Chapter 127: Message
â"East Blue," the giant bridge.
On that massive structure built by the World Government over 700 years using criminals gathered from across the globe and citizens of nations that refused to join the government, a mass of people began running in the opposite direction.
âH-Hey! Stop!! The bridge constructionâGwah!!â
âShut up!! Weâre not building this damn bridge anymore!!!â
âThe World Government is gone, right!? Then thereâs nothing left to fear!!â
âNowâs the time for rebellion!!! Weâre not⌠shackled by anyone anymore!!!â
Slaves, in great numbers, rise up and overpower the overseers of the bridge's construction, breaking free.
The collapse of the World Government ignites hope and rebellion in the hearts of the enslaved, giving them the courage to take action.
No matter the reason⌠at least for them now, the collapse of order is something to be welcomed.
And nearby, in the waters around that bridgeâ
ââŚIâm surprised⌠The war, the fall of the government, all of that is shocking⌠but for you to lead the Revolutionary Army and show up before meâŚâ
ââŚWhat, I just felt like seeing your face for a bitâŚâ
ââŚAokiji.â
On a lone ship. On a deck cleared of others, Nico Robin, the Straw Hat Crew's archaeologist, trembles at the appearance of a completely unexpected person.
She had already felt a bone-chilling cold from being in a cold region and on the sea, but ever since Aokiji arrived, the temperature seemed to drop even further. That likely wasnât just in her head. As a Logia user of the Ice-Ice Fruit, capable of generating ice and freezing others to death, it was easy for him to change the climate.
And he, naturally, felt none of this cold. No longer wearing his coat embroidered with the kanji for "Justice," Aokiji stood before her wrapped in bandages and covered in numerous woundsâhis battered form a stark contrast to the man she remembered.
âI heard you were here right after the war ended⌠so I asked Garp-san to let me come. Well, while I was at it⌠I cleaned up a few of the pirates that had popped up, so I guess it was a win-winâŚâ
ââŚAn admiral⌠of the NavyâŚâ
ââIâm not a Marine or an admiral anymore⌠Ah, well⌠Since the new government is founding a navy, I am technically a Marine again⌠and apparently, Iâm the next Fleet Admiral.â
Despite the cold, Robin breaks into a sweat. Any pirate would react that way before someone as powerful as Aokiji, once the Navyâs ultimate weapon.
On his way here, he apparently dealt with quite a few piratesâlikely freezing most of them. Thatâs probably why thereâs little scent of blood from his body⌠yet he still gives off a sharp, menacing presence, one that sends chills down the spine.
But Robin no longer feels the same fear toward him as before. Thatâs why her next words come a bit more easily.
ââŚThereâs a place I have to return to. So I canât go with you all.â
ââŚItâs dangerous out there. Even the East Blue, once a symbol of peace, is now overflowing with pirates⌠Well, I did make a mess of things around here, so this area might be safe for a whileâŚâ
âI know. I know the seasâand the whole worldâare in chaos. But I stillâŚâ
ââHave your crew, huh⌠Hmph⌠Youâve really grown into an incredible womanâŚâ
Aokiji finishes her sentence and, with a faint smile, leans against the ship's rail beside Robin, facing the sea. His smile quickly fades as he continues.
âHey⌠Nico Robin⌠I⌠I survivedâŚâ
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâ
Those words werenât something youâd expect from a man who once rose to the rank of Navy admiralâthey were words of weakness.
And yet, Aokiji deliberately said them only to Robin. Despite being one of the people responsible for destroying her home and her sanctuary.
âI never thought the World Government was the only âjusticeâ out there. Deep down, Iâve always⌠thought the world would be better off without the Celestial Dragons⌠The fewer of them, the betterâŚâ
Aokiji confesses what he had buried deep inside.
âBut even so⌠I believed that maintaining order would save more lives overall⌠Thatâs what I told myself as I kept going⌠But now, after the war, the Celestial Dragons were all wiped out⌠and the Revolutionary Army rose to take their placeâŚâ
ââŚAndâŚ?â
âYeah⌠I mean, on paper, thatâs a good thing. The Celestial Dragons are gone, decent people are taking charge⌠and I get to be the fleet admiral of that organization, just dealing with the scum like always.â
Robin doesnât offer muchâjust an occasional question or silent nod. She understands these words are more like Aokiji talking to himself than trying to hold a conversation.
So even without her response, Aokiji continues. His next words are spoken with a powerless tone.
