Chapter 41 : Departing From Battleship Island

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"Ikki, Luffy, what are you two doing?" Sanji asked, lighting a cigarette as he surveyed the chaos before him.

"I… uh, I'm exercising!" Ikki replied with a sheepish grin, doing two mock presses with the giant mousetrap still clamped around him.

Luffy, struggling to free himself, nodded vigorously. "Yeah, that's right! Exercising!"

Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke, clearly unimpressed. "Sneaking food isn't exercise. Stop making excuses." He released Luffy from the trap with a swift motion, and Ikki managed to wriggle free as well.

Turning to the little girl standing nearby, her face pale with fear, Sanji asked gently, "Are you hungry too?"

The girl shook her head desperately, her body trembling. The sight of the enormous mousetrap had terrified her—if something like that had caught her, it would have been fatal.

But as if on cue, her stomach growled loudly, betraying her. She blushed deeply, looking down in embarrassment.

Luffy, quick to recover from his own mishap, slapped his knee and burst into laughter. "Shishishi! You're just hungry!"

Ikki, collapsing onto a nearby chair, groaned. "Sanji, make more meat… I'm starving over here."

Sanji sighed, but nodded, moving to the stove. Within ten minutes, the skilled cook had whipped up a hearty, meat-heavy feast. Luffy and Ikki wasted no time diving in, their manners forgotten.

Watching the spectacle, Sanji raised an eyebrow. "Ikki, when did you start eating like Luffy? And… what happened to your hair?"

Sanji's words drew his attention to Ikki's appearance. Not only was he now completely bald, but his physique had visibly improved. His muscles were more defined, and his height had increased from about 1.75 meters to at least 1.8 meters.

"This… I'll explain after—" Ikki managed between mouthfuls, his pace quickening as Luffy sped up his own eating.

Sanji turned his attention to the little girl, who was still hesitating to touch her food. "If you don't start eating soon, those two will clear the table," he warned.

The girl hesitated for a moment longer, but when Luffy reached for her plate with a grin, she reacted instantly. "Who said I don't want to eat?" she exclaimed, pulling her plate close and taking a few quick bites. Her eyes lit up as the flavors hit her palate. "This… this is delicious!"

At that moment, Nami, Usopp, and Zoro entered the room. They had been eavesdropping outside but couldn't resist the smell of Sanji's cooking.

Nami approached the girl with a gentle smile. "You were scared because we're pirates, weren't you?"

The girl gave a nervous laugh and nodded slightly.

"Haha, that's normal," Nami said reassuringly. "In this era, most people panic when they hear the word 'pirate.' But don't worry—we're not the bad kind."

Hearing Nami's words, the girl seemed to relax a little, though a hint of caution remained.

Ikki, having finished eating, stood up and stretched. "Tell us your name and where you're from. We'll take you home."

The girl hesitated before answering. "My name is Apis… I live on Warship Island."

Ikki nodded, his expression serious. He already knew her identity and the reason she was in trouble. Apis was being pursued because of her connection to a Millennium Dragon—a creature nearing the end of its life, hidden on Warship Island. Certain Marines sought the dragon for its rumored Dragon Bone, believed to grant immense power.

It was said that the bones of the Millennium Dragon could be used to create an elixir of immortality. Ikki thought it was pure nonsense, but some members of the Marines genuinely believed in the myth.

Despite his newly enhanced strength, Ikki's interest in side adventures like this one was minimal. His focus was set on entering the Grand Line as soon as possible.

Ikki's comment about returning the girl home drew everyone's attention. But it wasn't his words that caught their interest—it was his shiny bald head.

Usopp covered his mouth, trying unsuccessfully to stifle his laughter. "Pfft… Ikki, why are you bald?!" he managed between snickers.

"Is this the result of your retreat?" Zoro teased, smirking.

Luffy didn't even try to hold back. He burst out laughing, doubling over and clutching his sides. Though he had been trying to stay composed earlier, Usopp's laughter quickly reignited his mirth.

Ikki rolled his eyes and sighed. "Are you guys just noticing this now? I've been sitting here for a while."

"Maybe…" Usopp grinned, "your bald head is so shiny and dazzling that we couldn't process it right away!"

This only made Luffy laugh harder, his voice echoing across the ship.

Ikki had enough. He clenched his fist and gave Luffy a swift punch to the head.

"Gyaah!" Luffy yelped as he hit the deck, knocked down by the force.

Zoro's smirk vanished, his eyes narrowing as he observed Ikki. That punch had been much stronger than anything Ikki had managed before.

Ikki glanced at Usopp, raising his fist again.

Usopp's laughter died instantly. He clamped both hands over his mouth, eyes wide with mock terror.

Seeing the crew fooling around, the little girl began to feel at ease. These people didn't seem like bad guys after all.

"My name is Apis," she said quietly. "I live on Warship Island. Please take me home."

Hearing this, Nami immediately pulled out her map and began scanning for the location. "Got it!" she exclaimed after a moment. "Left rudder, head east—we're going to Warship Island."

With the route planned, the crew sprang into action. Some adjusted the sails, others checked the helm, and soon the ship was smoothly on its way. The sun was just beginning to rise as their work wrapped up.

A little while later, Luffy approached Ikki with a gleam of excitement in his eyes.

"Ikki, come on! Take out some of those magical items you summoned before!"

Luffy's request instantly caught the attention of the others. It was clear they all hoped for something new to break up the monotony of the voyage.

Seeing their eager faces, Ikki reluctantly complied. He rummaged through his stash and pulled out a handful of items he had little use for or planned to give away.

The items included five bamboo coptors, a red and white Poké Ball, a sleek suit complete with leather shoes, a regular flashlight, and a potted plant.

As he placed each item on the deck, Ikki began explaining their functions.

Luffy wasted no time grabbing one of the bamboo dragonflies. He placed it on his head, and with a thought, he lifted off the ground, flying in a small circle.

"Yahoo! This is amazing!" Luffy shouted as he started drifting farther from the ship.

Nami quickly sprang into action, grabbing him by the shirt before he could fly out of sight. "Luffy, you're not going anywhere! You'll get lost—or worse!"

Ikki watched the commotion and made a mental note: any transportation item given to Luffy needed to be monitored carefully. The last thing they needed was Luffy getting lost midair.

Denied his fun with the bamboo coptor, Luffy turned his attention to the Poké Ball. He grabbed it, pressed the button, and watched as the ball popped open with a flash of light.

To everyone's surprise, a sleeping duck emerged.

"Huh? What's this?" Luffy asked, poking the duck curiously.