Chapter 85 85: Let’s Play!
Sabaody Park
"AAAAAH—!!"
The roller coaster raced along the tracks at high speed as Luffy shouted excitedly.
Nami, on the other hand, kept her eyes tightly shut while hugging Luffy, her head pressed against his chest.
Her neatly tied hair had been blown loose by the wind. Her long orange hair streamed behind her like a waterfall, releasing a faint fragrance.
"Ha… ha…"
Usopp and Brook collapsed onto their knees, lying on the ground and gasping for breath.
Nami's long slender legs trembled slightly as she leaned weakly against Luffy.
"I'm a little dizzy…"
"That was awesome!" Luffy exclaimed enthusiastically. "Let's go again! One more time!"
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Luffy felt a chill.
He looked down—
Nami was staring at him with a murderous gaze.
"Uh… well…"
"Let's go ride the Ferris wheel!"
As soon as her legs recovered a little, Nami grabbed Luffy and dragged him toward the Ferris wheel.
If she kept riding roller coasters, she felt like her legs wouldn't recover all day.
"Sanji! Let's ride the Ferris wheel too! I've always wanted to!"
Camie looked at the massive Ferris wheel with sparkling eyes.
"Of course, Miss Camie!!"
Sanji spun dramatically and appeared in front of her, completely losing his cool persona.
At this point, being handsome had nothing to do with him anymore.
On the Ferris Wheel
"Why did you two follow us here?!"
Sanji's entire body seemed to be burning with rage as he glared at Usopp and Brook, who were sharing the same cabin.
A perfect date had been completely ruined.
"There weren't enough cabins!" Usopp explained nervously.
"Luffy and Nami took one, and the rest of us had two cabins left. We had to come here!"
"Then why didn't you go to Luffy's cabin?!"
Flames erupted from Sanji's body.
"We didn't want to die!"
Usopp looked miserable.
Being stuck in the middle wasn't easy.
One side meant certain death.
The other meant possible death.
Even an idiot knew which option to choose.
"Sanji-san, calm down. Have some tea."
Brook poured him a cup of black tea.
Sanji accepted it.
At this point, nothing could change the situation.
He couldn't actually kill them… right?
Meanwhile…
"Luffy, look! It's so beautiful!"
From above, the Sabaody Archipelago looked completely different.
Nami pressed both hands against the glass window, her bright eyes sparkling with joy.
"Yeah," Luffy replied.
He sat quietly on the seat, looking down at the island.
The place was filled with people.
There was laughter, harmony, and peace.
The environment was beautiful, with not a trace of pollution.
And beneath the watch of Marine Headquarters, no reckless pirates dared cause chaos.
Maybe the nearby Lawless Zones were filled with crime and violence.
Maybe the Celestial Dragons occasionally descended and caused trouble.
But compared to other places…
There was still a sense of stability here.
"Heh…"
Luffy suddenly laughed at himself.
A pirate worrying about society?
"Nami?"
A soft hand gently touched his forehead.
Nami leaned closer, looking puzzled.
"You don't have a fever. Why did you suddenly freeze?"
Luffy grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms, wrapping his other arm around her slender waist.
He stared at her bright red lips—
And kissed her without hesitation.
Smack.
Nami slowly closed her eyes and responded completely.
After a long moment—
Their lips separated.
"What's wrong?" Nami asked softly.
She leaned against his chest, her eyes full of concern.
"Nothing," Luffy said gently while stroking her hair.
"I just thought of something."
Besides becoming Pirate King, he once had another dream as a child.
Or perhaps—
Becoming Pirate King was never truly his dream.
It was simply the path he took in pursuit of absolute freedom.
So what do I really want to do?
A faint smile appeared on Luffy's face.
Maybe…
He was starting to figure it out.
Meanwhile, in another cabin…
Three grown men sat drinking tea.
"Sigh… we're getting old."
Brook kept sighing.
"We've already started living healthy lifestyles."
After all, Brook belonged to a generation old enough to call Gol D. Roger a "newcomer."
Near the window, Camie silently stared at the scenery.
What seemed ordinary to the others was a dream for her.
"Camie," Sanji said gently.
"You seem very happy."
"Yes!"
Camie nodded firmly.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
"Because this has been my dream since I was a child."
Then she smiled brightly.
"Thank you."
"This will become one of the most precious memories of my life."
Sanji simply watched her quietly.
His eyes were filled with kindness—and a hint of pity.
After getting off the Ferris wheel, the Straw Hat Pirates continued exploring the park.
They rode the pirate ship, visited the haunted house, and tried every attraction.
Eventually—
The sun rose high in the sky.
The crew gathered again.
"So, Luffy," Sanji said while lighting a cigarette.
"Where is that coating mechanic?"
"He's in Grove 1," Luffy replied.
"But we need to hurry."
"Otherwise… he's going to be sold."
"COUGH—!"
Sanji choked on his cigarette smoke.
"So in the end, he really did get captured by slave traders?!"
"Those traffickers are disgusting!" Nami said angrily.
"They even kidnap elderly people who can't even lift a hammer!"
Luffy stared at them in disbelief.
"Hey, hey—being old doesn't necessarily mean being weak."
"Anyway, let's head to the Human Auction House in Grove 1."
Luffy was quite familiar with that place.
He took out a Den Den Mushi.
The snail kept going:
"Buru buru buru…"
Soon, the call connected.
Three rectangular blue holographic screens appeared—advanced equipment produced by the system.
Through the screens, Luffy saw:
Robin, browsing in a bookstoreZoro, "taking a walk"Franky, modifying the ship
"Hello hello! This is Luffy!"
Meanwhile – Grove 1 Human Auction House
Crowds of nobles and wealthy elites slowly entered the auction hall.
"I wonder what will be auctioned today?"
"Hey, today is a slave-only auction. There won't be treasures like the Adam Wood from last time."
"Haha! Anything money can buy becomes private property, right? Whether it's slaves or something else."
"I want to buy a strong pirate captain."
"I want a beautiful girl. It would be amazing if there was a mermaid."
A well-dressed man smiled sickly.
"Keep dreaming. Even the cheapest mermaid costs 70 million Berries. You think you can afford that?"
Soon—
Two arrogant figures arrived.
Behind them were many guards and a massive slave.
The auction staff immediately knelt.
"Saint Rosward! Princess Shalulia!"
"Welcome! Would you permit the audience not to kneel inside the hall?"
"That's fine," Rosward said.
"Otherwise they wouldn't be able to bid."
Surprisingly reasonable—for a Celestial Dragon.
"Please, come inside."
"Brother Saint Charlos is so slow," Shalulia complained.
"He keeps riding those slow humans everywhere."
"If he's going to ride something, he should ride a Fish-Man. Their arm strength is ten times that of humans."
Rosward continued talking casually.
The two entered the hall.
Nearby—
Eustass Kid watched everything.
"Celestial Dragons… slaves… human trafficking…"
Compared to the disgusting methods used by those in power—
Even criminals sometimes seemed more humane.
"It's because scum rule the world…"
"…that more scum continue to be created."
"In comparison, our kind of evil almost looks cute, right, Killer?"
At the same time, Kid noticed someone ahead of him.
Trafalgar Law.
Law turned his head.
Their eyes met.
Kid slowly revealed a dangerous grin.
"This world really is rotten."
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