Stowaway

The chapter title page displays the title 'Chapter 217 "Stowaway"'. The cover story illustration, 'HACHI'S OCEAN FLOOR STROLL VOL. 31 "SAVE THE CATFISH VILLAGE! TREASURE TRADED FOR INGREDIENTS."' shows Hachi, the octopus fish-man, energetically pulling a massive cart overflowing with various cooking ingredients and supplies.

Out at sea on a Marine ship, a voice urgently calls out, 'MISS HINA! THERE'S STILL AN ENEMY LOOSE!' Hina, standing calmly, remarks, 'This is really ticking me off. Hina raving mad.' An unseen person retorts, '...Hmph. At what, your own incompetence?' Hina coolly replies, 'No, not at all.' Suddenly, a masked pirate wielding a sword lunges at her from behind, screaming, 'I AIN'T GOIN' DOWN 'TIL I TAKE AT LEAST ONE OF YOU DOWN WITH ME!' Hina effortlessly dodges with a quick 'SIDE STEP!' As the pirate stumbles forward, Hina passes her arm straight through his midsection. With a metallic clank, an iron ring forms around the pirate's waist and arms, binding him. The pirate yells in shock, 'DAMNNN! HER ORI-ORI FRUIT POWERS JUST GIVE YOU THE THRILLS!' Nearby, Jango and Fullbody strike dramatic poses and cheer her on, 'YES, SAY IT! SAY THE FINISHER CATCH-PHRASE!' Hina obliges, stating, 'Everything that passes through my body... will be locked!'

The masked pirate struggles against the heavy iron ring binding him, grunting, 'UGH!' Hina, adjusting her glove, says, 'Mad at you, Smoker.' The scene shifts to Smoker, who is sitting on the deck of his ship, smoking two cigars and holding a den den mushi receiver. The bound pirate falls to the deck behind Hina, crying out, 'GAH! WHAT'S WITH THIS... IRON LOCK!?' Over the den den mushi, Smoker replies, '...? Sounds like you're too suspicious of me...' Hina lights a cigarette and says, 'Well... Even though the Straw-Hats got away,' Smoker's voice finishes the thought, 'You sound perfectly happy...' Hina pauses, a slight smile on her face, and softly reacts, '...Oh!?'

The scene transitions to the desert kingdom of Arabasta. A wide view shows the sea meeting the sandy shores, with birds cawing in the sky. In the bustling city of Alubarna, citizens are gathered, discussing the recent events. One person asks, 'Who do you reckon the princess was speaking to?' The crowd murmurs with varying opinions. 'We may not be much, but we have to try,' one says. Another jokes, 'That's rich, coming from you!' Someone else adds, 'The rest of us need to respond to her love!' and another agrees, 'That's right!' Despite the uncertainty of who Princess Vivi was addressing in her speech, the general sentiment is positive. '...Who knows? What does it matter, whoever it was,' a citizen remarks. 'Yeah, she still said all those wonderful things.' The city is filled with a renewed sense of hope and chatter.

Across the desert, the Super Spot-Billed Duck squad races across the dunes, quacking energetically. A voice calls out, 'Now let's get rebuilding!' Flocks of birds fly over the recovering landscape. In a desert town, Toto is surrounded by people and is laughing uproariously. 'HAHAHA... IT'S A SECRET! I CAN'T TELL YOU!' he booms, followed by continuous laughter. The townsfolk watch him with amusement and slight confusion. 'Did all those sandstorms scatter your brain, old man?' one asks. Another notes, 'He's been laughing non-stop since the speech.' Someone else wonders, 'What's with Toto?' Toto just keeps laughing, his spirits completely lifted by the recent victory and the return of peace to Arabasta.

Toto smiles warmly, his face full of joy. 'COME BY AND DRINK SOME MORE OF YUBA'S WATER ONE DAY! TAKE CARE, LUFFY!' he says, expressing his gratitude to the pirate who saved their country. Koza stands nearby, smiling in agreement. Out in the desert, the giant Moving Crab rests on the sand. Citizens gather around, ready to work. 'Now then, what're you all doing standing around?' someone asks. 'We've gotta dig up the water!' 'We know, we know!' The people are mobilized, leading camels loaded with supplies. 'Well, we'll be heading over there then,' a group says. 'I hear Alubarna's in rough shape.' Another group declares, 'And we've gotta rush to the reconstruction of Yuba. After all, it's a key crossing-point in the West.' A third group adds, 'As for us, we've got to repair all the canals and waterways along the Sandora River.' The entire nation is coming together to rebuild.

