Looking at Luffy's unhappy expression, Jin felt his head start to ache.
Why did this guy never play by the rules?
"Luffy, you idiot—why did you just answer the call like that?"
"Huh? Was there a problem?"
Luffy looked at Jin in confusion, genuinely not understanding what he'd done wrong.
Jin: "..."
"Forget it," Jin sighed, rubbing his temples. "What's done is done."
"So what are you planning now?" Sanji asked curiously.
"That group of bounty hunters has already locked onto us," Jin said calmly.
"They'll definitely make a move sooner or later."
As he spoke, he glanced at Stansen.
"I was thinking about squeezing some useful information out of this guy… but then Luffy went and—"
For a moment, Jin felt completely helpless.
"Luffy, you absolute idiot!" Nami snapped.
"Ahahaha, but that spiky-head guy already said they'd come anyway."
"So whether we know more or not doesn't really matter, right?"
"…What if they steal your pirate flag?" Nami shot back.
"That's not okay."
Luffy's expression instantly changed.
"If they dare touch my pirate flag—"
"I'll beat them flying!"
That was a line Luffy absolutely would not allow anyone to cross.
"Uh… e-everyone…" Ail said nervously.
"Oh, right. Almost forgot about you guys."
Franky cracked his knuckles with a savage grin. "Guess it's time for some proper hospitality."
"W-wait! We know we were wrong!"
"Too late!"
Franky and Sanji worked together and beat the liars half to death.
Naturally, Stansen was only beaten after he was allowed to finish eating.
Looking at the group sprawled on the floor, Franky asked,
"Luffy, how should we deal with them?"
"Throw them back."
They'd already been beaten badly enough—Luffy had no interest in hitting them himself.
"P-please… wait…" Ail said weakly.
He struggled to sit up but failed several times.
Merry couldn't bear to watch and quietly pushed a chair over so he could lean against it.
Jin glanced at her.
This kid was really… too kind.
"Thank you…"
"What do you want to say?" Jin asked.
"Are you… planning to fight those bounty hunters?" Ail asked.
He didn't care about his injuries, nor about being beaten.
Because surviving meant he still had something to fight for.
"We never said that," Nami replied.
"If we leave now, we won't run into them at all."
She had zero interest in bounty hunters—especially when her own head was worth twenty million.
"But you've already been targeted," Ail said firmly.
"They won't let prey worth over a billion Beli escape."
"What are you trying to say?" Zoro asked coldly.
Ail hesitated, then clenched his teeth.
"If you do fight them… please take us with you."
"Even if we go first."
"Yes!" Kayil struggled up as well, panting heavily.
"Please—take us!"
"We only want our pirate flag back!"
"As long as we have that, the Phoenix Pirates can rise again!"
"Our captain—"
"Idiot!!"
Stansen suddenly opened his eyes.
"How could you say that—"
"You think they don't already know?" Kayil snapped back.
"You moron, even your little tricks were seen through.
Do you really think the bounty hunters don't know our captain is still alive?"
As he spoke, Kayil glanced at Jin.
That man's expression was icy and distant—like someone who had already seen everything.
Jin.exe — Cold Mode Activated
Everyone turned to look at him.
Sure enough—he looked exactly like someone who knew it all.
"Jin, you even figured that out?!" Luffy exclaimed in awe.
"That's amazing!"
"Jin is awesome!" Merry cheered.
Robin, however, gave him a strange look.
Did he really know?
Then why didn't he mention it earlier?
Still, she said nothing.
If Jin wanted to look cool—she'd let him.
Robin.exe — Knowing Big-Sister Smile
"So even that was discovered…"
Stansen laughed bitterly. "I really am an idiot."
He had truly believed that as long as he didn't mention the captain, no one would notice.
Yet this was a crew with a combined bounty exceeding one billion.
Terrifying—truly terrifying.
"I apologize for my cowardice," Stansen said, bowing until his forehead hit the floor.
"To keep our captain alive… I had no choice but to make a deal with demons."
"You're just a coward!" Kayil shouted.
"And if I hadn't done that, none of us would've lived this long!"
"As long as the captain lives, the Phoenix Pirates can still—"
"Hey, hey," Sanji interrupted impatiently.
"We're not interested in your tragic drama. Say what you want to say."
The group exchanged glances, then lowered their heads.
"If you fight them, please take us along."
"We only want our pirate flag."
"Nothing else."
"I already said we're not interested," Nami replied, hands on her hips.
Actively hunting bounty hunters?
Only an idiot would do that.
And since Luffy hadn't ordered it, she certainly wouldn't agree.
"…But—"
"You can go," Luffy said.
As captain, he wasn't about to take his crew and work for someone else.
He might be simple—but he wasn't stupid.
Kayil opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Stansen sighed, stood up, and dragged his companions toward the exit.
The Straw Hats clearly had no intention of getting involved.
As for the coming pursuit…
They'd deal with it one step at a time.
At least they were still alive.
"Didn't expect something like this to happen," Franky muttered, glancing around the dining hall.
Several chairs were broken—he'd have to fix them later.
"They looked so pitiful…" Merry said softly.
"Merry, they were bad guys," Usopp said.
"They lied to us."
"But… when they were getting beaten, they didn't fight back…"
Especially that man named Kuku—he'd even tried to smile at her while being punched.
None of them resisted seriously.
They only raised their arms to block.
"…Maybe they knew they were in the wrong," Usopp said uncertainly.
"Since when do pirates care about that?" Zoro scoffed.
He'd seen real pirate cruelty during his bounty-hunting days.
"Who knows," Robin shrugged.
"Either way, we had no reason to get involved," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette.
"Jin," Nami asked, "you were thinking about something earlier, weren't you?"
"Yeah. About those bounty hunters."
"If they really attack us, we'll just cut them down," Zoro said coldly.
"I'm more curious about one thing," Usopp said.
"Our total bounty is over a billion, right? Why would they still dare come after us?"
"Money makes even ghosts push carts," Jin replied calmly.
"Especially when it's a billion."
That amount was enough to drive most people insane.
After all, even the newspaper Nami bought only cost 100 Beli.
"Then it depends on whether they live long enough to spend it," Zoro sneered.
"Luffy?"
"If we run into them," Luffy said simply,
"we'll punch them flying."
"Got it!"
"…I really hope we don't meet them," Nami groaned.
"Same…" Usopp agreed wholeheartedly.
"Bounty hunters usually have a lot of money, right?" Jin suddenly said.
"Especially a whole family of them."
"Eh?!"
Nami's eyes instantly lit up—literally turning into shining Beli symbols.
Her body even trembled with excitement.
Usopp felt a powerful sense of doom rise in his chest.
"Nami, you—"
"Money!!" she shouted.
"That's all money!"
A bounty hunter family that had taken root here…
How much Beli would they have?!
Jin stared at her in shock.
For a moment, he swore he saw blinding golden light pouring from her eyes.
So this was the power of money…
Too dazzling!
"Don't get too excited," Zoro said.
"Normally bounty hunters can't save much money."
"I almost starved to death back then."
"Because you got lost and couldn't find restaurants," Sanji mocked.
"What did you say, bastard?!"
The two immediately smashed foreheads together, glaring murderously at each other.
Everyone else calmly looked away.
This happened basically every day.
"…So they don't have money after all…"
Nami's glow faded, her entire aura dimming.
"Generally speaking, yes," Robin nodded.
"Bounty hunters live much like pirates."
"They never know if they'll die tomorrow."
"So they spend everything they earn—enjoy first, hunt later."
"…So there's no exception?"
"There is," Robin replied.
"For example—this family."
"They operate as a clan. That might change things."
Instantly—
Nami resurrected.
"Jin!" She rushed over and grabbed his hand tightly.
"If they dare attack us, please—don't hold back!"
"O-okay… I get it…"
Jin twitched.
Why did it feel like money was Nami's power source?
Her speed right now was terrifying.
Even faster than when she punched him earlier.
"Why hasn't Chopper come back yet?" Merry suddenly asked.
"Did something happen?"
"…Eh?!"
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