Chapter 258: The Temptation of the Devil Fruit!
Everyone stopped what they were doing.
Zoro curled the corner of his mouth.
Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke and smiled.
Usopp revealed a mischievous grin.
Chopper hesitated a little, but seeing everyone smiling, he followed with a silly grin.
Robin closed the notebook in her hand, looking intrigued.
Nami's eyes had long turned into Berry symbols!
Ralph sighed.
He knew Lufia was fooling around. Everyone knew.
That gold was worth less than dirt in the eyes of the Shandians. Even if they really took it, the other side wouldn't pursue it.
But Lufia just wanted to stir up trouble.
She just wanted to do something "a Pirate should do."
Ralph looked toward the one who held the ship's financial authority.
Nami shrugged, then revealed a bright smile.
"Move it."
A few minutes later.
Every member of the Straw Hat Crew, either carrying or hauling a large bundle of gold each, took off running.
Lufia carried the largest bundle, running at the front, grinning so wide that all her white teeth showed.
The Shandians and Skypieans stood frozen in place.
Wyper opened his mouth but couldn't speak.
Gan Fall scratched his head.
Conis hugged a Den Den Mushi, her face full of confusion.
Then someone shouted:
"They took the gold and ran!"
The crowd began to chase.
What they cared about wasn't the gold, but the fact that their benefactors were leaving just like that!
Rather than chasing, it was more like seeing them off.
The Going Merry sailed out of the White-White Sea.
Lufia stood at the stern, waving toward the direction of Skypiea.
She shouted at the top of her lungs:
"Thanks for your hospitality—we'll be back!"
Faint responses came from behind.
Then the White-White Sea closed up, and Skypiea disappeared from view.
Ralph leaned against the ship's railing and let out a long sigh.
The system prompt sounded:
[Skypiea Adventure concluded. Lufia's favorability toward you increased by 10%. Current favorability: Best Friend Level 33%.]
[Established friendship with Conis. Reward: Basic Music Skill.]
[Established friendship with Gan Fall. Reward: Sky Island Dials Proficiency (Basic).]
[Established friendship with Wyper. Sky Island Dials Proficiency skill effect upgraded to Intermediate.]
Looking at those prompts, Ralph felt emotional.
This trip to Skypiea hadn't yielded as little as he imagined!
Munch-Munch had eaten a lot of Sky Island clouds and Sky Island Dials, plus Ralph's newly acquired Sky Island Dials usage proficiency.
Ralph was confident that under his training, Munch-Munch could play a greater role.
Although the Music Skill was only basic, it was better than nothing.
Most importantly, Lufia's favorability had increased again.
33%—the future looked promising!
The Going Merry sailed along the cloud river of the White Sea, arriving at the edge of the White-White Sea.
A magnificent gate appeared ahead.
Passing through that gate, the ship burst out of the cloud layer.
Of course, what awaited them was a seven-thousand-meter-high free fall.
Nami screamed.
Chopper clung to Usopp's leg.
Usopp hugged the mast, also screaming.
Zoro gripped the ship's railing, his expression tense.
Sanji bit his cigarette, the tip trembling.
Lufia spread her arms, laughing into the wind: "So cool!"
Ralph, calm and unhurried, took out a metal whistle and put it in his mouth.
A sharp whistle sounded.
A moment later, a huge shadow rose from below the cloud layer.
A Skypiea specialty, the Balloon Octopus!
It emerged from the White-White Sea, its entire head swelling into a balloon shape, its eight tentacles stretching out to firmly grasp the Going Merry's hull.
The falling speed abruptly slowed.
The Going Merry swayed gently downward as if suspended by a giant parachute.
Usopp's legs went weak, and he sat on the deck:
"Ralph... when did you..."
"Yesterday."
Ralph put away his whistle.
"Found a tame one and tried taming it. Didn't expect it to work on the first try."
He truly hadn't expected it.
The Beast Taming Skill could accomplish such things even in Skypiea.
Just like how Nami easily mastered the Waver with her navigation skills.
In this world, every specialty has its moment to shine.
The Going Merry slowly descended.
As the clouds thinned, the blue sea came into view.
He scanned the sea surface but saw no warships or Navy flags.
It seemed the G-8 Fortress arc had been skipped.
A slight regret—he had considered turning that fortress into his own base.
But skipping it had its advantages too.
The Going Merry landed on the sea surface, and the Balloon Octopus released its tentacles, sinking back into the deep sea.
Ralph blew his whistle once more as a farewell.
He wondered if Skypiean creatures could survive in the Blue Sea.
As the Going Merry returned to the open sea, wind and waves arrived in an instant.
A new adventure was about to begin.
But before that————
Usopp made a suggestion, looking at the Going Merry that had soared to the skies and plunged into the sea.
"I say, let's give the Going Merry a major overhaul."
Ralph nodded. "It really needs one."
From the entrance of the Grand Line all the way to Skypiea, the Going Merry had endured too much.
The impact of the Knock Up Stream, drifting through Skypiea's White-White Sea, and damage from various battles before.
The ship needed a thorough overhaul.
Lufia raised her hand. "Then we need to find a shipwright!"
Sanji blew a smoke ring. "Shipwrights aren't found everywhere."
Nami flipped open the Log Pose. "The next island... we should be able to find one, right?"
"Definitely."
Lufia clenched her fist.
"We'll recruit an amazing shipwright as a crewmate!"
Ralph remained silent.
He knew the destined shipwright was still in Water 7 and wouldn't appear so soon.
Before that, they still had other experiences ahead.
For instance, a few days later, an island appeared before them.
No, not just one.
It was a ring-shaped archipelago, several islands arranged in a circle, enclosing a calm sea area.
The flora and fauna on the islands were bizarrely shaped.
Some towered into the clouds, thin as bamboo poles; others sprawled on the ground, resembling sausages.
Ralph looked at the terrain, his eyes flickering.
Long Ring Long Land.
Just as Lufia marveled at the place's wonders and befriended an old man who loved walking on stilts.
Ralph looked toward the distant sea.
Several pirate ships were approaching.
The other party's Jolly Roger featured a traditional crossed-bones background.
A skull with fox-ear-like hair and a red nose.
The Foxy Pirates.
Their Jolly Roger was practically drawn to resemble their captain.
Same hairstyle, same red nose, same ugliness.
Silver Fox Foxy.
Ralph withdrew his gaze.
He knew they would challenge the Straw Hat Pirates.
To engage in the most popular, oldest game among pirates—the Davy Jones Game.
With Lufia's competitive nature, she would definitely accept.
But that wasn't what troubled Ralph.
What made him hesitate was—
The Noro Noro no Mi.
Should he take it?
For Ralph, who had just missed out on the Goro Goro no Mi, how could he possibly resist such a temptation?