"Goodbye, everyone!"
On the departing Going Merry, Nami and Nojiko stood on the side of the ship and waved goodbye to the villagers on the shore.
Ron and the other girls also stood beside Nami as the ship slowly left the harbor and sailed out to sea.
"I'll definitely come back to see you!" Nami waved her arms toward the shore and shouted with joy.
"Okay, let's go!" Makino smiled as she came to Nami's side.
"Where are we going next?" Nami asked curiously.
"To the Grand Line!" Ron waved his hand and looked into the distance where Reverse Mountain was located.
"The Grand Line!" Nami showed a thoughtful expression. "I've heard that the Grand Line is very dangerous. The pirates there are the most powerful pirate crews in the four seas. After competing, they enter the Grand Line and face challenges. If we go through there, we have to be careful!"
"What are you afraid of? With Captain Ron here, no matter how powerful the enemy is, they won't stand a chance against him!" Kaya took Ron's arm and said confidently.
"Kaya, you have too much faith in Captain Ron, don't you think?" Nami couldn't help but cover her forehead and say, "There are many powerful people in this world!"
"I agree!" Tashigi nodded. "For example, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Four Emperors of the New World, and several admirals at the Navy Headquarters. They are all very powerful people!"
The corners of Ron's mouth turned up slightly, a hint of pride showing on his face. "Seven warlords and four emperors? When the time comes, I'll have my chance to fight them, along with the three admirals of the Navy. I haven't paid much attention to them, to be honest!"
"Well, let's not dwell on that for now," Nami said. "Let's talk about it when we meet them. It's too early to make assumptions."
"Huh? What's that?" Kaya suddenly pointed at the surface of the sea.
The other girls turned their heads to look, curious about what she had seen.
Just as the sea was roiling, a strange fish with a bull's head leapt out of the water and collided with the Going Merry.
"Manatee?" Ron raised an eyebrow, remembering the sea monster Arlong and his crew had raised in the original plot. It was similar in size to a small Sea King, but not as formidable in battle. Luffy and his crew had easily dispatched it in the original story.
"Wow, that is a big cow!" Kaya exclaimed.
"It's clearly a fish!" Nami retorted.
"But it has a bull's head!" Kaya pointed out.
"It's a manatee!" Ron stepped up to the edge of the deck, watched the rushing manatee, and threw a punch at it.
Bang!
Ron's punch sent the manatee flying backwards hundreds of feet. After a loud howl, it turned and fled, clearly intimidated by Ron's strength.
"Wow, Ron is really strong! He defeated that scary sea cow monster with just one punch!" Kaya said with joy.
"Captain Ron is really formidable!" Nojiko exclaimed, witnessing Ron's strength for the first time, her eyes filled with amazement as she looked at Ron's back.
"Full speed ahead! Destination, Reverse Mountain!" Standing at the bow of the ship, Ron waved his hand and gave the captain's order.
Several nautical miles ahead of the Going Merry, a squadron of Navy warships patrolled the sea. Standing at the bow of one of them was none other than Captain Nezumi, who had been collecting protection fees from Arlong.
"Captain, a pirate ship has been sighted, and it's heading for us!" A lookout sailor reported.
"Pirates?" Captain Nezumi's eyes lit up. The long patrol had finally paid off - they had encountered pirates. This was a golden opportunity to earn merit!
"Yes, there is only one pirate ship approaching!" The sailor nodded. "Excellent opportunity, sir. This could bring us recognition!"
"In that case, waste no time. Inform all naval officers and surround the pirate ship!" The veteran captain waved his hand decisively and gave the order.
"Yes, sir, at once!" The sailor hurried to pass on the order. Captain Nezumi stroked his chin and chuckled softly as he imagined the recognition he'd receive for capturing the pirates. Maybe he'd even be promoted to Commodore.
"Hahaha, Commodore... What a wonderful thought. I'm sure I can reach that rank!" Colonel Nezumi chuckled triumphantly.
On the Going Merry, Ron and the others naturally noticed the maneuvers of Captain Nezumi's fleet as it encircled them.