Chapter 42: Wasn't Your Dream to Marry Me?
"Big Bro Zoro?!"
Zoro frowned slightly as he looked at the blue-clad man with the character "sea" tattooed on his face and a large blade in his hands, confirming: "Johnny? Is that really you? What are you doing here? Where's Yosaku? Don't you two always stick together like glue?"
Mentioning Yosaku seemed to hit a sore spot for Johnny. His previously ferocious expression instantly crumbled, replaced by grief and anxiety as he grabbed Zoro's arm.
"Big Bro Zoro! Yosaku... Yosaku is dying!"
Dying? These words shocked everyone on the deck.
After some questioning, the crew understood the situation.
It turned out Johnny and Yosaku, like Zoro before, made their living as Bounty Hunters capturing pirates for bounties.
Not long ago, Yosaku suddenly suffered a relapse of old wounds at sea. He turned pale and fainted, his wounds bleeding nonstop, even starting to lose teeth, becoming extremely weak.
Johnny had just settled him on a seemingly uninhabited small hill nearby to rest while he went to find a doctor or get some food. But in the blink of an eye, his good brother got blasted by a cannonball...
Soon after, Johnny carried the barely breathing Yosaku from their hidden small boat onto the Going Merry.
Yosaku's old abdominal wound bandage was completely soaked with blood, blood continuously trickled from his nose and mouth, and he breathed faintly—a truly pitiful sight.
It was hard to tell how much of his condition was due to his original illness and how much was from the recent cannon blast.
Usopp felt deeply guilty since he was the one who fired the cannon.
He lowered his head and stepped forward to sincerely apologize: "I... I'm sorry! I didn't know anyone was there... It's all my fault!"
Lufia also stepped forward. Though often scatterbrained, she took responsibility for her actions. Since she proposed the cannon firing competition, she wouldn't shirk responsibility, giving Johnny a deep ninety-degree bow: "We're sorry! It was our carelessness!"
Usopp with his long nose apologizing was one thing, but seeing such a cute and sincere girl like Lufia bowing so earnestly...
Of course Johnny chose to forgive... like hell he would!
His eyes red, he waved his fists excitedly: "If apologies worked, what would we need the Marines for?! This is a human life we're talking about! If my brother can't be saved, I'll never forgive you!"
Just as tensions rose and Johnny was about to draw his sword again, Nami stepped forward, hands on her hips, loudly scolding:
"What are you all arguing about?! Everyone calm down! Don't you have any common sense?!"
She pointed at the barely breathing Yosaku on the stretcher: "Look at his symptoms! Pale complexion, bleeding gums, reopened old wounds, loose teeth... This is scurvy!"
"Scurvy?" Everyone looked bewildered, even Johnny was stunned.
"That's right!" Nami said with certainty,
"It's a disease you get from long voyages at sea without fresh vegetables and fruits, lacking essential nutrients! In the past when medical care was underdeveloped, this could indeed wipe out entire fleets, but now, to cure it, all you need is..."
Before she could finish, Ralph walked out from the kitchen carrying a wooden bucket, continuing:
"—A bucket of lime juice!"
As he spoke, he handed the bucket of freshly squeezed lime juice, exuding a refreshing and tangy aroma, to Johnny: "Quick, pour it down your brother's throat."
Johnny was skeptical, but seeing Yosaku's increasingly faint breathing, he couldn't hesitate any longer. He took the wooden bucket, pried open Yosaku's mouth, and poured the lime juice down his throat in large gulps.
A miracle happened.
Not long after the lime juice went down, Yosaku suddenly sprang up.
"Nutrition fully restored, I'm revived!"
"A-Alive... he's alive?!" Johnny stammered incoherently, overwhelmed with emotion at his brother's narrow escape from death.
Everyone was immediately astonished by Nami and Ralph's extensive knowledge.
Nami put her hands on her hips matter-of-factly and lectured:
"This is just common sense, you know!"
Ralph simply smiled faintly from the side, not taking any credit.
However, Lufia, who was usually carefree, showed unusual sensitivity at certain moments.
She tilted her head, carefully observing the smile on Ralph's face, and suddenly asked: "Ralph, what's wrong?"
Ralph was taken aback: "Me? Nothing's wrong."
Lufia pointed at his face and said seriously: "Your smile... it's strange."
