One Piece: Honey Badger Speedruns the World

At dusk, the Narwhal.

The setting sun dyed the sea a blood-red hue.

After the fierce battle with the G5 branch, the Narwhal did not stop. Instead, like a tireless steel behemoth, it stubbornly sailed towards the misty sea in the southeast, following the guidance of the compass.

"Lookout reports! No abnormalities on the sea! The naval pursuers are still relentlessly following behind! Karucho!"

At the top of the mast, Garrot was hanging on the lookout tower, holding a telescope in his hand.

The sea breeze tousled her white fur, and her long rabbit ears fluttered in the wind.

Despite having just experienced a fierce battle, the Mink warrior was still full of energy, occasionally taking a bite of a carrot while his ruby-like eyes warily scanned the horizon.

On the deck, Thornton was shirtless, revealing his rock-like, bulging muscles.

He held the steering wheel firmly with both hands, his eyes focused and honest.

"The captain said to just keep going forward."

He glanced at the pointer on the control panel, which was not only not spinning wildly but was becoming increasingly stable. Although he was unsure about the so-called "treasure," he only believed Goss's words.

……

Captain's Lounge

The room was so quiet that only breathing could be heard.

Goss lay on the large bed, his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling slightly with his breathing.

Although his vital signs had stabilized, his pale face and occasional furrowed brows indicated that his body was in a state of extreme depletion.

Mia sat on the edge of the bed, holding a damp towel, carefully wiping the cold sweat from her brother's forehead.

She moved very quietly, afraid of disturbing Goss's rest.

Those hands that always held a sword looked unusually gentle at this moment, but there was an undisguised weariness in their eyes.

"Brother...you have to get better soon."

Mia murmured softly, changed the water in the basin, and then glanced at the corner of the room.

There, Reiju sat quietly in a chair, holding a book in her hands, which Mia had specially found for her to keep her entertained.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on Reiju's short pink hair, making her look like a delicate and harmless porcelain doll.

"Um... Reiju-neechan, if you're tired, you should go to sleep first."

Mia smiled apologetically, completely unaware of the unusual atmosphere in the air:

"I'll stay with my brother tonight. Although this is the captain's cabin, the sofa is quite spacious, so you'll have to make do for the night."

"It's okay, I'm not sleepy."

Reiju closed the book, looked up, and revealed a perfect, flawless smile:

"You're the one who works hard taking care of patients. Don't exhaust yourself, Mia."

"Hehe, I'm not tired!"

Mia nodded gratefully, still marveling at how understanding her future "sister-in-law" was.

However, the moment Mia turned around to change the water...

Reiju's smile vanished instantly.

Those icy blue eyes emanated a chilling aura, fixed intently on Goss's unsuspecting neck.

Go to sleep... go to sleep now.

Reiju's fingers gently caressed the spine of the book, as she rehearsed the posture of holding a knife.

The moment you can't hold on any longer and fall asleep will be the day you and your siblings die.

Without Goss, the rest of the people can't stop me at all.

……

Deck, in the shade.

In a corner where miscellaneous items are piled up.

"Hehehe..."

Bucky, inside the wooden tub, is diligently wiping a kitchen knife he stole from the kitchen with a rag in his hand.

He looked up at the darkening sky, then at the brightly lit captain's cabin, his red nose twitching with excitement.

Bucky laughed inwardly:

The monster is unconscious! That terrifying smoker is locked up! Now, the only ones left on this ship who can fight are that crocodile and that little girl!

He touched the few remaining specially made Pakistani bullets in his pocket, and a flame of ambition reignited in his heart.

It was late at night... when the little girl was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open...

I'll sneak into the captain's cabin and chop that half-dead Goss up first!

Then, they used the woman with the sword as a hostage to force the crocodile to hand over control of the ship!

This modified warship... and Captain John's treasure pointer... they're all mine, Bucky's! Hahahaha!

……

Night fell completely.

The black waves swallowed the last glimmer of light.

The "Narwhal" sailed alone on the dark sea.

Inside the ship's cabin, two lurking Avengers patiently awaited the same moment.

……

The Narwhal, deep inside the lower cargo hold.

The short, stout tattered leather-clad Baal, a member of the takin tribe, was huddled in a corner, sweating profusely as he stared at the frantically vibrating Den Den Mushi in his arms.

Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray... Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray...

The sound of the Den Den Mushi echoed in the silent cargo hold like a death knell.

With trembling hands, Baal hesitated for a long time before finally pressing the answer button a second before the other party was about to hang up.

"Feed...feed? Is that Crocodile's boss?"

