Chapter 31: Refusing to Join the Crew – Partnership Instead
Faced with Zoro's earnest request, Luo Lin gave a small smile.
"Didn't I already say I'd teach you guys when I have time? Why the rush? Is it for your own ambition… or something else?"
His words drew everyone's attention. Zoro didn't flinch under the stares and answered straight.
"Both. If I hadn't awakened that new power this time, I wouldn't even have beaten that steel-body guy. If I can't master it completely, I can't get stronger. How could someone like that ever call himself the crewmate of the future Pirate King?!"
"Good answer! Full of spirit! Like I said—when I have time, I'll teach all of you. But be ready. Training Haki is brutal. There's a real chance you could die."
"Bring it on! You don't get real strength without paying a price!"
Zoro grinned wide—he lived for brutal training. Luffy instantly chimed in that he wanted to learn too. Anything dangerous sounded fun to him.
The rest of the room, having listened to the cryptic exchange, finally realized they were talking about Haki. When "life-threatening" was mentioned, Usopp and Chopper turned pale.
"EHH?! We could DIE?! That's terrifying! M-Maybe we don't need to learn… Luffy and Zoro can protect us just fine!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
The two cowards sang in perfect harmony.
"Robin! Is that true?!"
Nami asked with teary eyes. Robin had grown up with Luo Lin—she must know!
"Mmm~ It's true. When I trained, I nearly died countless times♪"
Half-truth, half-tease. Robin originally refused to train, but Luo Lin sweet-talked (nagged) her every day until she gave in.
Armament Haki was manageable. Observation Haki was the real killer.
Everything in the world has its own unique presence. Before any object moves, that presence shifts slightly.
To awaken basic Observation Haki (if you weren't born with it), you have to sense those tiny changes and predict attacks—blindfolded, because eyes only get in the way.
The training method: blindfold the student, then have someone attack randomly from all directions until the student can feel the shift and dodge.
Robin was talking about that "random attack" part.
Of course Luo Lin never actually hit her—he always stopped a millimeter away.
But if he hadn't stopped… yeah, it really could have been deadly.
So "nearly died countless times" wasn't technically wrong.
She just left out the part where Luo Lin was gentler than a kitten.
Naturally, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper were horrified.
Luo Lin, knowing exactly what his wife was doing, played along perfectly.
"You don't get strong without risk! All of you are learning! You can't keep needing rescues forever! Don't worry—I won't let you die that easily."
"NOOO! I don't wanna! I'm still young and super cute! I'm not ready to die!"
"Me neither!"
"Definitely not!"
The three cowards collapsed dramatically on the floor like they were already dead.
"HAHAHAHA! This is hilarious!"
Luffy laughed like an idiot. The trio immediately turned on him.
Just then the door burst open.
A person who looked exactly like Igaram wheeled in a cart piled high with fruit.
"I heard the captain woke up! The banquet is still being prepared—just a little longer!"
"Yo! Curly-cue uncle, you're alive!"
Luffy greeted enthusiastically.
Zoro looked horrified.
"You really do have weird tastes…"
"No no! This is Miss Dirakoda, Igaram's wife and the palace head chef!"
Vivi hurriedly explained.
"We are truly grateful for everything you've done for Princess Vivi and my husband!"
"No way… there's a limit to how much a couple should look alike! Are you sure this isn't the same person?!"
Zoro muttered, face full of black lines.
Then the guards pushed the fruit cart right next to Luffy.
Luo Lin's hands were faster than light—snatched a few pieces and delivered them to Robin.
"Princess said you all eat like monsters, so here—snack on these first!"
The moment she finished speaking, Luffy's eyes lit up.
"Ohhh, I get it!"
CHOMP
One bite. The entire cart of fruit disappeared into his stomach. His belly didn't even bulge.
Luo Lin stared in shock.
Someone can actually swallow that much in one gulp?! Even I can't digest that fast unless I use Life Return!
Zoro & Sanji: "Are you a magician or what?!"
Luffy ignored the tsukkomi and kept talking to the chef.
"Auntie, when's dinner? I want three days' worth!"
Zoro chopped him on the neck.
"You just inhaled a whole cart, you idiot!"
"HAHAHA! You really can eat! Don't worry—I've been head chef for 30 years. I never lose a food battle!"
…
The banquet started soon after.
With Luffy around, everyone ate like their lives depended on it—otherwise the food would vanish the next second.
Luffy sat in the center, cheeks puffed like a squirrel, stealing from everyone's plates.
Zoro's meat, Usopp's lobster—only Luo Lin and Robin's side was safe.
When caught red-handed he denied everything, then got punched by Nami for spraying rice everywhere.
Of course they got revenge—Usopp slipped ultra-spicy sauce into Luffy's food. Flames shot from his mouth, cue mass hysteria and laughter.
Even Princess Vivi was laughing until tears came out. The way the Straw Hats ate was beyond undignified.
The guards were stunned—their elegant princess included!
At the whole table, only Robin ate like actual nobility.
As for Luo Lin… his table manners weren't much better than Luffy's.
…
After dinner, everyone relaxed, then headed to the palace baths.
The chaos continued—except this time Luffy got serious.
"Hey, Luo Lin! Join my crew!"
"Nah, can't do that. What about Robin baby? I'm not leaving her."
"Of course both of you! Are you stupid?!"
Luo Lin: ???
How do you say that with such confidence?
Still, he was secretly happy—Luffy's charisma was off the charts.
"How about a partnership instead? We sail together, but we don't board the Merry. In return, I teach you all Haki."
"Emmm, I don't really get it, but we'll be sailing together, right? Deal! Shishishishi!"
