Chapter 124 - Journey To The Drum Kingdom.

[Chapter Size: 2389 Words.]

Third Person POV

Somewhere Sea, First Half of Grandline.

...

...

While the Black Pearl sailed from Little Garden towards the Drum Kingdom, tension hung in the air. In a room beneath a casino located in the Kingdom of Alabasta, specifically in Rain Base, a few days before the current events, a charged atmosphere permeated.

A man dressed in a suit and holding a cigar, identified as Crocodile, was visibly tense. In the room, he confronted a subordinate, seeking information about the whereabouts of the team sent on what seemed to be a simple mission.

"Any news from them?" Crocodile questioned with a furrowed brow, his tone revealing frustration.

"No, Mr. Crocodile. So far, we haven't received any news from them," the subordinate replied.

"How can this be happening? The entire team vanished? Whisky Peak doesn't respond to our calls, and the fleet with over 600 men also disappeared?!" Crocodile expressed his anger, believing that Luffy's bounty was justified for the supposed murder of a king and marines as the pirate attacked bases in that weak sea or his connection to the world's most wanted man.

Faced with the situation, Mr. 1, another subordinate of Crocodile, suggested immediate action: "What should we do? Should I go there to check?"

Crocodile refused, revealing that the plan was almost ready for execution and ordered an investigation into Whisky Peak. "Send a team. I want to know exactly what happened there and the fate of our agents," Crocodile instructed.

After Mr. 1 left, Crocodile, now alone, expressed his deeper concern. "I don't care about the others, but Nico Robin is a crucial piece in my plan! I need to know what happened and capture her again," he spoke in a somber tone, directing his attention to a drawer. There, he pulled out a specific communication device.

Upon activating the den den mushi, a series of characteristic clicks and crackles filled the air.

*PERO PERO PERO KATCHA!*

"Hello, I've reconsidered, and I believe I'll need the help of the vice admiral in Alabasta," said Crocodile and hung up the den den mushi.

"I need to accelerate my plan, but I have to be careful with the vice admiral here... But that doesn't matter. I'll have my chance to get Miss All Sunday and become king once we get rid of these little pirates!" Crocodile concluded his thoughts while observing one of his aquariums, glimpsing the future he eagerly sought to conquer and the weapon he would finally have in his hands.

'So I'll get my revenge on you, Whitebeard...!' He thought about his revenge.

In the Grand Line, the Black Pearl cut through the waters, sailing for two days after leaving Little Garden towards the Eternal Log of the Drum Kingdom. They were already entering icy waters with snow falling constantly, prompting them to replace their traditional clothes with warmer ones to be more comfortable, except for Luffy, as he could easily warm his body.

In the training room, Reiju expressed her frustration. "Still no results..."

Luffy, alongside his companions, responded optimistically. "That's how it goes, as I've said, it takes years to master this ability. But I'm sure you guys are starting to develop. I'm in the same progress." Luffy was determined to train his companions, using machines that launched attacks while they had their eyes closed. The goal was to sharpen their senses to develop Observation Haki and try to manifest Armament Haki at the same time.

Internally, Luffy acknowledged the difficulty of the process. "This is really hard. I've started to feel a small trace of my internal energy now. The path is really long." He understood that learning Haki was not an easy task but believed that they would soon see the first results.

Reflecting on the nature of this internal energy, Luffy murmured to himself. "Internal energy, willpower, life force, or spiritual strength, it's something very complex, so many names for something inside you..."

Luffy's concentration was interrupted by an enthusiastic voice. "Hahahahaha! I'm getting stronger, aren't I, Broggy?" The giants were engaged in intense training in the designated area with their size reduced to 10% of their actual size.

"It's true, Dorry, I feel myself getting stronger!" The training covered the Six Styles, but initially, Luffy was focused on preparing his crew's bodies with a series of physical exercises, just as he did with everyone in his crew. Vivi and Robin, although not showing visible results yet, were equally committed to strengthening their bodies.

Once again, Luffy's train of thought was interrupted by red lights.

*Alert* *Alert* *Alert* *Alert*

Just as Luffy was about to instruct everyone, coming out of the Haki training, a siren echoed in the room, indicating the approach of another ship or a nearby enemy while everyone was inside this room, activating the security system of the Black Pearl.

"A ship attacking us?" exclaimed Kuina, removing her blindfold.

"I don't know. Let's see who it is," commented Luffy as he left the training room.

Everyone headed to the deck, and the first thing they noticed was that at a certain distance, there was a man standing on the water in front of the ship.

"Hey, is this real?" Zoro was stunned.

"It shouldn't be, but that doesn't change the fact that the man is really floating on the sea," Alvida said calmly.

"It's a neat trick," commented Robin analytically.

Snow fell throughout the region as everyone looked curiously at this man; he wore a jester costume and had a goofy face.

"It's cold today, isn't it?" said the man suddenly with his twisted lips and a very peculiar voice.

"Karoo!"

"Sharky!"

"Scary!" Shirahoshi became frightened.

"This guy...!" Even Usopp was tense.

"Come on, you idiot, stop asking weird questions. I know there's a ship below you... Aren't you guys coming out?" Luffy said as he crossed his arms quickly.

"Wait? This man is on top of a ship?"

"Hm? How do you know?" said the man with twisted lips somewhat bewildered.

The varied expressions of the crew members reflected surprise, tension, and curiosity in the face of the unusual scene.

The tension on the deck increased as the water suddenly rose below the man, and the oval base projected out of the sea like a fortress.

"What is this?!"

"Is that a ship?"

Perplexity and surprise were written on the faces of the crew members, some shouting in shock. The isolated base with metal began to open, revealing a ship inside the protection.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! DID YOU GET SCARED? SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MY GREAT SURPRISE ATTACK!? THIS IS THE GLORIOUS BLINK!" A shrill voice echoed through the place, and a fat man with an iron mouth appeared in front of the ship, sporting a smile as he pronounced these words.

The peculiar design of the ship, with wheels for movement and a mast shaped like a hippo with a crown, only added to the oddity of the situation.

The crew members, including the giants, were momentarily paralyzed, processing what they were witnessing. Expressions ranged from surprise to disbelief.

"A ship that can hide inside the water is really impressive, although it's quite ugly for my taste." Luffy commented, breaking the brief pause. The unique ability of the ship, combined with the extravagant behavior of its captain, left everyone intrigued.

"Ah, if it isn't some pirates?? You seem like an impressive group, more than 20 people," taunted Wapol, feeling secure on his ship and watching the unknown group with interest.

The strange ship displaying the flag of a kingdom only increased the complexity of the situation, and the looks among the crew members indicated that they were preparing for what would come next.

"Is this the Drum Kingdom?!" Nojiko exclaimed, surprised.

"Do you have an Eternal Pose to the Drum Kingdom?" He continued speaking, but his words were ignored by Luffy, who answered Nojiko's question, despite the obvious.

"It's them, and to think they would attack us here? This is the king who fled from his kingdom, what a surprise..." Luffy commented, identifying the ship as the one Wapol used to escape when Teach attacked the Drum Kingdom.

"Do you know me? Wait, are you saying I fled?!" The man growled.

"Yes, you fatty, I said you fled like a coward and useless as you are." Luffy wouldn't refrain from expressing his thoughts on this man; he was a coward who created tyranny among his people and destroyed the country that produced the best medicines in this sea.

"How dare you be so bold, commoner! King Wapol is a king of a kingdom!"

"That's because you don't seem to know me; I've already killed a king, so I'm a regicide by nature..." Luffy commented, but he wouldn't fight this time.

The eyes of everyone on the crew, including the giants, turned to Luffy, awaiting his orders, aware that a confrontation was imminent.

"Chouchou, Nojiko, do you want to go?" Luffy asked the dog.

"Woof Woof!" Chouchou barked, expressing his readiness to face any challenges that lay ahead. 

"Yes," Nojiko spoke.

"Just don't destroy the ship, so don't go into the final phase or avoid using too much destructive power, just get rid of them, whether they stay alive or not, but I want the king dead; there must be some hostages inside the ship, we'll need them." Luffy announced, and Chouchou barked in confirmation.

Chouchou, Luffy's loyal Zoan dog, growled, while Nojiko prepared to showcase her explosive fruit abilities. Wapol's expression changed from confident to somewhat surprised as this group took the initiative to attack.

