Grove 17.
"So this is coating, huh?" Robin murmured thoughtfully as she reached out and gently pressed her fingers against the ship's mast, now encased in a shimmering bubble. Her eyes gleamed with curiosity as the surface gave a soft, squishy resistance beneath her touch. "It feels like jelly… a very thick, yet delicate membrane."
"Yeah, isn't it wild?" Franky chimed in with a grin, proudly surveying their beloved ship. "Rayleigh really knows his stuff inside and out! Just look at that craftsmanship!" His eyes sparkled with admiration. "Now we can blaze right through the bottom of the ocean like a torpedo with sails! It's gonna be insane!"
Robin smiled faintly, the corners of her lips curling as she turned her gaze back to the bubble. "I went to visit Rayleigh and Shakky before I came here," she said, her voice calm but reflective, as if recalling a meaningful conversation from earlier.
"You went to the bar?" Franky asked, his mechanical arms whirring softly as he adjusted a spanner in his hand, then casually plopped down onto a nearby lawn chair with a creak. He leaned back with a relaxed sigh. "What number are you?"
"Eight," Robin replied, folding her arms loosely in front of her as the breeze fluttered through her dark hair. "Luffy is the only one who hasn't arrived yet."
Franky's eyes widened in excitement, and he sprang to his feet with an energy that sent his chair skidding backward. His grin widened as he pumped his fists into the air. "That means it's almost time!" he exclaimed, voice booming with raw enthusiasm. "Our brand-new voyage is finally about to begin! SUPERRRR!"
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Grove 41.
"I want to go to the sea," Zoro declared plainly, arms crossed and eyes focused ahead with all the seriousness of a man announcing a life-or-death mission. "I feel like doing some fishing."
Sanji immediately twitched, a visible vein pulsing on his forehead as he turned to glare at the green-haired menace beside him. "Like hell I'm letting you go off on your own, you shitty swordsman!"
"Why the hell not?!" Zoro shot back, clearly offended. "Why should I even care what you say?! You're not the boss of me!"
Sanji scoffed and threw his hands in the air. "You think I'm tagging along with you because I want to?! Please. I'm only sticking to your side because I know the second I turn my back, you'll get lost for the next three days! I wouldn't trust you to find a straight path even if it was painted red and came with road signs, you directionless marimo!"
And honestly, considering how many times Sanji had already retrieved Zoro like a misplaced item in a lost and found box, the insult was not inaccurate.
Sanji had, in fact, briefly considered tying Zoro to a rope like an oversized violent dog to prevent him from drifting into another grove by accident. The man had an unnatural talent for wandering off even while walking in a straight line.
Not that Sanji himself was perfect either. Most of his own delays came from his inability to resist flirting with every pretty woman who so much as breathed in his general direction. After two soul crushing years trapped on that horrific island with nothing but okama from sunrise to sunset, his inner romantic had become a starving beast that leaped at every opportunity
But still. A man had priorities.
"Everyone's regrouping at the ship soon, dumbass!" Sanji snapped, voice sharp with frustration. "So quit whining and just follow me like the lost puppy you are!"
Zoro clicked his tongue loudly and turned his head to the side, wearing his trademark scowl like a badge of pride. "Tch. How could the seventh person to arrive talk so high and mighty to the first?"
That statement hit Sanji like a sucker punch to the pride, and his rage exploded yet again like a volcano that had been trembling for hours.
"What the hell kind of ranking system is that?!" he roared, practically foaming at the mouth. "You're seriously ranking us by the order we arrived?! Don't get full of yourself just because by some cosmic accident you managed to show up first!"
Zoro scoffed again, a smirk tugging at the edge of his mouth. "Whatever you say… seventh."
And that was it.
That was the moment nearby civilians knew they needed to move—because within seconds, the tension erupted into a full-blown brawl between two lunatics.
One moment it was quiet, and the next there was a cloud of dust, fists, and feet as the swordsman and the cook launched themselves at each other with all the grace and fury of rabid animals. It was loud. It was chaotic. It was violent.
It was, unfortunately… normal.
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Back to Luffy.
Touching the fake moustache placed perfectly on his face, Luffy heaved out a sigh of relief. Ever since he put on the fake moustache, he did not encounter any more trouble after that one guy who was trying to pick a fight with him. He should have listened to Hancock's advise earlier.
Watching Rayleigh's vivre card that was leading him to a certain direction, Luffy blinked when he noticed two familiar men sprinted towards him. One was a man with green hair and three swords strapped to his waist, another one was a man with blonde hair and smoking a cigarette.
