"Everyone, we're here!" Pappag jumped onto the ship's bow and pointed ahead. "This is the Sabaody Archipelago."
"So beautiful!"
"Look, there are bubbles floating in the sky!"
"It feels so dreamy."
Everyone immediately gathered to take in the distant scenery, their faces lighting up with excitement.
"So, was the trip worth it~?" Pappag chuckled.
"Absolutely."
"Just head through that entrance up ahead," Hachi said, pointing to a gap in the distance.
Hearing this, Merry glanced to the side before steering the pirate ship toward it.
Soon, the Thousand Sunny entered the Sabaody Archipelago, navigating through the branching waterways.
"There are so many bubbles in the sky."
"Camie, how does this happen?" Merry asked curiously. "Is someone blowing them?"
"Nope~"
Camie raised a finger. "It's because of the island's unique structure."
"Exactly," Pappag continued. "The trees here secrete a special resin that forms bubbles under certain conditions."
Bubble Meiser stroked his chin. "So the coating you mentioned earlier... it's made from this stuff?"
"Pretty much," Hachi nodded. "But you have to collect highly concentrated red tree resin from the roots. Only then can you make bubbles strong enough to ensure safety."
"Sailing underwater is no small matter—you can't cut corners."
By the end, Hachi's expression was deadly serious.
If the ship's coating failed, everyone aboard would perish in the deep sea.
The water pressure at 10,000 meters below the surface was enough to crush a human instantly.
"I see. So we'll need to find a skilled coating craftsman."
"Don't worry, I know just the person!" Hachi grinned. "I'll have him handle the coating for you."
Luffy nodded. "Then we're counting on you."
This concerned the survival of their entire pirate crew—there was no room for carelessness.
"Resin..."
Meiser narrowed his eyes, studying the massive trees around them, wondering if this stuff could be used in conjunction with Water Release.
"By the way, has the Log Pose changed?" Nico Robin suddenly asked.
"Let me check."
Nami glanced at the Log Pose in her hand and shook her head. "No change at all..."
Sanji raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"
"Because this isn't an island," Hachi explained. "The Sabaody Archipelago is made up of 79 giant red trees, so there's no magnetic field to speak of."
"No magnetism?"
"What a strange place," Sanji mused.
"Look! There are bridges between the trees!"
Watching Chopper's excited outburst, Hachi laughed. "Since these giant trees are all separate, each one is like a small island. Naturally, they need bridges to connect them."
"Where should we dock?"
"Right now, we're at Grove 44—this is a civilian area. You're pirates, so it's not safe to stay here." Hachi pointed ahead. "Let's head further in."
If we stay here, we might get spotted by the Marines, so it's better to go inside.
"Speaking of which... why are your bounties so high?" Hachi asked, looking at Luffy.
"Well," Luffy grinned, showing his teeth. "Because we're just that strong!!"
Hachi:
Of course he knew they were strong, but there had to be a reason.
"Probably... because we raided the World Government's Enies Lobby," Usopp said.
Except for Luffy and Zoro, all their wanted posters had come from that incident.
"Raided... Enies Lobby?!"
Hachi stared at Usopp in disbelief. If he remembered correctly, that place was one of the World Government's most important facilities.
Even he had only heard rumors about it.
And the Straw Hat Pirates... actually raided it?
"You guys are insane..."
"Ahahaha, I think so too!" Usopp laughed heartily.
"Wanted posters..."
Chopper crouched on the ground sulkily, drawing circles in the dirt with his finger.
"Don't lose heart, Chopper. It'll go up next time," Merry comforted him. "Look, I don't even have a bounty."
"Merry..."
Chopper looked at Merry with teary eyes. His crewmates really knew how to cheer him up!
Watching the two little ones comforting each other, Nami sighed quietly.
"What's so great about bounties anyway..."
If possible, she'd rather have Chopper's bounty transferred to her.
That way, even if bounty hunters came after her, she could buy her way out.
At most, it would cost double the amount!
Well, just the price of one newspaper.
"How much are your bounties?" Camie asked curiously.
"Oh, about over a billion."
"Eh?!!"
