arm flowed like a living thing."I'm still adapting to this power; it feels quite wonderful.""Nani?! The next level?!"Zoro immediately became displeased, his eyes wide.He had only recently mastered the hardening and coating of Armament Haki, and just when he felt he had closed the gap a little, this Luffy guy had actually unlocked a new level?The gap not only hadn't shrunk, but it seemed to have been pulled open to a new dimension!Luffy trained fiercely, he knew that.But Zoro also put in absolutely no less sweat and effort!Why did this guy progress like a rocket?!An indescribable feeling of frustration and indignation surged in his heart.Bang!Zoro heavily threw an iron block, used as a barbell, onto the ground and stormed straight into the ship's cabin, muttering, "Extra training, if it doesn't kill me, I'll train to death!"He refused to believe he couldn't catch up.If he saw Luffy train until he suddenly fell asleep, then woke up full of vigor, Zoro might have been relieved.A few days later, on a beautiful sunny morning, the going merry finally landed smoothly on the surface of the Blue Sea.The Octopus Hot Air Balloon completed its mission, released its tentacles, and floated back into the sky.Returning to the familiar blue ocean, everyone was exceptionally excited, as if reunited after a long separation.Nami and Vivi were already enthusiastically discussing the shopping list for Water 7, especially to buy some new clothes and accessories for Little Merry.Of course, the top priority was to convert the astonishing amount of gold treasure on board into more convenient Berries.Besides the two golden stone tablets forged by the Shandian tribe mainly for training, they also had a large amount of gold and silver jewelry and vessels.Little Merry also joined the discussion. Although she was a ship's spirit, she was essentially a girl and was equally interested in pretty clothes and shiny trinkets.Usopp, meanwhile, pulled Sanji aside to ponder how to use the properties of the Sky Island Shellsto reinforce and upgrade the going merry's own structure and functions.He was very serious about this. Although everyone had decided to build a large ship that could accommodate the going merry, the optimization and strengthening of the going merry itself were equally important. This concerned their sailing safety before the large ship was built and in certain specific situations.Chopper also ran to Nami, rubbing his small hooves a bit awkwardly:"Nami, the ship's medicinal herbs are almost used up. I want to restock some, and I need some money."Nami, now flush with cash, waved her hand and generously gave Chopper a stack of banknotes:"Here, ten million Berries. That should be enough, right? Remember to buy good medicinal herbs.""Ten million Berries?!"Chopper was stunned by the number, fumbling to take the money, then began to count his hooves, trying to calculate how many of his own bounties ten million Berries was equivalent to.After counting for a long time without understanding, he finally had to carefully wrap the money in a clean cloth and hug it tightly to his chest.Nami also warned with a smile, "Chopper, this is a huge amount of money, so you absolutely can't lose it!"Upon hearing this, Chopper immediately put the wallet on his back, nodded vigorously, his small face displaying a solemn expression, as if vowing to live and die with the money.Chapter 173 Doflamingo and Ace After the BattleSanji was busy in the kitchen, preparing a sumptuous afternoon tea for everyone after their descent.An enticing aroma filled the entire deck."Cook, a pot of sake.""Nika, Miss Nami has already put you on a drinking ban."Nika's eyes widened, as if she couldn't accept this fact.Wasn't this taking her life?Wasn't Nami afraid that she would go all out and expose her secret?!"Nika, come help out."Nami waved to her."Coming, coming!"Nika scurried over, her eyes clear.It seemed she had been successfully trained.The title of 'Demon Ship Tyrant' was well-deserved.[Warning: It's time to learn Devil Fruitdevelopment with Vivi. Please find Vivi for study in one minute... Countdown fifty-nine, fifty-eight.]After finishing his high-intensity sparring with Zoro, Luffy didn't stop for a moment and quickly went to Vivi to guide her in developing and familiarizing herself with the Wind-Wind Fruit's abilities.He had quite a lot of good development experience when it came to Devil Fruits."Vivi, watch closely. The best thing about Logia is elementalization. Ordinary physical attacks, like bullets or swords, can hardly harm you."As Luffy spoke, he casually picked up a small stone and threw it.Vivi's mind stirred, and her body instantly elementalized, transforming into an invisible breeze. The stone passed through the wind mass and hit the ship's side behind her."But never be careless."Luffy's expression became serious as he said, "Armament Haki is the bane of Devil Fruit users. Like me, or some powerful swordsmen and gunmen, can imbue Haki onto their weapons to attack. So, Observation Haki's prediction and your own evasion ability are equally important!"He motioned for Vivi to try creating different forms of attack and defense with wind.There are many forms that wind can be developed into, such as wind blades or whirlwind shields. Imagination is key to developing Devil Fruits; Luffydidn't make a fool of himself in this regard when he was young.But it cannot be denied.Things that seem funny are actually quite useful.Vivi nodded seriously, closed her eyes, and tried to feel the omnipresent air currents around her, attempting to mold them into the forms she desired.For a moment, gentle breezes and strong winds alternated on the deck, occasionally revealing one or two transparent wind blades flashing past.Just then, Robin walked over with a newspaper she had just bought from the News Coo, her brows slightly furrowed."Any big news, Robin?"Luffy and Vivi both stopped their actions and gathered around. They always paid close attention to World Economic News, as it often foreshadowed major changes on the Grand Line.Robin unfolded the newspaper, pointing to the front-page headline, "A few days ago, the World Government and the Seven Warlords of the Seaheld an emergency meeting."Generally, the Shichibukai and the World Government don't frequently interact. A meeting of this level usually means a major event has occurred that could affect the balance of power in the sea....Meanwhile, in the distant Dressrosa.Royal Plateau.Doflamingo returned to his kingdom with injuries that had not yet fully healed, his face gloomy.He was in a rather depressed mood at the moment.He had originally just found it interesting, so he followed Laffitte, a subordinate of Blackbeard, to discuss a deal and watch the excitement.Unexpectedly, he got involved and even had a direct conflict with Fire Fist Ace, the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, and suffered injuries.Doflamingo naturally knew about Ace's information.
