"Have the second-year trainees all gone out to sea?"
"Yeah, off they went, full of pride and determination to face their assessments."
At the edge of the harbor, an old man stood beside a mummy-looking figure, both staring at the horizon.
"By the way, why did that old geezer Sengoku leave halfway through our chat yesterday?"
"He had an urgent mission to take care of."
Hammer fell into deep thought.
As the only active admiral in the Navy Headquarters at the moment, there were only a few situations that would require his deployment.
"Celestial Dragons?"
"Mm…"
"I knew it. Alright, Teacher Zephyr, I'm heading out too."
"You sure you don't need someone to accompany you? Especially in your current state?"
"Tch, you don't understand anything! This look of mine is perfect for a disguise!"
Hammer, brimming with confidence, boarded his warship in his mummy disguise. Lance and the soldiers were already waiting.
"Hammer, what's our mission this time?"
"No mission. We're just going out for a stroll. Destination: Sabaody, as usual. Set sail!"
"Got it!"
Lance didn't press for details and immediately began preparations for departure.
"What? Phil Jackson isn't here? How's that possible? Who's guarding Sabaody then?"
"Lieutenant Commander Mackenzie."
"..."
Upon arriving at Sabaody Marine Base #66, Hammer discovered that the originally stationed Rear Admiral was gone; he had left port. In his place was an old acquaintance of Hammer's, or rather, someone the old Hammer used to know.
Lieutenant Commander Mackenzie, one of the stationed officers at Sabaody.
A very slick and smooth man, the complete opposite of Hammer's straightforward nature. Naturally, they never got along.
"Lance, come with me. The rest of you rest up at the branch base."
"Hammer, we—"
"Stop! Don't call me Hammer. From now on, call me Mummy Ornn."
"..."
"That's my new alias. Remember it! We're undercover now, so be discreet!"
Lance looked at the mummy-clad Hammer with an utterly helpless expression.
All because Hammer wanted to "go undercover," now Lance was forced into a ridiculous getup, a floral shirt, beach shorts, and even star-shaped sunglasses. Man, it's rough working under someone like this.
For a brief moment, Lance thought of a certain snot-picking Vice Admiral's long-suffering adjutant and felt a pang of sympathy.
"Welcome to the Hydra Society."
Hammer pushed open the doors to the Hydra Society for the third time.
He smirked coldly to himself: 'You bastard, Santos. This time, you're coughing up everything you owe me!'
"This is my VIP card. I want to see your higher-ups. I've got big business to discuss!"
There was no need for Hammer to fake his voice. Due to the explosion, his voice had naturally developed a smoky rasp, uniquely intimidating.
The attendant took the VIP card and respectfully led them in.
Upon hearing the news, Chief Manager Santos hurried over to greet him.
"Esteemed VIP guest, may I ask… this card, it doesn't belong to you, does it?"
Santos glanced at the mummy, and a flash of doubt crossed his eyes.
If memory served, this card belonged to a VIP known as "Anvil."
"Hmph, that's my disciple. And you're Santos, right?"
"Uh… yes."
"Good! Take this, you punk!"
Hammer was furious. This bastard in front of him had scammed him out of 90 million Berries!
90 million! This debt had to be paid!
Duang!
Santos may have had some strength, but he was no match for one of the Navy HQ's monsters. Under Hammer's overwhelming power and speed, he couldn't even dodge and was immediately sent flying by a punch.
Of course, Hammer held back. Had he gone full force, Santos would be flattened like a manhole cover.
Lance stood frozen in shock.
'Weren't we here to do business? Why are we throwing punches?'
'What do we do if they fight back, run or fight?'
"Assault! Guards!"
An attendant immediately sounded the alarm, summoning a wave of guards.
Hammer remained perfectly calm, basking in the satisfaction of watching Santos fly.
'90 million! No way I'm letting you off that easy, I should beat you up a few more times!'
"Hmph! Serves you right. Ten thousand bullets, and you dared to charge me, my disciple, a hundred million Berries!"
"Nice trick you pulled there!"
The smoky voice cut coldly through the air.
Santos had barely hit the ground before he was consumed by dread.
'Damn it, I scammed the apprentice and now the master's here. And he doesn't look easy to fool either…'
Fighting through the pain, Santos scrambled up.
"There's no need for violence, sir! It was all a misunderstanding. Who hit the alarm? Turn it off! Guards, stand down!"
"Hmph! Talk is cheap, take another one of my punches!"
Hammer raised his massive, cauldron-sized fist again, ready to strike.
Santos panicked.
"Sir! Please calm down! I'll compensate you! How about 90,000 bullets? No? I'll add 10,000 more!"
'Heh,just what I was waiting for!'
"Hmph, at least you've got some sense. 150,000 bullets, and I'll let this go."
Santos was momentarily dumbfounded.
'Is… is that how math works now?'
'I scammed him for 90 million, and now he wants 150,000 bullets? Are you kidding me?!
But faced with that still-raised fist, Santos gulped.
"Deal! I'll give them to you!"
"You there! Go prepare 150,000 bullets for our honored guest, right now!"
Relief. That's what Hammer felt.
His fist turned into a giant hand, landing heavily on Santos's shoulder, making him shudder.
"Excellent. Now find us a private room. Let's get down to business."
"A transformable bed?"
"Yes, or more accurately, a bed that can move and transform!"
"Uh… Master Ornn, this… is just a bed."
"Exactly. A bed."
Santos stared at the large metal bed in front of him, utterly speechless.
'Dude… this is an auction house, and you want me to sell a bed???'
It was a foldable metal bed, clearly sturdy, with a soft fur mattress on top. There were also several buttons on the side that Santos had never seen before.
The bed itself wasn't anything special; what really piqued his interest was how the guy had produced it.
Moments ago, with a flash of light, the bed had appeared from nowhere.
'A Devil Fruit user? But what kind of ability is this?'
"Clearly, you don't understand the brilliance of this bed. Hmph, lack of vision. Let me show you."
"Lan, ahem, Lamborghini! Get on the bed!"
Lance: '…The hell kind of name is Lamborghini?'
Grumbling under his breath, Lance lay down.
To be honest, it was actually quite comfy.
Then Hammer pressed a button.
In the next moment, Lance began to move, unnaturally.
The bed rippled like waves, showcasing raw mechanical power!
"Whoa! This feels amazing!"
"Whoa! This is off-the-charts awesome!"
Two voices cried out in awe!
Hammer smiled in satisfaction.
'As expected, Stephen Chow's creations never disappoint!'
...................
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 15 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu