Author: Xiao Yifeng
Translator: PapaSmurf0700
CRASH! !
Another cloud of dust billowed into the air.
"Bai Ye, you jerk!" Zoro, clutching his head, scrambled to his feet, irritation written all over his face. "Is this your payback because I drunk down too much of your stash?"
Wearing an expression of pure innocence, Bai Ye responded, "What are you on about, Zoro? You're like a brother to me! The bond we share runs deep in our veins." At this, Zoro could only grimace, frustration etching lines into his forehead.
Had Bai Ye started to mirror Luffy's reckless behavior?
In Bai Ye's arms, Nami, who had been in a state of initial shock, slowly regained her composure. "Can you put me down now?" She asked, her voice steadying.
As she leaned against Bai Ye's chest, a blush crept across her cheeks, soon giving way to a sense of unease.
"My bad, my bad." Grinning, Bai Ye complied and gently set Nami back on her feet.
He'd hugged her purely out of an instinctive urge to protect — nothing more, he assured himself. Absolutely nothing more.
"Hey, that was awesome, Zoro! Did you just come flying through the sky? That had to be Bai Ye's doing," Luffy beamed, stars in his eyes, before bounding over to Bai Ye's side, unable to contain his excitement.
"Come on, Bai Ye, let me have a turn! Just once. I wanna soar through the sky too!"
Golden Light Curse - Forced Calm Fist!
Sporting a new bump on his head, Luffy slumped to the ground, grumbling his apologies. "My bad, my bad."
"Seriously, I'm usually such a chill guy." Bai Ye sighed, shaking his head at Luffy's subdued form. Lately, he'd found himself increasingly drawn into these high-energy antics.
Having had enough of the chaos, Nami raised her voice to interject, "Both of you, knock it off! We need to assess the situation we're in," she gestured toward Usopp, "Looks like that guy passed out."
Would you look at that? Has he merged with the ground or what?
"Huh? Are the long-nose guy sleeping here again? He's really asking for a cold," Luffy commented, concern knitting his brows.
"We've already told you, nobody's sleeping here!!" The trio of little ones nearby, their patience worn out, shouted back in unison.
-----
Ten minutes slipped by, and the pirate ship nestled against the island's shore. A warm and amicable meeting unfolded between the four members of the Straw Hat Pirates and the quartet making up the Usopp Pirates. Previous misunderstandings were resolved and laid to rest in straightforward chats, leading to a swift mutual understanding.
Then, a new topic took center stage:
"You did what? You beat the Buggy Pirates?!" Disbelief painted Usopp's features. "But that's a notorious crew with a 15 million bounty on their heads! Just you few..."
His words trailed off as a realization dawned. Recalling the duo who had literally dropped from the sky earlier, he began to buy into the story.
"Well, to be exact, it was the three of us," Bai Ye clarified, gesturing to himself, Luffy, and Zoro. He then turned towards Nami, adding, "Nami hasn't officially accepted an invite to join the crew. For now, she's our hired navigator."
For reasons she couldn't quite pinpoint, Nami felt a twinge of disappointment when Bai Ye framed her role in such terms.
"Three or four, it's impressive either way," Usopp conceded, nodding. However, he couldn't resist puffing out his chest and adding a boast, "But the Buggy Pirates aren't that scary. I mean, my uncle commands 8,000 men! Hahaha."
"That's a tall tale if I ever heard one," Zoro commented dryly from the sidelines.
"WHAT!!" Usopp was aghast, leaping from his seat to gape at Zoro. "How did you see through me so fast?"
Witnessing this, Nami couldn't help but grumble, "It's a blatant lie, clear as day. Who'd fall for such blatant nonsense?" For someone like Usopp, who couldn't even fabricate a convincing lie, Nami could only feel profound disdain.
"WHAT!!" Another voice, filled with shock, chimed in. "The long-nosed guy was lying?" Luffy was flabbergasted, his eyes wide as he stared at Usopp. I didn't catch on at all!
"Luffy~" Bai Ye placed a hand on Luffy's head, his teeth gritted. "Could you please stop flaunting your...intellect?"
While it was amusing in anime, Bai Ye felt a wave of second-hand embarrassment witnessing such naivety firsthand — especially from his own captain. Perhaps it was high time for a basic lesson in discerning truth from fiction?
But then...
Bai Ye studied Luffy's innocent expression. Could he truly comprehend?
Shelving that thought for the moment, Bai Ye addressed Usopp, "Usopp, we're aware of your connection with Kaya."
The shock rendered Usopp speechless; he was uncertain of these strangers' intentions and, given a choice, he'd sprint back to the village right now.
"Relax." Bai Ye gestured reassuringly to the jumpy Usopp, who looked ready to bolt any second. "We mean no harm. We're simply here to find a ship capable of sailing us to the Grand Line."
"According to what I know, the Kaya family employs a steward named Merry, and he might just have the ship we need."
"So, we're hoping you could introduce us. It shouldn't be too hard for you."
"In return..." Bai Ye paused, mulling it over, before raising his head with a smile. "What would you say to helping Kaya regain her health?"
Usopp's tension visibly deflated upon learning that all Bai Ye sought was an introduction and a ship. And the prospect of aiding Kaya's recovery caused him to blurt out, "Are you serious?!"
The inhabitants of the One Piece world were peculiar, ready to take people at their word without the slightest shred of proof. This, however, was a relief for Bai Ye.
"Absolutely. It might be a bit of a hassle, but maybe I can demonstrate something for starters. Time for a little experiment." As he spoke, Bai Ye revealed a pill that he'd been palming.
Yes, Bai Ye had devised a plan concerning Kaya's plight. Merely defeating the Kuro Pirates would only mirror the original story; he intended to go further. Solving Kaya's health issues would truly resolve his past regrets.
As for the solution, it was simple: there's nothing a Yuan Hui Pill can't fix. If one doesn't cut it, just use more.
"An experiment? What sort of experiment?" Nami inquired, curiosity piqued.
"This pill," Bai Ye explained leisurely, "once ingested, can revitalize even the weakest person, making them spirited and healthy."
He then turned to Luffy, continuing, "The experiment is straightforward: I just need to catch Luffy and have him take the pill."
"Hey..." Luffy's legs sprang into motion.
A sly smile crawled over Bai Ye's face as he pursued Luffy.
Golden Light Curse!!
As yelling Luffy endured kicks and punches, a singular thought struck Nami, Zoro, and Usopp simultaneously: Never, ever cross Bai Ye!
P.S Recently, I started writing my own novel, "Poop Mage: Manure Mysteries" Consider checking it out.