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

Chapter 434 I'm very strong!

But Borsalino's expression grew increasingly grave. The ice-type ability user and the rescue of Thor—these two clues made him think of a terrifying possibility.

"Could it be him?" he thought to himself. "Frost Wald"

But he didn't voice this speculation because there was no concrete evidence yet.

"Forget it, it's not something we need to worry about anyway," Luffy said casually. "We're not the Marines, why should we care so much?"

“Luffy’s right,” Nami agreed. “We have our own goals; we don’t need to get involved in this kind of nonsense.”

"And the Navy will handle Impel Down," Robin added.

“Then let’s continue sailing as planned,” Sanji suggested.

Although everyone said they didn't care, the news did indeed affect the atmosphere aboard the Thousand Sunny. Borsalino, in particular, always seemed lost in thought.

Over the next few days, they continued their voyage on the Grand Line. According to Nami's logbook, they were heading towards a place called the "Golden Sea," where clues to an ancient treasure were said to lie.

"The Golden Sea?" Luffy's eyes lit up. "That sounds like a treasure trove!"

“According to ancient records, there might indeed be important historical sites there,” Robin explained. “Perhaps we can find clues about the Void Century.”

"Great!" Franky exclaimed excitedly. "A new adventure!"

But just as they were setting sail full of anticipation, an accident occurred.

On the sixth day at dusk, the Thousand Sunny was sailing on a calm sea when suddenly someone shouted from the lookout tower:
"Ships spotted ahead! Many ships!"

Nami immediately took out her binoculars to observe. In the glow of the setting sun, she saw a fleet of more than a dozen ships appear on the sea ahead.

"What are those flags?" Sanji asked, observing through his binoculars.

"It doesn't look like a pirate flag," Zoro frowned. "And it's not a Navy warship either."

"Is it a fleet from some country?" Chopper asked.

Just as they were observing, the fleet suddenly changed course and rapidly approached the Thousand Sunny.

"They're coming for us!" Nami said alertly.

"Is it the enemy?" Luffy excitedly prepared for battle.

But Borsalino had a different opinion. He carefully observed the ships and noticed some details.

"The equipment on those ships looks very old," he said thoughtfully. "And the crews are numerous; they don't seem like elite troops."

“What do you mean?” Robin asked.

“It’s probably a local militia,” Borsalino analyzed. “Not a professional army.”

While they were discussing this, the enemy fleet had already entered their attack range.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Shells began flying toward the Thousand Sunny, creating huge splashes on the surrounding sea.

"They really attacked us!" Usopp shouted in panic.

"Why are you attacking us?" Nami asked, puzzled.

"Who cares why!" Zoro drew his sword. "Since they attacked first, let's fight!"

"Wait!" Borsalino suddenly stopped them. "Don't fight back yet!"

"Why?" Luffy didn't understand.

“Listen carefully to the sound of those cannons,” Borsalino reminded them.

Everyone quieted down and listened carefully, and found that the cannon fire was indeed a bit strange. The sound wasn't loud enough, and the explosive power was clearly insufficient.

"These shells...they're very weak." Franky observed the splashes from the explosions. "They don't seem like military shells at all."

"And their firing accuracy is also very poor." Nami noticed that almost no shells really threatened the Thousand Sunny.

“They certainly don’t look like a professional army,” Robin concluded.

Just then, a shout came from the enemy fleet:

"Pirates! Leave our waters immediately!"

"This is the territorial waters of the Freedom Alliance! No pirates are allowed to pass!"

"If you don't leave immediately, we will have to use force!"

Hearing these shouts, the Straw Hat Pirates members looked at each other in bewilderment.

"The Freedom Alliance?" Nami repeated the name in confusion.

“I know this organization,” Robin said. “It’s an alliance of several small countries, specifically formed to fight against pirates and the oppression of the World Government.”

"So, they're good people?" Chopper asked.

“I think so.” Robin nodded. “Although the methods are rather radical, the intention is good.”

