Chapter 338

Translator: PapaSmurf0700

"If my idiot brother wakes up," Ace had said, a weary but determined grin on his face, "pass on a message for me and Sabo. Tell him: The next time we meet, Luffy, it will be at the very top of the New World."

Back in Shakky's Rip-Off Bar, Luffy listened to Bai Ye relay the message, and his own wide grin mirrored his brother's. "Yeah! The New World… I can't wait!"

The three of them had only a short time together, but that didn't matter. The bond they shared, the unbreakable chain of brotherhood, would never be severed.

"Seeing little Monkey like this, it's hard to connect him to the whirlwind of chaos he was at Marineford," Shakky remarked, sliding a drink to Luffy. She surveyed the crew, enjoying a rare moment of peace. "You're all the talk of the seas now, you know. Proper big shots."

"Really?" Luffy tilted his head, looking genuinely confused. "Well, all that matters is we rescued Ace."

"That's right," Bai Ye added, sipping his own drink. "Our crew fought with everything they had to help Luffy save his brother. Now that the job's done, we've earned a little downtime."

"I second that!" Nami raised her hand, putting on a pitiful expression. "I was in the thick of it against Admiral Aokiji himself! I'm seriously injured and need lots of rest."

She sniffled for effect, but Zoro immediately shattered the illusion. "You were flying around zapping people from the sky. The lovesick cook and I were the ones taking Aokiji's attacks head-on."

"That's not true!" Nami shot back, her face turning red. "I… I can get hurt in the sky, too!" She didn't lash out as she normally would, instead blinking her eyes as if she'd been deeply wronged.

"Oh! Nami-san, you've worked so hard!" Sanji was instantly captivated, his eyes morphing into hearts. "Let me prepare a special healing dessert just for you!"

"Hmph. Pathetic," Zoro muttered at the display. "If I wasn't busy covering for you, I would've finished that ice-man myself."

"What was that?! Bragging again?" Sanji's expression flipped, and he whirled on Zoro. "You were the one holding us back!"

"My bounty is 350 million," Zoro stated calmly. "You, with your measly 200-something million, don't have the right to talk."

"Why you-!"

Just as Sanji was about to explode, a small, authoritative voice cut in. "Zoro! Sanji! Stop moving around, or I'll have to re-do your bandages!"

Chopper stood on the table between them, hooves on his hips, looking thoroughly displeased. Both Sanji and Zoro were a sight. Zoro's arms were wrapped tightly, a result of pushing his sword skills far beyond their limits. Sanji's legs were similarly bandaged from the strain of his own desperate battle. Though both felt fine thanks to Bai Ye's pills, Chopper had insisted on proper medical care. This was also why Nami had held back; she wasn't about to attack two injured crewmates.

At Chopper's command, the two swordsman and cook awkwardly turned their heads away from each other.

"It can't be helped," Robin said with an amused smile, sipping her coffee. "After all, aside from Luffy and our Vice-Captain, you two were the most seriously injured."

Zoro and Sanji glanced over at their captain and first mate. At that moment, Bai Ye was casually bonking Luffy on the head for trying to steal his grilled meat. They were speechless. Sure, their captain and vice-captain were stronger, but their opponents had been on another level entirely. After being ambushed, Bai Ye had fought three CP0 agents. Luffy had battled Admiral Akainu even after the strain of Gear Fourth had left him drained. And now they looked completely fine.

"Are those two even human?" Zoro muttered, a mix of awe and frustration in his voice. He secretly made a vow to himself to get stronger. Beside him, Sanji looked down at his bandaged legs, feeling a strange new potential stirring within his own body.

As the two sat in silent contemplation, Merry spoke up, her voice full of cheerful curiosity. "Zoro mentioning bounties reminded me! Ours are definitely going to go way up after this!" A look of genuine excitement was on her face. Even as a ship's spirit, she was starting to care about such things.

"Hahaha! As the man whose single shot decides the course of battle, my bounty will surely soar past 100 million!" Usopp declared proudly, rubbing his nose.

"Yohohoho! I wonder if the Navy has figured out who I am?" Brook mused while elegantly sipping a glass of milk. "The thought makes me so nervous my heart is pounding… ah, but I have no heart! Yohoho!"

Though the world's audience had seen little of him, Brook's performance at Marineford had been nothing short of spectacular. Having gained an initial mastery of Ryuo, he had single-handedly defeated three elite Vice-Admirals and two government agents. For his first true battle as a Straw Hat, he had more than proven his worth.

"AWOOOO! Everyone's new wanted posters are gonna be SUPER!" Franky shouted, striking his classic pose.

After chatting for a while longer, Bai Ye clapped his hands to get their attention. "Alright everyone, since Luffy is awake, there's one more place we need to go. Someone has been waiting for us for a long time."

With a smile, he waved his hand, and the shimmering, prismatic gateway to the Rainbow Mist world opened before them. Filled with curiosity, the crew stepped through.

Once they were gone, Camie rested her chin on her hand from behind the bar. "Luffy and his friends are always so busy."

"Haha, that's right, little Camie," Shakky said, exhaling a puff of smoke. "After all, those kids went and made the entire ocean busy."

-----

Having grown accustomed to the passage, the Straw Hats emerged from the swirling colors and immediately saw several figures waiting not far away. Luffy's eyes landed on a familiar face, and he broke into a sprint, waving his arms wildly.

"VIVI! YOU'RE HERE!"

"Luffy!" a beloved voice called back. "It's been so long!"