Sanji, meanwhile, had sneaked over to Igaram.
"Hey, hey… where's the women's bath?"
Igaram instantly turned murderous.
"Are you an idiot?! Like I'd tell you! The princess is in there!"
"It's right on the other side of that wall!"
Cobra pointed casually.
"Your Majesty?! You traitor!"
Sanji, Usopp, and even Cobra himself started heading for the wall to peep.
Only Zoro soaked quietly like a statue.
Luo Lin's eyes widened.
Everyone else was one thing—Robin baby is in there!
Whoosh—BAM BAM BAM!
"OW!"
"Who did that?!"
"Stars… so many stars…"
One chestnut knock per pervert. They all saw galaxies.
"Peeping isn't gentlemanly!"
Luo Lin declared righteously from atop the wall—where he was now peeking himself.
"YOU HYPOCRITE! You knock us down and then climb up yourself?! That makes you a gentleman?!"
Sanji was already mad he couldn't see; now he was furious.
"I never said I was a gentleman. My wife's in there—what's wrong with me looking?"
"Let's fight, you bastard!"
"Calm down, Sanji! You can't beat him! Think of Haki training—he'll target us forever!"
Usopp and Chopper desperately held him back.
Women's side:
Robin sat gracefully on the edge in a towel. Vivi and Nami were scrubbing each other's backs.
They heard the commotion and looked up—Luo Lin was perched on the wall.
"Mr. Luo Lin?! What are you doing?!"
Vivi blushed. Nami's fist hardened. Robin smiled like an angel of death.
"Uh, you've got it wrong! Those idiots were trying to peek—I stopped them!"
Nami, wrapped in towel, gnashed her teeth.
"So you climbed up to peek yourself?! Robin-nee, punish him!"
"With pleasure♪"
Robin propped her cheek on one hand, waved the other—two arms sprouted on Luo Lin's shoulders and twisted his ears hard.
"OW OW OW! Robin baby I was wrong!"
This time she showed no mercy—peeking at other girls in front of her? Unforgivable.
BOOM
Luo Lin crashed back down, rubbing his red ears with a pitiful look.
Sanji and the others laughed until they cried.
"HAHAHA! Served you right!"
But Luo Lin's next line made Sanji explode on the spot.
"Whew, ears hurt… but man, Nami's really grown up! Great figure! Yep, Princess Vivi's not bad either!"
"YOU—!!! I'll kick you into amnesia!!"
Usopp and Chopper tearfully held Sanji back.
"Sanji~~~ Don't! He'll murder us all during Haki training!"
Luo Lin: („ಡωಡ„) Gotcha.
(Actually, two of the three girls had their backs turned and were fully wrapped in towels. He saw literally nothing. Pure trolling.)
…
Later, Cobra bowed deeply to the Straw Hats and even kowtowed.
"Thank you—from the bottom of my heart."
"As a king, this kind of bow isn't really appropriate…"
"No. Dignity belongs to clothes. Right now, in this bathhouse, I'm just a man of Alabasta. Thank you for everything you did for my country."
"Shishishishi!"
Luffy grinned like a husky.
That night, in their room, the crew decided to set sail immediately and continue the adventure.
Vivi looked deeply unhappy.
Meanwhile, Igaram rushed in clutching new wanted posters.
"Roronoa Zoro—60 million beli! Monkey D. Luffy—100 million beli! This jump is insane!"
"Well… they did defeat a Warlord."
Igaram ran to the crew's room—only to find Vivi alone, hugging her knees by the window, looking lonely.
"What's wrong, Igaram? Why the panic?"
"Princess… where's Luffy and the others?"
"They already left. They're pirates—they can't stay in one place forever, right?"
…
Under the moonlight, the Straw Hats rode camels across the desert.
Luffy was eating meat with one hand while steering with the other.
Chopper immediately noticed Nami's mood.
"Nami, you okay? Feeling sick?"
"Here, have some meat! Meat fixes everything!"
Everyone else noticed too.
Luffy offering meat was peak affection.
But Nami stayed silent.
Only Sanji, the ultimate ladies' man, hit the nail on the head.
"Nami… you're thinking about Vivi, aren't you? I get it. But we have to move on."
Everyone comforted her.
Finally Nami spoke.
"I… gave up! It's for Vivi's sake, after all. I don't want the 1 billion beli anymore!"
The crew face-planted.
"Of course you can't have it!"
"You were seriously after money?!"
"Don't say stuff that causes chaos!"
"Usopp fell off!"
"Huh? What's everyone yelling about?"
"USOPP FELL OFF AGAIN!"
Chopper shouted.
"Ignore him!"
"It's your fault!"
"HAHAHAHA!"
…
The next morning
The Straw Hats retrieved the Going Merry from Mr. 2 Bon Clay.
The Navy had already found her, but Bon Clay stole her back and returned her—he considered them friends.
Luo Lin: Good thing I didn't kill him. Knew he was a real one!
Right now the Merry was under attack by Marine Headquarters Colonel Hina's fleet!
Usopp accidentally fired a cannon that hit one of the ships, opening a gap in the encirclement.
He froze in shock—then immediately started bragging.
Bon Clay saw the gap and told them to escape that way.
Hina was already closing in.
But the Straw Hats refused to run.
Yesterday when they left, they had promised Vivi they would wait at the eastern port until noon today—whether she came or not, they wouldn't leave before 12:00.
Hearing their reason, Bon Clay burst into manly tears.
To risk their lives waiting for a friend… he was beyond moved.
Then he sacrificed himself—used his Mane Mane no Mi to turn his crew into perfect copies of the Straw Hats and led the Marines away.
Truly one of the most bro among bros in all of One Piece!
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