The giant Moving Crab scuttles away across the dunes as the citizens cheer, 'Let's head out, everyone!' 'Right on!' Someone asks, 'Huh? What about the casino?' and another dismissively replies, 'Who cares, it's closed for good.' As the crab disappears into the distance, a voiceover from King Nefertari Cobra begins. 'And so she turns to me,' he narrates over a view of the grand palace in Alubarna. 'And says, "I have something very important to discuss," "Papa- I mean... Father." And as the king of this country, I thought to myself at that moment...' The narration builds up to a seemingly serious revelation from the king.

The serious tone is immediately shattered as King Cobra is shown leaning over the palace balcony, wailing at the top of his lungs, 'WAAAAAAAH! I'm going to sure miss being called "Papa."' The massive crowd of citizens gathered below cheers and laughs at their king's dramatic display of fatherly affection. Igaram stands behind Cobra, frantically waving a fan and scolding him, 'Your highness, please stop joking around in public!' The scene then shifts to a quiet, desolate part of the desert ruins. A voiceover from Chaka says, 'You know, Pell... I just can't seem to accept you've really died...'

Chaka stands solemnly before a makeshift grave marked with a stone cross and Pell's torn garment. He looks down, his expression somber. 'The tears won't come out... I wonder why...' he murmurs to himself. Suddenly, a gentle breeze sweeps past him, rustling his cloak. He turns his head slightly, whispering, 'Pell...' In the distance, perched on a ruined pillar against the vast desert sky, a small bird is visible. The silent ruins stretch out, leaving a lingering sense of mystery and peace.

The scene cuts to a dramatic moment at sea. Marine cannons fire with a deafening 'BOOM BOOM!!' sending smoke billowing into the air. On the deck of a Marine ship, an officer points forward, shouting orders to his men as they man the artillery. In stark contrast to the chaos, a silhouette is shown on the shore: a person with long hair riding atop a large bird, looking out over the water. A speech bubble simply reads, 'TIE...!!' as birds caw in the sky above the tranquil waves.

Back in Alubarna, the camel Matsuge is relaxing in a courtyard, munching on some food. A citizen looks at him skeptically. '...So why's this camel special?' Another replies, 'Beats me, but that's what the princess said. It's apparently a candidate for the Super Spot-Billed Duck squad...' The first citizen deadpans, 'Yeah......But it's a camel.' Meanwhile, outside a hospital, a doctor with a large mustache looks up in surprise. '...Hm?' A man heavily wrapped in bandages and wearing a hat is walking away. The doctor calls out, 'Well... Thanks for the treatment. Just make sure to get plenty of rest! I don't see why he had to rush out of here.' The bandaged man raises a hand, holding a familiar torn piece of patterned cloth. A voice from the hospital shouts, 'HEY, WAIT! YOU LEFT YOUR CAP!' Elsewhere, Karoo the duck turns his head. A voice says, 'Alright, Carue...'

Princess Vivi is shown smiling radiantly, her eyes full of determination and joy. 'Time to go home! Back to Alubarna!' she declares. Below, Karoo is seen sprinting across the vast desert landscape, kicking up dust as he runs under the expansive, cloudy sky. A narration box appears, summarizing the aftermath of the conflict: 'For some time after, The Kingdom of Alabasta revitalized itself with such vigour and speed, That other countries could only stand by and watch with awe.' The duck lets out a cheerful 'QUACK!' as they journey back.

Out on the open ocean, a Marine ship sails peacefully. On the deck, Smoker sits at a table, shirtless and sporting bandages on his chest and arm. A Marine approaches him, saying, 'Capt. Smoker...' Tashigi, wearing a casual floral shirt and glasses, walks up to the table. '...Mornin' miss. Your legs alright now?' the Marine asks her. Tashigi flusters, 'P-please don't refer to me like that!' She then proceeds to pour a cup of coffee from a pot for Smoker. 'Thank you...' Smoker says quietly as she fills his cup.

Smoker and Tashigi discuss the recent events. Tashigi says, 'I saw the wanted posters... It's an appropriate figure for them.' Two new wanted posters are shown: Roronoa Zoro with a bounty of 60,000,000 Berries, and Monkey D. Luffy with a bounty of 100,000,000 Berries. Tashigi continues, 'Do you know what his swordsman-friend did? You mean Roronoa? He cut down 100 bounty hunters at Whiskey Peak, And even defeated Daz Bones at Alubarna.' Smoker, taking a sip of his coffee, reacts, 'Daz...? Daz the assassin!? Yes, that was his nickname in his bounty-hunting days at West Blue... At BW, he was called Mr. 1.' He reflects on the situation, 'As impressive as Crocodile was for recruiting so many famous and powerful people to serve as his agents, In the end, he was defeated. Straw-Hat pirates...' Tashigi stands up, looking resolute. 'It's time to begin the chase again!' Smoker smiles around his cigars and replies, 'Yes, Captain!'

