Allen helped Vivi and Mikita onto the Black Pearl, then he jumped back down, landing in front of Igaram.
"Don't think I've forgotten about you," he grinned.
Igaram began to cry. No one could understand his pain. The money was the least of his concerns; this shameless, brazen pirate had stolen his princess without even realizing it.
Igaram looked toward Vivi on the deck of the Black Pearl, and she gave him a pleading gesture, begging him not to expose her.
The man avoided saying a single word to Vivi and pretended he didn't care that Allen was taking her away. He then ordered the Millions to bring all their money and possessions.
This took around ten minutes, and when they returned, they handed Allen several bundles of Berries and some jewelry. Even though it amounted to roughly five million, considering the number of people living in this fake town, it was obvious that it wasn't much.
"Well, it'll do~" Allen said, taking the sack and tossing it to Nami.
"I love you, Captain!~"
"..." Kaya.
"..." Uta.
"..." Nojiko.
He took the money without the slightest shame, causing all the Millions to look at him bitterly. At the same time, however, they felt this was karma. This was exactly what they did to other people.
"Oh, come on, don't make those faces," Allen teased them a little. "Now that you've experienced what it feels like, it'll be harder for you to do it to others. From an objective point of view, I'm doing you a favor. I gifted you empathy. You should thank me. No, thank me right now!"
Everyone felt like vomiting their intestines out, but they gritted their teeth and bowed.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Walker!"
"Captain Allen Walker... the title is important. But since I'm such a humble person, I'll allow you to call me Your Perfect Absolute Majesty, or Your Supreme Magnificent Absoluteness, or if you want something shorter—"
"Yeah, yeah, let's go already," Uta said indifferently as she grabbed Allen by the hand and dragged him toward the ship.
"Hey, I'm not done yet. I was about to tell them the story of when I realized I was perfect and absolute."
"We've already heard that story," Nojiko added without changing her expression.
"I want to hear it!" Kaya said with sparkling eyes.
"Ah, just as expected from our angel. You truly understand the value of my words," Allen said emotionally.
"Don't encourage him, Kaya, or he'll never leave us alone," Nami sighed.
Hina couldn't help but laugh. Somehow, these girls had learned how to deal with Allen's ego.
[Looks like having an all-female crew isn't as wonderful as you imagined.]
'Ugh, shut up, Lenalee. I'd take this a thousand times over before going through that experience with a man,' Allen said, turning slightly pale.
Once again, the words Dual Cultivation came to his mind. While it was a questionable method, it wasn't impossible. Though perhaps Allen should talk to the girls first and see if they were willing. Still, if they were men, he'd rather eat raw intestines than do it with them.
Everyone was about to depart when, out of nowhere, Vivi's duck, Karoo, jumped off the ship, ran over to Igaram, and handed him a letter. Then he turned around and ran back toward the ship.
Igaram looked at Vivi in the distance. Her expression seemed to say, "Believe in me."
Igaram sighed and opened the letter.
— "I'm sorry. I know you don't approve. I know it's stupid, but we've already risked too much for this... I... when I found out Crocodile was behind everything, I... you know.–
– He's a Warlord, who was a monster among pirates. On top of that, the World Government supports him, and in the eyes of our people, he's a hero. I was already giving up, not because I lacked determination, but because the reality is that we're weak... so I'll do one last thing. If this doesn't work... I don't know what else to do." —
Tears began falling from Igaram's eyes. He understood how much Vivi had suffered and what she was about to do. But he also understood that, for her, doing nothing was worse than dying. She couldn't turn her back on her people and her homeland.
But on the other hand, Igaram felt fear. Fear of inviting a monster even worse than Crocodile into his home.
Of course, there was one detail both of them were ignoring. Igaram didn't know that Vivi had no idea what kind of ship she had boarded or who Allen truly was.
'Please, Vivi-sama, be careful! We don't know what kind of terrifying monster Allen Walker really is!'
....
Once aboard the ship, Allen wasted no time and appeared atop the main mast.
