Chapter 149 - 149: A Tempest is brewing ahead.

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*Water Seven at Galley-la Company's building.*

["Gum Gum Jet Pistol!"] Luffy's yelling voice rang out as his rubber-like punch lashed out with incredible speed.

["Gum Gum Jet Gatling Gun"] 

It was so fast that his strikes were nearly invisible to the nȧkėd eye, and he had been attacking for a while now...

And yet…

None of his punches could successfully land on Edam.

The latter would either dodge it effortlessly or block and reflect it as if it was a mere punch from a toddler.

"Not bad, but, despite your exponential improvement with this Gear Second, you're still weaker than Ace… Luffy…" Edam said as he dodge another punch from Luffy.

"Dammit, I can't touch him at all…" Luffy was already short of breath and frustrated for not touching him once.

"Use your senses to see my movements and only then you will be able to give me a proper fight…" Edam instructed him.

"My senses?" Luffy didn't quite understand what he meant by that.

"Yes your senses, because if you don't… This fight will see its end coming pretty quickly…" Edam then disappeared in a flash, instantly reappearing behind Luffy.

"In the New World, they call this power, Haki…" 

"What...!?" Luffy turned around in a hurry only to see Edam's right palm lightly put against his ċhėst and glowing a bright golden light.

Boom! 

"Ahhh!" Luffy was fiercely sent flying like a broken doll and crashed down.

"Cough! Argh!" Luffy quickly stood up and wore an amazing expression. "Was that Haki?"

"..." Edam didn't reply to this question and instead said. "To tell you the truth, you're still way too weak… all of you are still way too weak…" 

He said to the other straw hats who couldn't help but exclaim. 

"What?" Zoro said unconvinced by that.

"Hey, now that's kinda rude of you…" Nami frowned and replied.

"Didn't we beat the CP9? They were strong though…" Chopper said with a doubting expression.

"Yes, but in the New World, the CP9's level of power is rather common there…" Edam replied to the talking deer.

"I'm not saying that to belittle you, nor do I want to crush your efforts, you all did well…" Edam praised them slightly before facing Luffy again.

"But, your level regardless of everything else is still too low… I could take you all on and wreck every single one of you down the ground with one arm..." 

At his boastful words, they were all kinda pissed off, but they unconsciously felt that it wasn't just some empty words and so kept their mouths shut.

Zoro already had a taste of Edam's overwhelming physical strength when they were ten or so.

As for Nami she already had a glimpse of his unique and powerful powers when he was fifteen or so.

The talking deer Chopper was also stressing a lot right now because whenever his eyes would land on Edam's back, his fur would stand on their ends and a shiver would run down his spine every time, sensing an apex predator out of him. And yet when he would look at Edam's clear black eyes, he didn't feel any hostility at all, it was friendly and calm somehow…

As for the others, they were by now more or less conscious of Edam's strength and didn't have any reason to doubt his words.

"But, anyway, this is not the point, what I wanted to point out is that… you are all not ready for the New World…" Edam faced them all and spoke directly without caring for their self-esteem. "Go train and become more powerful…"

"What? No! That's out of the question, didn't both you and Ace set sail at the same age as me?" Luffy shook his head strongly, refusing to wait for his adventure.

"That's a totally different case, he didn't really challenge the Government and he went under an Emperor… You? Do you have someone as strong as Whitebeard backing you?"

"That's fine, I will grow strong as we travel!" Luffy smiled and said confidently.

"..." Edam didn't retort back this time and kept quiet for a full minute before his ċhėst heave up as he released a long sigh. 

"Sigh… alright, you win, as stubborn as ever… I won't try to persuade you anymore then… your fate is yours to decide…" Edam said but was clearly not optimistic about that.

Edam then approached him while taking Luffy's hat with one hand and putting it on his head. "So… stay strong, be strong, and grow even stronger… I don't wanna see you lose your friends…"

"Unfortunately, I can't watch over you as I am right now… and…" Edam smiled wryly and said. "You wouldn't like it if I did watch over you right?"

"Heh, of course, everyone is setting off to find the One Piece, I don't want to have an advantage over others freely like that… it would be cheating!" Luffy smiled widely and explained his point of view.

"I guessed so…" He already knew of Luffy's dream to be free in all four seas of this world and he hadn't planned to force him to do something in the first place. He just missed his brother and had just wanted to give him some advice in case.

