I, Kizaru, only came to the chat group after I became invincible

Chapter 429: Continue the Pursuit?

“Wrong?” Viktor said with a wry smile. “Then is the outside world right? A world full of war and death!”

"Even if there is suffering in the outside world, it's our own choice!" Luffy shouted. "No one has the right to make decisions for others!"

"Choose," Viktor pondered.

At this moment, the survivors trapped in the space regained their freedom. Seeing the blue sky, white clouds, and the normal sea surface, many people cried tears of joy.

"Great, we're finally home!"

"Thank you. Thank you, Straw Hat Pirates."

"Without you, we might never have gotten out."

Faced with these expressions of gratitude, Luffy scratched his head.

"No need to thank us! We just did what we should do!"

“And it was mainly Borsalino’s doing,” Nami added. “If he hadn’t seen through that guy’s trick, we might have been fooled for a long time.”

"Oh, not at all, I was just lucky," Borsalino said modestly, waving his hand.

But everyone knew that this was by no means just luck. Borsalino's rich combat experience and keen insight were the keys to their success.

"By the way, have you found that batch of sea stone weapon materials?" Lieutenant Colonel Thomas inquired.

“On that transport ship over there!” a rescued naval soldier pointed to a ship not far away. “The cargo is still there, untouched!”

"Great!" Lieutenant Colonel Thomas breathed a sigh of relief. "At least the mission is accomplished."

And so, this strange adventure came to a temporary end. Victor was taken back to Marine Headquarters for trial, and those who were rescued were sent back to their respective hometowns.

"This adventure was so exciting!" Franky exclaimed excitedly. "We even encountered a spatial ability user!"

“It is indeed very rare,” Robin nodded. “The Hollow-Hollow Fruit is rarely seen even in historical records.”

"No matter what, it's a good thing that so many people were saved!" Chopper said happily.

"Yeah, right!" Luffy grinned. "Even though that guy is annoying, this adventure is going to be a lot of fun!"

Upon returning to the port of Florence, the entire town was in an uproar. The rescued survivors recounted the Straw Hat Pirates' heroic deeds to their families and friends, and stories about the mysterious space and the Eternal Collector quickly spread throughout the town.

"Really? The Straw Hat Pirates really saved so many people?"

"Of course it's true! I saw with my own eyes that the missing fishermen returned safely!"

"I heard that the navy is also fighting alongside them!"

"This is unbelievable! Pirates and the Navy can actually cooperate!"

The townspeople were abuzz with discussion, filled with curiosity and admiration for this unprecedented rescue operation. Soon, the mayor himself arrived at the port to host a grand celebration for the Straw Hat Pirates.

"Mr. Straw Hat!" The mayor excitedly grasped Luffy's hand. "You and your crew are our town's greatest benefactors! Please accept our gratitude!"

"No need to be so polite!" Luffy said, scratching his head and laughing. "We just did what we wanted to do!"

“But you saved so many innocent lives!” the mayor insisted. “It means a great deal to us! Please allow us to throw a celebratory banquet for you!”

"A banquet?" Luffy's eyes lit up instantly. "Is there a lot of meat?"

“Of course! We will prepare the most sumptuous food!” the mayor assured.

"That's great!" Luffy jumped up excitedly. "Let's participate!"

Lieutenant Commander Thomas shook his head with a wry smile. Normally, the Navy shouldn't participate in celebrations with pirates, but considering this unique experience of cooperation, he didn't refuse the townspeople's invitation.

"It looks like we'll have to stay here for another day," Nami said, looking at the excited Luffy.

"It's nice to relax once in a while!" Sanji lit a cigarette. "And I'm really looking forward to trying the local food."

That evening, the entire town of Florence was brightly lit and decorated. A huge stage was set up in the town square, surrounded by long tables laden with a variety of delicious foods.

"Wow! So much delicious food!" Luffy's mouth watered at the sight of the table full of food.

"Luffy, mind your image," Nami reminded him helplessly.

"It's alright!" the mayor laughed heartily. "Heroes should enjoy themselves to the fullest!"

The Straw Hat Pirates sat at different tables, each surrounded by enthusiastic townspeople.