"It's time to depart, freshwater sailors! Raise all sails at full power! Our target isn't a merchant vessel or a tourist ship! It's none other than the Seventh Warlord of the Sea!" Allen grinned shamelessly. "Let's pluck him clean! Make him wear old rags to cover his crotch!"
Uta, Nami, Nojiko, and Kaya laughed before getting to work and obeying their captain.
Although the ship could raise and lower its sails automatically, Allen had decided they should occasionally do it manually in case they ever had to use an ordinary ship.
Nami ran to the helm and began turning the ship starboard to leave the island.
Nojiko ran to the main mast and pulled the ropes to unfurl the main sail, while Uta did the same with the rear mast.
As for Kaya, she tried to do the same with the forward mast, but because she originally had a weak body, even at Level Two she was only slightly stronger than an average person.
Seeing this, Tashigi approached and helped her, making Kaya smile knowingly.
"Hehe~"
"What's with that smile? I'll tell you now, we're enemies. As soon as I'm free, I'll hunt you down like any other pirate," Tashigi said with a blush.
"Okay~"
Tashigi could only look away with a snort. She didn't like that feeling. It was as if, in these girls' eyes, she and Hina were destined to become part of the crew.
Did they even understand that they were Marines?!
The black-sailed ship began sailing away from Whisky Peak at full speed. However, two pairs of eyes watched them from the sky.
It was a vulture wearing sunglasses with an otter dressed in pajamas riding on its back. Ridiculous as it looked, they were both Baroque Works agents: Miss Friday and Mr. 13. They served as both informants and enforcers.
Upon seeing Allen's ship, Mr. 13 pulled out a notebook and began sketching the Black Pearl, including the White Hair Pirates' flag.
Once he finished the impressively detailed drawing worthy of an artist, he made portraits of Allen and his crew, depicted Mr. 5's defeat, and Miss Valentine's capture.
Once finished, Miss Friday turned around and flew into the distance.
They needed to report to Crocodile.
....
Aboard the Black Pearl, Mikita and Vivi remained in the center of the deck, unsure of what to do.
Of course, Vivi was more comfortable because she understood that despite being "hostages," they weren't being treated like hostages. For Mikita, however, this was strange.
Pirates and criminals weren't good people. It might sound obvious, but she had imagined that even if Allen didn't mistreat her, he'd at least lock her somewhere. Unexpectedly, they had simply left her on deck.
Had they forgotten about her Devil Fruit powers? She could escape by simply jumping off and floating away.
"Go ahead and try," Vivi said with a mocking smile.
She could practically read Mikita's thoughts and had thought the same thing herself. However, Vivi didn't realize that saying that had the opposite effect. Instead of escaping, Mikita walked over to Nojiko and asked if she needed help.
That left Vivi, Hina, and Tashigi speechless, but it made sense.
Unlike the three of them—two Marines and a princess—Mikita was part of the Grand Line's underworld. Her loyalty to Baroque Works was only as strong as an employee's loyalty to the company she worked for.
It was a dangerous sea, and while many pirates sought independence, some didn't mind working under someone else.
"In that case, you can help me in the kitchen. Now that we have more crew members, I'll need extra hands."
"Cooking?!" Mikita's eyes widened.
This morning she had been a Baroque Works agent handling everything from theft to murder, and now she had ended up helping a chef in the kitchen. What kind of twist of fate was this?
Mikita looked at Allen. It seemed her fantasies had been wrong. This guy hadn't dragged her into his cabin to "play" with her.
It was strange because, although she should have felt relieved—and she did—there was also a tiny trace of disappointment.
'What's wrong with me?!'
Mikita shook her head.
"Al... alright... I'll help you, Nojiko-san?"
Nojiko smiled.
"Oh, I like that attitude. I suppose you've had a change of heart."
Mikita clenched her teeth but couldn't deny it. Just moments ago, they had shown her how arrogant she had been. Imagine being a Devil Fruit user, an elite Baroque Works agent, and then having a girl point out all your flaws as a fighter while a young man doesn't even bother defeating you properly and instead humiliates you.
"Well, don't feel bad. Just learn to use your fruit better," Nojiko said with a smile.
