Chapter 145: The Straw Hat Pirates Escape (Ch 145)

At this moment, Usopp, who was standing on the observation deck and was responsible for patrolling, suddenly noticed a dark shadow appearing on the distant horizon. He took a closer look and couldn’t help but gasp – it turned out to be an extremely huge ship, approaching them at an alarming speed!
As the distance gradually shortened, Usopp finally saw the flag flying on the side of the other ship. In an instant, his face turned as pale as paper, his body trembled involuntarily, and a terrified scream came out of his throat: “Oh no! Luffy, the situation is critical! We have to run for our lives! I saw with my own eyes that the battleship of the Four Emperors BIGMOM Pirates is heading towards us!”
Hearing this sudden bad news, Sanji, who was originally smoking leisurely, suddenly froze, and the cigarette in his hand almost fell to the ground. He widened his eyes and asked in disbelief: “What? It’s the Four Emperors BIGMOM’s pirate group? Why are they coming for us? Is it just a coincidence that they happened to take the same route?”
Franky nodded, agreeing with Sanji. Although the probability of the two ships being on the same route by chance was extremely small, it was not impossible. However, he immediately added seriously: “However, even if the routes really overlap, we must not take chances. The wisest thing to do now is to flee the scene as soon as possible to avoid getting into unnecessary trouble.”
Before he finished speaking, Chopper, who had always been timid and fearful of trouble, jumped out of the crowd impatiently and shouted at the top of his voice: “Yes, yes, yes! I agree with Franky’s proposal, Boss Luffy, let’s run away quickly!”
The members of the Straw Hat Pirates all knew that it was definitely not a wise move to have a head-on conflict with the Four Emperors BIGMOM Pirates at this moment.
After all, judging from their current strength and situation, if they really fought, not only would they have no chance of winning, but they might even bring themselves unpredictable troubles. This was obviously a losing business and it was not worth taking the risk.
After realizing this, Franky acted decisively and quickly. He activated the Wind Cannon without hesitation, intending to use its powerful power to increase the distance between him and the BIGMOM Pirates as quickly as possible and take the opportunity to escape from this dangerous sea.
At the same time, the BIGMOM Pirates also noticed something. Through the keen observation of the lookout, they soon discovered signs that the Straw Hat Pirates were trying to escape.
So, the pirate in charge of surveillance hurriedly reported to Cracker, “Master Cracker, it’s bad! The Straw Hat Pirates seem to be running away!”
Hearing this, Cracker, who had been hiding in the body of the biscuit soldier, suddenly looked gloomy and scolded in a stern tone: “What? You actually want to run away? Why are you guys still standing here? Hurry up and chase them! If you let them run away, I will show you how I will deal with you!”
Facing Cracker’s angry shout, the pirates did not dare to be negligent and responded in unison: “Yes, Master Cracker! We will chase them immediately!” After that, they rushed towards the direction where the Straw Hat Pirates fled like a swarm of bees…
Beside Cracker, Baron Eggman and Owen stood like two impregnable fortresses. The arduous task of capturing Blackfoot Sanji of the Straw Hat Pirates fell heavily on the shoulders of these three strong men.
Owen muttered unhappily, “These guys are just like slippery loaches! Who would have thought that their broken ship was equipped with a miraculous device similar to a propeller, allowing them to escape successfully. Humph, I really underestimated them!” His words revealed a hint of regret and unwillingness.
However, Baron Dandan standing by seemed full of confidence. He held his head high and proudly responded: “No matter how hard they struggle, they will eventually fall into the hands of our BIGMOM Pirates!” Baron Dandan has unparalleled pride and trust in his own pirate group.
At this time, Owen couldn’t help but agree, and began to praise himself and the BIGMOM Pirates: “That’s right! You know, our BIGMOM Pirates is one of the four emperors who are feared by the world! A mere fledgling new pirate group can attract such a large number of us, which is already giving them the highest honor!”
