Luo Gaofeng suddenly felt very uncomfortable.
For a long time, everyone thought that One Piece was just a pure hot-blooded adventure animation. Luffy clamored to become the Pirate King, just like Naruto next door wanted to get all the recognition and become the Hokage of Konoha. The overall tone of the former is even brighter than that of Naruto.
But now Luo Gaofeng doesn’t think so.
Indeed, throughout the serialization of "One Piece", there have been touching moments, tears, and passion, but more importantly, there have been novelties and laughter in the adventures at sea. However, if you look closely, you will find that while the Straw Hat Pirates were moving forward, they were also intentionally or unintentionally smoothing out the scars on the backs of the islands along the way.
So let’s look at it from another angle.
If there were no Luffy, would that mean those islands were destined to continue in their inherently sad state, or get worse? If this is the case with the East Sea, where Luffy and his friends are, then what would the South Sea, West Sea, and North Sea, where there is no Luffy, be like
If pirates represent light and resistance, then why do so many civilians suffer from pirates
If the official forces represented by the World Government and the Navy are the justice in the world of One Piece, then why would they be indifferent to the civilians in dire straits, so that they have to be saved by pirates represented by Luffy? Adhering to the idea of killing the innocent rather than letting the innocent go, killing everyone on the entire island, is this the justice of the World Government
It's not just Luo Gaofeng.
When Robin's cry resounded throughout the sky of Judicial Island and echoed in the ears of every audience member.
After being away from the top of the list for several months, "One Piece" finally surpassed "Naruto" again and topped the Blue Star animation serialization ranking.
At the same time, countless comic review videos with analysis have sprung up like mushrooms after rain.
Some fans have watched One Piece again carefully from the first episode, trying to find the foreshadowing and clues of the sequel. Some people have jumped into One Piece because of the battle on Judicial Island, and have been willing to be tortured by the anime.
Everyone's attention gradually shifted to the hidden plot of "One Piece".
This seems to be a matter of course.
After all, up to now in the animation series, all information about Robin's past has been revealed, and the battle on Judicial Island is about to begin. But for "One Piece", which is not good at battle scenes, the following plot is more like a formality.
To be more specific, it is nothing more than a one-on-one duel between the Straw Hat Pirates and the members of CP9.
In comparison, the rest of the plot doesn’t seem to be anything special. The climax has passed, and the Judicial Island chapter will end once Robin is rescued. For veteran One Piece fans, it would be more interesting to dig deeper.
Luo Gaofeng thought so too.
Of course, it’s just a scene. Although I have already guessed the rest of the plot, as a die-hard fan of "One Piece", I still have to continue to follow the updates.
Just as they expected—
The battle of Judicial Island officially began. In order to get the five keys that could unlock Robin's shackles, Luffy and others faced different enemies. After defeating the members of CP9 one after another and getting the five keys, Robin was finally freed. Everything went smoothly as planned.
After making sure that the handcuffs on Robin were removed, Usopp turned around with his special slingshot.
The picture should have been frozen on Usopp, but at the same moment he turned around, a low, extremely strange voice suddenly sounded, but the voice came and went quickly, and disappeared without a trace in just a moment, as if it was some kind of illusion.
Usopp turned around as if he had noticed something.
“…I think I heard some sound?”
sound
What sound
Luo Gaofeng was a little confused.
However, in this tense and time-sensitive battle, this plot of less than a few seconds is ultimately just a small episode. The audience was only curious for a while, and soon put this detail behind them and refocused their attention on the confrontation between the two sides on the Judicial Island.
After a hard fight, CP9 leaders Lucci and Luffy both collapsed to the ground.
Lucci lost consciousness, and Luffy on the other side also won a tragic victory - although the latter was conscious, his body could not move due to excessive consumption in the battle. However, on this side, the "Demon Slaying Order" from the Navy had already begun, and the artillery fire mercilessly destroyed the Judicial Island inch by inch, and there were only a few seconds left to hit Luffy.
what to do
Usopp gritted his teeth and looked at Luffy who was collapsed opposite him, almost at a loss.
The bridge leading to the first pillar where Luffy was had been destroyed. He had no way of crossing the distance to bring Luffy over. The escort ship they had originally planned to use for escape also sank under the impact of naval gunfire.
If they continue like this, they will not be able to leave the Judicial Island, and they will die here along with the entire island!
It was at this time that Usopp heard the voice again.
