The lid was lifted.
In an instant, beneath the moonlight and the glow of the lantern in Nami's hand, a dazzling golden light almost blinded them.
The chest was filled to the brim with neatly stacked, high-denomination Berries banknotes, like a little mountain built of money.
It was a mountain of hope she had earned over the years through blood, tears, humiliation, and countless adventures on the brink of death, yet now she had to hand it over.
Luffy and the others had followed at some point and stood at the storeroom entrance.
At the sight of the chest of money, Luffy merely let out a curious "Wow," Zoro remained expressionless, and Usopp gaped, clearly stunned by the enormous sum.
Nojiko stood to one side as well, looking at Nami and the chest of money with a complicated gaze.
Everyone's eyes were on Kirishima Bupai, waiting to see how this "world's Greatest Swordsman" would take away this mountain of cash.
Would he haul it off in a wagon? Have the Fish-Man Remnants carry it? Or... did he have some ability like the one that had made the chest disappear earlier?
Kirishima Bupai looked at the glittering chest of Berries without the slightest change in expression.
He had no interest in even stepping closer. He simply extended his right hand toward the chest, spread his fingers, and then... gently closed them!
"System, collect the money!"
Hum-!
An invisible, indescribably strange ripple spread out instantly, like a slight disturbance in the rules of space.
Under the fixed gazes of Nami, Nojiko, Luffy, and the others, the entire chestful of cash, a mountain of 70 million Berries, vanished in an instant.
Right before their eyes, silently, without any warning... it disappeared!
Completely and utterly, without leaving even a scrap of a banknote behind.