Under the influence of the fierce winds controlled by Rorschach, the half-day journey to reach the Sabaody Archipelago was reduced to less than an hour.
Rorschach directed Hibari to steer the warship into the inner river formed by the roots of the giant red trees, anchoring it there before setting off with the others to explore the island, which was entirely made up of the intertwined roots of these massive red trees.
Sabaody Archipelago, also known as the Soap Bubble Archipelago, is a unique island formed by the gigantic roots of the world's largest tree, the Yarukiman Mangrove.
"What an enormous tree! It's truly a botanical miracle," Rorschach said in awe as he gazed up at the towering red tree, which stood like a colossal pillar reaching into the sky.
"This is Red Tree Area Number 40! We've arrived at the perfect spot. This is the tourist and local products area of Sabaody. Nearby is the most famous bubble park in the world!" Hibari said excitedly, her eyes wide with curiosity as she looked around.
Hibari was wearing a fluttering red dress, moving gracefully like a delicate butterfly.
"What do these numbers mean?" Law asked, dressed in a light brown short-sleeved shirt, jeans, black boots, and carrying his long sword "Kikoku" in his arms.
"The numbers on the tree trunks indicate the different zones we're in." Hibari began explaining in detail how the various areas of the Sabaody Archipelago were organized.
1-29: These areas contain human trafficking shops, human auctions, and illegal zones. 30-39: Includes the Bubble Park and more. 40-49: The tourist zones and local product shops. 50-59: Shipyards and craftsmen specializing in coating ships with bubbles. 60-69: Navy areas and government entrances. 70-79: Hotel districts.
"Where's Doflamingo's auction house?" Rorschach asked.
"You mean the famous auction house? Yes, it's the largest in Sabaody and located in Red Tree Area Number 1, in that direction… Huh? Where are you going?" Hibari asked in surprise as she saw Law heading in the direction she pointed.
"I'm going to check it out. You all can continue with what you were doing." Law waved dismissively as he walked away.
"Is he going to cause trouble at the auction house? Will something bad happen? Let's follow him, Rorschach," Hibari said anxiously.
Rorschach looked at Law with a smirk and said, "Don't worry, Law isn't reckless. He knows what he's doing. Let's go enjoy ourselves."
Then he smiled and gestured upwards. "Do you want to see the top of the tree? I saw many large bubbles up there."
"Yes! Will we use 'Moon Step' to get up there?" Hibari asked excitedly, stepping closer and placing her small hand in Rorschach's.
She blushed slightly, pressing her lips together shyly.
"No, times have changed. We're going to…"
"Fly!"
As soon as Rorschach said the word, Hibari felt her body lift into the air, carried by an invisible current, as they soared upwards together.
The wind whistled past her ears, and the ground grew farther and farther away beneath them.
In just a few seconds, Rorschach had brought her to the top of the colossal tree, standing on its peak.
"Wow! So many bubbles, and they're huge!" Hibari exclaimed in amazement as she gazed around.
Rorschach was also stunned.
Looking down from the top of the tree, the treetops stretched endlessly like a vast continent.
Above this green expanse, countless large and small bubbles rose continuously.
An infinite number of bubbles, reflecting vibrant colors under the sunlight, floated up towards the sky and burst with a soft "pop," forming rainbows of various sizes in the air.
The view seemed straight out of a fantasy world.
Suddenly, Rorschach grabbed Hibari's hand and tossed her small body towards a massive soap bubble that had appeared among the treetops.
"Ah!"
Hibari screamed in fright, flailing in the air as she tried to use her aerial step technique.
But due to the surprise, she couldn't activate the skill in time.
Her body began to fall, and she was on the verge of tears from fear.
At that moment, she collided with a large soap bubble over two meters in diameter, which enveloped her entirely.
Then, like a little doll trapped in a transparent container, the huge bubble began slowly lifting Hibari into the sky.
"Hmm?"
Hibari was brave, and after a brief moment of panic, she regained her composure and started observing her surroundings with curiosity and excitement.
"Rorschach, look! I'm inside the bubble!"
She extended her hand outside the bubble, but to her surprise, it didn't pop.
A shiny layer of oil covered her arm, preventing the bubble from bursting.
The bubble continued to rise, and when it reached a certain height, suddenly, "pop" — it exploded.
"Ah!"
The excitement on Hibari's face turned back to fear as she plummeted toward the ground.
"Hahaha, fun, isn't it?"
Rorschach, his silver hair flowing in the wind, flew up and gracefully caught Hibari in his arms, using an invisible wind current to hold them aloft.
Hibari blushed deeply, her cheeks glowing pink, and she couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes.
"Where are we going?"
"To get some takoyaki. I'm already hungry, and I can smell it now."
Rorschach licked his lips.
A few minutes later, the two were seated at a takoyaki stall, happily enjoying their meal.
"Sir, please slow down, don't choke," the stall owner said, watching Rorschach in astonishment as he devoured plate after plate, his cheeks bulging like a chipmunk's.
"Ah, Rorschach, I can't eat anymore," Hibari said, patting her full stomach while sitting in a floating bubble chair, eyeing Rorschach enviously as he continued to eat voraciously.
After finishing the last plate of takoyaki, Rorschach glanced at the stall owner, still looking unsatisfied.
"Why did you stop grilling? I'm not full yet."
The stall owner smiled nervously and said, "Sorry, sir, but we've run out of ingredients."
"What? Is that true? Oh well, how much is it?"
Rorschach pulled out a stack of bills.
"The total is 1,130,000 Beli, but I'll give you a discount since you ate everything. Let's call it 1,000,000 Beli."
The stall owner beamed with a bright smile.
"One million Beli?"
Rorschach was surprised.
"That was just a snack before dinner, and I've already spent half the travel budget?"
He handed over the money to the stall owner, whose smile grew even brighter.
"Darn, since I'm not full, I might as well eat more until I'm stuffed."
Rorschach rubbed his growling stomach, glaring at the row of stalls ahead.
"Hibari! Come on, to the next stall!"
(End of Chapter)
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