Chapter 44

Unlike Hawk-Eye's "coffin boat,"

the Thriller's control method was incredibly stylish; Ace could steer it effortlessly just by standing on it, precisely controlling flame intensity with his feet as he surfed across the ocean!

It really is a man's romance.

But don't be fooled by Ace's cool stance—he was constantly burning fuel, and the Thriller had no deck, no seat, nothing but its hull.

As for using the toilet, that was easy—just relieve yourself directly into the sea and return to nature.

But how to rest, sleep, or shelter from rain? That was a very practical problem.

But

it was cool!

In his past life, Sima Di had owned an Ace figure that came with the Thriller, so he knew its structure inside and out.

"I'll handle it," Sima Di said. "That small boat at the harbor—is it your Thriller? When I first saw it, I was puzzled, but now I see: you're using your Mera Mera no Mi ability to power it?"

"Oh? You've seen it? Yeah, that's my own unique ship—utterly one-of-a-kind..."

Before Ace could finish speaking,

Sima Di used his Word-Spirit ability to shout "Thriller," and instantly replicated the Thriller with near-perfect fidelity.

Ace was stunned!

One moment you're saying it's one-of-a-kind, and the next you conjure another?

The slap came too fast!

He examined it closely, even lowered it into the sea to test it—the performance was identical, and he noticed...

"The material seems different—heavier?"

"Oh, I used Adam's Wood," Sima Di said casually.

Ace was shocked!

Adam's Wood branches!

That's the best wood for building ships—the Pirate King himself used it for his pirate vessel.

"Still... such a convenient ability!" Ace exclaimed again.

Sima Di shrugged.

Word-Spirit ability is just that carefree!

Since there was a better vessel now, Ace decided not to turn back—his Thriller bore the Whitebeard Pirates' mark, and even the Marines wouldn't dare touch it.

So he hitched a ride until they reached Yuba's harbor, where they disembarked.

Before parting,

Ace gave Luffy his Life Paper; after learning its effect, Luffy solemnly placed it inside the brim of his straw hat's Interlayer.

"Well then, until we meet again! Looking forward to our reunion in the New World~"

Ace leapt off, flames erupting from the Thriller's stern as it shot off into the distance.

"So cool~"

"It's pretty great."

"With a flame ability... if I mastered it, I'd never worry about not having fire to cook."

Amidst all the praise,

only Nami asked: "Can such a tiny boat really handle long voyages?"

The atmosphere fell silent!

Luffy and the other two, who had just been raving, glared at Nami with clear annoyance.

"You just don't understand a man's romance!"

Wow!

Nami was furious!

She glared at Sima Di, pouting: "Sima, you tell me—isn't that little boat totally impractical?"

Luffy and the other three also turned to Sima Di, hoping for his agreement.

Sima Di: "..."

I'm just here to watch the show—why am I getting dragged into this?

"Ah, Robin—did you learn the technique I told you about last time? Let me check your progress." Sima Di changed the subject.

Robin covered her mouth and smiled, playing along: "Of course, let's go to the stern—you can check me out thoroughly~"

Hmm...

It's such a serious matter, yet why does it sound so improper coming from you?

But...

You're so sexy—I love it!

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44. Robin's Heart Fluttered! Boobie 2D Pocket!

Rainy land, sea ten nautical miles from the harbor.

The Going Merry was anchored there.

"I'll wait here for you to return—be careful!" Nami encouraged.

Among the group,

Nami's combat power was nearly nonexistent; her Armament Haki was unreliable at best.

So Sima Di decided to let her wait here, and he flew off to Rain Banquet with the others.

At this moment,

Robin, who was standing nearby, also hung up the Den Den Mushi, stuffed it into her ample bosom where it vanished without a trace — a two-dimensional pocket of the bust, a skill exclusive to the Daou Sect.

"Crocodile probably hasn't noticed, and he's holding a high-level meeting right now. If we head over now, we can catch them all in one sweep," Robin said.

This was both good news and bad news.

"If all the senior agents are gathered in one place, then the difficulty of this decapitation operation has risen to the highest level," Zoro said, frowning.

Crocodile is already very hard to deal with, and with the others added on......

"So my suggestion is that I go participate in the high-level meeting, and when the many agents disperse to carry out the plan, I'll notify you of Crocodile's location to set up an ambush," Robin laid out the plan.

This was indeed the best plan available at present.

However......

"I don't agree. You may already be exposed," Sima Di shook his head. "Along the way we were delayed half a day each at Little Garden and Drum Kingdom. The time you spent returning alone was too long — he'll definitely get suspicious."

"Running into a storm at sea and taking shelter for a day — that excuse isn't exactly far-fetched, is it?" Robin argued her case forcefully.

"The excuse itself is fine, but...... all the Baroque Works agents we ran into along the way are dead. That will heighten Crocodile's suspicion. If you go now, it's too dangerous."

Seeing Robin still wanting to argue, Sima Di added one line that silenced her.

"Compared to me going into battle myself, I don't want you to take the risk."

Such words of concern were truly something Robin had never experienced in her past life on the run.

At this moment,

Her heart was struck hard, pounding at an incredible speed!

It was the feeling of being smitten!

Sima Di looked at Sanji, Zoro, and Luffy, and said: "My plan is......"

After hearing Sima Di's plan, Robin's face showed a strange expression!

Compared to her plan,

Sima Di's "lure the snake from its hole" plan, though more difficult, if successful, would leave Crocodile with no chance of ever turning things around!

"Truly worthy of you — this wisdom is admirable."

Rain Banquet, underground chamber hall.

Crocodile was explaining his "Utopia Operation Plan" to the many senior agents.

"...... As long as this succeeds, we will establish our own nation!"