Camie gaped at Meiser, her eyes bulging in shock. "O-over a billion?!"
That number genuinely stunned her. She'd never seen that much money in her life.
"It's really that much?"
Pappag also stared at Meiser in amazement. No wonder he was so confident... with such an astronomical bounty, his strength must be terrifying!
"Yeah, don't you read the papers?"
"Not really..."
"I see." Meiser nodded understandingly.
Thinking about it, their wanted posters had only been out for less than two weeks.
It made sense they wouldn't know, since... they weren't bounty hunters.
Looking at the Straw Hat Pirates' confident smiles, Hachi couldn't help but reflect. When they'd fought before, the crew hadn't even had bounties.
Yet in such a short time, they'd become this formidable... they truly were extraordinary.
Soon, under Merry's control, the Thousand Sunny successfully docked at Grove 41's landing point.
After dropping anchor, everyone stepped onto the massive Sabaody Archipelago!
"Everyone, don't forget the numbers here," Hachi reminded them. "As you saw earlier, the groves are connected by bridges. Just remember the numbers and you won't get lost."
"Get lost..."
The group exchanged glances before unanimously turning to look at Zoro, who had jumped off the ship last.
"Even so, someone would probably still get lost."
"Definitely."
"Huh?"
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Zoro's completely oblivious expression, Chopper and Usopp sighed quietly.
"Hey, what's with you guys?!"
Why did these two sigh after just one look at him? Was there something wrong with him?
"It seems this guy still doesn't realize the severity of the situation."
"Absolutely."
"Hahahaha!"
Zoro was speechless, having no idea what they were laughing about.
Shaking his head, Zoro turned to Hachi and asked, "Where is that person?"
"If it's too far, I'll stay behind to watch the ship."
"Don't worry, the ship will be safe here," Hachi replied. "At least for a short while, nothing will happen."
"We'll come back once we find the person."
Although there were many lawless areas in Sabaody Archipelago... this time, they had chosen Grove 41, which was a civilian zone. It was unlikely that any reckless pirates would cause trouble here.
So the Straw Hat Pirates' ship would be perfectly safe.
"With Merry here, it's fine even if someone tries to steal our ship," Meiser said.
"True. Speaking of which, Merry has this ability to spiritually connect with pirate ships, allowing her to summon the ship from a distance," Usopp mused, stroking his chin. "We just never had the chance to use it before."
"Huh?"
Zoro gave Usopp a puzzled look. How come he didn't know about this?
But if Merry really had such an ability, that was even better.
"A Ship Spirit can do that too...?"
Hachi stared at Merry in shock. This legendary being truly exceeded his expectations.
"I'm really amazing, you know!"
Merry lifted her chin proudly, her expression full of confidence.
"That's right, our Merry is incredible~"
"Hahahaha!"
Listening to her crewmates' praise, Merry giggled happily.
"Hey, look over there! There's a huge amusement park!!" Luffy pointed into the distance. "Let's go on the Ferris wheel, okay?"
"Huh?"
Hearing Luffy's shout, Usopp instinctively looked up and immediately spotted Luffy perched high above.
"Hey, when did you climb up so high?!"
"This guy jumped all the way up by stepping on the bubbles," Meiser said, watching Luffy from below.
"Those bubbles are sturdier than I thought..."
"Hey, everyone, let's go to the amusement park!" Chopper exclaimed excitedly. "Can we?!"
"What's an amusement park?" Merry asked curiously.
"I heard it's a super fun place with lots of games!"
"Really? Then I want to go too!"
Merry's eyes sparkled with excitement. She had never been to such a place before.
"That's Sabaody Park," Camie explained. "It's a famous amusement area here."
"Really? Do they have a Ferris wheel?"
"They do." Camie nodded, then added with a complicated expression, "I've always dreamed of riding it."
"Dream... dreamed?"
Chopper looked at Camie in confusion, unsure why she would say such a thing.
Going to an amusement park... Why is that a dream?
Shouldn't such a place be somewhere you can go whenever you want?
"Idiot, don't be silly, Camie," Pappag quickly interjected. "Don't forget what we are."
"Ah... I know..."
"
Camie's mood visibly darkened as she walked forward without another word.
"What's wrong...?"
"Can't we go even if we want to?"
Chopper and Merry exchanged puzzled glances at Camie's retreating figure, their hearts filled with confusion.
But seeing her so downcast, they couldn't bring themselves to ask what was going on.
Just then, the bubble beneath Luffy's feet suddenly burst, sending him plummeting from the highest point.
"Ah!!"
"Thud!"
He crashed hard into the ground, leaving a crater in his wake.
"Huh?!"
"Are you okay, Luffy?!"
"Don't worry, Camie," Nami said. "This guy's a Rubber Man—he can't die from a fall."
As if to prove Nami's words, Luffy crawled out of the crater, laughing heartily. "Ahahaha, that was fun!"
"He's really unharmed..."
Camie stared at Luffy in shock. He fell from such a height and wasn't hurt at all?
A Rubber Man... A Devil Fruit Ability User?
"How did you fall?"
"The bubble under my feet suddenly popped."
After adjusting his hat, Luffy looked up at the height he'd fallen from. "No idea why it burst, though."
He hadn't done anything reckless—so why had the bubble exploded?
"You went beyond the range of Sabaody Archipelago," Hachi explained as he approached. "These bubbles rely on the archipelago's environment. Once you leave its range, they burst."
"They burst?" Luffy said. "Guess I ran up to the treetops."
"If these bubbles depend on the local environment, then the Coating..."
Franky trailed off, but Hachi understood his concern.
"Don't worry, Coating bubbles won't have that problem," Hachi reassured. "As long as the Coating Craftsman's skill is refined enough, even if you leave this range underwater, the bubble won't burst."
"I see, got it."
Franky nodded, saying nothing more.
"Everyone, we're about to enter town," Hachi said, glancing at the distant buildings. "Before we do, I need you to promise me one thing."
"What is it?"
"Once inside, you might encounter the World Nobles. Under no circumstances should you provoke them."
"World Nobles?"
A question mark popped up over Luffy's head as he landed. What the heck were World Nobles?
"They're the residents of the Holy Land Mariejois," Nico Robin said.
As she spoke of them, Robin's expression grew visibly grave, causing the crew to frown.
Clearly, anyone who could make Robin react like this was no ordinary figure.
"World Nobles..."
Meiser furrowed his brow, immediately recalling what Pappag had mentioned earlier—that slave trading was legal here.
Could they be connected?
"That's right, the World Nobles!" Hachi said with a stern expression. "You must promise me—no matter what you see in town, do not clash with them!"
"No matter... what happens?"
"Right!"
"Let me say it again!"
"No matter what happens, do not provoke them!"
"Even if... someone is killed right in front of you, pretend you didn't see it!"
Listening to Hachi's words, Merry and Chopper were visibly shaken.
"Is it really that serious...?"
"Yes!"
"So you must promise me this, okay?"
Seeing how grave Hachi's expression was, Meiser asked curiously, "What happens if someone provokes the World Nobles?"
"If anyone harms a World Noble, a Marine Admiral will be dispatched to eliminate them."
"A Marine Admiral?"
Meiser was surprised, clearly not expecting Marine Admirals to act as bodyguards for these so-called World Nobles.
Would people of that caliber really willingly do such things?
"Yes, a Marine Admiral!" Hachi said solemnly. "So please, remember what I've told you."
"An Admiral, huh..."
Luffy's expression darkened. If someone like that were to come after them, his crew would be in danger.
"Is it Aokiji?"
"Not necessarily." Hachi replied. "It could be Kizaru, Akainu, or Aokiji."
"But no matter which one it is, they're all trouble."
After all... they're Marine Admirals.
Luffy fell silent for a moment before nodding. "Alright, I understand."
"As long as they don't provoke us first, we won't do anything."
If the other side didn't start trouble, they naturally wouldn't cause any problems for Hachi either.
But if those so-called World Nobles dared to attack the Straw Hat Pirates... even if an Admiral showed up, they wouldn't just sit back and take it!
Hearing this, Hachi nodded with a relieved smile. "Good... then let's get going."
"I'll take you to your destination!"
"Alright!"