35

Tony didn't go far. He stayed nearby and began purchasing supplies. Now that he had money, he couldn't help but enjoy the luxury of being able to buy anything he wanted. With a confident stride, Tony went from store to store, buying all the food and daily necessities the shops had to offer.

The shopkeepers were overjoyed and thanked Tony repeatedly, as such large purchases were extremely rare. They quickly packed up the items and arranged for them to be delivered to Tony's boat docked at the harbor.

Tony's extravagant spending drew many envious and jealous stares.

"Eh, it's just money, right? In the future... I'll have it too!"

"Yeah, exactly!"

Onlookers couldn't help but complain.

At that moment, a man walked past Tony, his slicked-back hair and a long scar across his face, with an earring on his right ear. He smoked a cigar, wore a golden hook for a left hand, and draped a black fur coat over his shoulders, giving off the air of a mafia boss. It was none other than Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Tony's expression immediately shifted slightly. He recognized him instantly—Crocodile, the "national hero" of Arabasta.

Crocodile stopped in front of Tony, his gaze locking onto him with a knowing, playful smirk.

"Hahaha, if it isn't Tony, the Flame Ruler! The man who became famous after the battle in the East Blue and was given the title of Newcomer King by the Marines! It's an honor to meet you here, but be careful—there are Marines forces stationed here."

Crocodile spoke in an eerie tone, his words laced with threat and provocation.

Tony, unperturbed by Crocodile's taunts, calmly responded with a smile, speaking in a voice just loud enough for the two of them to hear.

"Same to you. Crocodile, leader of the criminal group Baroque Works. If we're talking about being careful, you're not exactly in a much better position, are you?"

Though Crocodile was hailed as a national hero of Arabasta, he was secretly the head of the criminal organization Baroque Works. Most people were unaware of this, but Tony knew the truth very well. As fellow Logia-type Devil Fruit users, Tony wasn't about to show any respect to someone who came looking for trouble.

When Tony revealed Crocodile's true identity, the smile on Crocodile's face quickly faded, his expression turning dark. He hadn't expected this young man, who had just set sail, to know about his secret identity, which left him momentarily stunned.

...

Over the years, Crocodile had believed that he had been hiding his true intentions very well. In the Arabasta Kingdom, the common people trusted him implicitly. Even the king and the military were mere pawns in his hands—everything was supposed to be according to his plan.

But this man before him...

He clearly knew his true identity. How did he know? Could there be a traitor among my subordinates?

No, wait! Crocodile quickly rejected this thought. A newbie who just set sail couldn't possibly have this kind of ability to make his subordinates betray him.

He couldn't think of how the man had found out, but one thing was clear: the person standing in front of him was a significant obstacle.

Crocodile's eyes filled with murderous intent, but he remained rational. Although he hadn't seen Tony's strength firsthand, the three-hundred million Berries bounty announced by the Marine Headquarters and the battle with "White Hunter" Smoker in the East Blue were enough to prove that this man wasn't someone to be underestimated. He needed to come up with a solid plan—acting rashly would definitely end in failure.

After all, he was in his own domain. Crocodile didn't rush; with a cold grunt, he ignored Tony and walked away with large strides.

"Trouble keeps piling up..."

"Just arrived in Arabasta, and I already run into him. My luck sure is 'great'..."

Tony watched as Crocodile's figure disappeared into the distance, feeling a headache coming on. He could clearly sense the murderous intent Crocodile had just directed at him.

At that moment, Nami, beaming with joy, came out of the clothing store, carrying several items, and seeing Tony's strange expression, she couldn't help but ask.

"Tony? What's wrong?"

Tony withdrew his gaze, took the bags from Nami's hands, and, with a playful smile, said, "Nothing, just ran into a big crocodile. Looks like we'll have some small trouble here in the next few days."

Nami, confused, raised an eyebrow, not understanding what Tony was talking about.

Soon, Tony led Nami to a high-end restaurant in Arabasta. Upon entering, the lavish decorations, exquisite dishes, and the attire of the guests clearly indicated that this was a place where only wealthy businessmen and nobles could afford to dine.

"Who are these two?"

"Do they know how expensive it is here?"

"They're not here to eat for free, are they?"

Tony paid no attention to the curious glances and murmurs around him. He led Nami to a more conspicuous seat.

The waiter, looking down at them with an air of superiority, casually tossed the menu onto their table.

"Please make your order."

This action completely enraged Tony. He could ignore the murmurs and whispers of the onlookers, but to act cool in front of him? That was a line that could not be crossed! He wasn't one to tolerate such disrespect. To others, he was now a ruthless pirate with a bounty of three hundred million Berries. He wouldn't hesitate to turn this restaurant into ashes.

Tony stood up, ready to reduce this little nuisance to cinders, but was stopped by Nami, who was standing nearby.

Nami casually opened a black leather suitcase and placed an entire stack of cash in front of the waiter.

The waiter's eyes immediately gleamed with greed, his attitude shifting 180 degrees as he started fawning over Nami, "Ah! I didn't realize we had a young lady of such noble status here, truly an honor for our establishment!"

The surrounding guests were equally stunned, estimating that Nami's cash amounted to at least 70 million Berries... They hadn't expected such ordinary-looking people to have such a fortune.

The once skeptical glances turned into envious ones.

Nami, with a playful smile, grabbed a stack of bills—probably around 500,000 Berries—and handed it over to the waiter, signaling for him to bring all the signature dishes.

The waiter, clearly thrilled, treated Nami with reverence, running to the kitchen as if she were royalty. The tip she had given was probably more than his entire annual salary—how could he not be excited?

Nami signaled Tony to keep a low profile for now and not stir up too much trouble, or else they might attract the attention of the Marines here.

Tony chuckled and shook his head. "Looks like my little Nami is very clever, huh?"

Nami beamed with pride, clearly pleased by his compliment.

The restaurant's exquisite dishes were soon brought to their table, with the restaurant owner himself personally attending to them. With a sly grin, he suggested that they take a VIP room to rest. In reality, he just didn't want to let such a big fish slip away—hoping to make them spend more money.

Tony didn't mind. He agreed, knowing that he and Nami would likely stay in Arabasta for a few days. Eating, drinking, and lodging were naturally necessary.

A higher-end restaurant was a better place to hide, after all. The Marines would never suspect pirates would be so blatant in their consumption.

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T/N:

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