Lufia couldn't quite describe it—it was a kind of calmness that came from futile efforts, ultimately choosing to give up.
Ralph shook his head without explaining, instead turning to Johnny and Yosaku who had just experienced extreme sorrow and joy, asking:
"You two, having been around the sea for so long, do you know of a place called the 'Sea Restaurant'? The one that floats on the sea, shaped like a big fish."
"Ah!"
Johnny immediately nodded upon hearing this,
"We know it! Baratie Restaurant! It's very famous! It's located north of this sea area. At this ship's speed, it should take about two or three days to reach!"
Having obtained definite information, Ralph took a deep breath and turned to Lufia with unprecedented seriousness:
"Lufia, I formally propose that we head to the Sea Restaurant Baratie next, to recruit a professional sea chef for our ship!"
Upon hearing this, Lufia didn't immediately cheer with excitement as she usually would when hearing about new adventures or delicious food.
She looked into Ralph's eyes, as if understanding something, and nodded solemnly. Only then did she break into her signature radiant smile and said loudly: "Okay!"
The atmosphere on the ship seemed to return to normal, but there was an indescribable tension lingering beneath the surface.
Yosaku and Johnny temporarily stayed on the Going Merry to recover from their injuries while serving as guides. The ship adjusted its course and headed north.
...
Night fell, and the sea was tranquil. But Ralph suddenly sought out Lufia, suggesting they talk privately.
The captain and the acknowledged vice-captain were going to have a private conversation!
This news instantly ignited everyone's curiosity. Including the recently boarded Johnny and Yosaku, everyone pricked up their ears, their eyes sparkling with inquisitive light.
Using the eavesdropping device made by Usopp—essentially two cups connected by a thin string—everyone gathered together to carry out their eavesdropping operation.
However, the content of the conversation turned out to be disappointingly simple.
Ralph's voice carried a barely noticeable tension and unease:
"Lufia, I... I originally intended to stay on the ship as the cook, but now... I'm actively proposing to look for a new chef. This kind of half-hearted behavior... you... won't dislike me for it, will you?"
Is that all?!
Some of the eavesdroppers outside, like Zoro, yawned directly, finding it utterly boring.
Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku exchanged glances, having expected to hear some earth-shattering secret.
Nami rolled her eyes even harder, thinking Ralph was being ridiculously sentimental and indecisive in matters of love, completely unlike his cold-blooded decisiveness when facing enemies.
However, from another perspective, the fact that Ralph could be this humble in emotional matters completely disproved Nami's earlier suspicion that he was a "scumbag who played with people's feelings."
What a waste of such a scumbag's appearance!
Nami complained inwardly.
Even discussing changes in his role on the ship with such solemnity with Lufia—this cautious intimacy was almost... suffocating.
Fortunately, Lufia was thick-skinned and made of rubber, so she probably had no idea what suffocation felt like.
Inside the cabin, after hearing Ralph's concerns, Lufia showed pure confusion on her face: "Why would I dislike you just because you don't want to be the cook?"
She paused and spoke honestly:
"After all, the food you made at first... well, it was just average! Later, when you learned how to make oden from Uncle Ganzo, it was delicious, but it seemed to trouble you too."
Then her tone turned serious:
"Isn't your dream to marry me? Even though I've told you it's impossible, you've persisted until now, so I've always admired you for that!"
Her voice was clear and firm, carrying an undeniable strength:
"People who persist in their dreams are all amazing! I'd only look down on you if you gave up on this dream!"
Ralph's heart was deeply moved.
So... Lufia had always remembered!
Although she might not truly understand what "marriage" meant yet, or what love was, she remembered that this was Ralph's dream and genuinely respected his persistence.
Wasn't this the purest and most precious form of recognition?
Outside the cabin, the eavesdroppers who heard this "heart-to-heart between captain and vice-captain" had even more colorful expressions.
Usopp covered his mouth to stifle laughter, Nami wore a "can't bear to watch" expression of helplessness, Zoro's mouth twitched, while Johnny and Yosaku gave Zoro looks that said "your ship is really interesting.""
Everyone dispersed quietly with strange yet well-meaning smiles on their faces.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, perhaps because Ralph had been too mentally tense the previous night, his Observation Haki failed to detect the group of unprofessional "eavesdroppers" outside his door.
