Chapter 40 Mechs accidentally stumble into a whale's bellyLuffy stared at the long description, then pinched his cheek hard in disbelief. "It doesn't hurt... Am I dreaming? No, I'm a rubber man, it doesn't hurt..."
He swallowed hard, his heart pounding. "This thing... it's a mecha?! A real piloted mecha?!"
Luffy was overjoyed. This wasn't some comical combiner like those Franky Generals!
This was a real combat mecha, brimming with violent aesthetics and cutting-edge technology! It was the ultimate romance for men!
Luffy was so excited he felt like his butt was on fire. He burst out of the cabin, yelling at everyone on deck:
"Wake up, all of you! Come out! The captain's got a real treasure for you!!"
Unable to contain his excitement, Luffy kicked open the heavy wooden cabin door.
But what he saw wasn't Zoro or his other crewmates resting as he expected.
A stunningly beautiful woman with cascading emerald-green hair was casually eating pizza with her legs crossed, completely unconcerned about her appearance.
Luffy tripped over the threshold, lost his balance, and fell face-first onto the wooden floor.
"Holy crap! Isn't that C.C.?!"
Sanji, completely dazed, was holding a plate of fragrant, fresh Sea King pizza, his eyes sparkling with hearts as he circled around C.C.
"Where did you come from?!"
Luffy scrambled to his feet, grabbing his hair and yelling in utter despair.
C.C. swallowed her food, giving Luffy a mocking yet aloof look.
"What, you're already backing down so quickly, planning to abandon me after starting this?"
Nami, standing nearby, instantly flew into a rage, grabbing Luffy by the collar and shaking him violently. "What heinous thing have you done to that girl?"
Sanji, consumed by jealousy, glared at Luffy as if he wanted to tear him to pieces with his eyes.
"This is an era of law! I'm a Marine, after all. You have to be responsible for your words!"
Luffy, sweating profusely, frantically tried to explain himself.
But C.C. didn't play by the rules. She grabbed Luffy, pulled him close, and kissed him on the lips.
Nami and the others' eyes widened in shock, their jaws nearly hitting the floor.
Luffy froze, licking the lingering sensation on his lips in a daze. "Why did you suddenly attack me?"
In that instant, a massive surge of memories, channeled through the power of Geass, forcefully flooded the depths of his mind.
It turned out that Luffy had completely replaced Lelouch in C.C.'s memories; the object of this ageless witch's affections was him.
C.C. crossed her arms confidently. "You probably forgot when you signed the contract, but your responsibility was to kill me with your own hands!"
"What did you say?!" Everyone erupted in shock, staring at Luffy in horror.
"Such a beautiful and adorable girl, and you actually wanted to kill her?!"
"I misjudged you, Luffy! I never thought you were this kind of person!"
"Pah! You utter scumbag!"
Nami, Sanji, and the others joined in, righteously condemning Luffy.
Luffy's forehead was covered in black lines; he felt more wronged than Dou E (a legendary figure known for her injustice).
Left with no other choice, he explained to everyone the curse of immortality bestowed by Geass.
Zoro stared in shock, eyes wide: "Are you kidding me? You've lived for over a thousand years?!"
"Then by that logic, you're older than my great-great-great-grandfather?" Usopp racked his brains, unable to make sense of it, completely bewildered.
"C.C.-chan is so pitiful, only thinking about suicide. Don't worry, I will warm you with endless love and encouragement, and rekindle your hope for life!"
Sanji knelt on one knee, holding a pizza and passionately declaring his love.
However, C.C., like an outsider, completely ignored the surrounding noise, oblivious to the commotion, and continued devouring the pizza on her plate.
Luffy, however, was secretly excited. He hadn't expected the system template to come with a built-in affinity effect, even allowing him to bring living people across worlds.
Just then, Luffy suddenly remembered why he had rushed into the room in the first place.
"Stop talking nonsense! Come with me, I'll show you something absolutely amazing!"
Everyone looked at Luffy with suspicion, completely baffled as to what was wrong with him this time.
Once everyone reached the deck, as the ship approached Reverse Mountain, the surrounding currents became incredibly turbulent. Usopp, exhausted and with veins bulging, could barely control the rudder.
Giant whirlpools appeared on the surface of the sea, like gaping maws of an abyss waiting for their prey.
Zoro's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. Pointing at the terrifying vortexes, he questioned Luffy, "Your so-called treasure isn't these monsters trying to kill us, is it?"
Luffy chuckled, waving his hand arrogantly, "Show yourself! My first mecha!"
A gigantic, jet-black mecha, inlaid with ornate gold patterns, appeared out of thin air on the side of the Going Merry.
"What the hell is that?!"
Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp's eyes instantly lit up, staring intently at the colossal machine, a marvel of mechanical beauty.
Even in the world of One Piece, giant robots remain the ultimate romantic allure for all males, holding a status equivalent to ninjas.
Nami, however, watched the overly excited men with a blank expression: "What's so exciting about this pile of metal?"
