Chapter Seventy-Two: The Port City, Eluma

Crocodile was sent flying a hundred meters with a single punch. Blood spurted from his mouth as he slowly rose from the ground, his gaze growing ever more sinister.

“Haki…”

Haki, combined with the Navy’s Six Powers. Rumor had it he also possessed some strange and mysterious abilities—truly a troublesome opponent.

“No wonder he’s called a great menace, the man who broke out of Impel Down alone. He does have some skill,” Crocodile muttered, wiping blood from his battered chest, which still ached dully. Transforming into a half-elemental state, he floated into the air, gazing coldly at the unruffled youth before him.

“So, Ghost Hunter, you’re as capable as they say. Since you’re protecting Princess Vivi, I’ll let you go today. But don’t think that with you here, this country will remain unscathed. How naïve. Just watch—a grand drama is about to unfold.”

Crocodile laughed wildly as his body dissipated into sand, merging with the whirling, dust-laden wind.

Shu Mingyuan’s Sharingan snapped open, but his brows quickly furrowed. Even under the keen perception of his eyes, he could not detect the slightest trace. Crocodile seemed to have truly vanished into thin air—or rather, he had become nothing but sand.

“A Logia, truly a bizarre power,” Shu Mingyuan murmured. Facing such a troublesome fruit, if once fully elementaled the opponent became untraceable, then the initiative would always rest with the other side. He could attack or retreat at will, impossible to pin down.

He decided not to dwell on it. He did not believe his own ninja techniques would fall short of a Logia fruit’s power; perhaps he simply lacked sufficient ocular strength at present.

Vivi, witnessing Crocodile’s sudden disappearance, found this man’s strength even more unfathomable. Even the wielder of the Sand-Sand Fruit was at a slight disadvantage against him.

Though clearly neither had revealed their full strength, and this was only a probing clash to test each other’s abilities, it seemed the youth was even more formidable than Crocodile.

No wonder he treated everyone with such indifference—so powerful, he could regard anyone as an ant.

Striding forward, Shu Mingyuan approached Princess Vivi. “Come on, let’s keep moving. Since that man spoke with such confidence, he surely has something up his sleeve. I’m afraid you alone can no longer stop the chaos about to engulf this country.”

“Of course, if you insist on trying, then go and see for yourself.”

Princess Vivi nodded, gratitude shining in her eyes. “Thank you.”

She studied the youth before her. Though she had spent these past days fleeing for her life, barely aware of the world outside, she had heard rumors of the terror that was Impel Down. The legendary pirate Golden Lion was said to be the only one to ever break out from there—who would have thought this young man would be the second?

Yet after just a day in his company, she found he had helped her through countless troubles and was nothing like the ruthless monster Crocodile had described. On the contrary, aside from being rather cold and aloof, he seemed quite decent.

“Is there something on my face?” Shu Mingyuan asked, touching his nose.

Vivi couldn’t help but laugh, then quickly climbed onto Karoo the duck. Shu Mingyuan followed, naturally wrapping his arms around her waist. Vivi’s cheeks flushed scarlet.

She couldn’t help but grumble inwardly, “This guy is getting entirely too familiar…”

…

As they neared the coast, the endless sea stretched before them. Yet they had no boat to reach the port city of Canola in Alabasta.

“Uh… Where’s the ship?” Shu Mingyuan asked, expressionless.

“Um, well, when I escaped from Rainbase, I forgot we’d need a ship to reach Canola, so… so… heh…” Vivi replied awkwardly.

Shu Mingyuan nearly covered his face and wept. Speechless, he wondered—if you’re going to escape, shouldn’t you at least prepare the necessary means of transport? Even if you reach this point, what then? Jump into the sea?

What an idiot…

“Should we just wait here and see if a ship comes by?”

“By then, do you think Alabasta won’t already be at war?” He was utterly defeated by her. Dealing with someone so driven by impulse, Shu Mingyuan’s head ached.

“Never mind.”

He sighed, then glanced at Karoo. With a swift motion of his fingertip across the duck’s wing, crimson blood welled up.

“What are you doing to my Karoo? I won’t let you hurt him!” Vivi seized his hand tightly.

Shu Mingyuan looked up at her, his eyes cold. “Let go. If you still want to reach Cattleya, don’t interfere.”

That chill startled Vivi. Recalling his terrifying power, her hands released him almost involuntarily.

Shu Mingyuan removed his only remaining prison shirt, dipped his finger in Karoo’s blood, and swiftly painted a vivid, lifelike crimson bird on the fabric.

“Ninja Art: Super Beast Imitation—Bird!”

He formed a rapid series of seals with his fingers, and with a low shout, the blood-red bird tore itself free from the cloth with a cry, brimming with life.

Vivi watched, her beautiful eyes filled with wonder. She had never heard of such a power, to bring drawings into reality. Anyone witnessing it for the first time would find it extraordinary. Shu Mingyuan repeated the process, creating a second crimson bird.

With everything ready, a layer of green light covered his hands—a vibrant energy brimming with life—which he gently applied to Karoo’s wounded wing. Before their eyes, the injury healed at an astonishing speed, vanishing in moments.

This miraculous healing was yet another surprise to Vivi.

She gazed at the enigmatic youth beside her, his abilities myriad and mysterious, yet always inspiring hope.

“All right, let’s go. We’ll ride these to the port city, Canola.”

Shu Mingyuan clapped his hands, tossing Karoo onto one of the great birds’ backs, then, with his arm around Vivi’s waist, leapt onto the other.

With two sharp cries, the enormous birds soared skyward, ascending into the clouds.

A thousand meters above the ground.

Vivi clung desperately to the bird’s feathers, terrified of falling. At such a height, one glance downward had left her dizzy and weak, nearly slipping off—had Shu Mingyuan not reacted swiftly to pull her back.

After that, she abandoned all reservations, burrowing into Shu Mingyuan’s embrace, clutching feathers tightly with her eyes shut, never daring another look below.

The youth laughed quietly. This stubborn girl, so fearless on the ground, was afraid of heights? He certainly wouldn’t refuse such a situation—soft warmth in his arms, he was happy to enjoy it.

The crimson birds flew at astonishing speed. The port city of Canola and the drought-stricken Erumalu were separated only by a strait. At such velocity, in just half a day, Shu Mingyuan could already see a bustling city by the sea.

Canola—at last, they had arrived.

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