In these turbulent seas, what is the most valuable currency?
It is not Berries, the official currency issued by the World Government.
Nor is it gold, despite its status as a precious metal.
The true hard currency of the seas is something far more practical—ships.
In the world-renowned City of Water 7, a well-preserved second-hand ship would cost at least 100 million Berries. If one were to purchase a brand-new vessel, the price would exceed 300 million Berries!
To put this into perspective, even the legendary Devil Fruits, often considered the "secret treasures of the sea," typically sell for 100 million Berries each.
That meant that a brand-new ship was worth at least three Devil Fruits!
And that was just for standard wooden ships.
The ships sold publicly in Water 7 were mostly used by pirates and merchants—ordinary wooden sailing ships.
But what about the massive warships that the World Government and the Marines used to dominate the seas?
Take, for example, the three warships that Storm had captured in his battle earlier.
Each was an enormous, steel-plated battleship, complete with four masts and dozens of cannons lining its front and sides. These ships were so advanced that they could even safely cross the Calm Belt!
Each of these large warships was nearly 60 meters long, and according to Storm's knowledge from the Marine Academy, they could accommodate 800 Marine personnel for extended operations across the seas.
The cost of a single warship?
Billions of Berries!
Storm wasn't sure why the World Government—or perhaps Marine Headquarters—had sent three of these priceless vessels just to take down Bartholomew Kuma, the so-called Tyrant of the Sorbet Kingdom.
But none of that mattered now.
Because those three warships now belonged to him.
He had been in desperate need of a ship, and now, not only did he have one—he had three.
When he recruited new crew members, he could point at these massive warships and say—
"Look! My ship is big and comfortable!"
Of course, keeping all three warships for himself was unrealistic.
He wasn't planning on using them for decoration or preservation. Instead, Storm had a plan—
He would keep one warship for himself.
As for the other two?
He needed to find a suitable buyer to sell them off—along with the thousands of Marine soldiers currently stranded on shore.
That would be the perfect startup capital for his pirate crew.
Bulldog stared at the three warships docked along the shore, then turned his gaze toward the young pirate beside him.
"Are you planning to steal these Marine ships?" he asked cautiously.
Storm smirked.
"I'm not planning to steal it—it's already stolen!" he corrected, flashing a confident grin.
"As a pirate, of course, I rob whoever has money!"
"What's the point of robbing the poor?"
Bulldog finally accepted that the man in front of him was, without a doubt, a lawless pirate.
Strangely enough, though, despite everything Storm had done, Bulldog couldn't bring himself to hate him.
Just then, Kid and Killer approached, their faces brimming with excitement.
"Boss! These warships are huge!" Kid exclaimed.
"There's so much stuff inside!" Killer added.
"Food, fresh water, swords, ammunition—and even new weapons I've never seen before!"
Storm nodded.
"Start unloading the perishables first," he instructed.
But as he glanced at the naval prisoners and the elderly civilians nearby, he realized something—
There was no one to help.
That wasn't a problem.
Clay-Clay Fruit: Clay Soldiers!
Storm activated his Devil Fruit power, and one after another, three-meter-tall clay giants materialized on the shore.
"Take these clay soldiers with you," Storm said, motioning to Kid and Killer. "Move everything off the ship—leave nothing behind."
"Yes, boss!" they responded in unison, leading the clay giants toward the warships.
Meanwhile, Storm created a second batch of clay soldiers to guard the Marine prisoners.
Then, he turned his attention to two important captives—
Bartholomew Kuma and King Bekori.
Using his Clay-Clay Fruit, he lifted their unconscious bodies off the ground.
Nine-Tailed Demon Fox!
A brilliant white fox materialized beside Storm. Its majestic form—exactly as described in ancient myths—left Bulldog and the other elders stunned.
"Old man," Storm called out as he leaped onto the fox's back. "I'm heading to the palace now—care to join me?"
Bulldog's expression darkened.
How did this pirate know about the palace?
He hadn't mentioned anything about its location!
"Well, if you'd rather walk back on your own, be my guest," Storm said, urging the Nine-Tailed Fox forward.
