One Piece: Honey Badger Speedruns the World

Barr sat up straight, his face plastered with a fawning smile, as if the other person could see it through the phone line.

"Don't worry about the repayment and interest in two weeks! I will absolutely not delay it for even a second!"

"Oh?"

Crocodile's voice was devoid of emotion, only displaying a nonchalant laziness: "Since it's not due yet, why are you calling... to hear me praise you for doing a good job?"

Barr, I'm very busy.

"No, no, no! How could I dare take up your precious time!"

Barr quickly waved his hand, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously, "I've discovered an exceptional talent! Just like the one you mentioned before!"

"Just today! A newcomer named Goss used only one move... to instantly kill a pirate captain with a bounty of 3000 million Berries!"

Barr grew increasingly excited, praising Goss to the skies: "This guy is a mink like me, and he already has this kind of strength before even setting sail! He's absolutely qualified to be a sharp blade in your hands!"

However, there was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.

Immediately following was a contemptuous sneer.

"Oh……"

"Baal, have you been spending too much time on that elephant's back lately? Has your brain rusted along with it?"

Crocodile's tone was detached, carrying a condescending disdain.

"Even in the first half of the Grand Line, there are countless 3000 million useless creatures."

Is it really worth you calling to brag about how you managed to snag such garbage in seconds?

"Are you trying to swindle my money with this lame lie? Or do you think I'm easy to fool?"

"No, boss! It's true! This kid really has potential..."

Barr was so anxious that he broke out in a cold sweat.

That's enough.

Crocodile interrupted him, his tone turning icy: "I don't care about such trivial characters. I only care about my money."

"Although it's not due yet..."

Den Den Mushi's eyes suddenly sharpened, revealing a chilling aura: "But I'm not in a good mood lately, and I hate it when people try to play mind games with me."

To prevent you from running away with the money, or trying to fool me with this kind of false information...

"I will send someone over to keep an eye on you."

Baal's heart clenched: "Send...send whom?"

"Mr.1".

Upon hearing the name, Barr dropped his wine glass and shattered it on the floor.

Mr.1, Daz Bonis.

That assassin whose entire body was covered in blades.

He had met her once when he signed the loan agreement.

Crocodile exhaled a smoke ring, his tone playful: "If you have the money ready, that would be best."

"As for that newcomer you praised to the skies..."

Crocodile sneered, "Let Daz kill him on the way."

Click.

The phone hangs up.

Barr remained in the position of holding the microphone, his whole body like a stone statue that had been weathered for thousands of years, frozen stiffly in front of the mahogany desk.

……

"Your wrist is too stiff, Miss Mia. A sword is not a weapon; it is an extension of your arm. It should be as natural as a flower blooming."

Bistana's signature curly beard trembled slightly with his smile.

The fifth division captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, at this moment, had restrained his murderous aura that struck fear into the hearts of everyone on the battlefield, and was like a patient old gentleman, holding a tree branch in his hand for demonstration purposes.

Opposite him, Mia was gripping Vista's two expensive swords tightly in both hands, wielding them while sweating profusely.

This was the 500th time she had swung her sword that day.

Her movements were still clumsy, her steps were not steady, and she almost tripped over the overly long sword several times.

If it were any other great swordsman, they would probably have shaken their heads and sighed, but Vista's eyes were full of admiration.

"One more time!"

Mia bit her lip, her eyes defiant.

"Very good, that's the look in your eyes."

With a slight flick of his wrist, Vista caused the withered branch to create a pink phantom, and several rose petals that appeared out of nowhere gently supported the tip of Mia's falling sword.

"Feel the flow of the wind; don't fight it, guide it."

Goss leaned against the railing, watching his serious and focused sister and the great swordsman with unparalleled patience, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips.

"Having a renowned teacher really makes a difference."

"Of course, Uncle Vista is known for his good temper."

Nami rolled her eyes in exasperation, then gave a mysterious smile and pointed to the blue-glowing spire at the highest point of the island:

"How about it, do you want to go take a look over there?"

Meteorologists on this island are conducting a crazy experiment—the "Lightning Capture Project."

They created a lightning rod that could attract high-altitude cumulonimbus clouds, hoping to liquefy and store natural lightning.

"Liquefied lightning?"

Goss's eyes lit up, and he took a step towards it: "Thanks, Orange Head, I'll go take a look."

Swish.

A weather stick was placed in front of Goss.

"Wait, wait a minute~"

Nami extended her left hand, rubbing her thumb and forefinger together skillfully, making the gesture used throughout the entire sea:

"While Mia and I are friends... we're not."

Nami smiled and started counting on her fingers: "That's a research restricted area in Visalia; ordinary people are not allowed to enter."

"The guide fee for taking you through the secret passage..."

"To cover the entrance fee for the old guards..."

"And there's the consultation fee for providing you with exclusive intelligence..."

She held out an open palm and waved it in front of Goss: "Cheng Hui, a total of 50 Berries."

"For Mia's sake, this is already a 20% discount, a friendly price!"

Baal, covered in sweat, was climbing up the ladder.

He was completely disheveled at this point, clearly having rushed here in a frantic frenzy.

However, before he could catch his breath...

A large hand suddenly patted his shoulder.

"Perfect timing, Baal."

"Settle this lady's tour guide fee; it's 50 in total."

"Huh?! Why me again?!"

Baal let out a heart-wrenching scream, but under Nami's gaze, which instantly transformed into the Beryl symbol, he seemed to have no choice but to pay up.

(฿◡฿)

……

"Shh! Tuck your tail in! Do you want to trigger the alarm?"

In the dimly lit ventilation duct, Nami lowered her voice and glared fiercely at the swaggering guy behind her.

The two were clinging to the huge metal grille like two geckos, with the core laboratory of the entire weather tower below.

"Have we arrived?"

Looking down through the gaps in the grille, Goss saw a transparent transistor standing tall in the center of the huge spherical space, with countless sophisticated instruments frantically operating around it.

"That's the 'lightning capture device'."

Nami pointed at the device, a hint of excitement flashing in her eyes: "They're using the 'weather gel' unique to Skypiea to try and compress the raging electrical charges in thunderclouds into a liquid state... This is a technology that even the World Government is coveting."