One Piece: From Picking Up Red Hair's Broken Arm

Chapter 184 Lox, you're still alive!
"Bear?"

"Doflamingo...wait? The great pirate this kid is talking about, isn't it Doflamingo, the Shichibukai who's been split in two?"

"Which other Doflamingo could it be! Have you forgotten, Nami? It's the story Kuma mentioned, everything makes sense now!"

Everyone started discussing it amongst themselves.

Xia Nuo also touched her chin, her eyes flashing slightly.

Indeed, it matches up.

He should have remembered this sooner.

However, Xiong's explanation was rather brief due to time constraints.

In addition, the name Agatha Islands is not easy to remember, and several months have passed, so it was only when the person involved from another perspective got to this point that he finally made up the two accounts.

"Um..." Chia looked at the group cautiously, "Do you know Mr. Bear? How is he doing?"

"Of course I know him, don't worry, he's doing very well!"

Nami chuckled and interjected, "Kuma was chased by Doflamingo for a long time after saving you guys, but he happened to run into my brother and was rescued."

"He and his daughter are already our partners, but something has delayed them and they haven't boarded the ship yet. Otherwise, he would be standing here today, and we would be reunited!"

"Really?!"

Chia jumped up excitedly, tears welling in her eyes, "I'm so glad Mr. Bear is alright! I... I was so worried that he would be hurt by that flamingo..."

"Don't worry about that. Not only did we save him, but my brother also chopped that flamingo in half a long time ago!"

Nami put her hands on her hips triumphantly, "That was so long ago, the grass on the grave must be this tall by now!"

She spread her arms, making a huge arc, and was kicked by Noki in annoyance. It's only been a few months, how could it be so exaggerated!

"Eh?!"

Chia was stunned, looking at Shano in disbelief, "Brother Shano...did you really defeat that monster?"

That flamingo is a terrifying monster!
He still remembered that when the other party first came to their island in person and forced them to hand over the sacred object, he casually waved his hand and caused heavy casualties among their warriors.

To save the lives of his people, the grandfather had no choice but to offer up the sacred object with tears in his eyes. However, the flamingo only touched it once, then its expression suddenly changed, and it ran away without saying a word.

He never came in person again, only sending his subordinates to urge him a few times.

They couldn't wait any longer and finally sent a bear... Luckily, Uncle Bear was a good person, and for their sake, he turned against the flamingo and started a war.

"Is there any need to question this? My brother could do it with a single finger, let me tell you!"

Nami gets all excited when she talks about this, grinning and holding up her finger:
"That Doflamingo you're afraid of only has a bounty of around 300 million, while my brother's is over 2.1 billion, a full seven times that!"

"Twenty-one billion?!"

Chia was stunned, her mouth agape enough to fit an egg.

After a moment of stunned silence, he suddenly realized what was happening, turned to Xia Nuo, bent his knees, and knelt down with a thud, his forehead hitting the rock face hard with a dull thud.

"Brother Shanuo!"

Chia was trembling all over. "Although I just said that one day I would get rid of that flamingo and take revenge, I know that was just bragging!"

His eyes instantly reddened, tears streamed down his face, and his voice choked with emotion:
“How could I possibly have that ability? That guy was too strong. Not only me, but our entire clan thought we would never be able to get revenge in this lifetime… I never expected that you would not only save Mr. Xiong, but also personally kill that bastard…”

"I will remember this forever! When I return, I will make sure all my people know about your kindness!"

As Chia was about to kowtow again, Xia Nuo grabbed her shoulder.

"okay."

Xia Nuo shook his head helplessly, "A man's knees are worth gold, don't kneel down so easily. I didn't know you back then, killing that guy was just a side effect... But what you just said, that flamingo guy was so frightened after touching your sacred fruit that he never went to your island again?"

"Yes, it is!"

Chia nodded hurriedly, "When I was very young, my grandfather told me that the sacred fruit contained terrifying power, and that without a strong enough will, it was best not to even touch it. But no one expected that my grandfather would be unconscious for so long..."

He looked at Xia Nuo with hopeful eyes, "Brother Xia Nuo, you are knowledgeable and highly skilled, do you have a way to save my grandfather?"

"I can't guarantee it without seeing it with my own eyes."

Xia Nuo pondered for a moment, then shook her head.

"However, I happen to be very interested in this thing as well, so take us to see it. It will also be a good opportunity to send you back home. You've been away from home for so long, and I'm sure your people are worried sick about you."

He was genuinely interested.

This thing left behind by Lox, known as the "Holy Fruit," does indeed sound very strange.

It can protect the entire tribe for decades from the threats of ferocious beasts in the mountains and forests and passing sea monsters;
It also contains an unextracted "power". Chia's grandfather fainted as soon as he tried to extract this power.
Even a fearless madman like Doflamingo, who only broke out in a cold sweat at the mere mention of Kaido's name six years later, was too terrified to set foot on the island after personally touching it...

