"Hey! Ace! Luffy!"
Sabo couldn't hold back his excitement and shouted as he jumped down, not even waiting for Carl to control the flying sword.
Ace and Luffy, standing on the deck of the Merry, were momentarily stunned. When they looked up, they saw a familiar figure falling toward them.
Bang! Sabo crashed right into Ace and Luffy.
The two grabbed him tightly, their tears and snot flowing uncontrollably.
"Sabo! It's really you! You're alive! Whoooooooooooooooo—" Luffy wailed so loudly that his whole face was a mess.
"Sabo! You bastard, you're really alive! Luffy told me you weren't dead, but I thought he was lying! I never expected..." Ace was so overwhelmed that he could barely form a sentence.
Sabo was already sobbing.
Seeing the three brothers reunited and crying their hearts out, the Straw Hats couldn't help but wipe their own tears. It was a truly touching moment.
At that moment, Carl and Law descended from the sky. Carl greeted everyone with a smile, "Hey! Looks like everyone's okay. I'm back."
"Ms. Carl!!!"
Everyone exclaimed in surprise. Usopp, Nami, and Luffy immediately rushed over.
Carl instinctively pushed Usopp away but allowed Nami and Luffy to hug him. Ricky, being a pet, was fine too. But Usopp? Not so much.
Tashigi and Vivi's eyes lit up. Carl's return made them feel much more at ease.
Carl glanced at the deck but didn't see Karoo or Igaram. He chose not to ask any questions. However, what did catch his attention was a small group of ten civet-like creatures mixed in with the Straw Hats.
Wait... isn't that Chopper?
It seemed that during Carl's brief absence from the Merry, the crew had gone to Drum Island for some reason and recruited Chopper, giving them their own ship doctor.
Still, that wouldn't stop Carl from continuing to keep the Heart Pirates around.
After all, a single doctor couldn't compare to an entire medical team. Besides, Chopper could also learn surgical techniques from Law.
Law, known as the "Surgeon of Death," had exceptional surgical skills and extensive experience. In the original story, he even managed to save Luffy from a fatal injury—an ability worthy of admiration
At that moment, the Heart Pirates' submarine surfaced.
Xia Qi and Pei Jin quickly stepped onto the deck, waving at Law. Seeing them, Law finally let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Bepo and the others had spotted Akainu earlier. Not only did they manage to warn Carl and the other two in time, but they also escaped safely. If not, Akainu might have wiped them all out.
Sabo cried for a while before quickly regaining his composure.
"Ace, Luffy, we can't stay here any longer!" he said urgently. "We just ran into Marine Admiral Akainu, and that guy is definitely coming after us!"
Marine Admiral?!!!
Hearing that an Admiral was on their tail, everyone's faces turned grim.
Except for Chopper and Vivi, the crew had all seen a Marine Admiral before. They knew just how terrifying those monsters were. If they didn't run now, getting caught up in a fight would be a nightmare.
Luffy said, "We're heading to Yuba, but we might have to leave the Merry behind."
Usopp immediately objected. "No way! If the Marines take the Merry, we'll be left without a ship!"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
For pirates, a ship was everything. Without one, they couldn't even call themselves pirates.
But what could they do?
Instinctively, everyone turned to Carl, as if he was the one with all the answers.
Carl sighed helplessly. He didn't have a solution either.
Just then, Sabo spoke again. "You're going to Yuba? Are you looking for the rebel army's base? There's no need. They've already gathered in Katorea, and the weapons are being transported there. They're preparing to attack the capital, Alubarna."
Vivi's face paled. "W-What?! How did this happen so fast?!"
"Because someone interfered," Sabo replied.
No one was surprised by this answer.
It was obvious who was behind it—Baroque Works.
It seemed Crocodile couldn't wait any longer.
Carl glanced at Sabo, sensing there might be some involvement from the Revolutionary Army as well. If they were planning a revolution, overthrowing Alabasta—one of the World Government's allied nations—wasn't impossible. A new regime could take its place.
But it looked like Sabo had decided not to interfere.
There were probably many complicated reasons behind his decision, but Carl didn't bother thinking too much about it.
Meanwhile, Vivi's face was filled with despair. She was on the verge of tears.
"Why is this happening? This isn't how it's supposed to be! What does Crocodile want?! I just wanted everyone to live in peace… Why does there have to be war? Why do people have to die? The people of this country have already suffered so much!"
Seeing her break down, Nami and Tashigi quickly stepped forward to comfort her.
The rest of the crew exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.
Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Jango, and Mari all turned to Carl. But Carl simply shook his head and gestured toward Luffy with his chin, signaling them to wait for their captain's decision.
Luffy tilted his head, watching Vivi cry into her hands for a long time. Then, without a word, he sat down against the mast.
"I'm not leaving."
Huh? Not leaving?
Vivi looked at him in confusion. "Luffy-san… What do you mean you're not leaving?"
Luffy lowered his head, hiding his face under his straw hat.
"I'm saying we're not leaving. We're not looking for the rebels."
Vivi was stunned.
"Luffy…?"
"You're too naive, Vivi," Luffy continued. "No one walks away from a war without casualties. People are already rebelling. Do you really think you can stop them with just a few words?"
"Stop talking!" Vivi suddenly snapped, grabbing Luffy by the collar and shouting, "What's wrong with not wanting people to die?!"
"People die!" Luffy shot back.
Bang!
Vivi punched Luffy, knocking him onto the deck.
"Shut up! If you say another word, I'll never forgive you! The people of this country don't deserve this! Why should they have to die?! Crocodile is the only one at fault!"
Luffy got up and punched Vivi back, knocking her down.
It was shocking to see him hit a girl so ruthlessly.
But Luffy simply said, "Then why are you risking your life alone?"
Vivi quickly got back up, shoving Luffy to the ground and punching him in the face as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Then tell me what I should do! What else can I do besides risk my life?!"
Luffy grabbed her hands, holding them tightly as he yelled,
"Then let us risk our lives too! We're your friends, aren't we?!"
Vivi's eyes widened, and more tears began to fall.
------------------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse