23

On the surface of the East Blue, a small boat drifted along with the wind.

"Hey, Nami, have you found any way to make some money?" Ryō asked as he looked at her.

It had been a week since the destruction of the naval warships.

Because Ryō had annihilated the fleet, it was no longer possible for him to claim bounties by killing pirates. He now needed a new way to get funds.

"Kakuzu-sama, the last way to make money was by being a pirate hunter, but you destroyed a naval battleship... Now we might be wanted by the Navy," Nami said with a hint of embarrassment.

Although Nami was known as the "Cat Burglar," she was still a relative newcomer in the grand scheme of things. Her usual method of making money involved trickery and deceit, and she didn't have the strength or know-how for much else.

"What a pain," Ryō muttered, frowning.

Ryō had been playing the role of Kakuzu, the money-hungry member of the Akatsuki, whose obsession with wealth meant he always needed money, and lots of it. The only way to continue advancing his plans was to amass more and more riches.

But with the destruction of naval vessels and the murder of many Marines, the route of bounty hunting seemed to be closed.

"Woohoo..."

At that moment, a large, opulent ship appeared on the horizon. It was a grand vessel, decorated lavishly, with a flag bearing the mark of a hoof.

More importantly, the ship was headed straight toward Ryō and Nami's small boat, showing no signs of changing course.

"This isn't good. That's a World Government ship… The one that escorts the Heavenly Tribute to the Celestial Dragons. We should get out of here!" Nami said, panic clear in her voice as she frantically began steering the boat away.

Nami knew all too well the consequences of offending the Celestial Dragons. Their status was godlike, and angering them meant facing the wrath of the Admirals and the full force of the Navy.

"Celestial Dragons? Heavenly Tribute? You're saying that's the ship carrying the tribute?" Ryō asked, his eyes gleaming with greed.

"Yes, Kakuzu-sama, every year, this ship comes to the East Blue to collect Heavenly Tribute—"

"Wait… Kakuzu-sama, you're not thinking of robbing them, are you?!" Nami exclaimed, her face pale as she looked at Ryō in horror.

Robbing the Celestial Dragons was madness. It wasn't just reckless—it was suicide. Even the most feared pirates in the world would hesitate to cross the Celestial Dragons.

"No, no, this is a terrible idea! You can't do this!" Nami shouted, trying to stop Ryō from what she feared was his plan.

"Hmph, what's stopping me?" Ryō responded coldly. "There's nothing in this world that the Akatsuki fears. Not even the Celestial Dragons."

Right now, Ryō needed money, and here was a fortune, conveniently sailing right towards him. How could he resist?

"Steer us toward that ship, or else..." Ryō's voice turned icy, and Nami could feel a chill run down her spine.

Though terrified of the consequences, Nami was more afraid of Ryō in that moment. Reluctantly, she obeyed, turning the boat to head straight toward the Celestial Dragon's ship.

Meanwhile, aboard the massive World Government vessel, a Celestial Dragon with a glass dome over his head looked out through a telescope.

Through the lens, he spotted a small boat approaching them rapidly.

"Look, there's a little boat out there!" the Celestial Dragon shouted with glee. "Finally, some entertainment!"

"Bring me the cannon!" he ordered, and several guards hurriedly carried over a large cannon.

The Celestial Dragon stood in front of the artillery, aiming directly at Ryō's small boat.

"Hahaha! Let's see them die!" the Celestial Dragon laughed as he fired the cannon.

A cannonball flew towards Ryō and Nami's boat at incredible speed.

"Hmph, Celestial Dragons... nothing but fools looking for death," Ryō muttered.

Earth Release: Earth Spear!

In an instant, Ryō's right hand transformed, turning as hard as stone. He reached out and caught the cannonball mid-air with ease, his arm absorbing the impact.

"Wha-What?! Why didn't the cannonball explode?!" the Celestial Dragon stammered in shock.

"Idiots! Did you give me a faulty cannonball?!" the Celestial Dragon screamed at his guards, furious that his attack had failed. "Fire again! Kill them all!"

"Hmph, you want your cannonball back? Here, take it," Ryō sneered.

With a flick of his wrist, Ryō threw the cannonball back at the World Government ship. The projectile flew through the air and slammed into the vessel's side with a deafening BOOM, leaving a massive crater in its hull.

The ship rocked violently as the explosion tore through its elegant deck.

"Ahhh! We've been attacked!" one of the guards yelled, pure panic in his voice. "Contact Navy Headquarters immediately! The Celestial Dragon has been assaulted! We need an Admiral here, now!"

"Protect the Celestial Dragon! Destroy the enemy!" another guard screamed, brandishing his weapon.

As the chaos unfolded, Ryō leapt from his boat and landed on the deck of the World Government ship.

"Fire! Kill him!" shouted the guards, and a barrage of musket fire rained down on Ryō.

But the bullets were useless. They bounced off Ryō's hardened skin like pebbles against stone. Every time Ryō threw a punch, a guard went flying, crashing into the sea, blood spraying through the air. Few, if any, would survive the encounter.

Along with his elemental techniques, Ryō's physical prowess was unmatched. Within minutes, all the guards on the ship lay dead or dying, leaving only the terrified Celestial Dragon.

"You... You dare attack me?! Do you know who I am?!" the Celestial Dragon shrieked, his voice trembling. "I'm a Celestial Dragon! Kneel before me, and I might consider making you my slave!"

Ryō glanced at the Celestial Dragon, his expression unreadable. "You're not worth my time."

With a wave of his hand, tendrils shot out from Ryō's arm and wrapped around the Celestial Dragon, hoisting him off the ground effortlessly.

"Nami, this Celestial Dragon should be worth quite a bit, right?" Ryō asked casually, turning to Nami, who had just stepped aboard the ship.

Nami looked horrified. "Celestial Dragon? No one in their right mind would dare to buy a Celestial Dragon, Kakuzu-sama… Not even on the black market. It would bring too much heat."

Ryō's expression darkened. "Useless. Then he's worthless."

Without hesitation, Ryō tossed the Celestial Dragon into the sea like garbage.

"K-Kakuzu-sama! You just killed a Celestial Dragon!" Nami stammered, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Worthless trash. He died because he wasn't worth anything," Ryō said flatly, not the least bit concerned.

"Now, check how much money is on this ship," he ordered coldly.

Ryō had killed Celestial Dragons before. They were nothing more than weaklings in his eyes, and in a world where power and wealth reigned supreme, they held no value to him unless they lined his pockets.

Nami, shaken but obedient, began searching the ship. After all, money was what mattered most now.