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The "Demon Child" and the only survivor from Ohara, a renowned archaeologist, now serving as the vice president of the Baroque Works. Tony hadn't expected to meet her in this way.

Robin, in her early twenties, was undeniably goddess-level, though by thirty, she would have that mature, alluring charm. But even now, she was undoubtedly a mesmerizing beauty.

She wore a purple lady's top hat, her black hair flowing elegantly, and a tight-fitting uniform that accentuated her perfect figure. Tony couldn't help but swallow hard, trying to calm his excitement.

Upon seeing Robin, Tony understood her mission within Baroque Works. She wasn't truly aligned with Crocodile, but rather she was there to discover the historical records of Arabasta, using him for her own ends. Crocodile, on the other hand, wanted her archaeological knowledge to uncover the secrets of the ancient weapon Pluton.

The four others standing with Robin were all high-ranking agents of Baroque Works.

"Miss Valentine, Mikita, user of the Float-Float Fruit," "Mr. 5, Gem, user of the Boom-Boom Fruit," "Miss Double Finger, Bora, user of the Thorn-Thorn Fruit," and "Mr. 1, Daz Bonez, user of the Chop-Chop Fruit."

Each one was a formidable Devil Fruit user, among the top elites of Baroque Works. But unfortunately for them, they were facing Tony, the master of fire, who was known as the most powerful user of the Logia-type Devil Fruit.

There was a clear difference in their fruit abilities, and even more so in their individual strength.

Mr. 1, Daz Bonez, glared at Tony and coldly said, "The boss has ordered us to extend an invitation to you, the master of flames, Tony. We offer you the position of vice president, just under the boss himself. We hope you'll consider it."

Tony understood very well why Crocodile was making such an offer at this moment. Earlier that day, he had exposed Crocodile's true identity right to his face, and Crocodile must have realized the danger Tony posed to his plans. Clearly, he wanted to make preparations, to bind Tony to him, and to make sure he would be in control.

But what Crocodile underestimated was Tony's ambition. A mere vice president of a small criminal organization? That was far beneath Tony's notice.

Tony let out a cold laugh after hearing Mr. 1's offer, finally managing to regain his composure.

He shook his head, a sneer forming on his lips as he spoke disdainfully.

"Now that's really laughable. Does your boss have a screw loose? I think he needs to see a doctor," Tony scoffed , "A mere little crocodile dares to bark in front of me? And you, do you think you have the right to talk to me like this?"

Bora gritted her teeth in anger. Not only had Tony insulted her partner, Daz Bonez, but he had also insulted their boss, belittling their Baroque Works organization.

"Don't get too arrogant, little rookie! If it weren't for the boss's direct orders, you would already be a corpse!" Bora said coldly, her hands slowly stretching out, thorns forming around her, feeling a false sense of power in this situation with so many people around.

"Ha? So killing me is your goal, huh? You've already planned it, right? If I don't agree, you'll just kill me, huh? Why waste time talking?" Tony said, his voice calm but filled with menace.

He had long grown accustomed to such tactics. Crocodile was a cruel man, and anyone who stood in his way would be dealt with mercilessly. He trusted no one, and once people lost their usefulness, they were discarded. His offer of vice president to Tony was just another means of control.

Tony's eyes became sharp and fierce, his gaze locking onto the five members. An invisible pressure caused sweat to form on their foreheads.

Robin, ever the rational one, sensed the danger immediately and took a step back, positioning herself at what she considered a safe distance. The other four, however, stood frozen in place, seemingly forgetting that the young man in front of them was a notorious pirate with a bounty of 300 million.

Boom!

In an instant, flames erupted from Tony's body, growing in intensity and surrounding the four Baroque agents. Robin, now at a safe distance, was unaffected by the flames and was no longer in Tony's line of fire. He didn't want to kill her, not when she was so beautiful.

The heat from the flames was so intense that Robin could feel it even from a distance. It was terrifying. Robin quickly assessed the situation: this man had the power to annihilate all five of them.

For a moment, she regretted following Crocodile's orders to monitor Tony.

However, the other four had no such reservations. They adopted combat stances, keeping a watchful eye on Tony's every move.

"Hmph, we're all Devil Fruit users here. What's there to be afraid of?" Daz Bonez said, stepping forward.

The words made Tony realize just how ignorant they were. They were foolish to challenge him, unaware of his Logia-type Devil Fruit ability.

Gem, the man with the Boom-Boom Fruit, was the first to attack. He flicked a booger from his nose and aimed it at Tony, turning it into an explosive projectile. As a man with the power to turn anything into an explosive, Gem found amusement in using something so gross.

Tony's disgust was instant. His anger skyrocketed, the thought of such a precious ability being desecrated like this made his skin crawl.

"Disgusting bastard, don't you ever appear in front of me again!" Tony's arm was coated in Armament Haki, forming a pitch-black armor over it. Without holding back, he struck.

Only Robin noticed the Armament Haki. Knowledgeable as always, she recognized it immediately—it was the only power in the world that could counteract a Devil Fruit user's abilities. She didn't warn her companions, though. To her, these people weren't really her allies.

Tony's Sharingan activated, and he saw through Gem's booger projectile. He leapt out of the way, his elemental form letting him avoid the explosion. As he descended, he slammed Gem into the ground with great force.

"Hahaha, you fool! I'm the Explosive Man! Everything on me can explode, even the air I breathe!" Gem said with a sinister grin.

"Get close to me and I'll blow you to bits!" He took a deep breath, preparing for a suicide attack.

Tony laughed coldly. "I know you're the Explosive Man, but do you really think fire is afraid of explosions?"

"You don't even understand the basics! It's no surprise you're the first to die!"

"Flame Pillar!" Tony's hand slammed down on Gem's head, and a massive pillar of fire erupted from his palm, engulfing both Tony and Gem in a raging inferno.

Boom!

With a loud explosion and Gem's agonized scream, the beach was blasted into a deep crater. The fireball consumed everything, sending sand flying through the air and black smoke filling the sky.

Gem's lifeless body lay in the crater, his charred form emitting a putrid stench that made anyone nearby gag.

~----------------------------------------------------------

T/N:

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