It seemed that at this moment, the whole world was witnessing the power and majesty of the BIGMOM Pirates.
On this vast ocean, the BIGMOM Pirates stand tall like an unshakable peak.
Their names resounded through the sky like thunder, and all enemies were terrified. At this moment, facing the Straw Hat Pirates who were about to be captured, Owen and his companions were full of the belief that they would win.
Cracker stared at the Straw Hat Pirates’ Thousand Sunny and said, “Vinsmoke Sanji, we won’t let you get away, or it will affect Mom’s tea party.”
After a thrilling and dangerous chase, although the Straw Hat Pirates have tried their best, their ship is still unable to escape the BIGMOM Pirates’ pursuit.
At this moment, the Sunny Mile was in a tense and chaotic atmosphere. Nami’s face was full of anxiety. She was frantically directing the direction of the voyage while shouting: “It’s so abominable! What on earth do the damn BIGMOM pirates want to do? Why are they chasing us? We have never provoked them!!”
Zoro, who was standing nearby, frowned. He quickly walked to the guardrail of the ship, stared at the approaching ship of the BIGMOM Pirates, and said in a serious tone: “If we continue like this, they will catch up with us sooner or later. If we want to get out of this predicament, we must find a way to interfere with them.”
The others on the ship naturally knew the meaning of Zoro’s suggestion. However, before everyone had time to respond, Luffy stepped forward without hesitation and expressed his willingness to personally go and hold back the BIGMOM Pirates so that Nami and the others would have enough time to control the Thousand Sunny to escape safely.
At this moment, Sanji, who had been silent all the time, suddenly reached out and grabbed Luffy, and said with a firm look in his eyes: “Wait, Luffy! Let me go! After all, I have more advantages than you in aerial combat.” After that, Sanji took a deep breath, as if he was ready to fight at any time.
However, unexpectedly, the Straw Hat Pirates knew nothing about this – it turned out that the BIGMOM Pirates’ target all along was Sanji!
After hearing this news, everyone fell into deep thought. After some discussion, they gradually realized that according to the current situation, sending Sanji to delay the BIGMOM Pirates for a while might be the wisest move. After all, in terms of aerial combat, Sanji is the only one in the entire team who has such unique abilities and advantages.
At this time, Zoro, who always had a serious expression, spoke up and warned: “Chef, don’t hold on. If you realize that the situation is not right, you must turn back immediately.” He knew the danger of this battle, but he believed in Sanji’s strength and judgment.
Facing Zoro’s concern, Sanji just nodded silently, indicating that he understood the interests involved. At this moment, he did not argue with Zoro as usual, because he knew that this was a critical moment and he must put aside personal grudges and go all out to deal with the crisis at hand.
Straw Hat Luffy walked up to Sanji, patted his shoulder firmly, looked at him firmly and said, “Sanji, I leave this matter to you! No matter what, you must return safely!” His words were full of trust and expectations for his partner.
Then, Usopp quickly echoed, “Yes! Sanji, what Zoro said is absolutely right! If you find that the situation is not good, don’t fight to the end, but retreat as soon as possible!” His face was full of worry, and he was obviously very worried that Sanji would encounter an accident.
It can be seen that every member of the Straw Hat Pirates does not want to see Sanji trapped by the enemy for too long, and is even more unwilling to lose this important companion. Therefore, they all spoke out to remind Sanji that he can act cautiously and ensure his own safety.
Sanji held a cigarette in the corner of his mouth, and flicked it lightly with his fingers, and the cigarette butt instantly ignited an orange-red flame. He took a deep breath, and in the smoke, his eyes became firm and sharp.
Then, he suddenly leaped up like a nimble cheetah, his body drawing a graceful arc in the air. At the same time, his Moon Steps were like a storm, as if shattering the void, and he rushed towards the direction of the BIGMOM Pirates’ ship.
