Trafalgar Law

Chapter 10: Trafalgar Law

"I can't help feeling like you're all very familiar with this stretch of the route."

Watching Nerl steer the boat with practiced ease, Nia spoke up.

"Because this is our home."

"I see. Then you must know about that sea monster rumor."

"We already told you. It's just a silly rumor."

"Wait!"

Nia suddenly looked out at the distant sea. A small boat was racing across the water, and behind it, several white waves churned as they swept toward them.

"A man rowing a little boat, and white waves chasing after it—there really is a sea monster!"

"Ah! A sea monster!"

Hearing Nia's shout, Grey sprang up from where he'd been lying down. He pulled at his injuries and let out another scream.

"There really is a sea monster! Turn the boat around!"

Watching the white waves heading straight for them, Grey let out another wail. When the other three on board showed no reaction, he slumped helplessly onto the deck.

"It's over! The sea monster's going to eat us!

"I was wrong. I should never have come to Minion Island in the first place. If I hadn't come, Filk wouldn't have tricked me. If Filk hadn't tricked me, I wouldn't have been injured, and I wouldn't be out at sea with you in the middle of the night, about to meet my end..."

While Grey rambled on, the small boat had already rowed to a spot just in front of theirs, and Nia caught sight of the person aboard.

He was a man wearing a fluffy spotted hat. Beneath it was a somewhat cold-looking face. The beard on his chin gave him a sly air, and the dark circles under his eyes were almost identical to Grey's. His arms were covered in flashy tattoos.

As Nia spotted the man, he looked up at them too, a cryptic smile appearing on his face.

Hm?

Just as Nia was wondering about his strange expression, the man suddenly flicked a finger, sending something flying toward them.

"Is he an enemy?"

The thought flashed through Nia's mind. She shifted back slightly and assumed a fighting stance. At the same time, she got a clear look at what he'd flicked at them.

A pebble?

Who used pebbles as weapons?

As the thought crossed her mind, Nia heard a deep voice in her ear.

"ROOM—"

The next second, a figure suddenly appeared beside her.

Nia had no time to wonder how he'd done it. Her body reacted instantly, and she lashed out with a kick.

Thud!

Their fists and feet collided, and a look of surprise flashed through Nia's eyes.

It felt like she'd kicked a block of iron. This man who'd suddenly appeared was strong.

"Stop, Nia! He's one of us!"

Rod stopped Nia before she could escalate the fight, his face beaming with the joy of seeing an old friend again.

"That's quite the unique way to welcome someone, Rod!"

The newcomer's cold face broke into a smile. The next moment, the three of them exchanged smiles.

Is this the companion Rod mentioned who was waiting on Flying Swallow Island? He really is impressive.

Nia looked at the people before her, thinking to herself.

"Aiyah—!"

With a strange cry, a huge figure suddenly leaped out of the sea, spun through the air, and hurtled toward the boat.

"A sea monster!"

Seeing the white figure plummeting from above, Grey cried out again.

"Wait... it's a polar bear!"

To Nia's amazement, the polar bear spun around a few times in midair, then landed on the deck in a pose like a white crane spreading its wings.

"It's been so long! Bepo missed you so much, Boss Rod and Boss Nerl!"

He held the pose for less than a second before excitedly charging over and tackling Rod.

"The bear can talk!" X2

Nia and Grey cried out at the same time.

"Sorry..."

The polar bear, who'd been happily hugging Rod and Nerl, apologized in an instant.

"Be brave, Bepo!"

"Sorry..."

As Nia and Grey stared in amazement at the polar bear, two more figures leaped out of the sea and landed on the deck.

"It's been quite a night..."

Nia had grown used to one person after another showing up. Calmly, she looked at the two newcomers.

"We're finally back, Boss Rod! Oh, Nerl's here too."

The two of them looked at Rod excitedly, their eyes full of anticipation.

"We can do it now! We can swim from Flying Swallow Island to Minion Island and back in one night. So, as promised, we can go out to sea with you now, right?"

"Of course!"

Meeting their eager gazes, Rod smiled and nodded.

"All right!!"

The two jumped up in excitement.

"Hold on, hold on. Can someone introduce me? And you two, put some clothes on already!"

Nia stared at the two newcomers, exasperated. They were wearing nothing but shorts, bouncing around on the deck. In the end, she couldn't take it anymore and punched them both on the head.

"Sorry..."

The two crouched on the deck, clutching their heads as they apologized quietly.

"Now, let's make proper introductions. This is Trafalgar Law, our ship's doctor; Bepo, our beloved mascot; and these two are Pekoms and Shakky, our companions."

"This is Catwoman Nia, and this is Grey, the scientist."

After the introductions, Pekoms and Shakky put on some clothes. Everyone sat in a circle on the deck, making the already tiny boat feel even more cramped.

"So you're the ones who started the sea monster rumor."

After hearing the story, Nia couldn't help but laugh.

It turned out that every night, in order to build strong bodies and become skilled warriors of the sea, the group did extra training. They swam from Flying Swallow Island to Minion Island and back, while Law, as a Devil Fruit user, made the trip by boat.

When people saw them, the sight had given rise to the so-called sea monster rumor.

"But coming up with this as a way to train is reckless."

The two islands were close together, but the distance between them was at least a hundred li. With the currents working against them, swimming the route there and back was no simple matter.

"Big Brother Rod taught us this training method, but we still have a long way to go!"

Remembering the days they'd trained together on the island, Rod smiled faintly.

After coming to this world and learning that it was the world of One Piece, Rod had started training.

Without a master to teach him, Rod could only train according to the Kame Style, as he remembered it. It worked well with his day job, and as he met these companions, their little training group gradually grew.

"We can talk more once we get back. We've still got an injured person on board."

Rod set aside his memories, pointed at Grey, who was lying on the deck, and urged the others to get moving.

"That's right. We don't have any tools with us, so there's not much else we can do for him. We should get back and treat his injuries first."

Law spoke up as well. He took the helm from Rod, with Bepo beside him.

"Then let's go home!"