"Then what do we do?" Sanji asked. "Explain it to them?"

“Explanations are probably useless,” Zoro shook his head. “In their eyes, pirates are just pirates.”

“Furthermore,” Borsalino observed the opposing fleet, “their crew members all look very young; many must be ordinary civilians.”

This discovery silenced everyone. If the opposing force was indeed a militia composed of ordinary civilians, then they couldn't fight like they would against professional pirates or the navy.

“We cannot harm innocent people,” Luffy said firmly. “Even if they attack us.”

"Let's run!" Nami made the decision immediately. "Frankie! Full speed ahead!"

"Roger that!" Franky immediately activated the Thousand Sunny's propulsion system. "Super Full Speed ​​Escape Mode!"

The Thousand Sunny's speed increased instantly, and it began to move away from the Freedom Alliance fleet.

But the other side clearly didn't intend to let them off easily.

"The pirates are trying to escape!"

"Don't let them get away! Chase after them!"

"For the honor of the Freedom Alliance!"

More than a dozen ships began to pursue the Thousand Sunny at full speed, and the scene looked quite spectacular.

"They're really persistent," Sanji remarked, observing the area behind him.

"They seem quite motivated," Brooke remarked, also observing the pursuing ships. "Their skills aren't great, but their spirit is commendable."

"The problem is, where do we run to?" Nami asked worriedly. "We can't keep running like this, can we?"

"Should we find a place to hide?" Usopp suggested.

“I remember there’s a deserted island ahead,” Robin said, checking the nautical chart. “It’s about twenty nautical miles from here.”

"Let's go there!" Luffy decided. The chase lasted for about an hour. The Thousand Sunny, with its superior performance, maintained its lead throughout. But the Free Alliance fleet was also tenacious, closely following behind.

"Island spotted ahead!" Usopp shouted from the lookout tower.

Indeed, in the glow of the setting sun, the outline of a small island appeared on the horizon. It was a desolate-looking island, showing no signs of human activity.

"Great!" Nami breathed a sigh of relief. "We can hide there for now."

The Thousand Sunny sped toward the island. When they reached the vicinity of the island, Franky found a secluded little harbor.

“Our ship shouldn’t be visible from the outside,” Franky said with satisfaction.

Sure enough, when the Freedom Alliance fleet arrived in this area, they searched the sea for a long time but found no trace of the Thousand Sunny.

"Damn pirates! Where did they go?"

"They must be hiding!"

"Search this area! Don't miss any corner!"

But as darkness fell, the search became increasingly difficult. Ultimately, the Free Alliance fleet had no choice but to temporarily retreat, preparing to continue the search the following day.

In the secluded harbor, the Straw Hat Pirates could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Finally, we've gotten rid of them." Nami wiped her sweat. "I'm exhausted."

"Why run away?" Luffy asked, somewhat confused. "Wouldn't it be better to just defeat them?"

“Because they’re good people, Luffy,” Sanji explained. “It’s just a difference in perspective.”

“And most of them are ordinary people,” Chopper added. “We can’t hurt innocent people.”

"I see." Luffy nodded. "Then running away was the right thing to do."

“But this island looks quite desolate,” Zoro observed his surroundings. “There’s nothing there.”

Indeed, the island looked very barren, with almost no vegetation except for some low shrubs and rocks.

“It should be a volcanic island,” Nami analyzed. “The soil contains a lot of sulfur, which is unsuitable for plant growth.”

"How long are we going to stay here?" Franky asked.

“We’ll leave once those guys are gone,” Borsalino said. “It shouldn’t be long.”

“Then let’s spend the night here,” Robin suggested. “It’ll be a good opportunity to get some rest.”

And so, the Thousand Sunny made a temporary stop on this desolate island. Although the environment wasn't great, at least it was safe.

As night fell, everyone lit a campfire on the deck. Sanji used the ingredients they had stored to prepare a sumptuous dinner, and even in these circumstances, the atmosphere remained pleasant.

"Today's escape was pretty exciting!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly. "Even without any fighting, it was still a lot of fun!"

"You, how can you always stay optimistic?" Nami shook her head helplessly.

"Because I'm happy no matter what happens when I'm with everyone!" Luffy grinned.

Hearing this, everyone smiled warmly. This is the charm of the Straw Hat Pirates—they can remain optimistic and united even in the most difficult times.

“By the way, Borsalino,” Robin suddenly spoke up. “You mentioned earlier that you met an old friend during your training. What kind of person was he?”

Borsalino was silent for a moment, then said, "A very strong opponent. I learned a lot from him."

"How strong is it?" Zoro asked curiously.

“Slightly weaker than the Four Emperors, but not by much,” Borsalino answered truthfully.

"So strong?!" Everyone was astonished.

"So how did your battle go?" Sanji asked.

“I won,” Borsalino said simply. “But the other side escaped.”

"They escaped?" Nami sensed something was amiss. "Won't this cause some trouble later?"

Borsalino glanced at everyone's concerned expressions, but ultimately shook his head.

"There shouldn't be any problems," he said. "A powerhouse of that level wouldn't easily cause trouble."

But he knew in his heart that this was just wishful thinking. Given Frost Wald's character, he would never give up so easily.

“However, everyone should still be careful,” he cautioned. “The seas might be turbulent in the coming days.”

"Why?" Chopper asked.

"Imperial Castle has been attacked, and legendary pirates have reappeared," Borsalino analyzed. "These all foreshadow a new storm brewing on the seas."

"Haven't we been through enough storms?" Luffy said nonchalantly. "No matter what happens, we'll face it together!"

"That's right!" Everyone agreed with Luffy.

Looking at this group of energetic young people, Borsalino felt both warmth and worry. Their friendship was indeed precious, but precisely because of this, it was more easily exploited by the enemy.

"I hope my worries are unnecessary," he prayed silently.

As night deepened, the campfire gradually died down. Everyone returned to their rooms to rest and prepare for tomorrow's voyage.

But while they slept soundly, in a secret base far away in the North Sea, a revenge plan was being carried out in full swing.

"Boss, Thor has been rescued safely!" Barton the Bear reported excitedly. "He's recovering his strength and will be back in battle soon!"

“Very good.” Frost Wald nodded with satisfaction. “How is the assembly progressing for the others?”

"Allen and Vivian have arrived, along with a fleet of five other captains," Barton reported in detail. "The total strength exceeds two thousand men!"

“Two thousand men,” Frost Wald sneered. “That’s more than enough to deal with the Straw Hat Pirates.”

"When do we set off?" Patton asked.

“Wait a few more days,” Frost Wald said. “Let Thor fully recover, then we’ll begin our operation.”

"Yes, boss!"

The next morning, sunlight shone through the thin clouds onto the desolate island. The Straw Hat Pirates members disembarked from the ship one after another, preparing to rest on the island and check whether the Free Alliance fleet had left.

"Phew—" Luffy stretched and took a deep breath of the morning air. "That was a good night's sleep!"

"Although this island is desolate, the air is still very fresh." Nami also stepped out of the cabin to admire the sunrise over the sea.

Sanji had already started preparing breakfast on the deck, and the aroma soon wafted through the air. Zoro was doing his morning training, the sound of his sword swinging ringing out crisply on the calm sea.

"I'm going to the island to see if there's anything interesting!" Luffy said excitedly.

“Be careful, Luffy,” Nami warned. “Even though it looks like a deserted island, there might be some danger.”

"Don't worry! I'm very strong!" Luffy grinned, then jumped alone into the depths of the island.

The island was indeed small, only a few kilometers in diameter. Its surface was covered with grayish-black volcanic rock, with a few drought-resistant shrubs growing sparsely. Luffy walked along a path towards the center of the island, looking around curiously.

(End of this chapter)