"I feel like you guys are very familiar with this route."
Observing Nalu's skillful handling of the boat, Nia remarked.
"Because this is our hometown."
"I see. Then you should know about the rumor regarding the sea monster."
"I've already told you, it's just a boring rumor."
"Wait a minute!"
Nia suddenly fixed her gaze on the distant sea, vaguely spotting a small boat paddling rapidly through the water, and behind the boat, several white waves surged and approached them.
"People are rowing in a small boat, and white waves are chasing after the boat. There is a sea monster!"
"Ah! Sea monster!"
Hearing Nia's voice, Gray, who had been lying down, jolted upright with a scream. The sudden movement aggravated his wound, causing him to shriek again.
"There really is a sea monster, turn around quickly!"
Gray howled once more as he watched the white waves closing in. Seeing that the other three people on the boat showed no reaction, he collapsed onto the deck in despair.
"It's over, I'm going to be eaten by a sea monster!
I was wrong. I shouldn't have come to Mignon Island in the beginning. If I hadn't come to Mignon Island, I wouldn't have been deceived by Felke. If I hadn't been deceived by Felke, I wouldn't have been hurt, and I wouldn't have gone out to sea with you in the middle of the night and been about to die at sea..."
As Gray was muttering his lament, the small boat had already approached their ship, and Nia could now clearly see the person on board.
It was a man wearing a fluffy spotted hat. Beneath the hat was a somewhat cold face. The beard on his chin lent him a sinister air. The dark, heavy bags under his eyes were almost identical to Gray's, and his arms were covered in intricate tattoos.
Just as Nia's eyes met the man on the boat, he also looked up at them with an enigmatic smile.
Kindness?
Just as Nia was pondering the strangeness of the other person's demeanor, the man opposite suddenly snapped his fingers, and something flew towards them.
"Enemy?"
With this thought flashing through her mind, Nia took a step back and adopted a fighting stance. At the same time, she saw what the other party had propelled towards them.
A stone?
Who uses stones as weapons?
As soon as this thought crossed Nia's mind, she heard a slightly low voice in her ears.
"ROOM——"
The next second, a figure abruptly materialized beside her.
There was no time to contemplate how the other party had done it. Nia's body reacted instinctively, and she lashed out with a sudden kick.
Bang!
As fist met kick, a hint of surprise flickered in Nia's eyes.
She felt as if she had kicked a block of iron. This man, who had suddenly appeared, was remarkably powerful.
"Stop it, Nia! This is our companion!"
Rhodes interjected to halt Nia, who was about to escalate the fight, his face beaming with the joy of reunion after a long separation.
"What a unique way to welcome you, Rhodes!"
A smile touched the visitor's otherwise cold features, and the next second, the three of them exchanged knowing grins.
Is this person the companion that Rhode mentioned waiting for him on Swallow Island? He is indeed a formidable fellow.
Nia observed the people before her, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Ahhh—"
With a peculiar cry, a massive figure suddenly leaped out of the sea, spinning in the air and hurtling towards the ship.
"Sea monster!"
Gazing at the white figure descending from the sky, Gray exclaimed once more.
"Wait... It's a white bear!"
Under Nia's astonished gaze, the white bear executed several flips in mid-air before landing gracefully on the deck in a posture resembling a white crane spreading its wings.
"It's been a long time. I missed you guys so much, Boss Rod, Boss Neilu!"
Having maintained the pose for less than a second, the white bear excitedly rushed over and pounced on Rhodes. "The bear spoke!" X2
Nia and Gray exclaimed simultaneously.
"Sorry..."
The white bear, who was happily embracing Rod and Nalu, apologized in a subdued tone.
"Be brave, Bepo!"
"Sorry..."
Just as Nia and Gray were still processing the talking white bear before them, two more figures leaped out of the sea and landed on the deck.
"It's certainly lively tonight..."
Nia had become somewhat immune to the successive appearances of new individuals, and she calmly regarded the two who had just arrived.
"You're finally back, Boss Rhodes! Oh, and Nelu too."
The two looked at Rhodes excitedly, their eyes brimming with anticipation.
"We can do it now! We can travel between Swallow Island and Mignon Island in a single night. According to the agreement, we can also set sail with you!"
"Of course!"
Meeting the expectant gazes of the two, Rhodes smiled and nodded.
"Okay!!"
The two of them jumped up with excitement.
"Wait, wait, can you introduce me to them? Also, you two, put on your clothes quickly!"
Nia looked at the two newcomers with a frown. They were only wearing shorts and jumping around on the deck. Finally, she couldn't resist punching them both on the head.
"Sorry..."
The two men squatted on the ground, holding their heads and apologizing quietly.
"Well, let me introduce them to you formally. This is Trafalgar Law, our ship's doctor; Bepo, our group's favorite; and these two are Penguin and Shachi, also our companions."
"This is Catwoman Nia, and scientist Gray."
After the introductions, Penguin and Shachi also donned their clothes, and everyone gathered on the deck. The small boat suddenly felt even more crowded.
"So, the so-called sea monster rumor was started by you guys."
Having finally grasped the situation, Nia was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
It turned out that to develop a strong physique and become skilled sea warriors, they would engage in extra training every night. The exercise involved swimming from Swallow Island to Mignon Island and then back. As a Devil Fruit user, Law would row back and forth.
After this scene was witnessed by locals, it evolved into the so-called legend of the sea monster.
"But it's truly ridiculous to think of exercising in this manner."
Although the two islands were relatively close, the distance between them was at least a hundred nautical miles. Considering the resistance of the ocean currents, swimming back and forth was no easy feat.
"This is the training method that Brother Rhodes taught us, but we are still far from mastering it!"
Thinking back to their training sessions on the island, Rhodes smiled faintly.
After arriving in this world and realizing it was the world of One Piece, Rod had initiated his training regimen.
Since there was no renowned master to guide him, Rhodes could only train himself according to the "Turtle School" method from his memories. He worked part-time and trained simultaneously. As he became acquainted with these companions, the small training group gradually expanded.
"Let's talk more after we get back. We still have injured people on the ship."
Rhodes shook off his memories, pointed at Gray lying on the deck, and urged the others to get the boat moving quickly.
"That's right. We don't have any proper tools at hand right now, and there's no way to do much. Let's go back and take care of his injuries first."
Law also spoke, taking the rudder from Rod's hand and placing Bepo at the helm.
"Then let's go home!"
(End of this chapter)