Garp's comment left Takumi and Enel feeling a bit baffled.
It was pretty obvious the old man was just trying to get out of doing anything.
"Too old for this"... In the world of pirates, does age even matter?
"Is this thing supposed to be tough?" Enel asked, eyeing the enormous sea leech as it drew closer. He spun his golden staff with a glint of anticipation in his eye. "I'll take care of it."
"Oh-ho, looks like Sparky here's fired up!" Garp grinned like he was watching a show.
"My name is Enel, not Sparky!" Enel snapped.
Ignoring the old man, Enel tapped the drums on his back.
In a flash of electricity, a roaring thunder dragon shot out, crackling as it tore through the air, straight for the massive sea leech.
"Thunder Dragon!" Enel smirked confidently.
The Thunder Dragon struck the sea leech head-on, scorching it instantly.
With a heavy splash, the creature collapsed into the water, sending waves crashing around the ship.
"Not bad for a Sea King from the Blue Sea," Enel commented, cleaning his ear nonchalantly. "That hit should've killed it. Tough one."
"Really? Looks pretty dead to me. How can you tell?" Garp asked, munching on snacks like nothing big had happened.
Enel: "..."
"I can still hear its heartbeat," Enel sighed in frustration.
"Heartbeat, huh? Ah, I see, you're pretty good with Observation Haki, aren't you, Sparky?" Garp chuckled.
"I told you, it's Enel! And it's not 'Observation Haki.' It's called Mantra," Enel said, clearly annoyed.
"Mantra?" Garp scratched his head, pretending to think. "Sounds a lot like Observation Haki to me."
Enel: "..."
Takumi, already fed up with their back-and-forth, spoke up. "Can we just move on?"
Deciding to ignore Garp, Enel focused his energy on keeping the ship moving forward.
Garp wandered over to Takumi's side, offering him a bag of rice crackers. "Want some?"
"No," Takumi replied, taking a long drink from the bottle of liquor Garp had given him earlier, letting the breeze mix with the taste.
The ship sailed across the open water for about an hour before an island, dotted with buildings reminiscent of Loguetown, came into view.
"This one doesn't look half bad," Enel remarked with a smirk.
Garp peered out at the distance. "Oh, would you look at that! We've made it to the Lvneel Kingdom."
Lvneel Kingdom?
Takumi raised an eyebrow. He knew this place. It was the homeland of Montblanc Noland, the so-called "Liar King" who once searched for the City of Gold.
"Not as grand as it used to be, but it's still got some charm," Garp said, laughing. "Looks like we can finally grab a good drink, eh, Takumi? Bet you're looking forward to that."
Takumi: "..."
Yeah, sure. I'm thrilled.
But then Takumi remembered—most of his money was spent back on Sky Island.
Enel, being from Sky Island, wasn't much help either. Aside from his gold staff, he didn't have a coin to his name.
Which left Garp.
Takumi shot Garp a look.
Sensing the stare, Garp scratched his head sheepishly. "Ahahaha, don't look at me, kid. All my cash went down with the ship."
Great. Three broke idiots.
Looked like their only option was to fish for something to sell.
"Enel," Takumi called. "Shock some fish."
"Shock fish?" Enel blinked, confused.
"Haha! I get it," Garp chimed in, catching on to Takumi's plan. "We can sell 'em for some cash! Smart thinking, Sparky!"
Enel's eye twitched. Me? The mighty Thunder God, reduced to fishing?
How humiliating.
But on this ship, he was clearly at the bottom of the pecking order. There was no arguing with either of these two.
With a resigned sigh, Enel sent a jolt of electricity into the water.
Within moments, a bunch of fish floated to the surface, stunned.
Takumi and Garp casually picked out the largest ones and headed toward shore without another word.
Enel docked the ship and watched them walk away, squinting. For a brief second, he considered making a run for it.
Just then, Takumi turned and glanced back over his shoulder.
Enel froze. No way… Can he read minds?
A cold sweat broke out as he nervously swallowed, mentally calculating his odds of escaping.
Zero. There was no chance.
"Sigh... Guess I'll stick around." Enel reluctantly followed them.
Takumi had just turned to look casually, not thinking much of it.
"Seems like your new recruit's not so bad," Garp remarked with a grin. "I figured he might bolt."
Takumi chuckled but didn't comment.
They soon arrived in the bustling town of Lvneel and sold their fish to a vendor. Following the locals' directions, they made their way to the island's largest tavern.
Takumi and Garp didn't draw much attention as they walked in.
But Enel? He got a few chuckles from the patrons.
"Look at that tall guy—what's he got stuck to his back?"
"Looks like some kind of drum! Hahaha! What a freak. Doesn't that hurt?"
"Pfft, what kind of weirdo carries drums around like that?"
Enel: "..."
Enel's body began to spark with electricity, ready to zap them all.
But before he could act, Garp grabbed his arm, stopping him from shifting into his lightning form. "Come on, Sparky, what'll you have to drink?"
Enel: "..."
How did he…?
Gritting his teeth, Enel let Garp pull him over to the bar.
Takumi had already seated himself at the bar, clearly uninterested in the commotion.
Garp and the very reluctant Enel sat beside him.
The bartender approached them with a smile. "What can I get you folks?"
Takumi spoke calmly. "Your best liquor."
Garp grinned. "Some nice, strong tea for me."
Enel, clearly annoyed, muttered, "Fresh apple juice."
As soon as they ordered, the tavern erupted in laughter again.
*******
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