âBut still⌠Iâm not happy about it⌠Iâm not like youâI never had real crewmates. Iâve always been ready for someone to die. Iâve lost countless people I knew. But when the numbers get this high⌠it gets to youâŚâ
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâ
âHey⌠Nico Robin⌠back then⌠what did it feel like⌠being the only one who survivedâŚ?â
A cruel questionâespecially to ask someone who lived through that experience. It wasnât something a person should say, not even one who lived through loss himself.
ââŚJust kidding. You donât need to answer that⌠Sorry. That was cruel of me.â
ââŚItâs fine. I donât mind.â
But Robin shows kindness. And truthfully, she really doesnât mind as much anymore. Remembering the past still brings sorrow, but now she has her crew. Sheâs not alone. And she knows that.
Now, itâs Robin who feels pityâor perhaps compassionâfor Aokiji. Thatâs why sheâs able to speak without much hesitation. Not just because she doesnât sense hostility from him.
ââŚThe reason I came to see you was⌠partly because I was cleaning up Garp-sanâs home waters, but also⌠to make sure no one besides the Straw Hats got their hands on youâŚâ
ââŚI see. But thatâs not necessaryââ
âI know. I know you canât bring yourself to trust an ex-Marine like me⌠or the Revolutionary Army⌠But I canât just leave you be. At least, not until youâre properly reunited with the Straw Hats.â
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâ
âSorry⌠but let me protect you. You probably donât know this yet⌠but to the pirates of the New World, your ability to read the Poneglyphs makes you valuableânot just as a âkey to the ancient weapons,â but something even more⌠Everyone wants that valueâŚâ
â! What do you mean byââ
âYou donât need to know right now⌠In fact, if you did find out, itâd just interfere with your journey⌠Donât rush it. Whether good or bad, the time will come when youâll learn the truthâŚâ
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâ
Robin is left speechless by Aokijiâs firm, final tone.
Apparently, the pirates of the New World have some reason to seek out the Poneglyphs⌠perhaps even something beyond the ancient weapons.
But Aokiji refuses to say more. Just as he said, knowing now would probably dampen the crewâs spirit of adventure. Robin couldnât bring herself to press further.
She thought of asking him to let her go, but⌠it seemed Aokiji had no intention of leaving her on her own.
âDonât worry. I know Iâm not the most trustworthy guy, but⌠the Revolutionary Armyâno, the new governmentâs leader is Dragon. As you know, heâs the father of âStraw Hat Luffyâ⌠and Garp-san is his grandfather⌠not to mention, heâs got a sworn brother too. No oneâs gonna hurt youâand if they tried, theyâd get hell for it.â
â! His⌠brotherâŚ?â
The first name that comes to mind is Portgas D. Ace, the brother Luffy and the others often talked about.
The one at the heart of the war. The government had sentenced him to execution, prompting the Whitebeard Pirates to wage war⌠and in that chaos, the Pirate Alliance wiped out both sides.
Luffy and Ace had apparently both managed to surviveâbut judging from Aokijiâs tone, he wasnât talking about Ace.
ââŚWeâll talk about that once we get to headquarters. The new governmentâs HQ⌠itâs my first time visiting because of all this too, but itâs not a bad place.â
ââŚSo youâre saying I have no choice.â
âWell⌠once we get word on your captain, Iâll let you know right away. Iâll also make arrangements so you can reunite with him quickly. âŚItâs cold out here. Why donât you go inside?â
ââŚIâll pass.â
ââŚI see.â
Aokiji nodded and walked past Robin. He was likely heading back into the ship. Robin, still wary, chose to stay outside.
Even if they werenât Marines anymore, they were part of the new government. In the end, pirates and the government are bound to be enemies. It might be safe for now, but she couldnât fully let her guard down.
Aokiji understood that. Thatâs why he walked away. But as he did, he added one more thing over his shoulder.
ââŚI said I came to see you for work⌠and maybe that was true, but⌠maybe I also just wanted to make sure someone I used to know was still aliveâŚâ
â!â
âOfficially, the new governmentâs policy is still to capture pirates⌠but weâre not planning to go after you. âŚTake care of your crewâand yourself. Itâs too late once youâve lost something⌠You and I both carry lives given to us by someone elseâŚâ
With those words, tinged with emotion, Aokiji descended the stairs.
Robin, still surprised, could only silently watch him go. Because she, too, knew the feeling of losing something precious.
ââKuzan-san!!â
â! What is it?â
But just thenâa Revolutionary soldier called out to AokijiâKuzanâin a flustered voice.
In his hands was a newspaper. Most likely todayâs edition of the World Economic News. Holding it, the soldier hurried over to Aokiji.
âPlease take a look at this!! Ah, Robin-san, you too!!â
âMeâŚ?â
ââŚHope itâs not bad news⌠WaitâHey, hold on⌠This isâŚ!!â
Aokiji was the first to glance at the front page, and his expression quickly changed to one of shock. Whatever was in that paper mustâve been big.
With the world as it was, anything could happenâbut seeing an article that made even Aokijiâs face twist, Robinâs heart skipped a beat as she leaned in to read it too. And what she saw wasâ
ââWhat⌠LuffyâŚ!!?â
On the front page of that newspaperâwas a photo of a woman, and next to her⌠âStraw Hat Luffy.â
ââThe incident took place a day earlier.
âNo way!! I ainât joining!!!â
At the Sabaody Archipelago, inside Shakkyâs Rip-off Bar, the moment âPirate Empressâ Boa Hancock invited Monkey D. Luffy to join the Beasts Pirates, the air in the room froze.
Luffy flatly rejected her offer. âAnyone who knew him could have predicted that answer, but⌠even so, Hancock, who had voiced the proposal, twisted her expression in frustration and tried to persuade him again.
â...! ...Luffy, please listen. If you go on ahead⌠into the âNew Worldâ⌠youâll surely face a baptism.â
âA baptismâŚ?â
âThe pirates in the New World⌠theyâre not nearly as soft as the ones in these first seas. You saw it for yourself in the war, didnât you? The terrifying power⌠of the pirates known as the âFour Emperorsâ...!!â
â!!â
At Hancockâs words, Luffy recalled.
The âFour Emperors,â the âSeven Warlords of the Sea,â the âMarine Headquartersââthose who possess enough strength to contend for the very top of the seas.
Even here in the Sabaody Archipelago, the Straw Hats had been helpless before Kizaru, Kuma, and the Navyâs new weapon. Theyâd been torn apart and scattered.
If one thing had gone wrong, the crew mightâve been wiped out right then and there⌠and if something else had gone off-track⌠he or Ace mightâve died in the war.
âYouâve probably sensed it already⌠but Iâve long been under the umbrella of the Beasts Pirates. My being one of the Seven Warlords⌠that was just convenient for them...!!â
ââŚ! So thatâs how it wasâŚ!!â
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâ
Jinbe furrowed his brows at that statement, but did not condemn her.
The Beasts Pirates had thrown that war into chaosâand Jinbe himself had old grudges with them. Still, he too had mingled with the Whitebeard Pirates while being a Warlord. And Hancock had even betrayed the Beasts Pirates on the battlefieldâfor Luffyâs sake.
That made her proposal all the more surprising. Perhaps the Beasts Pirates had let her betrayal slide.
Law stayed silent, listening. He didnât join the conversation, but it was clear the topic was worth hearing.
ââŚâŚ!! But I ainât gonna serve under anyone!! I wonât have anyone under me either!! If Iâm not free, thereâs no point in being a pirate!!!â
ââŚCan you say the same if itâs your life⌠or your crewâs on the line?â
ââŚ!!â
At the mention of his crew, Luffy was lost for words. His own life didnât scare him. If he died, then that was just the measure of his strength.
But the lives of his crewâthose were more important than anything. Heâd rather die than lose them.
Thatâs why Luffy had always protected them. He would stake his life to treasure them, just as he had done beforeâand always would.
But the reason he couldnât respond wasnât because he disagreedâit was because, deep down, he half-acknowledged what Hancock had said. He didnât want to admit it. But her words had struck the anxiety buried in his heart.
âLuffy⌠youâre weakâŚâŚ!!!â
â!!! Iâm not weakâââ
âNo, you are weak!! Luffy⌠I hate to say it, but⌠youâre not even a match for the Four Emperors or their top officers⌠not even for me. Youâre just a small, insignificant rookieâŚ!!â
â! Thatâs notââ!!?â
Luffy bristled at her words. And then, without warning, Hancock kicked him across the room.
âThen prove itâŚ!! Iâll teach you what the New World wall is like⌠Iâll show you your weaknessâŚ!!â
âTch⌠You said it nowâŚ!! I didnât wanna fight you⌠but if youâre gonna go that far, donât hold it against me!!!â
â! Wait, Luffy-kun!!â
â...Donât blame me if you move too much and die.â
Forced to face the truthâone he didnât want to acceptâand carrying the burden of everything heâd held in until now, Luffy took the bait. He rose to Hancockâs provocation.
He ignored Jinbeâs warning and Lawâs caution as a doctor. Luffy charged straight at Hancock.
Butâ
âGum-Gumââ!!!â
âHmph!!â
âUgh!!?â
In an instant, Hancock stopped him cold with a heel drop.
She closed the distance just as he extended his arm, raised her leg high, and stomped him downâit sounded simple enough, but when done with elite strength and technique, a weakling had no way to resist.
âOw⌠sheâs strong⌠what the hell⌠get off meâŚ!!â
âI will notâŚ!! Not until you admit your weakness⌠and agree to join the Beasts PiratesâŚ!!!â
He couldnât match her strength. The difference between man and woman didnât matter. What stood between them was simply overwhelming power.
Though Hancockâs face was contorted with pain at having to strike the one she loved, she didnât ease her strength. She was determined.
She pinned Luffy downâfor no oneâs sake but his own.
âWhy the hell do you get to decide what I do!? Iâm not gonna lose to those guysâŚ!! Iâll beat them all and become⌠the Pirate KingâŚ!!!â
âBe silent, Luffy!!! Do you still not understand!!?â
â!!?â
Hancockâs fury. The force of her shout silenced even Luffy, who had been arguing right back.
She wasnât unleashing Conquerorâs Haki, but the conviction behind her words carried enough power to shut people up, even without it.
Not just Luffyâeveryone in the room fell silent. In the heavy air, Hancock delivered the truth.
âThe âFour Emperorsâ are overwhelmingly powerful!!! Not even the Navy or the Warlords can stop them anymore⌠There are barely any who can stand up to Kaido⌠or Nue⌠or Big Mom!!!â
She spoke. Hancock knew the inner workings of it all. Thatâs why she understood just how hopelessly strong their violence was.
âNow that theyâve allied, theyâre literally the worldâs strongest force!!! Your tiny strength alone wonât change a thing!!! Youâll accomplish nothing, lose everything, and die!!!â
ââŚâŚ!!â
She stood over Luffy, shouting him downâbut thatâs when he noticed it.
Even as she beat him and pushed him into this kind of coercive persuasion⌠Hancock had shed a single tear.
A tear so subtle no one else wouldâve noticedâbecause she had once said she couldnât cry in front of others. It was the manifestation of her anguish, her torment, her burdenâall condensed into a single drop falling down her cheek.
And to Luffy, that twisted expression of hers looked like a tear-streaked face.
âDo you know, Luffy!! The Beasts Pirates⌠they donât just kill you outright!!! They crush you, then offer to take you under their bannerâŚ!! If you refuse, they torture you relentlessly, breaking your spirit with cruel precision!!! Days, yearsâit doesnât matter!!! Until they get the answer they want, theyâll hurt your body, hurt your crew, hurt their loved ones and anything they hold dear!!!â
Hancock knew. She had seen it. The fate of those who got crushed but still refused to submit.
If you bent, you survived. But those who didnâtâthose like Luffyâonce captured, they were doomed.
âIf you keep refusing⌠youâll lose everything and die!!! The corpses donât even look human⌠they get fed to beasts or monsters in the end!!! Theyâll show you your friends and family dying like thatâŚ!! They laugh as they watch you scream and beg for mercyâŚâŚ!!!â
Those who defied the Beasts Pirates left behind not even bonesâthat was New World common sense.
And Big Mom was no better. She too had no mercy for traitors or enemies.
Hancock had seen itâlived through it.
âThey canât be stopped anymoreâŚ!! No matter how you struggle, everyone who opposes them is doomed!!!â
One blowâshe could endure. She wouldnât flinch if something happened to someone else.
Butâ
"But... if you become comrades, youâll be saved!!! Luffy⌠you and your crew⌠everyone⌠all of you⌠will be saved!!!"
"!!"
âBut seeing someone dear to her end up like that⌠she couldnât bear it.
If it would prevent that future, Hancock was willing to raise a hand even against the one she loved.
If that was the only way to save them, she didnât care. She would willingly become a beast herself.
But Luffy, at leastâ
"âMy bad."
"âŚ! HuhâŚ?"
Luffyâs low voice reached her ears, and Hancock eased the strength in her legs and took a step back.
She doubted what she heard, but it was clearly an apologyâan apology directed at her. Which meantâ
"So you were thinking about us after all⌠and yet, just because I got called weak and provoked, I went and tried to throw a punch⌠Iâm sorry."
"âŚY-You finally understandâŚ!! In that caseâ"
"âBut still. Iâm gonna take down that âFour Emperorsâ alliance someday⌠Iâm gonna smash the Beasts Pirates!!!"
"!!?"
But his conclusion hadnât changed.
Luffy refused the Beasts Piratesâ invitation. Noâhe declared heâd take them down. Rayleigh and Law responded with serious expressions, while everyone else looked visibly shocked.
Hancock in particular was shaken and pressed him further.
"Why!? Even after realizing your own weakness, even knowing how dangerous they are, why would you still choose to fight!? If you go along with them, no one has to be sacrificed!!! You could protect everything so easily!!!"
"âBut then youâre the one being sacrificed, arenât you!!!"
"!!!? Huh�"
Luffy shouted with a force that surpassed Hancockâs. The pressure of his words was so intense that even she, a wielder of Conquerorâs Haki, was overwhelmed.
"Youâre one of them, arenât you!!! Hancock!!! You fought on my side in this war⌠helped me and all that⌠but youâre still one of them, arenât you!?"
"âŚYes, butâŚ"
"Then why are you the one suffering and crying!!!"
"!!?"
âIt was oddly reminiscent of when Hancock had just met Luffy⌠when the citizens of Amazon Lily who had helped him were turned to stone, and the crowd laughed. Luffy got angry back then, too.
That moment flashed through her mind. Now he was angry for her sake⌠and Hancock let a second tear fall.
"I canât stand people who donât value their friendsâand I wonât forgive anyone who makes my friends cry!!! Thatâs why Iâll take them down!!!"
"âŚ! LuffyâŚ!!"
Hancock pressed her hand to her face. She never cried in front of others. She would never show tears. That was absolute.
So she held it in. So the tears wouldnât fall, so no one would notice.
And even when Luffy called out that she was crying⌠she didnât deny it.
"Besides, Iâm gonna be the Pirate King!! I donât care about the Four Emperors or whateverâIâll blow them away!!! First I gotta regroup with my crew⌠and to do that, Iâll figure something out!!!"
"Thatâs so recklessâŚ"
"Hehe, Monkey-chan really is⌠a sinful man."
At Luffyâs bold declaration, Jinbe gave an exasperated sigh, while Shakky smiledânot at his fearless words, but at Hancockâs reaction.
And Rayleigh and Law, who had been listening silently⌠each let a quiet grin slip.
Even Hancock herselfâ
"âŚHehe⌠you really never change, do you⌠even in a situation like thisâŚ"
"Yeah!! So anyway, Iâm not joining, so give it up!! And⌠letâs see⌠without my crew, I canât go to the New World, so until I heal, Iâll train!!!"
"âŚFufufu⌠in that case, Luffy-kun. I have a proposal for you."
"Huh? What is it?"
âAnd then, with a soft smile, Rayleigh offered a suggestion.
To Luffy, it was a gift from the heavens⌠and the perfect way to make up for their lack of strength.
Even so, Luffy had one concern about accepting it.
"How do I get the message to my crew�"
"Canât we figure something out!?"
"Hmm⌠probably best to get it in the newspaper⌠but unless itâs some major incident, it wonât make the front page with a photo in this climate⌠and if itâs a direct message, someone might catch on⌠now then, what kind of incident should we cause to get a reporter to snap a pictureâŚ"
"Hmmmm⌠what if I do a dine-and-dash and eat meat âtil I dieâŚ?"
"âŚâŚâŚâŚIn that case, Iâve got one idea, if youâll hear me out?"
"Huh?"
"Well, for it to work⌠Hancock-chan will have to help out tooâĄ"
"Eh�"
Shakky threw a wink toward Hancock and the others. As they all tilted their heads in confusion, her idea was revealedâ
"WHAT!!? No way!! Iâm not doing that!!"
"You donât actually have to do it, Monkey-chan. Just the âPirate Empressâ Boa Hancock making a public love confession is enough to make headlines. You can totally turn her down. Sheâs the one saying it all on her own."
"âŚHmm⌠well, if it gets the message across to my crew⌠I guess⌠but Iâm still turning her down!!"
"Hehe, then itâs settled⥠You ready, Hancock-chan?"