He probably won't be able to sleep well for months if he doesn't figure out what this thing is.

"That's great! Thank you, Brother Xia Nuo!"

Chia hurriedly stood up and pushed open a hidden door behind the treasure chest. "Everyone, follow me. There's a passage down there. If you go down a little further, you'll reach the seabed. This is a shortcut my grandfather left behind when he was digging for treasure..."

Before the boy could finish speaking, Jack picked him up speechlessly and hoisted him onto his shoulder.

—This silly kid, he even beat Yan Feng through. There are so many ability users on the ship, why would anyone follow you to the bottom of the sea if you don't take the righteous path?

The group quickly returned to the ship, and after docking at Thor Island for a full week, the Fallen Ship finally set sail again.

Following the permanent compass provided by Chia, we sailed towards the Agatha Islands.

……

Four days later.

The outline of the Agatha Islands came into view.

On the azure sea, more than a dozen islands are scattered like pearls. The largest main island in the center is covered by dense primeval forest, and in the far distance, several volcanoes can be seen, with faint smoke swirling around them.

The ship lowered its sails and sailed along the canal leading to the center of the island.

"We're almost there, Brother Xia Nuo!"

Chia stood at the bow of the boat, pointing to the village on the hill, "That's our main village over there! There are a few other villages nearby, with several thousand people in total!"

"stop!"

A sharp shout suddenly came from the shore.

Dozens of warriors, armed with longbows and dressed simply, rushed out of the dense forest, their arrows flashing with the black light of Armament Haki, all aimed at the Fallen Ship.

"Eh?"

Nami, who had been watching this scene with great interest, was shocked when she saw it. "How come all of these people are so domineering!"

Xia Nuo glanced around and was somewhat surprised. A tribe whose members all possessed domineering aura was extremely rare in the New World.

Is this a male version of Amazonian lilies?

"Outsiders!"

The burly young man at the head of the group shouted sternly, "We don't want to hurt you, but this isn't a place for you. Turn around and leave, or we won't be polite!"

"Wow! That's awesome! We just evolved, and we're already in a fight so soon!"

Gatomon easily leaped to the second-floor railing, then energetically clenched its claws and touched them together:
"Alright, it's decided! I'll lead the charge in this battle, and let everyone who's been protecting me witness my current strength... Ugh!"

Before she could finish speaking, she screamed as she was kicked into the water.

Behind the railing. Ah Yin snorted and disdainfully withdrew her hind leg.

—What are you showing off for? You have no respect for your elders. The master hasn't even spoken yet, so it's not your place to jump out and embarrass yourself.

"Wait! Brother Noah!"

Chia quickly flipped over and jumped onto the shore, waving as she ran up the hillside, "It's me! Chia! I'm back!"

"Chia?"

The warriors who had drawn their bows and arrows were all stunned, their expressions showing surprise.

"He changed into a different set of clothes, his hairstyle and physique changed... but there's no mistake about his face, it really is him!"

"This kid is still alive!"

"Hey! Chia, haha, where have you been? We've all missed you so much!"

The tense atmosphere dissipated instantly, and many soldiers even smiled and were about to go forward, but were interrupted by the young man in the lead, who was called Noah, who stretched out a hand.

"What's wrong, young chieftain?" The warriors beside him looked over in surprise. "It's Qiya! Don't you recognize her?!"

"How could I not recognize my own brother?"

Noah still held his bow and arrow, his eyes slightly narrowed, his square and burly face cold. "That's precisely why I have to ask, Chia, who are these outsiders you brought, and where have you been for more than three months?"

More than three months?!

Chia was stunned. Had she really been gone for so long?
He thought it was only ten days or so, how long had he been sleeping in the treasure chest... But he didn't have time to worry about that now. He lowered his head somewhat aggrievedly: "Big brother, I... I'm going to find a way to save Grandpa."

"Nonsense!"

Noah's eyebrows shot up, and he shouted sternly:
"At your age, what solutions could you possibly find! You think you can sneak out on your own? Do you even know that Grandpa's condition is getting worse? The priests all say he won't make it through the month!"

"What if Grandpa has a sudden burst of lucidity and wakes up, only to find he can't see his most beloved grandson... Chia! You brat, do you want him to die with regrets and unfulfilled dreams?!"

"me……"

Chia was both anxious and aggrieved. "Big brother, I didn't expect it to take so long! I just didn't want to see Grandpa lying unconscious... Besides, I found someone who can save Grandpa!"

He suddenly looked up and pointed at Xia Nuo behind him:
"This is Brother Shano! He's Mr. Kuma's captain, and he even defeated that Flamingo Doflamingo! He's a very powerful figure; he must have a way to save Grandpa!"

