Chapter 157

Ace is introduced and Smoker appears to be in Arabasta.

Introducing Ace

After days of privation, the crew are finally reaching Arabasta. Before approaching, they prepare a countermeasure against Mr. 2's power by wearing a sign of friendship on their arm. In the port of Nanohana in Arabasta, a group of people are intrigued by an unconscious guy in a restaurant. This strange guy who fell asleep while eating is no other than Portgas D. Ace, Whitebeard's second division commander. This is revealed by an old adversary: Smoker, who also appears to be in town in the search for the Straw Hat Pirates. Ace is looking for his little brother.

Mission 104

At the National Library, Damian studies his history in the hopes of maintaining his top rank and the Stella that come with it. He is joined by Ewen and Emile, who would rather be outside playing and having an adventure instead of the library.

When the librarian tells the boys of the rise in treasure-hunting that took place after the recent war, Damian is not as interested as his friends. However, he quickly changes his mind when he is shown an article about an Eden Academy student who found a historic item on an archaeological expedition and was rewarded a Stella. Spurred on by the Stella, Damian, Ewen, and Emile set off on an expedition to historic ruins, where they are joined by their respective family butlers.

While the boys are enthusiastic about finding treasure in an ancient capital, their preparedness is not on the same level. They use a book as a guide, but it ends up being useless, so they end up running around the forest in the hopes of eventually finding something. While the other butlers have their doubts, Jeeves, Damian's butler, decides that they should play along until the boys are satisfied. As such, the group ventures further into the forest. When a snake suddenly appears, Jeeves quickly defends Damian from it. The boy quickly confesses that he never wanted to go out here, frightened by the snakes and bugs. Despite his fear, Damian refuses to go home without a Stella to not sully the Desmond name, and Jeeves watches his young master as he says this.

Jeeves decides to call for a meal break, where the butlers cook a delicious meal for the boys. After eating, the boys plan out their next move to find treasure, and Damian argues with his friends about staying overnight until they find something. Frustrated with his lack of progress, Damian decides to put himself in the shoes of an ancient king to open up a path to getting a Stella Star. Imagining himself as a "King of Antiquity," Damian leads the group to where he thinks the capital is.

Damian is quickly jolted from his spell when a tarantula drops onto his shoulder, causing him to thrash wildly to get it off and run away in a panic. Damian cries that he wants to go home and that he does not want a Stella anymore, all the while Jeeves runs after him, looking after the boy and advising him to be strong. After Damian trips, he and his friends look up to see a giant flower and are amazed by it. Jeeves reveals that this is one of the world's largest flowers, a "Geschocran," also known as a "Witch's Crib." While it is not a Stella-worthy discovery, the boys take a picture to show at school.

Having finally made a discovery, the group leaves the forest and to their respective private helicopters, but not before the boys bid goodbye to each other. On the ride back home, Damian is asked what he wants for dinner, and the exhausted boy requests to go to a restaurant when they return to Berlint. Jeeves informs Damian that none of his family members are home. Damian says that he never said anything about not wanting to go, but Jeeves says that he seems to always be finding reasons not to. Damian tells him to stop and says he is not trying to avoid them. Jeeves then proceeds to suggest interacting with Melinda and Demetrius, and the mention of his mother prompts Damian to ask if Jeeves has been informing her about Anya. Jeeves teases Damian about his dance with Anya at the end-of-term party and how he agonized over what to wear for it, causing Damian lots of embarrassment as he shakes inside the helicopter, much to the helicopter pilot's dismay.

Remembering SpongeBob

Scenes with SpongeBob are shown, in order of appearance:

