"Whoa, Hammer, this battleship of yours is something else, so shiny and silver."
"N-fufufu! As expected of a Marine Vice Admiral. This ship's way better than the one Dragon has…"
Dragon scowled. He made a mental note; once he got the money, he'd definitely get a new ship from Water 7.
"Alright, enough chit-chat."
"Let's get down to business. Unless you don't want your money?"
The moment money was mentioned, Dragon immediately sobered up and pulled Ivankov aboard the Warhammer.
"Lance, I brought someone who can help. Get Crocodile here and bring her to my forge."
Lance glanced at the two newcomers, one tall like a giant, the other normal-sized, both cloaked and mysterious. But he chose to trust Hammer and nodded, then went off to fetch their guest.
'Still, why did the guy in the green cloak look so familiar?'
Once inside Hammer's forge…
Dragon and Ivankov's eyes lit up instantly.
"Damn, Hammer, where'd you get all this cool stuff?!"
"This sword's nice. And this staff, what is this, the Power Pole?!"
Dragon poked around like a kid in a toy store, admiring everything from blades to clubs. Hammer nearly kicked him out on the spot.
Ivankov, on the other hand, genuinely appreciated the craftsmanship. Even just the weapons on display looked incredibly lethal.
"Stop gawking, Dragon. These are all mine, you hear? And a lot of them are failed prototypes. If you break anything, you're paying for it."
Money, now that was Dragon's ultimate weakness these days.
The moment he heard "pay," he dropped the weapons and stood quietly in the corner like an obedient child.
"Look at you all scared, weren't you the guy who took down a Celestial Dragon? And now you're afraid of paying for damages? Tsk, tsk…"
The sarcasm was brutal, but Dragon didn't even bother to respond. He just rolled his eyes.
"Hmph. Easy to talk big when you're not footing the bills. I even have to buy my own guns now. I'm broke, man."
Hammer knew full well Dragon was struggling financially, but couldn't help teasing him.
After all, Dragon had beaten him to a pulp once, and Hammer was famous for holding grudges.
"Aww, our mighty Dragon has finally realized the value of money. What a momentous day~"
The snide remarks continued, and Dragon turned his back, clearly done with the conversation.
But Hammer wasn't done.
"Dragon, you know how easy it is for me to make money? Forget everything else, just holding an auction on Sabaody under the name 'Ornn', no, Hammer, people would be lining up like crazy! And the cash? Whoosh! Piles of it!"
"Plus, I'm about to be promoted to Marine Logistics Chief. You know what that means? I'll be in charge of the money. HAHAHA!"
Dragon's head started pounding. He wanted to slap the smug grin off Hammer's face, but he held back. Not yet. Not until he got his payment.
'Just wait,' he thought. 'Once I get the money, I'm definitely punching you.'
Suddenly, the door burst open.
A tall, strikingly beautiful woman, over two meters tall, stepped inside.
It was none other than the current bombshell, future Warlord of the Sea: Crocodile.
"N-fufufu What a beautiful lady!"
Ivankov lit up the moment he saw her.
His massive frame moved with surprising grace as he twirled excitedly around her.
Crocodile shuddered. Just being near Ivankov made her skin crawl. She barked out the order instinctively.
Unfortunately for her, she was facing none other than the Okama King, Emporio Ivankov.
Skin? Boundaries? Please. The only thing thick about Ivankov was the makeup on his face.
"She's Crocodile?! That up-and-coming pirate?! What the hell, Hammer, did you really turn him into a woman?!"
Dragon's jaw dropped, his eyes nearly bulging out. The expression was worthy of a sitcom.
Hammer gave a weary shake of his head. "Don't ask. It's too painful to explain…"
"N-fufufu! Hammer-boy, I think you've got the makings of a Newkama! And so does our dear Croco-boy, I mean, girl!"
"Why don't you both join my Newkama Paradise? N-fufufu!"
Ivankov's excitement was off the charts.
Hammer's face twitched. His fists began to glow with tension.
"NO. Keep that twisted idea to yourself, Ivankov. Or I swear, I'll hammer you into a steel block."
"Just fix Crocodile already. I need her to become a Warlord."
Crocodile turned to the towering Ivankov, disbelief written all over her face.
'Ivankov? Emporio Ivankov?!'
"You bastard, Hammer, you brought this freak to fix me?!"
She was already in a bad spot, and now he brings him? Was this some kind of joke?
"Don't give me that death glare," Hammer said. "Right now, Ivankov's the only person who can help you."
"Relax, no one else will ever find out about this. Just us in this room."
Crocodile wanted to die from embarrassment, but mostly she was just furious.
Still, when she considered her current state, she could only grit her teeth and nod begrudgingly.
"Hee-hah! Croco-boy, do you really want to go back to being a man? I think you look fabulous !"
"Why not stay a woman? It's wonderful!"
After spinning several times, Ivankov flung off his cloak, revealing his true form.
A heavily made-up face, an outrageous outfit, every part of him screamed not normal.
"Alright, Ivankov, enough. Just get it done already, I want my money!" Dragon cut in.
He was getting impatient. If they didn't hurry, how was he supposed to get paid, and then take revenge?
"N-fufufu! Since he has spoken, I'll lend a hand!"
"Now hold still, Croco. This won't take long!"
"Emporio! Male Hormones!"
Ivankov's massive body moved suddenly, his fingertip extending into a long needle that plunged into Kelokodarl's body the next second.
She let out a cry of pain.
Her body started to tremble.
Her once-slender figure began to bulk up. Her soft features hardened into a sharp, rugged face.
In just a few moments, the beautiful woman disappeared…
And the iconic, rugged, slicked hair man returned.
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu