Chapter 189

He immediately told everyone the news that the two had returned.

"Yay!" Laboon and Chopper cheered.

"I never thought of that just now, yo-ho-ho-ho—"

"Zoro actually thought of it too; that's something I didn't expect," Robin teased.

"Not bad," Sima Di said, looking at everyone. "It seems our test this time was very successful. Let's head back."

Sima Di took out an extra Hearthstone, tossed it to Lei Li, and then used the Hearthstone to return to the Going Merry.

Stepping out of the teleportation array,

Lei Li rubbed the Hearthstone in amazement, feeling curious about the function of this little trinket.

"Did he get this too?" Lei Li asked, looking at Crocus.

Crocus nodded with a smile.

"There are many more of these little trinkets. How about it? Do you want me to equip you with a set too?"

Is this about equipping a set?

This is trying to trick Lei Li into joining the ship!

Upon hearing this, some people

couldn't help but look over nervously.

No way, no way?

The Vice Captain of the Pirate King isn't going to join our pirate crew too, is he?

Unfortunately...

Facing Everyone's Expectation, Lei Li shook his head.

"I'm old and useless now; I just want to live a retired life."

"You are old," Crocus nodded and said.

If he didn't have other relatives, he would also be thinking of settling down somewhere.

But who could blame him for worrying, since Laboon is the adult?

"Let's not talk about that. Steer the ship to my workshop; there's a long-distance Den Den Mushi there. I'll give Bai Hu Zi a call," Lei Li said.

"Okay, where is it?" Merry asked.

Lei Li pointed out the direction.

Without anyone controlling it, the Going Merry retracted its anchor, unfurled its sails, and the rudder turned on its own. This full automatic driving made Lei Li look at it a couple more times.

"Haha, looks familiar, right?" Crocus laughed. "This young lady is named Merry; she is the ship spirit of this Going Merry!"

A ship spirit?

A ship spirit that can appear before people?

A ship spirit that can act and fight alongside people?

Ah, this...

Lei Li tugged at his Bai Hu Zi and couldn't help but look at Sima Di again.

"Still this kid?" Lei Li asked.

"Yes, still this kid," Crocus nodded.

"Devil Fruit ability?"

"Something like that."

Ah, this...

"It really is... a convenient ability," Lei Li sighed.

Sima Di's face couldn't help but darken.

He knew it would get this kind of evaluation!

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter. Look, everyone's evaluation is tacitly consistent.

"Whoosh—"

A flash of Jin Guang, a pirate was kicked into the sea, his life or death unknown.

Through the channel blasted open by Jin Guang, everyone locked eyes with the imposing Borsalino.

Usopp and the others' expressions changed!

Oh no!

It's an Admiral of the Navy!

Didn't want to...

Borsalino glanced at the lineup of Sima Di + Lei Li + Crocus, hesitated not, and instantly turned into light and directly...

vanished.

"Whoosh—"

"Boom—"

Hearing that noise, another pirate must have suffered.

The Straw Hat Pirates looked at each other.

"Just now... that was a Navy..."

"Probably... right?" Usopp was somewhat unsure.

"So he didn't see us?" Zoro looked at Sanji strangely.

"Don't look at me! My Invisibility Fruit can't make such a huge ship disappear!" Sanji shook his head.

Finally,

Everyone looked toward Lord Sima — shouldn't you give us an explanation?

"Uh... probably... maybe... it just didn't want to fight me anymore?" Sima Di said uncertainly.

After all, the kneeling, the ice, the ability-sealing — it really was a bit torturous.

—And that was without him even using the Appraisal Technique; otherwise Borsalino probably wouldn't have dared meet his gaze just now.

Hearing Sima Di's explanation, the crowd couldn't help but wear strange expressions.

What on earth did you do to the man to make a respected Admiral afraid to face you directly?

"I'd guess Di used all those moves on him." Usopp said in a pitiful tone.

The others nodded in sympathy.

So what if he's an Admiral?

Run into Sima Di, and doesn't he still have to kneel down obediently?

This atmosphere left Lei Li completely baffled.

Shouldn't you all be shocked that Sima Di could drive off a Navy Admiral?

How could you be worrying about how he drove him off?

This...

It's like someone claiming they kill without blinking, and you asking whether their eyes are dry or not!

This bizarre atmosphere only came to an end when they arrived at Lei Li's workshop.

Everyone watched Lei Li pull out a phone snail with a beard — clearly one with quite a story.

"This... isn't that the phone snail from the ship?" Crocus said in surprise.

"That's right." Lei Li teased the old phone snail with his fingertip: "Back then I didn't take much from the ship, just brought it along."

He dialed a string of numbers, and the people beside him silently memorized them.

—This was Bai Hu Zi's phone number!

"Buru buru—"

"Buru buru—"

"Kacha—"

The phone snail transformed into Bai Hu Zi's likeness, even the dotted lines appearing.

"Gurara ra ra— Lei Li, haven't called in decades, why suddenly think of me?" Bai Hu Zi said in a deep voice.

Judging by his tone, his mood didn't seem all that great.

So Lei Li skipped the small talk and got straight to the point.

"Edward, you should know Ace's true identity, shouldn't you?"