Chapter 80: Thunder! Raining! Come Out and Collect Water!
Half a month later.
Above the sea, huge dark clouds rolled, lightning occasionally flashing within them. Beneath the thunder, fierce winds and torrential rain swept across the waters.
Between the dark clouds and the sea…
"Is that a seagull? So big!"
Pearl stared at a giant seagull caught in the wind, exclaiming dramatically.
Bang!
A hammer smashed onto Pearl's head, sending him falling to the deck.
"Trying to fly into the storm with the seagulls?! Hurry up and furl the sails for this lady!"
Renettia yelled angrily at Pearl, then looked at the other pirates. "Speed it up! Haven't you eaten?! How about I let you catch sea beasts in the sea to eat? Gin! Stop running back and forth! Are you trying to revert to your ancestors and become a black-skinned monkey?!"
The people on deck paced back and forth, pulling ropes, managing sails, operating the helm, coordinating with those in the control room, all extremely busy.
Out of the entire crew, less than three hundred were still active. The rest were still lying down, seriously injured. With so few people, only a third of the Death Omen Star's standard crew, they could barely control the ship. It might have been acceptable in the East Blue, but in the Grand Line, the disadvantage was apparent.
"That's enough, Renetti."
Just then, a voice came from the second-floor balcony. Lily stood there, letting the fierce wind blow her blonde hair, gazing up at the sky. "It's back to normal now."
Saying this, she walked into the captain's quarters, Renettia following behind.
Inside the captain's quarters, Sag lounged diagonally, legs propped up on the table, one hand tapping rhythmically on the chair's armrest. He hummed the old tune of 'Bink's Sake'. Seeing the two arrive, he smiled.
"What do you say, how about finding a song and dance troupe? Watching music and dancing seems pretty good too. My place here is so big, there should be room for improvement, right? Renetti?"
"I'll modify it!" Renettia shouted, then added, "Speaking of which, you're the captain! Is it really okay to not manage anything?"
"Isn't that what captains do? Just be responsible for the general direction and making plans. Otherwise, what would I need you guys for?" Sag laughed.
Just then, Marika came up from downstairs carrying a dish. "Have something to eat, Renetti. There are strawberries you like."
"Yay!"
Renettia's eyes lit up. She took the strawberry cake from Marika's hand and sat down on the sofa in front of the desk to eat.
"Thank you."
Lily took the dessert from Marika's hand, sat down on the other side, and said, "Sag, we've been sailing for over half a month now. According to the sea chart's markings, we should be almost there."
More than half a month had passed since the last battle with the warships. They had been sailing according to the direction of the Eternal Pose.
But in the Grand Line, besides the unknown dangers on islands, the sea itself was also quite dangerous… at least for them.
Shortly after setting sail, they encountered extraordinarily strong winds absolutely unseen in the East Blue, tossing the ship about. Luckily, the Death Omen Star's power system was effective enough to barely stabilize it, without needing Renettia to intervene.
But just as they endured the fierce wind, extremely cold snow began to fall, almost freezing a thin layer of ice on the sea surface. The subordinates had just put on thick clothes and shoveled the snow off the deck when the weather became hot again, making everyone drip with sweat.
The climate was too variable. To react in time, one had to constantly watch the weather.
Even so, Lily still suffered a setback. She focused on observing the weather but forgot to check the course. Only after half a day did she discover that the Eternal Pose and the ship's heading were completely opposite, forcing them to turn back.
Because of this, Lily gave the other five Eternal Poses pointing to Arabasta to the subordinates in the control room, telling them to keep an eye on them at all times, just in case.
After suffering this setback, she also understood: the Grand Line truly couldn't be measured by common sense.
At first, she thought it was Sag's bad luck acting up…
But it wasn't entirely not acting up. She couldn't say about other weather phenomena, but storms…
Lily continued, "Your storm has returned to its normal intensity. We should have entered Arabasta's tropical desert climate."
"What do you mean my storm?"
Sag was just about to pick up the special mixed drink Marika had put down. Hearing this, his eye twitched. "The Grand Line itself is strange. The variable climate isn't caused by me. I'm a bit unlucky, but don't talk as if the storm was born because of me."