Luffy casually dropped a bombshell at Nami: "If this thing were sold to the World Government, they wouldn't even blink an eye at 10 billion Berries."
"How much?!?!"
Nami's scream instantly rose eight octaves, her eyes turning into money symbols. "Quick, put it away! What if it gets damaged by rain and rusts?!"
Luffy's lips twitched involuntarily. This was the strongest mirage tower in the Lelouch world, specially built for Zero. Let alone a little rain, even a full-force strike from Mihawk might not be able to break through its energy shield.
"Hurry, hurry!"
Usopp was so excited he was practically jumping for joy, wishing he could fly up immediately. "Hurry up and let us see it!"
Luffy smiled smugly, pulled out Zero's mask from his pocket, and put it on. Only then did he realize that the mask was actually the key to activate the mech.
"That's so cool!! Absolutely awesome!!"
Usopp's eyes lit up, staring at Luffy with adoration.
Zoro and Sanji, standing nearby, didn't say anything, but their envy was palpable.
"Open!"
Luffy waved his hand stylishly, and the cockpit canopy on the chest of the mecha instantly popped open.
"Close!"
Luffy waved his hand again, and the cockpit canopy closed tightly again.
A flock of crows flew overhead: "..."
"Don't even think about driving it out in this downpour, it'll be completely soaked inside..."
Just a moment ago, the moment he opened the cockpit, a torrential downpour poured into the seat. Although this high-tech contraption was waterproof, Luffy had absolutely no desire to take a bath.
"Ahem, actually, this thing can also be remotely controlled."
Luffy coughed awkwardly to cover his embarrassment, then maneuvered the Mirage into the hull of the Going Merry.
"What are you doing?"
Everyone stared blankly as the massive mech disappeared beneath the churning water.
The next second, the entire ship shook violently.
Amidst screams of terror, the Going Merry slowly detached itself from the water and soared into the air!
The mech had actually lifted the Going Merry from underwater!
"Wow!! That's amazing!!"
Usopp's eyes practically overflowed with admiration.
Even Zoro and Sanji were stunned by the power displayed by the mech.
"Tsk tsk, too bad it's a long-range defensive fortress mech. If it were Guren or Lancelot, maybe you could use it to unleash a three-sword style."
Luffy chuckled, teasing Zoro.
Zoro's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this: "Ahem! When I get the chance, I absolutely have to try it out!"
Luffy gave him a thumbs-up, indicating no problem.
With the Mirage operating at full power, the Going Merry rose higher and higher above the sea.
The massive whirlpools and towering water columns could no longer hinder their progress.
The crew raced against the raging wind and rain, witnessing the incredible spectacle of mountains and seas surging against the current.
"This is unbelievable!!"
"This scene is absolutely magnificent!!"
"Is this the gateway to the Grand Line?"
Everyone looked at the canal below, seemingly climbing a mountain, and laughed excitedly.
Sanji and Usopp even danced on the deck with joy.
"Charge to the Grand Line!!"
The cheers of the crew echoed through the sky.
As the Going Merry rose higher and higher, the long-awaited sun finally pierced through the clouds and appeared overhead.
"Wow, that's spectacular!! It feels like we're really flying!"
"We are flying, hahaha!"
"Mihawk is waiting for me in these waters!"
"All Blue must be here!"
"I'm going to draw the most perfect sea chart in the world!"
"The Mirage is almost out of power."
"I'm going to become a brave sea warrior!!"
Everyone suddenly paused: "Something's wrong. Did we just hear some strange noise?"
Everyone turned to look, and there was C.C., carrying a pizza, walking out of the cabin.
"Hey? Why are you all looking at me?"
Luffy's heart skipped a beat. He tentatively asked, "What did you just say?"
"Oh, the Mirage is powered by solar energy. I saw its battery was almost depleted when it went underwater, and with the torrential rain, its time was probably up."
"About what?"
"The time it took to fall..."
Before C.C. could finish speaking, the Going Merry, which had been hovering in the air, suddenly lost its support and plunged headlong into the canal below!
"I can't believe you!!"
The screams of everyone echoed shrilly from the highest point of the Red Line.
"Gum-Gum! Gum! Giant Balloon!!"
With a heart-wrenching roar from Luffy,
a massive splash erupted at the starting point of the Grand Line, announcing the hard-hit landing of Luffy and his crew.
Everyone, still shaken, clung to the bow of the Going Merry, their legs as weak as noodles, unable to stand.
"Idiot! Couldn't you have checked the battery before you turned that thing on?!"
Nami yelled in frustration at the miniature Luffy underwater.
Luffy had now become a tiny, chibi-style figure, a side effect of using Gear Third.
This was a typical symptom of severely depleted internal energy.
Before the truth about Luffy's Devil Fruit ability was revealed, everyone thought it was like the physical reaction of inflating rubber and then deflating it.
But after the Nika Fruit was revealed, everyone understood that this was actually a strange inherent feature of the God Fruit.