"Wait!" Bulldog shouted, raising his hand.
"Take me with you!"
Storm smirked, pulling the old man onto the fox's back.
Bulldog had made up his mind.
If this pirate was truly heading to Kuma's Palace—where little Bonney was hidden—then he would do everything in his power to stop him.
But if Storm was lying and was actually headed to King Bekori's palace instead...
"King Bekori?!?"
Bulldog's eyes widened as he finally noticed the second captive beside Kuma.
If this wasn't Bekori, the former king of Sorbet, then who else could it be?
This pirate…
Bulldog watched Storm in confusion.
First, he captured Kuma.
Now, he had King Bekori as well.
What the hell was he planning?!
The Nine-Tailed Fox dashed through the island at astonishing speed, leaving Bulldog struggling to keep up with the situation.
Before he even had time to process everything, the fox came to a sudden stop in front of a small church deep within the Kingdom of Sorbet.
Unlike a typical church, this one had every window sealed shut.
Storm narrowed his eyes.
Under such strict measures, absolutely no natural light could enter the church!
Storm jumped off the nine-tailed fox and placed Kuma, Bulldog, and King Bekori down together.
Just as he had put them down—
Bulldog suddenly swung his crutch, aiming a heavy blow at Storm.
"You pirate!"
"Old man, isn't this a bit rude?"
Storm frowned slightly as he glanced at the weak crutch.
"You should stay outside with that king too!"
Before Bulldog's crutch could strike, the nine-tailed fox's fluffy tail gently rolled up and entangled Bulldog's body.
By the time the tail retracted, Bulldog had turned into a clay statue, just like King Bekori.
Storm walked slowly toward the church, carrying the still-unconscious Kuma.
Crunch—
The sound of a door being pushed open echoed.
Storm steadily pushed the church door open from the outside.
The moment he stepped inside...
A figure suddenly burst from the church's shadows.
She had waist-length pink hair, with gem-like fragments accentuating her youthful face.
"Go to hell!"
She leaped high into the air, raising her right leg for a heavy kick aimed at Storm.
But her strength wasn't even comparable to Bulldog's cane.
With sharp reflexes, Storm caught the little pink-haired girl by the ankle, effortlessly lifting her with one hand.
"Little girl, what do you think you're doing?"
As he held the pink-haired child, he gave her a little shake.
Bits of "weapons" started falling from her clothes—
Crosses, garlic, candlesticks, bricks...
Storm's eyelid twitched.
"The locals sure are rude!"
The little pink-haired girl became dizzy from Storm's movement and let out a sharp squeak.
Her voice instantly reached the ears of the nearby man.
The unconscious Kuma suddenly opened his eyes and scrambled up from the ground.
"Bonney!"
Kuma saw his daughter being "held captive" by Storm.
He raised his right hand, his face filled with urgency as if he wanted to charge forward and rescue her.
But Storm was far too close to Bonnie.
In the end, Kuma simply raised both hands above his head—
And gave Storm a universal gesture of surrender.
"Put Bonnie down! I'll do whatever you want!"
"Dad!"
Jewelry Bonnie dangled upside down, tears the size of beans welling in her eyes.
"Hey, hey, hey! You guys are making me look like some kind of villain!"
Storm shook his head and swung Bonnie gently toward Kuma.
"Bartholomew Kuma, spend more time with your 'daughter'!"
"Bonnie!"
Kuma saw Bonnie flying toward him. Without hesitation, he reached out his arms and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine!"
Bonnie curled up in Kuma's arms, desperately trying to hold back her tears.
"That uncle just now—"
Storm, still standing nearby, shot her a cold glance.
"Mm?"
Bonnie hesitated but then gathered her courage.
"That person just now… didn't hurt me."
Kuma personally checked Bonnie over, making sure she was unharmed. Only then did he let out a relieved sigh.
Then, looking up at Storm, he recalled what had been said earlier.
"You… what did you mean by that just now?"
"You really don't know?"
Storm molded a small clay doll in Bonnie's likeness, poking its face with his fingers.
"Your daughter is terminally ill."