Due to a certain blunder, Nami, Sanji, and the others were forced to run like dogs, carrying their newly purchased supplies while being chased by the Marines.
Zoro had originally planned to turn back and fight, but the moment he saw a certain air-headed female swordswoman, he immediately turned tail and ran without hesitation.
The two groups continued their chase for a while until a man suddenly darted out, his body wreathed in crimson flames, blocking all the Marines. Luffy and the others were thus able to make their escape.
On the Going Merry.
"Those people were the Marines?" Chopper, chased by the Marines for the first time, sat slumped on the deck, his cute tongue sticking out, his face still pale with fright. "That was terrifying!"
"Tch, did that frighten you, Chopper?" Usopp closed his eyes, stuck out his long nose, and placed a foot on the ship's rail, pompously telling the little reindeer, "It looks like it's time I told you the story of when I led my 8,000 valiant and skilled subordinates to fight against 100,000 Marines in the East Blue…"
"Eh?! Really?? Usopp, you're amazing!" The innocent Chopper looked like he believed every word.
Incidentally, ever since the little reindeer joined this pirate ship, the long-nosed brother had gained another loyal "listener," causing Zoro, Nami, and the others to repeatedly exclaim that he was leading the kid astray.
"Those Marines from Loguetown actually chased us all the way to the Grand Line?!" Zoro grumbled, his face falling. The enemy this hardened man least wanted to face was likely Tashigi, who looked almost exactly like his childhood friend.
Meanwhile, after handing a letter to Karoo the giant duck and instructing him to deliver it to Alabasta, Vivi returned to the Going Merry.
The Going Merry sailed out of port.
"Mr. Glasses…" The blue-haired girl leaned on the ship's rail, gazing at the rapidly receding port of Nanohana. Her fair, pretty face was etched with worry.
Nami noticed the girl's unusual demeanor beside her, so she gently patted Vivi's shoulder and reassured her, "Don't worry, Sherlock said he was just going to gather some intelligence and grab a bite to eat. He should be back very soon."
No sooner had she spoken than…
Swoosh!!
Accompanied by a piercing whoosh, a dark shadow flew toward the Going Merry from low altitude at an extremely exaggerated speed. By the time the Straw Hat Pirates recovered, a familiar figure had already appeared on the deck.
"Yo, Sherl! You're finally back!" Luffy, sitting on the ship's rail, flashed a wide grin at the man with glasses.
(This guy really does appear if you talk about him…) The others silently complained in their hearts.
"Yeah, I'm back," Sherlock nodded, tossing the unconscious Mr. 13 onto the deck. He then dispersed the magic carpet formed by the Five-Fold Mirror Fusion.
If the speed of the magic carpet after a Four-Fold Mirror Fusion could be described as lightning-fast, the Five-Fold Fusion could only be described as insane. While flying earlier, Sherlock had even worried that he might suddenly be thrown off.
"Why did you bring another strange person onto the ship…" The green-haired swordsman glanced at Sherlock's new captive and curled his lip. "Don't tell me you want to use him to extract information again?"
"That's right. He's a Billions agent from the Baroque Works organization. He should know some useful things." Sherlock removed his glasses and took a silk handkerchief from his Mirror Space to gently wipe them. The ultra-high-speed, low-altitude flight just now had gotten his lenses a bit dirty.
"By the way, what's with your outfits?"
At this moment, the Straw Hat Pirates, excluding Luffy and Sherlock, had changed into clothing with a strong desert flair. Even Chopper was wearing a child-sized outfit, looking incredibly cute. But when Sherlock looked at the two ladies, even he—calm as he was—had a flash of pure astonishment in his eyes.
Vivi and Nami had changed into rather seductive dancer outfits. The minimal fabric perfectly revealed the two beauties' slender waists and fair skin, and the thin layer of sheer fabric over them added a hazy, alluring beauty that was extremely tempting.
Under Sherlock's gaze, the timid Princess Vivi shrank back slightly in embarrassment, hiding behind Nami. The more open and daring Navigator, however, pushed out her ample chest toward the Sorcerer. The alluring cleavage, which was just beginning to show its prominence, exhibited an unparalleled attraction, causing nosebleeds for a certain lovesick chef nearby.
"Of course, it's to do as the locals do. Yours and Luffy's outfits are with Sanji…"
Nami gave Sherlock a mischievous smile, then pushed the blue-haired girl hiding behind her forward, affectionately wrapping her arm around her. "Well? Isn't she beautiful??"
"Nami!" Vivi complained playfully, but when she saw Sherlock's focused gaze upon her, the girl's delicate, creamy-white face quickly flushed, like an appetizing red apple that made one want to take a bite.
(Will Mr. Glasses like girls who wear revealing clothes?) Vivi thought in a confused flutter.
"Yes, very beautiful!" Sherlock nodded, completely serious.
"Right, right! Sherlock, you think so too, don't you?! I knew my eye for clothes couldn't be wrong!" Sanji's body twisted like a noodle, his face the picture of a love-struck fool. "Every time I see the beautiful Nami-san and Vivi-chan, I feel my life is filled with sunshine."
"But…" Ignoring the lovesick chef beside him, Sherlock changed his tone. "Won't wearing something so revealing cause sunburn in the desert?"
"Ah, it's fine. We'll wear a jacket over them."
Thump! Sanji fell to the deck.
"I feel like my life is pitch black…"
(Your life is simply too much, you know…) Nami and the others silently ridiculed him in their minds.
"Tch, that perverted sea otter." Zoro cast a look of utter disdain at the curly-browed chef doing a despondent crouch on the deck, then turned to the stupid Captain sitting on the ship's rail with a foolish grin. "Hey, Luffy, why did that man wreathed in flames help us? Do you know him?"
"Oh, you mean Ace," Luffy squinted and grinned. "He's my big brother."
"Eh?! Brother???!!!" Everyone looked at the Straw Hat kid in shock. They had been sailing together for so many days, and this was the first time they'd heard he had a brother.
(But as this idiot's older brother…) Usopp, Nami, and the others began to mentally picture him.
(…he probably won't be normal either, and there's a good chance he's a big idiot too!)
"He's three years older than me, so he set sail three years earlier. I never thought I'd run into him here…" Unaware of the somewhat impolite thoughts of those around him, Luffy continued. "Ace is really strong, you know. I never beat him when we were kids. Now that he's eaten a Devil Fruit, he must be even stronger."
"Though, I think I could beat him now!" The idiot Captain chuckled, full of confidence.
However, no sooner had Luffy finished speaking than a figure suddenly leaped onto the ship and gave the boastful idiot a heavy rap on the head.
"You, brat. Who did you say you could beat?" Ace crouched on the ship's rail, putting on a menacing smile as he playfully scolded Luffy.
Then, the freckled youth wearing a cowboy hat looked at Sherlock and the others. He jumped down from the rail and politely bowed to everyone. "You must be Luffy's crewmates. Thank you all for taking care of my idiot little brother!"
(Is he really Luffy's brother? How can he be so sensible? He's completely different from that other idiot!)* The difference between Ace's polite behavior and their expectations was so great that everyone except Sherlock was stunned, wearing an expression of disbelief.
"Not at all…" Sherlock returned the bow with an elegant gesture. "It should be our honor to have such an interesting Captain!"
(Strange, why does this man with glasses look so much like that [Silver-Haired Demon Head]?) Ace looked at the impeccably mannered Sorcerer, a look of dread on his face, as if he had remembered something that terrified him.
"Yes, yes, you're too kind!" The others finally recovered and hastily bowed in return. At the same time, Sanji, the chef, quickly returned to the kitchen to prepare refreshments for their honored guest.
"It looks like you really found a great group of crewmates, Luffy." Ace's expression eased slightly. He then pressed down on his cowboy hat and smiled. "That puts my mind at ease."
"Hehe, of course…" Hearing his brother praise his crewmates, Luffy grinned smugly.
"What a caring big brother!" Everyone sighed with emotion in their hearts.
"It must be great to have a brother!" Chopper turned to look at Ace, then at Luffy, his eyes sparkling. Then, the little reindeer curiously asked Sherlock and the others, "Everyone, do you have any brothers or sisters?"
Usopp, Zoro, and Vivi all shook their heads.
"I have an older sister," Nami smiled. "Even though she's not my biological sister, she truly is a good sister."
