A/N: Bonus Chapter Goal!
For every 10 power stones, I'll be adding 2 more chapters outside of my regular chapter update schedule.
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Nami was about to lose her mind.
Ever since she arrived at the 157th Branch, she had taken over all financial responsibilities.
With the recent haul of Berries and the continuous sale of various assets, large sums of money had been deposited into the branch's treasury.
They were so close. Just a little more, and she would've reached that heavenly number.
If Nojiko hadn't stopped her, Nami might've moved her bed into the treasury itself—just to sleep surrounded by money.
But when she woke up this morning, ready to gaze lovingly at her mountain of Berries before getting back to work…
She froze.
Where the hell did her 200 million-plus Berries go?!
Why were there only 3 million left?!
Fuming, she stormed straight into Luo Lan's office.
Her eyes practically shot out flames, as if to say:
You're dead. Unless you give me a damn good explanation, you're absolutely dead.
Seeing her like this, Luo Lan could only let out a bitter smile.
He really had brought home a little tyrant, hadn't he?
"Nami, what do you think of the 157th Branch?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Just answer me first."
"Hmm... Compared to everywhere else I've seen, it's way better."
Nami replied honestly after a moment of thought.
From the first day she arrived, she'd been completely blown away.
Though the style was nothing like the pirate world she knew, everything here—from the buildings to the layout—was far more modern and beautiful.
Especially the small villa Luo Lan had assigned for her and Nojiko. The design, the decor—absolutely top-notch.
"So then, how much do you think it costs to build a branch like this?"
"Let me think… I don't know the exact numbers, but it can't be cheap."
Nami frowned slightly. She genuinely had no idea how much a place like this would cost.
There was nothing in the pirate world to compare it to.
But she did know it wouldn't come cheap.
Luo Lan, seeing that she was slowly catching on, nodded with satisfaction.
And then...
"So, now you know where that money went?"
"You're saying... it went into building the branch?"
"Exactly. And we're not done. We're about to hollow out the southern cliff of the island and build a hidden, fully equipped port inside. At the same time, we're constructing a modern training center within the branch."
"Oh..."
A secret port carved into a cliff, and a modern training facility?
Two hundred million doesn't sound so outrageous now. In fact, it might actually be cheap for all that.
Still...
Something felt off.
Before she could figure it out, Luo Lan walked over and patted her on the shoulder.
"Well, glad we had this talk. I've got work to do."
And just like that, he left the office.
Two minutes later, Nami finally snapped out of her daze.
"Wait a minute! I'm in charge of all the branch finances! Even if you want to build a port or whatever, you're supposed to submit a report for my approval first!"
"Luo Lan! Get back here!"
She bolted out of the office, shouting after him.
But it was too late.
He was already gone.
---
Without alerting anyone, Luo Lan made his way to the docks.
What used to be the port of the 157th Branch looked like it hadn't seen use in decades.
The whole thing was falling apart, like it could collapse at any moment.
As for the small naval ship docked there?
It wasn't just old—it looked like a floating wreck.
Even the sails looked more like shredded rags.
Could this thing even move if the sails went up?
Highly questionable.
Luo Lan stood there, gazing silently for over an hour.
Then, a mid-sized naval ship slowly approached and docked—well, tried to dock.
But the impact was a little rough, and with a light bump...
The entire dock crumbled.
Planks and supports plunged into the sea.
Luo Lan's mouth twitched.
Great. I was hoping this dock could hold out for another year or two…
"I broke your dock. Tina apologizes!"
"But…"
"This isn't Hina's fault!"
A woman stepped forward, wearing a pale yellow blouse under a rose-colored suit jacket, topped with a white Justice coat.
This was none other than Hina, a newly promoted Marine Headquarters colonel—just thirty years old.
Female officers in the HQ were already rare, and those who made it to colonel by thirty? Even rarer.
But there was a funny trend at HQ:
Any woman who rose through the ranks… was stunning.
Like Gion, or the giantess vice admiral during the Summit War...
Even Tsuru was a knockout back in her day.
Hina was no exception—one of the Marine's famously beautiful officers.
"It's fine. Honestly, the dock's useless anyway. Other than occasional supply deliveries, it hasn't had a real purpose."
"Anyway, long time no see, Sister Hina!"
Luo Lan waved and called out cheerfully, just like he used to at HQ.
Hina's expression softened.
"You really are stubborn. Would it have killed you to just apologize to the Fleet Admiral?"
"Some things... you can't bow to."
Luo Lan shook his head.
Hina sighed.
"So, what brings you here, Sister Hina? I mean, I just got your call a few hours ago saying you were coming to visit—honestly didn't expect it."
"Well, do you think I wanted to come?"
"I was in the middle of a major mission when the Fleet Admiral pulled me off it—told me to head to East Blue immediately and investigate the 16th Branch."
"I just happened to be at the edge of the Grand Line. After half a day sailing through the Calm Belt, I ended up here. So I figured... might as well drop in and see how you're doing."
So that was it.
HQ sent Hina of all people?
Made sense, honestly.
Smoker wasn't exactly… diplomatic. If anything, he'd probably make things worse if left in charge of the investigation.
The top brass clearly wanted this matter buried quickly.
Sending Hina—who had the rank, authority, and a good relationship with Smoker—was a clever move.
Typical of that man… Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
"So what? Hina came all this way and you're not even going to give me a proper tour?"
"C'mon, Sister Hina, you've seen what the 157th looks like. See that old two-story building over there? That's the HQ."
"Trust me, there's nothing worth seeing. We're better off catching up on your ship."
He pointed to a distant, rickety building and made a face.
Dear sister, don't put me through this.
Let's just chat on your ship, let you investigate the 16th Branch, and be done with it.
"What the heck, fine. Let's go. Tea's on Hina."
Luo Lan let out a sigh of relief.
But just as he was about to follow her aboard…
A figure burst out from the trees in the distance.
And that voice, the same loud one he'd heard an hour ago, rang out again.
"Luo Lan! You still owe me an explanation!"
Oh crap…
Luo Lan turned to say something to Hina…
Only to see the amused, slightly smug expression on her face.