Baal forced a fawning smile, even though the person opposite him couldn't see it at all.

"Bar"

A deep, hoarse voice came from the other end of the phone, like the sound of sandpaper scraping the ground.

The voice was devoid of any emotion: "The repayment date is fast approaching. Where are your goods and the loan now?"

Barr shuddered, cold sweat instantly soaking his back.

"Ah! It's...it's Mr. Crocodile!"

Baal swallowed hard, then lied rapidly, "Please rest assured! Everything... went very smoothly! The goods have already been sold across the world. Although there were some minor setbacks along the way, causing a slight delay, I guarantee it!"

"I will definitely bring back the principal and interest on time! Absolutely no problem!"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone. The suffocating silence made Barr's heart pound in his throat.

"Oh……"

Crocodile suddenly chuckled, a laugh filled with mockery: "Smoothly? What a brilliant lie, Baal."

"Huh?" Baal's fake smile froze.

"Your cargo has all been destroyed by Bucky. Now you're nothing but a rat, barely clinging to life..."

Crocodile's voice suddenly turned cold, like a freezing desert night: "You think I don't know? That Buggy has already told me everything."

"Buck... Bucky?"

Baal froze, then the face of that red-nosed bastard flashed into his mind, and anger instantly clouded his judgment: "Bucky?! That bastard?! How could he... Wait! Could he also be...?"

"That's right."

Crocodile said slowly, as if stating a trivial matter: "Both 'Pakistan Express' and your 'Barr Express' are funded by me."

You all compete with each other, vying for orders, and I appreciate this dynamic market environment. Because no matter who wins or loses, you'll ultimately have to pay me hefty interest.

"What?!"

Baal's eyes widened, a wave of humiliation washing over him. He clenched his fists and growled into the Den Den Mushi, "You...you've been playing both sides?! So that damned Joker Company is yours too?! You've been toying with us!!"

"Watch your attitude, you trash."

Crocodile's voice was completely flat, yet carried a despairingly oppressive quality: "I'm only responsible for lending money. Whether you transport goods or kill each other is of no interest to me."

"The problem is, Bucky, that comical guy, at least provided me with valuable intelligence, even though he lost his goods too. But you, Baal, not only lost my money, but you also tried to deceive me."

"No...no! Boss! Give me another chance!"

Baal's anger instantly turned to terror, and he knelt on the ground, pleading, "We...we have clues to the treasure! If only I could..."

"It's too late."

Crocodile interrupted him, his tone turning as cold as a corpse: "For those who can't pay their debts, I usually send out specialized 'debt collectors' to deal with them."

"Judging by the time, he should be arriving soon."

"Debt collectors...?" Bal's teeth chattered.

"You'd better pray you can conjure up the money before he finds you. Otherwise..."

"Leave your life to pay for your debt."

Click. The phone was abruptly disconnected.

"Feed?! Hey!! Mr. Crocodile!!!"

Baal roared furiously at the now silent Den Den Mushi, then collapsed helplessly to the ground, the receiver slipping from his hand.

Despair overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.

"It's over...it's all over..."

"That man's assassin... there's no escaping him..."

……

A few nautical miles to the side and rear of the Narwhal.

The night was as dark as ink, and the waves rose and fell. A small, single-masted sailboat, without any flags and entirely black, sliced ​​through the waves silently, gliding swiftly across the sea like a silent dagger.

At the bow of the ship stood a tall, dark-skinned, bald man.

He was wearing a black suit with a small "壱" embroidered on his chest.

His eyes were cold and empty, like emotionless steel, and his whole body exuded a chilling, sharp aura.

Mr. 1. Daz Bonis.

He wasn't steering, yet the small boat maintained its course precisely.

In his hand, he held a small white piece of paper, no bigger than a fingernail—it was Baal's life card.

At this moment, the life card was trembling slightly, pointing firmly to the mist-shrouded sea ahead.

Mr. 1 slowly raised his head, his sharp, piercing eyes penetrating the night.

At the edge of the horizon, the outline of a large ship flying a distinctive flag could be faintly seen.

The flag didn't depict an ordinary skull, but a honey badger with a ferocious expression, as if it were about to tear everything apart.

"We've found our target."

Mr. 1's voice was deep and powerful. He moved his fingers, and instantly a metallic clanging sound came from his fingertips. His originally rounded fingers turned into sharp blades.

"Paying back debts is a matter of course."

"If you can't pay it back..."

With a flick of his arm, he cleanly sliced ​​the surging waves beside him in two.

"Then pay with blood."