Chapter 158

While the crew is arguing about Luffy's irresponsible behavior, Smoker and Ace are having a confrontation in the restaurant. Smoker moves to arrest Ace, when suddenly, a starving Luffy runs into the restaurant, propelling both Smoker and Ace away in the process. While Luffy is starting to eat in front of a bemused assembly, Smoker and Ace realize that the guy who hit them is the one they are both looking for. Smoker reacts first and confronts Luffy. After an abnormal amount of time, Luffy realizes his situation and flees the restaurant, not realizing the presence of Ace. While the Marines are pursuing Luffy, the rest of the crew has bought some local clothes (much to Sanji's delight) in order to blend in. Unfortunately, their captain soon gives their position away, forcing everyone to flee. Just as Smoker is about to catch Luffy thanks to his Moku Moku no Mi, Ace intervenes.

Landing in Arabasta

The crew is waiting for Luffy to get back, when they spot Mr. 3's ship. Meanwhile, Smoker confronts Ace and the spectators are astonished that a commander of the Whitebeard Pirates is there, while Luffy smells food from the restaurant, Smoker prepares to attack Ace when Luffy rockets into the room. Luffy then orders food while Ace apologizes for the mess and recognizes Luffy, but is pushed down by Smoker who recognizes him as well, but is annoyed by Luffy's lack of interest and rudeness. Luffy then recognizes Smoker and runs away while Ace and Smoker chase after him. Smoker warns Tashigi of Luffy, who then tries to stop Luffy but is unable to, and Smoker is forced to go after him alone. Meanwhile Vivi and Nami are trying out different perfumes to the pleasure of Sanji but to the horror of Chopper. Vivi then explains that they need to get to Yuba so that she may talk with Koza the leader of the rebellion. Suddenly, Luffy appears being chased by marines, including Smoker who attacks him until he is stopped by Ace, whom Luffy recognizes.

Mission 105

One morning in Berlint, Franky is woken up and nearly killed by his alarm clock invention, "Abso-waker Type-J" in one of his many hideouts. After cleaning himself up and fixing his appearance for the day, Franky works on an invention while listening to his favorite, government-banned music. Franky puts together a new invention, "Senju," a multi-armed device to boost his daily productivity. However, the invention blows up in his face, but Franky is not deterred, seeing it as part of the trial and error process.

Looking at the time, Franky hurries to open his tobacco store, where he is visited by regulars who are civilians, one of them being a woman who rejects his date invitation. Franky is then visited by Fiona, who commissions a forgery for a mission. Fiona leaves as quickly as she came, giving Franky one week to get it done and threatening to put him in jail if he fails, much to Franky's annoyance.

Franky then gets a call from Loid, who asks Franky to do some quick housesitting for Anya and Bond while he is away. Franky protests but goes over to the Forger home anyway. While playing with Anya and Bond, Franky cries inside, holding out for the money he gets from the spies. After getting his pay, Franky heads to the racetrack for some betting, only to lose his earnings. The dejected Franky resumes his work and meets with the racetrack teller, who is also an informant, requesting intel on a certain route. The teller informs Franky that the route is unavailable since its informant, Latchkey Lachy, got caught by the SSS. As an apology, the teller gives Franky two tickets for a movie and teases him to take a girl out to watch it, which annoys Franky.

On the streets, Franky runs into an acquaintance, Priscilla. He asks her out to the movies, and to his surprise, she agrees. After dressing up and making a dinner reservation after the movies, Franky fantasizes about Priscilla confessing her love for him. Franky's fantasy is interrupted by a phone call informing him that the racetrack teller has been raided by the SSS due to the capture of the earlier informant. Franky seemingly ignores the news to prepare for his date, but he ends up going to an unknown building to rescue the teller from the SSS. Entering the room with a gas mask, Franky fires his rose bouquet, which also fires to become smoke-pepper bombs that make everyone in the room sneeze.

After freeing the teller, the two make their escape, and Franky uses a modified gauntlet to punch one of their pursuers. As they continue to make their escape, Franky deploys several gadgets to slow down the SSS agents. Franky explains to the teller that he canceled his movie date with Priscilla but still has a dinner date with her later tonight. Other reinforcements arrive with other captured informants, but Franky, with his wit, gadgets, and knowledge of the city, is able to lose them and also free some of his fellow informants. Seeing the time, Franky quickly hurries over to have dinner with Priscilla, with the teller cheering him on. However, during the dinner, Priscilla reveals that she used the movie tickets to watch with a guy she was interested in, after which they began dating shortly after. Priscilla thanks Franky, who mindlessly chews on his salad in astonishment.

On his way back home, Franky, while heartbroken, is able to find the good parts of his day. Suddenly, a bang rings out, shocking Franky, and he turns around to see the teller having fired something behind him. The teller, having fired a party popper, congratulates Franky on getting a girlfriend, only to realize his ill-timed celebration. The teller makes up for his mistake by revealing that he has two tickets for another movie, and the two agree to watch it together. However, the movie turns out to be a romantic drama, and the two men mutually agree to go home.

SpongeBob Meets the Strangler

While on duty at the Krusty Krab, SpongeBob has a great job, until he picks up every litter in the ground. After more litter came out of nowhere, the man is seen responsible for all those littering, an infuriated SpongeBob has a man arrested for littering. After calling the police on him, Squidward appears to ask on the cleaning. After SpongeBob updates him, a scared Squidward reveals that the stranger is, in fact, the Tattletale Strangler, an extremely dangerous criminal, who strangles anyone who reports him to the cops. Squidward promptly flees while SpongeBob talks to the officers about the strangler. They assure him that they have locked down while the latter makes it clear he is coming for him.

Seconds later, the Strangler escapes and begins planning to kill SpongeBob as a revenge for calling the cops on him. SpongeBob begs the officers for protection from the serial killer, but they leave him to his devices, calling him a "tattletale." SpongeBob looks for a bodyguard for protection, but no one will take the job knowing that they would have to face the Strangler. He decides to go into hiding until the Strangler gives up on him, but then a man, who is the Strangler using a fake mustache as a disguise, offers to take the job, intending to lead SpongeBob to a place where he can kill him with no other witnesses. SpongeBob, seemingly oblivious to his identity, hires him. However, SpongeBob needs to run some errands first.

When they finally arrive at SpongeBob's house, the lights then turn on, revealing a "100% on-time average" surprise party. The party goes on for a considerable length of time. Once it ends, the Strangler then attempts to choke him again, but the guests come back for a birthday party for SpongeBob. After the party ends and the two are finally alone, he tries again, but then Patrick shows up for some odd reason. The Strangler tries to get rid of him, saying that he could be the Strangler in disguise. Patrick then runs off thinking that he is the Strangler, breaking through the wall and running off to turn himself in.

SpongeBob is confused upon realizing that Patrick is the Strangler. The real Strangler, enraged, reveals his true identity and intentions by removing his disguise. However, SpongeBob still seemingly fails to understand and is amazed at the Strangler being able to tear off his mustache without using shaving cream. The latter yells at him that it is a fake he bought at the party store. The guests return upon overhearing the word "party." Annoyed and frustrated, the Strangler runs away and crashes the wall, but SpongeBob goes after him, saying he still needs protection from the "bodyguard." He attempts to escape in a series of vehicles, but SpongeBob catches up every time.

Eventually, the Strangler lands in the police department in a jail cell and SpongeBob learns the truth after he is directed to a wanted poster. As SpongeBob finally realizes the truth, the police congratulate him for putting the Strangler behind bars. The Strangler is happy to be away from SpongeBob at first, but then he soon finds himself with Patrick, who is in his cell, asking what he is in for, much to Strangler's dismay.

The Kaldorei and the Well of Eternity

Ten thousand years before the Orcs and Humans clashed in their First War, the world of Azeroth cradled only one massive continent surrounded by the infinite, raging seas. That land mass, known as Kalimdor, was home to a number of disparate races and creatures, all vying for survival amongst the savage elements of the waking world. At the dark continent’s center was a mysterious lake of incandescent energies. The lake, which would later be called the Well of Eternity, was the true heart of the world’s magic and natural power. Drawing its energies from the infinite Great Dark beyond the world, the Well acted as a mystical fount, sending its potent energies out across the world to nourish life in all its wondrous forms.

