The Straw Hat Luffy Pirates' Diehard Fan-Bartolomeo

A flood of confused comments immediately appeared on the screen: {Huh? What happened? Why... did everyone suddenly fall to the ground?}

{Wow, that was so fast! Who was that dark figure? I couldn't see it at all!}

How did Rebecca manage to defend against that dark figure's attack?!

{Hey! God from Beyond the Domain, come out and explain yourself! Who did this?!}

{...}

{...}

The Grand Line, somewhere in the sea, the Thousand Sunny.

"Huh! Who... who did all this?!" Usopp exclaimed in surprise.

"Um... Cavendish, he suddenly became incredibly fast just now," Zoro said, frowning. "But his state was so strange! He seemed to be asleep."

"Could that rumor be true?" Robin stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Huh? What rumor, Robin?" Chopper looked at her curiously.

"In Cavendish's birthplace, there was a rumor that once he fell asleep, he would..."

Robin slowly began to tell the story of Cavendish's dual personality to his crewmates on the ship.

Meanwhile, the video feed shifts to Luffy's side.

Since he found watching the match from his cell too inconvenient, he decided to go to the closer stands to cheer for Rebecca, so he said goodbye to the group of prisoner gladiators.

Before parting, the two sides exchanged final views on the issue of Dressrosa.

Luffy realized that he initially thought this country, which appeared to be peaceful and prosperous, was actually quite similar to the country he lived in at its core.

The prisoner gladiators told him that it was because he only saw the victors' faces, which were naturally glamorous, while the losers were treated like trash, just like the World Government did. Finally, they added that they felt there were darker places in this country, and warned him to be careful.

Luffy thanked them for their kindness, then lifted his foot and ran outside.

However, as soon as he left the cell, he bumped into someone outside— Bartolomeo.

"Luffy... Luffy- senpai," Bartolomeo said, tears streaming down his face, his expression filled with emotion.

To his surprise, Luffy completely ignored him and ran right past him.

"Where are the audience seats?" Luffy muttered as he ran.

"Luffy- senpai."

Unexpectedly, the next second, Bartolomeo called out to him from behind.

"Huh?!" Luffy turned around, looking at him with a puzzled expression, then said with slight surprise, "You're not the one from before... ah! No, wait!"

He realized he had misspoke halfway through his sentence and quickly corrected himself, "I am Lucy."

"Um... I have something more important to tell you." Bartolomeo gasped for breath, his face contorted with difficulty. "No! I'm too nervous! I can't even speak properly!" With that, he knelt down on the ground.

Luffy looked at him strangely and said, "If you're not busy, I'll be going now! I need to go cheer for Rebecca!"

With that, he turned and ran towards the audience seats.

"Hey! Please wait a moment, don't go!" Hearing this, Bartolomeo immediately perked up, stood up, and chased after him, calling out, "Actually... it was... it was Zoro- senpai who asked me to come find you."

"What? Zoro?" Luffy immediately stopped and turned around to look at him, asking...

"Yes, yes, he asked me to call you over Luffy -senpai," Bartolomeo explained.

"Is that so? Then where is Zoro?" Luffy up to him and asked.

"Outside the arena, I... I'll lead the way for you, this way." Bartolomeo said, covering his face as he moved towards Luffy, then ran towards Zoro's location.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Rooster Head." Luffy called out from behind him, then followed.

Inside a house in Loguetown, East Blue.

"Wow! I'm so... so lucky! I never imagined I'd not only get to talk to Luffy -senpai, but also receive a request from Zoro- senpai. I have no regrets in this life!" Bartolomeo said, his hands clasped together, a look of pure satisfaction on his face.

"Boss, us too!" his henchmen shouted in unison.

On the other side, surprised comments appeared on the screen: {Huh? Why is Bartolomeo so excited to see the Straw Hat Luffy? What's their relationship?}

Roronoa Zoro is incredibly carefree; he casually sends a complete stranger to find the Straw Hat Luffy without a second thought, isn't he afraid of trouble?

{No way! Straw Hat Luffy really trusts people so easily! He was swayed by just a few words and went with someone? His mind is way too simple!}

Judging from Bartolomeo's reaction, could he be a fan of the Straw Hat Luffy Pirates? He seems like one of those celebrity worshippers!

{...}

{...}

The video footage appears to be an attempt to explain Bartolomeo's unusual behavior to the public.

Suddenly, the camera shifts back to a scene from not long ago, when Luffy had just finished the C-sector match.

As soon as Luffy returned to the rest room, he was immediately pursued by Cavendish.

This scene was witnessed by Bartolomeo, who was not far away. He clenched his fist in annoyance and muttered, "That bastard."

Just then, two eliminated contestants passed by him, discussing Cavendish and Luffy as they walked.

"What are they doing?" a man with a buzz cut asked his companion.

"That Cavendish fellow, he's spouting nonsense about the Straw Hat Luffy again," his companion replied.

"Straw Hat Luffy? Could he be that pirate who failed to rescue his older brother during the Paramount War two years ago?!" The crew-cut man sneered. "Hahaha, if it's not about rescuing people, I could do that too."

These words instantly enraged Bartolomeo. He interlaced his right fingers, and a barrier immediately appeared, pinning the crew-cut man against the wall. Ignoring the man's screams and threats, Bartolomeo glared at him and said sharply, "Who were you just mocking?"

As he spoke, he released his fingers, the barrier disappeared, and the crew-cut man immediately fell towards him.

He immediately grabbed his tongue and said fiercely, "Listen up! Straw Hat Luffy Luffy is a great man who will one day shoulder the fate of an entire era; he is the future Pirate King."

"More than two years ago, I personally witnessed him, on the legendary Execution Platform in Loguetown in the East Blue, where the Pirate King Roger was executed, he was driven to the brink and shouted loudly..."

At this point, the scene suddenly flashes back to the Execution Platform in Loguetown. Luffy, chained in shackles, faces the falling blade without fear, and Haki proclaims his ambition to become the Pirate King.

This completely stunned Bartolomeo, who was watching from the sidelines. Not only that, but after an Inazuma from the sky saved Luffy, Bartolomeo was also captivated by him.

The scene then shifts back to the Corrida Colosseum. "At that moment, a bolt of lightning struck and saved that man. I witnessed a miracle, and ever since then, I've been following all the news reports about the Straw Hat Luffy Pirates."

"From Alabasta, Enies Lobby, Impel Down, to Marineford, the land of destiny, I have been incredibly excited."

"Back then, I was just a gangster boss in my hometown, ruling over 150 towns. But out of respect for Luffy- senpai, I finally set sail!"

As he spoke, he snapped out of his emotional reverie, pulled out a dagger from somewhere, pointed it at the crew-cut man's tongue, and said, "Say that again if you dare, you bastard! Don't you know your place? How dare you come here and criticize Luffy- senpai? Which tongue is that, spouting such nonsense?"

"You ant-like creature, do you even deserve to be called one?" With that, he punched the crew-cut man in the face, sending him flying.

Not satisfied with that, he chased after him and kicked him several times.

At this moment, system text appeared, another introduction about him. "Straw Hat Luffy Pirates, die-hard fan— Bartolomeo."