Chapter 176: The Price of Happiness! The 'Terror' of the Little Thief Cat and the Crew's Bounties
Dinner time at a high-end hotel restaurant in Water 7.
"Mmm... Ship! We need a ship!"
Luffy shouted indistinctly while chewing on meat-on-the-bone:
"The going merry is already... sob... so we have to find a new ship!
"I saw a lot of good ships parked in front of that uncle Iceburg's house, why don't we go steal one!"
"Idiot! That's a crime!" Usopp, who was drinking soup, almost sprayed it out.
"We just saved the mayor, does it make sense to turn around and steal his ship!"
"But how can we go to sea without a ship!" Luffy said righteously.
"No need to worry."
Tatsuya, sitting next to the head of the table, was elegantly cutting a piece of top-grade steak on his plate.
Tatsuya put the cut beef into his mouth and wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin:
"I've already handled it."
"Eh?" Everyone was stunned.
"Back at the Franky House, I already gave all 500 million Berries we exchanged from Skypiea to Franky."
"I commissioned him to build a brand new dream ship for us using the finest materials and the most insane design."
"Calculating the time, it should be finished in just a few days."
The entire room fell silent for a second.
Immediately after, a cheer erupted that nearly blew the roof off.
"5... 500 million?!!!"
Luffy and Usopp jumped onto the table in excitement, hugging each other and weeping tears of joy:
"Awesome!! A new ship!! We're going to have a super amazing new ship!!"
"Wow! Tatsuya, you're so amazing!" Chopper also bounced along.
Only Sanji's cigarette dropped from his hand, his face pale: "5... 500 million?! Doesn't that mean all our money is gone?!"
Everyone subconsciously looked at Nami.
They saw Nami holding her face, her expression extremely conflicted.
On one hand, it was the heartache of hearing that the astronomical sum of 500 million Berries had vanished.
That was money!
That was enough money to bury a person!
But on the other hand, thinking about the sweetness of the past few days between the two of them...
"Mmm..."
Nami blushed and gave Tatsuya a coy look, her voice soft:
"For... forget it... after all, it's for the new ship..."
Everyone collapsed in shock.
Is this the power of love?
Even the money-grubbing Little Thief Cat has changed her nature?!
...
The next few days were a rare leisure time for the Straw Hat Pirates.
But for Tatsuya, these few days were a "hellish training" of pain and pleasure.
During the day.
An orange whirlwind left its mark on the major commercial streets of Water 7.
"Tatsuya! Look at this! This dress is so beautiful!"
"Ah! The accessory shop over there is having a sale! Hurry!"
"Wrap up this entire pile of bags!"
Nami dragged Tatsuya along, high-spiritedly visiting every mall in Water 7.
She seemed to have endless energy, her high heels clicking as a look of shopping ecstasy filled her face.
And Tatsuya, following behind her...
"Whew..."
Tatsuya leaned against the wall somewhat disheveled.
No matter how strong one's physical techniques are, when it comes to accompanying a woman shopping, men seem to be a naturally disadvantaged group.
And when night fell...
The camera zoomed out to the door of the luxury penthouse suite of the hotel.
Late at night, the corridor was quiet.
Only from a certain room did vague, heart-pounding sounds and the creaking of an overburdened bed frame emerge.
Zoro, who got up to use the bathroom, passed by the door. Hearing the sounds inside, he couldn't help but twitch his lips and shake his head:
"Tsk... those two... they really have good stamina."
Inside the room, the moonlight was like water.
An intense "battle" had just ceased.
Tatsuya, wearing only a towel and supporting his slightly aching waist, leaned against the balcony railing and lit a cigarette.
He looked back at the large bed.
Nami was wrapped in the quilt, revealing a large area of snow-white skin, her sleeping face peaceful and satisfied.
She was radiant, her face flushed, and her skin was glowing.
She didn't look tired at all; instead, she looked like a rose nourished to full bloom.
Tatsuya took a deep breath, blew out a smoke ring, and gave a heartfelt sigh in his mind:
"Is this the terror of the 'Little Thief Cat'..."
"Whether it's the obsession with money... or the demands for love..."
"They're both at a monster level."
...
Four days passed just like that.
This afternoon,
In the hotel lobby, sunlight spilled in through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.
The Straw Hat crew was lazily lying on the sofas resting, while Luffy was still fighting with Chopper for snacks.
Creak—
The door was pushed open.
Nami, Robin, and the trio with the Crow Crow perched on their shoulders returned with their last wave of spoils.
Today, Nami's complexion was incredibly good.
She wore a brand new fashionable dress, her skin was white with a rosy tint, and a confident smile hung on her face.
It was the radiance unique to a woman who had reaped a harvest of both love and money.
"Hey! Everyone!"
Nami walked to the center of the lobby, held up a roll of newspaper high, her voice crisp and loud:
"I have some 'good news' for you! The latest newspaper is here!"
"We... all have bounty posters now!"
"What?!"
The crowd instantly exploded, everyone surrounding her:
"All of us?! Everyone has one?! Even Chopper?"
"Let me see! How much did I go up!" Luffy excitedly snatched the newspaper.
Everyone gathered around the table, spreading out those heart-racing bounty posters one by one.
First was the Captain.
[Straw Hat Luffy]
The photo was Luffy's signature goofy smiling face.
Bounty: 300 million Berries!
