"The legendary Great Sea Treasure?"
Nami pondered for a moment before suddenly having an epiphany.
"So it's a Devil Fruit!"
As an avid money enthusiast, Nami was deeply interested in anything related to wealth.
Naturally, she wouldn't overlook something like Devil Fruits.
Unfortunately.
The East Blue was vast—so vast it occupied a quarter of the world's ocean.
Yet the East Blue was also small—so small that it barely produced any "big names," like a mere "hero's spoon."
Being of little influence herself, Nami had never encountered a Devil Fruit firsthand, nor had she even seen the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia.
She hadn't even heard of many Devil Fruit users.
The only one that came to mind, active in the East Blue, was the captain of the Buggy Pirates—Clown Buggy, with a bounty of 15 million Belly!
All this time.
Nami's relationship with Devil Fruits could only be described in eight words:
"Heard of the name, never seen the fruit."
Today, she finally got to see a real Devil Fruit!
Nami stared intently at the Flame-Flame Fruit in Storm's hand, its surface swirling with fiery patterns. For some reason, drool began to trickle uncontrollably from the corner of her mouth.
Sure, the fruit looked weird, but it was valuable!
Super valuable!
Worth at least 100 million Belly—just think of how many oranges that could buy...
Nami snapped out of her reverie with a shiver. Raising her right hand, she hastily addressed Storm.
"White Dragon-sama!"
"Hmm?"
"Um, I... this Devil Fruit... can I... can I have it?"
Nami had initially intended to ask Storm for the Flame-Flame Fruit outright.
But as the words reached her lips, she suddenly recalled the current "status" between them, along with White Dragon's overwhelming strength...
Forget it!
Money comes first!
In the end, Nami still stammered out her request for the Devil Fruit.
"You want this Logia-type Flame-Flame Fruit?"
Storm considered for a moment before extending the fruit toward her.
"Fine, you can have it. Just a heads-up—it doesn't taste very good."
Storm already possessed the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, which had a broader range of applications and greater power.
His need for a second Logia-type Devil Fruit wasn't particularly high.
Especially not one as notoriously... unappetizing as the Flame-Flame Fruit!
Ahem!
Of course, phrases like "Even dogs wouldn't eat the Flame-Flame Fruit"...
Were just jokes, mere jokes.
Sure, the Flame-Flame Fruit was inferior to the Magma-Magma Fruit;
Sure, many could unleash "flame-based abilities" without eating the Flame-Flame Fruit;
Sure, some people's "flame-based abilities" even surpassed those of the Flame-Flame Fruit's actual users;
But wasn't the Flame-Flame Fruit still pretty strong?
Well...
At least it was far more powerful than the likes of the Smoke-Smoke Fruit, Swamp-Swamp Fruit, Gas-Gas Fruit, Snow-Snow Fruit, and other "disgraces of the Logia class."
And no matter what, this was still a Logia-type Devil Fruit!
As everyone knew.
Logia-type Devil Fruits were either incredibly strong or pathetically weak.
But there's one fundamental ability that's generally universal—
Immunity to ordinary attacks!
Except for the [Dark-Dark Fruit].
All Logia-type Devil Fruit users gain the special ability of "elemental intangibility" the moment they consume their Devil Fruit.
This ability can be passively activated even without conscious effort.
Just this alone ensures a solid baseline for Logia-type Devil Fruits!
In Storm's eyes, Nami would likely never be associated with the term "strong."
He never expected the little cat burglar to suddenly transform into the invincible "World's Greatest Female Pirate"…
Given that, rather than improving Nami's combat prowess, it was better to enhance her survivability.
Without a doubt, Logia-type Devil Fruits were the best way to boost someone's self-preservation.
As long as a Logia user didn't encounter their natural counter or someone with [Haki], even a pig could coast through the seas relying solely on their abilities!
Storm just felt that Nami wasn't particularly suited for the [Flame-Flame Fruit]…
But who could argue when it was Nami herself who requested it?
The moment Storm handed over the [Flame-Flame Fruit], Nami eagerly snatched it.
"Ah! So this is the scent of a Devil Fruit~"
Nami cradled the [Flame-Flame Fruit] in both hands, bringing it close to her nose and inhaling deeply with sheer delight.
"Amazing! This is the smell of money!"
"What are you dawdling for?"
Storm was somewhat exasperated by the cat burglar's reaction and reminded her.
"If you're going to eat it, do it quickly. The sooner you consume the fruit, the sooner you can adapt."
"Eat it?"
Nami's eyes instantly widened.
At that moment, she was no longer a little orange cat but more like a protective tigress.
"Why would I eat it?! This is money! A single Devil Fruit can sell for at least several hundred million Belly!"
Holding up the [Flame-Flame Fruit], Nami roughly estimated its worth.
"Even just one bite would cost millions of Belly, right?
"There's no way I'm eating this! I'm selling it! Selling—
"Eh? My Devil Fruit!"
