"Uh!"
"Did we come to the wrong place?"
When Luffy and the others returned once more to the giant vine, they were dumbstruck by the sight before them—an overwhelming crowd, packed like a tidal wave of people.
If not for the towering vine still standing there, they would've thought they'd gone to the wrong spot entirely.
"This should be the right place," Sanji muttered, frowning as he took a drag from his cigarette.
As they talked, the group began moving through the crowd to see what was going on at the front. But the moment they did, a band of pirates immediately voiced their displeasure.
"Oi, oi, where the hell did you guys come from? Don't you see there's a line?" one pirate shouted, sounding arrogant.
These men had waited painstakingly long to get their hands on the recovery potion Luchiru was giving out for free. Nobody knew how much of that miraculous stuff there actually was.
If someone cut in line, that meant one less share. And if it ran out right when it was their turn… that would be rotten luck.
So, naturally, everyone here was extremely hostile toward anyone who dared to cut.
"Ah! We're not here for that—"
"Mmff!"
Luffy had just started to explain, but before he could finish, Law clamped a hand over his mouth. With a grave look, he lowered his voice and said, "I'm warning you, Luffy—don't say a word."
It wasn't just about the trouble that would come from the Brewing Fruit being exposed—just the commotion alone would ruin their plans.
Law shot the others a look, then quietly led them away from the throng and into a secluded corner.
"ROOM."
At his word, a translucent dome expanded outward. A moment later, with a flick of his fingers—shup!—the group vanished.
"Waaah!"
The next instant, inside a secluded grove, the crew dropped down one after another, Luffy's startled shout ringing out.
"Hm?"
Up on a vine, Luchiru suddenly froze mid-bite, glancing around suspiciously. "Weird… I swear I just heard that damn brat's voice."
"Am I imagining things?"
After a moment of doubt, he found nothing unusual nearby, shrugged, and went back to chewing.
"Whoaa, awesome!"
Watching how Law could just flick his fingers and teleport them all into the grove, Luffy's eyes shone with awe.
It was the first time the Straw Hats had truly seen Law's power in action, and they couldn't hide their shock. Deep down, they all thought the same thing: Thank goodness he's on our side. If he were our enemy, we'd be in real trouble.
After scanning the area and confirming no danger, Law finally turned to the others.
"Alright, we split up here. I'll go find my crew. You guys track down that Devil Fruit user—and figure out his goal."
Nobody raised any objections. At once, the Straw Hats divided and headed off.
But they overlooked one very serious problem.
Luffy wasn't just thick-headed… he was hopelessly direction-blind.
Their earlier encounter with Luchiru had been sheer coincidence.
Now, inside this grove behind the encampment, he had no clue where to go. Which led them straight into the mess at hand.
"Damn it, do you even know where you're going?"
After walking aimlessly for a while, Nami—whose stamina was the weakest—finally snapped in frustration.
"If I'm not mistaken, we've passed through here four or five times already," Sanji muttered, glancing at the cigarette butts he'd dropped as markers.
"Tch, fine, just leave it to me." Zoro suddenly cut in, striding forward on his own.
But after a few steps, he realized no one was following. Turning around, he found the entire group glaring at him.
"…Alright, you guys lead the way," Zoro conceded instantly, abandoning the idea of navigating—since everyone knew he could get lost in his own backyard.
"Heh, guess I've got no choice."
Franky chuckled at the scene, then cupped his hands to his mouth and bellowed:
"HEY! The big fat dude who takes a dump outta his bellybutton—where the hell are you?!"
"Where are you?!"
"Are you?!"
"Yo!"
"See? Easy," Franky said proudly, striking what he thought was a cool pose.
The rest of the crew slapped their faces in exasperation.
And just then, a furious roar echoed from the woods behind them.
"BASTAAARD!"
A moment later, a massive, hippo-mouthed man came hurtling through the air, limbs spewing compressed gas like rockets as he flew at them.
Beneath him, an armed mob of pirates surged forward.
"Bwahaha! Franky, your plan actually worked!"
The moment Luffy saw the round figure, his face lit up. Laughing, he leapt forward straight at the man.
"Battle—START!"
Zoro's expression darkened at the sight of the pirate mob. Gripping two blades at his waist, he muttered, "Two will be plenty for these small fry."
As Zoro drew, the Straw Hats shifted into fighting mode, fists tightening and eyes gleaming with readiness.
BOOM!
In midair, two figures collided. A thunderous shockwave exploded outward from the clash.
Luffy, his fist wrapped in Armament Haki, widened his eyes in surprise—his blow had been matched evenly.
By none other than Luchiru.
In Luffy's mind, this rotund middle-aged man had never seemed particularly strong. Yet here he was, taking his punch head-on.
The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air.
Luchiru himself was equally astonished. He hadn't expected this monkey-like brat to pack such monstrous strength.
Gritting his teeth, he activated his Devil Fruit power.
The Brewing Fruit wasn't just about creating liquor. Every bit of fermentation he induced also built up immense pressure—pressure he stored within his own body.
That airtight, vacuum-like fermenting force was nothing to scoff at.
With the Fruit's power awakened, the joints of his fat arms cracked open like wooden seams. From within, a rush of fragrant vapor burst out.
BOOOOM!!
The gas ignited with explosive thrust. His massive forearms shot forward like jet engines, hurling a blast of compressed air straight at Luffy.
The shockwave roared across the grove.
Luffy paid it little mind at first. Instinctively he prepared to push back—until the vapor hit his lungs.
"Ahhh—!"
Dizziness slammed into him like a hammer. His body swayed, and in the next instant—BANG!—he was blown clean away.
"Wh-what the—why is everything spinning…?"
Though launched across the grove, Luffy's body, hardened by his Devil Fruit, suffered little damage. He scrambled up at once.
But the world was still spinning around him, his vision wobbling as though he were drunk.
"That gas… something's wrong with it."
He squinted at Luchiru—but the man's figure seemed to split into several, blurring together.
"Gyahahaha! Brat—you've breathed in my Fermentation Fog. You won't be sobering up anytime soon!"
Seeing Luffy staggering like a drunkard, Luchiru grinned triumphantly. Without hesitation, he charged again.
"Kid, at first I was disappointed you'd left this island so quickly… but to think you'd come back here to die!"
"Fine then—I'll grant your wish!"
"Fermentation… EARTH SPLITTER!!"
With a roar, Luchiru twisted in midair. Both legs tucked up, his massive backside hardened in Armament Haki—then he came crashing down like a meteor, aiming to smash Luffy flat.
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