The commotion caused by Luffy dragging Ain away was neither subtle nor quiet. Koala and Nami, being neither blind nor deaf, imdiately noticed what was happening.
Almost simultaneously, the two won exchanged knowing glances and declared in perfect unison:
"You know what? I need to use the bathroom first."
Nami froze.
Koala stared.
Hearing the exact sa words echoed by the other, both won shared an awkward smile.
"What a coincidence," Nami said, her tone playfully suspicious. "You also need to use the bathroom? Why don't we go together?"
"Absolutely," Koala agreed with exaggerated enthusiasm. "Let's definitely go together."
Without further discussion, the two won abandoned their tasks without a second thought. The intelligence reports and navigational charts could wait—so opportunities simply couldn't be missed.
Arm in arm, like schoolgirls heading to the restroom during a class break, they followed the path Luffy and Ain had taken, their intentions anything but innocent.
What happened afterward played out exactly as Luffy had anticipated. When the rest of his group learned that he planned to leave most of them behind while enjoying a "private voyage" with Ain and Nami for several months, protests erupted from all directions.
Kujaku, Hina, and Kalifa all voiced their objections in various ways, but none were as vocal as Yamato. The daughter of Kaido was particularly adamant, insisting that she had been looking forward to experiencing the unique cultures and customs of North Blue. She declared emphatically that she had no intention of returning to Wano without seeing the world.
In the end, Luffy had to personally "persuade" her, promising that she would be the first he'd take on his next voyage. After a night of intense "negotiations" that left Yamato thoroughly exhausted but satisfied, she reluctantly agreed to his terms.
The following morning, Luffy departed from Marine Headquarters with Ain and Nami, while the others saw them off with expressions ranging from resignation to poorly concealed jealousy.
Hina and the rest would remain at headquarters for two more days to complete the processing of newly recruited Marines before catching a passing warship back to the G66 branch under their command.
At an altitude of 2,000 ters, the Stormbreaker cruised sedately through the clouds at roughly 40 knots, the ship performing admirably in its aerial configuration.
According to Fleet Admiral Sengoku's briefing, news of Luffy's diplomatic tour of the first half of the Grand Line and North Blue had already been communicated to all relevant nations. Each country had responded with enthusiasm, eagerly preparing welcoming ceremonies befitting a Marine Admiral's visit.
Luffy had submitted his intended route in advance, allowing the various nations to arrange appropriate festivities according to his schedule. It was precisely for this reason that the first country on his itinerary had requested a few extra days to complete their preparations.
Luffy had therefore extended his stay at headquarters, departing only when he felt the timing was right. Even so, the first destination of his voyage was not the small, obscure nation that had requested the delay, but rather the world-famous shipbuilding haven—Water 7, the City of Water.
Luffy hadn't forgotten that he had commissioned Iceburg, the mayor of Water 7 and president of Galley-La Company, to design several advanced vessel concepts for him. This visit would provide the perfect opportunity to inspect the progress personally, even if the technical details were far beyond his understanding.
After more than half a year, the Stormbreaker was returning to the place of its birth. The difference, however, was stark. When the ship had first departed, it had been just another vessel, albeit an exceptional one. But now, with Luffy's teoric rise to Admiral status, the situation had completely changed.
As Luffy's exploits gained recognition, details about his personal vessel had been uncovered and widely disseminated by marine enthusiasts and journalists alike. So accounts were so exaggerated that if Luffy hadn't been personally aboard the Stormbreaker, he might have believed he was piloting the legendary ancient weapon Pluton rather than a modified pirate ship.
The sensationalist reports described capabilities for flying, diving, and even optical camouflage, making Luffy joke that the newspapers thought he was commanding so kind of alien spacecraft rather than a sailing vessel.
Despite the ridiculous embellishnts, these stories ensured that everyone from the Celestial Dragons to common citizens now recognized that Admiral Monkey D. Luffy traveled aboard a remarkable flying battleship.
"Haaah... Mmm!"
Standing on the bow of the Stormbreaker, Luffy stretched his arms wide and took a deep, satisfying breath of the briny air.
"It's been quite a while," he mused aloud, "though I didn't expect to return so soon."
With a nostalgic smile, he leaned over the railing and peered down at the approaching city. Spotting the crowd of residents and reporters already gathering outside the dock's security periter, he felt a surge of pride and ambition fill his chest.
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