She was proud. Why wouldn't she be? While Allen had defeated Mikita, even without his intervention, Nojiko could have handled her alone.
Nojiko laughed as she walked toward the kitchen.
Mikita looked at her with displeasure but couldn't say anything, so she followed reluctantly.
'Lenalee...'
[Don't worry. If she shows any sign of being dangerous, I'll let you know.]
Jokes about harem aside, Allen wasn't stupid enough to trust these girls blindly. Whether Hina and Tashigi had shown goodwill, Vivi was kind, or Mikita seemed submissive, that didn't mean he trusted them the same way he trusted Uta, Nami, Nojiko, and Kaya.
Those four girls were special. Allen would bet his life that they would never betray him. The other four hadn't earned that level of trust yet, so Lenalee kept a constant watch on them. That was why Allen could afford to be a little carefree...
Perhaps too carefree.
...
Some time later...
"Ah... I'm exhausted"
Allen lay on the deck with his head resting on Kaya's lap. Far from feeling uncomfortable, the girl was happy to let him, taking the opportunity to stroke his hair, which seemed to be becoming a habit.
"You really are a free-spirited guy..." Vivi said while feeding Karoo.
She couldn't believe that the same man who had wanted to rob Crocodile earlier now looked completely carefree.
Without opening his eyes and still enjoying Kaya's lap pillow, Allen replied,
"Well, I could stand on the figurehead in a heroic pose while staring at the horizon... which isn't a bad idea, but doing it for hours would be stupid, don't you think?"
"..." Vivi couldn't refute that logic.
"A pirate's life is full of constant danger, but even the fiercest captain will break if he doesn't rest from time to time." Allen winked at Vivi. "Just imagine the loss for maidens around the world if I collapsed from exhaustion."
"I'm sure it would be a tremendous loss," Tashigi replied, rolling her eyes.
She sat on the bow stairs while cleaning her katana. She had only used it to cut a cannonball, but she had a habit of taking very good care of it.
"By the way, is that katana important? I've noticed you take great care of it," Allen asked.
"Besides being a Wazamono-grade Meito, she's my partner, Shigure," Tashigi smiled.
"Waza—? What's that?"
Tashigi stopped moving and frowned at Allen.
"Did I say something wrong?" Allen opened his eyes, unsure why she had become upset.
Tashigi puffed out her cheek and pouted.
"For someone who knows so much about the Grand Line, it's ridiculous that you don't know about the Meito swords"
"Well, I know about the Grand Line for survival reasons, but I'm not a swordsman. Why would I know that?"
[Meito is the title given to the finest swords in the world. They possess superior quality and sharpness compared to all others... By the way, if you want, you can obtain Meito swords from the weapon section. Assuming you're lucky.]
Allen thought for a moment and shook his head. He would rather spend his coins becoming stronger himself than on rare weapons.
"Hina, since the adorable Tashigi is pouting, can you explain it to me?" Allen grinned teasingly.
"Who are you calling adorable?!" Tashigi exclaimed, blushing.
"Oh? Aren't you?"
Allen teased.
She didn't want to admit she was cute because it felt like he was belittling her as a warrior, but rejecting the statement was also difficult as a girl.
Tashigi wanted to punch Allen.
Hina, who had been drinking a beer while leaning against the stern railing, sighed and walked down to the main deck.
"Well... the first thing you need to know is that very few swords are worthy of the title Meito, and they're divided into four grades..."
— Saijo O Wazamono (Supreme Grade Blades), 12 in total.
— O Wazamono (Great Grade Blades), 21 in total.
— Ryo Wazamono (Skillful Grade Blades), 50 in total.
— Wazamono (Grade Blades), around 80.
Upon hearing that, Allen's gaze shifted back to Tashigi, who hugged her katana protectively. She had seen Allen steal everything from people's money to their shoes. Of course, she was afraid he might take her sword after learning how valuable it was.
"I'm not going to take it. What kind of person do you think I am? Don't answer that!" Allen grinned shamelessly while looking like a king enjoying leisure time with his concubine. "I was simply interested in knowing your katana's name."
