Clad in golden armor, Creek shouted at the chefs inside the restaurant, "You lot, prepare 100 meals for my crew right now, or else…"
With a cruel grin, he hefted his one-ton great war spear, pointing it menacingly at the crowd. The threat was clear.
The chefs, intimidated by Creek's presence, panicked.
"Hey, who are you? Move it, you're in the way."
A sharp voice from behind made Creek frown. Who's this blind fool?
He turned to see a man with four women approaching. "Who was that just now?!" he sneered, eyeing the group with contempt.
Already in a foul mood, he couldn't believe someone dared provoke him. Think you're Hawkeye or something?!
"That was me. What about it?" Nami shot back, hands on hips, her aura unwavering.
"Big brother Reno, do you know him?" Kaya whispered, leaning closer to Reno.
Reno glanced over casually. "That's Creek. That wrecked ship is his."
What?!
The girls were surprised, then studied Creek with curiosity. The East Blue overlord looks like this?
Nami paused for a moment but showed no fear. A 16-million-Berry Creek? That's just three-quarters of an Arlong! What's he acting tough for?
"Ignorant brats! If you know my name, how dare you—"
Creek's venomous words were cut off as a lightning-wreathed spear pressed against his chest.
Nami glared at him, annoyed. "Want to live? Then get lost. Don't ruin our dinner."
Reno, uninterested, brushed past Creek toward an empty table. Kaya and the others followed closely.
The restaurant's patrons, witnessing the scene, felt a chill of foreboding.
Creek trembled with rage. Arrogant—too damn arrogant! As the East Blue's overlord, who in these waters dared disrespect him? Let alone this blatant provocation. Unless Hawkeye himself showed up, no one could stop him today.
"Damn brats, die!"
Creek roared, swinging his great war spear in a frenzy.
"Annoying pest," Nami muttered, rolling her eyes.
Clenching her fist, she unleashed her lightning spear. Crackling with destructive force, the lightning snaked across Creek's body.
Crackle, snap!
His towering frame shook violently, black smoke pouring from his mouth as the spear fell from his hands.
"Just as bad as Arlong."
A whirlwind sprang up, hurling Creek's body over a dozen meters into the sea with a splash.
…
The restaurant fell deathly silent.
One-shot?!She took down the East Blue overlord Creek in one move?!
The patrons' eyes widened, staring at Nami in shock.
After a moment, a trembling voice broke the silence. "Nami… she's Nami, the navigator of the Reno Pirates!"
A patron pulled out a newspaper he'd bought that day, comparing the photo to the woman before him. Orange hair, lightning powers—everything matched.
Which means…
The patron swallowed hard, stiffly turning to Reno's group nearby. Holy crap! It really was Reno, captain of the Reno Pirates.
"You… you people!"
He stood, trembling with fear. These were pirates with bounties higher than Creek's.
Recognizing their fear, Reno frowned slightly and said calmly, "No need to panic. We're just here to eat, not cause trouble."
He approached the patron. "Can I see that newspaper?"
Startled, the man nodded frantically, handing it over.
Reno took the paper and walked back.
Seeing he meant no harm, the patrons relaxed and resumed chatting. Pirates dining at Baratie weren't uncommon. They'd just been wary of Reno's crew, fearing they were as brutal as Creek. Clearly, they'd overthought it.
"The Navy moves fast. Bounties already?" Reno said, intrigued, as he scanned the paper. But soon, his brow furrowed.
His reaction piqued the girls' curiosity, and they crowded around.
The bounty list only included Reno and Nami.
[Reno: Captain of the Reno Pirates, suspected Cloud-Cloud Fruit user, bounty: 30 million Berries!]
"Wow, big brother Reno, you're amazing!" Kaya said, giving a thumbs-up, her eyes sparkling. A first-time bounty of 30 million Berries showed how seriously the Navy took him.
Nojiko and Makino nodded in agreement.
"What about me? Is mine there?!" Nami asked eagerly. She'd taken down Arlong, worth 20 million—her bounty couldn't be low.
The girls kept reading.
[Nami: Navigator of the Reno Pirates, suspected Rumble-Rumble Fruit user, bounty: 50 million Berries!]
"50 million Berries?!" "No way, I read that right?!"
Nami checked the paper several times, confirming it.
"Reno, my bounty's higher than yours!" she said, hands on hips, smirking triumphantly. "From now on, you call me Big Sis!"
"A crewmate with a higher bounty than the captain? That's rare," Makino teased, a rare playful jab.
Kaya and Nojiko stifled giggles. They finally understood why Reno's face had darkened.
Reno gave Nami a half-smile. "Oh, really? Then tonight, we'll have a thorough sparring session."
Big Sis?You've got some nerve. Time to reassert who's boss!
Nami deflated like a cat with its tail stepped on, pleading, "My dearest Captain, I was just kidding! You're the best, no one's greater!"
"I'm starving after all this waiting. Let's order!" she said, quickly changing the subject.
The Healing Fruit's stamina recovery was no joke. She was genuinely scared.
Kaya and the others, thinking of similar "terrifying" experiences, fell silent.
Seeing the girls back down, Reno relented. He called a waiter and ordered a table full of gourmet dishes.
…