News of Treasure Tree Adam

"Luo Ya, you've basically hit a bottleneck. It's time for you to go out to sea," Maynard said, slowly exhaling a stream of white smoke.

"Yoshi! What kind of ship did you get ready for me? Let me have a look, Dezi!" Luo Ya said excitedly.

"Real men find their own ships when they go to sea! You expect an old man like me to prepare one for you? No ship, but I do have news about a piece of Treasure Tree Adam. Want to hear it?"

"The Camorra Family got hold of a piece of Treasure Tree Adam and plans to auction it off in half a month. The auction's at their stronghold on Naples Island. And here's the five million Beli you earned on your last mission." As he spoke, Maynard tossed Luo Ya a briefcase.

The Camorra Family was one of the five great Mafia families in West Blue. They ran the shipping and auction businesses there—or at least, that was their public face. The underground organ trade in West Blue also belonged entirely to the Camorra Family.

"Five million Beli? That wouldn't even buy a branch of Treasure Tree Adam! How could I have so little left from my mission?" Luo Ya roared, his teeth turning into a shark's.

"Why blame me? This is what you've got after deducting what you owe me. If you don't like it, don't go to sea." Maynard spread his hands. The expression on his face was every bit as irritating as Kizaru's.

"But the Camorra Family needs shipbuilding materials like Treasure Tree Adam, too, right? Why would they sell it? Is this bait to catch thieves?" Luo Ya asked, puzzled.

"The piece is very small, apparently just a branch. It'd be enough for a little boat that could fit three to five people, but not for anything bigger. It wouldn't do much to strengthen the Camorra Family, so turning it into Beli is more practical," Maynard explained.

Luo Ya snatched the briefcase. Five million was better than nothing. His hazy memories of his past life told him that Luffy and the others had spent two hundred million Beli on Treasure Tree Adam for their ship's keel.

Even if this piece was small, five million definitely wouldn't be enough. And the costs of building a ship and buying supplies wouldn't be cheap, either. Looks like he'd have to imitate free America and go on a "zero-dollar shopping spree."

"Dezi, do you have a grudge against the Camorra Family? You're practically telling me to rob them outright. I'm a paragon of morality, an enemy of justice—cough, I mean, an enemy of evil! I absolutely refuse to take part in this kind of illegal activity!" Luo Ya declared righteously.

"So you don't want the Treasure Tree Adam, then?"

"What I mean is, you'll have to pay me more." At that moment, the figure of the Money-Loving Hermit seemed to appear behind Luo Ya, shouting, "It's so juicy!"

"Heh. If you can bring back the Treasure Tree Adam, I'll cover the shipbuilding costs and supplies for the voyage," Maynard said with a grand wave of his hand.

"Now that's generous, boss! Don't worry about Naples Island. I'll kill anyone who gets in my way, even if they're a Buddha!" Luo Ya said excitedly.

"Heh. Just kill the head of the Camorra Family, Camorra Principle. That'll be enough."

"What kind of unspeakable love-hate relationship do you two have?" Luo Ya teased.

"If this had happened back in the day, why would I need a brat like you? I'd have chopped him into eight pieces myself long ago," Maynard said indignantly.

"Don't worry, Dezi. Your enemy is my enemy. I'll bring you his head, for sure," Luo Ya said with complete confidence.

"Here's the information on the Camorra Family. Don't get careless and end up dead in a ditch. I'm too old to go collect your body, brat." Maynard tossed Luo Ya a stack of papers, then turned and left.

Luo Ya had long since realized Maynard wasn't an ordinary man. He must once have been a powerful swordsman. The scars crisscrossing his body told the story of a man who'd once been a spirited young fighter. It seemed he'd taken a beating in the New World, had his Twenty-One Great Grade Sword broken, and come to West Blue to retire.

Luo Ya flipped through the papers and discovered that the Camorra Family was indeed formidable. No wonder Dezi hadn't gone after them. With his sword broken and his body weakened by age, he might not have been able to take them on.

The boss, Camorra Principle, was nicknamed Blood Lion. He was a Cat-Cat Fruit user in Lion Form and had mastered Armament Haki.

Of his four top officers, three were stationed on other islands to oversee the family's businesses.

Only one officer, nicknamed Honey Badger, stayed by Blood Lion's side. He was a Honey Badger Fruit user. The report said he was kept close to stop him from going out and causing trouble.

Indeed, a name could be wrong, but a nickname never was. In his past life, the honey badger had been known as an animal that feared neither death nor a fight.

And Honey Badger was also the strongest of them all. It was said that once, even after his neck had been cut two-thirds of the way through, he'd still torn his enemy apart with his bare hands. He was suspected of having undergone Devil Fruit Awakening.

If he weren't so fond of fighting and causing trouble, they would have sent him out to conquer new territory long ago.

Honey Badger only listened to Blood Lion, so he stayed by Blood Lion's side as a bodyguard.

At least a thousand people were stationed at their stronghold on Naples Island. Every one of them was a desperado who lived by the sword.

Since the family's organ trade had earned them enemies everywhere, Blood Lion took the protection of his hometown very seriously. He had never been seen anywhere outside Naples Island.

"So they used to pretend to be pirates, land on islands, massacre villages, loot the valuables, and then dig out all the organs from the bodies. No wonder Dezi's so angry. This is going to be fun."

After reading the files, Luo Ya sighed, laced his hands behind his head, and fell fast asleep.