However, they would probably encounter some painful memories next, but for now, the food on board was running low.
The cheerful atmosphere aboard faltered at once. Luffy rubbed his shriveled stomach, and his smile grew particularly strained. A happy voyage was all well and good to them, of course, but happiness could not fill their stomachs. If they could not find food soon, they might all drift on empty stomachs until the end of time.
Nami was just about to check their heading when the sea ahead suddenly changed. A vast expanse of grayish-white mist obscured the previously visible water. As the mist gradually dispersed, they realized their ship had sailed into a huge stretch of water that resembled sulfuric acid.
A pungent smell rushed into their nostrils on the sea breeze, and several of them immediately paled. The gas not only smelled awful but also made their chests feel tight, even making breathing uncomfortable. Naruto stared at the churning water, his earlier ease disappearing.
"This doesn't look like somewhere we can just swim across."
Luffy covered his nose and replied in a muffled voice, "Then let's hurry through. If we stay here, we'll be pickled before we even get a chance to fill our stomachs."
They had no choice but to slow the ship for the time being and carefully cross the dangerous waters. The smoke did not obscure their vision for long, but by the time they finally sailed beyond the gas-covered area, one figure was missing from beside the ship.
The stranger who had been struggling nearby moments earlier had disappeared at some point. There had been no splash and no cry for help. It was as though the mist at sea had swallowed him whole, leaving not a trace behind.
The scene was so bizarre that