Hachi's Shadow, Unlucky Sanji

"Haha, flying feels so great!"

"Wow, this is my first time experiencing this kind of transportation too,"

"Hehehe, from now on, we are the Flying Straw Hat crew!!"

Sunny Merry: So love will disappear, right?

Looking up at Luffy, Chopper, Usopp, and Brook, who were darting around in the air on flying fish, Roman calculated the time:

"Luffy, I have good news and bad news."

?

"The good news is that we're almost at the headquarters of the 'Flying Fish Knights'," the paper bird that had been sent out to scout had already spotted the building in the distance: it looked like a wooden fortress built on the sea.

"The bad news is that flying fish can only fly for five minutes before they need to go into the water to rest."

??

"Hey hey hey?"

"Ah, why—"

Splash, splash, splash... A series of splashes as the noisy sea returned to tranquility. A gentle breeze, calm waves... Ah, what a peaceful and beautiful day.

"Ugh~~"

"Ugh, comparison needed..."

"I... I've also caused trouble for everyone..."

Roman glanced at Luffy, Chopper, and Brook, who were lying on the ship's railing performing the "Old Dragon Spitting Water" act—heaven knows how Brook, a skeleton, managed to "drown"! But considering he could drink milk to repair his bones, Roman decided not to investigate further.

In short, it's all about the amazing effects of Devil Fruit!

"So you guys are way too careless. The ironclad rule that Devil Fruit user are doomed if they fall into water must be strictly observed..."

"Hehehe, isn't it because you guys are here?"

Luffy's words made Roman roll his eyes in exasperation. Indeed, with Usopp's current stamina, he could easily lift all three of them by himself, but...

"Alright, you guys take a rest first—"

"Let's go 'play' up ahead again."

The silhouette of a building had already appeared on the sea ahead—that was the location of the 'Flying Fish Knights'. But Roman didn't take it seriously at all. With the Straw Hat crew's current strength, dealing with such a small force was just a piece of cake.

Now, think about it carefully again, is there anything else we've overlooked?

If not, what will happen to Impel Down and Marineford?

We need to find a way to keep a Luffy, otherwise even ten lives wouldn't be enough for most people...

While Roman was 'daydreaming' as usual, the Straw Hat crew had already stormed into the 'Flying Fish Knights' encampment with unstoppable momentum. Although every single 'grunt' here was a muscular man capable of wielding a spiked club weighing hundreds of pounds with impressive skill, worth at least tens of millions in bounty in the in the East Blue, but:

"Hehehe, this flying fish is so much fun~~"

"Watch out, the enemy is diving, you idiot Luffy!!"

"Watch me blast them down with one shot..."

"Cien Fleur - cranes".

"Get out of here, all of you! If you hurt even a single hair on the ladies' heads, I won't let you get away with it!"

Against Sanji, who could fly, the "air force" flying fish riders' advantage vanished. Especially when the mermaid Keimi shouted in her clear voice, "Brother Sanji, do your best!", the blond cook worked with incredible energy, single-handedly routing his opponents...

Wow, that's some serious drive. They might even be able to use Geppo without needing the Spray Wind Shell anymore...

"Black Leg Sanji!!"

As his men suffered repeated defeats, the enemy leader could no longer sit still!

A man wearing a helmet and heavy armor, nearly five meters tall, stepped forward.

"Because of you, I've suffered so much. Even tearing you to pieces wouldn't be enough to quell the hatred in my heart!!"

?

"Sanji, is he your enemy?"

"Ah... I..."

"Think carefully, didn't you beat someone up at the Baratie?"

Faced with Usopp and Nami's words, Sanji ruffled his blond hair and thought for a long time...

"Is it because you didn't expect it?"

"No! There are too many, I don't know which one it is."

??

"Back then, I offended people every day..." Faced with Sanji's 'innocent' Sanji, everyone wanted to kick him away.

"Go apologize to them right now!!"

"Okay, okay."

Swoosh—

Snap,

With a light leap, Sanji landed dozens of meters away in front of the tall, Helmet Knight. Sanji scratched his short, blond hair in frustration.

"Anyway, if you're the one who wasted food and I beat you up..."

"You think it's just as simple as 'beating someone up'?!"

"So... was it you who harassed a woman and I knocked you to the ground...?"

"Because of you, I'm too ashamed to face anyone! Let alone women—"

Snap!

"First cut of meat!"

Sanji flew up and kicked the other's helmet, and before he could say two words, he revealed his true Sanji a rage.

"Then show me your face, you bastard! I don't even know when I offended you—?!"

????

The helmet flew off, revealing a picture:

Golden, side-parted, messy hair; a large, round face; curly eyebrows; a flat nose; thick lips; and a scraggly beard—how to describe this face? While it possesses all of Sanji's features, it looks as if it were drawn carelessly. It's like:

"Ah~~ It's exactly the same as the Bounty Poster!"

"It's me."

Usopp and Chopper nodded repeatedly.

Even the Straw Hat crew, who spend every day with him, felt that the tall man in front of them was a perfect replica of Sanji's Bounty Poster. What about the others?

