A Nice Weather for an Okama

A narration box states: "The ship sails onward to Alabasta, albeit with some slight troubles. It has been 5 days since the crew left Drum Island." The chapter title is displayed: "Chapter 156 'A Nice Weather for an Okama'". On the deck of the Going Merry, Nami angrily yells, "Luffy, Usopp! Have you caught anything y-" She is interrupted by the sight of Luffy and Usopp fishing off the side of the ship. They are using Karoo the duck as bait, tied securely to their fishing line. Karoo quacks in absolute panic as he dangles over the water. Nami screams, "WHAT'RE YOU TWO DOING TO CARUE!?" Luffy casually replies, "Think we can catch a shark with this?" Usopp adds, "Gonna catch me a sea king." Nami yells furiously, "LUFFY! IT'S BECAUSE YOU KEEP EATING OUR BAIT! HOW DO YOU EXPECT US TO CATCH ANYTHING WITH NO BAIT!?" Luffy argues back, "But you ate some too." Usopp defends himself, "THAT WAS ONLY THE ITTY BITTY BITS STUCK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LID!" Suddenly, Nami notices something in the distance. "What's that?" she asks, looking out at the ocean.

The left half of a double-page color spread showing the Straw Hat Pirates resting in a desert landscape. They are situated around a massive, bleached animal ribcage half-buried in the sand. Chopper stands near the ribs, wearing a small backpack. Usopp stands next to him, holding his slingshot and looking out. Zoro stands further up, holding his swords. The sky is bright with swirling clouds.

The right half of the double-page color spread. Luffy sits on top of a giant bleached skull, looking out over the desert. Sanji sits in the foreground, casually pouring a glass of red wine from a bottle labeled "Sang Rou". The massive skull dominates the center of the spread.

A loud "DOOOM!!" sound echoes across the ocean. Plumes of smoke or steam rise from the water's surface in the distance. On the Going Merry, Usopp looks through binoculars and yells, "SMOKE!?" Luffy, sweating and with his tongue hanging out in hunger, wonders, "Maybe it's cotton candy?" Usopp replies, "The heck?" Sanji opens the door to the galley, smoking a cigarette, as Nami calls out, "NAMI, COME QUICK! THERE'S SOMETHING AHEAD!" Nami walks out onto the deck, smiling calmly, and reassures them, "Oh, don't worry. It's nothing but steam."

The steam continues to billow heavily from the ocean surface. Usopp asks, "Steam? From the ocean!?" Nami explains, "Yes, there's a hot spot here." Luffy asks, "What's a hot spot?" Nami elaborates, "It's what we call a place that spews magma. Underneath here is an underwater volcano." Chopper is amazed: "A volcano can exist underwater?" Nami confirms, "Yes. In fact, there are more volcanoes underwater than there are on land." Luffy, looking disappointed, says, "Who cares, it's not like we can eat it." Usopp mutters, "Oooohhhhh..." Nami continues her explanation as they look at the rising steam: "In some thousands or ten thousands of years from now, the underwater volcano here will give birth to a new island."

Nami smiles and says, "This is an amazing place, isn't it..." Sanji swoons over her, "Oh Nami, you're soooo intelligent!" Usopp asks, "In some ten thousands of years, huh... Wonder if I'll be alive then?" Luffy bluntly replies, "Not a chance. That is, if you're human." The ship sails directly into the thick steam. Everyone starts coughing. Usopp complains, "IT STINKS OF SULPHUR!" Luffy says, "I can't see anything with all this steam!" Nami tells them, "Bear with it, we'll sail past it soon enough." Meanwhile, on another ship, a crew of men in striped shirts panic. One yells, "SMOKE SIGHTED AT 12 O'CLOCK!" Another asks, "WHAT IS IT!?" A man with a swan-themed outfit and heavy makeup, Mr. 2 Bon Kurei, stands confidently on the deck and commands, "PAY NO HEED! SAIL STRAAA-AAAIGHT THROUGH IT!" His crew replies, "AYE-AYE!"

