Chapter 392: John and Whitebeard
Chapter 392: John and Whitebeard
On the Grand Line, in the New World, a ship with white sails glided smoothly over the choppy waters. Despite the calm seas and pleasant weather, there was a strange occurrence—cherry blossoms, their origin unknown, drifted down from the sky, landing on the deck and the ocean's surface.
"Who would've thought that the New World would have such beautiful scenery?"
Robin emerged from the cabin, gazing at the falling cherry blossoms with admiration. She extended her hand to catch a few petals, intrigued by their delicate beauty.
She had thought they might be mere illusions created by the light, but to her surprise, the petals felt real to the touch. Curiously, she pinched a petal between her fingers, examining it closely.
"These are real cherry blossoms..."
"They must have been carried here by the peculiar climate of the Grand Line from some island," Feng Ye remarked as he joined her, gazing up at the sky.
With his Rinne Sharingan activated, Feng Ye traced the path of the cherry blossoms to a distant island.
"Speaking of which," he continued, "the climate in the New World shouldn't be this calm. It's been over ten days since we left the Calm Belt, and we haven't encountered any storms or other natural disasters. The seas have been unusually peaceful."
As he spoke, Feng Ye's eyes narrowed as he noticed something peculiar about the petals in his hand. A surprised expression crossed his face as he realized the pollen on the petals was slowly seeping into his skin, spreading like a toxin. However, due to his Rikudo Body, the pollen was instantly neutralized by the powerful Rikudo Chakra flowing within him.
Feng Ye flicked the petal away and turned to Robin, who was basking in the shower of cherry blossoms. "Be careful, these cherry blossoms are poisonous."
"Eh?" Robin's eyes widened in surprise, and she immediately felt a stinging sensation wherever the petals had touched her skin—her palms, neck, and arms.
"Ugh..." She quickly retreated into the cabin, but the burning sensation remained, causing her discomfort.
Feng Ye smiled at the falling blossoms and remarked, "As expected of the latter half of the Grand Line, where all sorts of bizarre things can happen..."
He entered the cabin and stopped Robin, who was about to wash the affected areas with water. A verdant glow emanated from his fingertips as he gently ran them over Robin's neck and shoulders.
Robin felt a cool sensation from Feng Ye's touch, and the stinging heat on her skin vanished wherever his fingers passed, bringing immediate relief.
"There," Feng Ye said, taking Robin's hand in his. He cupped her palm and the green light flashed once more, neutralizing any remaining toxins that had come into contact with her skin.
Robin breathed a sigh of relief as the discomfort faded away. "Thank you, sir."
Recalling the sensation of Feng Ye's fingers on her skin, a faint blush tinted Robin's cheeks, as if adorned with cherry blossom petals.
Feng Ye had already turned back towards the cabin entrance and, with a casual flick of his sleeve, sent a gust of wind sweeping across the deck, carrying away all the cherry blossom petals and depositing them into the sea.
The howling gale scattered the blossoms in the sky, sending them dancing in all directions.
Robin walked up beside Feng Ye, her eyes flickering with wariness as she took in the scene before them. "It seems we must be cautious no matter what we encounter."
Feng Ye turned to her and offered a gentle smile. "This sea is indeed not very welcoming. It's wise to be cautious, but there's no need to be overly so, for I am here."
Such words coming from anyone else might have sounded arrogant, but coming from Feng Ye, they caused a cute, faint blush to dust Robin's cheeks, and a hint of admiration to flash in her eyes.
Just as she was about to say something, Feng Ye suddenly looked past her, a glint in his eyes.
"What is it?" Robin asked, turning to follow his gaze but seeing only the interior of the ship cabin.
Feng Ye's gaze pierced through the cabin, toward a particular spot on the ocean's surface. After a moment, he retracted his gaze and said, "Nothing, I just spotted a pirate ship."
About several dozen miles away, a large pirate ship with a triangular sail was sailing on the waves, its pirate flag fluttering in the wind.
On the deck of the ship, several figures stood, their faces concealed by hoods and masks, protecting them from the falling cherry blossom petals. Others scurried back and forth, carrying buckets to wash away the petals that had landed on the deck.
"We've reached the 'Sea of Poisonous Cherry Blossoms.' We must be close to the 'Country of Poisonous Cherry Blossoms,' Captain John," one of the pirates remarked.
"Mhm, full speed ahead," Captain John acknowledged, standing tall at the bow of the ship.
"Aye, aye, Captain!" the crew chorused, heaving on ropes to catch the wind in their sails.
They regarded Captain John with a mix of awe and respect, for he was a legendary figure on the high seas.
Captain John, a member of the Rocks Pirates, had once sailed alongside the likes of Kaido of the Hundred Beasts, Big Mom, Whitebeard, and Gol D. Roger. With a bounty of 2,137,900,000 berries on his head, he was one of the most feared pirates in the world.
Over a decade ago, the Rocks Pirates had been defeated by a joint effort of CP0, the naval hero Garp, and the Roger Pirates, resulting in the death of their captain, Rocks. In the aftermath, the crew had splintered, and Roger went on to conquer the Grand Line.
However, the former members of the Rocks Pirates had each gone on to become formidable forces in their own right. Kaido and Big Mom were infamous, but Whitebeard and Shiki the Golden Lion stood as equals to Roger, ruling over the seas of the previous era!
As the ship sailed full speed ahead, a lookout in the crow's nest lowered his telescope, a surprised expression on his face. "Captain!" he called out.
"A medium-sized sailing ship has been spotted at one o'clock. It's not flying any flags, likely a merchant vessel traveling in the area. It's on our course," he reported.
Hearing this, Captain John picked up a telescope and briefly scanned the horizon before lowering it again. "If it were in any other direction, I wouldn't bother," he mused. "But since it's right in our path... I suppose it's fate. Before we meet Whitebeard, let's have a little warm-up. Full speed ahead, don't let them get away."
He was on his way to meet Whitebeard.
According to his intelligence, the Whitebeard Pirates were currently stationed at the Island of Poisonous Cherry Blossoms.
Now, encountering a merchant vessel on their course... He might have ignored it if it were in any other direction, but since it was directly in their path, he could only attribute it to the other party's bad luck.
After all, letting such a ship go would be like deliberately passing up a winning hand in a card game, potentially inviting bad luck in the future.
(End of Chapter)
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