Chapter 394

"I knew it... never mind, never mind. Since I can't see anything anyway, it's better to just wait patiently until tomorrow when the bandages are removed."

"Don't you still have Nami?"

"Uh... well... I think it's better to see with my own eyes."

Sima Di stood there the whole time while speaking, as if blocking something behind him.

Zoro didn't know what Sima Di was up to and just shrugged.

"Do as you please."

Having said that, Zoro left and returned to the deck to faithfully serve as his ship guard.

Only after seeing Zoro leave did Sima Di let out a sigh of relief.

"Phew, that was terrifying. But..." Sima Di looked behind him, "this attempt failed again. How strange. Where did I go wrong? No! I must speed up. I don't have much time left... uh, haven't I heard someone say that before?"

About several dozen minutes later, Sima Di felt a slight vibration from the deck. Releasing his Modeling Domain, he discovered that the Franky Family was quietly approaching Zoro.

Sima Di paid no attention, knowing Zoro could handle these matters.

Shortly after, Sima Di's heart tightened, and his Modeling Domain quickly enveloped the Merry.

"What is this... oh, it's just that long-nosed shipwright coming to see the Merry." Sima Di let out a long sigh of relief.

Kaku's presence was too powerful, which caused Sima Di to feel such a strong sense of threat.

"He should be fine. I'll continue..." Blue light reignited on Sima Di's body.

"I really... have no face to see everyone! Four hundred million Berries were stolen. I finally thought... we could fix the Merry... wuwu... I really have no face to see everyone! Wuwu!"

Usopp, severely beaten, was thrown by the Franky Family onto a busy street.

"Your injuries are severe... try not to move! Usopp, stay here! I'll hurry back to get reinforcements. And bring Chopper to treat your wounds! I heard their hideout is just ahead; we'll go smash it up in a bit!"

Nami looked at Usopp, whose face was covered in blood and who could only sob, feeling terrible inside.

"Stop crying! Don't worry about the stolen money! Listen, Usopp! Stay here and don't go anywhere! I'll be right back!" Nami, carrying the remaining one hundred million, rushed back to the Merry.

However, shortly after Nami left, a frantic person arrived before Usopp.

Usopp looked up and saw a man in a black suit. The man's face was very strange, a bit like... a donkey.

"Usopp... I know you are Usopp."

"I... yes, who are you?"

"I know the Heart is on your ship. Give this to him; he'll know what to do. You must hand it to him personally."

Usopp felt a black rectangular object shoved into his hand.

"The Heart... who is the Heart?" Before Usopp could finish speaking, the person ran away.

But now was not the time to dwell on that.

Usopp put the black long object into his bag, then leaned against the wall and struggled to stand up.

"I must... get it back..."

81 Perhaps only one chance

The Merry.

Sima Di felt that even with more effort, no progress would be made today, so he got up and went out to check the situation.

By then, Chopper and Sanji had already returned to the ship.

Seeing Sima Di, Sanji's eyes lit up. "Young Master Sima Di! So you didn't leave~ If I had known, I wouldn't have gone down! By the way, this is Water-Water Meat, a specialty of Water 7. Would you like to try one?"

"Thank you." Sima Di took it and took a bite. Indeed, the meat was silky, delicious, and had an excellent texture. "This... we must stock up on more!"

"Understood! Young Master Sima Di!" Sanji replied.

"Hey, Sima Di." Zoro's expression was serious.

"What is it?"

"You... must have heard just now, right?"

"What? My Modeling Domain can't hear sounds again."

"Just now..."

Zoro was about to explain when a voice interrupted him.

"Sima Di! Zoro! Sanji! Chopper! Terrible news!"

Everyone looked over and saw Nami, her expression panicked.

Nami rushed over and explained the situation to everyone: Usopp had been robbed of four hundred million Berries and beaten terribly. Luffy Already had gone to the dismantling house.

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately set off, while Nami and Sima Di stayed behind to guard the last one hundred million Berries.