1. "As Seen on TV" (walking into Mr. Krabs' office)
2. "Bubblestand" ("bringing it around town" when doing the bubble-blowing technique)
3. "The Chaperone" (drawing a checkmark on a patty with mustard, twitching his long legs at the prom with Pearl)
4. "Pizza Delivery" (splitting in half and together again while celebrating being saved)
5. "As Seen on TV" (shocked, thinking the customers adore him)
6. "Help Wanted" (lifting his stuffed animal barbell)
7. "Valentine's Day" (throwing valentine cards around)
8. "Tea at the Treedome" (accidentally catches himself when attempting to catch a jellyfish)
9. "Ripped Pants" (ripping his swim trunks when surfing)
10. "Karate Choppers" (dodging Sandy's attack by splitting in half)
11. "Grandma's Kisses" (blowing a pipe)
12. "F.U.N." (ripping fake skin off, revealing real skin)
13. "Pizza Delivery" (inflated when checking tire pressure)
14. "Naughty Nautical Neighbors" (whispering into bubble)
15. "MuscleBob BuffPants" (catching jellyfish with his muscular body, in imagination)
16. "Home Sweet Pineapple" (in bed with Squidward)
17. "The Chaperone" (drying his insides with a towel after a shower)
18. "Boating School" (admitting he is cheating during the test)
19. "Band Geeks" (singing "Sweet Victory")
20. "The Chaperone" (removing eyelashes)
21. "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" (sucking a table)
22. "Nature Pants" (shrinking and turning black on the stove)
23. "Karate Choppers" (spinning arms)
24. "Reef Blower" (blowing Squidward with reef blower)
25. "F.U.N." (dancing and sing "F.U.N. Song")
26. "The Paper" (talking to Squidward; Squidward closes the door)

The Ordering of Azeroth

Apparently unaware of Sargeras’ mission to undo their myriad works, the Titans continued to move from world to world, shaping and ordering them as they saw fit. Along their journey they came across a small world whose inhabitants would later name Azeroth. As the Titans made their way across the chaotic, primordial landscape, they encountered a number of hostile, elemental beings. The elementals, worshipping a race of unfathomable evil beings known only as the Old Gods, vowed to drive the Titans back and keep their world inviolate from the invaders’ metallic touch.

The Pantheon, troubled by the Old Gods’ penchant for evil, sent their forces to make war upon the elementals and their dark masters. Though the elementals fought and raged, their powers could not stop the mighty Titans. The Pantheon shattered the Old Gods’ citadels and chained the five evil beings far beneath the surface of the world. Without the Old Gods’ power to keep their raging spirits bound to the physical world, the elementals dissipated and bled back into the earth itself. With the elementals’ departure, nature calmed, and the world settled into a peaceful harmony. The Titans, seeing that the threat was contained, set to work.

The Titans empowered a number of races to help them fashion the world. To help them dredge out the fathomless caverns beneath the earth, they created the Dwarves from magical, living stone. To help them dredge out the seas and lift the land from the sea floor, they created the immense, but gentle sea giants. For many ages the Titans moved and shaped the earth, until at last, there remained only one perfect continent. At the continent’s center, the Titans crafted a lake of scintillating energies. The lake, that they named the Well of Eternity, was to be the fount of life for the world. Its potent energies would nurture the bones of the world and empower life to take root in the land’s rich soil. Over time, plants, trees, monsters and creatures of every kind began to thrive on the primordial continent. As twilight fell on the final day of their labors, the Titans named the continent Kalimdor – "land of an eternal starlight."

Satisfied that the small world had been ordered and that their work was done, the Titans prepared to leave Azeroth behind. Yet, before they departed, they decided to empower the greatest newborn species of the world to watch over Kalimdor should any force ever threaten its perfect tranquility. Each remaining member of the Pantheon imbued a portion of its power to the five great Dragons awoken in that mythic age. Alexstrasza the Life-Binder, Malygos the Spell-Weaver, Ysera the Dreamer, Nozdormu the Timeless, and Neltharion the Earth-Warder were all empowered by the Titans’ vast powers and charged with the world’s defense.

With the Dragons prepared to safeguard their creation, the Titans left Azeroth behind forever. Unfortunately for them, and the small, newborn world they had shaped, it was only a matter of time before Sargeras learned of its existence...

Jango's Dance Paradise

Vol. 24 : "The Hostage Girl"

ジャンゴのダンス天国vol.24「人質の娘」

Oda Eiichiro

What I intended to be catnap turned into a one-way ticket to the very depths of a deep, deep slumber. Ugh, it's despicable. I hate Winter.

ほんの少しの仮眠のつもりが深い深い奈落の底への片道切符。ああ好かん。冬はやだ

Chapter 158