The swan-themed ship sails at full speed into the thick steam. A crewmate yells, "FULL SPEED AHEAD!" Inside the steam, someone cries out, "AHH! I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING!" The Going Merry is also seen sailing through the fog. Someone coughs and says, "WE'RE FINALLY OUT!" Back on the swan ship, the crew is in a panic. They look at an empty chair on the deck. "AGHH! MR. 2 BON KUREI'S GONE!?" one yells. Another orders, "SEARCH THE SHIP!" They run around frantically. "HE'S NOT HERE!" "THAT CAN'T BE!" "MR. 2 BON KUREIII!"

On the Going Merry, Luffy and Usopp are holding their fishing rods, their eyes wide and jaws dropped in absolute shock. They reel in their line, and a figure is seen dangling from the hook above the water. Usopp screams, "QUAAAAACK!" The figure, wearing a swan coat, lands on the deck with a thud. He says, "Oh my! Hugging onto the first duck that quacks along my way. Whatever am I thinking!?" Luffy and Usopp scream in unison, "WE CAUGHT AN OKAMAAA!"

The flamboyant man, Mr. 2 Bon Kurei, strikes a dramatic ballet pose on the deck, his swan coat flaring out. He says, "Please forgive this foolish little swan, for wandering onto your boat." He then bows gracefully. "To be rescued by pirates I've never met nor heard of... I shall never forget the debt I owe to you!" He then casually adds, "Now then... I am a little peckish and a hot bowl of soup right about now would be smashing, if you please." Sanji, Zoro, Luffy, and Usopp yell angrily, "OH HELL NO! WE'RE STARVING OVER HERE TOO!" Mr. 2 Bon Kurei suddenly gets close to Usopp, his heavily made-up face looming large. "Oh my! Such a cute little thing you are, and just my type too! I could just eat you up!" Usopp recoils in disgust, sweating, "Ugh... WHAT A WEIRDO..."

Usopp asks Mr. 2 Bon Kurei, "So you can't swim, huh?" Mr. 2 replies, "Yes. For you see, I've eaten a devil fruit." Usopp is intrigued, "Really? Which one?" Mr. 2 looks out at the ocean and says, "Hm? Well, since I do have some time to kill until my crew comes looking for me, allow me to treat you daisies to a show." He strikes another dramatic pose and announces, "BEHOLD MY ABILITY!" He then forcefully slaps his own face with his right hand, making a loud "OOF!" sound.

After slapping his face, Mr. 2 Bon Kurei spins around rapidly. When he stops, he has completely transformed into Monkey D. Luffy, wearing his swan coat. The real Luffy falls backward in shock, yelling, "LUFFY!" Zoro draws his sword slightly, demanding, "WHAT'RE YOU-" Usopp, Chopper, Vivi, and Nami stare in absolute disbelief, their eyes wide. Zoro yells, "HOLD YOUR HORSES!" The transformed Mr. 2 holds up his hands defensively. Zoro says, "WHA...!?" Mr. 2, still looking like Luffy, says, "Didn't I say I'd treat you to a show?"

Mr. 2 Bon Kurei, still wearing Luffy's face, bursts into laughter with a wide, toothy grin, yelling, "JOOOKING AROUND!" The real Luffy points at him, amazed, "Wha!? It's me!" Usopp and Chopper are equally stunned. Usopp says, "HE'S IDENTICAL!" Mr. 2 dances around in his swan coat, laughing, "Surprised? Surprised? GAAAHA-HAHA!" He then explains, "This is the power of the 'Mane Mane Fruit' I ate!" A translation note says Mane means mimic in Japanese. He continues, "And if I touch my face with my left hand..." He slaps his face with his left hand. "Tada! Back to normal!" His face returns to his original, heavily made-up appearance.

Nami observes, "His voice... Even his body shape was identical...!" Luffy, stars in his eyes, cheers, "THAT'S- SOOO COOOOL!" Mr. 2 Bon Kurei poses again and says, "Of course, there really was no need for me to hit you. I can copy their faces, then as you can see, and touch someone's face, if I take my right hand," He demonstrates by touching his face with his right hand, transforming into Chopper, then Zoro, then Nami. As he transforms into Nami, he opens his coat to reveal her body, saying, "As well as their bodies!" Sanji, Luffy, and Usopp react with extreme excitement, eyes popping out. Nami furiously punches Mr. 2, yelling, "QUIT IT!" Mr. 2, back to normal and rubbing his head, replies, "Yes, ma'am..."

Mr. 2 Bon Kurei strikes another ballet pose. Luffy and Usopp cheer, "YOU'RE AMAZING! SHOW US SOME MORE!" Mr. 2 says, "I'm afraid this is all that I can risk showing you right n- FOR MY NEXT ACT..." Zoro mutters, "Well he's easily convinced." Luffy and Usopp cheer, "ALRIIIIGHT!" Mr. 2 announces, "I'LL SHOW YOU MY MEMORY ABILITY! A face I've touched once in the past, I do not forget!" He begins rapidly slapping his face, transforming into various people. He turns into Usopp, then a man with a large nose, then a man with a mustache. Nami and Vivi watch closely. Vivi suddenly looks shocked, saying, "Huh?" Zoro looks unamused, saying, "Whatever..." Mr. 2 continues transforming, showing a smiling man, and then a stern-looking man with dark hair and a beard, who is Nefertari Cobra, the King of Alabasta.

Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper applaud wildly, yelling, "BRAVO! BRAVO!" Mr. 2 Bon Kurei bows, asking, "How was it? My hidden talents!? This isn't something I ordinarily show to others, you know!" He then starts laughing loudly, "Gahahaha!" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper join in, dancing around him and laughing, "STOOOP JOOOKING AROUND!" Nami looks out at the ocean and says, "Hey! There's a ship coming this way. Could that be your ship?" Zoro tells the laughing trio, "Yeah... You guys just keep doing whatever the hell you want." Mr. 2 looks shocked, "WHAAAAAAT!? Oh phooie, time to part ways already? What a pity..." Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper cry dramatically. Mr. 2 tells them, "Don't cry, my silly billies. Farewells are an inevitable thing if you sail the seas! But remember this!"

Mr. 2 Bon Kurei gives a thumbs up with a sparkling smile and declares, "The length of time spent together, Has no bearing on true friendship!" He then leaps gracefully from the Going Merry towards his swan ship, shouting, "LET US BE OFF!" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper wave tearfully, yelling, "YES SIR, MR. 2 BON KUREI! LET'S MEET AGAIN SOMEDAY!" The swan ship sails away. Suddenly, a realization hits the crew, indicated by a large "!!!?" speech bubble.

Vivi screams in absolute terror, "THAT WAS... MR. 2 BON KUREI!!" Usopp also screams, "MR. 2!?" Luffy looks confused and says, "VIVI! YOU WEREN'T AWARE OF HOW HE LOOKED LIKE!?" Vivi replies, "I'm afraid not... I've never met Mr. 2 or Mr. 1 and his partner... I also don't know about their abilities... But I have heard rumours about Mr. 2... That he looks and talks like an extremely flamboyant okama, and wears a swan coat that reads 'Okama Way' on the back..." Usopp, Zoro, and Luffy look at her deadpan. Usopp says, "You really, really, really should've realized it sooner."

Vivi holds her head, sweating profusely and looking deeply distressed. She thinks, "When he was showing off all the faces he memorized, I noticed that one of the people was my father...! Just what on earth... Has he been using my father's face for...!?" Zoro says seriously, "...If a guy like him could transform into the King of Alabasta, Then there's a whole lot of damage he could do..." Usopp adds, "Seems we let a dangerous one slip past our fingers." Chopper asks, "He was an enemy...?" Nami looks concerned and says, "Yes... He's quite a troublesome enemy to face... If he realizes that we were his enemies... Then with that memory skill, he'll be able to change into any one of us... Making us unable to trust each other anymore."

Luffy looks surprised and asks, "Huh? Really?" Usopp yells at him, "Don't you realize how serious this is, Luffy?" Nami adds, "Hold on just a sec. Even though our captain probably doesn't have any real reason for thinking this way, I don't think he's wrong either. There's no reason to panic already." Zoro smiles confidently and says, "We should consider ourselves lucky for having met him just now. Because now, we can set up a countermeasure." A flashback panel shows Mr. 2 Bon Kurei laughing, "Gahahaha! I planted myself a small seed of friendship, that's why!" Zoro concludes, "Mr. 2 Bon Kurei, you seem to be in an awfully good mood."

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