Chapter 10: Thunder and Storm! Zoan Fruit User!
"Nami, you…"
At this moment,
watching Nami's slender back as she stood in front of him, Rok actually blanked out for a split second.
To be honest, he really hadn't expected her to say something like that.
Given the way "Thief Cat" Nami usually acted,
even if she didn't abandon him and run away first, she would at least prioritize her own safety.
No matter how you looked at it, she had no reason to pick a fight with the Drake Pirates just for his sake.
Yet…
no matter the reason, this feeling wasn't half bad.
"What do you mean 'you'? Don't get the wrong idea! I'm only doing this because of the treasure, okay? Otherwise I wouldn't care about you at all!"
Nami realized she'd behaved a little out of character—after all, Rok wasn't officially her crewmate yet.
To cover her embarrassment,
she deliberately shook the treasure-filled bubbles in her hands and pinned everything on the nearly 400 million berries.
And she felt
this excuse was absolutely airtight.
"Straw Hat Pirates' 'Thief Cat' Nami—are you sure you want to make enemies of us over a criminal wanted by both the World Government and Navy Headquarters?"
X. Drake clearly still didn't want to fight the Straw Hats.
It didn't align with his mission objectives.
On top of that, he had to take down Rok without exposing his crew's true identity.
He had long heard about the Straw Hat crew's exploits—
a bunch of reckless lunatics who feared neither heaven nor earth.
If they really got tangled up with the Straw Hats here on the Sabaody Archipelago, things could spiral completely out of control.
"Ha? Are you joking, big guy? You're a pirate with a bounty from the World Government yourself—how do you have the nerve to call Rok a criminal?"
The moment Nami finished speaking, Drake's earlier words suddenly clicked in her mind.
A shocking truth instantly dawned on her.
"Don't tell me… you're an undercover agent for the World Government or the Marines? Playing pirate is just a cover—you've got some other goal?!"
As Nami sharply exposed the truth,
the faces of X. Drake and his crew instantly darkened.
"Looks like there's no avoiding it after all. Straw Hat crew… we could have all gone to the New World without bothering each other."
In that instant,
"Fallen Marine" Red Flag X. Drake drew the sword at his waist, murderous intent rolling off him in waves.
Originally he had only planned to follow Headquarters' orders: capture or eliminate Rok alone.
But now…
the woman from the Straw Hat crew was just a little too clever.
BOOOOM—!
Right as X. Drake and his men prepared to surround and kill both Rok and Nami,
a thunderous roar echoed from the sky.
More than a dozen bolts of lightning crashed down exactly where the Drake Pirates stood!
Clima-Tact — Thunderstorm Tempo!
"Run, Rok!"
"These idiots actually thought I was just stalling for time!"
Although the lightning from Thunderstorm Tempo wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, it was more than enough to cause the Drake Pirates considerable trouble and prevent them from breaking free instantly.
Seizing the opening,
Nami dragged Rok toward the back, mocking the enemy while frantically searching for another exit.
She didn't know exactly who these people were,
but they were clearly no small fry. They needed to find Luffy, Zoro, and the others ASAP to be safe.
After all, Rok's physical condition was still uncertain.
In the end, she was the one who had dragged him to the bank—and struck it rich because of it.
She absolutely had to bring Rok back to the crew safe and sound!
"Eh? Why are we running, Nami? It's not necessary!"
Seeing Nami yank his hand and sprint like mad, Rok felt a little helpless.
Did he really look that frail right now?
Why did everyone assume that after being poisoned by that deadly weapon he was either half-dead or completely crippled?
Please—he was perfectly fine!
Yes, some toxin still remained in his body, but for some reason (probably the miraculous recovery potion from the system), the poison could no longer harm him at all.
It just hadn't been fully flushed out yet. It needed time.
Until every last drop was gone, any medical examination would still show him as "poisoned."
It was all Chopper's fault for running so many tests—otherwise Nami and Robin wouldn't keep thinking he was weak.
BANG—!
Just as Rok predicted,
they hadn't gotten far before a massive boulder came hurtling from behind.
Fortunately, Rok was ready. He scooped Nami into his arms and dodged; the boulder smashed a huge crater into the wall instead.
In that moment,
X. Drake caught up.
Only… his current form was bizarre.
More precisely, he was no longer human—he had transformed into a massive, powerfully built Allosaurus!
"A Devil Fruit user?!"
Seeing Drake's new appearance, even Nami couldn't help jumping in fright.
This guy really wasn't simple after all—an ancient Zoan-type user, no less.
And it looked like an extremely rare fruit at that.
Damn it, why did they have to run into such a terrifying ability user here?!
If only she'd brought Zoro and the others!
She and a "weakened" Rok were totally screwed!
"Zoan-type, Ryu Ryu no Mi, Ancient Species: Allosaurus Form."
"Rare fruit indeed. Shame it's not Mythical Zoan."
Rok smirked coldly at Drake, not a trace of panic in his eyes. Noticing Nami's fear, he stepped forward and shielded her behind him.
"It's fine, Nami. Leave these guys to me. You just watch the money."
"But your body—!"
Nami was clearly worried and wanted to fight side by side with him.
Yet Rok's gaze was rock-steady as he kept her firmly protected behind him.
"Rok, surrender peacefully!"
"If you come quietly, I can spare both your lives. You'll just be sent to Impel Down for life imprisonment!"
In his Allosaurus form, X. Drake didn't attack immediately.
Whether out of personal consideration or old ties from the same mentor, he was willing to offer Rok a chance to live.
And worst case—
even if Rok looked perfectly fine, having been poisoned by the World Government's special X-class toxin, at least 90% of his strength had to be gone, right?
A fully healthy Rok?
Even Drake himself, a Navy Rear Admiral in rank, wouldn't dare claim certain victory—
and he was more than ten years older!
"Drake, you risk your life playing undercover pirate for the World Government and Navy Headquarters, and at least you got a decent—not too strong, not too weak—Devil Fruit out of it."
Facing Drake's "final ultimatum,"
Rok answered with a cold laugh.
"What are you trying to say?"
Drake frowned, suddenly feeling a chill crawl up his spine.
"I served the Marines diligently for years. Teacher Zephyr had such high hopes for me. I really thought I'd dedicate my life to justice."
"And then, just because of one word from a Celestial Dragon—"
"I was poisoned, nearly died, and went from the youngest Navy Rear Admiral to a wanted criminal."
"Tell me, Drake… isn't that hilarious?"
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