Robin offered a polite, apologetic smile. "My apologies, Sanji. I believe I shall also go and observe this treasure hunt."
*Kacha.* Sanji's heart shattered audibly. He fell to his knees, utterly defeated by the dual rejection, feeling as if he'd suffered a critical hit of 10,000 points of emotional damage. Life had lost all meaning.
**[Detected host has suffered 10,000 points of mental damage!]**
**[Ladies' Rejection Bonus: Reward Doubled!]**
**[Reward: Rokushiki - Geppo (Moonwalk)!]**
**[Rokushiki - Geppo: Allows the user to kick the air with immense force to achieve high-speed mobility and walk on air as if on solid ground! Standard stamina consumption.]**
Sanji: "Wuuu~ I'd rather not have a reward like this..."
Nami, completely uninterested in Sanji's plight, was meticulously studying the newly acquired treasure map. "According to this, the treasure's location is actually on that highest mountain peak over there..."
The glint of Beri signs flashed in Nami's eyes. She suddenly snapped her head up, her voice sharp with warning. "Luffy! Don't you dare run off!"
But it was too late—
"Meat! A super huge roast!" Luffy's rubber arm had already shot out, snatching a giant beast leg from a distant barbecue stall. With a *whoosh*, it retracted amidst the stall owner's furious shouts, Luffy taking a massive bite that devoured half of it in one go.
"Hey! You idiot! You didn't pay for that!" Usopp frantically scrambled for his wallet, only for Chopper to tug urgently on his sleeve.
"U-Usopp! Look, that old man over there... he looks like he's about to die!" The little reindeer doctor hid behind the long-nosed sniper, his blue nose twitching nervously.
The port was a cacophony of noise, various vendors hawking their wares:
"Top-shelf South Blue rum! Only 500,000 Beri a barrel!"
"Brand new flintlock pistols! Guaranteed to drop a Marine!"
"Fresh-off-the-press bounty posters! Intel on the Four Emperors' officers for sale!"
A group of drunken pirates stumbled past. Sanji smoothly sidestepped to form a protective barrier in front of the ladies, his leather shoe tapping lightly, while Zoro's hand casually found the hilt of his Wado Ichimonji.
The drunkards merely laughed boisterously, veered around them, and continued their revelry.
"This is truly... a place of excessive freedom," Robin observed with a light chuckle, her sharp eyes noting several figures conducting a shady transaction in a nearby alley. "But such freedom often hides many secrets."
Luffy, his face smeared with grease, bounced back to the group. "Everyone! Let's eat first! Then we'll go find the gold! And then—"
"And then we need to resupply," Nami interrupted, delivering a swift fist to the top of her Captain's head. She began counting on her fingers. "Food, medical supplies, navigation equipment..."
"Don't we have plenty on the ship?" Ron asked, curious.
"We always need to resupply! What if we run out one day? We'd starve to death!"
Hearing this, Ron swallowed his follow-up question. "Alright then. We'll resupply."
Just then,
A commotion erupted at the port. A new group of pirates, looking particularly fierce, was coming ashore. The hulking man leading them kicked over a stall that was in his way.
"Out of the way! The 'Golden Axe Pirates' demand the best berth!"
Zoro's eyes narrowed. "Should we intervene?"
Sanji lit a fresh cigarette. "Let's not go looking for trouble."
But Luffy was already hopping with excitement. "Oh! They look strong!"
Nami sighed in resignation. "Here we go again. Another fight."
Chopper and Usopp clung to each other. "Why does this happen *every* time we make landfall?!"
The sun beat down brightly on Jaya, the general clamor of pirates rising and falling like the tide.
The burly captain of the Golden Axe crew kicked over a roadside barrel of ale, a menacing grin spreading across his face as he stomped toward the Straw Hats. "Hey, you brats! This port is my territory. If you want to keep living, then—"
Before he could finish his sentence, an invisible pressure suddenly descended!
***BOOM—!!!***
A terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from Ron like a tidal wave. The air itself twisted, the gravel on the ground vibrated, and a visible shockwave radiated outwards!
"Wh-what is this...?!" The Golden Axe Captain's pupils contracted to pinpricks, his menacing grin freezing into a rictus of terror.
He seemed to see an ancient beast awakening behind Ron, its cold, merciless gaze pinning him in place. A suffocating sensation of death gripped his throat!
"G-gwah—!"
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
The pirates, who had been swaggering and arrogant moments before, now collapsed in waves like harvested wheat!
Their faces were pale, eyes rolled back, foam speckling their lips as they hit the ground. Their weapons clattered uselessly around them. In a single instant, the entire Golden Axe Pirate Crew had been wiped out—unconscious.
The port fell into a dead silence.
The once raucous dock of Jaya was now utterly, unnervingly quiet.
Stall vendors, drinking pirates, shadowy black-market merchants—all of them stared wide-eyed at Ron and his crew, their faces masks of pure shock and disbelief.
"Wh-what just happened...?" one pirate finally managed to whisper, his voice trembling.
"They... they didn't even move! Why did the whole Golden Axe crew just collapse?!"
"Is it poison? Some kind of Devil Fruit power?"
It was clear these pirates had no concept of what Haoshoku Haki was; in the Paradise half of the Grand Line, very few had ever witnessed such a display of supreme will.
Among the Straw Hats, Luffy's eyes were wide, his jaw hanging open enough to fit an entire roast. "WOOOW—!! Big Brother! You have Haoshoku Haki too?!"
Zoro merely folded his arms, looking utterly unimpressed. "Hmph. Was that ever in doubt?"
Sanji exhaled a calm stream of smoke, a slight smirk on his lips. "If he didn't have at least that much, what kind of Captain would he be?"
Nami, however, grabbed Ron's arm, her eyes transforming into glittering Beri signs. "Forget about these small fries! Ron, let's go dig up that treasure! I heard there's a mountain of gold somewhere on Jaya..."
"Hold on a moment. Let's assign tasks first." Ron gently pried Nami off, then addressed the crew. "Listen up, everyone. Our next destination is Skypiea."
"Skypiea?!" Usopp yelped, his nose elongating several inches in fright. Remembering the wild tales he'd heard, he asked worriedly, "You mean... those islands that actually float in the sky? They're real?"
Ron smiled slightly and continued his explanation. "To reach Skypiea, we need to ride the Knock Up Stream. And to find the Knock Up Stream, we must first find the South Bird."
Nami tilted her head. "So, we're going to look for that bird now?"
"Exactly." Ron nodded. "I suggest we split up. Nami and I will go after the treasure first..."
"I would like to join you as well," Robin interjected smoothly, elegantly adjusting her glasses. "As an archaeologist, I am deeply interested in the ruins here on Jaya."
Ron considered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the crew. "Alright, here's the plan. Those who want to go treasure hunting, come with us. The rest will be responsible for gathering information on the South Bird and handling resupply."
The scene fell silent as everyone considered their options.
Chopper timidly raised a small hoof. "C-can I come treasure hunting too?"
"Of course you can."
Meanwhile,
Luffy was already bouncing with impatience. "Treasure hunting sounds boring! I'm gonna go find more meat!"
"Exactly, exactly!" Usopp nodded vigorously in agreement. "Treasure hunting is way too dangerous. Who knows what we might dig up this time..."
....
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