"Makino, I'm inviting you to join my ship. You can't refuse. Come with me."
Luffy ignored the villagers' shocked expressions and looked directly at Makino, who was still confused. "Hey, you have to listen to me, Makino!"
"L... Luffy, I'm sorry..." Makino snapped back to reality, looking at Luffy with a worried expression, then proactively grabbed his hand. "Okay, I'll go with you, let's hurry!"
'Makino is really beautiful and kind-hearted!' Luffy thought. He knew what Makino was thinking. The girl must have been afraid they would be discovered by the Marines if they lingered, so she'd rather leave with him.
"This girl has been with me for several years! She's so great!" Luffy mused, then lifted Makino onto his shoulder. Amid Makino's shouts, he quickly left. The village chief rushed over, and after hearing what happened, he was furious. "What is that boy thinking? A rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow, but he actually snatched someone from his own village?!"
"No! I can't swallow this! Give me the Den Den Mushi, I'm going to call Garp to teach him a lesson!"
Just as the angry village chief was about to contact Garp, and Luffy was about to succeed...
On the southeast beach of Windmill Village, a dragon-headed ship was docked. Captain Shanks stood at the bow of the ship, looking at the familiar scenery before him. He recalled the past with a heart full of emotions.
'Time really flies. The little boy who called himself Uta back then is now famous in all four seas! I wonder if he's already started the Grand Line?'
After casting the anchor, the crew began preparing to disembark.
"Captain, this time Hawkeye missed us. He won't be angry, right?" The helmsman, Lucky Roux, asked.
Shanks glanced at him. "I deliberately avoided him. What do you know?"
"Avoiding Hawkeye? No way, I think you missed that person, Captain Shanks~" Benn Beckman teased.
Shanks' face immediately flushed, and his expression was a bit unnatural. A simply dressed girl came to his mind. The crew looked at him and smiled. Who couldn't see through the boss's little thoughts?
"All of you, get out of my way!" Shanks irritably kicked Benn Beckman, then sighed. "Never mind, our journey is too difficult. I can't put Makino in danger. I'll come back for her later, she will surely wait for me."
His crew was confused. "Boss, why would she wait for you?" "Yeah, you just refilled some food at her bar." "Besides, Makino hasn't even talked to you much!"
The subordinates' words did not please Shanks.
"Heh~" He retorted with a smile. "You pirates, what do you know about love?"
Set off, land on the island! A large group of people got off the ship and walked toward the village.
But at that moment, Lucky Roux suddenly sensed something unusual. He rubbed his eyes, staring intently at a spot a few hundred meters away. After seeing clearly the figure carrying a woman on his back, his mouth twitched hard, and he yelled:
"Boss, Luffy! That's Luffy!"
Everyone was stunned. "Lucky, what's wrong with Luffy?" "I see him! Look over there!"
Everyone turned their heads. As Red-Haired Shanks activated his Observation Haki, the wine bottle in his hand dropped directly to the ground.
"Luffy... this kid, it's really him!"
Shanks' crew was as if frozen, unable to move their feet.
"Didn't they already leave the East Blue? Why are they back?" Benn Beckman was also confused.
"Nonsense, he must be here for me!" Shanks said excitedly. "This kid must have known I had returned from the New World, so he came to Windmill Village to intercept me!"
A long-lost excitement surged in his heart. 'Uta, the man you liked is really good!'
"Boss, don't be too happy. Who is Luffy carrying on his back?" Lucky Roux nudged Shanks' arm, pointing at Makino, whose cheeks were flushed, on Luffy's shoulder.
Instantly, Shanks completely froze!
'What is this kid Luffy doing?'
On the other side, a few hundred meters away.
When Luffy suddenly sensed Shanks' presence, he knew: there was no escaping it.
Sure enough, three seconds later—
"Yo, Luffy~ What are you doing?"
Awkward! He was still carrying a girl on his shoulder, and he happened to meet his love rival and future father-in-law. This relationship was too complicated...
Luffy instantly understood! Thinking more was useless, it all boiled down to one thing—It was time to fight!
"System, open personal attribute panel!"
Personal Attribute Panel
Host: Monkey D. Luffy Age: 17 years old Physique: 7.8 Mental Strength: 8.0 Swordsmanship: 6.9 Armament Haki: 5.9 (Intermediate) Observation Haki: 6.2 (Intermediate) Conqueror's Haki: 5.5 (Intermediate) Special Ability: Extraordinary Comprehension Integrated Devil Fruits: Gum-Gum Fruit, Lightning-Cloud Fruit, Repair Fruit, Time Fruit Base Combat Power: 7.1, equivalent to a Marine Vice Admiral's superior Overall Combat Power: 7.91, almost equivalent to an Admiral!
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