NOVEL NEXT Chapter 54: 54: Impressive Shot
Luffy nodded, picking up on Rayleigh's words. "Are you going to pick up Shanks?" , "Sounds great!" he thought, excited at the prospect of finally meeting the man he had long looked up to.
Shanks was the most enigmatic of the Four Emperors, a figure shrouded in mystery, and Luffy was curious about what kind of person he really was. If they met face-to-face, would he find him just as interesting as he had imagined?
Previously, Luffy had tried to read Rayleigh's mind, only to fail spectacularly. It was no surprise, considering Rayleigh was the Pirate King's right-hand man. He realized that anyone possessing Conqueror's Haki was difficult to control mentally; even basic reading was a challenge. With Rayleigh's Haki score over eighty, it was a testament to his formidable power.
Luffy chuckled to himself. "It's just that my skills aren't up to par yet. One day, I'll be completely invincible. Who will dare to challenge me then?"
He felt a surge of confidence. "I already know Rayleigh's intentions; he's going to meet Shanks." He murmured, "I need to improve my strength during this time. I want to see what level Shanks is at."
With renewed determination, Luffy dedicated himself to training, putting in a lot of effort. He and Hancock had been training hard together, and to boost his Haki score, he spent time playing with the other beautiful warriors in the crew. It was all a lot of fun, yet strangely, his Conqueror's Haki score remained stuck at eighty-nine.
"Ugh!" Luffy sighed, shaking his head in frustration. "This is tough."
Noticing her beloved's mood, Hancock immediately asked, "What's wrong? Your last move was incredible! We all became addicted to it."
Luffy dismissed her concern, "It's nothing special. Just standard procedure for me." He was always focused on figuring out how to have even more fun.
Hancock, on the other hand, seemed to have improved since they first met. She looked younger, her skin glowing, and her eyes sparkling with vitality, as if she had shed years off her appearance. The elegance in her demeanor reflected Luffy's guidance, making her charm all the more potent, which in turn helped him train with greater intensity. Yet, despite his efforts, he still hadn't made any progress.
"Ninety points really is a threshold," he realized. "I need to find a way to break through. I can't stay stagnant like this."
At that moment, Hancock helped him put on a black cloak, its fabric soft and comfortable, perfectly complementing her own stylish black leggings that highlighted her allure.
"Hmm!" Luffy nodded, satisfied with his appearance as he looked in the mirror. He turned to the nearby warriors, saying, "Your outfits could use some improvement. It shows you haven't been patient enough. Pay attention to my preferences to please me, got it?"
"Yes, Luffy-sama!" they replied in unison. "We understand!"
Luffy nodded approvingly, ready for dinner. Every night felt like a grand celebration, filled with an array of sumptuous dishes laid out on the table.
As Hancock fed him some seaweed, he remarked, "This tastes great! The vegetation from the Calm Belt has a unique flavor. We should catch more."
Hancock responded, "Luffy! Recently, it seems like we've been eating a bit too much. The reserves are running low; we might run out of food in a few weeks."
Luffy was taken aback. "What? We've eaten that much?" He hadn't realized it, but then he shrugged it off. "It's fine. Food is meant to be eaten. Water is meant to be drunk. Money is for spending. When it's gone, we just earn more. Simple as that."
Hancock frowned. "But our supplies are in jeopardy! What do we do?" She pouted, clearly torn. On one hand, she was a devoted queen concerned for her nation. On the other, Luffy was irreplaceable in her heart, and she would do anything for him, even at the expense of her kingdom.
"Alright!" Luffy waved his hand dismissively. "Let's go raiding! We are pirates, after all."
He turned to the top-ranked warrior women and said, "I'm sending you to the nearby waters to plunder as many resources as you can."
"But," he added, "you must remember: don't raid the poor. Target the Marines or other pirates instead. Understand?"
They quickly responded, "We'll head out right away!"
Without wasting another moment, they left, skipping dinner to carry out Luffy's orders. Luffy felt a sense of joy at their obedience; their efficiency saved him precious time.
Suddenly, the other beautiful women began to cry, visibly moved by something.
Aimee exclaimed, "Luffy-sama! You're such a good person! You actually instructed us to only raid resources from pirates and the Marines. How many people in this world are that noble?"
Lori added, "Exactly! I feel so honored to be chosen by Luffy-sama! It's a lifetime of glory!"
But then Emily spoke up, her voice tinged with envy. "I wish I could be like you all."
The others were puzzled; her tears seemed to stem from something deeper than just emotion.
Luffy asked, "What's wrong?"
Emily replied, "If my strength allowed it, I would go with you. But unfortunately... I'm just holding you all back."
"Ugh!" Luffy could see her genuine remorse; it wasn't an act. He appreciated her feelings. Emily was a good person, and he felt a twinge of guilt for not giving her enough attention.
In terms of looks, she could easily compete with the beauty queens of his past life, but here, she was overshadowed by others, particularly Hancock, who reigned supreme.
Seeing her heartfelt desire, Luffy said, "For your passionate spirit, tonight, you'll serve me alongside the empress."
His words ignited the room. "What? That kind of opportunity exists?" they all exclaimed. "We all want to serve!"
Emily froze for a moment, then her face lit up with joy as she approached Luffy, taking a seat beside Hancock.
Hancock remarked, "You've earned this. I respect you." She lifted her wine glass in salute.
The girl in suspenders mirrored the gesture, expressing her gratitude.
"Wait!" At that moment, the archer beauty spoke up, "Luffy-sama! Since you've sent my sister out, why didn't you send me? Our strengths are on par, you know."
Luffy nodded. "True. But opportunities can't always be rational. Just like me sleeping with you tonight doesn't mean you're the most beautiful; it's about other reasons. It's quite complicated. Understand?"
Everyone nodded, recognizing that not everything could be simplified; there were trends and randomness involved.
"Alright!" Luffy waved his hand. "Enough about that. Let's enjoy the food. You, shoot a few arrows to entertain us."
He commanded the archer beauty, who quickly stood up, a bit bashful but eager to showcase her skills. She nocked an arrow and took aim.
With a whoosh, the arrow flew through the air and hit a tree with a solid thud. Luffy applauded, and Hancock joined in, while the others looked confused. It was just a simple archery display; they didn't understand why they were applauding.
"Look!" Luffy pointed out. "There's a fly on that tree, and she just shot it right in the head!"
The room erupted in shock. "What?!" One of the beauties rushed over to inspect the tree, gasping, "Luffy-sama is right! There really is a fly there! Amazing accuracy!"
"Unbelievable!" the others marveled. The archer beauty had definitely shown her skill.
"That's undoubtedly the power of her Devil Fruit," Luffy stated, recognizing her abilities. He could sense the faint waves of consciousness from her power; it was intriguing to him. He recalled that every Devil Fruit user emitted some kind of mental energy when activating their abilities.
"Luffy-sama!" the archer beauty said, "I'm the user of the Arrow Arrow Fruit. Once I lock onto a target, as long as I'm within range, I can hit it no matter how tricky the angle or how hard they try to evade."
She looked a bit embarrassed as she continued, "The last time I shot an arrow at you, you managed to counter it effortlessly, Luffy-sama."
Luffy nodded in agreement. "That's true. Your ability is interesting, but for a master, it's not much of a threat. Therefore... your upper limit needs work."
He said it plainly, and the archer beauty accepted his words without reservation.
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