"This isn't your Devil Fruit—it's mine!"
Storm forcibly yanked the [Flame-Flame Fruit] back from Nami's grasp, his voice turning stern.
"I'd sooner sell you than let the [Flame-Flame Fruit] be sold!"
Storm had initially assumed Nami wanted the [Flame-Flame Fruit] to consume it and gain its Logia powers.
In that case, he wouldn't have minded—consider it an investment in an ally.
But Nami wanted the [Flame-Flame Fruit] just to sell it?
What a joke!
Nami might be obsessed with money, but Storm certainly wasn't.
"Nooo! White Dragon-sama!"
Nami let out a heart-wrenching wail.
"That's several hundred million Belly we're talking about!
"How about we split the profits fifty-fifty after selling it? Forty-sixty? Thirty-seventy? Even ninety-ten—I'd accept that! You'd take the lion's share!"
"I'll take your head!"
Storm curled his fingers and rapped Nami's skull sharply, producing a crisp thunk.
"Snap out of it! Eat it or not?"
"No!"
Nami crouched protectively, covering her head while staring up at Storm with teary eyes.
"But… it really could sell for so, so much money!"
"You..."
Storm was almost amused by this little money-grubber.
"Fine. You want a Devil Fruit just to sell it for money?"
"Exactly!"
Hearing this, Nami instantly perked up. Suddenly, her headache was gone, her legs no longer felt weak, and her eyes were no longer teary.
"One Devil Fruit means a hundred million Belly! With that, I could eat oranges and throw away every other one!"
"..."
There were too many absurd points in Nami's words. Storm didn't even know where to begin criticizing.
"Considering you found the Ant Nest Hell..."
Storm glanced at the Blue-Eyed White Dragon beside him. The dragon immediately opened its massive jaws and spat out four new Devil Fruits.
They were all reptilian in nature—[Chameleon Fruit], [Blunt-Tailed Gila Fruit], [Komodo Dragon Fruit], and [Marine Iguana Fruit].
These four Devil Fruits had been in Storm's possession for some time. Unfortunately, he had no interest in them—not even to enhance his subordinates' strength.
Zoan-type, ordinary species—too weak. Not worth eating, but a shame to discard.
That was Storm's opinion of these four "lizard fruits." But since Nami wanted one now, he might as well "reward" her with one.
He didn't bring out the [Tyrannosaurus Fruit]. That Ancient Zoan was decent in quality—far too extravagant to let Nami "play" with it.
"These four Devil Fruits are..."
Storm briefly explained each fruit's attributes before addressing Nami.
"You can pick one from these, but you can't eat it yourself."
If Nami ate a "lizard fruit," it would be a waste—not of the fruit, but of her!
"Only a fool would eat a Devil Fruit!"
Nami declared with the fervor of a true miser.
"Such valuable treasures are meant to be sold! White Dragon, which of these four do you think is worth the most?"
Worth the most...
Storm had never considered evaluating Devil Fruits from such a perspective before.
"If I had to choose... probably the [Komodo Dragon Fruit]. Large size, decent destructive power and defense—might fetch a good price at auction."
"Then I'll take the [Komodo Dragon Fruit]!"
Nami immediately snatched one of the four fruits, hugging it tightly to her chest. She even hummed a little tune under her breath.
"Belly~ Belly~ Belly~"
Her money-obsessed antics were truly one of a kind.
Storm shook his head as he watched Nami's "performance."
Childhood trauma, indeed... Some people spend their whole lives healing from it. Nami would likely never escape the clutches of "money."
Storm stored away the remaining three "lizard fruits," along with the [Flame-Flame Fruit]. Meanwhile, Nami was still basking in the joy of acquiring a Devil Fruit.
"That's enough."
Storm chuckled helplessly and patted Nami's forehead before taking back the [Komodo Dragon Fruit].
"I'll hold onto this fruit for now. You can have it when you need it."
"Now, it's time to leave Ant Nest Hell!"
Nami stared at the [Komodo Dragon Fruit] seized by Storm, feeling like she'd heard similar words from him before.
Yet she truly had no place to store the [Komodo Dragon Fruit].
If it got bumped or damaged by accident, ruining the priceless Devil Fruit...
Nami couldn't bear that kind of blow.
"White Dragon-sama, you must take good care of this fruit!"
"Mhm."
"White Dragon-sama, when I sell this fruit later, the money we get... let's split it one-nine. Me nine, you one."
"Hm?"
"Wuu... fifty-fifty then! Fifty-fifty is fair, right?"
"No, be quiet
for a moment."
Storm pressed down on the fake-crying cat burglar and looked toward the northwest of Ant Nest Hell.
Even without using [Observation Haki] to sense it—
Storm could already see a small black dot flying upward in a way that defied common sense.
[Observation Haki] activated.
Storm "saw" more clearly now.
That "small black dot" was actually an island!
An island that was "floating" upward!