Heading to the Sea Restaurant

A few days after setting sail from Syrup Village, the Straw Hat Pirates finally reached an island shrouded in mystery-the Island of Rare Animals.

As their ship approached the island, everyone was surprised to find all kinds of strangely shaped animals everywhere. There were winged tigers, creatures with dogs' bodies and chickens' heads, giant rabbits, and more. These rare animals thrilled them all.

Nami stood at the bow and introduced the island to Luffy and the others. "This island is no ordinary place. Legend has it there's an incredible treasure on the mountaintop that no one has ever managed to open. Nobody knows what's hidden inside!"

At the mention of treasure, Luffy's eyes immediately lit up, and he shouted eagerly, "Wow, treasure! Then let's hurry up to the mountaintop and take a look!"

And so, the Straw Hat Pirates jumped off the ship one after another and set foot on the Island of Rare Animals. They explored the island, interacted with all sorts of strange animals, and had a wonderful time.

However, after an entire day of searching, they had not found the legendary treasure. Apart from some bizarre animals and a man stuck in a chest, there seemed to be nothing else special about the island.

Luffy and the others reached the mountaintop and opened the legendary treasure chest, only to be sorely disappointed-it was empty!

"How could this happen?" Luffy muttered. "They said there was treasure..."

Although a little disappointed, no one lost heart. They felt the adventure itself had been full of fun, and they had made plenty of interesting animal friends along the way.

In the end, Luffy and the others decided to invite the man stuck in the chest to join their pirate crew, but he politely declined.

"Thank you for the offer, but I still prefer staying on this island. To me, the animals here are my treasure," the man said with a smile.

Although Luffy felt a little regretful, he respected the man's choice. He waved goodbye to the Island of Rare Animals, then led the Straw Hat Pirates as they set sail once more.

Time flew, and two days passed in the blink of an eye...

On the boundless sea, a sailing ship cut through the waves, a large skull wearing a straw hat emblazoned on its sail. This was the ship carrying Luffy and his companions as they continued their adventure across the vast ocean.

At that moment, Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Liu Qing, and Usopp sat together, listening as Usopp excitedly introduced the cannon he had newly developed. Usopp gestured animatedly as he explained its features and power in detail, his eyes shining with confidence.

"Wow, that sounds amazing!" Luffy said, his eyes wide and his face full of anticipation.

"Hehe, of course it is!" Usopp grinned proudly, then continued, "But talk is cheap. We need to test this cannon's real power!"

Without delay, Usopp directed everyone to move the cannon to the ship's side and prepare for a test. After a flurry of activity, the cannon was finally ready. Usopp carefully adjusted its angle, aimed at a reef jutting out of the sea, and lit the fuse.

With a deafening boom, the cannon fired a massive cannonball that streaked across the sky like a meteor, flying straight toward the distant reef. Everyone watched its trajectory nervously.

Boom! A tremendous blast rang out over the sea as the reef opposite them was blown to pieces.

"Haha, that's our sniper! Right on target, and that cannonball packs quite a punch too!" Luffy shouted excitedly.

Just as everyone cheered the power of Usopp's cannon, Zoro suddenly shouted, "Look, there seem to be people over there! Looks like Usopp's cannonball blasted them away."

Everyone looked in the direction of his voice and saw two people floating in the sea, seemingly knocked unconscious by the explosion. Without another word, Zoro immediately jumped into the water and brought them aboard.

After some simple treatment from Liu Qing, Johnny finally woke up. The first thing he did was fly into a rage. "Damn pirates! Why did you fire at us? We were just resting on that reef! Boohoo, poor Yosaku! I don't know what disease he caught, but he's already at death's door, and you went and blasted him with a cannonball!"

Looking at the aggrieved Johnny, Nami said irritably, "All right, all right. Who knew there'd be anyone behind that reef? Your friend just has a common case of scurvy. I'll get him some tangerines in a moment, and he'll be fine after eating them. Honestly, you two know nothing, yet you still dare to sail out to sea whenever you please."

With that, Nami went into the kitchen and brought out some tangerines for Yosaku to eat. It had to be said, this really was the world of pirates-the moment Yosaku ate the tangerines, he was full of life again.