The battle on Judicial Island continues.
The Straw Hat Pirates retreated while fighting off the surrounding navy. The sound of gunfire and the collision and friction of swords came one after another, and it was a mess. But it was in this chaos that the same clear, familiar and harsh voice as that time came to his ears again.
He stared blankly at the sea below.
The noisy sounds of the battlefield faded away at this moment, and the whole world faded into black and white. Nothing could be heard, nothing could be seen, and the only thing left was that figure that had crossed the vast sea at some unknown time, broke through the waves of the Judicial Island, and appeared in front of everyone.
Without bothering to wipe away the tears that were pouring out of his eyes, Usopp shouted, "We are saved! It's here to save us! Don't we still have a partner?"
It's the Merry!
Back to the Merry!
As if they had received some signal, soon, everyone who was still fighting fiercely with the navy soldiers left the battlefield and jumped under the remaining island wreckage without hesitation. At the same time, the sailboat that had accompanied them across countless seas in the past also appeared in front of them.
A large net was lowered over the side of the sailboat.
With the help of this big net, everyone climbed onto the Merry one by one. The Merry in front of them looked a little better than when they parted, as if someone had repaired it. However, Sanji, who climbed onto the ship first, couldn't help but let out a "huh" sound after looking around.
"What's wrong, Sanji?"
"Um, Ms. Nami," Sanji looked at the empty Merry with a confused expression on his face, "Someone did lower the net just now, but there's no one on the boat?"
Usopp didn't have time to think about it. When he returned to the familiar Merry, he immediately hugged the main trunk of the Merry.
It was the Merry! His Merry was still alive!
Why did the Merry appear on this island
“It’s unbelievable…” Franky, who was an experienced shipbuilder, took off his sunglasses and looked at the sailboat in front of him in disbelief: “This ship was clearly washed into the sea at that time—” For this sailboat, which was already riddled with holes, it should be impossible to cross the vast sea and the dangerous whirlpools in it.
Who drove it here
This is the question everyone has at the moment, but the boat is empty except for the person who just got on board.
Luo Gaofeng's heart moved.
That's right.
"One Piece" is a fantasy animation after all. So it seems that maybe it wasn't someone who drove the Merry here, but the Merry herself, out of her own will and belief, and the wish to bring the pirates home, crossed the dangerous sea and came here.
This setting is consistent with the consistent romantic style of "One Piece".
Thinking of this, Luo Gaofeng felt relieved.
Fans certainly have feelings for this ship that has carried the Straw Hat Pirates through countless adventures. Previously, some people were sad about the fact that the Merry could never be repaired. Now, not only is the Merry safe and sound, but it has also carried everyone out of danger. This of course couldn't be better.
Under the bombardment of countless warships, the entire Judicial Island disappeared.
The Golden Merry carried everyone away from the dangerous waters of Judicial Island and headed towards the Seven Water Capital. The atmosphere of the animation became cheerful from here. With the help of Granny Kokoro, Luffy, who had no strength, returned to his throne - the sheep head of the Merry.
"Thank you, Mary."
"Thanks to you, we were able to escape. I didn't expect that Meili would come to save us - but think about it, we have been protected by you all along." He stretched out his hands and hugged the huge sheep's head, as if he wanted to talk to it in this way: "It's great to have a partner like you."
The atmosphere gradually turned warm.
As they watched, the audience sitting in front of the computer could not help but smile with satisfaction. Although the beginning of Judicial Island was frustrating and unpleasant, it must be said that by now, the audience's grievances have been completely smoothed out, leaving only pure happiness and satisfaction.
That's great, Luo Gaofeng thought.
He stretched lazily. The plot had progressed to this point and the arc of Enforcement Island seemed to be coming to an end. He was thinking about how to write an analysis of "One Piece" while watching the scenes in the animation.
In the animation, the people who have escaped from danger finally have the heart to explore the problem of the Merry. However, they still don't know why the Merry appeared on Judicial Island when there was no one else on it. On the other hand, Franky, a shipwright, remembered the romantic legend passed down from generation to generation by the crew -
It is said that ships that are extremely cherished and valued by the crew have a high chance of giving birth to "ship elves".
Because the crew cherishes the ship, the ship will thank the crew.
"Because you cherish this ship, the ship will thank you crew members." Franky leaned against the hull and looked up at the pirate flag fluttering in the wind: "This ship tried its best to carry you to the other coast, so it turned into a human form to meet the crew it wanted to carry."