It wasn't until he was fully awake that he belatedly realized the high possibility of having been eavesdropped on last night!
The thought that his heartfelt words might have been heard by the entire crew made heat rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. His whole body went numb with embarrassment, and he desperately wanted to use Soru to instantly teleport into the sea to cool down.
This embarrassment completely erupted during breakfast when faced with the crew's "excessive" concern.
Usopp patted his shoulder, "Ralph, it's okay if you can't be the cook! I think your ship repair skills aren't bad either! Though they're still a bit lacking compared to the great Usopp, you're passable!"
"You can be my assistant now! With the two of us working together, we'll ensure the Going Merry remains completely safe throughout the entire Grand Line!"
Nami also comforted gently: "That's right, it's fine if you can't be a cook. I see you have some talent in navigation too. You can assist me in the future, helping me chart maps—that's also a promising path!"
Zoro crossed his arms and said succinctly: "Not being able to cook doesn't matter. Combatants are the most important on the ship. From now on, practice swordsmanship with me every day. When I become the world's greatest swordsman, you'll be the second greatest!"
Johnny and Yosaku immediately nodded vigorously, speaking in unison: "Big Brother Zoro is right!"
In short, the core message was one sentence: Ralph, you're important on this ship, indispensable—Captain Lufia needs you! Don't dwell on that trivial matter of not being able to cook!
As Ralph listened to these "comforting" words, the temperature on his face rose higher and higher, shame overwhelming him like a tidal wave.
The embarrassed Ralph gripped his sword hilt, the feeling of social mortality making him want to silence everyone permanently!
"Zoro," Ralph's voice carried a hint of murderous intent, "didn't you just say you wanted to practice swordsmanship? Come on, let's go to the deck and spar right now!"
Hearing this, Zoro showed no fear but instead was overjoyed!
He had asked Ralph several times before for sparring sessions, but the other had always declined with various excuses. He never expected a single "joke" would finally force him to take initiative!
He had just learned from Johnny and Yosaku that the area near the Baratie restaurant was close to the entrance of the Grand Line.
And that man he had been desperately searching for—the world's greatest swordsman, Dracule "Hawk Eyes" Mihawk—often appeared in those waters!
Compared to Lufia's grand dream of "becoming the Pirate King," Zoro's goal was exceptionally specific.
In the way of the sword, defeat that man in a direct confrontation!
Therefore, once they met, he would undoubtedly issue a challenge without hesitation!
Before that, he had to hone his skills to the absolute peak of his current capabilities. Within his sight, no other swordsman could remain as an obstacle!
He had to defeat Ralph, clearing the path to the summit. Otherwise, what right would he have to challenge the world's best?
The news of Zoro and Ralph's impending duel immediately drew the entire crew's attention.
Lufia excitedly sat in her special sheep-head seat, waving her fists as a cheerleader.
Nami, Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku all gathered at the edge of the deck, holding their breath in anticipation.
Zoro's expression was grave, Wado Ichimonji clenched between his teeth, a sword in each hand, assuming his strongest Three Sword Style stance.
Ralph, in contrast, was completely different.
His muscles were relaxed all over, simply standing casually with his right hand resting lightly on the hilt of the sword at his waist, his eyes calm and unrippled.
The two stood quietly in the center of the deck like two statues.
They were waiting for a moment—the perfect instant to strike. This moment could be the cry of a seagull, a just right sea breeze, or possibly...
"A—CHOO!"
An utterly unexpected sneeze from Usopp!
The moment the sneeze sounded—
They moved!
Four blades between two figures instantly crossed paths! Sword light flashed like lightning, too fast for the eye to follow!
Everyone was still in shock, unable to clearly see what had happened, when Zoro suddenly fell forward with a "thud," landing face-first on the deck!
"Big Bro Zoro!" Johnny and Yosaku exclaimed in alarm.
However, in the very next moment, to everyone's even greater astonishment, Zoro abruptly pushed himself up with his hands, clutching the rapidly swelling, vividly red mark on his face. Grimacing in pain, he staggered to his feet.
He glared furiously at Ralph, who had already sheathed his sword and stood calmly as if nothing had happened, and demanded with a mix of shock and anger:
"You... what was that for?!"
Ralph shrugged helplessly, his tone indifferent:
"What else could it mean? I struck you with the back of the blade."
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