Although Zoro wasn't good with words, he was still pestered by several swordsmen to discuss swordsmanship. He drank while giving pointers to the local swordsmen, and occasionally even demonstrated a few sword moves.

"Mr. Zoro's swordsmanship is truly amazing!" a young swordsman exclaimed admiringly.

"If you want to become stronger, you must train constantly," Zoro said calmly. "There are no shortcuts."

Sanji was surrounded by a group of housewives who all wanted to learn his cooking skills.

"The key to this dish is controlling the heat," Sanji explained patiently. "And also, you have to pay attention to the characteristics of the ingredients."

"Mr. Sanji, could you teach us how to make that kind of burning dish?" a woman asked curiously.

"Haha, that requires special skills, and most people can't learn it," Sanji said smugly.

Nami was surrounded by a group of young women who were all curious about her sailing skills and weather forecasting abilities.

"Sister Nami, how do you know the weather is changing?" a little girl asked innocently.

“This requires extensive experience and keen observation,” Nami replied gently. “You need to learn to observe the changes in the sky, the clouds, and the sea breeze.”

Meanwhile, Chopper was conducting free health checkups for the townspeople. His adorable appearance put everyone at ease, and even the children weren't afraid of him.

"Dr. Chopper, I've been having headaches lately, what could be the reason?" an old lady asked.

“Let me see.” Chopper examined it carefully. “It’s probably caused by lack of sleep. I suggest you get eight hours of sleep every night.”

Franky was surrounded by a group of craftsmen who were interested in mechanics and wanted to understand the construction principles of the Thousand Sunny.

"This ship uses the most advanced technology!" Franky proudly announced. "The propulsion system alone has three backup plans!"

"That's amazing!" the craftsmen exclaimed in admiration.

Usopp was telling stories to the children, and of course, his stories were full of exaggeration.

"Then I single-handedly defeated a thousand enemies!" Usopp gestured exaggeratedly. "Whoosh whoosh whoosh! Three bullets and it was over!"

The children listened with great interest, completely captivated by his story.

Brooke played music for everyone on stage, and his beautiful piano playing filled the entire square with a pleasant atmosphere.

“Let’s all sing together!” Brooke invited. “Music can heal all wounds!”

Robin, meanwhile, was in a quiet corner, discussing history and culture with the town's scholars.

"You have a truly profound understanding of ancient writing," an elderly scholar said admiringly.

“Knowledge needs to be passed down,” Robin replied with a smile. “Only by constantly learning can we understand the truth of this world.”

Borsalino sat in a relatively quiet spot, leisurely sipping his tea. Although the townspeople respected him as a naval admiral, he preferred to quietly observe this warm scene. "What a harmonious sight," he thought to himself. "These young people certainly have a special charm."

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas and his men sat together, enjoying this rare moment of relaxation.

"Lieutenant Colonel, this mission is truly extraordinary," a soldier remarked.

“It’s certainly unique,” ​​Thomas nodded. “But I’ve also learned a lot from it.”

The banquet lasted until late at night. The townspeople expressed their gratitude to the Straw Hat Pirates in the most enthusiastic way, and the members of the Straw Hat Pirates responded to this enthusiasm with the most sincere attitude.

The next morning, when the Straw Hat Pirates were about to leave, the entire town came to the port to see them off.

"Are you really leaving?" the mayor asked reluctantly.

"Yeah! We're going to have more adventures!" Luffy grinned. "But I had a lot of fun here this time!"

"If you ever pass by here again, be sure to come and see us!" The townspeople waved enthusiastically.

"Of course!" Nami waved in response.

Just as the Thousand Sunny was preparing to set sail, a commotion suddenly broke out in the port.

"What's that?" someone asked, pointing to the horizon.

In the distance, a massive naval fleet was approaching. Judging from its size, there were at least ten warships, all of them large vessels.

“Naval fleet?” Lieutenant Commander Thomas frowned. “I haven’t received any notification about a large-scale operation.”

"Could they be here to arrest us?" Usopp asked nervously.

Borsalino stood up, squinting as he observed the distant fleet. With his Observation Haki, he was able to sense the fleet's specific situation.

