Onmyoji of the Grand Line

Page 238

Behind the door was a magical basement. It was a circular hall with several doors in the walls.

"Baa—" came out loudly.

The animals in the house suddenly started screaming.

"Captain Brive?"

"That's a sheep!" came a cry of surprise.

As Rick shouted, a man appeared behind another door.

"Keep your voice down! What if Baron Carnival hears us?"

"Captain, Brief!"

Rick bowed to him, and Brif sat down at the small table in front of him.

"Your snot is stuck to your face?"

"That's not snot! You little mustache!"

Rick shouted again.

Captain Brief was short and wore large-framed glasses. Despite his title of captain, he had an air of land-dwelling about him. His face and clothes were covered in dirt, making him look as if he had lived in a cave for over a decade. However, his beard was impeccably neat.

"No, now is not the time to stay here. I need to find my companions."

"Hey! Wait a minute!"

Ignoring Rick's attempts to stop him, Luffy walked straight out of the room.

A moment later, he came back through another door.

“Huh?” Angell was taken aback.

Luffy's expression was strange.

"Getting out won't be that easy. The whole island is full of tunnels, and without Rick to lead the way, we simply can't get out."

"I understand," Brif said.

"Lead the way quickly!"

"Don't worry. How about goat milk?"

"I'm hungry, but now is not the time to eat!"

Luffy shouted loudly.

Brief went to the kitchen next door and started heating up the goat's milk.

"I think Rick has already asked you... I saw your performance in the fishing competition with my own eyes. So, how about you reconsider? Come on!"

"Oh no!" came a cry of alarm.

"Don't say that! We can recruit new partners anytime."

Brief extended an invitation to Luffy, who had absolutely no interest in him.

Luffy, who was sitting at his desk, suddenly looked up and saw a photograph.

"Is this your friend?"

When Luffy asked him a question, Brief simply replied, "That's right."

In the photo, dozens of pirates stand around Brief. Each of them has a mustache. They are all smiling happily, like best friends.

"Looks exactly like you!"

"Because we are friends."

The Mustache Pirates are characterized by their mustaches. Little Riku, with his fake mustache, is also from this Kansai region.

"Aren't you two here? Where are the others?"

“Now it’s just me and Rick.” Brief placed the hot milk on the table. “Drink up, it tastes good.”

Brif also sat down and began to drink goat's milk.

Then, gazing at the photograph in the distance, he said:

"I remember it very clearly, the Carnival Baron kidnapped my most important companion, and then was eaten by that monster..."

Chopper opened his eyes and found himself standing on a desolate hillside.

On the sea at night, the moonlight gradually faded, accompanied by the sound of crashing waves. The islands under the cover of night also fell asleep. The canal town that should have been in sight had completely disappeared.

"Hmm... he must have been hit by an arrow..."

Chopper touched his chest.

Chapter 268: Exploring the Ruins!

His last memory was of being taken by the father and daughter of the Butler Pirate Crew to an abandoned forest, to a pirate they had been wanted for over twenty years. Suddenly, a man appeared before him and shot an arrow at him.

The arrow was gone. And not a drop of blood was drawn. It was as if he had been given anesthesia.

"The Red Arrow Pirates," he muttered to himself.

"That's what we used to call it."

Chopper was startled and turned around to see the guy who had shot him with an arrow earlier, holding a bow.

This is the Carnival Baron. And the father of the Butler Pirates, his sister Rosa, and his sister Dagger lie not far away.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, Dad is here, don't be afraid."

The father, comforting his two daughters, had a swollen face, as if he'd been slapped. He must have been threatened by the Baron of Revelry to have come here.

"..."

Then, Chopper was so surprised that he couldn't speak.

It was a huge, snake-like creature that raised its head.

No, what kind of creature is that? It should be an enormous plant, big enough to swallow a ship, standing above the clouds. It looks like a giant plant, comparable to a sea king. There should be flowers, fruit, and leaves, but there's nothing there. There's only a bare trunk, as if it were cut out with a scalpel.

I'm hungry!

The sound is crisp and clear.

The talking flower on the baron's shoulder spoke as it looked at the butler's pirate crew.

"Lily, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. It's time to eat."

"Yes."

Then, black streaks appeared on the tree trunk, like oil on the surface of water. One by one—

The hole must be inside the Lily Carnation. Inside the black hole, thick, sticky liquid, like parasites, was being squeezed out.

I'm hungry!

The talking flower was giggling because she wanted to eat.

"Your flowers are so beautiful! Lily, what's wrong?"

A single carnation, like bacteria multiplying, continuously grew sticky threads and launched an attack on a panicked member of the teahouse pirate crew.

"eat!"

Digi was entangled in the silk threads, letting out a piercing scream, before being lifted up by Lily Carnation. Like people eating steak, they first use a fork to put the steak in their mouths. She called out to Digi's father and sister, then disappeared into Mount Lilith.

"Increased jumping ability!"

Chopper swallowed a ball, greatly increasing his jumping ability. He leaped up and kicked hard against the trunk of the Lily Carnation tree. The Lily Carnation seemed to feel the pain and lowered its head.

Chopper quickly caught Daisy, put her down, and then jumped back up. While trying to attract Ollie Carnation's attention, he shouted loudly:

"Run!"

As Chopper spoke, he swallowed a "Wrist Strength Enhancement" pill, and his upper body suddenly became muscular. Then he gave Lily a carnation. The monster flower seemed to lose its balance and fell headfirst to the ground.

"Indeed, just as I thought!"

As the Baron of Revelry drew his bow, an arrow appeared in the void. It was an arrow made of sticky silk thread by Lizard Carnation, a red arrow that could suck blood.

"!"?

The arrow aimed at Chopper's feet suddenly exploded. Before he could react, the sticky threads stuck his feet to the ground.

"Hehehe, wouldn't Lily be even more satisfied if he were a Devil Fruit user?"

"Damn it! Let go! Let go!"

However, the sticky threads are as tough as piano wire, and even when Chopper transforms, it is difficult to break them.

Chopper was hanging upside down in mid-air when suddenly a small hand grabbed him.

“You!” George roared in fury.

It turned out that Daiji was desperately pulling Chopper's hand, trying to pull him back. However, the strength of a child could not stop Chopper from being pulled higher and higher, and instead, she lifted him up.

Rosa came over and hugged Digi.