Burūno trembled as he held the money in his hands, his voice shaking.
"Th-Three million... as a deposit?"
Behind him, the others, who had been preparing to perform, were dumbfounded.
Just to watch a performance, the man casually threw out three million—and even called it a deposit!
Where did this rich tycoon come from?
The man in black gave a slight nod, confirming that the three million was indeed a deposit. Then, he walked over to a large tree, leaned against it, and smiled.
"Too little? Why haven't you started yet?"
Burūno shuddered and quickly assured him, "Not at all! It's just that we've never seen a guest as generous as you. Rest assured, our performance will be top-notch!"
Tears welled up in Burūno's eyes as he thought to himself, With this money, Lucci's injuries will be completely taken care of! We can buy the best medicine available!
Jabra and the others had the same thought. Without needing anyone to say a word, they immediately launched into their performance.
Jabra and Kaku transformed on the spot. To them, someone this wealthy had undoubtedly seen all sorts of spectacles. A Zoan-type Devil Fruit wouldn't surprise him, let alone make him think it was some kind of witchcraft.
And indeed, when Jabra turned into a gray wolf and Kaku into a giraffe, the man in black showed no hint of surprise. He remained leaning against the tree, watching silently.
Kaku swung his long neck at incredible speed, spinning it like a massive windmill. Jabra let out a howl and jumped through a series of flaming hoops.
Meanwhile, Fukurou wrapped himself in a cloth while Kumadori chanted something under his breath. His long pink hair moved without wind, extending like tentacles to strike at Fukurou's body, producing a series of metallic clangs.
This performance was certainly a step above their previous acts.
But if anyone from Marine Headquarters or the World Government had been present, they would have immediately recognized that every move in their performance was derived from Rokushiki.
Kaku's whirling neck was actually a unique variation of Rankyaku, using his body's natural advantages. Jabra, when leaping through the fire rings, kicked the air mid-jump—clearly Geppo.
Kumadori was using Seimei Kikan, while Fukurou had activated Tekkai.
The man in black clapped his hands in appreciation, then casually tossed another two million to Burūno.
Spurred on by the money, Jabra and the others performed even more energetically, eager to showcase every bit of their mastery over Rokushiki.
Engrossed in their performance, none of them noticed that despite all the commotion, no one else had gathered to watch.
As time passed, the sun climbed higher in the sky, and sweat glistened on Jabra and the others.
Just as their performance was nearing its climax, the distinctive click-clack of high heels echoed from the end of the street. A tall, graceful figure appeared.
The woman had rolled up her sleeves, revealing fair-skinned arms. Her long golden hair cascaded down her back, and she wore a pair of intelligent-looking glasses. It was Kalifa.
Kalifa's job involved cleaning the streets and houses—an ideal match for her Bubble-Bubble Fruit abilities. Because of this, she earned more in a day than Burūno and the others combined.
Finishing her work, she realized that Burūno and the rest hadn't come to pick her up like usual. Sensing that something was off, she hurried to the scene.
When she arrived, she saw Jabra and the others still performing and let out a breath of relief.
Adjusting her glasses out of habit, she walked over to Burūno and asked,
"Burūno, there's hardly anyone around. Why are you all still performing? You had me worried."
Burūno raised a finger to his lips and motioned for silence, then pointed towards the man in black, speaking in a hushed voice.
"Shh, don't disturb our guest."
Kalifa blinked and followed Burūno's gaze. The man in black, sensing her look, politely waved at her.
Seeing this, Kalifa suppressed her curiosity and quickly put on a friendly smile, waving back in return.
She then turned to Burūno and lowered her voice. "So you're performing just for him? Who is he?"
Burūno grinned and shook the crisp bills in his hand, nearly making Kalifa dizzy from the sight of all that money.
"Yes, just for him. See this? That's his tip! And he gave us three million up front as a deposit!"
"Nani?!"
Kalifa gasped, deeply shaken by the man's sheer extravagance.
Burūno, expecting this reaction, glanced down at the money and muttered, "Now we can afford the best treatment for Lucci. This is amazing..."
Kalifa snapped out of her daze, a smile crossing her face before a hint of concern replaced it.
"But who would spend this much money just to watch a circus act? What if he was sent from above...?"
As she spoke, she made a throat-slitting gesture.
Burūno shook his head. "Unlikely. If he were sent from above, he wouldn't need to waste time here. He would have made his move already. Also… don't call it a circus act! This is art! Art!"
Kalifa rolled her eyes. "You guys are actually enjoying this, aren't you? Have you forgotten that we are—"
"Are what?"
"!!!"
Burūno and Kalifa froze, their heads snapping toward the man in black.
The man had his hands tucked into his pockets and was leaning slightly forward, watching them closely.
Cold sweat formed on Kalifa and Burūno's foreheads. Kalifa took a step back, increasing the distance between herself and the man, as her hands began to glow with white foam.
Burūno reached toward the air beside him, ready to use his Door-Door Fruit to escape at any moment.
After all, they were elite agents of an intelligence organization. To ordinary people, they were practically superhuman.
Yet, neither of them had noticed the man's approach!
On the other side, Jabra sensed the strange tension. He stopped mid-leap through a flaming hoop and stared at the man's back, speaking in a low voice.
"Kaku, something's off... Hey, idiot! Stop spinning that square head of yours! You'll scramble your brain!"
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+240 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg