Chapter 139: Reactions from All Sides
West Blue, Ohara Island, Tree of Omniscience Library
A slender figure burst into the library director's office.
"Dr. Clover! Have you seen today's newspaper?"
Robin, still clad in a brown sleeveless vest, stormed into the office, a newspaper held aloft in her hand, her breath coming in short gasps.
In the office, Dr. Clover, his distinctive clover hairstyle neatly combed, sat behind a wooden desk, a copy of the latest newspaper in his hands.
"I've seen it. There's no need for such excitement, Robin," Dr. Clover remarked casually. "I knew when Adrian arrived in Ohara that he would never be satisfied with being ordinary…"
"Adrian is a hero! He beat up a Celestial Dragon!" Robin waved the newspaper in her hand, her face alight with an exaggerated and excited smile. "The Celestial Dragons are so wicked! Adrian is a hero!"
Dr. Clover stroked his fluffy green beard, a hint of jealousy in his eyes. "While beating up a Celestial Dragon is undoubtedly satisfying… Adrian is not deserving of your admiration, Robin. He's a pirate now."
"Hmph! I don't care what kind of person big brother Adrian is!" Little Robin clutched the newspaper to her chest, stuck her tongue out at Dr. Clover, and bounced out of the doctor's office. "Today, I'm definitely going to teach little Perona how to pronounce big brother Adrian's name correctly! It's truly amazing!"
...
North Blue, Sreed Island, Central Tower.
A tall figure, draped in a pink feathered coat, stood at the top of the tower, a newspaper clutched tightly in his hand. The prominent veins on the back of his hand betrayed the owner's excitement.
"Fufufufu… Celestial Dragon? An Admiral? Truly amazing, Adrian!"
The unrestrained and unique laughter, carried by the strong wind, echoed far from the top of the tower.
"Doflamingo, did you spot something interesting?" A man, cloaked in blue and covered in white, squirming slime, approached with curiosity. "Are we heading to Spider Town now?"
"No! The plan has changed!" Doflamingo turned around, his unmistakable smile still in place.
Trebol leaned in and asked, "What happened?"
"Didn't you see the news, Trebol?" Doflamingo raised his right hand and thrust the newspaper into Trebol's arms. "See for yourself!"
"The White Ghost publicly tortured a Celestial Dragon in the Sabaody Archipelago?" Trebol's voice echoed after a moment, filled with disbelief. "And he even fought a Marine admiral head-on without losing? A bounty of six hundred and sixty million berries?!"
"Fufufufu…" A deep-seated hatred flashed in Doflamingo's eyes. "Adrian has done something I've always dreamed of! The trash in the Holy Land will finally understand that there are still true powerhouses in this ocean who don't care about their status!"
"Trebol, call Pica, Diamante, and Virgo. Prepare yourselves, the Donquixote Family will be holding a grand banquet tonight, the largest in our history! A toast to that fool, Rosward!"
Shimotsuki Village
East Blue, Shimotsuki Village.
Inside the Isshin Dojo, children were swinging wooden swords and sweating profusely as they went through their daily training, their crisp shouts echoing continuously.
Shimotsuki Koushirou, sporting black-framed glasses and a ponytail, held a newspaper in his hand. His eyes narrowed slightly, his emotions surging like a stormy sea.
"White Ghost? Evil Swordsman?" Koushirou mused to himself. "Momoya, what other identities have you not yet revealed?"
"He just arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago and stirred a wave. Was it right for me to entrust my father's legacy to him? Will it bring unnecessary trouble to the Wano Kingdom…?"
"Koushirou, what are you looking at?" Machiko, now with a flat stomach, emerged from the house with a white cloth wrapped around her head. She helped a child who had accidentally fallen to his feet. She looked at her husband with some reproach. "You didn't even notice that Light fell."
"Machiko, why did you come out?" Koushirou's expression was tense. "The doctor told you to stay in the house more."
"I've been cooped up in the house for half a month since Kuina was born. I'm almost going stir-crazy." Machiko lifted her bangs. "The weather is so nice today, how could I not come out to bask in the sun?"
Koushirou folded the newspaper and tucked it under his arm. The news of the White Ghost or the Evil Swordsman was not suitable for his wife to know at this time.
If Machiko knew that the polite and diligent swordsman who came to Isshin Dojo to study had now transformed into a notorious pirate with a bounty of over six hundred million berries, it might shock her.
Koushiro smiled warmly, and he reached out with his other hand to gently put his arm around his wife's shoulder. They walked into the house together.
…
In the South Blue, on Baterilla Island, at a villa on the west coast of the cliff.
Portgas D. Rouge sat in a softwood chair in the backyard, her slender hands resting on her belly.
At this time, her belly was already bulging high. The doctor estimated that her due date might be within the next one or two months.
At this time, no one in the outside world knew that after such a close search, the blood of the Pirate King Roger was about to be born in the first month of the coming year!
In the villa's living room.
Garp, whose hair had turned white, held a doughnut in one hand and a newspaper in the other, laughing seemingly carefree.
"Puhahahahahaha! Did that little ghost beat up the Celestial Dragon? Even Sengoku couldn't take him down, it seems that this little ghost is really strong!"
…
West Blue, Kano Kingdom.
"Selling abalones, fresh abalones for sale!"
Dressed in a straw hat, shorts, and a floral shirt, Cao Renqi blended in seamlessly among a group of fishermen.
As the first beta tester to have a close encounter with Big Trouble, his role shouldn't have been limited to just selling abalones at the dock. However, due to his laid-back attitude and a desire to savor the game's vibrant world, he remained inconspicuous.
Moreover, after the completion of Adrian's Four Seas Expedition, many players had already interacted with him. Cao Renqi's once famous nickname, "One-Step Quick Man," had become a thing of the past.
The now "has-been internet celebrity" Cao Renqi focused on selling abalones while simultaneously keeping an eye on the forum.
At this moment, a newly posted thread on the West Blue section of the official forum instantly gained attention and was pinned as a top post.
The title read, "World News Front Page Headline! Latest Information on White Ghost!"
Even though it had been a while since he appeared in front of players, the former "Mysterious Merchant," "Career Guide," and "Peerless Swordsman,"…
The image of Big Trouble in the hearts of the players has been like a tall and strong mountain!
When he clicked on the title, he saw a full-face, high-definition world news headline. The most eye-catching part of the headline was a portrait that made him involuntarily lose his mind slightly.
In the midst of a sea of flames, a figure whose face could not be seen was leisurely fishing, and on the other end of the fishing line was a middle-aged fat man with a pig-like face and charred body. The three big characters [Tenryubito] were specially marked in red next to him.
A few comments popped up below.
"Big Trouble is also a fisherman now? This must be a giant weighing several hundred pounds!"
"I don't understand, but it looks very stylish."
"Can anyone explain what Tenryubito is?"
"Tenryubito is 'You didn't bring your eyes to read the newspaper!'"
"Where is Sabaody Archipelago? Has anyone been there?"
"According to my knowledge, there are currently no players in the Grand Line. At the beginning of the game, you are directly thrown into the sea. With our initial level and attributes, there is only one outcome: death."
"Don't derail the topic, okay? I want to know when Big Trouble will be back to do with me."
"Please add the word 'business' as well!"
Looking at the chaotic comment section, Cao Renqi also silently replied:
"Big Trouble, a high-quality male NPC, you deserve him."
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Thank you everyone for commenting and encouraging me.
Thanks to dragonNEET2567 for correcting me and sending really amazing GIFS.
If it wasn't for this occasional gamers insertion, i wouldn't remember that it was a game world.