Edam smiled faintly as his body glowed a faint light as he slowly turned ethereal looking as if he would disappear at any moment.

"Eh? What's happening?!" Luffy raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"It's fine, don't worry, it was time for me to go back home anyway..." Edam winked and waved his hand at him and everyone else.

"Oh, then when will we meet again big bro…?" Luffy asked with a very cheerful mood.

"Well, I don't know… after today I'll go on vacation, and I won't come out for a while I think… So let's just say… See you next time, Luffy..." He rubbed his head and then turned toward Luffy's crewmates.

"As for all you… this idiot has been a troublemaker since he's four, he's not easy to handle, and I know what I'm talking about…" Edam nodded to himself recalling when they were younger. "And I'm sure you know it too, right?"

"Yup."

"That's him indeed…"

"Yeah…"

"Yes."

"Haha…" Edam laughed and said. "Then, I put him under all of your care. His dream could appear idiotic and untouchable right now and maybe it is but he will for sure need the help of every one of you to make it true… so please, take care of him for me!"

Edam then slightly lowered his head.

"..." All the others were speechless at that, not believing that someone whose head was worth at least a few billion could lower his head to them like that.

Though they quickly broke out of their stunning states and replied.

"Yeah, we will do our best…"

"Though he really can be a pain in the ȧss…"

Edam laughed at that as his body dissipated in the air. "Goodbye, guys see you next time…!"

And with that, his body completely dissipated into thin air leaving the straw hats alone and a bit dumbfounded by his disappearance.

"Well… your elder brother is kinda strange…"

"Really?"

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Meanwhile, on a certain Marine ship slowly sailing away from Water Seven.

Garp was grumpily eating his crackers while facing the sun, however, after a while, he grinned. "Heh, damn kid… crunch, crunch…" 

A while ago, when he had reported his situation on Water Seven, Sengoku lashed out at him over the phone and ordered him to capture the straw hats but…

When he learned that Edam was currently on said island, the talking snail's face turned ugly instantly. He already knew that their family name was the same and that they were certainly family, buf hearing from Garp that Luffy and Edam were brothers who grew up with each since their tender ages… Sengoku gave up on capturing the straw hats for now.

The fleet admiral didn't want to deal with this walking Calamity, since, the last time they angered him, this monster obliterated and rearranged a mountain renowned to be indestructible…

Sengoku snorted and hang up.

… 

"...?" Feeling something, he shot a glance to his right side and saw Edam's ghostly figure materializing and solidifying while also looking at the sun.

"What is it this time? Did you forget to tell me something? What… Did you cheat on her?" Garp said this as a joke but then froze and glared at him. 

"I swear if this is the truth, I'll kick your ȧss so hard you will cry for ninety-nine days and nights…"

"What…? Come on, gramps, you didn't raise me like that…" Edam was quite vexed that he even considered this option.

"Hmph, having more than one woman is fine as long as you take care of each of them properly…"

"Tch, I already told you that it wasn't that…" Edam said seriously and then spoke with a calm and honest expression. 

"And… I don't have the heart nor the need to love another woman as I love her…" 

"Heh, good… I didn't raise you in vain then…" Garp said smugly, his smile pretty wide.

"Yeah… anyway, I just came to tell you that I'll go on vacation with Hancock for a while so… See you next time gramps…" 

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead…" Garp waved his hand uncaringly while Edam smiled brightly and disappeared into thin air.

"Heh… *Crunch*…!" Garp had a wide grin on his face as he ate his crackers.

… 

*On Amazon lily.*

Chibi Edam opened his eyes and smiled.

He had only sent a clone there and not his true Avatar's self, only moving it for emergency purposes.

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… 

And then, the next day, Hancock packed her luggage with an extremely bright expression on her face, clearly very happy to go on a trip.

Her luggage was enormous, but it was all fine since Edam's spatial powers could store a nearly infinite amount of things in.

Since Edam didn't need to change clothes, he didn't pack up anything, they rapidly bid farewell and went on to their first spot.

Edam also brought a floating island with them to serve as their house. At Hancock's order, her people had built up a house on it, although it was better to call it a mansion than a house.

And just like that their holidays quietly began...

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Who would have thought that something tragic was about to happen during those vacations....