"They really are here to find the Straw Hat Pirates," he thought to himself. "It seems Headquarters has some reservations about this cooperative operation."

"Borsalino, what should we do?" Nami asked worriedly.

Borsalino strolled leisurely to the ship's side and waved his hand.

“What are you all standing there for?” he said in a slow but urgent tone. “Let’s set sail!”

"Huh?" Luffy was a little confused. "Why are we in such a hurry to leave?"

“Because those naval personnel aren’t as easy to talk to as Lieutenant Commander Thomas,” Borsalino explained. “They’re here on a capture mission.”

"Then what will you do?" Sanji asked with concern.

“Me?” Borsalino shrugged. “I have my ways.”

"Frankie! Full speed ahead!" Nami immediately ordered.

"Roger that! Full speed ahead!" Franky activated all the thrusters of the Thousand Sunny.

The Thousand Sunny began to accelerate away from the port, and the naval fleet also discovered their movements.

"The Straw Hat Pirates spotted!" the fleet's flagship commanded. "All fleet, prepare for battle!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The shells began flying toward the Thousand Sunny, creating huge splashes on the sea.

"Wow! They really opened fire!" Usopp shouted in alarm.

However, upon closer inspection, it can be seen that these shells were deliberately deviated from their targets, and not a single one was actually aimed at the Thousand Sunny.

“Strange,” Zoro noticed this detail. “Why are their aim so bad?”

Borsalino chuckled to himself. As a naval admiral, he certainly had ways to influence this pursuit operation.

As the Thousand Sunny sped away, the townspeople in the port began to cheer them on.

"Straw Hat Pirates! Go for it!"

"Make sure you reach your next destination safely!"

"Thank you for saving our family!"

The townspeople's cheers grew louder and louder, and the entire port was seeing off the Straw Hat Pirates.

"Everyone." Luffy looked at the crowd at the port, a warm feeling welling up in his heart.

"What a heartwarming farewell," Robin remarked, deeply moved.

The naval bombardment continued, but not a single shot hit its target. The Thousand Sunny sailed through the waves amidst splashing water, a thrilling but actually very safe operation.

"This kind of chase is quite interesting!" Luffy said excitedly.

"Luffy, this isn't a game!" Nami reminded him, but there was a hint of relief in her tone.

“Don’t worry, Nami,” Borsalino said slowly. “These marines’ gunnery, well, it needs more training.”

His words made everything clear to everyone.

"Borusalino," Sanji looked at him with satisfaction.

"Don't overthink it, I just think it's a waste of shells," Borsalino said, feigning indifference.

The pursuit lasted for about half an hour. Thanks to its superior performance and Frankie's superb skills, the Thousand Sunny successfully increased the distance between itself and the naval fleet.

"Looks like we can't catch up." The Marine Vice Admiral on the flagship said helplessly. "The Straw Hat Pirates' ships are truly outstanding."

"Should we continue the pursuit?" the adjutant asked.

"Never mind, they've already left the waters off Florence." The lieutenant general waved his hand. "Besides, they did do a good deed this time, so let's give them face."

In fact, the lieutenant general had also received special instructions from Borsalino, knowing that this pursuit was just for show.

When the naval fleet stopped pursuing, everyone on board the Thousand Sunny breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally, we've shaken them off!" Usopp wiped the sweat from his brow.

"That was so exciting!" Franky exclaimed excitedly. "Even though it was an escape, it felt amazing!"

"This feeling of being chased is really exhilarating," Brooke said, playing her violin.

"But you might not be so lucky next time you encounter the Marines," Robin warned.

"Who cares!" Luffy said nonchalantly. "Things will work themselves out!"

“Oh, right, Borsalino.” Nami suddenly remembered something. “Where are you coming with us?”

“Well,” Borsalino thought for a moment. “I think I should leave on the next island.”

"Why?" Luffy asked, puzzled. "Isn't it more fun to adventure with us?"

“It’s certainly interesting, but I am, after all, a member of the Navy,” Borsalino said with a wry smile. “Being with you all for too long isn’t good for you either.”

(End of this chapter)