On the ship of the BIGMOM Pirates, Cracker was anxiously calling on his men to speed up. However, at this moment, a figure suddenly appeared in the air and approached them at an alarming speed. Looking closely, it turned out to be Vinsmoke Sanji!
Owen, who was standing by, was filled with astonishment. He muttered to himself in disbelief, “What on earth is going on? Could it be that Sanji, the black-legged leader of the Straw Hat Pirates, is planning to deliver himself to our door? Or… is he too scared to resist our BIGMOM Pirates?”
Baron Dandan nodded thoughtfully, agreeing with Owen’s point of view: “Well, maybe it’s really like what you said. This guy knew that he couldn’t escape our pursuit, so he chose to surrender. But it’s good this way. It saves us the effort to catch him.”
Cracker frowned and stared at Sanji who was getting closer and closer. When he saw the resolute look on his face, he suddenly felt a strong sense of uneasiness. He knew that Sanji was no ordinary man, and he would never act rashly if he was not absolutely sure. So, he gave the order without hesitation: “Everyone pay attention, be vigilant, and be ready to fight at any time!”
After hearing what Cracker said, Owen and Baron Egg’s faces became solemn. Although Owen is Cracker’s older brother, he knows very well that his brother is much stronger than him in terms of fighting. Therefore, at this critical moment, he must obey Cracker’s command and go all out to deal with the upcoming challenge.
Sanji rushed over like a flash of lightning and stayed steadily in the void above the BIGMOM Pirates’ ship. His eyes were sharp and firm, revealing an unshakable majesty, and then he asked bluntly: “BIGMOM Pirates, what exactly do you want to do? Why are you chasing us, the Straw Hat Pirates? Do you really think we are easy to bully!”
Sanji thought to himself that he would never believe that the BIGMOM Pirates would hunt down the Straw Hat Pirates for no reason. There must be some reason hidden in this. If there is no reasonable explanation, it can only mean that the BIGMOM Pirates have fallen to the extreme and are bad to the core.
At this time, Cracker raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a sly smile, and responded softly: “Haha! Vinsmoke Sanji, aren’t you the one we are looking for?”
“Wha…what?” Sanji’s face suddenly changed when he heard that, and his body trembled violently. He widened his eyes and looked at the enemy in front of him in disbelief, as if he had heard the most incredible thing in the world.
That name – Vinsmoke Sanji, for Sanji, is simply a past that he cannot bear to look back on. It carries too much pain and shame, and is a nightmare that Sanji desperately wants to forget but can never get rid of. Now that it is called out so easily by the enemy, Sanji is suddenly struck by lightning, his heart is in chaos, and his originally calm expression disappears in an instant.
Sanji frowned tightly and asked the other party angrily: “How did you know that name? Tell me clearly, BIGMOM Pirates! Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” His voice was full of anger and determination, and he seemed ready to fight a life-and-death battle with the enemy at any time.
“I see!” Cracker smiled coldly and said sarcastically, “Haha, this is ridiculous! It seems like you, an ignorant guy, are totally unaware of all this! Listen carefully, the third young master of the Vinsmoke family, your so-called father, Vinsmoke Judge, is planning to marry you to our BIGMOM Pirates!!”
“Marriage? Don’t be ridiculous!” When Sanji heard this, anger instantly surged in his heart, like a volcano about to erupt, and he roared angrily, “How can that hateful bastard father be qualified to dominate the trajectory of my life!”
It has been more than ten years since the last time he saw that man, but even though time has passed, he still refuses to let him go. At this moment, Sanji’s heart is like a collapsing mountain. Those painful memories of his childhood flooded into his mind like a tide, and every fragment was so unforgettable that he didn’t want to touch or recall them again.
However, the words just spoken by the BIGMOM Pirates member were like a ruthless sword, piercing through the past that he had tried so hard to seal, and dragging those unbearable past events back before his eyes.
PS: Thank you for your support, the author will keep writing.