Chapter 161

Sima Di took out the Hearthstone and rubbed it directly.

The Teleportation Magic array flickered, and he returned to the Going Merry.

The place was now empty.

After all,

the ship had the Going Merry on guard; an ordinary person could never defend against a ship spirit.

Just one flare,

and the entire Straw Hat Pirates would use the Hearthstone to assemble directly.

Sima Di first used the permission for the Damage Sharing Aura to temporarily remove Kurekai from the queue.

Otherwise, he couldn't expect to activate that aura for the short term.

He then opened a passage from the deck to the bottom of the cabin, but it was blocked by a password-protected door.

It was actually an electronic lock with facial recognition?

"Franky has really digested a lot of Stark's Mk series technology."

Sima Di was, of course, on the whitelist.

"Click—"

The electronic lock opened, revealing a spacious area.

This was precisely the core of the Going Merry—the location of the Pluton Power Core.

Wires extending in all directions connected to the Pluton Power Core, supplying massive amounts of energy to every component of the Going Merry.

If someone were to cause extensive destruction here, the Going Merry would be paralyzed in minutes.

But...

Sima Di's target this time was not the Pluton Power Core, but the keel carrying it—the keel of the Going Merry.

He took out the Rat Talisman and touched the keel.

"Merry, as a partner, how can we not meet everyone for so long?"

Saying this,

he pressed the Rat Talisman directly onto the keel. The powerful life force contained within the talisman's power poured into the keel, providing all the conditions necessary for the Merry to transform from a "lifeless object" into a true "living being."

Beams of light scattered from the keel, condensing before Sima Di into a blue figure draped in a raincoat, gradually solidifying into a real body.

The Merry, just transformed into a living being, was still a bit confused, but upon looking up and seeing Sima Di, she still beamed with a brilliant smile.

"Di, I finally get to see you! Thank you so much for your care!"

Sima Di's care for the Going Merry truly surpassed everyone else's, evident in every detail.

Of course,

one couldn't say others didn't care for the Going Merry; they just didn't protect it as meticulously as Sima Di did.

Probably...

it was the difference between a father to a daughter and an older brother to a younger sister?

Sima Di smiled and rubbed Merry's head; even through the raincoat, it felt very soft.

However...

【Lolita Dress!】

A blue Lolita dress descended from top to bottom, replacing Merry's simple blue raincoat, revealing her porcelain-doll-like delicate face and long, flowing hair reaching her waist.

He hadn't expected Merry to look so beautiful, which left Sima Di momentarily stunned.

"We are partners; isn't protecting each other what we should do?" Sima Di smiled and said, "Besides... from now on, it will be you protecting us."

The Rat Talisman didn't just grant Merry the ability to walk; it also gave her the life force to control the Going Merry as freely as her own limbs. She could summon things like the Lion's Roar Cannon and General Franky with a single thought.

It could be said that

as long as she and the Merry were paired, no one else would ever need to worry about navigation again.

Hoisting the sails, rowing, firing cannons—all were matters of a single word.

"I will definitely protect everyone!" Merry seriously waved her small fist.

This made Sima Di burst into laughter.

"Let's go! I'll take you to reintroduce yourself to everyone."

The greatest change the Rat Talisman gave Merry was allowing her to no longer be bound to the Going Merry, enabling her to walk freely in the world.

Of course,

where there is benefit, there is drawback; once Merry left, no one was left on guard on the ship.

However, as her own "original body," if anything happened to the Going Merry, Merry would definitely sense it first.

So Sima Di handed an extra Hearthstone to Merry; once the binding was complete, there were no major issues.

Returning to the banquet,

Robin and Nami were the first to notice the little loli appearing beside Sima Di. After exchanging a glance, they默契ly stopped their dancing steps and walked over.

Sima Di also used the mental link to directly call all Straw Hat Pirates members to assemble.

Zoro, who was drinking wildly,

Luffy, who was showing off meat,

Usopp, who was bragging,

upon hearing Sima Di's summons, all immediately put down what they were doing and rushed toward him at high speed.

Although Sima Di was not the captain,

his wisdom and reliability had already conquered everyone, and unlike Luffy, he didn't act recklessly; if he called for a gathering, it was definitely because something big was happening.

For example...

Distributing the "spoils of war"?

If they arrive late, these benefits will be gone, and then they'll have only themselves to regret.

As soon as everyone came over,

they saw the exquisite Merry beside Sima Di and couldn't help but think the worst...

Could this be a new companion Sima Di found?

Or perhaps...

a new partner?

Sima Di had his mind-link open the whole time, so he actually heard everything everyone was muttering in their hearts.

But he didn't say much.

Instead, he was quite expectant...

What would everyone's reaction be if they learned Merry's true identity?

That would surely be spectacular!

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54. Is Merry a boy? The secret of the News Coo!

"Damn it! Di, what have you done to this young lady?" Sanji scolded.

"Don't tell me you're into this kind of thing too." Zoro's expression was strange.

"Aaaah—so perverted!"

Facing everyone's misunderstanding,

with a mischievous idea in mind, Sima Di nodded at Merry.

Merry had always been hiding in the shadows, watching everyone, countless times hoping for the day she could introduce herself to everyone openly.

That day had finally arrived!

She said excitedly, "Everyone! I'm truly so happy to see you all with my own eyes! And I'm also so grateful to have been brought from the East Blue to the Grand Line. In the future, I will definitely carry you all as you continue to ride the wind and break the waves, all the way to~ Laugh Tale!"

The little one was too excited, chattering away a bunch of things without even stating her own name-.

But...

the meaning in her words gave the Straw Hat Pirates, who had traveled this far, their own suspicions.