"This ship is happy too, isn't it?"
Wait, this means...
Luo Gaofeng sat up straight at once, with a bad premonition arousing in his mind.
Then the next second, the thought that had only flashed through his mind turned into a fact before his eyes - when the huge ship from the Seven Water City appeared not far from the Merry, as if realizing that everyone on the ship was safe, with a heavy "creak", the Golden Merry broke into two halves at this moment.
"Merry!"
"Hey, what's wrong? What happened suddenly?"
"It's nothing sudden. This is only natural." As if realizing something, Sanji lowered his head, looked at the plank under his feet, and whispered, "Merry has long been considered a ship that can no longer sail."
"But… "
As if unwilling to believe the facts before his eyes, Luffy turned around and shouted to the familiar boatman on the big ship: "Uncle, Merry is in trouble, think of a way, aren't you a boatman? Please, think of a way, Merry is our partner who has always been with us in adventures, and she just saved our lives-"
Iceberg didn't speak.
He looked at the battered sailboat in front of him. Maybe it was a second, two seconds, or maybe even longer. He paused and then told Luffy on the other side:
"Then let it sleep."
Luffy was stunned.
But Bingshan didn't look at him.
The experienced boatman stared at the boat in front of him silently, thinking back to that night when the sea was rough. He should have gone to the shelter as soon as possible, but when he was carrying his tools and preparing to go back, he heard the sound of something hitting the boat through the endless rain.
It was at the scrapyard on that day that he heard the sound of the Merry.
"I want to sail," the voice said to him.
What
Bingshan pressed his temple in astonishment, almost thinking that he was hallucinating. However, the ethereal voice that was not human sounded again: "I want to sail again."
He is a boatman.
He couldn't refuse the request.
So, in that empty shipyard full of shipwrecks, Iceberg took his tools and climbed onto the Straw Hat Pirates' ship, mending it in the endless rain. After doing all this, he looked at the ship that still couldn't hide its "tired look".
"What do you want to do?"
It was clearly a hopeless ship.
No one answered.
Bingshan picked up his toolbox and turned to walk deeper into the Seven Water City. Just when he thought he might not get an answer -
"Thank you."
He stopped and subconsciously looked behind him.
It was at this moment that a huge wave hit. With the help of this wave, the ship, which was supposed to be dying, seemed to gain some kind of life at this moment. It returned to the sea like a last gasp, and in the terrifyingly turbulent waves, it sailed towards a specific direction without looking back.
Where is it going
The iceberg doesn't know.
But at this moment, looking at the safe and sound members of the Straw Hat Pirates and the shattered Golden Merry, he finally understood the other party's "answer" that day.
“I saw a miracle,” he told the Straw Hat Pirates. “The miracle of a ship that has already surpassed its limits. In all my years as a shipwright, I have never seen such an amazing pirate ship… It is amazing that it exists.”
The author has something to say: As expected.
Luo Gaofeng closed his eyes, as if he couldn't bear to watch any more, or maybe he was afraid that tears would wet his eyes again. However, whether he was willing or not, the separation between the Straw Hat Pirates and the Golden Merry finally came.
"Merry, it's dark and lonely at the bottom of the ocean. We will watch over you."
The raging flames ignited the entire ship in an instant. Luffy looked at it and said, "It may be a good thing that Usopp is not here. He will not be able to bear such a scene."
On a small boat not far away, Zoro asked Usopp, who was wearing a mask and disguised as the "Sniper King".
"How about it?"
"That's not true." Usopp said. Everyone was looking at the Merry in the firelight, so no one could see the small mask with its eyes shining. He whispered, "When it's time to say goodbye, men can't shed a single tear. He must have been mentally prepared."
The boiling black smoke swept to the sky like a cloud, and then returned to the ground in another form.
"It's... snowing?"
Nami stretched out her hand and stared at the pure white in her palm in a trance.
Along with the sudden falling of snowflakes, a gentle music suddenly sounded in the animation that originally had no background sound. At the same time, the camera in the video began to jump, and the time that the Straw Hat Pirates and the Golden Merry had experienced together in the past also appeared in front of everyone like a picture scroll -
When I first met the Merry.
"It's a dhow!"
"Wow - now the pirate ship Golden Merry is ready! Cheers to the new ship and friends!"
When the Merry was injured.