The Going Merry sails across the sea, but the mood on board is incredibly gloomy. 'Looks like the marines aren't chasing us anymore...' someone notes. A chorus of depressed 'Uh huh...' replies follows. 'We managed to throw them off, right guys!?' Another round of lifeless 'Uh huh...' is the only response. A voice finally asks, '...Ah jeez. What's up with all the lifeless replies?' Usopp, Luffy, Sanji, and Chopper are all draped over the ship's railing, tears streaming down their faces as they sob, 'I MISS HER...' Zoro, standing nearby, is visibly annoyed by their dramatic mourning. 'Stop weeping! God, if you didn't want to part with her that much, We should've just brought her onboard by force!' he yells at them.

Zoro's comment sparks outrage among the grieving crew members. Sanji, Chopper, Usopp, and Luffy turn to yell at him. 'Gasp! How barbaric...' 'Could you sink any lower?' 'Marimo...' 'Three-swords...' Luffy adds, 'Uhh, Luffy. Three-swords isn't an insult.' Someone corrects, 'Four-swords.' Zoro yells back, 'How's increasing the number gonna change anything!? Listen up! You know what natto is, right? Calling him four-swords is like calling natto rotten...!' He finally gives up, waving his hand dismissively. 'Fine, fine. Cry as much as you want.' Suddenly, Luffy looks up, noticing something. Zoro also turns, a question mark appearing above his head. From the shadows of the ship's cabin, a dark silhouette of a woman emerges. 'Seems like we finally left the island... Well done,' she says. 'Yeah.' The entire crew reacts with massive shock, exclamation points surrounding the ship as it sails on.

Chaos erupts on the deck. Usopp runs around in a panic, screaming, 'ENEMY ATTACK! ENEMY ATTACK!' Sanji immediately swoons, hearts in his eyes, 'Oh my, such a lovely lady!' Nami is furious and terrified, yelling, 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?' Zoro instantly draws his sword, glaring menacingly. 'HERE TO AVENGE YOUR ORGANIZATION!? FINE, I'LL TAKE YOU ON... DRAW...' Luffy, however, just looks mildly surprised. 'Ah! It's you! So you're alive?' Chopper is completely losing his mind, screaming, 'Who's she? AAAAA AAAHHH HHHHH HHHHH!' Nico Robin steps fully into the light, wearing Nami's clothes. 'Please don't point those savage objects at me. I told you before, didn't I?' Suddenly, multiple disembodied arms sprout from Zoro's body, knocking his swords out of his hands. 'WHA! HANDS?' Zoro exclaims. Nami screams, 'AHH!'

Robin smiles calmly at the bewildered crew. Nami demands, 'Since when did YOU get on the ship!?' Robin replies casually, 'Oh, for a while now. I was busy reading and taking a shower until now. These are your clothes, right? I'll be borrowing them.' Nami glares at her, 'What're you up to, BW!?' Robin ignores her and looks at the captain. 'Monkey D. Luffy. Hm?' She continues, 'You haven't forgotten what you did to me, did you now...?' This statement sends Sanji and Usopp into a frenzy. They grab Luffy and shake him. 'WHAT YOU DID!? LUFFY! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO THIS FINE LADY!?' 'DISEMBARK IMMEDIATELY!' Luffy yells defensively, 'Hey, stop lying! I never did anything to you!' Robin casually sits down in a lounge chair, crossing her legs and resting her hands behind her head. 'Oh no. You committed an unbearable act upon me, For which you must take, Responsibility...'

Luffy looks completely baffled by Robin's accusation. 'You're not making any sense. Just what is it you want me to do?' he asks. In the background, Usopp is still panicking, yelling, 'LEAVE AT ONCE! OR WE WILL CALL THE MARINES!' while Chopper frantically asks, 'Who's she? What's going on?' Robin leans forward slightly, resting her chin on her hand with a serene smile. 'LET ME JOIN,' she says. 'YOUR CREW.' The entire crew—Luffy, Sanji, Nami, Usopp, Zoro, and Chopper—stare at her, their jaws dropping in unison as they scream in absolute shock, 'WHAT!?'

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