Chapter 352: Straw Hat, Dragon Hunting Party!
At the same time—back aboard the Thousand Sunny.
A familiar group had just arrived.
"Hahaha! Brother!"
The moment Ryuunosuke stepped onto the deck, Luffy shot toward him like a rocket, arms flailing and grin wide.
No matter how strong Luffy got, his energy remained as chaotic as ever—like a Husky on a sugar rush.
Seriously, between Garp and Dragon, who the hell did he inherit this from? There were no Husky genes in that family tree! Was Luffy a genetic anomaly?
"Brother," Ace called out as he walked over with a warm smile.
Truth be told, Ryuunosuke used to find Ace a bit… dense. But when compared to Luffy, Ace might as well be the poster boy for rational behavior.
"It's been a while since we've all been together," Ace continued. "But you went to sea after us and somehow became this strong? You've been training in secret, haven't you?"
Luffy, despite his simplicity, could sense the pressure coming from Ryuunosuke. Even without any Conqueror's Haki being released, the aura was undeniable.
Ryuunosuke just chuckled. "Let's just say the stuff I've had to deal with out at sea… isn't exactly what you'd call normal."
"By the way," Ace added, "didn't you say you had a surprise for us?"
"You'll see when we reach the New World," Ryuunosuke replied, grinning. "First stop—Fishman Island."
"Fishman Island?" Luffy repeated. "But Nami said we'd need a coating to go down there! Otherwise—"
BOOM.
Right on cue, Kun appeared from the sky—his massive form casting a shadow over the ship—then chomped down and swallowed the entire crew in one go.
Darkness.
"Wha—! Brother, we got eaten!!"
"Hahaha!" Luffy laughed, not the least bit panicked.
He couldn't see a thing, but his Observation Haki gave him a decent read of their surroundings. It was dark, but safe.
"This is my crew member—Kun," Ryuunosuke explained. "With him, we don't need coating. He takes us straight to the deep sea, nice and easy."
As he spoke, soft blue lights flared up, illuminating the vast interior of the Ship of Gods—the space within Kun's body.
Even with two full ships docked inside, there was plenty of room. It was like being in a floating palace.
"Let's have a party!" Ryuunosuke said cheerfully. "It'll take a while to get to Fishman Island. Najenda—set things up."
In no time, delicious food and barrels of fine wine were rolling in.
Naturally, the banquet was held aboard the Ship of Gods—no offense to the Thousand Sunny, but it was too small for Ryuunosuke's style.
"MEAT!!"
"SAKE!!"
"I'll help!" Sanji volunteered enthusiastically, already tying on an apron.
…Meanwhile, everyone else just waited to eat.
---
On the side deck, Nojiko approached Nami with a gentle smile.
"Nami, how have you been lately?"
"Not bad," Nami replied, her tone unusually calm. "I've grown a lot—stronger, smarter. But... why are you out at sea too? And as the navigator of the Dragon Hunter Pirates?"
The question hung in the air.
Nojiko hesitated. She still hadn't figured out how to explain everything—not the part about the King, or her rapid rise in the pirate world. So Nami remained in the dark.
She only knew that her sister had joined the most famous crew sailing the Grand Line.
And not just as a combatant—as their navigator.
Even top-tier fighters like Enel and Hawkins were relegated to squad leader roles. But Nojiko? Straight to the helm.
Sure, she could sense weather patterns—but she didn't have Nami's raw talent for drawing sea charts. In Nami's eyes, that didn't add up.
"The captain and I met at sea," Nojiko said, launching into a condensed version of her adventures.
Nami's response was immediate—and predictable.
"Sis… the Dragon Hunter Pirates must be loaded, right?" Her eyes sparkled like Berries.
She didn't care about the how or why anymore. If her sister was safe and rich, everything else could wait.
"Money?" Nojiko laughed nervously. "That's all handled by Captain Najenda, the First Division's leader. I haven't seen them looting anything, so I guess… yeah. They must be rich."
That wasn't a lie.
Nojiko had no clue where the money came from, but considering the feast-sized portions the crew regularly devoured, they were definitely not poor.
Before joining, she thought her appetite was huge. But after watching these monsters eat, she realized she was just a snack in comparison.
---
"That sounds amazing. Meanwhile, we—the Straw Hats—are broke," Nami groaned. "We don't make money. We burn it. Especially Luffy. That guy alone eats half our budget…"
She held her head in defeat.
A voice floated in. "Nami, are the Straw Hats short on funds?"
"Yes! I swear, the money I saved just—"
"Brother Ryuunosuke!?!"
Nami froze. That voice belonged to someone she'd met long ago.
Back in the East Blue, Nami had boarded Ryuunosuke's ship briefly. Back then, everyone in Cocoyashi Village feared him—called him a demon, a monster, a walking disaster.
But in hindsight… he'd just been passing through.
Now, thinking about it—if she'd joined him back then, she might've had all the treasure in the world.
But… she also wouldn't have met the idiots she now called crewmates.
Yes, they were stupid. Yes, they were broke. But they were her idiots.
Her smile softened.
---
"Najenda," Ryuunosuke said, raising a sake cup. "When we part ways with the Straw Hats, give them some money. Luffy looks like he's been starving for days!"
He burst into laughter.
Luffy, still chewing meat with chipmunk cheeks, looked up confused. "Brother, that's not—"
WHAM!
Before he could finish, Nami appeared behind him like a thunderbolt and punched him into the deck.
"Thank you, Brother Ryuunosuke," she said sweetly, eyes gleaming. "This is just what we needed."
She turned to glare at the others, eyes glowing with a quiet threat.
In an instant, Zoro, Chopper, Usopp, and the rest all nodded frantically.
Even if Luffy was their captain—Nami was the real boss when it came to finances.
No one wanted to test her wrath.
---
"Najenda-saaaan~!"
"Akame-chaaan~!"
"Nojiko-saaaan~!"
Sanji zipped through the banquet like a love-struck waiter, delivering food, drinks, and flirty remarks. The man had fully entered "simp mode."
But oddly enough, it worked.
For now, all was well aboard the Ship of Gods.
Sanji's dream was simple.
Food, women, and a peaceful moment like this—he didn't need anything more.
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