An angry Nami raised her hand without hesitation and gave everyone several big bags, while scolding: "Look, the Merry is so badly damaged, the ship needs everyone to work together to operate it, remember this!"
"it hurts-"
"sorry!"
The first attempt to use a cannonball on the Merry, the dream we made when we climbed the Upside-Down Mountain with the Merry, the countless stormy nights we braved the waves of the Grand Line side by side, and the most incredible way to reach the legendary island in the sky between the clouds...
The wood and the flames blended in the red ocean, making a constant crackling sound. When the bow of the ship collapsed in the sea of fire—
"sorry."
Tears flowed uncontrollably. In the hazy vision, the voice of the Golden Merry sounded again, persistently and gently: "I wanted to take you to a farther place. I'm sorry. I really want to adventure with you forever, but I..."
It didn't finish its words.
"We are the ones who should say sorry, Merry!" Luffy shouted, tears already covering half of his face without him noticing, "My steering skills are terrible, causing you to hit an iceberg and damaging your sails; Zoro and Sanji are idiots, too, damaging many parts of the ship; even though Usopp will go and fix it, he's clumsy—"
"I should say sorry..."
The boy squatted down and burst into tears.
Perhaps, it's not just the people standing in front of the Merry at this moment.
On this side of the screen, the audience watching everything also burst into tears. The plot of the animation ends here, and the adventure of the Straw Hat Pirates will continue, but everyone clearly understands that the Merry, which had accompanied them through countless years in the past, has been buried at the bottom of the sea.
If we say that Robin's journey of redemption earned the audience's tears.
The farewell to the Merry in the heavy snow was a gentle blow that was delivered unexpectedly when the audience finally put their minds at ease. It was not cruel, but more deadly. It connected the plot of "One Piece" so far again, and together with the frustration in the early stage, it shattered all the contradictions and conflicts.
Even more ferocious than Robin was back then.
In less than half a day, the video clips related to the Merry dominated the entire panel of Yueqi Video Animation Section. The rankings were all filled with video clips related to the Merry. All major forums and social networking sites were filled with fans crying bitterly over the departure of the Merry.
soon.
Without any involvement of the internet trolls, an entry named #Go to Huaying Paradise to bid farewell to the Merry# was spontaneously pushed to the top of the hot search list by countless netizens. Inspired by the plot of the animation and the influence of the online hot searches, countless people once again rushed to Huaying Paradise with their reluctance to leave the Merry.
Luo Gaofeng is one of them.
He once again boarded the "Golden Merry".
The difference is that compared to this abruptly ended level, the journey of the "Golden Merry" after completing the equipment update became more complete. When the "Golden Merry" passed the Judicial Island level and returned to the Seven Water City again, the entire project was declared over, and everyone came down from the project with a sense of loss.
“Squeak—”
The memory of "One Piece" was instantly awakened, and everyone turned around subconsciously.
The "Golden Merry" that originally carried them had disappeared, but the 3D naked-eye screen opposite lit up again. Accompanied by the familiar soundtrack and the snowflakes slowly falling from the sky, the key scenes of the Straw Hat Pirates and the Golden Merry along the way slowly flashed on the huge screen.
"Ooooooooooooooo Merry!"
"Damn, haven't you watched One Piece? You said before that it was just a lost ship, what's there to cry about? This change of heart is too fast, isn't it?"
…
This month, the "Golden Merry" project at Huaying Paradise was packed.
Countless people boarded the Golden Merry with red eyes, and walked out of it with tears streaming down their faces. When they finally calmed down and left the Golden Merry project, facing the bright sunshine, and accidentally caught a glimpse of the real version of the huge Golden Merry parked on the opposite shore, tears could not help but roll out of their eyes again.
"Fuck, Huaying, this is too unfair..."
"I can't hold back my tears again, wuwuwuwuwu, this is too cruel, too cruel. Didn't they say that no one would die in One Piece? So many enemies before were just beaten away. The Merry is so good, why not let it go to the end of the Grand Line with the Straw Hat Pirates!"
"But, the Merry is definitely not a human being..."
The fans who were still crying bitterly in front of the Golden Merry at this time did not know that in the near future, the first real "death" in "One Piece" would appear before their eyes in the most cruel, direct and heartbreaking way.
At this moment, Luffy's brother, Portgas D. Ace, who is simply labeled as "brother-con", "handsome", and "Captain of the Second Team of the Whitebeard Pirates" by fans, is still on the way to hunt down Blackbeard.