The Navigator then looked at the golden bracelet on her left wrist, the one Nojiko had given her before she left. Her thoughts drifted far away, to the small island filled with the scent of tangerines in the East Blue.
"What a coincidence, I also have a biological older sister who is three years older than me." Sherlock gently adjusted his glasses, his dark eyes filled with a longing expression. "She is my only living relative now."
"What??!! You have a sister too???!!!" Everyone exclaimed again. They couldn't believe it—first, Luffy's brother popped up, and now Sherlock's sister. Honestly, was it suddenly trendy to announce one's older siblings today?
(Wait, that female demon head seemed to say she had a biological younger brother in the East Blue who was three years younger than her… It couldn't be that much of a coincidence, could it?! How small is this world?) Ace's face drastically changed. Though he felt the possibility was extremely low, a very bad premonition had already formed in his heart.
Just then, Sanji came out and invited everyone into the cabin to continue talking over drinks. Ace, who had not planned to stay long, readily accepted the invitation to confirm Sherlock's identity.
At the table, the group happily drank black tea, ate snacks, and chatted.
"What? Sherlock, you have a sister too??!!" Sanji's exaggerated reaction upon hearing the news was the same as the others. He then scrutinized the handsome and dashing Sorcerer and muttered to himself, "Sherlock, you are so handsome and have such good composure, so your sister must also be a beautiful, charming, noble, and cold-tempered lovely lady!"
(Hmm, that makes sense. Sherlock's sister should look like this…) After hearing Sanji's words, the others gradually conjured up the same image.
She was a supreme onee-san with long, black hair and a Queen-like aura. She had a powerful presence, wore silver-rimmed glasses, her eyes were as deep and captivating as the midnight stars, and the alluring curve of her lips was enough to drive one to commit a crime.
Then, this perfect onee-san elegantly adjusted her glasses and murmured, "How utterly foolish…"
As he continued to imagine, Sanji's exposed right eye suddenly turned into a heart. "Ah, Sherlock's sister must be a captivating older sister~~~~ Sherlock, you absolutely must introduce me to your sister someday!"
To be honest, falling for a beautiful woman he had simply made up in his head was something else entirely.
"Don't even think about it!!" Sherlock refused cleanly and decisively. For some reason, Sanji's infatuated look made him feel inexplicably annoyed.
"I don't really know what she looks like now, because I haven't seen her in almost seventeen years." Sherlock took a sip of black tea, feigning composure, and smiled. "She was different from me ever since we were children. Her lively personality was almost the exact opposite of mine, and she always dreamed of becoming the Pirate King. That part is quite similar to Luffy."
"Oh, right, her hair color is different from mine, too. It's a very striking silver," Sherlock added.
"Pfft!!!!"
Ace, who was drinking tea, could no longer contain himself. He sprayed all the tea in his mouth onto his precious little brother's face, then began coughing violently, drawing everyone's attention.
"What are you doing, Ace!" Luffy took the handkerchief Nami handed him and wiped his face as he asked, "Are you trying to fight me? I'm telling you, I'm not afraid of you anymore!"
"Um, Ace, did you not like the black tea I brewed?" Sanji arched his curly eyebrow, clearly extremely perplexed by the Captain's brother's exaggerated reaction.
"No, no, you misunderstood, I just choked by accident. I'm so sorry!" Ace hurriedly stood up and bowed to everyone in apology.
However, no one noticed the look of utter despair on Ace's face as he lowered his head.
(There's absolutely no mistake. This man with glasses is Silver-Haired Lisanna's biological younger brother!! My heavens, are you trying to kill me??!!!!)
(If that female demon head finds out her precious little brother has become my little brother's subordinate, knowing her, it won't be as simple as just grilling lamb skewers and chicken wings anymore! She'll definitely make me tend the boiler!)
(The worst part is, I can't beat her! Pops, Marco, and Oars won't help me either. Ugh, I'm so exhausted. I suddenly don't want to go back to the New World…)
(Luffy, you big idiot! Why did you have to invite the silver-haired one's younger brother to be your crewmate!!! Argh! Argh! Argh!)
Ace silently roared in his heart, wanting to cry.
--
Support me & read more advance & fast update chapter on my pa-treon:
pat reon .c-om/windkaze