Tashigi snorted but relaxed a little. Allen was shameless. If he wanted her katana, he'd say so directly. He might try convincing her to offer it as tribute to his glory, or perhaps try negotiating for the freedom of both women, but he wouldn't lie.
Tashigi presented her katana. It had a light-colored edge with a black spine. The guard was a four-pointed star, and the hilt was green.
"This is Shigure, a Wazamono Meito. But more importantly, she's my battle companion..." Tashigi smiled, but then her expression turned serious. "With this katana, I'll fulfill my dream..."
"Dream?" Allen asked.
Nami, Uta, Kaya, and Vivi turned toward her curiously.
Tashigi looked at Allen for a moment. She hesitated to speak, almost as if she feared his reaction. Even so, there was a hint of curiosity and expectation in her eyes.
"These weapons weren't made to massacre innocent people. That's why my dream is to reclaim all the Meito that are in the hands of evil people..."
"All of them?!" Kaya exclaimed.
"Is that even possible? That's at least half of all Meito," Vivi gasped.
"Tashigi..." Hina sighed.
"That sounds harder than finding the One Piece," Nami said.
"No, that's clearly impossible," Uta shook her head.
Tashigi trembled.
It was the same reaction.
Without exception, everyone had always reacted the same way when hearing her dream. She had expected it. Even so, she waited for Allen's response.
His expression didn't change.
"Hina, do we know who owns the thirteen Supreme Grade Blades?"
Hina shrugged, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and answered.
"One belongs to Dracule Mihawk. It's called Kokuto. Another belongs to Whitebeard... I don't know its name. And as far as I know, Gold Roger's sword was one of the thirteen, but it disappeared after his execution."
All the girls froze.
It was expected that the greatest swords would belong to the strongest people, but hearing names like those one after another was absurd.
Tashigi tightened her grip on Shigure. She knew it. It was stupid, ridiculous, utterly insane. Not even a hundred versions of herself could take a single Meito from monsters like those.
Without saying a word, Allen stood up, walked over to Tashigi, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
The girls expected him to comfort her or give some speech about never giving up.
Instead, he smiled at her with pity.
"My condolences..."
Tashigi lost all color and looked as if her soul had left her body.
[You bastard! You're supposed to comfort her!]
For once, the girls wouldn't have minded Allen taking advantage of the opportunity to gain Tashigi's sympathy.
Instead, the bastard shattered her heart.
"..." Tashigi sat on the floor, depressed.
Allen walked past her, climbed the stairs to the bow, and stepped onto the ship's figurehead.
"The strongest swordsman, the strongest man in the world, and the Pirate King... If the rest of the Supreme Grade Blades belong to people of that caliber, then they're beyond your reach..."
"..." Tashigi bit her lip until it bled.
"However..."
"...?" Tashigi looked up.
There stood Allen with the sun at his back.
"However, they're not beyond mine. So what do you say? Give me all of yourself, and I'll make your dream come true... I swear it upon my glory as the future King of the World."
"...!"
Everyone was stunned.
If anyone else had said those words, it would have sounded like the most ridiculous declaration imaginable. But coming from Allen—only from Allen—it didn't sound like a promise.
It sounded like a fact.
Something that would inevitably happen.
This arrogant bastard who seemed untouched by fate itself was trying to place the world beneath his feet. What were a few fancy swords compared to that? He could simply hand them to her.
Tashigi was so captivated that tears filled her eyes. For so long, her dream had seemed like nothing more than a delusion.
Yet now, it felt within reach.
Could it really be possible?
"What do you say, Tashigi?" he asked with a gentle smile.
[Suspicious... Maybe I'm wrong, but you're not planning to obtain the Meito from me instead of from their original owners, are you?]
'What are you talking about, Lenalee? Of course I'm going to do that! Do you want me to get killed?!'
[You son of a— You're definitely going to hell!]
'Hey, someday I'll have the strength to take the originals, but not now. Leave me alone!'
====
A/N: Sometimes even I think Allen is a son of a bitch, but realistically, a dream like that is just masochism—how could anyone have thought it was possible? XD
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