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•———•———•———•———•
Chapter's Events:
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"Leave me alone!!!" Luffy shouted, stopping Jimbei from getting closer.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible… I can't stand by and watch you hurt yourself anymore," Jimbei said, refusing to step aside.
"It's my body!!! I can do whatever I want with it!!!" Luffy exclaimed.
"In that case, Ace-san's body was also his own. It was his choice whether to live or die." Jimbei's reply was logical.
"… SHUT UP!!! One more word and I'll punch you in the face!!!"
"If that will help calm you down, then go ahead…" Jimbei welcomed the idea.
"I may be hurt, but I won't let you defeat me in this state!" At that moment, Luffy charged at Jimbei, but Jimbei caught him effortlessly and threw him to the ground.
"Cough!!" Luffy coughed violently.
("Jimbei… On my journey to hunt down Teach… I met my little brother again after three years. I found him in the Kingdom of Alabasta…")
Jimbei remembered what Ace had told him when they were imprisoned in Impel Down.
("The moment I saw him… I felt relieved. Do you know why?")
Luffy interrupted Jimbei's memory by biting his arm at that moment.
"That hurt…!!! You brat!!!"
"Can you not see anything at all?!!"
•———•———•———•———•
Fish-Man Island:
"Who would have thought it would come to a fight between you and Luffy…"
Fisher Tiger was shocked by the scene.
"It seems the situation has gotten much worse…"
Jimbei nodded in agreement.
"His teeth are strong, judging by your expression, his bite must have been pretty painful,"
"Nyuuu~ Arlong, your counterpart has also dealt with Luffy's bite before."
"Shut up, both of you… I'm sure the pain in his heart is far greater than the physical pain," Jimbei said with sorrow.
"That's true, but what did Ace mean when he said he felt relieved after meeting Luffy in Alabasta?"
"Did something change?"
"Of course, a lot has changed."
"His crew, his friends, right?"
"That's right, maybe that's why Ace felt at peace…"
"Let's not jump to conclusions. Maybe Ace would have said something else."
…
Not far from the Fish-Man group, Franky was reading the manga with tear-filled eyes.
Even those who weren't emotional or directly connected to Luffy were affected by his current state after losing his brother. Franky, who was practically family to Luffy, was no exception!
"Damn you, Jimbei! Is this how you save the situation? By beating him?!"
Franky yelled, feeling the urge to confront Jimbei, who sat a few tables away.
"Hold on, what are you trying to do, you troublemaker?"
Iceburg grabbed Franky by his shirt before he could approach the Fish-Men, who had already overheard his outburst and were glaring back at him.
"Sometimes, certain tough problems can only be dealt with using force. You need to understand that,"
Tom lightly hit Franky on the head, causing him to groan in pain.
"Luffy can't see anything right now, just as Jimbei said. He's surrounded by dark clouds, unable to find the light. The only way for him to see it is through hardship."
"In order to remind him of what he's lost and what he still has, this method is necessary."
"It's all for his own good,"
…
Alabasta Sky Island:
High above the sea, the once sand Island, was now a green paradise stretched for hundreds of kilometers, dotted with white clouds and blue lakes. All kinds of animals thrived here, whether desert-dwellers or not.
The Kingdom of Alabasta resembled a miniature version of the ancient kingdom that had been famous 800 years ago, a heaven on earth.
In the heart of Alubarna, the crowd gathered inside the famous art store. Among them were King Cobra, his wife, and their two-year-old son.
"What a tragic state this boy has fallen into, his joyful spirit unmatched by any," Cobra sighed as he watched Luffy's suffering.
"He just lost his brother. It's impossible to get over such an ordeal easily," Cobra's wife replied sorrowfully.
"But Jimbei is trustworthy. He would never abandon him, especially since Ace before he died, asked him to help his brother."
"Let's see how things play out from here on."
Suddenly, Cobra smiled as he noticed an exciting turn of events.
He wasn't the only one smiling. All the readers in Alabasta felt a warm emotion when they saw the scene.
Luffy finally remembered the people he'd forgotten about… just as they began to fade from memory.
…
Shomotsuki Town:
"Is he finally remembering…?"
"He's emerging from the clouds of despair, isn't he?"
"I wonder what Zoro will do when he finds out what his captain had to endure…"
"I bet my son will steal Mihawk's boat and find a way to get to Luffy as fast as possible."
"Well, that is, if he doesn't lose his way. Everyone knows your son has a terrible sense of direction, just like you."
Terra laughed after seeing her husband's embarrassment when she mentioned his poor navigation skills.
…
•———•———•———•———•
"It may be hard right now, Luffy… But you must silence those thoughts!!!" Jimbei continued shouting, his words piercing straight into Luffy's heart.
"Stop counting only the things you've lost!!!"
"What's gone is gone!!! So ask yourself this! What is it that remains with you?!" At that moment, Jimbei let go of Luffy.
Luffy fell to the ground, sitting down.
He counted on his fingers, and tears began to fall before he said:
"I still have my friends!" Images of his entire crew appeared in the background.
"I see…" Jimbei smiled after hearing that.
"Zoro!! Nami!! Usopp!! Sanji!! Chopper!! Robin!! Franky!! Brook!! I still have… all of you!!!"
"There's a place where we all decided to meet up. That's where I have to go…"
("I'll tell you what I saw there, Jimbei…")
("The Luffy I remembered, the kid who always hid behind my back, was nowhere to be seen…!!")
("He had found himself… A crew of wonderful friends. So no matter what happens, he'll be okay.")
("That's why… I felt so relieved.")
It was as if Ace was guiding Jimbei on how to pull Luffy out of that dark state.
When he finally succeeded, Jimbei let out a sigh of relief and sat down: "Whew…!!"
"I want to see them again…!!!!" Luffy screamed with all his might.
•———•———•———•———•
Baterilla, inside the art store:
Roger smiled as he watched this scene.
"It looks like Luffy has finally found his way again," he said with a big grin, clearly happy for him.
"Luckily, Jimbei was there…"
Shanks smiled as he said that while watching the same scene.
"It seems Ace really did feel at ease when he saw Luffy's friends, which is why he kept pushing forward…" Rayleigh sighed, saying this.
"It only makes sense that Luffy wouldn't be alone… He said it himself before, that being alone is worse than getting hurt."
Gaban felt moved remembering those words from the seven-year-old Luffy.
…
In Rouge's home, the atmosphere was calm.
Ever since she found out she was pregnant with not just one but two, she didn't know how to act or how to tell her husband, as it was shocking and unexpected news.
"This is good… It's wonderful to see Luffy take steps forward and remember what he still has."
Seeing this scene, Rouge sighed in relief, just like Jimbei did in the manga.
"You still have your friends… and I still have my husband, my friends, Ace, and perhaps a new child. I still have everyone… I haven't lost anything."
Rouge smiled, and finally, the heavy burden on her heart disappeared completely.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 807: The Arrival of Rayleigh!
Chapter 808: Usopp and Chopper's Reactions.
Chapter 809: Zoro and Nami's Reactions
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