"Eh? But it feels like that would be really cool! Son of Storms or something. It's perfect for constantly testing the ship I built!" Renettia looked up and said.
"Wipe your mouth! It's all cream!" Sag said irritably.
To this, Lily remained noncommittal.
There were islands along the sailing route, but no signs of habitation were found. With injured members on board, they couldn't afford to linger long, so they sailed directly onwards.
Besides the variable climate, Sag's storm during the voyage was also very strong. It wasn't that they never saw the sun, just that compared to the cloudy weather, the sun was too rare.
This strong storm would change to normal intensity upon reaching an island. Lily hadn't noticed at first, only gradually becoming aware later.
An island, along with its belonging sea area, actually had a constant season. Once entering its sea area, the climate would become stable, not as variable as other times.
Lily had been observing the weather outside just now, not for anything else, purely to observe when the storm would weaken. Once it weakened, the subordinates wouldn't need to be so busy.
Although the storm's intensity was still stronger than in the East Blue, correspondingly, the quality of this ship was also very strong!
Just as Sag said, as long as strength was sufficient, any bad luck could be overcome!
Otherwise, those injured subordinates under Sag would have died long ago. It was precisely because of the extremely strong will they had tempered in Bridge-Top Kingdom that they could fight against death with basic medicine under serious injury, continuing until now.
Willpower was also a kind of strength.
"Marika, make some more food, about ten servings," Sag finished the large plate of food Marika had served, drank the wine in one gulp along the way, smacked his lips, and said.
"Understood."
Marika smiled slightly, tidied up the plates, and went downstairs.
The three-story structure of the Death Omen Star was connected from top to bottom, reaching the first level of the hold. However, this passage could only be used by those present.
It led directly to the treasure room in the center of the hold. The structure of that hold had been reinforced by Renettia with looted steel, and even the door was changed to a steel door. Its precise structure couldn't be opened even by the most skilled thief.
Normally, Gin also guarded there.
It wasn't that he distrusted the pirates under him, but the necessary precautions were still taken. That place was a real restricted area; ordinary pirates would actively avoid that area.
Lily watched Marika carry the plates away and said, "Sag, your appetite seems larger than before. Are your injuries still not healed?"
"Healed long ago."
Sag clenched his fist, the air in his hand making a squeezing sound. The corner of his mouth curled up. "Just strengthening my physique."
Large amounts of food were converted into energy, actively absorbed by him, and then used to strengthen various parts of his body through his 'Life Return', which seemed to have no limit in its precision.
Besides increasing his physique, he could also control the 'Life Return' technique more subtly, moving towards his intended direction.
So, for things like eating and drinking, under normal circumstances, he always wanted the best. The rare ingredients Marika obtained from Loguetown basically all went into his stomach.
But even if it wasn't for this purpose, he himself had an indulgent personality; of course, he wanted the best of everything.
Before, he didn't have the conditions. Now that the conditions were available, why not?
Having fought three relatively high-intensity battles consecutively in the East Blue, he certainly understood where he needed to improve.
The most important things were still his own body and the amount of Haki.
Sag actually felt that his body was already strong enough. Before becoming a pirate, he could easily smash stones. Once he used the Turning Dragon Breathing Technique, lead bullets couldn't even break his skin.
Otherwise, without that sufficiently high physique, he couldn't possibly use the Rokushiki immediately after seeing through them. Those techniques basically required a superhuman physique to use.
However, starting with Garp, he began to feel it wasn't enough.
He couldn't even withstand the fist of Zephyr, who was already terminally ill and whose will and spirit had dissipated by more than half. Even if Zephyr's Haki strength far exceeded his, without a sufficient physique, he couldn't exert powerful strength.
It wasn't that having Haki automatically made one an expert. That thing just meant one's will was sufficient to control the will and thus exert power. Ordinary people mastering Haki were still ordinary people.
Just like some people's Haki was a water cup, while others' Haki was a river.
One plus one would always only equal two, impossible to equal two hundred.
Besides physical quality, the amount of Haki also needed to be strengthened. Sag wasn't someone who didn't train. Besides battles, when he had nothing to do, he would also use Haki to cover the surface of the treasure vault, striving to make it harder.
As long as the Haki amount was sufficient and the nurturing time was enough, the contacted object would also retain Haki over time, becoming harder and harder, just like the so-called 'Black Blades'.
Swords were objects, and the walls of the treasure vault were also objects. Sag was confident he could turn them into 'Black Walls'!
As for the entire ship… the Haki amount wasn't enough yet.
And Sag's overall strength now… who knew.
It wasn't like playing a game, where leveling up once meant getting stronger by one level.
As long as you didn't fight someone, you would never know who was stronger.
He had killed Ennio, that stepfather. That guy knew Rokushiki and Haki. Although the Haki strength seemed to have decreased a lot due to problems with will and spirit, and years of comfortable living had also weakened his body considerably.
But being able to learn all six styles and even develop variations meant he couldn't have weakened that much.
If it were before, he would definitely have been an elite Vice Admiral. But the Ennio Sag encountered probably couldn't reach that level anymore.
He had also exchanged a few blows with Garp and was completely crushed.
And Zephyr, it seemed like a mutual destruction, but only Sag himself knew the actual situation.
Still needed to continue strengthening…
Before long, Marika came up with newly prepared dishes. After Sag finished eating and rested for nearly an hour, a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," Lily said.
A pirate pushed the door open. "Captain, Lady Lily, Lady Marika, Lady Renettia, we've sighted land!"
"Looks like we've arrived."
Sag stood up, adjusted the black and red fur cloak on his back, and strode out the door.
Outside, dark clouds still pressed down, the wind and rain violent. As the Death Omen Star advanced, it gradually covered the area ahead, splashing large amounts of water on the sea surface that was distorted by the evaporating air under the bright sun far away, stirring up waves.
Sag reached out his hand, and a subordinate handed over a telescope. He looked forward through the telescope and saw the outline of land stretching out with no visible boundary.
Lily also looked through a telescope and couldn't help but sigh, "Much bigger than Oykot."
"I heard it's a superpower, with a population exceeding ten million," Marika said.
"Eh? That many?" Renettia exclaimed.
Sag threw the telescope back to the subordinate and said lightly, "No matter how many or how big, it's still just an island."
The world was vast, the Grand Line was vast, and the Calm Belt was equally vast.
But as long as it was on the sea, no matter how large the place, it could only be called an 'island'.
So, the sea is magical, isn't it…
…
Arabasta port city, Nanohana, outside a city wall on the edge.
"Listen up, Baroque Works has seen our faces, we absolutely cannot be exposed."
Nami pointed at the group. "Only Sanji and Chopper haven't been recorded. The task of buying food and water is left to you two."
"Rest assured, Nami-swan!"
Sanji's body twisted almost like noodles, holding his hands together, his eyes turning into hearts. "Leaving it to me is completely no problem!"
Boom!
Just as he finished speaking, a sound of thunder came from the distance.
Everyone subconsciously looked over, all startled.
From the sea surface, a huge dark cloud, mixed with a storm, was approaching.
"Sto-storm?!"
Nami exclaimed, subconsciously looking at the woman beside her with wavy long hair the color of the sea. "Vivi, do storms occur here?"
Vivi stared blankly at the approaching storm, thick doubt appearing in her eyes. "Storms have never occurred in Arabasta."
Rain was rain, a storm was a storm. The climate here couldn't possibly produce a storm!
But now it had magically appeared.
Dancing Powder?
Dancing Powder wouldn't cause a storm either!
While they were puzzled, the populace of Nanohana was not. The huge thunderclap also attracted their attention. One by one, overjoyed, they brought out basins, buckets, pottery jars, and any utensils that could collect water from their homes, showing extremely excited expressions.
As a port city, Nanohana was one of the few vibrant cities in Arabasta. But as a desert region, no matter how vibrant, it lacked water.
Water here could be sold for money!
No matter how fierce the storm, faced with the need for survival, people's enthusiasm couldn't be suppressed.
This place, even being a port city, hadn't seen rain for a long time!
"It's raining! It's storming! Everyone, quickly come out and collect water!!"
(It's a manga world, don't compare it with real-world sailing speeds, distances, or settings. It's meaningless.)
(Reality doesn't have giants over eighty meters tall.)
(To use a phrase from the book itself – The sea, it's magical, isn't it?)
(Of course, if you insist on arguing based on reason, then you are right)
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