The Straw Hat Crew warmly welcomed the arrival of the ship's doctor. Having a doctor on board was truly reassuring, and Chopper, the talking reindeer, was especially popular.
While everyone was welcoming Chopper, Luffy approached Nami with a question, "Nami, is the magnetic force on this island fully charged?"
Nami glanced at her Grand Compass and nodded, "After one night, the compass has stabilized. We can set sail anytime. Luffy, are we leaving now?"
"Let's go," Luffy replied. He turned around, smiling at Dr. Kureha and Mr. Dalton who were seeing them off.
"Thank you, Dr. Kureha, Mr. Dalton," Luffy said with gratitude.
"Have a safe journey," Kureha smiled, and Dalton offered his blessings. Then, he remembered something and quickly added, "A pirate named Ace came here before. He entrusted me with a message for someone named Luffy. He will be waiting in Alabasta for ten days. That person should be you, right?"
"It's me," Luffy confirmed.
Sanji, who was pulling up the anchor, looked curious and asked, "Ace? Who's that?"
Luffy explained casually, "He's the son of the Pirate King, Roger. He is my adopted brother, and now he's the captain of the second division of the Four Emperors, Whitebeard Pirates."
The scene fell silent, the only sound being the howling wind and snow.Learning that Luffy had a brotherly connection with the son of the Pirate King left them all in shock.
Usopp couldn't accept it and exclaimed, "Ah, ah, ah, ah!! The son of the Pirate King?! Luffy! How many incredible relatives do you have!?"
Luffy laughed and waved his hand, beckoning everyone to board the ship. "Alright, everyone, let's set sail!"
The group was still in disbelief. Dalton was dumbfounded, his mind overloaded by this revelation.
"That kid who ate the free meal turns out to be Roger's son?" Dalton muttered incredulously, shaking his head.
Dr. Kureha thoughtfully remarked, "It's unbelievable. The government back then killed countless pregnant women around the world, including some newborn babies, all wiped out. They actually left behind descendants?"
After some preparations, the four of them were ready to set sail.
At that moment, a strangely shaped large ship approached from the river. Its oval-shaped hull resembled a hippo's head with a crown. The ship had a mast, flying the pirate flag, and gear-like structures on both sides, indicating it was a steamship capable of sailing without wind.
A man wearing thick winter clothing jumped down from the ship, and he was none other than Wapol, the former king.
"I'm finally back, my homeland, my beautiful country, your king has returned! Cheer!" Wapol exclaimed.
Seeing Wapol, Dalton's expression turned ugly. "You have the audacity to come back!"
Soldiers from the ship gathered behind Wapol, and he noticed Dalton among the crowd, mocking, "Isn't this the captain of my kingdom's guard?"
The bearded man with an explosive hairstyle behind Wapol reprimanded, "What's wrong with you people? When you see His Majesty the King, why aren't you kneeling and paying respects?"
Vivi couldn't contain her anger, "You have the nerve to come back? The country was attacked by pirates, but you abandoned the citizens and fled to sea with your people. You have no right to call yourself a king!"
"Who is this woman?" Wapol frowned, feeling somewhat familiar.
Luffy patted Vivi's shoulder and walked towards Wapol, saying, "You guys better not mess with him. He's a king recognized by the World Government. It's okay; I'll lend you a hand, after all... I'm a pirate."
Soldiers behind Wapol, as well as two fighters, stepped forward, but before they could make any moves, a wave of Conqueror's Haki swept through the crowd.
In an instant, everyone except Wapol fell to the ground with their eyes rolled back.
"Who... who are you?!" Wapol was shocked. "Daring to attack me, do you know what you're doing? I am the king of the Drum Kingdom..."
"I am your father!" Luffy grinned and unleashed a punch imbued with Armament Haki, smashing Wapol's round chin.
Wapol spat blood, screaming in agony, and was sent flying, landing directly in the sea, sinking as a Devil Fruit user.
Dalton stood there with his mouth agape in shock.
"No need to thank me. You can report to the World Government that the Straw Hat Pirates attacked the Drum Kingdom and killed the former king, Wapol."
Luffy waved his hand and leaped onto the Sunny, saying with a smile, "Goodbye, future king of Drum Island. The rest of you can handle it however you want."
Dalton was shaken in his heart. "Mr. Luffy..."
"Hehehe~" Dr. Kureha chuckled and rubbed her forehead. "Such pirate-like style. Goodbye, Monkey D. Luffy. Stay healthy, Chopper!"
Chopper burst into tears, crying and howling towards the sky.
Luffy grinned. "Set sail, everyone!"
Three days later, in the morning, Luffy walked onto the deck, stretching lazily in the sea breeze. According to Vivi's estimation, it would take about 2 more days to reach Alabasta.
He opened the adventure shop and, after many days, finally found a Haki fruit. He bought and ate it.
[Armament Haki]: Iv4→lv5
This time, not only did his Haki increase, but he also mastered a new ability: "Emission." Clasping his fist, he wrapped Haki around it, and the red Haki seemed to flow. It was similar to Observation Haki and was called "Mind Network" on Sky Island.
Luffy's combat power had undergone a significant change with "Internal Destruction," an advanced way of using Armament Haki that could destroy an object's interior, ignoring its defense.
[Internal Destruction]: It can emit Armament Haki, penetrate the surface of an object, and directly destroy its interior. It was a game-changing ability.
Kaido, a famous figure in the New World, had once said: "Haki surpasses everything!"
Nami, Vivi, and Luffy discussed the situation regarding Alabasta, and Luffy decided to fly Vivi to Alabasta to help her father. He reassured them that he could maintain his Nika form indefinitely as long as there was sunlight.
With that, Luffy transformed and took off with Vivi, leaving the crew to sail to Alabasta.
In Alabasta's capital, Alubarna, tensions rose as the rebellion escalated. King Cobra faced questions from the Marines, and "Black Cage" Hina expressed concern over the situation.
In a port city called Oil Flower Port, Ace was dining at a restaurant when he heard commotion outside about the rebellion. Ignoring the chaos, he continued eating until he suddenly fell face-first into his plate.
As Ace slept soundly in his plate, the owner, realizing that Ace was just asleep, decided to leave him be and hurriedly left the restaurant.