"Do you know that ever since your Bounty Poster came out," the weeping man angrily berated Sanji, "I've been hunted down by the Marines and bounty hunters every single day?"

"I've said it wasn't me, but nobody believes me!!"

"Give me back my life! Black Leg Sanji— "

·····

"That's terrible," Nami said with a sigh.

"Yes," Roman nodded seriously.

"Right? Just because of a Bounty Poster, their peaceful lives were ruined..."

"Ah, no."

Roman shook his head. "I was saying that he has such a face that looks just like Sanji, it's terrible."

"They're practically twins."

Zoro calmly delivered the finishing blow with his arms crossed.

"Sanji, we're off then~~"

Even Luffy waved goodbye.

"—Stop making sarcastic remarks behind my back!!"

The calm encouragement from his companions behind him fueled Sanji's rage, and when he saw the face on his Bounty Poster, he was so furious he felt like his soul was about to break!

"Since you dislike this face so much,"

Sanji's right leg moved like a spring, delivering a series of powerful and rapid kicks aimed directly at the opponent's face!

"Plastic Surgery Kick!"

Snap snap snap snap snap—

The tall man was sent flying through the air by Sanji's kick! A barrage of kicks landed on his face, which resembled Sanji's.

"How cruel..."

In response to Nami's words, Roman pointed to the tall man's face.

"That's not the case. Look closely: Sanji is using his kicking techniques to modify the opponent's skeletal model."

"In fact, at our level, carving patterns with a longsword, painting with our fists, and performing cosmetic surgery with our kicks are not mere fantasies. Our control over power allows us to alter minute details of bone structure without harming others..."

Just like Hawk Eyes did before, he slashed Zoro's chest so hard that blood gushed out! Yet, in reality, there was no damage to his internal organs or bones. Such exquisite control over power is proof of a true master.

"Huh? So Roman, you can do that too?"

"Of course, and if it were applied to myself, my Life Return would even allow me to freely adjust my height and body shape..."

His physique is undoubtedly Admiral!

"Hmm, that sounds good. Let's try it tonight!"

???

"Tasty!"

After the 'battle', the Straw Hat crew rescued Hachi, and everyone began their usual banquet.

Luffy raved about Hachi's takoyaki. Because it was Roman, Zoro, Usopp who had taken down Arlong Park, the others didn't have any reservations about this 'first meeting' of the goofy Fish-Man.

"Big Sister Nami, and... Roman..."

Roman waved his hand at the terrified Hachi -Octopus Fish-Man.

"I'm just a henchman, go say whatever you want to Nami ~~"

Don't expect me to forgive you!

Although Hachi didn't actually harm Nami or Cocoyasi Village, he was still Arlong's accomplice...

"Ah, no."

Hachi waved its six arms.

"I just wanted to ask you how the takoyaki tasted..."

······

"It was delicious!"

Nami's cheerful smile cheered Roman up a lot as well.

This shows that she has completely let go of the burdens of the past.

"Hahaha, young master Sanji ~~"

A 'handsome guy' riding a flying fish came galloping over, tossing his head full of blond hair.

"I'm handsome—no, I'm Dibal."

Dibal, the leader of the "Flying Fish Knights" from earlier, is also the unlucky guy who was ruined by Sanji's Bounty Poster.

"Sanji, thank you for your kicking skills. I looked so cool that I can't even believe it myself~~~"

Now that Sanji has modified Dibal's face, he is indeed handsome, but it looks too fake. In short, the signs of plastic surgery are very obvious, like a handsome mask.

"He's handsome, but a fool is still a fool—"

In response to Usopp's words, Dibal simply said:

"You're jealous of me."

"Fart!!"

This caused Usopp to break down on the spot, but Luffy quickly pulled him back.

"Never mind, never mind..."

"Haha, this is my Den Den Mushi number."

The other party caught up not just to show off their 'new face,' but to hand it over to Sanji.

"If you get into any trouble in Sabaody, come to me. After all, I'm the local big shot here!"

As unconventional bounty hunters in Sabaody, Dibal and his crew capture pirates and sell them at various auction houses, which is much more profitable than simply sending them to the Navy.

At the same time, channels were established with all sorts of shady characters...

"If you want to go to Fish-Man Island," Hachi began to explain to the Straw Hat crew after finishing his meal.

"We need to go to the Sabaody Archipelago to 'coat' the ships so they can dive to a depth of 10,000 meters. — I happen to know a very reliable coating technician. I'll take you there."

They are indeed very reliable coating technicians.

Roman's eyes flickered.

'Pluton' Rayleigh!

The First Mate of Pirate King Roger, was a true top-tier fighter! Also:

An old man with a perverse sense of humor who likes to sell himself into slavery when he's broke.

So, the masters of this world, wow... wow... wow...

Regardless of what Roman was thinking, the Straw Hat crew headed steadfastly toward the Sabaody Archipelago!

P. S.: A fellow reader, 'Sewer Cover', has created a QQ group. The group number is 101389599. Feel free to check it out when you have time!