Leaving

P.S. Here's today's update. While I'm at it, please vote for the Qidian 515 Fan Festival. Everyone gets eight votes, and voting even earns Qidian coins. I sincerely beg for everyone's support and rewards!

"Everyone, we're leaving." Li Ziming walked into the room where Luffy and the others were resting and clapped his hands to draw their attention.

"Why? The meat here is really tasty," Luffy asked in confusion.

"The reason is probably this." Li Ziming took out several wanted posters. "Because Mr. Luffy defeated a Shichibukai, his bounty has risen to one hundred million Berries. Another Marine unit is already on its way. If we don't leave now, it could be dangerous."

"Wait! Are you saying you want to come with us?" Zoro gripped the hilt of his sword.

"Not just Ming. Me too. I wonder if I could board the ship?" Robin asked with a smile as she walked over.

"Lady Robin!" Sanji immediately rushed over with a lovestruck look.

"Wait, they used to be with Baroque Works. We can't..." Usopp hurriedly tried to dissuade them.

"Oh? I still wanted to hear about the great hero Usopp's exploits." Li Ziming looked troubled. "What am I supposed to do if I can never hear them again?"

"A great hero, huh?" Usopp said smugly. "Well, it can't be helped. You can come aboard, then."

"I don't object." Nami had once again been captivated by Robin's diamonds.

"No!" Luffy unexpectedly objected, though this was precisely what Li Ziming had expected.

"May I ask why?" Li Ziming asked in puzzlement.

"Because you're too boring," Luffy said as though it were only natural.

Robin was completely amused by that reason and looked at Li Ziming with a laugh.

"I knew it." Li Ziming shook his head helplessly. "Wait a moment." With that, he vanished before their eyes. Not long after, he returned holding a glass of red liquid garnished with lemon and celery.

"Want to give it a try?" Li Ziming handed the drink to Luffy. "Straw Hat, I hope you like it."

"This drink tastes great!" Luffy's eyes lit up after one sip. Then he drained the entire glass in one gulp. "There's just too little of it."

Sanji curiously tasted a little of the remaining liquid. "Tomato juice and tequila? This is a pretty good cocktail." His instincts as a chef had awakened, and he desperately wanted to know how Li Ziming had made it.

"A bartender, Captain. Can I join the ship?" Li Ziming asked.

"Yeah, a bartender? All right, you can join," Luffy said, flashing a broad grin.

"It really isn't easy getting aboard your ship, Captain." Li Ziming shrugged. "Good thing I have at least one useful skill."

"All right, let's get out of here!" Nami gave the order with something of a captain's authority.

"Mm, this is really comfortable." Zoro enjoyed the desert night immensely.

Luffy was holding food he had taken from Cobra's palace and stuffing it into his mouth nonstop.

"Luffy, why are you still eating?" Usopp asked helplessly.

"Because it's so delicious! Sanji, let's make it next time!" Luffy said to Sanji.

"That's exactly what I was thinking, so I got the recipes." Sanji might have been a little perverted, but he was still thoroughly professional when it came to cooking.

"Nami, are you worried about Vivi?" Robin saw through Nami's gloomy mood.

"Want to make a bet?" Li Ziming suddenly cut in.

"What are you talking about? Vivi is our companion, right, Nami?" Sanji said unhappily.

"I've decided!" Nami suddenly raised her head. "I've decided to give up the one billion Berries for Vivi's sake!"

"That's what you were worried about?!" everyone roared furiously.

"Haha, I knew it." Li Ziming laughed smugly, deeply praising himself for his own cleverness.

When they reached the Going Merry, they saw a familiar—or perhaps perverted—figure.

"Mr. 2?" Li Ziming smiled. "Or should I call you Bon Clay?"

"I never imagined you knew my real name! As expected of my dear friend!" Bon Clay said excitedly.

"Li Ziming. That's my real name." Li Ziming held out a hand. "You really helped us out, Bon."

"Oh, oh, oh! I'm so moved!" Bon Clay shed tears of excitement, then shouted at Luffy in dissatisfaction, "Hey, don't you have anything to say to me?"

"No," Luffy replied bluntly.

"You people!" Bon Clay grew furious. "Do you know why I stole this ship from those Marines, warned you, and helped you? Don't you even have one word of thanks? Won't you invite me onto your ship for a visit?"

"Is there any need?" Luffy looked displeased. "We were enemies, weren't we?"

"Baroque Works has already been destroyed, so we're not enemies anymore." Bon Clay sat down weakly against the side of the ship.

"Even if we're not enemies, why should we invite you aboard?" Luffy asked with a puzzled expression.

"That's so heartless!" Bon Clay looked incredulous. "I stole this ship for your sake!"

"We truly should thank Bon. Without this ship, none of us might have been able to leave Alabasta," Li Ziming said to Bon Clay.

"Then why did you help us?" Luffy still looked unconvinced.

"Of course, it's because..." Bon Clay raised a thumb. "Friendship!"

