Chapter 19

The Going Merry sailed steadily toward Alabasta, the desert kingdom where their next challenge awaited. The Straw Hat Pirates were as lively as ever, despite the looming confrontation with one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile.

Luffy sat cross-legged on the deck, his expression surprisingly serious as he stared at the strange device in his hand.

Usopp, dripping wet from an earlier mishap, climbed up onto the deck and took a deep breath before shouting, "Guys! We got something really awesome here!"

The crew's attention immediately snapped to him, but instead of focusing on Usopp, they followed the direction of his pointed hand—toward Luffy.

Luffy, the usually carefree captain, was silent.

That alone was enough to raise concerns.

"What is it?" Nami asked as she stepped closer, her sharp eyes zooming in on the item in Luffy's grasp.

Usopp grinned, still excited. "It's a phone! A device that lets people talk from anywhere in the world. But this one is special—it connects to another world! And it was personally sent to Luffy."

The crew exchanged glances, absorbing this wild revelation.

Nami's mind immediately calculated the potential profits. A device that connects to another world? The amount of treasure such information could bring…!

"We should sell it. No—wait, we should sell the information from the other worlds!" she declared, her eyes practically glowing with golden Berry signs.

"No."

The unexpected seriousness in Luffy's voice stopped her thoughts cold.

Nami blinked. Luffy… refusing something that could bring them riches?

Sanji, usually the first to agree with Nami when she got like this, instead nodded. "I agree. It might lead to an enemy we can't defy."

That was enough to convince Nami to take the situation more seriously. She trusted Luffy's instincts. If he was saying no, then there was a real risk.

"Alright, so what now?" she asked.

Vivi, standing nearby, shifted anxiously. "What should we ask for first?"

Usopp stroked his chin. "Nothing is free. We'll have to trade something in return. It could be a task, an item, or a skill."

Luffy finally looked up from the phone. His fingers hovered over the strange screen, and he muttered, "We'll get the Food Honor and Life Erase techniques… And Sanji and Zoro can also use the Instinct technique."

"What do they do?" Zoro asked, folding his arms. He wasn't one for fancy techniques, but if Luffy was this serious about it, then it had to be something worth considering.

Luffy didn't answer immediately. His eyes remained glued to the device as he typed.

Then, the screen lit up with a reply.

["Nice to see a new face. No problem—but what can you offer?"]

—Glutton (Toriko)

Luffy looked at the others. "What can we give him?"

Nami crossed her arms, thinking fast. "Explain our situation. If they're willing, they'll give us a task to complete in exchange for their knowledge."

Luffy nodded. Since the phone only worked for its chosen user, it ignored any outside interference. Only he could type or speak to it.

Luffy's fingers moved, his thoughts spilling into words.

"We live in a world covered by an endless ocean, dotted with islands filled with monsters and treasure. We are pirates, sailing for adventure, and helping people when we can.

But we also have enemies—the Marines, a world-spanning government force.

Right now, we've taken a task to help a princess save her kingdom from one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. We're going to war."

The reply came almost instantly.

["That sounds exciting! I've never been in such a situation. Emperor of Mankind, is the video function working? I don't want to miss this."]

A bead of sweat rolled down Usopp's temple. "This guy sounds like a monster who enjoys chaos."

Luffy, on the other hand, grinned. "Sounds like a fun guy! I'd love to fight him."

Sanji exhaled smoke from his cigarette, watching Luffy's growing excitement with amusement. "So, he's one of those battle maniacs, huh?"

Then, Luffy blinked as another message popped up.

["Oh, yeah! I can give you cooking advice if you want."]

Luffy's stomach immediately grumbled at the mere thought of better food.

"Ask him!"

Sanji, who had been cool until now, suddenly leaned forward, eyes gleaming.

Luffy turned to him. "…Say please."

Sanji clenched his jaw before reluctantly saying, "Please."

Luffy grinned wider. "Better."

He quickly typed the request.

