【One Piece】Dawn in the Darkness

Chapter 500: The Fishman Island Crisis Ends

Feeling a sharp pain in his shoulder, Luffy gritted his teeth and stretched his Armament Haki-covered hand back, unleashing a flaming fist at Hody. "Fire Fist!!"

"That idiot Luffy!" Ace frowned as he looked at Luffy, who was casually tearing the fishman's teeth off his shoulder.

Seeing Luffy injured, Lucci anxiously gripped his arm, but stopped himself from intervening. Luffy would be unhappy, but Luffy could handle it; this was Luffy's battle.

"Gear Third!" Watching Hody fly away, Luffy bit his thumb and blew air into it, preparing to deliver the final blow. "Gum-Gum..."

"Fishman Karate - Sea Drum!!" Hody waved his hand, compressing the moisture in the air to the extreme.

"No mere humans can stop me from taking my revenge!!" Hody roared as he launched the compressed water sphere at incredible speed toward Luffy.

"Armed Giant Elephant Gun!!" Luffy roared as he blasted at Hody. A gigantic, jet-black rubber fist blocked countless water droplets and slammed straight into Hody's face. Hody's eyes rolled back instantly, and he collapsed completely.

"boom!"

After a huge explosion, the shockwave kicked up dust that covered the two figures. The fishmen who witnessed the giant fist watched as a huge crater was blasted into the square. Amidst the gravel and rubble, Hody's body lay motionless. The fishmen were shocked for a moment, and then cheered loudly.

"He did it!! Straw Hat Boy defeated Hody!!"

"The Straw Hat crew has defeated the new mermaid pirates!! Fishman Island is saved!!"

Everyone grinned, and it was over.

……

"You really like to mess around." Ace frowned as he looked at the several teeth marks on Luffy's shoulder that Lucci was applying medicine to. "Don't always get yourself hurt."

"Ace!" Luffy immediately looked up and waved to Ace.

"Don't move!" Lucci held Luffy's arm and carefully applied medicine to the wound on his shoulder. The wound wasn't very deep, but the injured area was already swollen. He wasn't sure if the fishman's teeth were poisonous, since these wounds had been bleeding continuously before he treated them.

"I'm fine, Lucci. It's just a few minor cuts that will heal quickly." Luffy looked at Lucci, who was applying medicine to his shoulder, with displeasure. Ever since he defeated that fishman, Lucci had been making him sit like this, not letting him move.

"Chopper, do you need to apply any more medicine?" Lucci ignored Luffy and turned to look at Chopper, who was being held in Robin's arms. He had just applied some hemostatic medicine to Luffy. Although the wound had stopped bleeding, it should still need some anti-inflammatory medicine.

"Robin, move a little closer." Chopper was being pulled along by Robin's hand. He breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at the few puncture wounds on Luffy's shoulder that had stopped bleeding. "The bleeding has stopped. After applying the anti-inflammatory ointment, it can be bandaged up directly. Fortunately, it doesn't need stitches."

"Hmm." Lucci nodded, taking a small jar labeled as containing anti-inflammatory medicine from Chopper's bag. "Is this it?"

"That's right! I can move!" Chopper noticed that he could move his body again, and immediately jumped off Robin's arms to take over Lucci's work.

"Mr. Luffy, thank you!" Shirahoshi said gratefully, looking at Luffy who was receiving treatment.

"We're friends!" Luffy grinned.

"Jinbe." Lucci stood up and greeted Jinbe behind Shirahoshi, then stepped back to make room for Jinbe. Judging from Jinbe's expression, he probably had something to say to Luffy.

"Thank you," Jinbe said with a smile, then looked at Luffy earnestly and said, "Brother Luffy..."

"Jinbe." Luffy interrupted Jinbe's thanks, then gave him a bright smile. "Hehehe, join me!"

Lucci and Ace exchanged a glance and laughed. Luffy really knows how to pick his crew.

……

"Why is everyone leaving the square like they're running away?" Shirahoshi asked, swimming beside the Sunny, which was being pulled through the air by bubble balloons.

"If we stay any longer, we'll be treated like heroes," Zoro explained. "The thought alone sends chills down my spine."

While Zoro was explaining the concept of heroes to Shirahoshi using the analogy of sharing a drink, Luffy was constantly pestering Jinbe to join his pirate crew, while Lucci and Ace watched Luffy's whining with amusement.

"Why? Join me, Jinbe!" Luffy grabbed Jinbe's collar and kept shouting, "Let's go on an adventure together! It'll be so much fun!"

“That’s right, be our partner, boss!” Usopp shouted excitedly.

"If a former Shichibukai were here, it would be so much more daring!" Chopper exclaimed excitedly.

"So I'm just saying it's not possible right now!" Jinbe said helplessly. He really wanted to join Luffy and adventure with them right now, but it wasn't possible. If he wanted to join, he had to sort out his own affairs and join with a clean slate.

"I am truly delighted by your invitation. It would be a pleasure to sail with you all, but I still have unfinished business to attend to. Once I have taken care of those matters and laid down all my responsibilities, I will meet you again."

"If you still have the same feelings back then, could you please invite me to join the Straw Hat crew one more time?"

“Then it’s a deal, Jinbe!” Luffy said earnestly.

"Of course!" Jinbe replied just as earnestly. "I'll handle it as soon as possible!"

"You're the man Luffy admires, so we're waiting for you, Jinbe!" the others said with a smile.

"You flatter me!" Jinbe said with a smile.

"Is it because of the Sun Pirates?" Lucci asked.

“Yes, I am still the captain of the Sun Pirates. The Sun Pirates will continue to sail the seas no matter what. I need to help them until they can continue sailing without me,” Jinbe explained. “When I am free, I will rejoin you.”

Lucci patted Jinbe on the shoulder in agreement. He had also left after finishing his work with the Whitebeard Pirates. Now he was considered to have broken away from the Whitebeard Pirates. His father had given him the freedom to choose, so whether he wanted to sail on his own, join Luffy, or stay with Whitebeard to help Ace, it was all his choice.

Jinbe is still a captain, and he has many more and more complex things to deal with and think about than he does now, so he definitely needs more time to handle them.

"So what's next? Are we just going straight to the New World?" Zoro asked, arms crossed.

"Sigh... Am I really leaving Fishman Island already? I still have so much to say to you all, and I want to thank you properly!" Shirahoshi said reluctantly.

“Okay, let’s stay at the Fishman Cafe for a week!” Sanji exclaimed excitedly.

"Isn't that what you want to do? Go there!" Usopp retorted. "Although I'm more than happy to."

"Straw Hat, please wait!"

Upon hearing the sound, everyone turned to look at the stern of the ship, where Neptune's royal army was present.

"Luffy-kun! Let's start the party again!!"