In time, a primitive tribe of nocturnal humanoids cautiously made their way to the edges of the mesmerizing, enchanted lake. The feral, nomadic humanoids, drawn by the Well’s strange energies, built crude homes upon its tranquil shores. Over time, the Well’s cosmic power affected the strange tribe, making them strong, wise and virtually immortal. The tribe adopted the name Kaldorei, which meant "children of the stars" in their native tongue. To celebrate their budding society, they constructed great structures and temples around the lake’s periphery.

The Kaldorei, or Night Elves as they would later be known, worshipped the moon goddess, Elune, and believed that she slept within the Well’s shimmering depths during the daylight hours. The early Night Elf priests and seers studied the Well with an insatiable curiosity, driven to plumb its untold secrets and power. As their society grew, the Night Elves explored the breadth of Kalimdor and encountered its myriad denizens. The only creatures that gave them pause were the ancient and powerful Dragons. Though the great serpentine beasts were often reclusive, they did much to safeguard the known lands from potential threats. The Night Elves believed that the Dragons held themselves to be the protectors of the world, and that they and their secrets were best left alone.

In time, the Night Elves’ curiosity led them to meet and befriend a number of powerful entities, not the least of which was Cenarius, a mighty demi-god of the primordial forestlands. The great-hearted Cenarius grew fond of the inquisitive Night Elves and spent a great deal of time teaching them about the natural world. The tranquil Kaldorei developed a strong empathy for the living forests of Kalimdor and reveled in the harmonious balance of nature.

Yet, as the seemingly endless ages passed, the Night Elves’ civilization expanded both territorially and culturally. Their temples, roads, and dwelling places stretched across the breadth of the dark continent. Azshara, the Night Elves’ beautiful and gifted Queen, built an immense, wondrous palace on the Well’s shore that housed her favored servitors within its bejeweled halls. Her servitors, whom she called the Quel’dorei or "high-borne", doted on her every command and believed themselves to be greater than the rest of their lower-caste brethren. Though Queen Azshara was loved equally by all of her people, the high-borne were secretly hated by the jealous masses.

Sharing the priests’ curiosity towards the Well of Eternity, Azshara ordered the educated high-borne to plumb its secrets and reveal its true purpose in the world. The high-borne buried themselves in their work and studied the Well ceaselessly. In time they developed the ability to manipulate and control the Well’s cosmic energies. As their reckless experiments progressed, the high-borne found that they could use their newfound powers to either create or destroy at their leisure. The hapless high-borne had stumbled upon primitive magic and were now resolved to devote themselves to its mastery. Although they agreed that magic was inherently dangerous if handled irresponsibly, Azshara and her high-borne began to practice their spellcraft with reckless abandon. Cenarius and many of the wizened Night Elf scholars warned that only calamity would result from toying with the clearly volatile arts of magic. But, Azshara and her followers stubbornly continued to expand their burgeoning powers.

As their powers grew, a distinct change came over Azshara and the high-borne. The haughty, aloof upper class became increasingly callous and cruel towards their fellow Night Elves. A dark, brooding pall veiled Azshara’s once entrancing beauty. She began to withdraw from her loving subjects and refused to interact with any but her trusted high-borne priests.

A young, brazen scholar named Furion Stormrage, who had spent much of his time studying the Well’s effects, began to suspect that a terrible power was corrupting the high-borne and his beloved Queen. Though he could not conceive the evil that was to come, he knew that the Night Elves’ lives would soon be changed forever. . .

Jango's Dance Paradise

Vol. 25 : "The Brittle Fang Called Justice"

ジャンゴのダンス天国vol.25「正義という脆い牙」

Oda Eiichiro

Can't believe I was asked to write an advocative message in the back of Kochikame Vol. 122. 122 volumes. That's, astonishing

こち亀の122巻の巻末推薦文をなんと書かせて頂きました。122巻って。すごすぎ

Chapter 159