As the Straw Hat crew gathered around, the phone—still glowing from its strange connection to another world—lit up with a message. The sender was none other than Naruto, known in this new world as the "Emperor of Mankind." He had promised something interesting, and the crew wasn't sure what to expect. They knew him by reputation, a figure whose vast influence extended far beyond anything they'd ever encountered.

Luffy, ever the curious and carefree pirate, leaned forward. "Good news for all, video function is on. Let's share some saucy videos. I will start."

"Click on it, please," Sanji implored, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and the scent of smoke wafting from his ever-present cigarette.

"What is it?" Luffy asked, still clueless, but intrigued by Sanji's enthusiasm.

Zoro, always the skeptic, couldn't help but comment, "It should be something good. The guy is someone of high stature." Vivi, standing by his side, nodded in agreement. She didn't fully understand the context of this exchange but recognized the significance of the name Naruto. Usopp, on the other hand, stayed unusually quiet, his knowledge of the situation too deep to reveal.

The screen flickered for a moment, and a video began to play. At first, the crew saw what appeared to be a bathhouse, and soon enough, the camera revealed several men lounging inside. However, there was a twist—a feminine figure seated in the corner, diligently combing her long hair.

Nami's face turned a deep shade of red as she caught sight of the naked men in the bath. "What is this?" she muttered, completely taken aback by the unexpected sight.

Zoro's face hardened in disgust. "Close it, quick."

But Sanji, ever the pervert when it came to beautiful women, was mesmerized by the figure in the corner. "No, wait!" he muttered, eagerly waiting to see who the woman was.

The voice of Naruto suddenly echoed from the phone, breaking the awkward silence. "Neji, you need to build up, man. You look like a woman, though it's fun tricking people."

The camera shifted slightly, revealing the identity of the feminine figure. "Naruto, did you share my photos with someone?" the figure asked, turning around.

Sanji's eyes widened in shock, and he immediately collapsed to the floor unconscious. There, hanging from the figure's body, was a snake, a reminder of the infamous connection to the Orochimaru clan.

The figure, Neji, seemed unfazed by the reactions of the crew, calmly replying, "Nah, well, it was just a joke. Good."

Nami breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that was a close call." But the damage had already been done—two souls were lost that day. One was Sanji, whose dreams of seeing a beautiful woman were dashed, and the other was Issei, who had already fallen down a much darker path.

In a far corner of the world, Issei was grinning like a fool. "If it's cute and has a hole, I'm good," he thought to himself, while sharing a meme that showed multiple skeletons surrounding a trap. His thoughts were a twisted blend of confusion and dark humor, and he didn't care who saw it.

A message popped up on the phone: "Let's go, guys, let's have some fun."

Then another line, "But she's a boy."

The response came quick: "It doesn't matter, if there is a hole, there is a way."

At that moment, the crew was left in stunned silence. They didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or question everything they had ever known.

Neo One For All wrote, "They had us in the first half."

Meanwhile, the Silent Beast—a mysterious figure known only to a select few—stared blankly at the screen. He was a being who had once been pure and innocent, but now he was lost in the corrupted humor of the adults around him. He had been tainted by memes and irredeemable darkness.

"What have I seen?" he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible over the madness of the moment.

The Straw Hat Pirates, caught between bizarre otherworldly interactions and their own chaotic dynamics, could only look on as their reality twisted and bent under the influence of those much more powerful than they could have imagined.

"Well jokes aside, I want to ask. What will you do to the warlord and his men?" Lord Emperor of Mankind's message echoed on the phone, his tone a mix of curiosity and authority.

Luffy, ever the optimist and adventurer, gave his typical response. "Defeat them."

"And?" came the immediate follow-up from Lord Emperor of Mankind. His impatience was palpable through the screen.

Luffy scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Then continue the journey."

A short, but heavy silence followed, before the voice of Lord Emperor of Mankind boomed again. "You aren't a good pirate, are you? Have them submit to your rule, there is no such thing as enough slaves."

