88. The Rhythm Of War! The Flying Master, Shiki The Golden Lion!

"Nani, Nani? What's going on?"

Nami, who had transformed into an electric fish, swiftly shot up into the sky like a lightning bolt upon hearing Muscles' voice from the White Sea.

"Robin, Vivi, did I hear that correctly, Nami she..."

Carina's eyes widened in disbelief, her mind swirling with perplexing question marks.

Robin let out a soft hum, nodding in affirmation. "You heard correctly. It seems Nami isn't affected by seawater."

"How can that be? Devil fruit abilities are nullified by the sea!"

Vivi had been preoccupied with waking up Karoo earlier, so she missed seeing the image of Nami rising from the sea.

Upon hearing Robin's revelation, Vivi's immediate response was to question, a perfectly normal reaction.

Carina chose not to challenge Vivi's inquiry.

If Carina hadn't witnessed the scene with her own eyes just now, she wouldn't have believed it to be true!

Devil fruit abilities are widely known to be nullified by seawater, a fact acknowledged by people all over the world!

However, Nami had already captured Muscles' attention at this moment.

Carina and Robin noticed a significant change in the way they looked at each other.

"Tom, did you cause trouble again?" Nami inquired.

Tom shook his head and shrugged, indicating he had no idea what happened.

It seemed that whatever occurred, it only startled a few slightly larger fish.

Tom glanced at the sea's surface, noticing a large mass of fish and shrimp emitting steam, and muttered a few underestimating words to himself.

"It seems, perhaps, probably, not too much..."

But now wasn't the time to dwell on it.

Just from the angry tone of Muscles, Tom could envision himself getting a beating.

'Gulp~'

The sound of swallowing saliva echoed in the tense atmosphere.

Tom rolled his eyes, transformed into a flash of lightning, and darted into the dense forest, seeking a hiding spot.

Observing this, Nami instinctively assumed that Tom was heading to find Captain Al and the others, so she followed suit.

Carina and Robin exchanged glances, realizing they needed to unravel this mystery!

It was utterly absurd for someone with abilities not to fear seawater!

Yet, Nami defied this norm!

Carina and Robin didn't need words to communicate; their actions spoke volumes.

After a brief explanation to Vivi, the two of them dashed towards the depths of the dense forest, guided by Robin's ability.

Simultaneously, as the 920th cloud was obliterated by lightning, Al and the others found themselves under the vines.

Meanwhile, the golden bell, influenced by Merlin's magic, gradually descended to the ground.

"Captain Al, what's that strange symbol on it? Could it be extraterrestrial?"

Before Merlin could finish speaking, Al chuckled and nodded, explaining that it was historical writing, engraved with the language of this world.

However...

If one were to insist it was inscribed by aliens, it wouldn't be entirely outlandish. There are numerous rumors surrounding the historical texts of One Piece.

Back in Arabasta, Al and Robin had encountered similar historical inscriptions in the underground palace.

Upon hearing Al's explanation, Merlin's interest was piqued, and he examined the historical text intently for a long while.

Despite his earnest efforts and even employing magic, Merlin couldn't decipher the meaning of the words above.

Observing Merlin's intense focus, Al spread his hands helplessly, admitting his own inability to comprehend it.

However, even though he couldn't read it, Al knew that the inscription pertained to the whereabouts of the Ancient Weapon Uranus.

"Merlin, continue examining it. I'm going to the nearby island to trade some items," Al instructed.

"When I return, we'll be nearly ready to set sail."

With those words, Al headed towards Angel Island.

His main aim in going there was to trade for some Sky Island specialties with the villagers—items like impact dial, sound dial, and so forth.

While these dial might not be particularly useful in battle, they held significant value in daily life.

Shortly after Al's departure, Nami, in a rush, arrived at the base of the massive mausoleum.

"Muscles, Merlin, what are you two doing here..."

"Hey~ Gold, look at that huge golden clock, you must be loaded!!!"

"Oh no, have you seen Tom?"

In response to Nami's inquiries, Merlin shook his head and returned his focus to the historical text once more.

Upon hearing Tom's name, Muscles became visibly agitated, eager to give Tom a piece of his mind.

