One Piece pirates salty life

"Alright, alright, I'll give the box to Jian."

Unable to endure Nami's endless complaints any longer during their journey, Leo finally revealed the location of the box containing 100 million Beli.

"That money was used to rebuild the town," Leo explained calmly. "I think you'll understand, Nami."

Nami's face instantly fell. She had hoped for a different answer, but Leo only smiled faintly at her expression.

"So what?" she asked, trying to sound indifferent but failing to hide her disappointment.

Leo's voice softened, but his words struck hard. "All the Beli you deposited with me have been spent, and you still owe me 7 million Beli. Plus, one condition."

Nami's eyes widened in disbelief. To her, Leo was a devil — so stingy that he even asked for 7 million Beli back.

She felt crushed. But despite her mood, she followed Leo silently as he led the way back to the town.

When they arrived, the scene was chaotic yet strangely joyful. Usopp was loudly singing off-key, much to the villagers' amusement. The villagers themselves were immersed in a grand feast, laughter and chatter filling the air.

The most shocking sight of all was Zoro, who was slumped over with several empty bottles of alcohol around him. His two younger brothers were enthusiastically pouring more drinks into his mouth, trying to get him drunk enough to pass out.

Sanji, meanwhile, looked like a completely different man. His face was covered in red lipstick marks as he stumbled about, chased by several giggling village girls. Judging by the looks on their faces, Sanji was having the time of his life.

Luffy lay sprawled across the food table, his belly swollen like that of a pregnant woman, still desperately stuffing chunks of meat into his mouth. Even if you had never eaten before in your entire life, you would never be as gluttonous as him.

Nami watched the scene in stunned silence, then glanced at Leo, who looked just as shocked as she felt.

Compared to Luffy and the others, even if Leo was a bit selfish, greedy, or stingy, at least he was a normal person.

This thought made Nami's spirits lift unexpectedly, even as she remained half-dejected.

"Leo, Nami! Come and join us!" Luffy shouted around a mouthful of meat, waving them over enthusiastically.

Leo and Nami exchanged a glance, then hurried forward. Neither of them had eaten since they disembarked from the ship, and the feast before them was too inviting to resist.

...

Meanwhile, far away at Marine Headquarters, known as Marineford, the atmosphere was very different.

Marineford was a colossal fortress that covered the entire island. Majestic warships constantly sailed in and out of the harbor. This place, operating directly under the World Government, upheld absolute justice and law on the world's oceans. It was both the nerve center of the Marines and a symbol of peace in the chaotic era of pirates.

In a grand, somber office inside the fortress, some of the most powerful figures in the Marine gathered. Among them were several Vice Admirals, their faces grave as they discussed matters of great urgency.

"No! Absolutely not!" a Vice Admiral with brown hair hanging down to his shoulders and an X-shaped scar across his face slammed a photo down on the table in frustration.

The photo showed Leo, standing confidently, holding his iconic top hat in one hand while wearing a mysterious smile.

"Since they fought so fiercely against Hawkeye, we absolutely cannot let them enter the Grand Line so easily!"

"Why don't you try to stop them, Vice Admiral Dauberman?" mocked a punk-haired, bearded man nicknamed Flying Squirrel. His tone was sarcastic, clearly not giving Dauberman any respect.

"You—!" Dauberman bristled, offended.

"Go on! Do you think I don't dare?" he snapped back, standing up with unwavering determination.

Dauberman was fiercely loyal to the ideals of absolute justice. Without hesitation, he rose to his feet, ready to act.

"Enough!" Sengoku's voice boomed, stern and authoritative.

He turned to Dauberman and motioned for him to sit down.

"This isn't the time to act rashly," Sengoku said. "Let's hear the full report first."

Though clearly irritated by Flying Squirrel's mocking tone, Dauberman complied and took his seat.

Sengoku then turned to a staff officer standing nearby. "Continue your report."

The officer adjusted his glasses and spoke clearly, "Magician Leo was born at the Uncertainty Terminal in the East Blue's Goa Kingdom."

"When he was about ten years old, he left Goa alone. During the years since, he has been active in East Blue as a bounty hunter, businessman, and magician."

"But there is something strange."

The officer flipped through his documents and continued.

"Every few months, Leo would disappear at sea for an extended period. During these absences, the astronomical phenomena and ocean currents around East Blue became highly unstable."

"More than a month ago, he accepted an invitation from the Straw Hat crew and officially joined them as vice-captain."

"On that day, an ice sheet stretching over ten miles appeared in East Blue but vanished just minutes later."

"The General Staff has sufficient reason to conclude that the abnormal phenomena observed in East Blue over the past few years were caused by him."

"His recent battle with Hawkeye further supports this assessment."

"In East Blue, where the average bounty is under three million Beli, there have been three pirate groups with bounties over ten million Beli — all of which were crushed by Leo and the Straw Hat crew."

"Even before Leo fully engaged, he managed to confront Hawkeye. His strength is clearly among the world's top tier."

"We conclude that our forces are insufficient to stop the Straw Hats before they enter the New World."

"Therefore, the General Staff recommends abandoning direct blockade efforts against the Straw Hat Pirates. Instead, they suggest raising their bounties and searching for opportunities to defeat them individually."

"That's all," the officer finished and quietly stepped back.

Sengoku, sitting nearby, furrowed his brow deeply. He gestured for the officer to leave the room.

As Chief of Staff, she was responsible for making the final recommendation.

Only a handful of Marines had the capability to face the Straw Hat Pirates head-on. The trio known as the "Three Kuzan" had already been assigned separate tasks. Sending just one elderly woman to confront the pirates alone was a losing gamble.

Sengoku herself was powerless to take direct action.

She never imagined that a group of fledgling pirates would humiliate a Marine Marshal so thoroughly.

The only person who could take action now was Garp.

But as he chewed senbei leisurely, a nonchalant look on his face, it was clear he had no intention of moving against them.

Judging by his behavior after hearing the news, Garp probably shared some unusual relationship with the Straw Hat captain.

After the report concluded, the room fell into a heavy silence. Everyone was stunned, unsure how to respond.

Only the unmistakable crunching sound came from Garp's side, who continued munching on his senbei.

Suddenly, Sengoku slammed her palm down on the table with a loud bang, startling Garp so much that he nearly bit his fingers.

"Sengoku! You scared me! I need a week off now!" Garp exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Garp, if you keep fooling around, I'll have you kicked out of here!" Sengoku's stern voice echoed through the room.

The Marine soldiers standing guard outside were accustomed to these antics. Despite the seriousness of the meeting, such exchanges between the two had happened countless times before.

"Alright, Sengoku," Garp said with a chuckle, "what really matters now is how we deal with the Straw Hat Pirates — especially that magician, Leo."

Sengoku sighed and gave Garp a helpless glance.

"Over the years, you really haven't changed at all. If anything, you've become more free-spirited with age."

Garp just laughed and took another bite of senbei, completely unbothered by the crisis unfolding before them.

Øóffer going on for diamond tier

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