37. Spike's Pursuit Of Thousands Of Miles!

On a mysterious little island, a girl with purple hair casually tossed her hair aside, putting aside a big bag filled with Berries.

"Nami, Nami, you're really slipping. Your vigilance is fading," Carina remarked, placing her hands on her hips. She glanced at the Baratie, now out of view, with a grin.

"Fine, I'll keep your money from now on," Carina declared.

She unzipped the bag and settled down on the sandy beach, crossing her legs to begin counting her spoils.

But just as she was relishing in her gains, a tiny black dot speeding toward her across the water caused Carina to break out in a cold sweat of fear.

Due to the distance, Carina subconsciously mistook the approaching object for a cannon shell!

Hastily cramming the remaining Berries into the bag, she smirked in the direction of the Baratie with a confident smile.

"So what if I am found out. The shell can't hit me," she chuckled to herself.

As she spoke, Carina hoisted the sack over her shoulder and strolled toward the heart of the jungle, humming a tune.

But before she could even take a few steps, the eerie sound of whistling wind pierced her ears.

Carina froze instantly, a shiver running down her spine. Cold sweat dripped from her forehead as an overwhelming sense of danger gripped her tightly.

Just as she was about to turn her head to investigate, Carina caught sight of a gray figure hurtling toward her through the air!

"Boom!"

The deafening explosion startled every bird on the island.

The forceful gust of wind sent Carina tumbling backwards, crashing onto the ground with great force.

Thick smoke and swirling dust obscured her vision completely.

Within the haze, Carina could barely make out the silhouette of a figure with imposing muscles, shrouded in an ominous aura.

And it was slowly advancing toward her!

As the smoke dissipated, Carina finally caught a clear glimpse of the figure's face.

"What kind of monster are you?" she exclaimed in shock.

Carina, being well-informed, recognized the creature as a kobold, walking on two legs with a devilish physique.

She couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat, her teeth chattering uncontrollably as she spoke!

"You're that thief!"

Spike revealed a pair of sharper teeth from behind, replacing his old ones.

His ferocious appearance, combined with his rough voice, left Carina utterly dumbfounded and petrified with fear.

Observing Carina's silence, Spike punched the thick tree beside him with tremendous force, sending it flying tens of meters away in a single motion!

A sense of impending doom gripped Carina's heart as she struggled to comprehend why such a terrifying individual was on Nami's ship!

Clearly, this guy had never made an appearance back when they were at the sea restaurant. What was going on?

Even during her theft of the money, Spike had never been spotted!

Faced with this inexplicable presence, Carina suddenly felt a pang of regret.

"What do you want?" she demanded, her voice quivering with apprehension.

As Carina asked, her mind raced, desperately seeking a means of escape from this monstrous foe!

She had only intended to jolt Nami's vigilance, not to put her own life in jeopardy!

Spike had no interest in exchanging words with Carina. Without hesitation, he reached out with his large hand to grab her, intent on swiftly returning to torment Tom.

In a moment of desperation, Carina seized a handful of sand and hurled it into Spike's eyes.

Spike, consumed with thoughts of tormenting Tom, was caught off guard and left defenseless against the sudden assault of sand.

The searing pain caused him to howl in agony.

"Stupid mutt, consider the money returned. Make sure to relay the message to Nami: she needs to be more alert," Carina taunted, her laughter echoing through the dense forest.

Spike shook his head, his expression contorted with rage, before transforming into gray lightning and vanishing into the distance.

With his keen sense of smell, Spike quickly locked onto Carina's position.

Unaware of this, Carina continued to run for a while. When she saw that Spike hadn't caught up, she began to relax her guard.

Just as she found a cave and was about to seek refuge inside...

Carina was startled to find Spike lounging in a regal manner, sipping juice leisurely and arching his eyebrows at her, as if mocking her foolishness.

"What!" she exclaimed in horror, her heart pounding.

Then, adopting a cute and pitiful expression, she pleaded, "Didn't I already give the money back to you?"

"Just please, let me go, alright?" Carina implored, her voice tinged with desperation.

Spike shook his head disapprovingly, making a "tsk tsk tsk" sound, and promptly dismissed Carina's plea.

Realizing her plea was futile, Carina suddenly put on a smile and waved her hands behind Spike, calling out, "Nami, what are you doing here?"

Spike hesitated for a moment, then turned around to peer into the dark cave, scanning for any sign of Nami. After a brief search, he found no trace of her.

Suddenly sensing something amiss, Spike's expression changed, and his head transformed into that of a donkey's.

Realizing he had been deceived, Spike shook his head vigorously and reverted back to his previous form.

His expression darkened with rage, and he prepared to render Carina unconscious and drag her back.

But as soon as he turned around, Carina bolted, refusing to stay put for even a moment.

This infuriated Spike to no end. In a fit of anger, he punched the cave, causing it to collapse in on itself.

Hearing the explosion reverberating behind her, Carina couldn't help but shiver in fear. With a cry of "monster," she sprinted even faster.

Yet, no matter where she fled, whether it was up into the trees or out onto the open sea, Spike seemed to track her down relentlessly.

However, just as Carina was on the verge of being caught, she would employ clever tricks to momentarily throw Spike off her trail, allowing her to slip away smoothly.

Yet, it wasn't long before Spike would catch on to her tactics and block her path once again.

And so the cat-and-mouse game continued, with Carina constantly evading Spike's pursuit, only to be thwarted time and time again as he adapted to her maneuvers.

Spike's relentless pursuit had turned the entire island upside down, but he refrained from unleashing his full power for fear of accidentally harming Carina.

Driven by his determination to capture the thief, Spike entertained the idea of sinking the fractured island altogether, leaving Carina with nowhere to hide.

If Carina were aware of Spike's plan, she would surely surrender herself willingly, opting to be taken back rather than face the potential destruction of the entire island.

At least if she were captured, Carina knew she would have a chance of survival, thanks to her friendship with Nami.

However, if Spike followed through with his plan to sink the island, even if she managed to evade capture, there would be no hope of swimming to safety.

Carina was cunning and self-preserving. Despite her greed for money, she valued her life above all else.

But if she could make money while also preserving her life, Carina was willing to take on any perilous challenge.

So much so that when she was once again cornered by Spike, breathless and exhausted, she noticed that he was still brimming with energy.

Cursing under her breath, Carina muttered, "Monster!"

Then, with a sense of resignation, she reached into her chest and pulled out a white flag. Waving it in surrender, she raised her hands and spoke, "I surrender. I won't try to escape this time. Take me back."

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