As the Going Merry sailed through the Grand Line, the crew was ecstatic about their voyage. Suddenly, the weather changed, and it started snowing. "Huh, it's snowing," Nami exclaimed, bewildered by the sudden change. Luffy and Usopp ran to the main deck, their faces lighting up with joy. "Woohoo, snow!" they shouted, playing with the falling flakes.
Sanji growled as he took a shovel, removing the excess snow. "Hey, Lucas, why don't you give me a hand here," he called out, annoyance creeping into his voice.
Back in the kitchen, Nami looked at Usopp and Luffy playing, commending them for their ignorance. "Really though, what's with this climate here? A minute ago, it was clear and warm," she said, her brow furrowed in confusion.
g
Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 laughed at her remark. "The weather here in the Grand Line does not follow common sense," they explained, a mocking tone in their voices. "It seems you've got quite a lot to learn, Miss Navigator."
With her short fuse, Nami snapped, kicking them out of the kitchen and telling them to help outside. As she did so, the weather changed again, and the Merry was caught in a storm. The crew panicked, acting with haste to ensure the ship didn't capsize. After a while, the weather changed again, with the sky clearing and the waters still.
The crew, now resting after working hard to maintain the ship's steadiness during the storm, lay in exhaustion. "Haa," Zoro yawned as he woke up. He had been sleeping throughout everything. "That was a good nap," he said, standing up and stretching.
"I want some lemon-flavored water right now," Lucas mumbled as he went to the kitchen. "Should I make some for everyone? I'll just do so, just in case," he muttered, opening his pocket dimension and taking out ingredients for the fizzy drink he wanted to make.
"Guys, look, I see giant cacti!" Luffy announced from his special seat. As he did so, Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9, acting all dramatic, jumped into the water, bidding the Straw Hats farewell.
"And they left," the Straw Hats responded, cringing at the duo's dramatic exit.
Lucas then came out of the kitchen, heading to the main deck, holding a tray with seven glasses of the beverage he had made. "Who's up for some lemon water?" he called out.
"Huh, the others are gone," he remarked, seeing Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 had left.
"Lemon water? What's that? Is it sour?" Usopp asked, eyeing the drinks with suspicion.
"Hmm, it's not sour at all," Luffy replied, holding two glasses and already drinking.
"Hey, that's unfair," Usopp complained, seeing Luffy holding two glasses. As the others tried it, they found it nice and sweet.
"This really is good. I never thought of you as the type to cook," Nami remarked, taking a sip.
"I'm not a cook. I can make sweets and a few dishes, sure, but I'm not a cook," Lucas replied, smiling as he enjoyed the refreshing drink with the crew.
As they enjoyed their fizzy drinks, the townspeople of Whiskey Peak suddenly gave the arriving Straw Hats a very warm welcome, their cheers ringing through the air. The Straw Hats, not suspicious in the least, went along with the friendly reception.
"Ma-Ma-Maa! Welcome to Whiskey Peak, the town of liquor and music. I'm Igarappoi, the mayor here," Igarappoi greeted the Straw Hats as he stepped forward, his smile wide and inviting. "If you don't mind, we were about to hold a banquet here. I would like to invite you to join us and hear about your tales of adventure," he added, his eyes twinkling with interest.
"Really sounds su..." Nami began, her suspicion evident in her tone. But before she could voice her concerns, Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji accepted the offer without a second thought.
"I can't believe those two," Nami sighed, shaking her head in exasperation.
"I don't drink alcohol and I'm not a fan of parties either," Lucas said, following along but not really excited.
"Aw, come on, who doesn't like parties? It'll be fun," Luffy said, his enthusiasm infectious as they walked.
"Guess we're staying," Zoro said, shrugging as he followed.
Nami first tried asking about the Log Pose and how long it would take to record the magnetic field there, but Igarappoi brushed her off. "Don't worry about that now. Come, enjoy the banquet!" he said, pulling her right into the festivities.
As they drank, ate, and partied, the townspeople schemed to get the Straw Hats to blackout, which proved to be a challenge but was eventually accomplished. The Straw Hats, oblivious to the true intentions of their hosts, reveled in the celebration, unaware of the danger lurking beneath the surface.
"What the hell is with those guys? We had to burn a lot of our food just to get them knocked out," one of the townsmen grumbled as they gathered in the night, readying to ambush the Straw Hats.
"I know, right? And what's with that other guy going on about how he doesn't drink? What kind of pirate is that?" another said, laughing.
"Yes, even so, we should not underestimate them. The one wearing the straw hat has a thirty-million Berry bounty, and that other one who doesn't drink alcohol has a two-million bounty on him," Igarappoi warned, his tone serious.
"Two million, huh? Although Lucas told us that he just ventured as a pirate and was looking for a crew. To already have a bounty on him—he and Luffy sure are something," a voice echoed amidst the townspeople, alarming them. They looked up to see a certain swordsman perched atop the building in front of them.
"A town of bounty hunters. Come to think of it, back when I was a bounty hunter myself, I remember being approached by a certain organization. An organization whose members don't know anything about each other's real identities and use code names. Ah, yes, I think the name of said organization was Baroque Works," Zoro said, sitting atop the rooftop, the moon illuminating him as he cast a shadow on the ground.
"!!!?" The townspeople, who were really Baroque Works agents, gasped in shock.
"How do you know of our organization?" they exclaimed, panic creeping into their voices.
"Chh. Fret not, men. It appears another tombstone will be added to Cactus Rock tonight," Igarappoi said, readying to attack Zoro. Not only was he a pirate, but he also knew too much and needed to be taken care of.
"Looks like it's about to start. Need any help?" Lucas said, hovering above everyone, holding a pack of popcorn.
"Again... I couldn't sense him," Zoro thought, his eyes narrowing. "I'm fine. Just make sure the others are safe for me," he said, his tone calm but firm.
The townspeople looked up, seeing Lucas flying above them. "He... He's flying? He must've eaten a Devil Fruit," the Baroque Works bounty hunters gasped, their fear growing.
"What do we do now? There's no way we can overpower them," they started to grow weary, but Igarappoi steeled their conviction.
"Attack!" he commanded, and they surged forward, ready to face the formidable opponents before them.
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