Chapter 209: Conflict of Interests! (10k) (Part 1)

Chapter 209: Conflict of Interests! (10k) (Part 1)





"Jewels?!"

It was at this moment, as Lily flipped through the small booklet, that the brief candy cloud dissipated, allowing Nami to hear those words.

"What jewels? Where are the jewels?!"

Nami's eyes turned into dollar signs as she listened intently.

Lily didn't pay any heed and continued flipping through the booklet, explaining, "There are formulas here, but they're primarily research notes on how to create rainbow jewels. I can't quite understand the calculations and arrangements, Lettie."

"Let me see."

Reinette took the booklet and turned to the pages with calculations, nodding as she scanned the content. "It seems to be a formula for a potion. Quite a lot of materials are required, and it involves melting ores and mixing them with special materials to form a condensing liquid before combining them."

As a shipworker, she was knowledgeable about mechanical inventions, but some understanding of the composition of cannonballs and weapons was also necessary. However, in this regard, Reinette was not particularly skilled.

Nonetheless, the knowledge contained in the booklet wasn't overly profound, as the formulas had already been researched and documented.

"There's an issue with the arrangement and combination. There's no specific arrangement here; it merely lists the materials."

Reinette flipped to the back and unfolded the page to show it to Sag, "And this, it looks like a treasure map, but I can't tell what it's supposed to represent."

In that booklet, there was only this one page that depicted a detailed marine map, marked with a hot spring symbol and a red 'X' beside it.

"It's right here."

Lily stated, "The location on the marine map should be this place, which means that the crew of this Hot Spring Island-themed ship might know something about it."

"Give it back to us!"

Just then, a smaller girl walked over, with a larger girl trailing behind, seemingly trying to prevent her from approaching their group.

"This belongs to our father. Give it back!"

"Lina, don't—"

Seeing that it was too late, the older girl took a deep breath and stood in front of her sister once more, shielding her. "Umm... This is something we lost. Could you please give it back to us?"

"Sayo, Lina, are you two alright?!" Luffy called out when he noticed the two girls.

Previously, they had encountered Foxy because he had taken something from these girls and even tried to kidnap them, leading to the battle.

"Hey, White-Haired guy, quickly return their belongings! Those belong to them!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Don't make it sound like I'm the kind of person who would definitely take things from others. I'm not so desperate that I'd steal from people who are already struggling. Look at their old, worn-out clothes,"

Sag glanced at the two little girls and found himself a beach chair to sit on. He then waved at Sanji, "Hey, Gold-Hair, bring me a drink."

"What an impolite guy!"

Sanji fumed, "I only serve ladies!"

Marika walked up to Sanji at that moment, taking the tray filled with alcoholic drinks from him while he was still in a daze. She offered him a gentle smile before returning to Sag's side.

"There's something..."

Sag naturally took one of the cocktails, drinking half of it in one go, and casually took the small booklet from Reinette's hand, waving it at the two little girls, "Is it authentic?"

"Ah?" The girl didn't react immediately.

"I'm asking if the information in here is real or fake."

"No... I don't know. These are my father's research materials and notes. We came here to complete our missing father's research,"

The girl answered glumly, "My name is Sayo, and this is my little sister, Lina. We've been here for quite some time, but we haven't found anything yet. There's no mark like the 'X' on this island."

Lina pouted and complained, "Doing this is pointless, sister. Dad is just blindly researching. He abandoned us three years ago, leaving behind only this tattered notebook, and we don't even know if it's real or fake!"

Sayo shook her head, not responding to her sister's words, but continued to look at Sag, "Can you please give it back to us?"

"There's no rush. If you can't verify its authenticity, it'll take me too long to confirm it myself, Lily."

Zing!

Lily gripped the hilt of the White Lightning in her subordinate's hands, and as the cold light radiated, she drew out the thin sword, turning on her heel and striding towards the central building.

Just as she reached the door, a group of armed guards rushed out of the building. However, before they could even aim their guns, Lily, who had been walking forward, suddenly accelerated. Her sword's chill transformed into afterimages, forming a stray beam of white light that circled around these guards like thunder.