"Who knew such advanced technology required electricity?!"
The miniature Luffy's high-pitched, childish voice came from the side.
"But what's going on with you?"
Nami picked up the miniature Luffy and shook him. "Pretty cute, huh?"
Then she shoved the little Luffy into her soft arms.
"Hey, can you guys wait a minute before you start flirting?"
Usopp's trembling, fear-filled voice came from the side.
"Huh?"
Everyone turned to look at Usopp, only to find him pointing in terror at a large, dark shape next to the Going Merry.
"What's wrong? Why are you pointing at that big rock?"
Zoro looked at Usopp strangely, thinking he was overreacting.
"Th-that's not a rock at all!"
Usopp's legs went weak, and he plopped down on the deck.
A deep, loud roar suddenly came from the "rock," shaking the seawater.
"That's a fucking whale!!"
Roar!
"It's screaming! It's screaming!"
"What...what do we do?!"
"Should we fight it?"
"Idiot! Look at its size, do you think we can beat it?!"
"Wait, it doesn't seem to have spotted us yet!"
"Really! Our ship is too small, it's probably like a bug in its eyes!"
"Run! Now!"
"Gum-Gum Pistol!"
"Ah, Luffy seems to have fired a pistol."
"Ah, that's right, what a cool straight punch."
"Right in that whale's big eye."
"As expected of a Marine Commodore, really impressive, look, even the whale's eyes turned."
Everyone froze instantly: "..."
"Are you an idiot?!"
Realizing what had happened, everyone roared in despair at Luffy, who had just withdrawn his fist.
Only Luffy let out a strange laugh and flashed a peace sign at the others.
Zoro, seeing the whale's enormous eye locked onto them, yelled, "Run! Run for your lives!!"
The group rushed into the cabin like madmen, paddling frantically, trying to escape the monster.
However, a furious whale roar instantly deafened them, causing a sharp pain in their eardrums.
A gigantic mouth suddenly opened, forming a terrifying vortex that swallowed everything in its path.
The Going Merry, like a leaf, was sucked into the whale's belly without any resistance.
"Damn it! Luffy!"
"You utterly idiotic!"
Nami, tears welling in her eyes, was swallowed into the darkness in despair.
Feeling the immense, almost overwhelming suction of Laboon, Luffy once again marveled at how miraculous it was that the Straw Hat crew had actually made it to the New World alive in the original story.
If Crocus hadn't already transformed Laboon's body into a vacation space, the Straw Hats would have been turned into whale dung the instant they entered the Grand Line.
How much time had passed?
Suddenly, everyone's vision blurred, as if they had traveled through time.
"Hahaha, this is so much fun!"
Luffy's carefree laughter shattered the silence.
A still-shaken Nami slammed her fist into Luffy's head, roaring in frustration, "Fun my foot! We're going to turn into whale poop!"
Then, everyone looked around, only to find, to their utter bewilderment, that they were in exactly the same world as outside.
Blue skies, white clouds, and even a small island floating on a green ocean.
Everyone stood frozen, completely bewildered.
Nami lowered her fist, staring blankly around at Zoro, and asked, "What do you think?"
"What do I think..." Zoro frowned, "Even if you ask me that... I can't figure it out."
"I thought we were definitely digested by stomach acid." Sanji's hand trembled as he lit a cigarette, trying to calm himself down.
Usopp's mouth gaped open, his jaw almost dropping to the floor: "Is this a dream?"
"Ah, it probably really is a dream, or maybe heaven, anyway, we're definitely all dead."
Zorro nodded seriously in agreement.
"Aaaaah! I don't want to die! I haven't become a brave warrior of the sea yet!"
Usopp scurried around the deck in terror, like a headless fly.
"Dying isn't that easy."
C.C.'s calm voice came from the side. She was casually holding a glass of juice, leisurely surveying her surroundings.
"Oh, right, we have an immortal monster here too."
"I feel like Luffy's just bragging. How could anyone in the world really not die?"
Luffy looked at his group of goofy crew members, speechless.
A sharp metallic scraping sound rang out.
Luffy pointed to the slowly opening iron gate on the island and said to everyone, "Shut up, your God is coming out."
Everyone turned to look at the small house on the island.
An elderly man in floral beach shorts and a shirt appeared in the doorway—none other than Crocus, the former Pirate King Roger's ship's doctor!
His fierce eyes and overwhelming aura made everyone feel uneasy, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.
Everyone stared nervously at Crocus, their bodies stiff. After all, encountering a strange old man with flowers on his head after being eaten by a whale would make anyone nervous.
Crocus stared intently at Luffy and the others, then slowly walked towards a nearby lounge chair.
Under everyone's breathless gaze, he slowly walked to a lounge chair, leisurely lay down, and unfolded a newspaper in his hand.
Everyone froze again: "..."
Sanji, exasperated, looked at Crocus and finally roared, "Say something, you bastard!!"