"W-With LuffyâŚ"
"âŚEven if itâs just for the sake of getting published, thatâs one crazy ideaâŚ"
And so, after a small commotionâShakkyâs brilliant idea was, in the end, put into action.
âAnd so, the massive incident was reported across the entire world.
New World â Wano Country, "Onigashima".
ââNue-san!! Bad news!! That Hancock woman just⌠geh!!?â
âShut up!! Iâm thinking right now, so stop yelling!!! Ughhh⌠anyway, weâll put Musashiâs kid on hold for now⌠first I have to finish laying the groundwork with Orochi and his men⌠and then get the Gold Kagura in orderâŚâ
âB-But Nue-san, about Hancockââ
ââŚHancock? Oh right, there was that whole relocation thing. So? She made up her mind?â
âItâs not thatâŚ!! Justâplease look at this article!!!â
âHah? Just tell me already. If itâs a boring piece, Iâm not gonna let this slide. âLetâs seeâŚâŚâŚâŚ huh?â
âGrand Line, âBaltigoâ.
âDragon-san!! Sabo-san!! Thereâs a crazy article about âStraw Hat LuffyââŚ!!!â
â! For real!? Hah! Knew he was still alive!! Hey, let me see that!!â
âFather. Thereâs an article about LuffyâŚâ
âLuffy⌠So he was aliveâŚâ
ââââŚâŚâŚHuh?âââ
âGrand Line, a certain countryâs town.
âAre these guys⌠stupidâŚ?â
âTheyâve lost itâŚâ
âNew World, at sea.
âC-Captain Ace!!â
âHey Ace!! Itâs your little brotherâ!!â
ââŚHUH!!?â
âEast Blue, Goa Kingdom, Foosha Village.
âL-Luffy~~~~!!!?â
âC-CongratulationsâŚ? Is that what we sayâŚ?â
âNew World.
ââŚKiller. Do you think thereâs any meaning behind Straw Hatâs actions?â
ââŚNo idea.â
âRuins of the Shikkearu Kingdom.
âYour crewâs never boring, huhâŚâ
âHuh!!? What the hellâs he doing!!?â
âBoin Archipelago.
âL-Luffy~~~!!? Are you serious~~~!!?â
âW-What happened, Usoppun!!?â
âGrand Line, in the sky.
âEhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!?â
âEast Blue, Tequila Wolf, offshore.
âWhat in the world is he thinkingâŚâ
âHehe⌠thatâs a unique way to send a message⌠but I get it, Captain.â
âFuture Country Baldimore.
âLuffy⌠you really are something elseâŚâ
âSky Island, Weatheria.
âThat guy⌠There are ways to say things, you know!!!â
âMy, my⌠fufu, in times like these, one must still celebrate a wedding⌠For dinner, we shall serve red riceâŚâ
âNobody asked for that!!!â
âTena Geena Kingdom.
âThis is just⌠so enviouuuuuussssss!!!â
âKamabakka Kingdom.
âLuâŚLuâŚLuâŚLUUUUFFFYYYYYYYYâŚ!!!â
âThat newspaper article sent shockwaves across the globe⌠and reportedly made half the world shed tears.
Before they could decipher the hidden message in the article, Luffyâs crewmatesâeach and every oneâshowed a stunned reaction to the shocking headline.
Was it real or fake? The world didnât know. Most probably believed it to be true. But to his friends and those who knew him, it was obvious the whole thing was staged just to get the photo in the paper⌠probably. Still, the way he did it was so outrageous, that nearly all of his allies and family members were left slack-jawed.
âThe headline, with a photo of a reluctant man and an embarrassed woman linked arm-in-arm, read as follows:
âPirate Empressâ Boa Hancock!! Married to âStraw Hat Luffyâ!?! Or is it an engagement!? Sudden proposal on the Sabaody Archipelago!!
"LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUFFFFFYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!! YOU⌠YOU BASTAAAAAAAAAARDâŚâŚ!!! IâLL NEVER FORGIVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!"
One individual, ahead of the rest, ignited with flames of rage in his eyes and across his back at the contents and photo in the articleâhis brows curled like a spiral, he howled toward the heavens like a demon unleashed.
Still, for the most part, the false articleâcrafted solely to draw attentionâand the real message hidden behind it were successfully received by Luffyâs crewmates and a select few. Meanwhile, the rest of the world was thrown into even greater despair and confusion, albeit for entirely different reasons.
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