"You really are a good person!" Luffy grabbed Bon Clay and started jumping around in a dance.

"Actually, Alabasta was under blockade, so you couldn't escape either. That's why you wanted to find companions, right?" Zoro ruthlessly exposed Bon Clay's thoughts.

"It's fine. One more person means one more target. If we really can't escape later, we can just throw him out to draw their fire." Li Ziming smiled as he said something that made everyone swallow hard.

"Black-hearted!"

"Black-hearted +1!"

"Black-hearted +!"

"If you have time for that, get over here and help me!" Nami unleashed Nami's Punch. Luffy, Usopp, and Bon Clay went down, while Chopper was frightened. At least everyone finally got to work, but even so, they still failed to escape the Marines' pursuit.

"What's with those Marines? They're shooting cannonballs at us!" Luffy roared unhappily.

"Come on, that's the famous Black Prison Hina. Captain, instead of yelling, why don't you properly guard the iron bars behind you?" Li Ziming once again used the shockwave from an explosion to knock away the iron spears fired at them.

Although Li Ziming and the others kept knocking away the iron spears, the Marines were firing from every direction. The Going Merry soon became riddled with holes.

"This won't work! At this rate, the ship will sink soon!"

"Wait!" Bon Clay pointed in one direction, where two nearly sunken Marine warships were located. "We can break through from there!"

"If you want to go, then go. We can't," Luffy rejected Bon Clay's suggestion.

"Why?!" Bon Clay felt like he was going insane.

"We're going to..." Luffy said firmly, "welcome our companion!"

Bon Clay was stunned. "Leaving now would violate the Okama Way!" Bon Clay declared firmly. "I'll lead those Marines away. You go welcome your companion right now!" With that, Bon Clay disguised himself and his subordinates, then sailed his ship south. The Marines were immediately drawn after them.

"What idiots! We're disguise experts! And Straw Hat's good friends!" Bon Clay's ship had drawn extremely close to the Marine warships, close enough for him to see the famous Black Prison Hina aboard the other vessel. He immediately dropped the disguises of himself and his men.

"Whether one strays from the way of men or strays from the way of women, it is still the way of humanity!! Farewell, my friends, beneath this clear sky!! Let me bloom for you—the Okama Way!" Bon Clay looked at Hina, his face without regret. "Come at me...!"

As though the signal for the final assault had sounded, Bon Clay led his subordinates in a fearless attack against the distant Hina.

"Bon Clay!" Luffy and the others shouted emotionally. "We'll never forget you!"

"Mind if I add some fuel to the fire?" Li Ziming walked to the side of the ship amid everyone's confused expressions. "Air Detonation!"

The Marine fleet fighting Bon Clay immediately erupted in violent explosions. Li Ziming swayed, but Robin caught him.

"Whether they can escape now depends on them." Li Ziming sat weakly in a chair. Air Detonation used the air as a medium, linking his own air with that around the Marine warships and turning the air into bombs. It simply consumed too much energy, and Li Ziming had no strength left.

After enduring countless hardships, the Going Merry finally reached East Port Tamarisk. But Vivi's voice over the broadcast made everyone realize that she apparently would not be coming.

"Let's go. It's already past twelve."

"She can't possibly not be here!" Luffy still refused to believe it. "Let's all get off and look for her!"

"Give it up, Luffy." Sanji was equally downcast. "She's not the same Vivi she was when she was with us."

"Tsk, tsk. I can't agree with that." Li Ziming had recovered a little strength. "What if she comes?"

But when the Going Merry turned around and prepared to leave, Vivi still did not appear. Everyone was in low spirits, while Li Ziming alone continued to smile faintly.

"Everyone!" A voice suddenly came from shore, instantly lifting everyone's spirits. Luffy hurriedly called for the ship to turn around and pick up Vivi, but her next words left him stunned.

"I came to say goodbye!" Vivi took a microphone down from Karoo's back. "I'm sorry, but I can't leave with you. Thank you so much for everything during this time! I really want to go on adventures too! But I love this country so much! I... I love my homeland too much! So I can't leave with you!" Vivi's eyes had turned red. "I've decided to stay here! If we meet again someday, can you still call me your companion?" Vivi was already crying uncontrollably.

"I..." Luffy wanted to shout something, but Nami pulled him back.

When Vivi received no response for a long while, her heart sank. But when she saw the raised left arms on the ship, Vivi smiled happily through her tears.

Straw Hat Sraha

Ingredients: tequila 41 ml, appropriate amount of tomato juice, 1 celery stalk, 1 lemon slice

Tools: bar spoon, cocktail glass

Method: Put ice cubes into the glass and pour in the tequila. Then add twice as much chilled tomato juice and stir gently. Finally, garnish with lemon and celery.

[515 is coming soon. I hope we can continue charging toward the 515 Red Packet Rankings. On May 15, the red packet rain can reward readers while promoting the work. Even one yuan is love—I'll definitely keep updating well!]