The crew was silent, taken aback by the directness of the statement. Luffy paused, his carefree demeanor faltering for just a second as the weight of the words sank in.

"Also, don't forget to make a force in the dark to gather information and provide support. Make bases in multiple areas, train and gather troops to support your ambitions. If you want to help, then these steps are essential. And do some legal business as a front; it will help the people and provide legal funds." This was Don speaking, his tone more serious, detailing a strategy that felt more like conquest than adventure.

Luffy felt a strange discomfort at the words. "I don't have the ability to make them submit or the means," he admitted. His voice was confused, but there was a hint of resolve buried in the question. This wasn't the kind of adventure he had dreamed of, but the thought of helping people—like Nami and the others who had suffered—kept him grounded.

The crew exchanged glances. They had always been focused on freedom, exploration, and adventure, but the pain Luffy carried for his friends was slowly starting to change his perspective. The weight of their experiences—the burning of his village, the death of his brother, Nami's betrayal, Zoro's sacrifices—was beginning to shape his decisions.

Naruto sighed, then said, "I can provide the means, but you will have to defeat the target. The target you will be fighting uses sand, his body is made of sand. Utilize water, but he is stronger and faster than you. Still, you have a chance because of his arrogance."

The message from Lord Emperor of Mankind was clear. This would not be easy. It wasn't just a battle for survival anymore—it was a battle for strategy, strength, and leadership.

Nami furrowed her brow. "Are we going to travel with so many people? Our ship can't handle it." She looked at the crew, concerned about their growing numbers and the burden it would place on their resources.

"Please provide with clear instructions, we are not experienced in such a thing." Vivi spoke, looking between the crew. There was a sense of unease among them. They were pirates, but now they were being thrust into a much larger world of strategy, power struggles, and responsibility.

Lord Emperor of Mankind's response was pragmatic. "The seal will allow you to command them, and they will never betray you. But first, have them move with you so that you can understand each other."

"After that, you should divide them into groups for different functions and give them an area to watch over." This came from Don, whose voice was filled with authority and experience. It was clear they were giving the crew advice based on their own expertise, but it was a far cry from the simple treasure-hunting days they had known.

"Our ship is not big enough to handle the load." Nami repeated, still unsure of how they would manage such a large task.

Lord Emperor of Mankind's voice softened slightly. "I will help you with that once you have finished the task and provide you with some equipment that you might need."

There was a slight pause before Glutton chimed in, curious. "So do we give him the skills at the start or wait?"

"Give him the skills," came the immediate response from Lord Emperor of Mankind, his tone firm. "They will need it, and we don't want casualties. It will go against the purpose of the group."

"Then do it." Glutton's words were final, and the crew braced themselves for the changes that would come.

"Kid, how about learning Enbu?" Glutton asked, his voice now a bit more playful, though still serious.

"Wait; don't just give them that option. Realize that it's a very high-level skill and shouldn't be given for such a low task," Lord Emperor of Mankind's voice came through with an emoji of glasses, a subtle warning about the weight of such power.

"Agreed, that skill is too high level for some green children," Don ((Tsunayoshi Sawada) added, reaffirming the point.

Zoro, who had been quiet through most of the conversation, spoke up now. His voice was filled with concern. "Do you really want to do this? This isn't just a simple adventure anymore."

Luffy, ever the carefree spirit, smiled. "Yes, we will get to know more people and also help others." The weight of responsibility seemed to settle in his words, but his resolve was unshaken. He had agreed to take on the task, and with it came the knowledge that he would have to face the hard choices ahead.

With the decision made, Luffy received the knowledge and skills offered by the strange figures from another world, and the rest of the crew braced themselves for the journey ahead. It was no longer just about treasure and adventure—it was about taking control of their fate, helping those in need, and forging a future where they would face the most dangerous enemies yet.

The Straw Hat Pirates were about to take the first steps into a larger world—a world where adventure was only one part of a much bigger picture.