Chapter 114

"Suit yourself. You won't be my opponent anyway."

Luo En smiled, pushed open the tavern door, and walked out.

After he left, Smoker couldn't help but clench his fist.

"That guy… just how strong is he now?"

"We haven't even fought, yet I can already feel like I definitely can't win…"

"Compared to three years ago, he's gotten even stronger…"

"Dammit…"

……

Luo En came to the execution platform and reunited with Luo Bin, Konis, and the others.

After visiting the execution platform where the Pirate King Luo Jie was executed.

The few of them prepared to leave this small town and head to the next island.

Before Luo En left here.

He noticed a young thug in the crowd with green hair, pointed teeth, and a nose stud.

That should be the young Bartolomeo, the fanatical fan who worshipped Luffy endlessly in the original work.

But right now he didn't seem to be a user of the Barrier-Barrier Fruit's powers yet.

The Barrier-Barrier Fruit, huh…

Luo En's eyes flickered slightly.

It wouldn't be bad if he could obtain it.

However, the chances were slim. After all, he had no idea when or where the Bartolomeo before him had obtained that fruit, nor could he follow him around at all times.

Luo En shifted his gaze and followed Luo Bin and Konis out of this bustling area.

Bartolomeo glanced over in that direction, but saw nothing.

"What's wrong, boss?"

"No, nothing. It must be my imagination."

……

After Luo En and the others left Luo Ge Town, they continued their aimless journey through the East Blue.

Luo En would check in at every island they passed, while Konis and the kung-fu sea lion Xiao Qi continued to seek out opponents to hone their real combat experience.

Luo Bin would purchase and collect large amounts of books and information at every place they arrived.

Gradually.

The self-styled travelers had also gained some fame in the East Blue.

……

Soon, the remaining little over a month of this year passed.

On a cold winter night with snowflakes drifting over the sea.

The Traveler, aimlessly wandering through the East Blue, arrived at the island where Cocosia Village was located.

Cocosia Village, occupied by the Arlong Pirates, was gradually being dyed white by Bai Xue.

The outskirts of the village.

In a house with orange trees planted in the back yard, a girl of about ten with short orange hair was holding a navigation book and staring at it intently.

105, Outsiders of Cocosia Village

The next morning.

"Nami, are you up?"

A girl with short blue hair and tanned, healthy skin shouted toward the room, "It's snowing really hard outside. I'm going to check on the orange grove first, so hurry up and get up to…"

"Mm~"

The short orange-haired girl, who had been dozing off at the table, gave a drowsy half-awake reply to her words.

Outside, after the sound of a door closing, there was no more movement.

After quite a while longer.

This year's twelve-year-old Nami slowly woke up, rubbing her eyes and lifting her head.

"So cold…"

She hugged her arms and pulled her thin clothing tighter around herself.

She gazed at the snow-white view outside the window and murmured, "It's snowing… no wonder it's so cold."

After finding a thick, old coat to put on, her whole body finally warmed up a bit.

The girl Nami walked out of the room; two slices of black bread sat on the table.

After she finished eating those two slices of already somewhat cold black bread, she opened the door.

The snow outside had stopped, the sky was crystal clear, the sunlight was warm, and everything in sight was a sheet of white.

The orange trees near this little house had all been blanketed by thick Bai Xue, and the roads and ridges in the distance were also a sheet of white.

"What a beautiful snowy scene…"

The girl Nami gazed at the scene before her, a hint of nostalgia flashing in her eyes: "It would be nice if I could watch it together with Bellemere…"

Since that incident… has it already been two years?

Time really does pass quickly.

I have to grow up fast too. I must get the money as soon as possible… only then can I save those villagers, save this village!

Nami's eyes gradually grew firm.

But thinking of that enormous sum of one hundred million Beri, she couldn't help but sigh again.

Suddenly,

a heavy thud.

A large clump of snow fell from the orange tree, blending into the snow piled on the ground.

Only now did Nami remember Nokigo's reminder.

"Oh no, I can't let the snow snap the orange tree's branches."

She hurried to knock the accumulated snow off the orange tree, to keep the branches from breaking and ruining next year's harvest.

While she was busy at work.

Luo En, Luo Bin, Koni, and the Kung Fu Sea Lion Xiao Qi had already come down from the Traveler, which was docked at the shore, and arrived at this Cocosia Village, wrapped in white snow and looking utterly still and peaceful.

"What a quiet little village."

Tall, long-legged, wearing a white fur coat and looking extremely elegant, Luo Bin walked along the snow-covered road, gazing at the scattered little houses with wisps of smoke rising from them, and said.

"Master, is there really someone with a 20-million-Belly bounty here?"

Wearing a thick red padded jacket and a felt hat, Xiao Qi looked at Luo En hopefully and asked.

Luo En, who had already spread his Observation Haki to cover the entire island, nodded at it, looked toward the tall building near the sea in the distance, and said: "Right over there."

A flash of excitement and anticipation in its eyes, Xiao Qi turned to look at Koni beside it and said: "Can I take this one? Big Sis Koni."

Koni, wearing the same white fur coat as Luo Bin with her blond hair tied low at the back of her head, turned to look at it upon hearing that and said with a smile: "A guy with a 20-million-Belly bounty has to be pretty strong, right? Are you really up for it, Xiao Qi?"

Xiao Qi thought for a moment upon hearing that, then said to her: "Mm… not sure."

"But I really do want to fight someone strong."

It looked again at Luo En beside it — black hair to his ears, wearing a black hooded fur coat, a black blade hanging at his left waist, slender and well-proportioned in build.

"Master, do you think I can go challenge that guy and win?"

"Probably not."

Luo En said casually.

He glanced at Xiao Qi at his feet and said with a smile: "Right now you haven't even learned Moon Walk or Haki, and your strength has only just barely reached 100 kilograms. If you recklessly go up against that guy, your odds of winning are basically zero."

"Is that so…"

Xiao Qi was a little dejected.

Luo Bin, standing at Luo En's left side, looked at its downcast, dejected look and couldn't help but smile.

Koni said to it with a smile: "Then it's like before — the strongest one is mine, Xiao Qi, you go handle his underlings."

"Mm."

……

On the field path paved with white snow.