One Piece: Bai Ye Deputy Captain of the Straw Hats

Translator: PapaSmurf0700

In the original story, it took Luffy and his crew about a week aboard the Thousand Sunny to reach the final stop of the first half of the Grand Line after leaving the Florian Triangle. However, with Kuma's assistance this time, they managed to arrive at their destination in just one day and one night, with the Sunshine Merry landing safely on the sea some distance from the Sabaody Archipelago. Due to its close monitoring by the Marines and the conspicuous nature of Kuma's bubbles, they had to land earlier than planned.

Once there, thanks to Nami's guidance, the crew smoothly navigated around a storm. Since consuming the Rumble-Rumble Fruit (Goro Goro no Mi), Nami's attunement to the natural elements had sharpened significantly, enhancing her abilities akin to a form of Observation Haki.

As for Haki, Brook, having absorbed Ryuma's body consciousness, engaged Luffy, Zoro, and others in deep discussions about Ryuo, or Advanced Armament Haki. Luffy, aware of the dangers of their upcoming battles, was particularly keen to enhance his skills in the limited time they had.

Roger's notes had provided a detailed explanation of Haki's uses and levels, yet mastering these techniques was challenging. The notes, being just text, offered systematic training methods, but Luffy, Zoro, and the others still struggled with mastering Advanced Observation Haki and Advanced Armament Haki.

Bai Ye found himself unable to assist in this matter; he wasn't Kaido, who could catalyze Luffy's awakening with a single strike. Now, Brook, uniquely among the Straw Hat Pirates, had firsthand experience using Advanced Armament Haki, thanks to the shadow integration.

Not surprisingly, the crew was eager to learn from Brook, their new unofficial teacher. After reaching their destination and settling in, everyone gradually emerged from their rooms, ready to continue their journey.

"Hahaha, we're finally here!!!" Luffy exclaimed, his arms spread wide as he perched on the figurehead, gazing up at the towering wall before them with unrestrained excitement.

Nami, caught in a wave of nostalgia, smiled softly. "I can never forget the scene of that day."

Sanji, lighting a cigarette, added pensively, "Come to think of it, it was raining heavily that day. It's a pity we didn't take cover."

Usopp, overwhelmed by the memory, said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whenever I think back to that day, I can't help but want to cry!"

Even Zoro, usually dismissive of sentimentality, admitted, "We have all grown a lot since then."

Brook, lost in his own thoughts, remarked, "It took me fifty years to get here."

Franky boasted with a grin, "Oh! I remember it was more than 30 years ago. I crossed the Reverse Mountain from the South Blue when I was very young."

Robin chimed in with her own recollection, "I think I came here from the West Blue four or five years ago."

Merry, gazing up at the immense wall, exclaimed in awe, "It's... so high!" She was the only one among the Straw Hat Pirates who had never seen the Red Line.

"So Sunshine Merry has carried us so far?" Merry mused aloud, a touch of pride in his voice.

"That's right. Now that we are here, it means that we have completed half of the Grand Line," Bai Ye reflected, his voice tinged with emotion. He recalled how he once naively shared his dream of changing the world with a barrel.

Now, halfway through their journey, Bai Ye felt the world had indeed changed significantly because of him. Yet, there was a part of him that felt as though nothing had changed at all.

As the crew admired the Red Line, the tranquil sea beside the Merry suddenly roiled with activity. With a thunderous crash, a gigantic sea creature burst from the water, its menacing form barreling towards the Merry in what seemed like a suicidal charge.

The beast, sporting long ears and a rabbit-like head, opened its cavernous, bloodied mouth—a clear sign it wasn't herbivorous. Yet, the Straw Hat Pirates remained unfazed by this sudden threat.

Luffy, who had been relaxing at the bow, promptly stood, securing his straw hat. He stared down the so-called Sea Hare with a confident grin. "Don't think you can beat me on the sea!!!" he challenged.

[Gomu Gomu no——Rifle!!!]

Luffy's right arm stretched back, coiling like a spring as he spun it several times. Then, with the force of a spiraling cannon, his fist slammed into the Sea Hare's belly.

Bang!

The impact of Luffy's punch was so powerful that it punched a gaping hole in the creature's stomach, eliciting a pained wail from the beast. Overwhelmed by the pain, the Sea Hare convulsed and regurgitated its contents towards the crew.

The crew's expressions shifted from curiosity to astonishment, and then to sheer disbelief as they realized what the creature had expelled: "That... that guy... spat out... a mermaid!!!"

Amid the chaos, a figure with a human torso and a fish tail arced gracefully through the air. Instantly smitten, Sanji morphed into his love-struck persona, utilizing Sky Walk to soar towards the falling mermaid at a speed that even exceeded his velocity in the battle against Aokiji.

Sanji caught the mermaid effortlessly mid-air, cradling her in his arms as they descended towards the deck. Unbeknownst to him, a hat-wearing starfish, also expelled by the Sea Hare, plummeted to the deck separately.

Landing smoothly, Sanji held the mermaid, who sported short light green hair and a pink tail—precisely the mythical creature he had longed to meet. Holding her gently, he looked into her eyes and asked with his most charming voice, "Miss, are you okay?"

But in the next moment, the mermaid in Sanji's arms suddenly opened her mouth wide, her eyes and tongue comically bulging out as she screamed:

"Wow! Your nose is bleeding!!!"

Despite the dramatic exclamation, Sanji didn't loosen his grip. Even as blood gushed from his nostrils, he continued to gaze at the mermaid with unbridled adoration.

Ultimately, it took Nami's forceful intervention to pry the mermaid from Sanji's clutches.

Chopper rushed over to help Sanji with his nosebleed, but Sanji, undeterred by his condition, beamed with joy, "Finally, I saw one. This is the first time I've seen a mermaid."

Usopp rolled his eyes and remarked, "You, you've already met Granny Kokoro, remember?"

Sanji, turning to Usopp with a blank expression, feigned ignorance, "Granny Kokoro? Who is that?"

Chopper's eyes widened in shock, "Did Sanji lose his memory?!!!"

Usopp, seeing right through Sanji's act, scoffed, "This guy obviously deliberately forgot about Granny Kokoro!"