Zoro and Sanji!
But wait... what if they were not actually his first mate and cook but the fake ones? They actually looked kinda the same as when he remembered them. But, just to make sure...
Luffy cheerfully greeted them once they reached him. "Zoro! Sanji! Long time no see!"
'Zoro' and 'Sanji' blinked and stared at this kid that fit the description that their boss had told them before. The cloaked kid with a big bag.
Sweating, 'Zoro' nervously greeted him back "Y-yeah, it's been a while!" Then both of them turned their backs away from the grinning Luffy and started to discuss with each other quietly.
"O-oi, do you think he's mistaking us for someone else?"
"Err whatever the case.. Don't you think this is our chance? He's the one Boss wanted us to find!" 'Sanji' whispered back.
Then they both looked at Luffy who thought that they were very friendly with each other. Surprisingly, they did not try to kill each other.
"Why don't you follow us first?"
Blinking. "Why?"
"Err to catch up with.. each other?"
"Sanji! Look! A lady!" Luffy suddenly shouted.
'Sanji' looked behind, and saw a woman. Indeed a beautiful woman, but she was too tall. So he answered mindlessly "Err not really my type."
Luffy's eyes flashed. Not Sanji. His cook would have gone over there and flirted with the woman in an instant.
As for his swordsman... "Hey Zoro! I saw two people fighting with their swords over there! Why don't you join them?"
Fake Zoro went pale.
He was not even a real swordsman, hell, the swords on his belt were props made of wood and plastic! No way could he jump into a real fight!
He started to sweat, waving his hand nervously. "I-I'm not feeling so great right now. Little dizzy. I'll, uh, join later! Hahahaha..."
The fake laugh died in his throat as Luffy stared at him. No smile. No blink. Just a flat, emotionless look that dug straight into his soul.
"...Sh-shall we go now?" fake Zoro asked, his voice cracking like glass.
Luffy gave them both a long, slow look. And then, with a cheerful tone that did not match the glint in his eyes, he said, "I'm in a hurry to go somewhere."
And without so much as a glance back, he turned and walked away, following the vivre card with not a single care left for the two phonies behind him.
Fake Sanji lunged forward in desperation, reaching out to stop him by the shoulder, but the moment his hand made contact, Luffy turned his head slightly and shot him a glare so cold, it felt like time itself had frozen.
Fake Sanji's hand recoiled like he'd been burned. His knees nearly buckled from fear. "Y-you…"
But Luffy was done. Not interested. Not amused. He walked off, letting the vivre card lead him away, never once looking back.
Once he was completely out of sight, fake Zoro finally exhaled. "So... what do we do now? The Boss said we were supposed to bring him back."
Fake Sanji swallowed hard, sweat dripping down his neck. "Let's just say... he already left the island."
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Later, back at the dock where the Thousand Sunny was anchored.
After Usopp and Nami had finished patiently and thoroughly explaining the entire absurd situation to a bewildered and wide eyed Chopper, the three of them made their way together toward Grove 17, the designated rendezvous point for the crew. When they arrived, they were immediately met with the sight of both Robin and Franky waiting for them, although the word shocking felt far too delicate to describe the dramatic transformations those two had undergone.
Franky, in particular, looked wildly different.
Now he did not even look like s person, but more like a robot.
As expected, Usopp and Chopper immediately lost their minds with excitement over Franky's new robotic, super-enhanced appearance. While the two fanboys were loudly geeking out, Rayleigh and Shakky approached them with urgent expressions and some important news.
"The Marines?" Nami frowned, her brows creasing in concern.
Shakky gave a firm nod. "Yes. They've mistaken the fake Monkey-chan for the real one. They've already started entire Marine force on the island has started moving in response. I have been listening in on their communications, so I am certain there is no misunderstanding. They genuinely believe they are targeting your real captain."
Nami clicked her tongue with an annoyed snap and crossed her arms tightly. "Tch. I knew I should have hit those impostors into the ground a lot harder earlier. Maybe even twice for good measure."
"I've already contacted Brook-chan through the Den Den Mushi at the concert venue," Shakky added. "He should be on his way here any moment now."
"Oh? So the skeleton superstar is abandoning his glamorous stage life already, is he?" Franky scoffed loudly, swiping a metallic thumb across his nose. His tone was dramatic, as always, but the hint of relief beneath it was impossible to miss.
