One Piece: Starting With Flame-Flame Fruit

Tony gently tapped Nami's face, finally snapping her out of her stupor.

"Hey, hey! Nami, calm down! No ordinary person can come up with hundreds of billions!"

"Even if someone could, just think about it—the person behind this has to be a big deal. Their background would be incredible, and we'd likely end up in serious trouble."

"What if it's some black-market deal and we end up losing both the fruit and our lives? We could end up crying in a dark alley with nothing!"

...

Nami listened to Tony's reasoning and, as much as she didn't want to admit it, he made a solid point.

Most people couldn't possibly gather hundreds of billions. Only massive organizations could make such a transaction.

The Marines and World Government? Hah, she was a pirate—there was no way they'd ever trade with them. That would be like walking right into their trap!

The world's underground black market... Just thinking about it made Nami shiver. That place was filled with ruthless people. Before they even had a chance to make the deal, someone would probably just take the fruit by force.

"Wuuu!"

Nami looked at the priceless Devil Fruit with a sense of injustice, but she couldn't turn it into money, which made her feel deeply discouraged.

Tony watched her with a look of exasperation, as if he was disappointed in her.

"Hey, Nami, don't you want to think about the true value of this thing worth billions?"

"The true value?"

Nami tilted her head, her face full of confusion as she stared at Tony.

"Do you still remember the thunderstorm we saw when we first arrived?"

"That was the power this fruit unleashed!"

"Nami, do you want this kind of ability?"

Tony suddenly turned serious and looked straight at Nami.

Tony had considered eating the powerful Rumble-Rumble Fruit himself. If he did, his combat strength would undergo a terrifying upgrade.

Moreover, the system had mentioned that no matter how many Devil Fruits he consumed, their effects would stack without any side effects.

However, he thought about the companions around him... almost no one else could fight. Besides Robin, who occasionally helped with small tasks, the others had little to no combat abilities.

Right now, in the first half of the Grand Line, Tony still had the strength to protect them. But what about the future?

The New World was a hundred times more dangerous than the first half of the Grand Line. The pirates, alliances, and terrifying emperors there were incredibly powerful... without absolute strength and a solid team, survival in the New World would be nearly impossible.

Not to mention, Tony was bringing along two people who had no combat capabilities at all.

So, he had to make his companions stronger! He needed to ensure they could at least defend themselves.

Only then could he freely cut down any enemies standing in his way.

Nami hesitated at this moment, recalling the fear of death she had just felt. It was this tiny fruit's power that had made such a huge difference... it was truly incredible.

As for her desire for strength, Nami wasn't particularly eager.

She didn't fully understand the abilities of the Logia-type Devil Fruits, but she knew that once she ate one, she would be forever cut off from the sea, turning into a land-dweller. Devil Fruit users couldn't swim.

This issue made her hesitate about whether she should eat the Devil Fruit in front of her.

Tony noticed Nami's hesitation and understood her concerns. After all, consuming a Devil Fruit came with significant drawbacks, and Tony had no intention of forcing Nami to make a decision.

Smiling, he carefully stored the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, patting Nami's head gently as he reassured her.

"Silly girl, I'm not forcing you to become a Devil Fruit user. Don't overthink it. This fruit is in our hands now; there's no rush to decide."

Nami nodded thoughtfully. She wasn't ready to take the leap of becoming a Devil Fruit user.

Her dream was to chart the maps of every sea in the world. Would becoming a Devil Fruit user conflict with that dream? Would it hinder her goals? These questions weighed heavily on her mind.

Even though the fruit before her was hailed as the strongest Logia-type Devil Fruit, Nami remained unmoved, a fact that earned Tony's admiration.

If it had been any other pirate, they would have already devoured the fruit with the fervor of a starving wolf, unable to resist the allure of such power.

Afterward, Tony buried Enel's body under the giant tree on the God's Island, placing the head respectfully. This was his way of showing respect to the previous wielder of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

"Rest in peace... Enel."

"I will make good use of the treasures and powers you left behind. I promise they won't go to waste, not even in the name of the Sky God."

Tony's solemnity quickly turned opportunistic as he led Nami deeper into the jungle, heading toward Enel's residence.

As the self-proclaimed Sky God, Enel must have amassed considerable wealth. Now that he was gone, Tony couldn't possibly let the treasures lie buried forever.

Nami didn't need further persuasion. The mere mention of vast riches sent her sprinting faster than anyone else.

If Enel's spirit knew what these pirates were doing after his death, he would undoubtedly haunt them without mercy.

About ten minutes later, Tony and Nami stumbled upon a secret base near Enel's residence. Inside, they found workers—locals from the island—who had been captured by Enel and forced to work. They were diligently embedding gold onto the bow of a massive ship.

Tony instantly recognized the unfinished vessel. It was the legendary Ark Maxim, Enel's miracle airship.

But the ship was far from complete, with an aesthetic that Tony couldn't bear to look at.

It was downright hideous.

Though its function was impressive—it had no inherent flight capabilities yet was designed to soar into the sky—its crude appearance repelled Tony.

Curiously, the ship was said to possess the ability to leave Earth and reach the moon. Tony believed this miraculous power was closely tied to the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

However, Tony wasn't too interested. The ship, unfinished as it was, held no immediate value to him.

What caught his and Nami's eyes were the countless crates of gold being transported by the workers from the legendary City of Gold, Shandora.

With an air of unmatched confidence, Tony strode inside.

In a commanding voice, he announced:

"Residents of the Sky Island, the cruel ruler, the so-called Sky God Enel, has been slain by me. You are now free to return home."

"There's no need to work day and night to complete this so-called miraculous ark."

The workers stopped, startled by the declaration. They turned to see a young man, barely in his twenties, standing at the entrance. Their expressions were filled with doubt.

This kid? Really?

While they desperately hoped for Enel's defeat, they had no reason to believe it was possible.

Countless challengers had attempted to overthrow Enel, and none had survived. In their eyes, Enel was a god—invincible.

The foreman, out of kindness, gestured for Tony and Nami to leave quickly, warning them that if Enel returned, they wouldn't escape death.

Tony felt a twinge of warmth at this unexpected kindness. It wasn't often one encountered people willing to worry about strangers when they could barely fend for themselves.

Ignoring their warnings, Tony walked straight toward the unfinished Ark Maxim, stopping beside its massive hull.

Reaching out, he placed a hand on the vessel.

Suddenly, flames erupted from his palm, spreading rapidly across the incomplete ark. Within moments, the entire ship was engulfed in fire.

~-------------------------

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