Sanji!

"Who cares who his grandpa is? Luffy is our captain now, the man who'll become the Pirate King!" Rayson broke everyone out of their stunned silence with a calm summary.

"That's right! Hahaha!" Luffy immediately cast his fear of Garp to the back of his mind and burst into laughter.

Bond deepened. Trait equipment progress increased.

Dealing with Luffy... really was far too easy.

A smile lingered on Rayson's lips as he shifted his gaze back to Fullbody, who stood frozen aboard the warship opposite them.

"I think I heard someone say... he was going to sink us?" Rayson asked softly, watching Fullbody with an amused smile.

"!!!" Fullbody looked as though he had been struck by lightning. His entire body stiffened, leaving him utterly at a loss.

Was there something wrong with his ears?!

That brat called Luffy... was actually Vice Admiral Garp's biological grandson?!

But when he met Rayson's calm, fathomless gaze, reality came crashing back down on him. Beads of sweat poured from his forehead like rain.

Fullbody knew perfectly well that he had not misheard!

What kind of hellish place was this?!

He had only wanted to bring his female companion to the renowned sea restaurant Baratie to splurge a little and show off his wealth and romance...

When they had encountered a pirate ship along the way, he had intended to teach it a lesson and display his authority...

But who could have expected that this pirate ship not only had the murderous "Heavenly King" Rayson aboard!

Even its utterly ordinary-looking captain... was Vice Admiral Garp's grandson?!

Was this really the East Blue, known as the weakest sea? What absurd joke was heaven playing on him?!

"Huh? Why are you sweating so much? Don't tell me a grand Marine Headquarters officer like you is afraid of a bunch of pirates?" At that very moment, the flirtatious woman beside him, utterly oblivious to the situation, complained in a coy voice.

Fullbody glanced at Rayson's teasing expression aboard the ship opposite them, gritted his teeth, and forced himself to speak.

"H-how could that be! I merely think... that spilling blood before enjoying such exquisite food would be rather ruinous to the atmosphere, wouldn't it?" Fullbody stubbornly kept up appearances as he tried to smooth things over.

People needed pride just as trees needed bark. He was still a commissioned officer from Marine Headquarters, after all. As long as he stopped making a fool of himself, Rayson probably would not make things too difficult for him... hopefully.

"Oh? Ruinous to the atmosphere? Weren't you planning to sink us with your 'Iron Fist'?" Rayson smiled as he examined the steel rings wrapped around Fullbody's hands.

The sight of those things immediately reminded Rayson of the brass knuckles delinquent girls on Earth loved to use.

Using brass knuckles to pose as an "Iron Fist" in the world of Pirate King... was truly ridiculous.

"!!!" Seeing that Rayson seemed ready to make a move, cold sweat streamed down Fullbody's entire body like floodwaters bursting through a dam, impossible to stop.

The other man had no intention of leaving him even a shred of dignity!

Yet there was nothing he could do about it.

Fight a monster who had been praised within Marine Headquarters as a future admiral candidate? He would not even know how he died!

What was more, he had personally felt the overwhelming aura emanating from this man earlier. Merely standing there, he did not even have the courage to throw a punch.

If he died here for no reason, he would die for nothing!

And that fool Luffy was Vice Admiral Garp's grandson!

In just a few moments, Fullbody's clothes had been soaked through with cold sweat.

"Wait! Hold on, don't attack!"

"Today's expenses... are all on me!" Fullbody hastily raised both hands and shouted as if his backside were on fire.

Dignity? What the hell was pride compared to his life!

"A free meal?" Nami, who had been hiding behind Rayson, immediately had her eyes light up at those words.

"Really?! Wow, you're such a good person!" Luffy grinned broadly as well, bought off instantly.

"Hey! In ordinary people's eyes, we're the bad guys, and the Marines are supposed to be the good guys, right?" Usopp could not help commenting from the side.

"Ah! I guess that's true!" Luffy cried out, clutching his head.

"In that case... we'll gladly accept." Rayson chuckled softly and looked at Nami's sparkling eyes.

Whenever free things or treasure were mentioned, Nami seemed to come alive.

Rayson did not think there was anything wrong with that. After all, she had borne the heavy burden of earning one hundred million Beli to buy back her village ever since she was ten.

To Nami, money represented the hope of saving her village. Years of endurance and exploitation had long since ingrained that habit into her bones.

Seeing Nami's excited expression, Rayson could not even be bothered to release Conqueror's Haki against someone like Fullbody.

He had checked Fullbody's attributes earlier. He was a mediocrity without even a purple trait, utterly worthless to him.

"Hehe~" Nami playfully stuck out her tongue at Rayson, looking especially sweet and adorable.

Rayson indulging her like this sent a warm current through Nami's heart. The feeling of being cared for was wonderfully sweet.

"O-of course! I'll treat!" Fullbody stammered in agreement, then dragged his female companion onto a small boat as though fleeing for his life and rowed desperately toward Baratie.

He would just consider it paying to avert disaster!

Thankfully, there were not many of them... they probably could not eat that much... Fullbody comforted himself inwardly.

"Then let's hurry over too! A free feast is still a feast!" Nami cheered, waving her little fist.

"Hahaha! Someone's treating us! Everyone, let's go!" Luffy had already begun drooling from hunger.

"Rubber...!" Before Nami could tell Zoro and the others to steady the ship, the impatient Luffy grabbed one of the Going Merry's ram horns, his body stretching sharply backward.

"Rocket Launcher!" Luffy shot toward Baratie like a meteor.

A world-shaking boom rang out as Luffy smashed a huge hole straight through Baratie's thick wooden outer wall.

"That... idiot." Zoro pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a long sigh.

"Forget Luffy. He can handle himself. Let's go in and order too." Rayson had long grown used to Luffy's recklessness. Even without the excuse of blocking a cannonball for a Marine officer, that glutton's impatience would still result in demolished buildings. Rayson shook his head helplessly, then turned and invited Nami.

"Beautiful lady, may I have the honor of inviting you to dinner?" Rayson bent at the waist like a gentleman and offered his right hand.

For an instant, Nami's thoughts drifted, as though time had flowed back to the deck where they had first met.

On that luxurious passenger ship, Rayson had invited her to dance with the same elegance.

"The honor is mine~" Nami smiled radiantly and placed her fair, slender hand steadily into Rayson's palm.

Only, the flutter in her heart now... was already completely different from back then.

Feeling the scorching warmth from Rayson's palm, Nami pursed her lips, her thoughts in turmoil.