"Oh oh oh!! Three hundred million!!!" Luffy cheered, holding the bounty poster, "I went up another two hundred million!! Awesome!"
Next was the main swordsman.
[Pirate Hunter Zoro]
The photo was of Zoro biting a sword, with a fierce look in his eyes.
Bounty: 120 million Berries!
"Tsk, only 120 million?" Although Zoro spoke dismissively, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up. "Well, I guess it'll do."
Then was the navigator.
[Little Thief Cat Nami]
Bounty: 16 million Berries!
"Wow! 16 million!" Nami looked at the photo, holding her face in extreme satisfaction.
"And this photo was taken so well! It captured my figure perfectly!"
Next was the sniper.
[Sniper King]
The photo was of Usopp wearing his mask.
Bounty: 30 million Berries!
"Whoa whoa whoa!! Although the name is Sniper King, this is definitely me!!"
Usopp trembled with excitement, "I've become a big-time wanted criminal too! 30 million!!"
Following that was the chef.
When Sanji picked up his own bounty poster with great anticipation, the air in the room froze for three seconds.
[Black Leg Sanji]
The photo... no, that wasn't a photo.
It was an extremely abstract black doodle drawn with a brush.
The face in the drawing was crooked with a slanted mouth, looking like a vengeful spirit.
Bounty: 77 million Berries.
"Wh... what the hell is this?!!!!!"
Sanji knelt on the ground, clutching his head, and let out a shrill scream:
"That's not me at all!! Who is this!! Why is it a drawing!! Did they not even get a picture of me with a camera?!"
"This is practically a curse!! How could this ugly monster be me!! What will the ladies think when they see this!!!"
"Puhahaha!" Zoro laughed so hard he pounded the floor, "It looks just like you! Isn't it identical?"
"Shut up, Marimo! I'm going to kill you!!"
Amidst the chaos, Chopper tremblingly picked up his own.
[Cotton Candy Loving Pet Chopper]
The photo was of Chopper looking cute while eating cotton candy.
Bounty: 50 Berries.
"..."
Chopper was petrified.
Immediately, he knelt on the ground, tears flowing like a river:
"Fifty... Berries? That can't even buy a single piece of candy?!"
"I fought so hard!! I also defeated that CP9 guy!! Why am I a pet!!!"
Before Chopper could recover, something even more devastating came.
Robin picked up a new bounty poster.
[Devil Child Nico Robin]
Bounty: 80 million Berries!
[Crimson Lotus Victor]
The background was the burning office in the Tower of Justice.
Tatsuya's pair of crimson Sharingan emitted a strange light in the smoke.
One of his feet was stepping on Spandam's corpse, while he held a dripping black blade in his hand, gazing coldly at the camera.
Bounty: 280 million Berries!
"Wow!!! So cool!!!"
Luffy and Usopp had stars in their eyes, "This photo is too cool! It's like a big villain!"
"280 million... did it double directly?"
However, the surprises weren't over.
At the end of the pile of bounty posters, there were actually two mini ones.
The first one.
[Black Feather Scout Crow]
The photo was of Crow the Crow standing on Nami's shoulder, wearing a small bowtie, staring sharply at the camera.
Bounty: 500 Berries.
Marine Note: "Suspected high-altitude scout for the Straw Hat crew, a dangerous bird with extremely high intelligence."
The second one.
[Explosive Hound Lassoo]
The photo was of this dachshund peeing on a Marine's pant leg.
Bounty: 200 Berries.
Marine Note: "A dangerous dachshund that shoots explosive balls, a remnant of the former Baroque Works, highly destructive."
"Caw caw! See that, this great one is also worth money!" Crow puffed out his chest proudly.
"Woof!" Lassoo also wagged his tail.
And Chopper...
Chopper looked at the two bounty posters for the pets, and then at the "50 Berries" in his hand.
His mentality completely collapsed.
"Waaaaaah!!!!"
Chopper cried even more miserably, his voice echoing through the entire lobby:
"Why!! Why is the bounty for a Crow and a dog higher than mine!!!"
"Am I even worse than a pet?!! sob sob..."
...
Just as everyone was laughing and crying over the pile of ridiculous bounty posters and making a mess.
Bang!
The hotel door was pushed open again.
A group of weirdos wearing tattered work clothes, covered in oil stains but with excited expressions, rushed in.
It was the underlings of the Franky Family, as well as Paulie and the other foremen.
They were out of breath, but their faces were covered with tears of joy and excitement.
"Big Brother Straw Hat!! Big Brother Tatsuya!!"
"It's built... it's finally built!!"
"That's what Big Brother Franky poured all his heart and soul into..."
"And Mr. Iceburg, along with all of us foremen, worked through the night... built from the strongest Treasure Tree Adam..."
"The world's best dream ship!!!"
These words were like a rallying cry.
Luffy jumped up from the sofa, no longer caring about the 300 million Berries.
He stuffed the bounty poster into his shirt, an unprecedentedly excited smile appearing on his face:
"Really?!!!"
"Alright!!!"
Luffy raised his fist and shouted to all his companions:
"Men!! Forget about the bounty posters!!"
"To Scrap Island!!!"
"To pick up our... new companion!!!!"
"Oh oh oh oh oh!!!!"
The group rushed out of the hotel in a grand manner, sprinting towards the coast.
Loving Book So Far Check Out 80+ Advanced Chapters At Pa Treon:
patreon.com/FicTonic1