31. Is This Reasonable? It Makes Sense!

On the Going Merry ship, Joseph, who was looking after Johnny, noticed that Zoro returned and immediately started training silently. He couldn't help but wonder aloud, "Zoro, something up? You seem off."

Zoro, lifting his dumbbells, replied, "Nothing, just a defeat."

Yosaku was taken aback, "What? How?"

Johnny, already weak, exclaimed, "No way! Zoro, defeated? But he's so strong!"

Yosaku, equally shocked, grabbed his scimitar and shouted in despair:

"Zoro, tell us who did this. Johnny and I will take care of them," Yosaku insisted.

Johnny, suddenly looking healthier, stood beside Yosaku, his expression serious.

"I said, don't go starting trouble," Zoro cautioned, attempting to dissuade them. But to his surprise, they remained resolute, ignoring his plea.

"Enough talking, Zoro. Let's go, Johnny," Yosaku declared confidently.

"Wait here, Zoro. We'll bring back good news," Johnny added determinedly.

Zoro, feeling a headache coming on, ceased trying to convince them and resumed his exercise regimen in earnest.

Meanwhile, the determined duo left the Going Merry, only to witness Tom slashing wildly through the air shortly after.

Yosaku swallowed hard, his legs trembling uncontrollably, though he tried to maintain a facade of calmness as he spoke, "Johnny, is that the guy who defeated Zoro?"

Johnny nodded, his sweat pouring down, his voice trembling, "Shouldn't we ask Zoro for more details about the battle first?"

With a shared glance, they hurriedly returned to the ship.

Zoro couldn't help but be surprised when he saw them back so soon. Before he could inquire, Johnny and Yosaku approached him, only to find themselves swiftly restrained by Zoro's hands.

"What are you two doing?!" he demanded, clearly frustrated.

As soon as the words left their mouths, Johnny and Yosaku stared at impending doom as if it were a familiar sight, and yelled out:

"Zoro, just keep us pinned down like this!"

"Yeah! Otherwise, we might accidentally slice up the ship!"

Zoro's face was a canvas of confusion. What on earth were they talking about?

Unaware of the reason behind their reaction, Zoro felt compelled to uncover the truth.

However, Johnny and Yosaku clung to his hand tightly, refusing to let him go.

Frustrated and angered by their behavior, Zoro even entertained the thought of ending their antics with force!

On board the Red Force, Buggy observed Tom soaring through the air, slashing away, and was taken aback. He muttered to himself, "Is that cat always with Hawkeye?"

Upon hearing Buggy's comment, Shanks chuckled and gave him a friendly pat on the back. But before he could respond, he noticed a large lion on Buggy's vessel!

Without hesitation, Shanks approached the lion, gestured towards Tom in the sky, and said softly, "Hey there, little guy. If I give you two swords and toss you up there, can you mimic that cat?"

Lion Richie raised his head lazily, glanced at Tom, and then at the smile on the Shanks face.

Instantly terrified, Richie stood up on his hind legs and retreated violently, shaking his head frantically with a panicked expression, his fur bristling.

Observing Richie's extreme reaction, the animal trainer nearby inquired, "Richie, what's the matter with you?"

Being able to understand animal language, the trainer quickly grasped Richie's distress.

However, what puzzled him was Richie repeated plea: "Don't bully the baby!" Such peculiar words?

The animal trainer glanced at Shanks, seeking clarification.

Shanks shrugged, placing his hands behind his head and whistling, indicating a nonchalant attitude of "not my problem."

Buggy's expression soured, and he grumbled, "Hey, Shanks, what did you do to my crew!"

"Forget it, Buggy. I was just curious if your lion could fly."

"Huh? Why don't you try flying yourself, you bloody idiot!"

Buggy's body split apart, and he grabbed Shanks collar, exhaling a strong scent.

"Hey, Buggy, it's hilarious to see the look on that Hawkeye guy's face," Shanks suddenly interjected.

Buggy was momentarily stunned, then echoed, "Yeah, that cat's something else." But as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he'd been played by Shanks once again!

In a fit of rage, he cursed, "I'll make sure to cut off your tongue today!"

"..."

The commotion between the two of them didn't seem to bother the crew members on the ship, who were still watching the duel.

In essence, the shock has rendered their brains incapable of coherent thought!

Just like them, many restaurant patrons found themselves frozen in place, fixated on the battlefield, not daring to blink for fear of missing any detail.

"Am I dreaming?" one whispered in disbelief.

"It's absurd! To fly into the sky and then contend with the world's top swordsman... Is this even possible?" another pondered aloud.

Not only were those unfamiliar with Tom astounded, but even Nami pointed at him in awe, exclaiming, "Captain Al, is there anything Tom can't do?!"

"Tom, it seems all he's good for is catching mice."

"A cat that can do everything but catch mice... Is he really a cat? I'm starting to feel like Tom is some kind of terrifying monster in disguise!"

Al remained silent amidst the chatter.

Just as everyone was engrossed in discussion, Usopp's startled cry grabbed their attention.

"Hey, Luffy, what in the world are you doing?"

They all turned to see Luffy gripping the railings on both sides, swaying his body back and forth, twisting his arms into spirals.

Then, with a confident grin, he declared, "I'm gonna fly just like that cat!"

As soon as the words left Luffy's mouth, everyone was stunned.

Luffy let go of the railings abruptly!

The sudden release of his grip unleashed a tremendous force, but instead of soaring into the sky as Luffy had hoped, it merely resulted in him tying himself into a large rice dumpling!

Amidst a chorus of "idiot," everyone redirected their attention to the ongoing battle between Tom and Hawkeye.

Usopp covered his face, lamenting the predicament of being under such a bizarre captain!

After apologizing, Luffy looked at Tom with determination in his eyes, and began to sway his body once more.

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