Regaining consciousness, Luffy stood still for a long moment, dazed. Nami and Chopper picked themselves up from the ground. Nami hesitated, her voice tentative as she spoke.
"L-Luffy?"
Luffy turned his head and called out to Nami. That familiar tone confirmed for her that the person standing before them was indeed the Luffy they knew.
Overwhelmed with joy, Nami burst into tears. Chopper, on the other hand, leaped straight into Luffy's arms, clinging to his neck while sobbing and calling his name.
It was only then that Lindbergh snapped out of his shock, exclaiming in disbelief,
"He actually defeated Joy Boy?!"
Luffy was gently patting the teary-eyed Chopper when he heard Lindbergh's voice. Turning his head, he said,
"Uncle Lind, I'm really hungry. Can you get me something to eat?"
Lindbergh stiffly nodded, but before he could move, Nami had already rushed over with a large pile of food. She stacked it in front of Luffy, her face beaming with joy.
"Eat up, Luffy! If it's not enough, I'll get more!"
Luffy grinned widely before sitting cross-legged on the ground and devouring the food in his usual manner. Seeing this, Nami's face lit up with relief and happiness.
Lindbergh approached, concern evident in his voice.
"Luffy, you haven't eaten for a long time. You should start with something light, like porridge."
Luffy ignored the suggestion entirely, tearing off a huge chunk of meat. Without caring that it had just been taken out of the fridge, he chewed a few times before swallowing it whole.
Chopper rested his chin on his hoof, chuckling.
"Don't worry, Uncle Lind. Luffy's always been like this. This is the Luffy we know!"
Still feeling guilty for his inaction earlier, Lindbergh didn't press the issue further. He simply stood by and watched Luffy eat.
Before long, Luffy had devoured every last bit of food in front of him. He took the water Nami handed him, gulped it down, and then patted his now-round stomach with satisfaction.
"That was great! If only Sanji had made it..."
Mid-sentence, Luffy's expression froze for a moment before he quickly changed the subject.
"Where are we now?"
Lindbergh responded,
"We haven't left the East Blue yet. Right now, a Fleet Admiral is also in the East Blue. His perception is incredibly strong, and we still don't know his exact range. If we move too fast, I'm afraid we'll alert him. Unless... you can use that straw hat again like last time."
Hearing this, Luffy frowned slightly. He took off the straw hat from his back and examined it for a moment before saying,
"But I don't know how to use it."
Lindbergh couldn't help but ask,
"J-Joy Boy didn't tell you? Is he still inside you?"
Luffy answered,
"He told me that this straw hat has always belonged to me and that I can use it whenever I want. I just haven't figured out how. And after what just happened, he's stopped responding. I don't want to talk to him anymore, either."
Nami nodded vigorously and said,
"That's right, Luffy! That Joy Boy was trying to take over your body. You can't let him do that! Your body is yours alone!"
Chopper chimed in,
"Yeah, yeah! That guy's definitely bad news! Taking over someone's body is just evil!"
Luffy chuckled before slowly standing up. The next moment, white flame-like clouds floated behind him as he instantly entered his Nika form.
Nami and the others were startled, instinctively stepping back while watching Luffy warily. But Luffy simply covered his face and burst into laughter. As the sound of the Drums of Liberation echoed, his round stomach quickly returned to normal.
His expression sobered as he clenched his fists, feeling the immense power coursing through him. He murmured to himself,
"Now... this power truly belongs to me."
Lindbergh was the first to react, exclaiming,
"Luffy, you can control it now?!"
Nami and Chopper both looked at Luffy in surprise. After a moment of silence, Luffy slowly nodded and said,
"Yeah. It's thanks to Grandpa. That punch of his is etched into my heart."
Nami and Chopper immediately asked in unison,
"So now... are you stronger than that Fleet Admiral?"
Luffy fell silent at the question. And that silence was an answer in itself.
He sighed and said,
"Unfortunately, I've only just begun to grasp this power. If I were to face that Fleet Admiral again, I'd barely be able to protect myself. Reaching his level will take more time."
As he spoke, his expression wavered slightly. Even someone as fearless as Luffy felt a bit uneasy when thinking about the Fleet Admiral's overwhelming strength.
Every battle with him had left an unforgettable mark.
And each time... a crewmate had died.
Even so, Nami still smiled brightly. She wrapped her arms around Luffy's, saying,
"You're already amazing, Luffy. I know you'll beat that Fleet Admiral someday!"
Chopper raised his small hoof in the air, cheering Luffy on.
Seeing their encouragement, Luffy smiled once more. He then deactivated his Nika form and asked,
"Thanks, everyone. By the way, how's Brook? I haven't seen him."
Chopper waved his hoof dismissively.
"Brook's pretty badly injured. He shouldn't move too much for now. But don't worry, after a few more days of drinking milk, he should be fine."
Lindbergh hesitated before speaking, looking troubled.
"Uh... actually, we're running low on milk. At the rate Brook drinks it, it'll last maybe three more days."
"Nani?!"
"And it's not just the milk. The submarine's other supplies are almost depleted. In about two weeks, we'll have to surface and restock."
Lindbergh glanced at the food scraps on the floor and muttered under his breath,
"Honestly, we could've stretched it to a month... but I didn't expect Luffy to eat so much in one go."
Luffy blinked, unbothered. Scratching his head, he laughed heartily.
"That's a real headache..."
Lindbergh shrugged and said,
"That's why I plan to send Hack to scout ahead first. Since he's a Fish-Man, he can move freely. Once he confirms it's safe, we'll surface and gather supplies."
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+210 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg