Chapter 248: Sailing Away Without the Captain!!
"Franky, we've gotta move!!!"
Sanji yelped as the burnt cigarette butt singed his fingers, springing up from the deck with a shout.
"Uh… well… about that… the ultimate cannon drained every bit of stored energy from the Sunny…"
Franky scratched the back of his head, an awkward grin somehow appearing even on his steel-forged face.
"Then what the hell are we supposed to do now?!"
The question burst out of Sanji almost instinctively.
The moment the words left his mouth—
Every pair of eyes on deck locked onto him simultaneously.
Sanji instantly felt a chill crawl up the back of his neck.
A terrible premonition surged over him like a tidal wave.
N-no way…
Surely not THAT kind of plan…
"Sanji-kun~"
Nami's voice floated over like honeyed wind.
She casually brushed aside her orange hair tousled by the sea breeze, her curved eyelashes framing a dazzling smile sweet enough to make someone faint.
"Pretty please?"
"YES MA'AM!!! IT WOULD BE MY ABSOLUTE HONOR, NAMI-SWAAAAAN!!!"
Every ounce of hesitation and fear instantly evaporated.
Invisible flames seemed to ignite around Sanji as his fighting spirit exploded skyward like a volcano.
CRACKLE—BOOOOM!!!
Brilliant lightning erupted outward.
Countless arcs of electricity wrapped around the Thousand Sunny like living serpents, causing the wooden deck to vibrate violently.
The next instant—
The entire ship became enveloped in a blazing blue lightning web, transforming into a thunderbolt that tore through the sky itself!
The roaring wind screamed past their ears as clouds were split apart like ocean waves.
Yamato stood against the gale near the railing, her silver-white hair dancing wildly like flowing moonlight.
Turning back toward the shrinking battlefield below, the vast glow of heaven reflected in her eyes.
"Luffy! We're heading on ahead—!"
She cupped her hands around her mouth, her clear voice piercing through the raging wind.
"So hurry up and catch up already!!"
Her laughter blended into the storm, carrying uncontrollable excitement for the adventures waiting ahead.
Dragging a trail of thunder behind it, the Thousand Sunny vanished into the endless sea of clouds.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG—!!
The collisions between fists rang like screaming steel.
Luffy and Garp flashed across the sky in countless intersecting afterimages.
Every clash detonated visible shockwaves powerful enough to repeatedly cave in the sea below.
Then—
In the middle of one lightning-fast exchange—
Luffy suddenly turned his head.
A familiar ship silhouette was tearing through the clouds, shrinking into the distance like a tiny bolt of lightning at the edge of the horizon.
His entire body froze.
"HEEEEEY—!!!"
The earth-shaking scream nearly drowned out the sounds of battle itself.
"YOU IDIOTS!!! THE CAPTAIN ISN'T EVEN ON THE SHIP YET—!!!"
Luffy's face completely collapsed in disbelief.
His pupils practically shattered.
He was over here risking his life—
And his crew had already fled without him?!
"Losing focus during a fight will get you killed, brat!"
An old yet thunderous voice exploded beside his ear.
Garp's figure tore through the air like a meteor, his iron-like fist wrapped in heavily condensed Haki as it smashed through layers of compressed air straight toward Luffy's face.
"BAHAHAHA! Looks like your crew abandoned you already!"
Garp's laughter was filled with merciless teasing.
"So why not come have some tea with Grandpa in Impel Down?!"
BOOOOM—!!!
The punch landed cleanly against Luffy's cheek.
His body shot backward like a cannonball, carving a massive white trail across the ocean surface.
"Grandpa…"
Luffy's hoarse voice rose from the crashing waves.
"Right now… I seriously don't have time to play with you!!!!"
SHOOM!
A ghostlike blur instantly reappeared.
Luffy's black hair whipped wildly like flames as his eyes glowed crimson red.
Violent red-gold lightning exploded endlessly around him, forming what looked like an eternal thunderstorm.
BOOM—!!!!
This punch—
Filled with the resentment of being "abandoned," the desperation to catch up with his crew, and overwhelming Conqueror's Haki Infusion—
Slammed directly into Garp's stunned face.
"Guh!"
Garp grunted as his massive body flew backward uncontrollably, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
SPLAAAASH—!!
Like a gigantic boulder crashing into the sea, he blasted up an enormous column of water.
"WHAT KIND OF CREW JUST DITCHES THEIR CAPTAIN LIKE THAT—?!!"
Luffy twitched violently with disbelief.
Then—
A red gleam flashed through his eyes.
Observation Haki surged outward like invisible waves, spanning tens of thousands of meters in an instant as it firmly locked onto the tiny ship racing through the clouds.
"Oi… how'd they get THAT far already?!"
Silver-white radiance began rising around him.
Transparent ripples spread through the surrounding space as though invisible forces disturbed the surface of water itself.
The next instant—
His hovering figure vanished completely like a fading illusion, disappearing into the sea wind and lingering waves.
Meanwhile, laughter echoed across the Thousand Sunny.
Clouds rushed past both sides of the ship as it soared forward.
Nami leaned against the railing, staring uneasily at the distant shrinking battlefield.
"Are we really okay just leaving Luffy behind like that…?"
"Let the grandpa and grandson sort it out themselves."
Zoro crossed his arms against the mast without even bothering to open his eyes.
"Besides… nothing's gonna change in the end anyway."
A knowing smirk crossed his lips.
If the Hero of the Marines had truly been capable of locking up his grandson, the entire balance of the seas would've collapsed ages ago.
The crew exchanged glances and nodded together with expressions that clearly said:
"Yeah, we all get it."
"HEEEEY—!!! YOU HEARTLESS BASTARDS—!!!"
A thunderous shout suddenly exploded from the bow.
Everyone whipped around in shock.
There sat Luffy atop the lion figurehead, completely soaked from head to toe and dripping seawater everywhere while baring his teeth furiously.
"YOU ACTUALLY LEFT YOUR CAPTAIN BEHIND AND RAN OFF FIRST?! ARE YOU ALL TRYING TO STA— huh?!"
His furious rant abruptly stopped.
Luffy's wide eyes locked directly onto the gigantic roasted meat-on-the-bone in Sanji's hand, sizzling with grease and nearly half the size of a person.
Drool instantly burst past the defenses of his mouth.
"Here."
Sanji casually tossed it over.
Luffy hugged the meat like priceless treasure before immediately tearing off an enormous bite.
Greasy chunks of meat stuffed the gap where one of his teeth had been knocked out as he mumbled through puffed cheeks:
"Fine… I'll forgive you guys this time…"
"Pfft—"
Someone finally failed to hold it in.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Laughter exploded across the deck like fireworks.
Usopp pounded the deck while wiping tears from his eyes.
Chopper rolled around laughing hysterically.
Even Robin covered her mouth with a smile.
"Luffy!"
Nami bent over laughing.
"How did Grandpa knock out your tooth too?!"
The crew's joyful laughter shattered the clouds themselves.
Carrying those bright voices like lantern lights, the Thousand Sunny cut through the endless sea of clouds and raced toward the eternal sun beyond the horizon.
At the same time, aboard the distant Marine warship—
"BAHAHAHAHA!! That's my grandson for you!!!"
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