"What a nuisance, completely ruining our meal." Bonney sneered, glaring at the fool Apoo who didn't know his own limits.
"Hey, owner! Isn't it ready yet? Bring it out!" Bonney patted her stomach and slammed her hand on the table, shouting.
"C-Coming!" The owner, who had witnessed the entire scene, mustered his courage and walked out with the food.
Because it was a semi-open-air restaurant, the scene was witnessed by many people outside, several of whom recognized Ryuuto and Apoo.
Among the crowd was a man with golden hair and six vertical lines on his forehead, holding a few playing cards and performing a divination.
"The probability of death if I go in is 99%?" Hawkins's expression grew serious. Is the man sitting inside really that strong?
After another glance inside, Hawkins swished his long robe and turned to leave.
As he left, Ryuuto seemed to sense something and glanced over, noticing that the nine crew members following Hawkins all had straw tied to their clothes.
Following a captain like you is just asking for bad luck. Sacrificing your own crew the moment a fight starts! Ryuuto thought to himself.
Hawkins's prediction was correct. If he had dared to enter, Ryuuto would have definitely greeted him with a slash of his blade.
Then Ryuuto's gaze fell upon the defeated Apoo on the ground, and an idea suddenly struck him.
"Bonney..."
...
Three hours later, inside the Justice Guild on Grove 17.
Ryuuto sat formally behind the counter. Standing before him was Bonney, and at her feet lay the heavily injured and unconscious Apoo.
"Captain Ryuuto... This is the captain of the On Air Pirates, Scratchmen Apoo. I'm here to collect the bounty!" Bonney recited the lines Ryuuto had given her, which were replaying in her mind.
This was the idea that had suddenly occurred to Ryuuto. No one had come to claim any bounties yet... so why not create an opportunity himself? For instance, by having Bonney turn one in.
"Let me see... Apoo? A 3-star bounty. Alright, that's 300 million Beri!" Ryuuto pretended to seriously flip through a large stack of wanted posters, pulling out Apoo's. He then addressed Bonney, who looked like she was struggling to remember her lines.
"Payment for the man," Bonney said slowly, holding Apoo up with her right hand.
"Here's the 300 million Beri! Give me Apoo!" Ryuuto followed the procedure stiffly, taking out a large case of Beri from under the counter and placing it on the desk.
Then... the two were exchanged.
With that done, Bonney hugged the large case of Beri and walked out of the Justice Guild without a second glance.
Ping!
Ryuuto heard the sound he had been waiting for.
Outside the Justice Guild, Bonney cautiously poked her head back in to look inside. She saw Ryuuto standing there, frozen and unresponsive.
So, she came back in, still holding the Beri.
Ryuuto's consciousness was currently focused inward... Just a moment ago, he had seen his Reputation Value jump to 230,000.
"It actually worked!" Ryuuto shouted in excitement.
"Did it work?" Bonney heard him and leaned in closer, asking curiously.
"Hahahahahaha, it worked!" Ryuuto nodded at Bonney.
"Of course it did! I'm amazing! It worked on the first try!" Bonney reverted to her childish, lively self, jumping up and down excitedly.
Poor Apoo was the only one suffering through all this.
Seeing that everything was complete, Ryuuto's blade fell. A flash of light passed, and Apoo's last bit of life force dissipated.
Success had come too easily. For a moment, Ryuuto didn't know what to say.
Maybe... I should just go out and round up all the Supernovas.
"Not bad, not bad at all. A good method!" Ryuuto nodded in satisfaction. Another day of progress.
...
On Rusukaina Island.
As an island where the forty-eight seasons of a year changed on a weekly basis, it was a perfect showcase of humanity's defeat at the hands of nature. Not only did the climate change every week, but the island was also home to all sorts of dangerous giant beasts, meaning there were absolutely no signs of human habitation.
However, this made the island perfect for special training.
At that moment, Nami was frantically leaping about, dodging the pursuit of a giant crocodile.
Not far away, Porche, transformed into her white elephant form, was battling a powerfully built gorilla with grizzled fur. Every time Porche attacked with her trunk, the massive gorilla would easily block it with a giant log.
CRASH! CRASH! The sounds of impact echoed continuously.
"Now! Thunderbolt Tempo!" Nami yelled, leaping onto a large tree. Above her, dark clouds had gathered, rumbling ominously.
As Nami jumped, the giant crocodile behind her leaped as well.
BOOM!
A massive bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky, striking the crocodile dead-on!
As the brilliant lightning flashed, the crocodile was electrocuted so severely that its skeleton was visible. Plumes of black smoke rose from its body.
THUD!
The giant crocodile fell to the ground, deader than dead.
"Gust Sword!" Nami glanced at the fallen crocodile before landing back on the ground. With a shout, a powerful gust of wind erupted from the Sorcery Clima-Tact on her back.
"Porche, get ready!"
Nami rolled forward... The strong wind behind her instantly kicked up a cloud of dust, blowing it straight at the old gorilla.
"ROAR—"
The old gorilla couldn't dodge in time and got a face full of dust. It shrieked, dropping its log to clutch at its eyes.
"Now's my chance!"
Porche roared. With a triumphant cry, the giant white elephant leaped high into the air, swinging her long trunk down toward the old gorilla!
WHACK!
A sound of displaced air cut through the clearing, followed by the gorilla's pained scream. It had clearly been sent flying by the force of Porche's trunk.
Clap, clap, clap!
The sound of applause came from the side as Rayleigh emerged from the shadows.
He wore a satisfied smile.
In just a few short days... Nami and Porche had gone from being completely helpless to using their strengths to attack, and now they could even coordinate to take down some of the weaker giant beasts.
Their progress was truly immense!
"Mr. Rayleigh, are you sure we're training the right way?" Nami asked uncertainly, hopping over to his side.
Porche also turned her gaze toward him.
Before I came here... none of the theories Ryuuto told me seem to apply in a real fight, Nami thought to herself.
"Erm..." Rayleigh's expression faltered, his tone suddenly uncertain. "This is how everyone learns Haki, right?"
Rayleigh's teaching style had always been this rough and direct.
"Mr. Rayleigh... how about you go catch a beast for me? I think I'd like to create my own training plan!" Nami gave Rayleigh a skeptical look, deciding to follow Ryuuto's methods instead.
"..."
A glint flashed across Rayleigh's glasses. Finally, he nodded.