"Hey! We're supposed to follow them, not head back!"
Usopp's voice trembled in frustration as he noticed Zoro swiftly turning the Going Merry around, sailing straight back towards their starting point. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he exclaimed, "Zoro, don't tell me you're actually an incredibly terrible navigator?!"
"Huh?" Zoro muttered defensively, his grip on the ship's wheel wavering slightly, his face paling a bit. "No way!"
Zoro could dismiss criticism about his swordsmanship with a confident sneer, but accusations about his navigation hit differently. Lies might soothe, but truth cuts deep.
"Let me take over!" Usopp sighed heavily, pushing Zoro away and taking control. Utilizing his sharp vision, he quickly locked onto Eden's Shark Supreme vessel ahead, making sure not to lose sight of them again.
Initially, Usopp thought himself the weakest link aboard the pirate crew. He didn't possess Luffy's insane vitality or Devil Fruit powers, nor Zoro's unmatched sword skills. However, once the Going Merry truly began its journey, Usopp realized his critical role. Without him, the crew would inevitably drift aimlessly—especially with Zoro at the helm.
Meanwhile, aboard Shark Supreme, Eden's crew faced their own minor troubles.
"Captain! We've come to rescue you!" shouted the new Black Cat Pirate captain, Jango, accompanied by his subordinates Buchi and Sham.
"Idiots!" yelled Kuro from his chained position on Eden's ship, frustration evident on his face. "These pirates captured me—what do you think you're doing?!"
Juvia casually raised her hand, murmuring, "Water Slicer!" Instantly, a pressurized jet of water cut Jango's approaching ship clean in half, causing him and his henchmen to fall into the sea and promptly become captives.
"Boss!" Jango wailed pitifully as Nami expertly tied him and his crew up next to Kuro.
"Stop calling me boss," Kuro sighed, clearly resigned. "I don't have foolish subordinates like you."
Nami gleefully calculated the new bounty total, "Nine million, seven million, another seven million, plus Kuro's sixteen million—thirty-nine million berries! It's a massive haul!"
Shortly after dealing with these unexpected guests, Eden's crew encountered yet another set of strangers.
"Please, help my brother!" pleaded Johnny, a bounty hunter dressed in a trench coat and sunglasses, carrying his pale, sickly comrade Yosaku aboard Shark Supreme.
"What's wrong with your brother?" asked Nami cautiously.
"He's been dizzy, vomiting blood…" Johnny cried.
"Scurvy," Nami quickly diagnosed, handing Johnny some oranges. "Always bring citrus fruits or rum at sea!"
Yosaku rapidly recovered after consuming the fruit, astonishing everyone aboard.
"Fully revived!" Johnny and Yosaku dramatically posed, declaring proudly, "We're Johnny and Yosaku, renowned bounty hunters of East Blue!"
"Never heard of you," Eden's crew responded bluntly, causing the pair to deflate visibly.
"They're small-timers," Buggy yawned lazily from the deck, unimpressed. "Forget about them."
Johnny and Yosaku turned pale upon noticing Buggy. "Wait...aren't you Buggy the Clown, with a bounty of fifteen million berries? Is this a pirate ship?!"
"Idiots," Kuro muttered contemptuously from his bindings. "The true monster aboard this ship is lying right there."
All eyes turned to Eden and Natsu, sprawled miserably on the deck.
"I feel sick," groaned Natsu.
"Yeah, let's rest every twelve hours or we'll both perish at sea," Eden weakly proposed. "We can delay rescuing Gray; he'll probably escape prison himself anyway."
"Aye," Natsu agreed, resembling Happy in his seasickness.
Johnny and Yosaku finally recognized Eden from a recent wanted poster. "Forty million berries bounty! Eden, strongest pirate of East Blue!"
"Oh? Your bounty went up again, Eden!" Nami grinned happily, waving the latest poster.
Eden could only weakly nod, too seasick to celebrate.
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~# Every 20 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter