A Joke
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One Piece: Desperate
🕑 Added 2021-10-08 21:37:16 +0000 UTCChapter 130
***
Luffy and the Strawhats spent a couple of hours in Fishman Island. They explored the place and even saw the Royal Palace from far away.
The most prominent that stood out was the presence of people dressed as Marines.
"Those kinds of people only wear the uniform, and everyone knows it, but due to Max's authority everyone also treats them as real Marines." Explained Jinbe.
Since they were in public, Jinbe didn't say anything more. He knew that Max had ears and eyes everywhere in Fishman Island and the fishemen and mermaids loved him here.
"So he is up to quite a lot…" Nami muttered, thinking of when they met for the first time in the Drum Kingdom.
"Do you have some kind of relationship with him?" Asked Jinbe, looking at her pitifully. Nami nodded with a slight blush, this made the fishman awkward as he scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Well. I would be careful of him, he is known to be… charming with women."
Nami stopped and narrowed her eyes at Jinbe. "What's that supposed to mean?"
*cough* "Well… he is suspected to already have children. Also, he has a relationship with 'Pink Mist' Reiju and 'Fallen Angel' Raynare." He said awkwardly, trying to make his voice sound as soft as possible. Nami's eyes were shadowed by her hair and she suddenly turned around and walked off.
Luffy looked at her worryingly. "Oy, Nam-"
A hand appeared from his chest and closed his mouth. Robin shook her head and winked at the rest of the crew. "You go on, this needs a little more of a female talk. See you later. Don't worry, I will take care of Nami."
"Okay! I am leaving it to you, Robin." The Strawhat Captain smiled widely and gave Robin a thumbs up with his mechanical arm.
She chuckled at the gesture and walked off. Sanji saw this and fire burst around him, and a raging look appeared on his face. "Tch, that playboy bastard. I will kick his ass the next time we meet."
"Yeah right, curly brow." Zoro snorted sarcastically.
"What is that seaweed?" The cook looked agitated at the swordsman's behavior.
Chopper, who had cotton candy in his hand, stared at them and said. "I don't think Max would do something like that with harmful intent. He was always super nice to me. He probably had his reasons."
"I don't know what part of Max you know, but the one the world knows wouldn't hesitate to exterminate whole countries if they got in his way." Jinbe shook his head at the small reindeer.
"What?! No way!" Chopper immediately came to his friend's defense. Though he hadn't seen Max in years, he still believed that the man who saved the Drum Kingdom wasn't evil.
"Yohohoho~ I haven't met him before. But I still remember the last Bear Devil Fruit user." Brook added. "He was a small-time pirate with a 20,000,000ß bounty."
"Really? Then that is even scarier! It means that his Devil Fruit isn't necessarily strong and that power is all him!" Usopp was panicking like always, running around with a terrified look on his face.
"Also there is another rule for a Pirate to be allowed to go in the New World," said Jinbe, a small frown adorning his face. He was cautious about Max in general, it had been only due to luck that he hadn't been to the Wholecake Massacre. Initially, he had thought that it was bad luck since Big Mom might get angry and Fishman Island would suffer.
But on that day he was about to arrive, he had encountered some Marines at sea and they delayed him. The Marines weren't anything too strong, but it still made him late.
Now though, Jinbe thinks that those Marines were a blessing. Max would have slaughtered him, just like he did with the rest of the Big Mom Pirates and her subordinate crews.
"What kinda rule?" Asked Luffy curiously, there was a concentrated look on his face. He didn't like following the rules. It was a principle of a Pirate… though he might (will) change his mind if someone offered him some meat.
"You have to beat Skinny Joey in an arm wrestle." Jinbei immediately noticed the weird looks people sent him. "I know, I know. But it's a rule or Max will hunt you down in the New World. You might not even make it there. Skinny Joey is called so because a certain someone nicknamed him that. He is quite strong, so don't underestimate him."
"Shishishi~ Don't worry, I am going to win this arm wrestle." Luffy boasted confidentiality, and he had a reason to boast too. Because Joey felt truly weak, well, he didn't have a presence in general. But only weak people didn't have presences.
Jinbe noticed Luffy's carelessness but didn't comment on it, knowing that the young man wouldn't listen anyway. Zoro on the other hand was always on guard and took the fishman's advice to heart.
**
After some more touring around the island, they stumbled upon Skinny Joey again. This time he was drinking some fruit juice from a shop and he had a look on his face that resembled an innocent & happy child.
Joey turned around and looked at Luffy and the rest. He kept staring until his drink ran out.
*slurp* *Slurp!* *SLURP!!*
The sounds coming out of his cup got more annoying each second and the intense look he was sending the crew put them on edge.
He then got up, put the drink down, and walked towards Luffy fearlessly. Looking the Strawhat Captain in the eyes, Skinny Joey didn't back off and said. "I feel like I have met you somewhere before…"
Everyone fell on the ground at the mention of that. They couldn't believe just how stupid could the man be, he had met them not even some hours ago.
"Let's arm wrestle!" Yelled out Luffy, he was strangely annoyed by Joey for some reason.
Skinny Joey smiled at that and laid down on the ground, extending his arm. "Let's do it then. Don't worry about the table, it will break down anyway."
Luffy agreed and laid on his stomach. They clasped hands, and without anyone saying anything, both exerted their strength at the same time. The ground around them cracked and veins popped in Luffy's head and he grunted, trying to push as hard as he could.
"Ohh~ this is quite hard~" Joey joked and smirked, the atmosphere around him completely changed as a malicious smile appeared on his face. "Bahahaha!! You fucking loser!! Try harder!!"
Jinbe sighed. "Negan shouldn't have subordinates if this is how they turn out."
As the struggle between them got harder, Luffy was forced to swipe his hand and with a rubbery flow of blood pooled up and rebounded back into his body. His skin reddened and steam came out of his body.
[Gear Second]
Booom!!
He smashed Joey's hand on the ground with an increase in strength.
"Ahh~ I didn't know we were using Devil Fruits," complained Joey, but he still had a friendly happy look on his face and didn't seem mad.
***
-Max POV-
I smiled at the red, heart-shaped fruit in my hand. The Ope-Ope No Mi, one of the strongest out there, and it was only a matter of time until I would have its abilities too.
"This is very weird," said Reiju as she floated in the air with her lower body turned into gas. "But at the same time feels very natural. Also, I can improve the oxygen concentration in the air around me. So you should stay close it will improve your health and-"
"It is very unlike you." I interrupted her. She was usually a very closed-off person, even if I was injured she wouldn't show worry. So her saying all of this was kinda cute.
****
A/N: Skinny Joey is a normal friendly guy who turns crazy when his blood gets pumping. Everyone should know someone like that. Those kinds of people are always fun as they get easily passionate about things.
