"This looks so pretty... and I want that one too!"
In a large canteen in the city, Luffy devoured the food on the table like a glutton, having been in jail for several days and was starving.
Opposite him, Enel and the others, along with the original CP9 members, were ultimately grouped together.
They were not to be outdone, and the food on the table was quickly devoured, with the chef's serving speed far outpacing the speed at which everyone ate.
"How strange~ This Sea King looks delicious, but why can't I eat it?"
The women were very curious about Luffy's body structure and kept pulling on his rubber-like body.
Enel and Lucci, after all, were too intimidating in appearance, so no woman dared to approach them easily.
"You've got quite a big heart."
As Luffy was puzzled, a large hand took away the piece of meat he had been wanting to eat from right in front of him.
"You bastard... Cifer!"
Luffy was about to snatch it back when he looked up and saw it was him, and his face lit up with joy.
"Cifer, could you take me to the Sabaody Archipelago? I've arranged to meet my companions there!"
Having wasted several days on his flight and then spent several more days locked up in the Jail, Luffy was already impatient to get going.
But he just asked again, and the only way to leave here is to get Cifer and that annoying woman's consent.
"Let's eat first."
Cifer did not respond directly.
Having already witnessed despair, he remained so arrogant and ignorant. Cifer didn't know whether to call him naive or reckless.
"Good!"
Luffy didn't think much of it, assuming the other person was just hungry, and continued to eat heartily.
When he got really into the meal, he stood on the table with his big, bouncy belly and started his nonsensical comedic performance.
The people of Amazon Lily had hardly ever seen men before, let alone such a comical one. Suddenly, the once quiet meeting hall felt like a banquet.
"Captain Cifer, where's your coat?"
Nolan, with a gossipy look on her face, leaned closer to him, blinking her bright, sparkling eyes.
"Children shouldn't ask so many questions."
Cifer pinched Nolan's face, then casually picked up a piece of roast meat and stuffed it into her mouth, silencing her.
"That's too much, Captain Cifer!"
Nolan chewed on what was in her mouth, covered her face, and looked like she was about to cry.
Is there anything we can know?
For the first time ever, Lucci slowed down his eating and looked at Enel beside him. This guy's Mantra range was unbelievably large.
He was also curious about what could be so important that these two people had to talk about it behind closed doors, and even lose the captain's coat in the process.
"Hey~ Hahaha~ I didn't expect you little devil to be so gossipy?"
"Unfortunately, it's not something worth hearing."
That's a past that others don't want to recall; he's not so boring as to dredge up other people's wounds.
The time continued until evening. After a hearty meal and drinks, Luffy once again made a request to Cifer.
"With your current strength, you should not be heading to the New World."
The bear interrupted him, which was why he had separated the group.
The level of the New World is beyond their current reach. If they are not careful, they will be defeated and lose their fighting spirit, or even be completely wiped out.
"It's you! Where did you take pictures of all my companions?!"
Luffy then realized that the man who had sent him and his crew flying was also there, which startled him so much that he immediately assumed a fighting stance.
"Kid, watch your tone when you talk to us."
Lucci casually tossed aside his suit jacket and stood in front of Kuma, facing Luffy.
He'd been wanting to find another chance to beat this guy up.
"Lucci, calm down. If you want to fight, go outside."
Cifer didn't stop them, but it wasn't good to make a mess of their place after they invited him to dinner.
"Let's go to the countryside!"
With the captain's permission, Lucci revealed an arrogant smile, eager to know just how much he had improved.
Especially after eating the fruit that grants the ability to become a captain.
(The three remaining Cifer Fruits imbued with his Spiritual Pressure on the ship were given to Lucci, Chopper, and Robin respectively.)
The venue was quickly moved to the mountains and forests, and the audience was not just Cifer and Rayleigh. Since Amazon Lily revered the strong, many of its citizens were also watching from the sidelines.
"Enter, Second Gear!"
Luffy assumed a horse stance, his arms and calves seemingly pumped up with energy; after a few back and forth movements, his entire body became hot, constantly emitting steam.
Actually, he didn't expect things to develop this way; he just couldn't help asking the question.
However, since the pigeon breeder wants to fight, he won't be afraid. He'll just consider it a trial before heading to the New World.
"Take it easy."
"I see."
Lucci responded to Cifer, then stretched his body and slowly stepped forward.
"Gomu Gomu Jet Pistol!"
Luffy vanished instantly, reappearing in front of Lucci, delivering a super-fast attack that slammed into the latter's chest.
Lucci was knocked back several meters, leaving two deep footprints on the ground.
"Is it that Tekkai?"
Seeing that the other person patted his chest as if he hadn't been affected, Luffy remembered their Six Powers.
Even with the Six Powers, it's impossible to be completely unharmed!
"It's Steel Skin!"
When it was Lucci's turn to attack, he transformed into his beast form in the blink of an eye, and the two clashed at high speed.
"Wow, so fast... Are all men this strong?!"
The women watching were astonished; they could barely keep up with the speed at which the two moved.
Unlike Nolan, Lucci did not experience a surge in power; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to remain evenly matched with the Straw Hat Kid.
"Hateful..."
Luffy started to feel the strain; his previous victory over the pigeon keeper was a hard-fought one.
His defenses are still incredibly strong. They seem evenly matched, but I can't break through his defenses at all.
"Gomu Gomu Jet Machine Gun!"
Using the same trick he had used to defeat Lucci, Luffy never expected that Lucci would not withstand the attack this time and would disappear from sight.
"You lost this time."
"We're doomed!"
The Leopard Tail wrapped around Luffy's waist, while Lucci's fists were positioned from the side in front of him. Luffy recalled how terrifying this move was, but he couldn't dodge it at all.
"Rokuogan!"
The powerful impact slammed into Luffy, spraying blood in the air. Lucci released his tail, returned to normal, and walked towards Cifer.
"You held back?"
Luffy wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, still shaken.
Fortunately, although the attack injured me, it wasn't as serious as I had imagined.
"If it weren't for my captain's orders, I would have loved to kill you right here."
A hint of pleasure appeared on Lucci's face. In a way, one of his obsessions had now been resolved.
The opponent can't hurt me now, so if we continue fighting, there will only be one winner.
"So, Cifer, could you please take me to the Sabaody Archipelago? My companions are probably getting impatient."
Luffy, being carefree by nature, didn't think much of it. After deactivating Second Gear, he touched his hat and walked up to Cifer with a grin.