I, Kizaru, only came to the chat group after I became invincible

Chapter 406: I benefited greatly!

Robin said with a smile.

The following morning, the sun shone brightly and the sea breeze was gentle.

Luffy jumped off the Thousand Sunny early in the morning, ready to continue his adventure on Gourmet Island.

Although he heard about Nami and Robin's adventures yesterday, he hasn't had a proper chance to explore the island himself.

"I'll go to the island and see if there's anything interesting there!"

Luffy waved excitedly to his crewmates.

"I'll come back and let everyone know if I find anything!"

"Luffy, watch out!"

Nami reminded him from the ship.

"Don't go too far, and don't cause trouble!"

"knew!"

Luffy ran towards the depths of the island without looking back.

Although the food island is not large, its terrain is very interesting, with forests, hills and streams.

Luffy skipped and hopped along, enjoying the scenery of the island.

"This place is really nice!"

He climbed up a small hill and looked down over the entire island.

"The air is fresh and it's very quiet."

Just as Luffy was about to continue his exploration, a familiar yet cold voice came from behind him.

"Straw Hat Luffy, it's been a long time."

Luffy suddenly turned around and saw a tall man, nearly three meters tall, standing not far away.

The man was wearing a dark coat, had a prosthetic left leg, and several scars on his face.

Most strikingly, he exuded a chilling aura around his body.

"Aokiji!"

Luffy's eyes widened.

How did you get here?

The newcomer was none other than former Marine Admiral Aokiji Kuzan, now a member of the Blackbeard Pirates.

"I was just passing by."

Aokiji said expressionlessly.

"I never expected to run into the Straw Hat Pirates in a place like this."

"Just passing by?"

Luffy looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Aren't you Blackbeard's subordinate now?"

"What are you doing here?"

“It’s none of your business.”

Aokiji's tone remained indifferent.

"But now that we've encountered you, we can't let you leave so easily."

"After all, you are currently the World Government's most wanted criminals."

As he spoke, Aokiji raised his right hand.

"The Ice Age!"

A strong chill emanated from his hands, instantly freezing the surrounding ground and plants into ice.

Luffy nimbly jumped away, dodging the attack.

"Hey! We didn't do anything to you!"

Luffy shouted in dissatisfaction.

Why did you suddenly attack me?

"Because you're a pirate, I'm a pirate now too."

Aokiji said calmly.

"Different stances naturally lead to battle."

"Besides, the score from last time in the Seven Waters hasn't been settled yet."

"You were the one who wanted to arrest us that time!"

Luffy was not to be outdone.

"And didn't you let us go in the end?"

"That's because you hadn't yet threatened the balance of the world."

Aokiji's eyes sharpened.

"But things are different now; your presence has become a destabilizing factor."

"Rubber rubber—rocket launcher!"

Luffy didn't want to waste any more words and launched an attack directly.

His fist flew at high speed toward Aokiji, but Aokiji easily dodged it by sidestepping.

"Bullish beak!"

Aokiji retaliated, exhaling icy cold air from its mouth.

Luffy was struck by the cold air, and his body instantly began to freeze.

"hateful!"

Luffy struggled to break free of the ice, but his movements became noticeably slower.

"Your attacks are still so monotonous."

Aokiji commented.

"You can't beat me with brute force alone."

"Then I'll show you my new moves!"

Luffy took a deep breath, and his body began to swell.

"Fourth Gear - Elastic Man!"

Luffy's body became stronger, and his skin had a metallic sheen.

Armament Haki covered his arms and legs.

"Oh? You've improved."

Aokiji's interest was slightly piqued.

"Then I'll be a little more serious."

"Ice cube—two-pronged spear!"

Aokiji created two giant ice spears and hurled them at Luffy.

"Rubber rubber—Lion rocket launcher!"

Luffy's fist, imbued with powerful Haki and elasticity, shattered the ice spear.

Broken ice fragments flew everywhere, sparkling in the sunlight.

"Rubber rubber—Rhino howitzer!"

Taking advantage of the situation, Luffy launched a series of attacks, his fists raining down on Aokiji.

But Aokiji reacted quickly, constantly creating ice walls to block the attacks.

Meanwhile, large patches of ice began to appear on the ground, restricting Luffy's movement.