Swish!

The guards' bodies were slashed open with bloodlines, and they collapsed with rolled-back eyes. At the end of that trail of light, Lily's figure flashed, and she swiped the White Lightning to the side, flinging the blood off the blade before stepping into the building.

Witnessing this scene, Lucci involuntarily clenched his fists.

This woman's speed seemed even faster than when they were in Socomia.

No, it was more that she was more decisive now.

Lucci discreetly glanced at Sag, who was sipping his cocktail.

Was it because Sag's return had made her more resolute? On a ship, the captain was indeed the soul of the crew.

Nami stared blankly at the building where Lily had disappeared, blurting out, "Wow... So powerful!"

As a fellow woman, this person's strength was truly terrifying!

"After all, she has a bounty of one hundred and sixty million berries." Robin commented, "Having this level of strength is normal for someone with such a bounty."

Moreover,

Although she hadn't interacted much with Sag, she had a rough understanding of the style and nature of the Heavenly Disaster Pirate Crew.

This pirate crew would not have been able to establish their footing if they weren't strong enough.

Those who could stand by Sag's side must be exceptionally powerful individuals, like that 'Magician' Basil Hawkins.

"Hey, Green-Hair, did you hear that? One hundred and sixty million berries!"

Sanji nudged Zoro with his elbow, saying, "That's four thousand million more than your bounty. When we were in Alabasta, you didn't seem to be able to determine a winner between the two of you."

"That's still higher than your measly 77 million!" Zoro huffed.

"Don't bring up that bounty, or do you want to fight, Green Onion-head?!" Sanji growled, a vein popping out on his forehead.

"You're the one who looks like a pervert cook!" Zoro shot back without an ounce of mercy.

Just as the two were about to come to blows, Robin interjected, "Well, well, Straw Hat crew, are you all here? I want to find that someone; their bounty should be around here somewhere. Get it for me."

In such a large resort, there were bound to be bounty posters of various pirates, especially those who had recently played a part in the destruction of Enies Lobby, making them world-renowned.

Soon, a group of people approached Sag's location, but instead of the subordinates who had heeded his order earlier, it was the entire CP9 team.

Jabura held a stack of bounty posters in his hand and handed them to Robin. "I heard you met up with the Straw Hat crew, so I came to take a look."

He turned to the Straw Hats and greeted them with a wave. "Long time no see, everyone!"

"It's you, Liar Wolf," Sanji said with a frown.

"I'm Jabura; I'm not Liar Wolf," Jabura replied with a sly smile.

"Oh? The whole zoo's here," Zoro remarked, his eyes landing on Kaku. "Not working as a shipwright anymore? Decided to become a pirate instead?"

"Yes, I've temporarily changed professions," Kaku chuckled.

The CP9 members always prioritized their missions above all else, and even Lucci hadn't made a move, so they had no reason to either.

Unlike Lucci, who was cold and detached, they valued camaraderie and loyalty.

After all, they had spent five years in Enies Lobby, and no matter how focused they were on their missions, emotions inevitably came into play.

Kaku, in particular, felt a twinge of regret when Zoro defeated him, as he knew that peaceful life was now behind him.

But agents were agents, and Lucci was their indisputable captain, even after being dismissed. They would follow him wherever he went.

"And you, that chatty owl!" Franky stuck out his tongue.

"Chatter, chatter," the owl unzipped its beak, "You're the perverted man."

"What's wrong with a man being perverted?!" Franky exclaimed.

"Yah! You're the guy who can change from fat to skinny! Can you do it again?!'' Chopper looked at Kumadori with eager anticipation.

"That technique is called 'Life Return'; it's not about getting fat or skinny, and it's very tiring, yoi!" Kumadori raised his voice in response.

Kalifa, dressed in a conservative dress, pushed her glasses up and said to Nami before she could even open her mouth, "That's sexual harassment."

Nami could only force a dry smile to ease the awkwardness.

In order to find the key, that really was sexual harassment...

But who told her to hide it so deeply!

"You're all here."

She looked at the group and sighed, "The entire CP9 has become pirates."