"Is that not wonderful news?!" Chopper cheered excitedly from where he perched on Franky's enormous shoulder, his little hooves clapping together in pure joy.
"Superrrrr magnificentttttttt!" Franky bellowed with his usual explosive enthusiasm, striking one of his exaggerated poses.
Rayleigh turned to Nami, handing her a neatly folded piece of paper. "Nami-chan, you are the navigator, correct? I will teach you how to steer a ship while it is coated. Everything you need to understand has been written down here, so please study it thoroughly."
Nami took the paper with both hands, eyes wide with mixture of shock and determination. She nodded vigorously. "R-Right! I will study it and do my absolute best!"
"But Rayleigh!" Usopp cut in with urgency. "Luffy's not even here yet!"
Rayleigh looked at the young sniper and offered a calm, reassuring smile. "There is no need to worry. Luffy has already arrived on the island."
The tension melted from their faces in an instant. Relief blossomed across all of them like morning sunlight breaking over the horizon.
"How thrilling," Robin said with her usual elegant composure, though even she could not hide the soft warmth blooming beneath her words.
"I gave Sanji bro a Den Den Mushi earlier when he stopped by the ship," Franky added, tapping his chest plate with pride. "He is together with Zoro at the moment."
"That is a relief," Usopp sighed, shoulders sagging. "If Zoro had been left completely on his own again, we might not have seen him until next year or possibly the year after."
Shakky spoke up once more, pointing out that Luffy was still the only one who had not yet directly reached out or contacted them. To help fix that, she handed them a fresh piece of Luffy's vivre card, the tiny paper fragment fluttering slightly in the breeze.
"Grove 42 should be your next destination," she instructed. "It is located along the outer edge of the archipelago, far from the main routes the Marines are currently patrolling. Once you have everyone gathered, move the Sunny there. Things are likely going to get chaotic soon, so brace yourselves. However, after waiting for two long years, the moment you have all dreamed of is finally here. It is time to set sail once more."
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"Yohohohohoho! Thank you for this! Your timing is absolutely exquisite!"
Brook, freshly done with his final concert performance, laughed gleefully as he escaped a rather persistent squad of Marine officers who had tried (and failed) to capture him. With his identity as the infamous pirate musician 'Humming Brook' now publicly known across the world, he figured his glamorous career as the 'World Star Singer' had officially come to a close.
Still, he had no regrets.
"We are here on Shakky-san's orders!" one of the Flying Fish Riders shouted as he rode in beside him, his engine roaring like a beast ready to charge. "Your crew is regrouping over at Grove forty two! Hurry and hop on!"
At that announcement, Brook practically vibrated with joy. If he still had skin, he would have been glowing from head to toe.
"Oh my, oh my! My chest feels as if it is on the verge of bursting from sheer excitement!" he exclaimed dramatically, pressing a bony hand against the place where his heart would have been. "Although of course, I have no chest to burst in the first place! Yohohohohohoho!"
His delighted laughter rang out like music as he leapt onto the Flying Fish, ready to reunite with the comrades he had missed for two entire years.
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Grove 41 — Where Zoro and Sanji were.
Clutching the Den Den Mushi tightly in his hand, Sanji nodded, "Got it. Grove 42's beach, right?"
"That's right. See you there," came Franky's voice through the snail, before the connection clicked off with a kachak.
"What was that about?" Zoro asked lazily, standing right beside him.
Sanji threw him a side-eye glare, irritation flickering in his features. "Were you even listening, you muscle-headed mossball?" He stopped himself from launching into one of his usual fiery rants and instead inhaled deeply, exhaling with forced calm. Then, dramatically, he began to explain with the patience of a frustrated kindergarten teacher.
"Okay, listen up. Marines… are coming." He pointed at himself, then at Zoro. "We… get on the ship… and escape. Do you understand now?"
A vein throbbed on Zoro's forehead, his expression shifting into a scowl. "Why the hell are you talking to me like I'm five? Speak like a normal person, damn it! Full sentences!"
Sanji rolled his eyes like it was physically painful to be in Zoro's presence. "Well, forgive me for trying to make things simple for your one brain cell to process."
"Oh, that's it. You're getting sliced later," Zoro growled. "Also, what the hell is with that noise over there?"
"Good question. Over there. Very loud. Curious," Sanji replied in a slow, mocking tone, continuing the irritating act.
Despite their bickering, the two set off together toward the source of the noise, the tension between them crackling as usual.