Yosaku said, "I'm back from the dead, partner!"

"Partner, this is great!" Johnny and Yosaku threw their arms around each other's shoulders and cheered joyfully.

"Nobody recovers that fast!" Nami roared at the sight.

Just then, Zoro's slightly hesitant voice rang out. "Are you Johnny and Yosaku?"

Hearing that familiar voice, Johnny and Yosaku both looked toward Zoro, excitement immediately welling up inside them. "Is that you, Big Bro Zoro? What are you doing on this pirate ship?"

"Ah, yeah. For certain reasons, I'm not a Pirate Hunter anymore. I'm a member of the Straw Hat Pirates now," Zoro said before asking them, "How did you two end up here? And hiding behind a rock, too. If I hadn't noticed you, you might be dead by now."

Johnny and Yosaku both stared at Zoro in surprise. "We never thought Big Bro Zoro, known as the Pirate Hunter, would become a pirate."

"And thank you to Big Bro Zoro and Big Sis for saving our lives," Johnny added, addressing Nami.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the two of them, who had been full of energy just a second earlier, collapsed onto the ground again.

Nami said, "You've gone too long without eating anything nutritious. This is what happens when you don't replenish your nutrients out at sea. Rest here for a while. You'll be fine after a meal."

Lying on the deck, Johnny said, "I know where to find good cooks-the Sea Restaurant Baratie. It isn't far from here, either. We should get there in about two days."

Liu Qing walked over and asked Luffy and Nami, "How about we try our luck there and see if any cooks are willing to sail with us?"

"All right, that's where we'll go! Set course for Baratie!" Luffy raised both hands and shouted excitedly.

"Yeah!" Everyone else raised their hands and cheered in response.

"I know the way. I can guide us," Johnny volunteered.

Two days later...

"Everyone, come quick! We're almost at the Sea Restaurant!" Johnny shouted excitedly at the top of his lungs. His voice echoed over the sea as though it could carry far, far into the distance.

Everyone, who had been busy with their own tasks, stopped what they were doing when they heard Johnny's shout. As though under a spell, they all ran to the bow, craning their necks and staring wide-eyed at the magnificent Sea Restaurant Baratie nearby.

Luffy stood at the very front, his eyes as wide as bells and his mouth open enough to fit an egg. His face filled with amazement as he pointed at the enormous fish-shaped ship and shouted excitedly, "Wow! What a huge fish!"

Nami stood beside Luffy, equally stunned by the sight before her, and could not help exclaiming, "Yes, what a spectacular sight!"

Just as everyone was caught up in their amazement at the Sea Restaurant Baratie, a massive warship slowly sailed past the Going Merry. Its appearance was like a huge stone suddenly thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples upon ripples.

Luffy and the others immediately turned their attention toward it, their eyes fixed on the warship as a trace of wariness flashed through them.

"I didn't expect to run into the Marines here," Zoro said quietly. His hand unconsciously tightened around a sword at his waist, and his gaze sharpened.

Usopp's face went a little pale, and his voice trembled slightly. "Are... are they going to attack us?"

A voice called out from the Marine warship. "I'm Captain Iron Fist Fullbody of Marine Headquarters. Are you pirates who have only just set sail? How come I haven't seen you on any wanted posters?"

Luffy planted both hands on his hips, looking thoroughly full of himself. "I'm this ship's captain. My name is Monkey D. Luffy. We only formed our pirate crew three days ago. What do you want with me?"

One look at Luffy's expression made Fullbody lose all desire to engage with him. "I'm only here for a meal today. I don't want to bother with you. Just don't cause any trouble."

With that, he sailed straight toward Baratie.

Usopp patted his chest, still shaken. "That scared me to death! I thought we were going to get arrested right after setting sail."

Nami looked at Usopp with disdain. "With Liu Qing here, what are you afraid of? Small fry like that aren't even worth him lifting a finger." Then she turned toward Liu Qing. "Right, Liu Qing?"

"Ah, yes, yes, yes." Liu Qing did not even want to bother with them.

While they were chatting, Luffy suddenly gathered his strength, intending to launch himself over to Baratie. Fortunately, Liu Qing reacted in time and bound him tightly with Wood Release.