"Ice cubes—cut!"

Aokiji waved his hand, creating sharp ice blades that sliced ​​towards Luffy's body.

Luffy used Armament Haki to harden his body and barely managed to block the attack.

But the chilling aura of the ice blade still made him feel threatened.

"It's so cold!"

Luffy complained as he fought.

"Your ability is really annoying!"

"This is the power of a Logia-type Devil Fruit."

Aokiji said this while attacking.

"You've definitely gotten a lot stronger than you did two years ago."

"But that's not enough!"

The battle between the two intensified, and their attacks affected the entire hillside.

On one side is a frozen wasteland, and on the other side are broken rocks.

The sounds of intense battle echoed throughout the entire food island.

Meanwhile, at the Seafood Restaurant.

"That voice."

Sanji, who was learning to cook, suddenly stopped what he was doing.

"It sounds like the sounds of battle."

Gustav also heard the loud noise in the distance.

"It's definitely the sound of battle, and on a large scale."

"Could Luffy be in trouble?"

Sanji said worriedly.

He went out exploring this morning.

"I'll go check on the situation."

Gustav put down his kitchen utensils.

"If there is real danger, we cannot stand idly by."

On the Thousand Sunny, the other Straw Hat crew members also heard the sounds of battle.

"That commotion...it's Luffy fighting!"

Zoro immediately stood up.

"And the opponent is very strong!"

"Let's go help!"

Nami was also very worried.

"Luffy might not be able to handle this alone!"

"and many more."

Borsalino frowned.

"This chill... is it from Kuzan?"

He felt a strong chill emanating from the depths of the island.

"Kuzan? You mean Aokiji?"

Robin asked in surprise.

How did he get here?

"I don't know, but it's definitely not good news."

Borsalino's expression turned serious.

"We must get there immediately."

Everyone immediately sprang into action, rushing towards the direction from which the sounds of battle were coming.

On the battlefield, the duel between Luffy and Aokiji has entered a heated phase.

The entire hillside was divided into two worlds: one side was Luffy's passion and enthusiasm, and the other side was Aokiji's coldness and rationality.

"Rubber Rubber - Great Ape King Gun!"

Luffy unleashed one of his strongest attacks.

The enormous fist slammed down on Aokiji with terrifying force.

"Ice cube—a blunt weapon!"

Aokiji was not to be outdone and created a giant ice weapon to fight back.

The moment the two forces collided, a powerful shockwave was generated.

The surrounding trees were uprooted, and huge cracks appeared in the ground.

"A decent attack."

Aokiji took a few steps back, looking at the shattered ice.

"But that's still not enough." "The Ice Age!"

Aokiji launched a wide-range attack, and the entire battlefield began to freeze rapidly.

Luffy found it increasingly difficult to move, and his breath turned into white mist.

"Damn it! This can't go on!"

Luffy gritted his teeth and began to gather his strength.

"Fourth Gear - Tank Man!"

Luffy's body changed again, becoming more rounded and sturdy.

He bounced towards Aokiji like a giant rubber ball.

"Rubber, rubber—cannon!"

The powerful impact struck Aokiji, sending him flying dozens of meters.

But Aokiji adjusted its posture in mid-air and landed steadily on the ground.

"An interesting move."

Aokiji patted the dust off his clothes.

"But you expended far more energy than I did."

Indeed, Luffy was already panting heavily.

Fourth gear is very energy-consuming, but Aokiji seems to be doing it very easily.

Just as the two were preparing to continue fighting, a golden figure suddenly appeared between them.

"That's enough, Kuzan."

Borsalino stood between the two men, his hands in his pockets.

"Fighting in a place like this will harm innocent people."

Borusalino

Aokiji looked at his former colleague, his expression becoming complicated.

"So you were with those pirates after all."

"They are my partners."

Borsalino said calmly.

"I will not let anyone hurt them."

"Hmph, you've changed."

Aokiji sneered.

"You wouldn't have stood up for pirates before."

People always change.

Borsalino replied.

Aren't you the same?

Just then, the other Straw Hat crew members arrived at the scene.

"Luffy! Are you alright?"

Chopper immediately ran to Luffy to check on his injuries.

“I’m fine!”

Although Luffy was exhausted, he was still in good spirits.

