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Chapter's Events:
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[Grove 13: Shakky's Rip-Off Bar]
"That idiot swordsman was the first one here?! Well, damn… There really must be some stormy seas ahead…" When Sanji learned that Zoro was the first to arrive, he couldn't process it. He was utterly shocked.
"And the second to arrive was Franky-chan. He showed up ten days ago and headed straight to the ship," Shakky continued.
"So the Sunny's all right… Well, that's good to hear." Sanji relaxed after hearing that.
"But of course. There's not a scratch on it, and I've got the coating all finished up. It looks like he did an excellent job taking care of it." This time, the speaker was Rayleigh.
"… I may have suffered battle wounds, but I have no regrets!!" Duval was completely covered in bandages as a result of protecting the ship.
"Yes!! One year to recovery!!" Duval's followers cheered.
"You have a stronger sense of loyalty than I thought… We're in your debt, Duval." Sanji thanked him, surprised by the man's loyalty.
"Hm?! Handsome, you say?! Ahahahaha!! I was merely returning the favor, Young Master!! Oh yes, I struggled through storms and gales and battled the many dastardly pirates who wanted the ship for themselves… Day after terrible day…"
"Onward I fought, swathed in wounds…"
It truly seemed like Duval had suffered a lot to protect the Sunny-Go.
"And the third to arrive was Nami-chan…" Shakky added.
"NNNNAMI-SAAAN!! Where?! Where is she?!" The moment Sanji heard about Nami, he completely forgot Duval's existence.
"She said she was going shopping in town since there was nothing to do here…" said Shakky.
— — — — — — — — — — — —
East Blue, Shimotsuki Town:
"Who did she say arrived first?"
"No way, did I mishear?"
"Zoro? No, something must be wrong."
"There's no way Shakky would make a mistake… Zoro really must have arrived first."
"Hahaha! This is interesting. How did he do it?"
"Who knows? Maybe, just as Sanji said, There really must be some stormy seas ahead…"
"Did he take a wrong turn and accidentally find the shortest route to the Sabaody Archipelago?"
"Enough joking, guys. Obviously, Perona brought him to his destination. We all know it's impossible for Zoro to reach his destination on his own—he'd die at sea before he ever got there."
Shakky personally confirmed that Zoro was the first crew member to reach Shakky's Rip-Off Bar, which caused a huge stir among the readers.
This uproar didn't go unnoticed by Roronoa Arashi, who was reading the manga with a strange expression. He, too, was surprised by his son's ability to arrive first.
"Fufu~ Looks like my dear Zoro found his way faster than the others this time," Tera laughed cheerfully. She was Zoro's mother. At that moment, she was holding a one-year-old baby in her arms—little Zoro!
Arashi's complicated gaze fell on the infant Zoro.
"Who would've thought that, in the future, he'd be this bad at sensing direction? As his parents, we should fix this issue so he doesn't suffer from it later on. Right, dear?"
"I don't care if he's bad at directions—I'll love my son with all his flaws. But as his parents, we'll certainly make sure to raise him well," Tera smiled in response.
Watching this heartwarming family scene, Shimotsuki Furiko smiled gently and continued reading the manga with great focus.
It seemed the story was about to take a drastic turn starting from this arc.
That was Furiko's feeling.
Her older brother, Shimotsuki Ushimaru, was nowhere to be seen. He had already returned to Wano with Shimotsuki Yasuie after failing to convince Shimotsuki Kouzaburo and his family to return to Wano.
...
"That Sanji is so annoying! I don't like him! Hmph! Zoro is way better!"
Still inside the Art Store, a three-year-old girl pouted with a childish expression.
"Isn't that just because Zoro is connected to your future counterpart in the manga?" Tsuna smiled as she said that.
"Sigh~ He hasn't even appeared yet, and he's already causing such an uproar," Koushirou muttered, referring to Zoro.
"Tsk, he threw away his pride as a proud swordsman to ask for directions from his greatest enemy… How disgraceful, how shameful… I'm starting to doubt his ability to take Mihawk's throne as the greatest swordsman," the old man Kouzaburo scoffed.
"Why do you say that, Grandpa?! Zoro isn't weak!" Kuina protested.
"Oh? Since my sweet granddaughter believes he isn't weak, then your grandpa will believe in him too."
Kouzaburo's annoyed expression instantly shifted into a delighted one upon hearing his granddaughter's words.
The parents could only shake their heads in silent understanding.
They were used to this.
Kouzaburo's ultimate weakness was his precious granddaughter!
...
Far Away in the South Blue, Aboard the Oro Jackson:
The atmosphere was just as exciting.
"Zoro arrived first—Is this a joke?"
"Franky being second makes sense…"
"Nami being third is also believable."
"Usopp fourth… Well, that was revealed just a moment ago."
"With Chopper arriving fifth, he's a little late."
"Sanji is sixth. Looks like he suffered a lot with Ivankov and his gang…"
"That only leaves Luffy and Robin. Brook is already on the island—he has a concert to perform, right?"
Roger's Pirates were eager to see the crew reunite and embark on their next adventure. After everything that had happened two years ago, Roger's Pirates deeply sympathized with the Straw Hats, who had been pushed to the brink time and time again.
"But it seems those two years of training made them much sharper than before—especially Luffy," Rayleigh commented with a smile.
"I have high expectations for Zoro and Sanji too," Gaban grinned, adjusting his glasses.
However, after seeing the scene where Sanji suffered a massive nosebleed just from imagining what Nami looked like after two years, Gaban immediately took back his words.
"No, this guy's a lost cause. Spending two years on an Okama island might have done him more harm than good."
"Hahaha! If he gets too much stimulation from beautiful women, he might just die on the spot!" Shanks laughed.
"Haha! Look, even my counterpart is thinking the same thing," Rayleigh chuckled as he saw his counterpart ask Sanji if he was okay.
...
Ohara:
"Look who finally arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago… The most beautiful woman in the world!"
A wide smile spread across Olivia's face as she saw Robin's post-time skip appearance.
After two years, Robin had an even more mature and captivating presence, exuding confidence and calm. She retained her slender yet beautiful figure, but what shocked not only Olivia but every reader was her radiantly fair skin!
Her long black hair was now even silkier, cascading freely down her back, with soft strands framing her face, adding to her air of mystery and charm. The summer sunglasses perched on her head added another layer of allure.
After focusing for a while on Robin's physical changes, Olivia shifted her attention to her outfit.
Robin wore a short-sleeved, open-chested purple blouse paired with a long orange skirt adorned with floral patterns, giving her a stunning look capable of sending Sanji straight into a coma.
"Sigh~ I feel bad for Sanji. In this life, he's Robin's brother~" Gloriosa chuckled.
Not far from the Store Goddesses' Gathering, the children—now a year older—were also reading the manga with excitement.
"Oh, you finally appeared, Robin!"
Yamato cheered, shaking Robin's shoulders.
"Hehe~ My counterpart isn't lucky. Looks like she'll be kidnapped by CP again right after showing up," Robin sighed.
"Huh? Yeah… How did Cipher Pol find Robin so fast?! She looks so different from two years ago," even Hancock was curious.
"Maybe they saw the fake Robin?" Robin thought about it and found it quite possible.
"Oh, that's likely… Since those people had the audacity to impersonate the Straw Hats, they should bear the risks too," Yamato commented enthusiastically.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 881: Luffy's Arrival!
Chapter 882: A Single Glance to Overthrow the Rabble!
Chapter 883: They're Not on the Same Level They Were Two Years Ago!
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