Chapter 30 - Syrup Village 09.

[Chapter Size: 1846 Words.]

Third Person POV

Syrup Village, East Blue.

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The atmosphere in Syrup Village, located in the East Blue, was filled with its usual morning weather. Merry opened a suitcase in front of Luffy and Nami, revealing its contents with a dramatic gesture. In the blink of an eye, the distance between Merry and the duo seemed to widen as he stepped back.

Nami couldn't help but wear a mischievous demon-like smile. Even her hair seemed to come to life, forming two figurative horns on her head, emphasizing her cheeky expression, which Luffy noticed with an amused smile.

"I have to admit you're a great maid!" Luffy praised the mischievous woman, his expression also brimming with joy.

"I'm a navigator!" she protested, but Luffy disregarded her argument with a shameless smile.

Before them lay a suitcase full of Berries, the common currency in the world of One Piece. Luffy and Nami had just arrived at the port to negotiate for Buggy's ship after using the power of the moa moa no mi to increase its original size for evaluation. Merry and Kaya, who were accompanying them, were left in awe when they saw Luffy pull out Buggy's ship from his pocket, and in a matter of seconds, Luffy turned it back to its normal size. The young man's astonishing ability didn't go unnoticed, leaving Merry and Kaya completely shocked.

Recovering from the initial shock, Merry decided to inspect Buggy's ship inside and out, while the negotiations began. In the end, the deal netted them 30 million Berries. Although the initial price was 25 million, Nami's cunning came into play. With her bargaining skills, she managed to squeeze an extra 5 million Berries from the value, increasing the total amount to 30 million. Luffy was extremely pleased with the cat burglar's prowess.

"Now we're in really good shape," proclaimed Luffy, approaching the suitcase and unable to resist touching it, as if the Berries contained therein were a tangible realization of his success.

"WHAT!!! NOT AGAIN!" Nami screamed as she saw Luffy perform this action, recalling the last time he had acted similarly when all their wealth had vanished before their eyes. It was a nightmare she didn't want to relive.

Before Nami could approach and prevent Luffy from going on, acting on instinct, she pounced on him. But the money disappeared again, just like in the terrible nightmare that still haunted her memories.

[Added 30,000,000 Berries to the store's balance.]

[Store Balance: 42,000,000]

Luffy had spent a considerable amount of money in recent days, especially on Usopp's weapons, as nothing in those items was cheap. However, in the end, the investment proved to be worthwhile.

"NoOOOOOOOOO!" Nami exploded, jumping on Luffy and grabbing him in anger, refusing to let him go.

"Why did you do that?! Where the hell did the money go? Give it back, give it all back now!" She screamed, tears of frustration rolling down her cheeks as she held Luffy tightly.

"Don't worry about it; the money was deposited into the crew's fund," Luffy said, while Nami's cheek was pulled by him.

"Crew fund? I deserve a share of that money!" She protested, not releasing him.

"I can't give you the money right now, but I'll reward you later. I still have Buggy and Kuro's rewards to collect, and I plan to capture Krieg and Arlong's heads for their bounties," Luffy announced, silencing Nami the next moment.

She let go of him and looked at him with a serious expression.

"Hey, are you really going to fight them?" She asked, in a worried and curious tone.

The last name that came from Luffy's lips was Nami's worst nightmare. Even after all the displays of strength by the man with the straw hat, her mind was reluctant to accept that he could face Arlong.

"Yes, any problem?" Luffy raised an eyebrow, appearing defiant, but it was a fun moment for him.

"I heard they are the most powerful pirates in this sea, especially Arlong. Fish-men are considered to be ten times stronger than humans," Nami warned, with a hint of concern in her voice.

"Nonsense," Luffy huffed, cutting her off before Nami could continue.

"I could raze Loguetown to the ground in a day. I doubt a mere fish-man could do the same. If they were that powerful, why would they be sailing in the weaker sea with a bounty of only 20 million? I've met and lived among pirates with bounties in the billions. It won't be a fish-man with such a low bounty that makes me fear for my ambitions!" Luffy said, his voice filled with seriousness and even a touch of anger. He detested being underestimated or pitied; he was the type who would rather face death than beg for his life.

Luffy's words left Nami stunned. Not only by the anger in his tone but also by the astonishing information he shared.

'Laying waste to one of the biggest cities in this sea? Calling Arlong a mere fish-man? A bounty of only 20 million? Knowing pirates with bounties in the billions? Not being afraid to pursue his ambitions?' The words echoed in Nami's mind, deeply shocking her.

She never imagined this man was so fearless, or that anyone could mock Arlong and his crew so easily.

'Maybe he...' Nami began to think, but couldn't finish her thoughts.

"I don't know what your history with them is since you seem quite scared, especially about Arlong. However, based on the information I gathered in the past few days before our meeting, it seems that Arlong is just a pompous manatee. He brags about his strength, but in the end, he's just a tyrant who enslaves ordinary people with the help of the Naval Base 16. A tasteless joke, in my opinion. He doesn't even use his strength to kill people and prefers to use guns, what a joke," Luffy wasn't angry anymore, but his mocking tone was evident.

Nami listened to all of this with a whirlwind of thoughts, clenching her hands and unable to formulate a response.

"Anyway, let's go find the others," Luffy said, not waiting for her, and began to walk towards the port to gather the rest of the crew.

As Luffy walked away, the orange-haired girl dressed like a maid stayed in the room where Luffy had distanced himself from her, absorbed in her own thoughts. Luffy's words were challenging and full of conviction, and something about his confidence made her question her own beliefs. A small spark of hope began to grow in her heart. What if, against all odds, Luffy could fulfill his bold promise?

Nami couldn't help but imagine a scenario where Luffy, with all his strength and determination, confronted Arlong and his crew. She visualized Cocoyashi Village being liberated from the oppressive rule of the fish-men, the villagers finally regaining their peace and freedom.

As Luffy set out to find his crew, Nami's hope grew. She was determined to uncover the truth behind Luffy's words and perhaps find a way to believe that he could be the answer to saving her village and achieving her own dreams.

Outside the mansion, at the port, everyone was ready to board their brand new ship, the original Merry Go.

"Let's head to the port and board our brand new ship!" Luffy met up with everyone and led the way.

Upon arriving, they were met with the peculiar ram-head-shaped ship, small and quaint, designed to accommodate the crew. However, Luffy already had ambitious plans to transform it into a powerful battleship, using all available parts. The only obstacle was the money needed to carry out this grand renovation.

"Is it true that big brother Usopp is setting sail?" A child's voice echoed, full of excitement reached their ears.

"Big brother is so amazing!" exclaimed another voice, full of admiration.

Three children approached Usopp, who was packing his bags and the weapons left from the battle with Kuro. His rifle was visibly damaged, as was his pistol. He had organized his belongings in his house away from the village and was ready for the new journey into the unknown. As soon as the children heard about it, they ran to say goodbye to their old friend, eager for one last meeting before his departure.

"Yes, I, the brave Usopp, will become a fearsome warrior of the seas!" Usopp announced, pointing to himself with a smile on his face. Even though he was still injured from the battle, Luffy dramatically accelerated his recovery process, providing him with a remarkable improvement in just one night. What would normally take months to heal, he could achieve in a matter of days, thanks to the power of his Devil Fruit.

"Let's all board, as there are things we need to do, and we're in a hurry," announced Luffy, urging everyone to head to the ship.

"And you two... kiss already, we're waiting on the ship, Usopp," Luffy added, catching Kaya and Usopp by surprise with this comment as he turned and walked away, interrupting the farewell moment they were about to share, to a rather embarrassed moment.

"Kiss..." They both responded simultaneously, their faces blushing like peppers as they were taken aback by Luffy's unexpected suggestion.

"Hey, Luffy, I can't fit through one of these doors!" Yamato complained, frowning with frustration since she was too tall for the ship's doors.

"Don't worry, I'll swap our current vessel for a Marine boat when we're farther away from the island. We don't want trouble if they see us with a stolen military boat at the port; that could draw unwanted attention to the island as well. I'll make the swap as soon as we're far enough," explained Luffy, and everyone nodded, understanding the precaution.

"I'm ready, Captain!" Usopp boarded with an announcement, showing determination on his face.

"Great, let's go. Lami is nearby since her Vivre Card is active. We're going to meet her to deliver the new batch of captured pirates!" Luffy proclaimed, his expression reflecting his determination to fulfill the mission.

"Speaking of which, Captain, where are the Black Cat Pirates?" Usopp couldn't help but ask, curious about the fate of his former enemies.

"They're here, Usopp-Sama," Shirahoshi replied, presenting a small birdcage that contained the Black Cat Pirates, now reduced to miniature prisoners.

After this brief moment of clarification, Luffy used his power to speed up the ship, making it shoot off at high speed as they moved away from Syrup Village and set off for their next adventure.

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