Chapter 49: The Mall is Finally Open!
On the sea below, the spot where Luo Lin's lightning had struck was now covered with a massive school of belly-up fish—all electrocuted into floating snacks.
Several warships had also been crippled by the blast. Marines were frantically rescuing each other.
"Hang in there!"
"What the hell?! Clear skies and a lightning bolt that huge?!"
After emergency treatment, they realized the injured Marines were just knocked out and burned—no fatalities.
In the office, the Den Den Mushi wouldn't stop ringing. Obviously reports from below.
Jonathan didn't pick up. He was seething, but not because he feared death—he feared Luo Lin doing it again. His poor subordinates would suffer.
"As you just saw, I'm the user of the Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit. I can drop lightning anywhere in this fortress whenever I feel like it. Unless you want every Marine here dead, I suggest you stay very, very still."
Luo Lin glanced at the chaos outside and Jonathan's expression, satisfied. A small smirk crept onto his face.
He didn't care about exposing his powers. You don't grind for a fruit this hard just to hide it. Besides, he'd already used it in the dock—Military Intelligence would figure it out soon enough.
Jonathan clenched his teeth so hard they nearly cracked, face full of unwillingness.
Navarone—the so-called "impregnable fortress"—was about to let a bunch of pirates waltz in and out?
If word got out, it wouldn't just be his reputation ruined. The entire Navy would be humiliated.
His brain raced.
Devil Fruit user → seastone works!
There were seastone cuffs in his drawer. Restrain him and none of them escape!
"Terrifying ability."
He took two deep breaths, calming himself, eyes flicking to the drawer.
"Mind if I make some tea?"
"Knock yourself out."
Jonathan casually reached for the drawer.
The moment his fingers were about to touch the seastone—SLASH!
A blade of sword pressure shot toward him.
Jonathan's eyes widened. He barely dodged.
The slash cleaved the desk, his chair, the bookshelf behind him, and punched straight through the wall.
"You bastard! What the hell?!"
Jonathan, still shaken, roared at Luo Lin. If he'd been a split second slower he'd be in two pieces!
And the shock only grew—this guy had a Logia fruit, Conqueror's Haki, and was at least a swordsman of great-swordmaster level?!
Now he understood why the World Government had failed to catch him for 20 years.
This wasn't a pirate. This was a walking calamity.
Twenty years ago he might've been weaker, but now? You'd need two or more Admirals acting together to even have a chance.
Who the hell set his bounty at 50 million?!
"Just a hunch you were about to pull something."
Luo Lin leisurely set down the fruit knife he'd grabbed from the coffee table. He hadn't even brought his real sword, Gosoul.
Jonathan swallowed his rage, about to yell again—when a huge commotion erupted outside.
Dozens of armed Marines stormed in.
"What happened?!"
The giant crash had drawn them. They couldn't just ignore their commander's office exploding!
Luo Lin sat with his back to them, not even turning his head. He trusted Jonathan to handle it—small fry were irrelevant.
"Nothing happened! Everyone out!"
"But sir—"
"OUT!"
For once Jonathan barked at his men. Luo Lin attacked on instinct—if any of them showed killing intent, they were dead.
The lead Marine glanced nervously between Luo Lin and Jonathan, saluted, and withdrew.
"Smart choice."
"You son of a—! If it weren't for all the regular Marines in this base, I'd fight you to the death right now!"
Once the soldiers left, Luo Lin dropped a line that crushed Jonathan's pride.
He nearly ground his molars to dust, but he was powerless.
He was willing to die.
But he couldn't sacrifice thousands of men with families for a suicidal charge he wasn't sure would even work.
At that moment, his hatred for whoever set that 50 million bounty rivaled his hatred for Luo Lin himself.
"Whatever. I'm out."
Luo Lin looked around, saw nothing else worth doing, and stood up.
If Jonathan hadn't tried to sink the Devil, he wouldn't even have bothered coming here.
"Wait!"
"What now?"
Jonathan took a deep breath.
As commander of G8, he could stand down to protect his men—but he personally couldn't do nothing.
Even if it meant death, he charged.
Luo Lin instantly read his intent.
"Respect."
He didn't use his fruit—just pure physical skill—and met him head-on.
"Being praised by a pirate isn't exactly flattering!"
Jonathan roared.
BOOM!
Fists collided.
CRACK!
Jonathan's arm bone shattered.
The man was tough—he only grunted, stepped back, and whipped a kick at Luo Lin's head.
Before it connected, Luo Lin's fist sank into his chest.
Jonathan flew backward, crashed through the already-destroyed wall, and passed out in the next room.
The Marines outside rushed in again—immediately knocked out by Conqueror's Haki before they could draw.
Luo Lin vanished, teleporting straight back to the ship to cuddle his Robin-baby.
Whatever happened next in there? Not his problem.
Luffy and the others weren't helpless.
…
Sure enough, that afternoon the Going Merry slowly sailed out of G8's gate under fire from six warships.
Luffy's crew was busy dealing with the cannon barrage.
