Chapter 419

After Sima Di and the others disembarked from the ship, Sima Di ordered the flaming iron thorns to destroy the entire hull.

Not long after, the flames spread across the whole ship, which began to sink slowly. Seeing this, the Navy dared not send further reinforcements.

Sima Di and his group reunited with Zoro and the others to fight together.

Sima Di glanced over and noticed that Zoro still had three swords; Wado Ichimonji was still firmly in his grip. However, Sima Di did not pay much attention to this detail.

"Sima Di, how many Navy members remain?"

Zoro stepped back to Sima Di's side, and the two stood back-to-back facing countless Navy soldiers.

Because Zoro and the other four were locked in fierce battle, they did not even notice that the escort ship had already sunk to the bottom.

"Fewer than a hundred remain inside the map, and outside there should only be scattered groups of a dozen or so," Sima Di said, "but my iron thorns should still be able to..."

Sima Di stopped mid-sentence.

In the distance, a Navy soldier waved his burned hands, howling in pain. But looking again, Sima Di's iron thorns had turned into piles upon piles of rust.

"Rust-Rust Fruit... so you were waiting for me here! Zoro, go! Knock him flying!"

Zoro instinctively replied "Yes," but immediately came to his senses.

"That guy has the Rust-Rust Fruit! Are you asking me to die?"

"Ah... sorry, then Zeff... I'm counting on you!" Sima Di chuckled, thinking to himself that Wado Ichimonji's fate seemed secure.

"Yes~! Sima Di~!"

Zeff leaped into the air and neatly defeated that Rust-Rust Fruit Navy soldier with a Meat Shoot.

"Luffy! What are you doing? Get up!" Usopp's shout rang out.

At this moment, the bridge between the first and second pillars had still been blasted down by cannon fire; Usopp stood at the edge of the second pillar, while Sima Di and the others blocked all attacks on the third pillar.

Sima Di looked over and saw that Luffy had collapsed on the ground from exhaustion, and not far away stood Luo Bu Lucci.

"You don't look like the guy who defeated Lord Usopp at all! Aren't you the captain? Get up for me! Show us your victory!" Usopp shouted, "Hey! Stinky cat! What's so great about just defeating our captain? Our Vice-Captain is very powerful too! Dealing with a guy like you is a piece of cake! We have the world's greatest swordsman! The world's greatest chef! The world's greatest navigator! A doctor! An archaeologist! And me, the world's greatest sniper!"

Zi Zi Busheng heard Usopp's cry and was somewhat stunned. Hey, hey, hey, this isn't what was agreed upon... what's with all these "world's greatest" claims? Meanwhile, Sima Di, hearing this, only thought of "First Love of the World's Greatest."

Sima Di covered his face; I didn't mean to.

"Hey! Usopp! Stop talking! You'll lose your life!" Luffy, seeing Usopp drawing fire, couldn't help but grow anxious. Having fought Luo Bu Lucci, he knew better than anyone how powerful the opponent was.

"You don't want to be called a coward, do you? Then get up for me! Show us the world's greatest captain! Show me what kind of person I want to follow for the rest of my life!"

Usopp used all his strength to try to make his voice reach across.

"Captain Luffy! Defeat him! Let's go back together!"

This was the first time Usopp called Luffy "Captain"; in his heart, he had already accepted this somewhat willful man who never abandoned any companion.

"Of course!"

A surge of power instantly rushed through Luffy's body; he stood up again and faced Luo Bu Lucci.

Zi Zi Busheng somehow appeared beside Sima Di, wearing brass knuckles, his punches astonishingly powerful; not a single Navy soldier who approached could stand firm.

"Hey, Sima Di... is it okay to call you that?"

"You should call me that anyway."

Sima Di flashed aside and dispatched a Navy soldier who had attacked with a technique called Drifting Star.

"It has changed, hasn't it? Although it's only the content, this green caterpillar has already been buried; one day it will break out of its cocoon."

"Yes... I don't know if it's good or bad."

"Whether it's good or bad, what we know is far from the end."

"That's true... I just don't know what kind of ending awaits in this world full of fluttering butterflies."

"The worst ending is simply destruction; haven't we all already prepared for that?"

"But... I want to use all my strength to achieve that most perfect ending."

Zi Zi Busheng looked at Sima Di; he noticed a slight change in his eyes but couldn't put it into words.

"... Alright, then count me in too."

Zi Zi Busheng smiled confidently and, using a fluid set of movements, carried away an unlucky Navy Colonel.

Zoro, listening to the two's vague conversation nearby, had no idea what was happening.

Huh? This weather looks like rain is coming soon; where are the butterflies coming from?

Just as the conversation between Zi Zi Busheng and Sima Di ended, a huge noise came from the first pillar.

In an instant, half of the first pillar collapsed.

"To... to all ships, emergency broadcast! CP9's Luo Bu Lucci has just been defeated by the pirate Luffy!"

The Navy's emergency broadcast rang out, echoing across these waters.

"Robin! Let's go back together!" Luffy shouted.

"Luffy! You won!" Usopp cheered.

"It's over..." Sima Di showed a relieved smile.

"The Enies Lobby arc..." Zi Zi Busheng murmured.

Although Robin was holding back, tears still flowed uncontrollably.

"Hey! Hey! Big Brother, can you hear me?"

A familiar voice actually came through the Navy's broadcast.

"We are all safe! The giants blocked the cannon fire for us! We have a way to escape! Big Brother, no need to worry!"

As soon as this short sentence ended, Franky cried alongside Robin.

"You guys... we weren't worried at all! Idiots! Those guys are still alive... that's great! I'm so happy!"

Sima Di and the others blocked attacks on the third pillar, while Usopp stood alone on the second pillar, gazing across the sea at Luffy on the first pillar.

"Hey, Luffy! Come quickly! If you don't escape, you'll lose your life!"

"What's wrong? Push a bit harder!"

"Use your ability to fly over! Then I'll carry you on my back! The surroundings are the sea and a huge fleet of warships! Staying here will cost you your life!"

Usopp watched as Luffy struggled to stand up, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

"I... I understand!"

Luffy laboriously raised his arm; in the astonished eyes of Sima Di and Zi Zi Busheng, his elongated arm snapped onto the edge of the second pillar, then with a crack flew over and landed before everyone.

Usopp hurried forward and hoisted Luffy, who had collapsed again, onto his back.

"Just now... did Luffy fly over?" Zi Zi Busheng mechanically turned his head, looking at Lord Sima.

"Ah... if my eyes aren't playing tricks, he indeed... flew over." Sima Di's speech began to stutter.

In the original timeline, Luffy should be lying there, unable to move even an inch, let alone fly over and reunite with everyone!

"What exactly... did you do?" Zi Zi Busheng scrutinized Sima Di with a probing gaze.

"I swear I didn't intentionally do anything, just very ordinary... normal..." Sima Di hurriedly explained.

Zoro stood behind these two, listening to their conversation.

What the hell are these two talking about? Could it be that he can't keep up with the times? Why can't he understand a single word!

"Hold on, Luffy! We're heading to the escort ship now to escape!" Usopp ran with Luffy on his back, but upon looking up, he saw the escort ship already more than half submerged.

"The escort ship sank!" Usopp's eyes nearly popped out in shock. "Why did it turn out like that!"

"Ah, well, there is a very profound reason for this..." Sima Di hurriedly stepped forward to explain, "but don't worry, someone will come to pick us up. Yes, someone will come."

"Someone?" Usopp paused for a moment, looking at Sima Di. "You mean..."

"Yes, it's already OK!" Sima Di nodded heavily, a smile on his face.

Seeing Sima Di nod, Usopp's face could not hide his joy.

"Then there's no problem! Where is he now?"

Nami patted Sima Di. "What exactly are you two talking about?"

Zoro even began to doubt himself; he thought he just couldn't understand the conversation between Sima Di and his cousin, but he never expected to be unable to understand the conversation between him and Usopp either.

Sima Di smiled mysteriously, gave no answer, and instead shouted to everyone.

"Everyone! Now move together toward the second pillar!"

"Hey, the second pillar is a dead end! We should retreat! Seize another warship!" Franky shouted.