Jumping through the air with Geppo, Chouchou attacked, while Nojiko exploded the ground beneath her, causing her body to fly towards the ship. "Hm?! What is this?"

"Do you really think you can face us? I am a king, after all!" Wapol shouted, trying to regain his composure. "A dog? Kill the mutt and that woman!" Seeing the dog and the girl flying towards him, Wapol gave the order, despite being stunned to see the dog and the girl almost flying.

As they reached Wapol's ship, they were greeted by shots from the subordinates, while the two commanders in service to this king also attacked. Chouchou took his first form, not transforming into the final phase; his white fur turned red, and he doubled in size with three heads.

"Hey, hey! What is this dog?! Shoot!" said a soldier, but he was disintegrated by a lightning bolt the next moment from one of Chouchou's heads. "The woman is too strong! *BOOM!* Before another could finish the sentence, Nojiko began exploding the soldiers.

Chouchou and Nojiko, armed with determination, were chosen to confront Wapol and retrieve the hostages on the ship. The battle was intense, with Chouchou displaying his powerful Mythical Zoan form in phase 1 and Nojiko controlling the explosions strategically.

The fight continued with Chouchou launching elements from the three heads and eliminating anyone attempting to shoot with rifles, while Nojiko dodged enemy shots and retaliated with controlled explosions. Wapol, initially confident, began to realize that he was losing control of the situation fighting against only 2 members of this pirate group, and this intensified when the woman exploded his two biggest warriors while she exploded them.

At the climax of the battle, Chouchou focused his energy and launched a powerful lightning bolt, piercing Wapol's heart. The former king, unable to resist the attack, fell defeated.

"That was quite fast..." Zoro commented.

On the deck, there was no one alive anymore; everyone was easily taken down.

"Well, not a surprise, someone clean up this mess; let's see if there are any hostages alive." Luffy commented, reaching the deck of the enemy ship.

Upon entering the ship, Luffy and Lami came across a prison containing about 20 people, all looking at the intruders cautiously. The doctors' reaction to seeing Luffy, a stranger, was mixed. Some were relieved, while others maintained an expression of distrust.

"Who are you?" asked one of the doctors, representing the general sentiment of the prison.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, a pirate captain. Your king is dead now. You'll come with us to the Drum Kingdom again." Luffy spoke, and Lami began opening the bars with her power.

"Wapol is dead?! Well, that's a surprise, thank you... But why are you doing this?" The same doctor asked.

"Don't bother about my intentions; you'll know later. For now, just stay quiet and don't cause any trouble." Luffy shrugged.

With not much to do, as the doctors realized they were captives of a new pirate group, they obeyed and went to the Black Pearl, in an isolated room. Luffy didn't want to waste time with them interacting with the crew while they trained.

Before they returned to the Black Pearl, Luffy, with a determined look, expressed his satisfaction with Chouchou and Nojiko. "You guys were amazing. We're stronger than ever. But remember, there's always room for growth," Luffy told them. "Wooof!" Chouchou barked in his normal form, while Nojiko nodded with a small smile.

After that, Luffy disintegrated the dead bodies and returned to the ship with the Glorious Blink in his hands. Now, he already had four extra boats: his speedboat that Lami used in the East Blue, the royal ship from Goa, another one he took after killing the Tenryuubito, and now this strange ship.

"I'll ask my engineer to replicate the technology. It seems useful..." Luffy muttered to himself, planning to make the most of the acquired resources. The Black Pearl resumed sailing after dealing with Wapol and his crew. The crew continued their journey, dedicating themselves to enhancing their skills in the coming hours. Luffy led the training, focusing on expanding Haki mastery, while specific members worked to master the skills initiated in Little Garden.

The training unfolded on the deck of the Black Pearl, where, in addition to the team's usual Haki training and body strengthening with the Six Styles, the sound of blows, controlled explosions, and Chouchou's roars filled the air. They honed their Devil Fruits, ensuring greater control over their powers to avoid damage to the pirate crew's ship.

After days of intense preparation, the Black Pearl approached the waters of the Drum Kingdom. A sense of anxiety and excitement permeated the ship, as everyone knew that a new island awaited them, full of challenges and opportunities.

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