"Oh? Nami and the others made it out! I was half-sure the Marines had chopped them up and fed them to the fish already."
Luo Lin: …
Only you, my treasure.
Before he could speak, Nami, Usopp, and the others spotted them.
"The Devil! It's the Devil! Luo Lin's here!"
Luffy, who had just punted a cannonball, turned and grinned huge.
"See? Told you there was nothing to worry about! Hahaha!"
"Save the celebration for later! First figure out how to lose these warships!"
Sanji said calmly, cigarette in mouth.
Luo Lin weighed anchor and sailed toward the Merry.
The Marines noticed too.
"Wait, wasn't that a fishing boat? Why's it closing in?"
"No! Look—the Straw Hats are waving at it! They're together!"
"Damn it! We got played! Fire on that ship!"
Two warships immediately turned their cannons on the Devil.
"Lightning Net!"
Luo Lin extended a hand—countless thin bolts shot from his fingertips, weaving a massive web in the air.
Every incoming cannonball froze mid-flight, trapped.
"That ship has a Devil Fruit user! Target the hull!"
Luo Lin smirked mockingly.
"Tch. Knowing I'm a fruit user doesn't help if you can't hit me. Go home."
Snap!
He snapped his fingers.
All the trapped cannonballs reversed course and slammed back into the warships—BOOM BOOM BOOM!
"Oh ho ho! So cool!"
While the Marines were still reeling, the two ships successfully merged.
Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper turned into starry-eyed fanboys.
The remaining four warships intensified fire, dead set on sinking both ships.
But now that they'd reunited, the Straw Hats were pumped.
Luo Lin had already taken out two—if they couldn't handle four measly warships, they'd be embarrassed!
The big three went all out—batting cannonballs back (not perfectly on target, but close enough).
Explosions crippled the pursuers and slowed them dramatically.
The Merry seized the chance, floored it, and finally shook the warships.
While they were busy counter-attacking, Luo Lin reattached the anchor chain—this time using one he'd ripped off a warship.
The old chain was wrist-thick. This one was thigh-thick.
Try breaking this, ocean!
…
That night, past 10 PM.
G8 Fortress, infirmary.
Jonathan lay wrapped in bandages like a mummy. His wife, head chef Jessica, sat worriedly by his bedside.
He stirred and slowly opened his eyes.
Jessica immediately called Dr. Kobato.
"How is he, doctor?"
"He's awake—out of danger. Arm and ribs are set. Just needs rest!"
"Thank you!"
Kobato left—tons of other patients, all courtesy of the Straw Hats.
"Sorry for worrying you, Jessica."
Seeing her teary eyes, Jonathan felt guilty.
Jessica shook her head, clutching his good hand.
"This was a disaster, haha… Now I've gotta figure out how to explain this to HQ."
Jessica didn't answer—that wasn't her job.
But she did have one burning question: how did someone breach layers of defenses and beat the commander of G8 half to death?
Jonathan read her face instantly—they'd been married forever.
"You want to know who did this to me?"
She nodded, eyes red.
"That man's a monster. If he'd wanted to kill, not just me—the entire base would be corpses."
"You're joking!"
Jessica thought he was teasing and huffed, tucking his hand back under the blanket.
"I'm dead serious. Without an Admiral, no one can touch him."
Seeing his dead-serious expression, she believed him.
"Then I'm just glad you're alive! Haha!"
"Smooth talker."
Jessica blushed, scolded him playfully, then stood to leave.
"Hey, where're you going? Your injured husband needs his beloved wife by his side!"
"I'm making you a special recovery meal! You're eating every bite, Anata~♡"
She turned back with a gentle smile and left.
Jonathan was left alone, face cycling through black → white → purple.
Jonathan: I'm in danger!
…
…
Two days later.
Long Ring Long Land.
Luffy was in the middle of the Davy Back Fight duel with Foxy the Silver Fox.
Luo Lin had zero interest in participating.
He casually scanned with Observation Haki—tch, this guy's a total cheater, full of cheap tricks.
But the Slow-Slow Beam Fruit was interesting. Time-related power. If developed properly, it could be terrifying.
Luffy wasn't even taking it seriously—just goofing around.
Luo Lin was too lazy to even leave the ship.
No pretty girls down there, no market—nothing to do but wander.
He was busy enough training!
The day they escaped G8, the system finally pinged with glorious news:
[Ding! System Mall Now Open!]
Luo Lin, who'd been waiting forever, dove in immediately.
And nearly went blind from the sheer brilliance.
Daily necessities? Sure.
Normal swords to Supreme Grade blades.
Regular Devil Fruits to top-tier Mythical Zoans.
Treasure Tree Adam, pure gold, merman tears…
Even the Black Pearl ship…
Skip.
Some Devil Fruits were grayed out—already in use by someone else. Same power can't appear twice. Fair enough.
The mall was structured like a pyramid—the higher up, the more expensive.
At the very top was a single item.
Just one glance and Luo Lin nearly drooled on the spot.
A single water-drop-shaped item.
Name: [Affinity of the Sea]
Price: 100,000,000 Cultivation Points!
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