Chapter 44 : Zoro's Regret

Windmill Village…

At this moment, on the pier, Zoro emerged from the sea with a stern expression.

In his arms, he carried a Luffy who looked as lifeless as a limp noodle…

"You possess a Devil Fruit ability; don't you realize that you can't go into the sea?" Zoro scolded, his frustration evident.

Zoro had finally reached Windmill Village, but before he even set foot on the shore, Luffy had sent him plummeting into the ocean.

That impulsive guy, not only did he dive into the sea himself, but he also gave Zoro an unsolicited bath.

Zoro looked at Luffy lying on the deck, appearing weakened.

"I know I can't venture into the sea, but I was so thrilled to see you that I lost control of my strength..." Luffy confessed.

Zoro: "..."

At this moment, Zoro was rendered utterly speechless. Even those standing behind him, including Makino and Dadan, were dumbstruck.

Zoro gazed at Luffy, who lay before him on the deck, grinning at him. His heart sank like a stone. Would he genuinely be willing to sacrifice his life for Luffy in the future?

Damn it... Could this live broadcast be trusted?

For a moment, Zoro began to question his life choices. Coming to Windmill Village voluntarily, was it a terrible mistake?

...

[At that moment, lightning suddenly cracked across the sky!]

[BOOM!]

[The thunderbolt materialized rapidly, and if such a destructive force struck, everything might have turned to dust. Everyone's faces paled...]

[Fortunately, an elderly man riding an unattractive Pegasus arrived just in time to rescue Luffy and Zoro.]

[This man was the Sky Knight they had encountered while still in the White Sea.]

[As everyone gazed at the massive, gaping crater on the ground, their expressions turned grave.]

[Sky Knight spoke, "You've witnessed the power of Enel. He's been monitoring you, and it's too late to escape now. Don't make senseless sacrifices."]

[However, in response to the old man's warning, Luffy fearlessly declared, "I'm here to rescue my friend. If anyone tries to stop me, I'll knock them out, and Enel is no exception!"]

[Afterward, Luffy and his two companions boarded the Sky Knight's cloud ship and continued their journey...]

[Soon, the trio arrived at the location of the priest's trial... Skypiea!]

[From the outside, it appeared to be an ordinary forest with countless lush trees. However, once they entered, a terrifying sight greeted them...]

[They saw numerous boats sliced in half along both sides of a river, a truly staggering sight!]

[Just as Luffy and his companions wondered why so many ships had been cut in two...]

[Gigantic scythes suddenly sprang up from all directions!]

[This immense force, if it collided with a ship, would undoubtedly cleave it and its passengers in two!]

[They narrowly dodged the scythes and soon faced a barrage of arrows!]

[Following that, they encountered one deadly and bizarre trap after another...]

[Luffy and his two companions finally escaped these perils and reached the end of an area.]

[They saw four exits marked as Swamp, Iron, Ball, and Rope Trials...]

[At this moment, Luffy and his friends finally realized that the trial had begun.]

Marine Headquarters!

Doflamingo gazed at the sky with his trademark wicked smile.

"How powerful are these four priests who are revered as gods on the Skypiea?"

"Before encountering Enel, this so-called priest trial could pose a significant threat to the Straw Hat kid!"

As he spoke, no one in the room paid him any attention.

Even Crocodile, who usually enjoyed bantering with Doflamingo, had fallen silent.

Akainu, infuriated by Garp's earlier outburst and his desire to undertake a mission to Skypiea to take down Enel, was now too focused on the situation to care about Doflamingo's comments.

Akainu, well aware of Garp's short temper, wisely remained quiet.

He didn't want to incur Garp's wrath while the situation remained so uncertain.

Although he secretly hoped that the Straw Hat kid would receive a severe beating from the so-called Skypiea god, he had another hope: that they would eliminate the troublesome threat.

On the other side, tSengoku and Garp stood at the forefront, their expressions a mix of seriousness and anxiety.

Garp, in particular, was on edge. Though he hadn't said a word, his unwavering gaze betrayed his concern and urgency.

An enemy like Enel exuded a suffocating aura of danger even before appearing.

He didn't expect Luffy to win this battle; he only hoped that his grandson would grow stronger and go safely to Sabaody Archipelago.

If anything happened to his grandson during this battle...

Garp wouldn't hesitate to go to Skypiea himself, even if it meant sacrificing his position as a vice admiral. He was determined to eradicate the threat posed by Enel.

"Luffy, which path should we choose?" Sanji and Usopp inquired.

Luffy pondered for a moment and finally pointed to the Ball Trial in the distance.

Sanji and Usopp exchanged bewildered glances. "Oh! Did Luffy choose this trial because he thinks it'll be easier?"

Luffy shook his head. "No, it's just that the name of this trial sounds funny!"

Sanji and Usopp exchanged another glance and sighed in exasperation.

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