And there was a good reason for it!

During the recent thunderstorm, Muscles had accidentally been shocked by lightning on his tail!

Seeing Muscles' anger, Nami couldn't help but ask why, as she didn't want Tom to get hurt.

However, after listening to Muscles' explanation, Nami couldn't help but smirk.

If Nami remembered correctly, Tom's attack was aimed downwards, while Nami's attack was directed towards the sky.

"Forget it, let's not dwell on it. Tom, hang in there! I'll be silently cheering you on in my heart!"

Nami made a cheering gesture, then silently wished Tom well for three seconds before deciding to take her leave.

However, before Nami could even take a step, she was swiftly pulled back by Robin and Carina, who had hurried over.

Just as Carina was about to inquire about something, her attention was suddenly captured by the golden clock beside her.

Her eyes instantly took on a gaze reminiscent of Berry's!

Upon noticing the historical text, Robin also became engrossed in it.

Nami didn't dare linger here any longer, even in the presence of the towering golden clock...

However, just as Nami entertained the idea of making a swift escape, her insatiable greed for money overpowered her survival instinct.

After a brief struggle, Nami's eyes transformed into the shape of Berry's.

As for Muscles, who would undoubtedly be furious once he learned the truth of the situation, it mattered little to Nami anymore.

"Gold, here I come!" she exclaimed, yielding to her overpowering desire for riches.

Nami yelled in excitement, then hurriedly trotted over to Gold and embraced her tightly.

Meanwhile, Tom was digging a large hole somewhere deep in the dense forest, seemingly preparing to bury himself.

As for Al, he was busy trading dials with the villagers on Skypiea.

Unbeknownst to them, a significant event was quietly unfolding 10,000 meters away in Blue Sea!

Inside the Marine headquarters...

Jinbei, one of the Shichibukai, confronted Fleet Admiral Sengoku.

"This old man refuses to take part in the public execution of Ace, the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates!"

"Even if it means losing the title of Shichibukai!"

Faced with Jinbei's resolute words, Sengoku frowned. Jinbei caused quite a disturbance at Marine Headquarters, and despite attempts to dissuade him, Sengoku ultimately ordered him to be placed in the submarine prison.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, there's still no news regarding the Al Pirates. Should we continue the investigation?" inquired a nearby marine soldier.

Sengoku frowned, and after a few moments of contemplation, he responded.

"No, our priority now is to rally our forces. We'll deal with those individuals once this turmoil has settled."

"Yes, sir!" replied the sailors before departing.

Alone in his office, Sengoku gently caressed the small lamb nearby, softly questioning whether he was making the right decision.

Recalling Jinbei's words, Sengoku felt a slight tremor of uncertainty.

However, as the Fleet Admiral of the Marines, he reaffirmed to himself that all orders must be followed without question.

"The calm before the storm?"

With Jinbei's imprisonment, a massive storm is on the verge of erupting.

Elite sailors from across the globe, summoned by the World Government, are all converging on Marine Headquarters to prepare for the public execution of Ace, the second division captain of the Whitebeard Pirates.

And in a particular sea area far from Marine Headquarters...

The Whitebeard Pirates, under the leadership of their captain, Edward Newgate, are covertly preparing to head to Marine Headquarters to rescue their second division captain, Ace!

"Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere..."

Joker, the world is on the brink of experiencing a storm like never before."

Inside Dressrosa Castle, Doflamingo, adorned in a pink feather coat and cropped pants, lounged casually on a recliner as he answered the phone.

To the raspy voice on the Den Den Mushi, Doflamingo let out a sinister chuckle.

"Fufufufu~"

"Who cares what the Whitebeard guy does with those Marine fools."

"As long as our operations remain unaffected."

"Joker, you're quite the cold-hearted individual. How much longer until the items I requested are delivered?"

"Compared to you monsters, I'm not as cold-blooded. What you desire can be arranged for tomorrow."

With that, Doflamingo ended the call, a sinister grin spreading across his face.

"Fufufufufu~"

"This world is finally on the brink of chaos, and those monsters lurking in the shadows can't resist any longer, can they?"