"what?!"

"So young, and he's Uncle Bear's captain?"

The soldiers were shocked and looked at Xia Nuo.

Noah's pupils contracted slightly, but he quickly regained his composure:

"Kia, you idiot, are you sure you haven't been tricked? That Doflamingo is a monster even Grandpa couldn't handle, how could he possibly..."

"it is true!"

Chia stamped his feet in frustration. "I've already checked it in the newspapers outside. If you don't believe me, I'll go get the wanted poster right now and show it to you... Even the World Government is afraid of him, and they've put a bounty of over two billion on him!"

More than two billion?

That's outrageous! Isn't that twice as much as Grandpa's reward back then?
Noah was startled. Seeing Qi Ya's appearance, he subconsciously looked at Shano... His Observation Haki couldn't figure out this guy's background at all. He seemed to be very strong, but he also seemed to have no malice.

He took a deep breath and stared intently at Xia Nuo: "Your Excellency, can you really save my grandfather?"

Xia Nuo shook her head slightly: "I can't guarantee that, but you can take me to see the situation first."

Noah remained silent for a moment, then finally made up his mind, put down his bow and arrows, and waved for the warriors to make way:

"Please follow me."

……

The air was filled with the mixed scents of herbs and incense.

Inside the wooden house, the light was dim. Chia and Noah's grandfather, who was also the old chieftain of the Agatha tribe, lay quietly on the bed with his eyes closed.

Xia Nuo took a look and realized that the old man was much older than he had thought, probably around a hundred years old.

The prolonged coma and the difficulty in obtaining nutrition made his already emaciated body even more skeletal, with his skin clinging to his bones like dry tree bark.

"Grandpa! I'm late..." Chia rushed to the bedside and began to sob softly.

Xia Nuo then turned his gaze to the center of the room, where two middle-aged warriors stood on either side, guarding a wooden cabinet.

He approached the wooden cabinet, where two warriors cast inquiring glances at Noah. After receiving a nod of approval, they bowed slightly and stepped aside.

When Shano opened the cabinet door, she finally saw the true appearance of the so-called "sacred fruit".

This is……

—Nepenthes?
He paused for a moment, staring at the thing for a long time, almost thinking he was seeing things.

The plant before me has a lush green, bottle-shaped insect trap hanging down, its edges glistening with moisture. The inner walls are smooth, and the opening is slightly open, with the half-closed lid resembling a tilted little hat, ready to close gently at any moment.

Yes, isn't this a pitcher plant?

Back in the village of Cocosia, some villagers kept these things as pets. He even played with them out of curiosity when he was young.

The only difference is.

It was much larger than any pitcher plant that Shano had ever seen, and its body was covered with many faint, dark red lines, like dried blood vessels.

"hiss……"

Seemingly sensing Shano's presence, the pitcher plant's lid opened completely, the opening slowly widening, releasing a wisp of sweet-smelling mist.

For a moment, Xia Nuo's mind went blank, but in the blink of an eye, it cleared up instantly.

This is the "brain-occlusion technique" I practiced back then taking effect.

Xia Nuo wasn't hit, but she sensed a familiar feeling from this move.

He's a Devil Fruit user...

He looked at the pitcher plant in front of him, his expression turning somewhat strange. "Hey, you...did you happen to eat a Devil Fruit that fell down back then?"

There are even fruits that people eat but don't become Devil Fruits?
That sounds a bit convoluted.

But when you think about how even swords and ships can become Devil Fruit users in this world, it doesn't seem so strange anymore...

The pitcher plant tilted its "head" slightly, as if it were somewhat confused, seemingly having not encountered a human immune to its mist for a very long time.

After thinking for a moment, it stretched out a leaf, as if inviting Shano to place his hand on it, just like a human.

Xia Nuo also wanted to see this guy's abilities, so without much hesitation, he directly extended his right hand and placed it on the pitcher plant's leaf.

hum!
The next moment, everything in the world before my eyes blurred instantly, and when it became clear again, the surroundings had completely changed.

Under the blood moon and the pitch-black night atop the cliff, a massive and imposing figure draped in a red cloak seemed to sense the presence of a stranger and slowly turned around.

"Huh? What's going on? Who is this guy now! How dare he disturb my benefactor!"

The man grinned, revealing an exaggerated, ferocious smile. His gaze fell on Xia Nuo, whose long, two-tone hair danced wildly in the wind.

"Not very old... so fearless. I say, you young upstart from the high seas, have you completely forgotten who I am?!"

hum!
As soon as he finished speaking, an extremely terrifying Conqueror's Haki suddenly erupted from his body and pressed down on Xia Nuo!

(End of this chapter)