"This guy is stronger than before!"

"Aokiji."

Zoro gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

What are you doing here?

"I told you, I was just passing by."

Aokiji looked around at everyone present.

"I never expected the Straw Hat Pirates to team up with a former Marine Admiral."

"How ironic."

"Kuzan, what is your mission?"

Borsalino asked directly.

"What did Blackbeard send you here for?"

Aokiji was silent for a moment, then said:
"I'm looking for something."

"what?"

"This is not something you should know."

Aokiji's tone became even colder.

"However, I can tell you something."

"Blackbeard has been very active lately, searching for some ancient secrets."

"If you don't want to cause trouble, you'd better stay away from this area."

Upon hearing this, Robin's heart raced.

She remembered the historical text she had found in the cave yesterday.

Is Blackbeard also searching for clues about ancient weapons?

"Ancient secrets?"

Nami asked confused.

"What's the meaning?"

"This means that this sea area will soon become turbulent."

Aokiji turned to leave.

"I advise you to leave as soon as possible and avoid getting involved in unnecessary trouble."

"etc!"

Luffy shouted.

"Our battle isn't over yet!"

Let's call it a day.

Aokiji said without turning his head.

"I have more important things to do."

"Moreover, if we really want to determine a winner, we might have to fight for three days and three nights."

"That would be bad for no one."

After saying that, Aokiji disappeared into the depths of the forest.

Only ice blocks and signs of destruction remained, proving that a fierce battle had indeed taken place.

"Damn it! He got away!"

Luffy clenched his fist in frustration.

"I want to fight him again!"

"Luffy, are you alright?"

Sanji and Gustav also arrived at the scene.

"We heard the sounds of fighting, and we're very worried."

“I’m fine!”

Luffy stretched his body.

"But that guy is really strong, even stronger than he was two years ago."

"What is Kuzan thinking right now?"

Borsalino stared in the direction Aokiji had left, lost in thought.

"He said Blackbeard is searching for ancient secrets, which is not good news."

“Mr. Borsalino.”

Robin walked over to him.

"Do you think what Aokiji said is credible?"

"Kuzan may have a complicated stance, but he doesn't lie."

Borsalino said earnestly.

"If he says Blackbeard is searching for ancient secrets, then it must be true."

"what does that mean?"

Nami asked worriedly.

"This means we might have to leave here sooner than planned."

Borsalino looked at everyone and said.

"If Blackbeard is indeed active in these waters, it would be too dangerous for us to stay any longer."

"Why?"

Luffy asked, puzzled.

"We're not afraid of Blackbeard!"

"Luffy, now is not the time to act rashly."

Borsalino explained patiently.

"The Blackbeard Pirates are very strong, and their goals may conflict with ours."

"If a large-scale battle were to break out, the innocent residents of this island would be affected."

"Furthermore, now is not the time to confront Blackbeard head-on."

Upon hearing Borsalino's analysis, everyone fell into deep thought.

Indeed, it would be a great loss to harm innocent people for the sake of a moment's impulse.

"When are we leaving?"

Nami asked.

"The sooner the better."

Borsalino replied.

"It would be best to leave today."

"But Sanji's studies..."

Chopper looked at Sanji with concern.

"It's okay."

Sanji waved his hand.

"Mr. Gustav has taught me many important skills."

"The rest is just a matter of practicing and understanding gradually."

"Moreover, learning to cook is a lifelong process; it doesn't matter if it takes a day or two."

Gustav nodded as well.

"Sanji is right."

"True culinary skills need to be honed through constant practice."

"I have imparted the most important principles to him; the rest of the journey is up to him."

"Thank you, Mr. Gustav!"

Sanji bowed deeply.

"I have benefited greatly from the learning these past few days!"

"If I have the chance, I will definitely visit you again!"

"I also look forward to seeing your future achievements."

Gustav smiled with satisfaction.

"Remember, the spirit of cooking is selfless dedication."

"Use your cooking to bring happiness to more people."

And so, the Straw Hat Pirates decided to end their stay on Gourmet Island ahead of schedule.

Back on the Thousand Sunny, everyone began packing their luggage and preparing to depart.

"What a pity, I was planning to stay here for a few more days."

Luffy said with some regret.

(End of this chapter)