At the same time, on an island within the Devil's Triangle...

A massive ship from West Blue—

—The Thriller Bark—was thrown into disarray due to the sudden appearance of a group of rookie pirates!

On board the Thousand Sunny...

Chopper, Franky, and Usopp gazed in shock at Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and the others, who were all unconscious and seated on the bench.

Luffy's hair was tied up with three rubber bands, giving him an extremely comical appearance. Additionally, two chopsticks were inserted into his nose, holding his mouth wide open.

Zoro's cheeks were stretched out by something resembling a clothes hanger, a straw lodged in his nose, and rain boots placed atop his head.

Sanji fared even worse; not only were his cheeks pulled apart like Zoro's, but his jaw was also clamped shut, and ten pink bows adorned his head.

Observing the amusing and ludicrous trio, Usopp, dressed in a ghost exorcism costume, approached Luffy anxiously.

"Hey, Luffy, wake up!"

However, no matter how vigorously Usopp shook and shouted, Luffy showed no signs of waking up.

"Step aside."

After loosening his muscles and joints, Franky clenched his fist and delivered a decisive blow to the heads of Luffy and the others!

Despite the violent beating, although their heads were now adorned with numerous large bumps, there was still no indication of awakening.

"Do these guys feel anything?" Franky couldn't help but complain upon seeing this. However, for the upcoming battle, he knew he would have to resort to even more extreme methods to rouse them from their slumber.

Just as Franky was about to blast them awake with a bazooka, Usopp suddenly stood up and reached out to stop him, shouting confidently:

"A beautiful lady swordsman just bought some meat!"

As Usopp's words echoed through the air, the three of Luffy—

—instantly jolted upright as if electrified, their hair standing on end.

Immediately afterward, to the horror of Chopper and Franky, the three slowly rose to their feet.

"Beauty?"

"Meat?"

"Sword master?"

As they gazed at each other with grave expressions, Chopper cried out in frustration:

"These guys are hopeless!!!"

With Luffy and the others finally awake, Usopp hurriedly led them to the Thriller Bark to confront Moria.

At that very moment, soaring 10,000 meters above their heads...

Within the Flying Pirates, comprised of several islands...

Golden Lion Shiki gripped the newspaper tightly in his hand, his expression growing increasingly somber.

Suddenly, he stood up, lifting his head and bellowed, "Have these imbeciles stolen my IQ fruit?!"

Before he could finish his sentence, his two subordinates beside him swiftly slapped him on the back of his head, roaring furiously in response.

"You foolish captain, you've repeated that sentence 500 times! How many times do you intend to say it?"

Upon hearing this admonition, Shiki displayed an incredulous expression and exclaimed, "How can that be? How could I have said it so many times!"

"No, no, it seems I've indeed repeated it countless times, Shihahaha..."

However, after a short while, Golden Lion once again uttered the same sentence: "Have these guys stolen my IQ!"

This time, however, the men behind him didn't react, as if they were already numb to the repetition.

"Is the captain unable to accept the existence of such a highly intelligent animal?!"

"Do we really need to spell it out? It's obvious at a glance!"

As they conversed, Golden Lion's sluggish gaze gradually sharpened, and he raised his hand to scrutinize the newspaper in his grasp, sneering.

"These creatures, I must capture them!"

"If they can be captured, my experiment will undoubtedly reach new heights!"

"At that moment, I'll annihilate East Blue and reign supreme over the entire ocean, Shihahaha..."

Just as the subordinates behind Shiki thought he had snapped out of it, they witnessed him clutching the newspaper tightly with both hands, trapped in a loop once more.

This time, the two subordinates were particularly ruthless. They swiftly snapped pictures of Shiki and embedded them into the deck!

However, in the next instant, Shiki returned to his senses. He floated up from the deck, casting a cold glance at the newspaper in his hand, and sneered:

"Little ones, have you uncovered any news about those individuals?"

"I must capture that cat, that dog, and those two mice!" Shiki exclaimed, his demeanor shifting back to his deranged state.

The sight enraged the two men behind him.

"You foolish captain, stop giving random orders!"

"Exactly, now we don't even know where we're sailing to!"

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