"Wait... what is that?"
Lori's eyes widened.
"It's Luffy-sama's spices!" she blurted, panic flashing in her expression.
In fact, it wasn't just her. Within moments, the entire cabin was in an uproar. They all knew what Luffy meant to them—he was the man they adored, their fearless, charming leader. They would defend his interests to the end. And as far as they knew, Luffy didn't have many indulgences, but if there was one thing he cherished—besides the company of beautiful women—it was his love for food, especially a good barbecue.
The spices? Those were essential.
And they couldn't just let anyone tamper with them.
Without hesitation, the two most combat-skilled women sprang into action: the swordswoman and the archer.
Swish!
A sharp arrow tore through the air, and within seconds, one unfortunate bird was struck down, its tiny body crumpling with a pained chirp.
Zing!
The swordswoman was no less merciful. Her blade cut through the air with a whoosh, slicing two birds in an instant, their wings severed as they dropped to the ground, lifeless.
"How dare they mess with Luffy-sama's spices!" she yelled. "They're asking for death!"
Fueled by righteous fury, the other women joined the fray. Together, they attacked the flock of birds, showing no mercy. Luffy's precious spices would be defended at all costs.
Meanwhile, Luffy had been lost in thought when he felt a subtle, unsettling tug on his consciousness.
"Hmm… what's this?" he murmured, sensing something strange.
After a few seconds, he understood. The birds he had given instructions to were under attack, and somehow, through the faint bond he'd established, he could feel it. He focused, sensing the disturbance more clearly, and within moments, he saw the scene unfold.
"Huh? Mental link?" he whispered, surprised. "They're facing a crisis?"
He drew upon his Conqueror's Haki, reaching out to further connect with one of the birds. Within moments, he found himself sharing its perspective, as though seeing through its eyes.
What he saw next left him completely dumbfounded.
"Are you serious?"
Through the bird's vision, he saw his beloved women in a frenzy, cutting down the poor, spice-carrying birds one after another. They were all so focused, so determined to stop the flock.
"This… this is ridiculous!" Luffy muttered, appalled. He needed those spices intact—without them, the barbecue would lose its edge, the flavor ruined. He was nearly done grilling, and if the spices weren't added at the right time, the taste and texture would be compromised.
And yet, here were his women, undoing everything.
"Ahh!" he sighed in exasperation, realizing he had to act fast before they decimated the entire delivery.
Luffy shook his head with a sigh.
Honestly, he understood. The girls were only doing this out of love for him. He felt a pang of gratitude, but that wasn't the point. Right now, the main event was the barbecue, and he couldn't let his carefully selected spices be destroyed.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to control the birds, coaxing them to squawk urgently.
"Hey!" he called through them. "Stop it! Don't kill them!"
But, of course, it was in bird language, and the girls had no way of understanding him.
The swordswoman furrowed her brow as she heard the shrill cries from one bird.
"You're still making noise?!" she snapped. "I'll silence you for good!"
With a swift strike, her blade cleaved through the air.
Slice!
The bird dropped in two pieces.
"Damn it!" Luffy groaned. This wasn't working at all—he needed to communicate in a language they could understand.
Focusing hard, he attempted to channel his Conqueror's Haki, directing it to make his intention known to the birds. He could feel his consciousness connecting deeply, a sense of energy reaching into the core of the birds' minds.
"Hmm," he muttered thoughtfully, realizing he'd stumbled onto something significant. "Birds don't have a language system for human speech… but maybe… maybe I can alter that."
Concentrating, he experimented, feeling his Haki slowly tweak the bird's brain, reconfiguring its communication pathways. It was challenging—he could feel the resistance, the strange sensation of bending language itself. But finally, after what seemed like countless screeches, he had done it.
A smirk spread across Luffy's face as he tested the result.
"Is this even possible?" he mused, then broke into laughter. "My Conqueror's Haki, now at eighty-four points, can actually do this? Absolutely wild!"
With a newfound confidence, he controlled one of the birds, now ready to speak properly.
"Hey! It's me!" the bird squawked in plain human words. "Stop messing around!"
The girls froze mid-action, their jaws dropping as they stared in disbelief.
"Did… did that bird just talk?" Ami whispered, barely daring to believe her ears.
The archer blinked, her grip on her bow loosening. "This is insane… Am I hearing things?"
One of the other women shook her head, staring at the bird. "It's not just you! We're all hearing it… it's talking!"
The bird fluffed its feathers, squawking louder to catch their attention.
"Hey! It's me! Luffy-sama!" it said clearly. "Stop killing my messengers, okay?"
There was a collective gasp. The women were stunned silent, every eye locked on the colorful bird that was somehow… speaking.
"No way," Lori murmured, her eyes wide. "Did that bird just say it was Luffy-sama?"
Everyone nodded slowly, equally astonished.
"This can't be real!" the swordswoman muttered, looking uncertain. "Birds can't talk! And even if they could… there's no way one could be Luffy-sama!"
But the bird nodded, as if reading her doubt.
"Yes, it's me," it insisted. "Luffy. This is no joke."
The room fell into a stunned silence, each of them grappling with what they were hearing.
Then the swordswoman's eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute… if a bird can talk, then surely it could also… lie."
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T/N:
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