Dressrosa's east coast welcomed a modest sailboat as it docked at the pier. Luffy, ever the first to leap ashore, landed with a spring in his step. The rest of the Straw Hat crew—five in total—followed closely behind. "Finally!" Luffy exclaimed, stretching his arms wide. "Land! I'm starving!" His grin was infectious, but his enthusiasm was met with a sharp rebuke.
"Luffy! Don't go causing trouble the second we arrive!" Usopp's voice carried a note of urgency as he gestured toward the nearby execution platform. A grim sight greeted them: over a dozen desiccated pirate corpses swayed in the breeze, their lifeless forms a stark warning. Each body bore a sign detailing the pirate's name and bounty, ranging from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of Berries. It was a chilling testament to Dressrosa's unforgiving justice.
"This country might tolerate pirates," Usopp continued, his tone cautious, "but they execute anyone who steps out of line. We can't afford to mess this up."
Nearby, Franky struck his signature pose, flexing his mechanical arms. "Yeah, Luffy! SUPER important reminder! We're here to buy Adam Treasure Wood for our new ship. Even after we get it, we'll need to stay here for a while to build the thing. If we cause trouble, we'll be stuck drifting in this tiny boat forever."
The Straw Hat Pirates' journey had been anything but smooth since Fish-Man Island and a portion of the Red Line had been destroyed. The conventional route to the New World was now impassable, forcing them to rely on Crow, the Revolutionary Army's East Army Captain, for passage. But the Red Line's vast canyon—stretching tens of kilometers—made it impossible for their ship to navigate.
Once they reached the New World, they were left with only the small sailboat Franky had hastily constructed. The treacherous waters of the New World tested their resilience, and the hardships they endured were beyond description. Building a sturdy, seaworthy ship became their top priority.
After extensive inquiries, they learned that Dressrosa was selling Adam Treasure Wood—200 million Berries per piece, no bargaining allowed. What shocked them most was the apparent unlimited supply. Adam Treasure Wood was a rarity in the world, with only a few ancient trees existing. The wood typically traded in black markets wasn't from the trees themselves but from their branches. Even a single branch was enough to construct a large sailboat.
However, Adam Treasure Wood wasn't an infinite resource. New branches took decades to grow to a usable size, making Dressrosa's seemingly endless supply a mystery.
Sephiroth, however, had the answer: the Ripe-Ripe Fruit. With its power, he could accelerate the growth of a sapling into a centuries-old tree in mere minutes. While the rest of the world relied on the limited branches of existing Adam Treasure Trees, Sephiroth's monopoly allowed him to dictate prices and dominate the industry.
Wholesaling Adam Treasure Wood was more profitable than dealing in weapons, and it required virtually no capital. For Sephiroth, it was an opportunity too good to pass up. If he chose, he could render the world's shipbuilding companies dependent on him. After all, what was ordinary wood compared to the unparalleled quality of Adam Treasure Wood?
Which ship is better to use, does that even need to be compared? Therefore, monopoly business and the like are simply Sephiroth's favorite! Zoro, leaning against the ship's railing, yawned listlessly:
"I'll stay on the ship to guard it!" After all, there's treasure in the ship..."
Since the Straw Hat Pirates defeated two newly recruited Shichibukai in the first half and stole their treasure and money, although they don't know the value of the treasure, the Berries alone amount to over two hundred and thirty million. Therefore, the Straw Hat Pirates had the confidence to say they wanted to buy Adam Treasure Tree to make a new ship.
Hearing this, Chopper quickly raised his hoof and volunteered:
"Then I'll stay and guard the ship too!" Sanji silently lit a cigarette for himself before speaking:
"Even the rats on the ship have been eaten. If I don't go buy ingredients, you'll have to eat Chopper!" "Ahhhhh! I can't be eaten!" As soon as this was said, Chopper's eyes were immediately filled with fear and helplessness.
He was so scared that He was sweating profusely and directly hid behind a box, but He hid in the wrong direction, exposing His entire body. It was a perfect example of burying one's head in the sand. Usopp folded his arms and said thoughtfully:
"Then the three of us will go find where to buy the Adam Treasure Tree!" Franky is needed to confirm the authenticity of the wood.
Luffy and I don't understand these things at all." "SUPER-! No problem, you can leave this matter to me!" Franky nodded and said. Looking at the few people who had finished discussing, Chopper raised his right hand and said weakly:
"Speaking of which, while we were discussing, Luffy seems to have run off somewhere..."
"..." ×4
The four of them looked around and indeed did not see their silly Captain. No wonder they felt like someone was missing while they were discussing just now... ..... Outside an open-air couple's restaurant on Lovers Avenue. "Boss, fifty more portions of meat!" Luffy sat beside a table piled high with plates, devouring the food in front of Him.
He completely ignored the strange looks from the couples dining around Him. As a thick-skinned person, Luffy had no idea what it meant to read the atmosphere, nor did He know how out of place it was for Him, a single dog, to appear in a couple's restaurant. What's more, for Him, women were nowhere near as appealing as food!
After a while, the fifty portions of meat the waiter brought to the table were also completely eaten by Luffy, and He finally let out a satisfied burp, patted His round belly, stood up from the chair, and prepared to leave the restaurant. However... The waiter held a long bill in His hand and walked up to Luffy.
He looked wary, but His tone was very respectful:
"Mr., you consumed a total of three hundred and eighty-nine thousand Berries. Please settle the bill." Due to the special nature of Dressrosa, Pirates often appear, so merchants doing business in this country are already used to it. Even if Pirates cause trouble, they can handle it skillfully.
Merchants who can solve the problem themselves with ordinary small Pirates will do so, while those who cannot will notify the Kingdom Army. Because Luffy has a bounty as high as six hundred million, which is extremely dangerous, and to prevent Him from causing trouble, the restaurant Boss had already contacted the Kings Army and asked them to keep an eye on things.
At this time, the Army Captain Kyros also appeared next to the restaurant, constantly monitoring the situation here. Luffy reached into His clothes pockets and pants pockets, but didn't pull out a single Berry. So, He could only say with a grin:
"Hehehe! I'm sorry, I didn't bring any money!" How about I find my companions later and have them pay for me." "I'm very sorry!
"Sorry, sir, but we don't extend credit here." The waiter took two cautious steps back as he spoke. Kyros emerged from across the room, leading a squad of soldiers with their hands resting on their sword hilts. His expression was grim.
"Straw Hat Luffy," Kyros declared, "you're under arrest for suspicion of dining and dashing. Come with us quietly."
"Cooperate with us, and don't cause any trouble in this country," one of the soldiers added sternly. "The consequences would be severe."
Luffy blinked, scratching the back of his head. "Wait, what? I already told you my crew would pay! I wasn't trying to skip out on the bill." He frowned, recalling Franky's parting words at the pier.
They said absolutely not to cause trouble, otherwise they might not get a new ship. But if he didn't make a run for it now, who knew where these soldiers would take him? Luffy hesitated, torn between his promise and the urge to bolt.