Chapter 111: The Supreme Hostage is Still Going Strong!
On the deck of the Going Merry, Ralph's expression was somewhat complicated.
"So... I really can't intervene this time?"
He asked again, as if seeking confirmation.
"That's right!"
Lufia placed her hands on her hips, her face tilted up proudly.
"Ralph, you're too amazing—you always steal the spotlight. This time, I want everyone to see that the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates is also very capable!"
As she spoke, she secretly glanced at the latest bounty posters.
Her 30 million Berry bounty and Ralph's 35 million Berry bounty were posted side by side on the mast. That 5 million difference made her pout again.
"Exactly, exactly!"
Usopp immediately jumped in to agree, though his eyes gleamed with schadenfreude.
"Ralph, you should take a break too. It's no fun always hogging the spotlight alone!"
Nami patted Ralph on the shoulder, her tone carrying a hint of teasing:
"Don't worry, we'll take good care of the captain. Think of it as... well, observing and learning?"
"Learning what?"
Ralph smiled bitterly.
"What is there for me to learn from you? Just a few days ago, I was the one giving you special training!"
Zoro leaned against the ship's railing, holding his three swords.
"So, you have no confidence in the results of the training you created?"
Sanji lit a cigarette.
"Ralph, don't think you're the only one who cares about Miss Lufia's safety. I swear on my honor as a knight that I will never let Miss Lufia suffer any harm—not even a single hair on her head!"
His words were resolute and powerful, but Ralph's frown only deepened.
In the original storyline, Luffy's fighting style had always been to trade injury for injury, fighting through blood and pain.
To ignite Luffy's fighting spirit, the writers would even deliberately put his companions in desperate situations.
Lufia blinked and poked Ralph's cheek with her finger:
"Ralph, are you worried about me? Don't worry, I'm strong!"
"It's precisely because you're so strong that it's even more worrying."
Ralph looked at her seriously.
"Great power often makes people overlook tactics and choose the most direct, head-on approach."
He turned to the other members, his tone serious:
"Since the captain has decided I won't intervene, your responsibilities are heavier now.
Sanji, Zoro, Nami, Usopp—please give it your all and bring out your full abilities.
The captain's duty is to protect the crew, so what is the crew's duty?"
"Of course, to protect the captain!"
Sanji was the first to respond, flames burning in his eyes.
Zoro grinned:
"Do you even need to say it?"
Nami tightened her grip on her golden staff:
"I'm just a weak Navigator... but I'll do my best!"
Usopp puffed out his chest and declared loudly:
"I, the great Usopp, am a man who will become the world's greatest sniper! Protecting the captain is no problem at all!"
"Good."
Ralph nodded, but then his tone shifted.
"However, since I've agreed not to intervene, I will keep my word."
"But I will be watching the entire time... If I notice anyone making a basic mistake during the battle—like underestimating the enemy, being careless, or failing to protect a companion..."
He paused, revealing a smile that sent shivers down everyone's spines:
"I will personally arrange 'devil training' to make sure that crewmate learns their lesson well."
As soon as the words "devil training" were spoken, the temperature on the deck seemed to drop by ten degrees.
Everyone couldn't help but recall the scenes from Ralph's training sessions.
That guy is downright inhuman in how harsh he is on himself.
He's most enthusiastic about being Lufia's punching bag, and the harder she hits, the more he likes it!
If Ralph is this ruthless with himself, then with others...
He definitely wouldn't be as gentle as he is with Lufia.
Usopp had already started imagining himself tied to the mast training Observation Haki, with wind blades cut by Ralph's Rankyaku whizzing all around him.
Nami swallowed hard and asked quietly:
"Um... I'm just a Navigator..."
Ralph smiled, "Everyone is treated equally."
Nami: "...I-I understand."
Zoro, however, was fired up, his three swords rattling softly in their sheaths:
"Interesting. Although I won't let Lufia be in danger, I'm very interested in your devilish training!!"
Sanji took a deep drag of his cigarette:
"Bring it on. I'll show you what true chivalry is."
And so, in a subtle atmosphere, the group excitedly returned to the Going Merry, ready to set sail for Clockwork Island.
Then they discovered a problem.
"Clockwork Island... where is it again?"
Lufia tilted her head and asked.
Everyone looked at each other.
They had been so focused on discussing battle assignments earlier that they completely forgot to ask for the specific location.
Borodo and Akisu had told the story, but they didn't give coordinates!
Just then, a small boat piled high with boxes emerged from behind a reef.
On the boat, Borodo was waving, while Akisu sat at the bow. Though still pouting, his eyes kept darting glances toward the Going Merry.
"..."
Borodo brought his boat alongside.
No words were needed. Though Lufia hadn't said it explicitly, Borodo understood that her decision was definitely influenced by hearing their story.
So what more was there to say?
While they, the thief brothers, might be lacking in direct combat, they had no problem being guides.
"You're heading to Clockwork Island, right? If you don't mind... we can lead the way."
Lufia's eyes lit up:
"That's great!"
Ralph sized up this pair of "thief brothers."
Borodo's goggles still had water droplets on them, clearly having followed the Going Merry all this time.
Though Akisu was still sulking, his small hands gripped the edge of the boat tightly, and his gaze kept drifting toward the direction they were heading.
It was the direction of home.
The boy was just feeling anxious as he neared his hometown.
It wasn't just about parents or hometown; it was about one's origins. How could anyone resist not searching for it?
Akisu suddenly said loudly:
"I don't want to go at all! It's Borodo who insisted on leading the way!"
But as he said this, his eyes were fixed on the horizon, as if trying to see something from beyond the waves.
Under Borodo's guidance, the Going Merry sailed for about half a day before a peculiar silhouette appeared on the distant horizon.
"That's Clockwork Island."
Borodo stood at the bow, his tone complex.
Everyone gathered at the ship's railing to look.
At the center of the island was a towering mountain range, but it wasn't like an ordinary mountain.
It formed an elegant, regular spiral shape, coiling upward in rings like a giant clockwork spring.
"Wow—!"
Lufia's rubber neck stretched out, her whole body almost flying off the ship,
"What a fun mountain! It's like a toy!"
Nami also widened her eyes:
"The entire city is built on Spiral Mountain... This architectural structure is so unusual."
Usopp had already taken out his telescope, watching in amazement as he exclaimed:
"Mechanical structures... I can see the outlines of gears! The entire mountain interior must be a precise mechanical device!"
Borodo nodded:
"That's right. The reason Clockwork Island is called that is because the core of the entire island is a massive clockwork mechanism. And the reason Bear King has been able to occupy this place for seven years is because he seized control of the mainspring that powers Clockwork Island."
He pointed toward the summit of Spiral Mountain:
"There's a tall tower up there, the control hub of Clockwork Island, and that's where Bear King is."
"Whenever the island's residents resist, he threatens to damage the key structures of the mainspring.
"If that happens, the entire Spiral Mountain will collapse, and everything on the island will be destroyed."
This familiar sense of déjà vu—the ultimate hostage situation is still in play!