"Mr. Crocus!"
Umit's eyes widened in surprise and delight the moment he recognized the man.
"I never thought I'd see you here!"
His entire demeanor shifted in an instant. A fawning expression replaced his stern look as he scurried over to Crocus, bowing his head respectfully.
"Uh..." Ryuuto scratched the back of his head. This was not how he expected things to go.
Everyone else stared at the scene, stunned.
"Who's that old man? Why is Lord Umit acting so respectful toward him?" one of the bodyguards muttered, completely baffled.
No one could have imagined that the young man Crocus had saved thirty years ago would one day become the King of Maritime Transport.
Gerad was even more bewildered than the rest. He had been gearing up for a major brawl, but that now seemed entirely out of the question.
Vivi, however, had a good idea of what was happening. During her training on Sake Island, she had spent a great deal of time listening to Crocus's stories about his past.
Bonney ran a hand through her hair. "Looks like there won't be a fight after all! What a letdown!" she sighed, spitting out the stick of her finished lollipop and slumping with boredom.
"Crocus, are you with..." Umit asked tentatively.
"Hahahahaha! I'm the ship's doctor for the Ryuuto Pirates now. The young man in front is our captain, and that one's our cook!" Crocus glanced around, instantly grasping the situation, and let out a hearty laugh.
"Gulp... What a coincidence! I was just hoping to discuss a partnership with Captain Ryuuto!" Umit heard this and immediately forced a smile, quickly aligning his own intentions with the new development.
In a heartbeat, the tense atmosphere evaporated, replaced by an air of perfect harmony.
Buggy and Foxy exchanged a look, then simply turned around and walked back into the auction house.
Ryuuto glanced at Gerad, who was still standing there in a daze, and then at the thoroughly bored Bonney.
"Old Man Crocus, Umit... how about we let Bonney and this... Gerad... have a little fight?" Ryuuto suggested with a light chuckle. He was mostly curious to see Bonney's new abilities.
Gerad, with a bounty of 520 million Beli, was certainly no opponent Bonney could defeat, but with Crocus's connection ensuring things wouldn't get out of hand, it was the perfect opportunity for her to get some practice.
"Hmm?" Umit turned from Ryuuto to Crocus. Seeing the old doctor nod in approval, Umit shouted to his subordinate, "Gerad! Go easy on her!"
Bonney's face was a mask of confusion. "What? Why me?"
"Hehahahaha! No problem!" Gerad roared, his muscles flexing as he cracked his knuckles together, his voice filled with excitement.
"Go get 'em, Bonney!" Ryuuto said, casually walking over and yanking her out into the open space.
"Huh... Who am I? Where am I?"
As Ryuuto let her go, Bonney was still in a complete fog. Weren't they supposed to be fighting Ryuuto? How did it end up being her turn?
Crocus watched the scene with an amused grin. Umit, on the other hand, was speechless. This little girl didn't look like much of a fighter.
"I'm coming at you! I'm a user of the Mythical Zoan Fruit, Model: Umibōzu! You'd better be careful!" Gerad warned Bonney.
As he spoke, dark blue scales erupted across his skin. His face twisted into a demonic visage, and a single vertical eye sprouted from the center of his forehead. This was Gerad's Hybrid Form.
"Here I come!"
"Hydraulic Pistol Punch!" Gerad bellowed. His arms liquefied, transforming into two streams of transparent water that shot forward, coalescing into a massive, pressurized fist of water that rocketed toward Bonney.
Bonney's eyes narrowed.
"Distorted Future!"
Seeing the watery fist bearing down on her, she leaped into the air. Bathed in the sunlight, her right arm instantly swelled to a massive size, and she swung it down to meet Gerad's attack head-on.
BANG!
Their fists collided with a thunderous crash, sending a shockwave blasting out in all directions.
BOOM!
"Hehahahaha! Now this is interesting!" Gerad said, pulling his arms back and looking at the slightly panting Bonney.
With another roar, Gerad's body began to contort. A thick mist poured out from him as he transformed, swelling to a height of over ten meters into his full Umibōzu form.
"Get ready to face my true power, little girl! Hehahahaha!"
The colossal Umibōzu floated in the air, its lower half composed entirely of swirling mist while its upper body was that of a three-eyed monk covered in dark blue scales. A massive chained weapon materialized in his hands.
CLANG!
The enormous chain whipped through the mist with a deafening rattle, each swing carrying immense destructive force. Out on the open sea, a single blow could sink a warship.
"So this is a Mythical Zoan..." Vivi's eyes were locked on Gerad, a potent sense of danger emanating from him.
"What the? How did he suddenly get so huge?" Bonney grit her teeth. The last clash had already taken a lot out of her.
Seeing the encroaching mist and the whipping chain, Bonney knew she was in trouble. She immediately broke into a sprint, dodging frantically across the ground.
"How am I supposed to fight this?" she muttered, glancing back at the monstrous form of Gerad.
"Crush her, Lord Gerad!"
"Teach them a lesson, Lord Gerad!"
Umit's bodyguards began to cheer, their spirits high.
Vivi's face was etched with worry. Ryuuto, however, just watched Bonney, a faint crackle of lightning sparking around his right hand.
"Bonney! Thunder God!" Ryuuto finally shouted, seeing her do nothing but run.
Umit, who had been watching the fight with great interest, heard Ryuuto's cry. He tightened his grip on his long-stemmed pipe and snapped his gaze over.
Crocus simply smiled, a knowing look in his eyes.
Hearing the shout, Bonney's body jolted. "Alright, let's give it a try!" She slammed her foot down to halt her sprint, then flipped into the air. Soaring toward the sky, she faced the cat-and-mouse game Gerad was playing and roared, "Distorted Future! Power of the Thunder God!"
With her eyes on the sun, Bonney filled her mind with the image of a god of thunder. A few faint crackles echoed through the air.
Crackle...
The sound was almost inaudible at first, but it quickly erupted into a deafening roar. In the sky, Bonney was now wreathed in lightning.
"Hahahaha! I really am a genius!" Bonney laughed, marveling at the arcs of electricity surging around her own body.
"Fist of the Thunder God!"
Brimming with newfound confidence, she clenched her right fist. Countless bolts of lightning gathered around it, compressing and condensing until they formed a colossal fist made of pure thunder.
"Take this, you shadowy freak!"
Her aura flared as she slammed the thunderous punch down toward Gerad.
"Just what I was waiting for! A fight like this is the only thing that gets my blood pumping!" Gerad, a true battle maniac, grew even more excited at the sight.