About three hours later, the sky darkened, with only the setting sun on the horizon burning the clouds crimson.

Everyone in the Straw Hat Pirates except Robin was on the Merry. Although they performed their duties as usual, a Solemn atmosphere hid in the air. Some say plants are the creatures most capable of sensing human emotions. Even the orange tree at the stern of the Merry had become listless, even somewhat wilted.

Perhaps the orange tree also knew that something was about to happen.

Usopp woke from his coma.

He learned from everyone about the revenge taken on his behalf; he was happy, but also depressed.

He was depressed because that money could never be recovered.

Usopp kept apologizing to everyone, yet no matter what he said, he could hardly express his guilt. However, at this moment, Luffy brought up the matter of changing ships, flipping through a price list in his hand.

After a few words, the two began to argue. Usopp called Luffy ungrateful and stubbornly refused to believe the fact that the Merry could no longer sail.

"Hey... why aren't you two saying anything? The Merry can definitely be repaired, right! Ah, right, Sima Di, you are the First Mate; you should persuade Luffy not to be so willful now. Talking about changing ships..." Usopp turned his gaze to Sima Di.

"Actually, we don't want to abandon the Merry either..."

"Hey! Sima Di!" Usopp immediately cut off Sima Di's words. "Isn't the First Mate's duty to assist the Captain? To prevent him from issuing absurd orders! Now it's your turn; you should persuade Luffy!"

At this moment, Usopp was already incoherent, saying whatever came to mind.

Sima Di fell silent for a moment, adopting a serious expression. "... The First Mate's duty, besides assisting the Captain, also includes faithfully executing and implementing the orders issued by the Captain. Not to mention abandoning the irreparable Merry, even if Luffy ordered us to abandon ship—the Merry is undamaged—I would still execute it."

"The Heart Pirates... but I never claimed to be any 'Heart.' Nor do I acknowledge being any 'Tenth Generation.' Yet the history you speak of is correct: the seventh, eighth, and ninth generations of the Spades were indeed called by that name. Moreover, this information is known only to a few..."

Sima Di sheathed Onikiri once more, pondered for a moment, and spoke.

"I... choose to believe you, but only half. You cannot be Trafalgar Law. Besides, it is safer for this dangerous thing to remain in my hands, is it not?"

"If you wish it, then it is yours."

The other's tone was quite doting; he was already the fourth person today to speak to him this way.

But Sima Di was unsure if he was experiencing some illusion. Just after he finished speaking that sentence, he saw the other's body blur for an instant, like an old television suffering from a picture malfunction.

"Just now, that was..."

Sima Di was about to ask, but was interrupted by him.

"No time! I must take you away from here immediately!" Law, without further ado, grabbed Sima Di's hand. "ROOM!"

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds...

The two still stood foolishly in place; nothing happened.

"Uh... ROOM?" Sima Di asked, tilting his head.

"Damn it. Can I not use my ability? Sima Di, give me Onikiri," Law said.

His commanding tone made Sima Di forget the need for caution; without a second thought, he handed Onikiri to the other.

Only after giving it did Sima Di realize what he had just done. How had he, as if bewitched by ghosts and gods, handed the weapon over? What if...

"Sima Di, stand behind me." Law spread his arms and pulled Sima Di behind him.

"Mm, okay."

Strange to say, Sima Di obeyed what he was told once again, feeling no disgust whatsoever.

The doors confining patients in the psychiatric ward were specially made; even Law had to exert a bit of effort to open it.

Sima Di's eyes widened, his face written with incredulity.

Had the several-foot-thick steel doors used to confine key patients been opened like this? Merely two sword strikes and one kick? Even the vault of a Swiss bank would probably require only two more strikes.

At the same time the door was breached, the alarm here was triggered.

The alarm sounded, echoing throughout the entire psychiatric ward.

"Don't just stand there. Hurry."

Law tossed the scabbard of Onikiri to Sima Di, solely to free one hand to grab his and leave this maddening place.

The two ran frantically.

A narrow corridor.