Fortunately, they were pirates under the Heavenly Disaster Pirate Crew, and it was also fortunate that Sag was Robin's younger brother, so there wouldn't be any conflict.

Robin held the bounty posters and looked at Luffy first. "'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy, captain, bounty of three hundred million berries."

Luffy let out a boisterous laugh, his demeanor matching the description on the poster perfectly.

Lucci remained expressionless and silent.

"'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro, swordsman, and probably a combatant as well. Bounty of one hundred and twenty million berries."

A smirk played on Zoro's lips, revealing a slightly ferocious smile.

Kaku crossed his arms and nodded, "One hundred and twenty million, huh? After defeating me, you should be worth that much."

"'Cat Burglar' Nami, navigator, bounty of sixteen million berries. Hey, is this a swimsuit photo?"

Nami covered her cheeks with her hands, half delighted and half horrified.

She was delighted because the photo was beautifully taken, but horrified because she now had a bounty on her head.

"Sexual harassment," Kalifa remarked as she glanced at the photo of Nami in a swimsuit, her head turned to the side.

"Sniper King, sniper, bounty of three hundred million berries."

Robin looked at the Straw Hat crew, one member short, and asked, "Strange, where's your long-nosed companion?"

Nami turned her head and saw that Usopp had slipped away before she could even mention his name.

"That's Usopp; he's the sniper on our ship. Even though he doesn't have a bounty yet, he's definitely a reliable comrade!" Luffy explained with a broad smile.

Robin tilted her head, confused. "But doesn't he have a bounty?

"That's Sniper King; he's Usopp's good friend. He helped us a lot, but I wonder where he is now. I'd like to see him again," Luffy said.

"That's right, that's right! Sniper King!" Chopper raised his small hoof, excitedly exclaiming, "The hero of Sniper Island!"

That's just one person...

Robin cocked her head, thought for a moment, and then dismissed it.

Perhaps this odd group had some strange fetish...

Robin continued to compare the posters, "Tony Tony Chopper, I know you; you're the reindeer. We met in Alabasta, and you also treated our subordinates. Are you the ship's doctor?"

"I'm a reindeer?!" Chopper shouted in protest.

Robin ignored him and looked at the next poster, only to furrow her brows again, "Hey? Why is it a two-digit number, and the remark says 'pet'? Only fifty berries?"

"Fifty..."

Chopper looked up, almost in tears, forgetting his anger at being called a tanuki.

"I fought seriously too! I worked hard too! Why is my bounty only fifty berries?!" His small hooves flailed in the air, filled with indignation.

"I understand how you feel, yoi!"

Kumadori, tears welling in his eyes, rushed to Chopper's side, knelt down, and grabbed his hoof. In a dramatic tone, he said, "To have fought valiantly alongside 'Lion' Kumadori and to have displayed such a terrifying monster form, only to be rewarded with a bounty of fifty berries—this tarnishes our battle and brings shame to Kumadori. Mr. Chopper, to express my deepest apologies, I can only atone by committing seppuku!"

He released Chopper's hoof, reached behind his waist, and drew out a tanto. With a swift motion, he unsheathed the blade and prepared to stab himself in the abdomen.

"Hey!"

The Straw Hat crew was taken aback and instinctively tried to stop him.

"Iron Block!"

Clang!

The crisp sound rang out, freezing their movements as they tried to stop her.

"What a pity, you won't die, yoi yoi yoi!"

"Hahahaha!"

Jabura pointed at the stunned group and burst into laughter. "Fooled you, fools!"

"Go die yourself!" Nami shouted furiously, her anger reaching new heights.

Reinette continued flipping through the bounty posters. "'Devil's Child' Nico Robin, hmm... I know you're a scholar with a bounty of 80 million berries."

Robin smiled in response.

"'Iron Man' Franky, you're the shipwright, right? Your bounty of 44 million berries isn't as impressive as mine!"

Reinette boasted, "My bounty is a whole 100 million!"

This statement caused everyone in the Straw Hat crew, except for Robin, to widen their eyes in shock.

They had heard about Sag's capture, but it was only through what Robin and Luffy's grandfather had told them. As for the others' bounty posters, they hadn't seen them, as they weren't the type to pay attention to such intelligence.

Now, hearing that a little girl had a bounty of 100 million, they were understandably astonished.

"Hey! Don't joke around," Franky exclaimed. "You're just a little girl, that bounty is way too high!"

"I'm a pirate, alright!"

Reinette mimicked Sag's tone, baring her teeth as she said, "Pirates don't care about age!"

As she spoke, she glanced at the skeleton leisurely sipping tea, "None for you, why?"

"Hey, skeleton!"

Jabura's eyes widened in surprise. "It's actually a tea-drinking skeleton! What's going on! Have you evil pirates started researching evil necromancy?"

"Nonsense!"

"Also, you're a pirate yourself now, so don't talk about evil!" Nami added.

"Rest assured, although I am a skeleton, I am still very polite," Brook said, then paused to take a slow sip of his tea, making a slurping sound before belching and letting out a fart. He then continued, "I am very particular about manners, although my appearance is due to certain circumstances, yohohoho!"

"How's that polite at all!" Jabura rolled his eyes.

"My bounty is too old and doesn't match this body anymore. As for the amount, it should be around 33 million, it's been too long, so I can't quite remember the exact figure."

Brook tilted his skull slightly, "Currently, I am the musician in Mr. Luffy's pirate crew. I love music, for it has the power to heal hearts. So, Miss..."

He turned to Kalifa, his voice becoming deep and earnest, "May I have a look at your fat spikes?"

Smack!

Kalifa kicked Brook, sending him tumbling to the side. She replied calmly, "That's sexual harassment."

Brook lay on the ground, his skull opening and closing as he spoke, "Yohohoho, yohohoho, I feel like my kidneys are going to burst, even though I'm a skeleton and don't have kidneys, yohohoho!"

Reinette gave him a disdainful look, confirming that he was indeed an odd one.

She glanced at the last bounty poster in her hand, furrowing her brows slightly, "'Black Leg' Sanji, with a bounty of 77 million berries, hmm? Who are you?"

"Hey, I'm talking to you."

Zoro poked Sanji's waist with a malicious intent.

At that moment, Sanji's face was extremely contorted.

"That's not me!" he squeaked through clenched teeth.

"Ah, your name is Sanji."

Reinette looked at him curiously, then back at the bounty poster in her hand, blinking, "How strange, why does the bounty poster look like this? Isn't it supposed to be a photo? Why is yours a drawing?"

"Hahahahaha!"

Jabura stepped closer, bursting into laughter, "It's actually like this, how hilarious! You, the chef!"

"Shut up!"

Sanji roared, then suddenly knelt down and punched the ground, "Damn it! That's not me, my gentlemanly face doesn't look like that! The bounty poster has spread all over the world, and all those lovely ladies have seen it!"

"Chef, huh?"

Marika smiled, "That's a wonderful profession. Even if the photo is misleading, if you prepare a thoughtful meal, it will allow those who taste your cooking to see your true self."

"Ah..."

Sanji subconsciously lifted his head, gazing at the smiling Marika, feeling a warmth in his heart.

"Holy, Mother Mary..." Sanji mumbled in a trance.

That purified look on his face caused Reinette to also look at him with disdain. She took a step back, thinking, "What a strange guy."

She looked at the group as a whole, "A strange pirate crew... And there are so few of you. Can you even sail with such a small crew? How do you even man the ship?"

A typical pirate crew would have at least a few dozen members to be considered decent. Otherwise, even hoisting the sails would be a challenge.

"Hmm? Why can't a few people man a ship?"

Luffy scratched his head, deep in thought, "It's definitely possible. It's quite easy, actually."

"I agree," Zoro chimed in. "We only get busy occasionally, and after getting the Sunny, it's been even less work."

"That's because you're always sleeping!"

Nami slapped his head, annoyed. "How can you say that? Lately, it hasn't been busy because Franky can handle the ship by himself!"

Their ship, the Sunny, was still a two-masted schooner, not very large, but big enough to accommodate their small group.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end